News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

US and Russia see hopes of Syrian peace

US secretary of state John Kerry and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov at talks in Geneva have said they are hopeful an agreement on dismantling Syria's chemical weapons could revive an international plan for a peace conference to end the civil war in Syria. Kerry said the second day of talks on dealing with Syria’s chemical weapons was "constructive", and that he and Lavrov plan to meet in New York around September 28th to try to agree a date for a Syrian peace conference in Geneva: “I will say on behalf of the United States that president Obama is deeply committed to a negotiated solution with respect to Syria and we know that Russia is likewise.” Lavrov said Russia had sought a negotiated settlement since the beginning of the conflict. “Russia and the Russian president from the very beginning of the Syrian conflict have been promoting a peaceful resolution.” Both Russia and the US have said reaching agreement on dismantling Syria’s chemical weapons is key to any peace moves.

Death penalties in Indian rape case

A court in India has sentenced to death the four men convicted of the gang rape and murder of a student in New Delhi last December. The case led to protests across the country over violence against women and legal reform. The men have the right to appeal.

Taliban attacks US consulate in Herat

Afghan and United States troops have repelled an attack on the US consulate in the city of Herat in western Afghanistan. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack. The full withdrawal of US-led troops from Afghanistan is scheduled for next year.

Fire kills dozens in Russian hospital

Investigators in Russia say thirty seven people have died in a fire at a psychiatric hospital. The blaze broke out early this morning in the village of Luka in the north-west.

UNICEF highlights child deaths

A new report from the UN agency UNICEF says death rates for children under five have halved in some regions since 1990, but 18,000 infants are still dying every day. The highest death rates are in Asia and Africa. Lack of food is the biggest killer followed by preventable diseases such as pneumonia and diarrhoea.

Clothing companies avoid compensation talks

Only a third of international clothing companies which use factories in Bangladesh have attended international talks in Geneva on compensation for victims of two factory disasters which left over 1200 people dead. Those absent include Wal-Mart and Benetton.

Twitter plans IPO

The social media company Twitter says it intends to make its stock market debut but gave no details on the timing. Twitter was founded in 2006 and has been valued at more than 10 billion dollars.

The Weather

Cloudy with scattered showers. Drier in the south with some sunny spells. Top temperatures 10 to 20 degrees.

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