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8. April 2017, 21:58

EU calls for search and rescue sea mission

The European Commission has proposed that the EU launch a Mediterranean-wide search and rescue mission to intercept migrant boats. The move, by Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem, was prompted by the Lampedusa migrant boat tragedy, in which at least 230 people have lost their lives. Her spokesman says the mission would improve the tracking, identification and rescue of boats carrying migrants. EU Interior ministers are also discussing EU migration and asylum policy.

Protests in Brazil turn violent

Teachers’ protests in Brazil have ended in violent confrontation on the streets of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo. Rallies in Rio de Janeiro were mainly peaceful but towards nightfall, a small group of protestors wearing masks threw firebombs at public buildings. Riot police responded with tear gas. A similar protest in Sao Paulo also ended in clashes with police.

Afghan President criticises NATO

The President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai has criticised NATO for failing to bring stability to the country. As international troops continue preparations to withdraw from Afghanistan, Karzai - who's due to leave office in six months’ time - told the BBC that NATO had failed to provide adequate security: "On the security front the entire NATO exercise was one that caused Afghanistan a lot of suffering, a lot of loss of life, and no gains because the country is not secure".

Hope for malaria vaccine

The latest results of a malaria vaccine trial have shown that it has significantly reduced cases of the disease in children. Tests were carried out in research centres in 7 African countries. The drugs developers say they hope the drug may be licenced as early as 2015.

MEPs vote on anti-smoking measures

European Parliament MPs are to vote today on new measures aimed at putting young people off smoking. They include bigger health warnings on cigarette packets and restrictions on electronic cigarettes. But Greens MEP Carl Schlyter says there are fears that the measures will be watered down, amid pressure from the tobacco industry: "we can see from the amendments that many of the amendments are following exactly the demands of the tobacco industry. It looks like we will have a much weaker regime on e-cigarettes. And it also looks as if the warning labels will be reduced in size."

Higgs and Englert win Nobel Physics prize

Two scientists have won the Nobel Prize in physics for their work on the theory of the Higgs boson. Peter Higgs, from the UK, and Francois Englert from Belgium, shared the prize for predicting the existence of the Higgs boson particle that explains how elementary matter attained the mass to form stars and planets.

The Weather

This afternoon's weather: partly sunny, partly overcast. Most of the sunshine will be in the East and Southeast. A few showers forecast for Vorarlberg, Tyrol, Salzburg and southern Carinthia. Highs ranging between13 and 21 degrees.

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