News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

South Sudan talks get underway

The two sides in the conflict in South Sudan are holding preliminary talks in Ethiopia ahead of the official start of peace negotiations. They're meeting envoys from East African nations who are supporting the talks. Face-to-face negotiations between the government and rebel delegations are expected later. At least 1,000 people have died and over 180,000 displaced since the fighting began last month. In another development, the US Embassy in the capital Juba has ordered the evacuation of more staff in the wake of the ongoing violence.

3 killed during protests in Cambodia

At least three people have died in Cambodia, after police opened fire on striking textile workers. Several people have been injured. The workers had been demonstrating to demand a wage rise. But the demonstrations are also being seen as part of a wider anti-government protest.

Major winter storm hits US

The north-eastern United States has been hit by a major winter storm with over half a metre of snowfall recorded in one town in Massachusetts. The governors of New York and New Jersey have declared a state of emergency and are urging people to stay indoors. Over 2,000 flights have been cancelled in the region. Deval Patrick is the Governor of Massachusetts: "we have a serious and significant winter storm. The hazards include strong winds, extremely cold temperatures and the potential for coastal flooding."

Indian PM to retire after polls

The Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has announced that he will not seek a third term in office if his Congress party is returned to power after elections later this year. The 81-year old has been prime minister for almost a decade. The party's deputy leader Rahul Gandhi is expected to be his successor as head of the party.

Developing world obesity quadruples

A British think-tank says obesity in developing countries is growing at an alarming rate - and much faster than in rich countries. The Overseas Development Institute says the number of overweight adults in developing countries has quadrupled to almost one billion since 1980. The organisation predicts a major increase in heart attacks, strokes and diabetes and it's urging governments to do more to encourage healthy eating. Kevin Watkins is spokesman for the Institute: "the central message of the report is that governments around the world are really sleep-walking their way through what is in fact a global health epidemic. And we're calling on governments to pull the levers that can really make a difference and change the trajectory that we're on right now."

The weather

This afternoon's weather: much of Austria will be sunny, but the West could see some cloud developing. There'll be a few isolated foggy patches around in the Weinviertel and northern Burgenland. And it's mild with highs ranging mostly between 2 and 9 degrees, where there's a föhn wind up to 12.

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