News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

Over a million join Brazil protests

Over a million people are reported to have taken part in the latest protests in Brazil. The demonstrations began over a week ago over high public transport fares, the standard of public services, corruption and the cost of staging next year's football World Cup. In some areas, there were clashes between demonstrators and police who used tear gas and rubber bullets. President Dilma Rousseff has called off a trip to Japan in the wake of the crisis. Journalist Patricia Campos Mello says the government is struggling to deal with the wide-ranging demands of the protestors: "they are very diverse. They started with the bus fare hike but they have all kinds of demands and there's no clear leadership, so this is getting very worrisome."

Greece's political crisis intensifies

Greece's political crisis has intensified with the smallest partner in the coalition, the Democratic Left party, threatening to withdraw its support. The move follows the collapse of talks over the future of the country's public broadcaster, ERT. Its politicians were angry when it was abruptly shut down earlier this month as part of the government's austerity programme. The withdrawal of the Democratic Left would leave Conservative Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and his Social Democrat partners with an extremely thin parliamentary majority. Samaras says he intends to press ahead with reforms: "I want us to proceed altogether - as we started - but I'll forge ahead in any case with better co-ordination and even some re-organisation of the programme. But our target is to finish our struggle and to save the country and to complete everything within the four-year mandate."

Al-Qaeda-linked arrests in Ceuta

Spanish police say they've arrested 8 people suspected of recruiting fighters for al-Qaeda-linked groups in Syria. They were arrested in the Spanish territory of Ceuta on the northern African coast.

Turkey's EU talks stalled

Germany has blocked the next step in the EU's membership talks with Turkey because of Ankara's crackdown on anti-government protests. The meeting with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government had been scheduled for next week, but the move requires unanimous support from the EU's 27 member states.

10 killed in India building collapse

In India, a three-storey building has collapsed in the city of Mumbai, killing at least 10 people, including five children. The cause of the disaster isn't clear.

Pollution levels hit new high in Singapore

In Singapore, pollution levels have reached a new record high for a third day in a row. Smog from forest fires in Indonesia have also affected Malaysia where many schools have been closed.

The weather

There'll be frequent sunshine, but with some isolated brief showers and storms developing in the mountains. Highs will be ranging between 20 and 34 degrees.

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