News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

Rising tensions in Crimea

Ukraine's interior minister Arsen Avakov says Russian naval forces have surrounded a military airport near the Crimean city of Sevastopol. Russia's Black Sea fleet has denied involvement. A second airport near the regional capital Simferopol has been taken over by what appears to be a pro-Russian militia. This is one of the men patrolling outside the airport speaking to reporters: "we are here to ensure general public order... It was our own initiative in order to stop the fire from spreading into Crimea. We don't want radicalism to come here." Tensions have been rising in the region, which has an ethnic Russian majority, since the departure of President Viktor Yanukovich. Yanukovich is expected to hold a news conference in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don near the Ukrainian border. Meanwhile, the Austrian Foreign Ministry has said that it's frozen the local bank accounts of 18 Ukrainians at the request of the new administration in Kiev in connection with possible human rights violations and corruption allegations. The people involved have not been identified. And the Swiss authorities say they've launched a money laundering investigation against Yanukovich and his son Aleksander. In another development, Ukraine's parliament has asked the U.N. Security Council to call a session to discuss the crisis in the country.

Protests continue in Venezuela

Security forces in Venezuela have used tear gas to break up a student demonstration in the capital, Caracas. Hundreds of protestors took to the streets to demand the release of fellow students who'd been detained during two weeks of unrest. A pro-government demonstration was also held in the capital.

World Bank postpones Uganda loan

The World Bank has postponed a 90 million dollar loan to Uganda because of its new anti-gay law that has drawn international criticism. The loan was meant to improve the country's health services.

Study details attacks on education

A major new study has drawn attention to attacks carried out on schools and universities. It says there have been almost 10,000 such attacks in recent years in a number of countries including Pakistan, Colombia, Somalia, Syria and Nigeria. The survey was published by a coalition of human rights groups, aid organisations and UN agencies. Diya Nijhowne is the director of the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack: "schools and universities are bombed, they're burned, teachers are extorted, they're kidnapped, they're threatened, they're even murdered - same thing with the university professors. And going to school is a very dangerous endeavour for many children and young adults around the world."

The weather

The afternoon will see frequent sunshine with but some occasional cloud in the East. Brief showers are forecast for the south. A lively föhn wind and highs are ranging between 5 and 13 degrees.

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