News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

Fukushima clean-up proceeds

In Japan, the operator of the Fukushima nuclear plant has started removing fuel rods from the site, which was heavily damaged in an a earthquake and tsunami two years ago. The hazardous job of removing 400 tonnes of spent nuclear fuel is expected to take about a year.

Russia probes Kasan air crash

Russian officials are investigating what caused a Tatarstan Airways Boeing 737 to crash yesterday, killing all 50 people on board. The plane was on a flight from Moscow to the city of Kasan when it crashed while trying to land.

Aid reaches typhoon victims

International aid continues to help the survivors of the super-typhoon which hit the central Philippines 10 days ago. Relief efforts have been hampered by the destruction of local roads and airports, but Orla Fagan of the United Nations says aid is starting to reach the victims of the storm: “The food is beginning to come out. Small progress is being made. We need to set up tents and camps for these people as temporary bases. We’re getting there. We’re much happier with the progress we’re making now, but this is just the start of the help.”

Tornadoes hit US Midwest

In the American Midwest, residents are assessing the damage caused by a series of tornadoes which tore through the central United States. Six people were killed and damage was reported in four states. Worst hit was the town of Washington, Illinois, 200 kilometers south of Chicago, where hundreds of homes were destroyed. Sam Baker is one of the survivors: “I saw debris coming towards us. I went inside and shut the door and seconds later the roof just caved in.”

Shootings reported in Paris

There have been two shooting incidents today in Paris. One person was wounded when a gunman opened fire on the offices of the left-wing newspaper Liberation. Police are looking for the shooter. In the second incident, no one was injured when another gunman fired at the headquarters of the Societe Generale bank.

AI criticizes Qatari work conditions

Amnesty International says Qatar is exploiting foreign workers as the country prepares to host the World Cup in 2022. It says migrants from South Asia are treated like animals and forced to live in squalid living quarters, and are often not paid nor given exit visas to go back home. This follows similar reports from the Guardian newspaper and the International Trade Union Federation. Salil Shetty is the secretary-general of Amnesty International: “The problem of human rights abuses in relation to migrant labour in Qatar is quite serious and is fairly widespread. These are not isolated cases.”

New Mars probe set to lift-off

NASA’s latest probe to Mars will blast off today from Florida. The Maven Martian explorer will study the Red Planet’s atmosphere. NASA wants to know how Mars changed from a wet and warm planet to the cold and dry place it is today. The Maven is set to reach Mars in about ten month’s time.

The weather

This afternoon’s weather will remain sunny with some haze and fog in low-lying areas. High temperatures today are ranging from 2 to 14 degrees

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