News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

British MPs reject Syria military action

As speculation continues over possible military intervention in Syria, MPs in Britain have voted against the government's call for British involvement. Prime Minister David Cameron has accepted defeat on the issue and says it's clear there's not enough domestic support for such action: "it is clear to me that the British parliament - reflecting the views of the British people - does not want to see British military action. I get that and the government will act accordingly." The US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel says Washington will continue to seek an international coalition supporting action against the Syrian government. The US has accused Syrian government forces of using chemical weapons against civilians, an allegation denied by Damascus. Meanwhile, the French President Francois Hollande has told the "Le Monde" newspaper that he's still in favour of "firm action" against the Syrian government. The German administration says it has no current plans to get involved in any military intervention.

8 killed in Afghanistan bomb attack

In Afghanistan, 8 people have been killed in a suicide bomb attack at a mosque in Kunduz province in the north of the country. A district official was among the dead. At least 11 people were wounded in the blast.

Rwanda accuses DR Congo of shelling

The Rwandan government has accused the Democratic Republic of Congo of shelling its territory. In a sign of mounting cross-border tensions, Rwanda's deputy envoy to the UN Olivier Nduhungirehe said the situation had become intolerable after a Rwandan woman was killed and her baby wounded: "Rwanda's civilians are being targeted by DRC forces. And we have remained restrained for as long as we can, but this provocation can no longer be tolerated." A Congolese government spokesman has said that it was M23 rebels firing into Rwandan territory. The UN has also said firing incidents had originated from rebel positions and not from the Congolese army.

Setback for Portugal's austerity plan

Portugal's highest court has ruled that a government plan to make it easier to sack public sector workers is unconstitutional. The move is a set-back for the coalition's efforts to reduce its budget deficit which is one of the conditions of its international bail-out.

Poet Seamus Heaney dies

The Irish poet Seamus Heaney has died at the age of 74. The internationally renowned writer won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1995.

The weather

It’ll be a mainly sunny afternoon, but with some temporary cloud about and the possibility of isolated showers. There’ll be a light wind and highs ranging between 18 and 26 degrees.

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