News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

Egypt in crisis

Egyptian officials say more than 40 people have been killed at a protest in Cairo demanding the reinstatement of the Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, ousted by the army last week. The Muslim Brotherhood said military forces had opened fire at dawn in an unprovoked attack on the protesters and has called on its followers to join an uprising. The Egyptian military said shooting took place when an armed terrorist group had tried to storm a Republican Guard building where protestors believed Morsi is being held. Meanwhile the Salafist Al Nour party, which had backed the military action to depose Morsi, said it had withdrawn from negotiations to form a new interim government in protest at the killings. Al Nour spokesman Nader Bakkar: “It is as if the former regime is back fully fledged. We have seen false democracy. This strange scene will put the military in the circle of accusation, which we never hoped.” In another development, prosecutors have ordered the closure of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Cairo office after police said they had found weapons.

China convicts top official for corruption

China’s former Railways Minister Liu Zhijun has been given a suspended death sentence for accepting bribes. He is the highest ranking official to be found guilty of corruption since President Xi Jinping took office earlier this year, vowing to crackdown on abuse of power.

Pope Francis prays for migrants

Pope Francis is visiting the Italian island of Lampedusa to pray for migrants who drowned trying to reach Europe. He threw a wreath of flowers into the sea as a sign of mourning for those who died fleeing poverty and conflict, and condemned what he called the "globalization of indifference" toward migrants.

Eurozone considers Greece’s progress

Eurozone finance ministers are meeting today to consider whether Greece has made sufficient progress on reform to receive the next instalment of bailout money, worth 8.1 billion euros. Debt inspectors have said Greece has made progress in meeting the terms of the bailout agreement.

EU and US start free trade talks

Talks between the European Union and United States on a free trade zone begin in Washington later today. The start of the negotiations has been overshadowed by allegations of US spying on its European allies.

San Francisco pilot was “inexperienced”

Officials in the United States investigating the crash of a Boeing 777 at San Francisco say the pilot of the Asiana Airlines flight was inexperienced with the craft, and was flying into San Francisco for the first time. They said the crew tried to abort the landing just before the airliner smashed onto the runway.

The weather

Warm and mainly sunny. Scattered rain and thundershowers in the west and south west. Top temperatures 21 to 30 degrees.

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