News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

Russia signs major gas deal with China

It was confirmed a short time ago that China and Russia have signed a long-awaited natural gas supply deal. Under the deal which is worth hundreds of Billions of euros, Russia will provide gas to China for 30 years. The agreement represents a major triumph for Russian President, Vladimir Putin, as he seeks to forge new partnerships in Asia as customers in Europe attempt to reduce their reliance on Russian gas in the wake of the crisis in Ukraine.

US appeals to Kremlin ahead vote of Ukraine

Meanwhile, the United States is calling on Russia not to interfere in this weekend's presidential election in Ukraine. Pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country have threatened to disrupt the vote. White House spokesman, Jay Carney: "What we hope is that Russia will use its influence in a positive way to allow these elections to take place, so that the Ukrainian people can choose for themselves who their President will be."

New series of attacks in Nigeria

The Islamist group Boko Haram has been accused of killing 17 people in an attack on the village Alagarno in north-east Nigeria, close to where hundreds of schoolgirls were seized. The attack comes a day after 118 people died in a twin bomb attack in the central city of Jos, which has also been blamed on Boko Haram. This emergency medical worker in Jos describes the scene at the city's main hospital - "People were screaming and it was all bloody. We tried to organize the victims as they came in. There were head injuries. There were chest injuries, other injuries to the abdomen, the organs. Different ranges of injuries. Some were very, very serious. There were a lot burns, a lot of schrapnel injuries too."

Mubaraks get years in prison

An Egyptian court has convicted former President, Hosni Mubarak, of embezzlement and sentenced him to three years in prison. His two sons have also been convicted of graft and each been sentenced to four years in prison. They were convicted for embezzling millions of euros worth of state funds that were meant for renovating and maintaining public buildings but were instead spent on upgrading the family's private residences. The three were also ordered to pay large fines and repay about 13 Million euros to the state treasury.

Balkans brace for more flooding

Flood-stricken regions in the Balkans remain on high alert and thousands more have been forced to flee their homes along the River Sava and swollen distributaries in the region. Despite sinking water levels in many regions along the Sava, authorities in Serbia are warning that another flood surge is moving towards Belgrade and emergency crews are still working to reinforce flood barriers to protect areas that have not been inundated. A growing concern now is the threat of water-borne disease spreading from the carcasses of the thousands of animals that have died during the flooding.

The Weather

It will be sunny and warm with strong winds in the east. Highs are ranging from 21 to 30 degrees.

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