News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

Luxembourg to relax bank secrecy

Luxembourg has announced that it will fully comply with European Union rules on tax evasion and bank secrecy, with effect from January the first 20-15. Luxembourg signalled at the weekend that it was prepared to be more transparent, as the Cyprus debt bailout and revelations about tax evasion put the spotlight on tax havens. Austria is now the only E.U. country which blocks the automatic exchange of bank account information. The European Commission says that must change.

Seoul raises alert level

South Korea´s Combined Forces Command has raised the country´s military alert status, as tensions remain high on the Korean peninsula. Sources in South Korea and the United States say that the North has completed preparations for a missile test that could come "any day". The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says there's a real danger of miscalculation: "Any small incident caused by a miscalculation or misjudgement may create the uncontrollable situation. That is why I have been urging the authorities to refrain from this provocative rhetoric."

Iran suffers aftershocks

Scores of aftershocks have been reported in south-western Iran following Tuesday's earthquake, which left 37 people dead and over 850 injured. Three days of mourning have been announced.

John Kerry meets Syria´s opposition

The U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is meeting with Syrian opposition leaders in London, ahead of talks later today with the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. He arrived from the Middle East, where he held three days of talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.

Amnesty death penalty report

The human rights group Amnesty International says it´s encouraged by overall signs of progress in the global trend towards ending the death penalty, despite setbacks in several countries. In its annual review, Amnesty counted 682 confirmed executions in 21 countries in 20-12, down significantly from 28 countries a decade ago. The figures do not include China, which is thought to execute thousands each year.

Children suffer most in conflicts

The charity Save the Children says that over half of the victims of sexual violence in many conflict and post-conflict zones are youngsters. Children are also said to be suffering abuse and rape at a quote "appalling rate." The charity´s report has been released ahead of a G-8 meeting in London aiming to tackle the issue.

The weather

A mix of cloud and sunshine, with the odd shower. Top temperatures are ranging from 9 to 17, warmest in the east.

Übersicht

• News In English