News | 20 April 2018

North and South Korea install telephone hotline +++ Comey notes on Trump meetings published

North and South Korea install telephone hotline +++ Comey notes on Trump meetings published +++ ETA publishes statement of apology +++ Kneissl discusses Syrian conflict in Moscow +++ Austria to bar Turkish politicians from campaigning +++ Train collision at Salzburg station +++ Berlin WW2 bomb sparks evacuation +++ The weather

News | 20 April 2018

Rosie Waites

North and South Korea install telephone hotline

A direct phone hotline between the leaders of North and South Korea is now in operation. It's expected to be used by the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his Southern counterpart, Moon Jae-in, to talk ahead of a planned summit on April the 27th. President Moon Jae-in said that the North is voicing a willingness for complete denuclearisation, without strict conditions - such as the withdrawal of US troops from the South.

Comey notes on Trump meetings published

Memos written by the former FBI director James Comey, about his meetings with President Trump, have been published. They are consistent with allegations by Comey - detailed in his book - that the President asked him to let go of an investigation into his disgraced former national security adviser Michael Flynn. President Trump says Comey's notes show there was no obstruction of justice on his part. Comey says this is still unclear: "I think the request that we drop the investigation is potentially obstruction of justice, but I actually don't know the answer to the final question - because under American law obstruction of justice requires a specific kind of intention and I don't know what the other evidence is that would reflect on the President's state of mind."

ETA publishes statement of apology

The Basque militant group ETA has apologised for the pain it caused during its decades-long armed struggle for independence from Spain. In a statement, ETA said it had caused a lot of irreparable harm, and asked for forgiveness from those victims who were caught up in the conflict. ETA is due to disband early next month.

Kneissl discusses Syrian conflict in Moscow

Austria's foreign minister, Karin Kneissl, has been discussing the conflict in Syria, with her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov and the UN envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, at talks in Moscow. Russia is a key ally of the Syrian government. Kneissl had said she would offer Austria's mediation services as part of efforts to end the conflict. Lavrov said they had also discussed the deployment of a peacekeeping mission in East Ukraine.

Austria to bar Turkish politicians from campaigning

Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has said Turkish politicians will be barred from campaigning in Austria ahead of Turkey's June elections. He said that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had been trying to exploit Europe's communities of Turkish origin for years. Turkish ministers have previously tried to drum up support in countries with large Turkish communities.

Train collision at Salzburg station

Up to 54 people have been slightly injured in a train collision at Salzburg's main railway station. According to reports, the collision happened when two night trains were coupled together. Many of the passengers were thought to be asleep at the time of the impact. It's not yet clear what caused the collision.

Berlin WW2 bomb sparks evacuation

German police are evacuating about ten thousand people from part of Berlin's city centre - ahead of an attempt to defuse an unexploded Second World War bomb. The operation is also causing severe transport disruption, with trains unable to stop at Berlin's main station. The bomb was found during construction work.

The weather

Sunny and warm, with a lively easterly wind - especially in Upper Austria. Highs ranging between 21 and 29 or even 30 degrees. It will be warmest in the West.

Übersicht