News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

France to push Syrian ban at UN

France says it will put forward a draft resolution at the UN Security Council for Syria to give up its nuclear weapons. The plan was announced today by Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and comes one day after Russia proposed putting Syrian chemical weapons under international supervision. The Russian initiative is seen as an attempt to block the United States from attacking Syria over allegations that Syrian government forces gassed civilians last month a Beirut. The Syrian government and rebels have both accused each other of using chemical weapons. Today Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow is discussing details with Damascus on placing its chemical arsenal under international control. US President Barack Obama has told American television that Syria is showing a willingness to compromise because of US pressure: “I don’t think we would’ve gotten to this point unless we had maintained a credible possibility of a military strike. I want to make sure the norm against the use of chemical weapons is maintained. If we can do that without a military strike, that is overwhelmingly my preference.” US Senator Lindsay Graham says the Russian plan on Syrian weapons will have to show concrete results: “I am very doubtful and skeptical of the Russians and Assad but there is one way to put them to the test: A week from now if there is a real effort in the UN Security Council to pass a resolution requiring Assad to turn over his chemical weapons caches, and he agrees to do it, then I’ll have a different view.”

Indian court convicts four in gang rape

A court in India has convicted four men in last year’s fatal gang rape of a young woman on a bus in New Delhi. The crime triggered a wave of protests and opened a debate over the treatment of women in Indian society. The men were convicted of rape and murder and now face the possibility of the death penalty. Their sentences are expected to be announced tomorrow. Lawyer Karuna Nundy says outrage over the crime has already led to changes inside India: “The definition of rape is no more expansive. The security blanket which essentially covered public servants, police officers, and others in the criminal justice system who neglected their duties…that security blanket has been taken away.”

The Weather

The rest of the afternoon will remain sunny in Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland. Cloudy conditions and rain showers can be expected elsewhere and will spread to the east this evening. Today’s high temperatures are ranging from 14 to 25 degrees.

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