News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

Peace process in Ukraine in jeopardy

The Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko is to chair a crisis meeting of the country´s security council after Sunday´s vote in separatist-held areas which he says jeopardises the entire peace process. Poroshenko has proposed scrapping a law, agreed under a truce deal, giving special status to the Donetsk and Luhansk areas in eastern Ukraine. Two pro-Russian leaders were declared the winners of the polls and are being sworn in today.

Americans vote in midterm elections

People in the United States are voting in midterm Congressional elections which will decide who controls the Senate and pave the way for the 2016 race for the White House. Polls overwhelmingly predict that the Republicans will win back the Senate and make gains in the House. White House spokesman Josh Earnest: "Regardless of who´s in control of the Senate, this administration is going to continue to strongly advocate for policies that benefit middle class families across the country and the administration is going to retain a willingness to work with anybody in either party who shares that commitment."

IS accused of war crimes in Syria

The New York-based group Human Rights Watch says Islamic State militants in Syria forced children as young as 14 to watch videos of beheadings and beat them with cables during six months of captivity. It says the abuse of more than 150 children abducted in May as they returned to the Syrian town of Kobani amounted to war crimes.

UN campaign to end statelessness

The United Nations refugee agency, the UNHCR, has kicked off a global campaign to end the plight of at least 10 million stateless people within the next decade. Many are born in refugee camps or are members of persecuted ethnic minorities, having neither nationality nor passport. The agency says they are denied rights to education or health services, and are often at high risk of detention and exploitation, including slavery.

EU slashes economic growth forecasts

The European Commission has slashed its economic growth forecasts for Europe, indicating the recovery will remain sluggish amid problems for the biggest economies, especially France. The official forecast for growth this year in the Eurozone was cut to 0.8 percent. The wider EU is expected to grow by 1.3 percent. The forecast for Austria has been cut from 1.6 per cent to just 0.7 per cent.

Tributes to banker Heinrich Treichl

Tributes are being paid to the prominent Austrian banker Heinrich Treichl, who has died aged 101. He was head of the Creditanstalt from 1970 to 1981. He was also president of the Austrian Red Cross.

The weather

Plenty of sunshine but some cloud in the west and south and strong southerly Föhn winds. A storm warning has been issued for the mountains. Highs generally from 10 to 20, up to 23 where there´s Föhn.

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