News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

Romanians celebrate new president

Thousands of people took to the streets of Bucharest last night to celebrate the election of Romania’s next president. In a surprise victory, the mayor of the Transylvanian city of Sibiu, Klaus Iohannis, defeated Prime Minister Victor Ponta. Iohannis, a member of Romania’s ethnic German minority, has promised to crack down on corruption and to guarantee an independent justice system. He has also called for economic, health and educational reforms.

EU talks on Ukraine

European Union foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels on possibly imposing more sanctions on Russia because of the crisis in Ukraine. Austrian foreign minister Sebastian Kurz says he expects the EU will also impose individual travel and financial sanctions on separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine. In a related story, Russia has expelled four polish diplomats and one German diplomat. This comes after a Russian diplomat in Bonn was expelled amid German media reports he was a spy.

Obama condemns Islamic State

US President Barack Obama has condemned the execution of an American aid worker as “pure evil”. Islamic State militants released a video yesterday announcing the death of Peter Kassig. He was kidnapped just over a year ago as he was trying to deliver supplies from Turkey to war refugees inside Syria. The video also showed the execution of 14 syrian officers and pilots who were also captured by the militants. Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Chuck hagel says the US is stepping up efforts to train Iraqi troops to better fight Islamic state. Washington now has an estimated 3000 military trainers in Iraq.

Peace talks in Colombia suspended

The government of Colombia has suspended peace talks with Marxist FARC rebels. The move comes after a general and two other people were kidnapped by the rebels yesterday will visiting an energy project near the city of Quibdo. The rebels previously stopped kidnapping civilians for ransom money, but say military personnel are fair targets until a ceasefire can be negotiated.

China and Australia reach landmark agreement

China and Australia have announced a historic free trade agreement following ten years of negotiations. The deal was signed by President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Tony Abbott today in Canberra. It will open up Chinese markets to Australian farm products and services. It will also make it easier for Chinese to invest in natural resources Down Under.

The Weather

The weather will be mostly cloudy or foggy with scattered rain and snowlines down to 1000 meters. Highs today are ranging from 5 to 13 degrees.

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