News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

Afghanistan takes lead from NATO

Afghanistan has formally assumed control of military operations in the country from NATO. President Hamid Karzai speaking at the handover ceremony said Afghanistan is to send representatives to Qatar for peace talks with the Taliban to try to end the 12-year-old war. He also said Taliban members may stand in elections next year. “I would by all means support Taliban representation in the elections next year. The Afghan constitution provides for all Afghans to participate. They have that right as well.” NATO forces remain in a support role in Afghanistan ahead of the complete withdrawal of combat troops at the end of next year.

G8 summit deals with tax and trade

The second and final day of the G8 summit in Northern Ireland is focussing on trying to stop tax avoidance, particularly by multinational companies and the rich. Trade is also on the agenda after the announcement yesterday that the European Union and the United States are to begin negotiations on a new bilateral trade deal. One-to-one talks at the summit between US president Barack Obama and Russian president Vladimir Putin have failed to bridge differences over Syria but a joint G8 statement on efforts to resolve the conflict is still under discussion.

Nazi suspect charged in Hungary

Prosecutors in Hungary have charged a 98-year-old Nazi war crimes suspect, Laszlo Csatary. He is accused of the torture and murder of Jews during World War II and assisting in the deportation of over 15,000 Jews to the Auschwitz death camp

Protestors detained across Turkey

Turkish media reports say police are carrying out raids and detaining people across the country in connection with anti-government protests. Police say those detained are suspected of involvement in violence during the protests. Around a dozen people, of hundreds who took part last night in a silent protest in Taksim Square in Istanbul, have also been detained.

Mass protests in Brazil over spending

Tens of thousands of people in Brazil have joined protests against rising transport costs, poor public services and the high costs of staging the World Cup next year, and the Olympics in 2016. In the largest protests in over 30 years, demonstrators demanded an end to corruption.

Greece’s ERT to go back on air

A court in Greece has ruled that the national broadcaster ERT must go back on air. However, the court upheld a plan by Prime Minister Antonis Samaras to replace ERT with a smaller broadcaster. The shock closure of ERT by Samaras last week without consulting his coalition partners threw the Greek government into crisis.

The weather

Sunny over most of the country, some scattered thundershowers in mountain areas, top temperatures 29 to 37 degrees.

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