The Alaska-Siberia flight recalls historic Second World War supply route which helped defeat Nazism.

Hopes fade of finding 13 people, six weeks after Tyva Avia aircraft went missing in remote and mountainous region.

Private helicopter brought in to located Tyva Avia aircraft that had 13 people on board in remote Siberia.

Krasnoyarsk and Novosibirsk suffering smoke pollution and infernos rage in forests after hot, dry weather.

A desperate rescue mission saved four people - but up to 24 are feared dead in the air tragedy in the Sakha Republic. 

They dived into rivers and lakes to celebrate the Orthodox Christian holiday of Epiphany.

Abnormally hot May weather resembles midsummer with air temperatures as high as +35C.

Flooding now covers an area almost as large as France, Germany and Britain combined, or close to the equivalent of Texas and California.

The Mi-8 with 25 passengers and a crew of three on board crash landed some 45 km into a flight, said early reports.

Several injuries among 159 passengers and crew as plane skidded off the runway, breaking a wing and damaging landing gear, at Osh airport.