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8. April 2017, 21:58

US deadlock over debt continues

Senate leaders in the United States are to renew efforts today to resolve the deadlock over raising the debt limit ahead of the Thursday deadline. Attempts to pass a measure in the House of Representatives last night ended in disarray when Republicans rejected proposals put forward by their own party leadership. The ratings agency Fitch has said America’s triple A rating is under review because of the impasse over the debt limit and the government shutdown. President Barack Obama has blamed the crisis on Tea party Republicans: “The problem we have right now is that there’s just a faction of the Republican party, it doesn’t represent all Republicans, that have decided to take a very extreme position and use very extreme tactics.”

Navalny prison sentence suspended

A court in Kirov in Russia has upheld the conviction for theft of opposition leader Alexei Navalny but suspended his five-year prison sentence. Navalny had been freed on bail immediately after being sentenced in July. He has denounced the case against him as politically motivated.

Iran nuclear talks report progress

Talks between six world powers and Iran on its nuclear programme go into a second day in Geneva today. Negotiators say detailed technical discussions were held yesterday in the first real progress in years, addressing western concerns Iran is seeking nuclear weapons. Meanwhile Iran’s news agency says Iran and Britain have agreed to restore full diplomatic contacts and appoint ambassadors. They were downgraded in 2011.

Germany's Greens rule out coalition with Merkel

Germany's Greens party, after talks with chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives, has ruled out entering a coalition government, saying there was little common ground in areas such as energy, climate targets and taxation. Coalition talks between Merkel’s CDU/CSU alliance and the Social Democrats continue.

Typhoon devastates east Japan

In Japan at least 17 people have been killed and over 50 are missing after Typhoon Wipha struck the east of the country. Izu Oshima island south of Tokyo was hardest hit.

Priebke burial in limbo

The body of convicted Nazi war criminal Erich Priebke has been taken to a military airport near Rome, after his funeral yesterday was halted by angry protests. Priebke had been serving a life sentence under house arrest for the killing of more than 300 civilians, in one of Italy's worst wartime massacres. Italian officials said they may now seek help from the German government.

Austria faces major restitution claim

Austria is facing restitution claims for the Jugendstil masterwork, the Beethoven Frieze, from heirs of the Austrian Jewish Lederer family. The wall frieze painted by Gustav Klimt was acquired by the Austrian Republic in 1973 for three quarters of a million dollars, half the valuation given by the auction house Christie’s.

The Weather

Cloud and rainshowers clearing. Mainly sunny in the south. Top temperatures 5 to 16 degrees.

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