News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

North Korea to dominate G8 meeting

Tensions on the Korean peninsula will be high on the agenda at a meeting of the G8 in London. Observers say Japanese officials at the talks are looking for a strong statement of solidarity in the wake of Pyongyang's recent threats against South Korea and the US. The group's foreign ministers will also discuss the conflict in Syria and prospects for re-starting Middle East peace talks.

Syrian government accused over air strikes

As the conflict in Syria continues, the group Human Rights Watch has accused the Syrian government of carrying out indiscriminate and sometimes deliberate airstrikes against civilians. The group documented attacks at over 50 sites. It says bakeries, bread queues and hospitals were hit in the country's northern region. Human rights Watch spokesman Ole Solvang: "with the use of air strikes, the government has escalated the conflict even further. And we now see strong evidence that the government is even deliberately targeting civilians."

Bi-partisan deal on gun control in US

In the US, two senators have brokered a bi-partisan deal to expand background checks on gun buyers. The move has boosted the Obama administration's efforts to bring in tighter firearms controls. President Obama has been calling for gun controls in the wake of last year's shooting massacre at a school in Connecticut. The compromise was unveiled by Republican Patrick Toomey and Joe Manchin for the Democrats who said it was a step in the right direction: "this amendment won't ease the pain - it will not ease the pain of the families who lost their children on that horrible day. But nobody here not one of us in this great capital of ours with a good conscience could sit by and not try to prevent a day like that from happening again."

Immigration rights rallies across US

Tens of thousands of demonstrators have rallied across the US to call for citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants. The co-ordinated protests were designed to put pressure on Congress as senators negotiate an immigration reform bill.

Austria under pressure over bank secrecy

Austria is coming under increasing pressure over its bank secrecy laws. The French budget minister Bernard Cazeneuve has warned Austria that it risks being put on a list of countries which are not cooperating in the campaign against tax evasion. Following Luxembourg's announcement that it was prepared to relax its bank secrecy regulations and exchange information, Brussels called on Vienna to follow suit.

Gay marriage legalised in Uruguay

Politicians in Uruguay have voted overwhelmingly to legalise gay marriage - making the country the second in Latin America to do so, after Argentina. The bill is expected to be signed into law within two weeks.

The weather

It will become increasingly cloudy with a bit of rain in the region between Vorarlberg and Upper Austria. There’ll be occasional sunshine in much of the country. Highs will be ranging between 10 and 18 degrees, but where the sun's out up to 20.

Übersicht

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