News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

Record unemployment for Spain

Spain's unemployment rate has hit a new high. Figures for the first quarter of this year show that more than six million Spaniards - that’s 27 percent of the workforce - are now jobless. A mass demonstration outside the parliament in Madrid against the government’s austerity program is planned for tonight.

Italy’s Letta begins forming a government

In Italy, the center-right leader Enrico Letta begins talks today about forming a new government, following two months of political deadlock caused by inconclusive elections. He's been tasked with putting together a broad coalition, which is expected to include ministers from both Silvio Berlusconi's center right bloc and the centrist party of the former technocrat Prime Minister Mario Monti.

Serbia’s President apologizes for war crimes

There are reports from Serbia that President Tomislav Nikolic has apologized for all crimes committed against Bosnian Muslims during the Bosnian war in the early-to-mid 1990s. Nikolic, who was an ultra-nationalist back then, now says he plans to visit to the town of Srebrenica, where 8,000 Bosnian men and boys were killed by Bosnian-Serb troops in July of 1995.

Russia calls for improved ties with USA over security

The Russian president Vladimir Putin says last week’s bombings in Boston show the need for his country and the United States to work more closely on security matters. Two brothers of Chechen origin have been accused of carrying out the attack and there’s been criticism of the U.S. intelligence services after it was revealed they had been tracking one of the suspects for a year but still failed to stop the bombings. However the U.S. Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger from the Committee on Intelligence says the lapses in the investigation were caused by the Russians and NOT the FBI.: “There was one contact by the Russian authorities. The FBI had followed through the protocols that were necessary once they got that information. But then they got no other information from the Russians.”

Death toll rises from Bangladesh building collapse

Officials in Bangladesh say the death toll from yesterday’s building collapse near capital Dhaka has now risen to over 175. Most of the victims were women working in a garment factory inside the 8-storey building. Hundreds of people are thought to be still trapped in the rubble.

Iraq clashes

Reports from Iraq say at least 10 policemen have been killed in clashes with Sunni Islamist militants in the northern city of Mosul. The fighting marks a third day of violent unrest ignited when Iraqi troops stormed a Sunni Muslim protest camp near Kirkuk.

Venezuela: Capriles says election “stolen”

Venezuela’s opposition leader, Enrique Capriles, who was recently defeated in the country’s presidential election, has accused the government of stealing victory and handing it to Nicolas Maduro. Maduro was sworn in as president last week, succeeding his mentor Hugo Chavez, who died in March of cancer. Capriles has now issued an ultimatum to Venezuela’s National Election Council to start a promised audit of the vote.

The weather

The weather this afternoon: wide-spread sunshine with top temperatures ranging from 19 to 27 degrees.

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