News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

Egypt braces for more unrest

Egypt is bracing for more unrest, after supporters of the ousted President Mohammed Morsi called for a “march of anger” following Friday prayers. The call comes two days after authorities cleared two Muslim Brotherhood protest camps in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, with the loss of hundreds of lives. Groups opposed to Mohammed Morsi - the National Salvation Front and Tamarod - have reportedly called for counter-demonstrations. Egypt is in a state of emergency and police have been authorised to use live ammunition. The United Nations Security Council met in emergency session late Thursday to discuss the crisis. The current council president, Argentina's ambassador to the UN, Maria Cristina Perceval, called for "maximum restraint:" The view of council members is that it´s important to end violence in Egypt and there was a common desire on the need to advance national reconciliation." Germany today extended its travel alert for Egypt to include the tourist resorts on the Red Sea. Austria is advising against non-essential travel.

Ban Ki-moon visits Israel

The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is in Israel on the second day of a visit to the Middle East to support the renewed peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. He´s meeting with the Israeli President, Shimon Peres, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a day after holding talks with the Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. Speaking in Ramallah, Ban said he was deeply troubled by Israel´s continued settlement building in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

Bombing targets Hezbollah in Beirut

A Sunni Islamist group calling itself the "Brigades of Aisha" has reportedly claimed responsibility for a powerful bomb blast in the Lebanese capital, Beirut. 24 people were killed and over 100 others wounded. The attack targeted an area which is a stronghold of the Shi'ite Muslim movement Hezbollah. It comes amid sectarian tensions over the intervention of Hezbollah in the Syrian conflict.

Bodies recovered after Indian submarine fire

The Indian navy says divers have found the bodies of four sailors who were on board a submarine badly damaged by a fire and explosions in a Mumbai dockyard on Tuesday night. 14 other crew members are still missing. An inquiry is under way and sabotage has not been ruled out, although officials say that looks unlikely.

Chinese dissident´s relative loses appeal

A court in China has upheld the prison sentence given to the brother-in-law of jailed dissident and Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo. Relatives of Liu Hui, who was given 11 years on fraud charges in June, say the sentence was politically motivated.

The weather

Sunny and warm with some cloud in the mountains and the chance of isolated showers in the west. Highs today from 22 to 30.

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