Hungary’s Orban in Vienna for talks +++ Catalonia postpones vote on leader

2. März 2018, 02:00

Hungary’s Orban in Vienna for talks

The Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is in Vienna for talks with Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and vice chancellor Heinz Christian Strache. There are tensions over the Kurz government’s plan to link family benefit payments to residency in Austria, and Hungary's plans to expand its nuclear power plant at Paks. Austria’s opposition parties have strongly criticised support Kurz has given to the nationalist government of Orban in its opposition to European Union policy on refugee quotas.

Catalonia postpones vote on leader

The Catalan parliament has postponed a session intended to re-elect separatist leader Carles Puigdemont as president. The parliamentary speaker said the postponement was to allow time to appeal against a Spanish Constitutional court ruling requiring Puigdemont to return from self imposed exile in Belgium for any inauguration. Puigdemont faces arrest on sedition charges in Spain.

CIA charges Russia, China with interference

The head of the CIA, Mike Pompeo, has said he expects Russia to try to influence mid-term elections to the United States Congress this November. He has also accused China of targeting Europe and the US in the theft of information: “The Chinese are very active. We can watch very focussed efforts to steal American information, to infiltrate the United states with people who are going to work on behalf of the Chinese government against America.” Meanwhile the deputy FBI chief Andrew McCabe, who has faced continual criticism from president Trump, has resigned.

Russia denounces US list on ‘corruption’

Russia has denounced the publication by the United States treasury of a list of officials and businessmen with close links to president Putin, calling it a grave interference in its internal affairs. Those named, which include almost everyone in Putin’s administration, are reportedly accused in a classified section of corrupt activities. Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has welcomed the list’s publication.

Yemen: Aden falls to separatists

Reports from Yemen say leaders of the Saudi-backed government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi are preparing to flee from their temporary capital, Aden. They say Southern Yemeni separatists have taken control of much of the city after two days of intense fighting.

UNICEF makes urgent appeal

The United Nations Children's Fund has issued an urgent appeal for funds saying around 48 million children worldwide are in need of aid. It says nearly one on four children is growing up in countries affected by conflict or natural disasters.

Kenya’s opposition leader ‘sworn-in as president’ 

In Kenya, police have shut down a number of television and radio stations planning to broadcast the swearing-in of opposition leader Raila Odinga as president. The government has said showing the ceremony is treasonous because Odinga lost the presidential election last year.

The Weather

Sunny over much of the country. Cloudy north of the Alps. Top temperatures 3 to 14 degrees.

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