News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

American anger at Afghan prisoner release

Afghan authorities have released 65 prisoners from the Bagram detention centre, many of whom the United States says are highly dangerous insurgents linked to the killing of international peacekeepers and Afghan forces. The decision to release the men is a political one, taken personally by President Hamid Karzai, and marks a new low in Afghan-US relations. US Senator Lindsey Graham says there will be consequences: "It is their country but we have a relationship. We are going to condemn this action, an action by a supposed ally that puts our forces at risk, puts the Afghan people and their own soldiers at risk, and we are going to do the one thing we still have left - and that´s cut off money."

Homs ceasefire extended

It is being reported that a humanitarian truce in the besieged Syrian city of Homs has been extended for three more days. Some 1400 hundred civilians have been evacuated since Friday and the first aid supplies have reached people trapped by 18 months of fighting.

Italy´s PM in party showdown

The Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta is facing a showdown with his own centre-left party that could lead to his resignation and the appointment of Democratic Party leader Matteo Renzi as the head of a new government. Letta, who formed a coalition in April after an election stalemate, is fighting for his political future after growing criticism from Renzi over the slow pace of reforms to tackle the economic crisis.

Appeal over GM maize

Ministers from Austria and 11 other EU countries have written to the European Health Commissioner Tonio Borg asking him not to approve a strain of genetically modified maize to be grown for human consumption, even though he says he is legally bound to do so. 19 of the European Union's 28 member states opposed approval of the insect-resistant Pioneer 1507 earlier this week. Under the EU's voting rules, that wasn´t enough to ensure rejection and the final decision reverts to the European Commission.

Belgium votes on child euthanasia

Belgium's Parliament votes today on whether to extend its euthanasia law to terminally-ill children if they are in great pain and there is no available treatment. Observers say MPs are likely to back the bill. Belgium would become the first country in the world to remove any age limit on the practice.

Winter storm hits the north-east US

A huge winter storm is bringing heavy snowfall to the north-east of the United States, after wreaking havoc in the typically mild South. The storm has affected people in 22 states from Texas to Maine and caused at least 10 deaths.

The weather

Sunny and mild but rain or snow showers later in the west. Top temperatures from 2 to 10, up to 13 in areas affected by Föhn winds.

Übersicht

• News In English