News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

Unrest in Ukraine

In Ukraine, police have clashed with pro-European demonstrators on the streets of Kiev. The protests began yesterday against last week’s decision by President Viktor Yanukovich to walk away from a trade agreement with the European Union. Ukraine has been under pressure from Russia to join a Euro-Asian economic group made up of former Soviet republics. Natakya Sabich is one of the protesters who says Ukraine’s future lies in the West: “I consider myself as a part of Europe, and I don’t like the idea that Ukraine is somehow far away from European values, from European culture.”

Syrian peace talks announced

UN Secretary-General ban Ki-Moon says an international peace conference on Syria will open in Geneva on January 22nd. The talks are aimed at ending the Syrian civil war which began over two-and-a-half years ago.

France sees Iran sanctions relief

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius says some sanctions against Iran could be lifted as early as next month after Iran, the EU and six major powers agreed in Geneva over the weekend that sanctions would be eased in exchange for Iran restricting parts of its nuclear program. The interim agreement led to public celebrations in Iran, while Israel has criticised the deal as a historic mistake. US Senator Saxby Chambliss says he is skeptical of the agreement: “We trusted the Iranians before on nuclear issues, just like the North Koreans, and what have we gotten for it?”

Protests in Bangkok

In Thailand, there have been protests across Bangkok calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. The protests were prompted by an effort to give amnesty to her brother, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. He was ousted during a military coup in 2006 and now lives in exile, but faces a jail term for corruption charges if he returns to Thailand.

Both sides claim victory in Honduras

In Honduras, Juan Hernandez of the conservative National Party is claiming victory in yesterday’s presidential election, but so is his left-wing rival Xiomara Castro, the wife of former president Manuel Zelaya who was ousted in a coup four years ago. So far, only 54 percent of the vote has been counted. The leader of the European Union observer mission to the Honduran elections is Ursula Lunacek of the Greens, who says voting was held under mixed conditions: “Some things have improved, but it has not been perfect or totally good.”

New Chinese defence zone called “dangerous”

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says that a new air defence zone declared by China over the East China Sea in unenforceable and dangerous. China announced the zone on Saturday. It includes islands which are claimed by both Tokyo and Beijing.

The weather

The afternoon will be cold with strong winds and scattered snow flurries in the north, with some partly sunny conditions in parts of the south and west. Highs today are ranging from minus 5 to plus 5 degrees.

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