Populist surge in Italy’s election +++ SPÖ victory in Carinthia’s state election +++ Aid convoy enters Eastern Ghouta

5. April 2018, 02:00

Populist surge in Italy’s election

Italy's general election has resulted in a hung parliament and big gains for anti-establishment parties. The populist 5-Star movement will be the biggest single party. But a right-wing coalition, including Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia and an anti-immigrant party - The League - is expected to be the largest block. There are likely to be weeks of negotiations to build a governing coalition. Fabio Massimo Castaldo is from the 5-Star movement: "I can say that we are very proud of this historical result. We will be the largest group inside the House of Commons, and inside the Italian Senate as well, and I think this is a very important recognition."

SPÖ victory in Carinthia’s state election

With almost all the ballots counted, results from Carinthia's state election show the Social Democrats as the clear winner, with almost 48 percent of the vote. The SPÖ is just short of an absolute majority and will need a coalition partner. The Freedom Party is in second place with around 23 percent and the ÖVP in third place with about 15 percent. Gerhard Köfer’s "Team Kärnten" has 5.8 percent. The Greens and the Neos failed to get the five percent necessary to enter the regional parliament.

Aid convoy enters Eastern Ghouta

A convoy of almost 50 lorries is finally entering the Syrian rebel-enclave of Eastern Ghouta - to deliver humanitarian aid to almost 30,000 people. The United Nations says it hopes to be able to distribute the aid today.

Trump defends trade tariff plans

The US President Donald Trump has been defending his plans to put tariffs on imported steel and aluminium. Trump claims that rising imports threaten U.S. national security, and has also said he may impose a tax on EU-made cars. The European Union Trade Commissioner, Cecilia Malmström, said the EU was preparing to react to the move: "We are looking at possibilities to retaliate - meaning that we will also put taxes or tariffs on US imports to the European Union. But, of course we wait for the final decision yet."

South Korean envoys meet with North Korea’s leader

The North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is holding a dinner with officials from South Korea, marking a rare diplomatic engagement for the reclusive leader. The delegation from Seoul is led by its national intelligence and security chiefs.

The Shape of Water wins at Oscars

At the Oscars ceremony in Hollywood, The Shape of Water - a fantasy romance directed by the Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro - has won the best picture award. The winner of Best Actress, Frances McDormand, gave a speech calling for an end to sexual abuse and discrimination in the film industry.

Merkel wants coalition to get to work

The German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said it's important that a newly-agreed coalition gets to work quickly, on a series of domestic and international challenges – including delivering on promises for future jobs and maintaining German prosperity.

The weather

Sunny spells in the west, but elsewhere cloudy and foggy with snow and sleet in the south. Highs ranging from minus 3 in the east, to plus 13 degrees in the west.

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