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8. April 2017, 21:58

Al-Sisi to stand for Egyptian presidency

Field Marshal Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has announced that he has resigned as Egypt's military leader in order to stand for president. The widely expected announcement was broadcast on state television. Observers say he is likely to win the presidency, given his popularity and the lack of any serious rivals.

Sharp rise in executions worldwide

The number of known executions around the world rose almost 15 percent in 2013, according to a new report released by the rights group Amnesty International. The 778 judicial executions in 22 countries recorded last year does not include the thousands of people put to death in China, where such information is a state secret. Amnesty's Audrey Gaughran says the increase is partly due to the worsening situation in Iran and Iraq: "Obviously this is deeply concerning as we see executions rising year on year in those countries and we hope that by publishing this - and by challenging the authorities - that there will be more safeguards put in place, fewer death sentences handed down, certainly fewer executions." Executions in Syria and Egypt could not be confirmed.

Obama meets Pope Francis in Rome

The US President Barack Obama has met Pope Francis for the first time on the third leg of a European tour dominated by the crisis in Ukraine. He flew into Rome after three days of talks with European leaders in the Netherlands and Brussels. Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund has announced that it´s close to reaching an agreement with Ukraine on 10-13 billion euros in financial assistance over the next two years. The standby deal, to be approved by the agency's board next month is expected to unlock a further 20 billion euros in loans from the European Union and the United States.

New images of debris from Malaysian airliner

New satellite images from Thailand show some 300 floating objects in an area of the southern Indian Ocean being searched for the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370. They were released a day after images from a French satellite appeared to show 122 objects. No debris has been recovered so far.

Strikes ground flights in Germany

Airports across Germany have been hit by strikes, as public sector workers expand industrial action to put more pressure on the government in pay talks. Hundreds of flights were cancelled as baggage handlers, ground crew and security staff walked off the job.

Gurlitt wants to return artworks stolen

The German art collector Cornelius Gurlitt has reportedly instructed lawyers to return all art works from his massive collection which were looted by the Nazis to their Jewish owners or heirs. The first piece of art, a painting by Matisse, is about to be returned to French collector Paul Rosenberg.

The Weather

Sunny along the north of the Alps and in the east, overcast with showers in the south. Top temperatures from 5 to 12 in the south, up to 17 in the east.

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