News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

Kerry in Vienna

US Secretary of State John Kerry will arrive in Vienna later today. He will be joining international talks on the future of Iran’s nuclear programme. A deadline for an agreement on limiting Tehran’s capability to make a nuclear weapon has been set for November 24th, but there has been speculation the deadline will be extended.

EU rejects UK complaints on bank caps

The Advocate General of the European Court of Justice has urged the court to reject Britain’s challenge to put a limit on bankers’ bonuses. A final decision will be made next year. The cap is designed to reduce the incentives for banks to make risky deals which could later damage the economy. Britain fears a bonus cap could damage London’s position as a banking and financial centre.

New threat from Pyongyang

North Korea is threatening to carry out a new nuclear test. The threat is seen as a response to efforts at the UN to bring North Korea to the International Criminal Court to face charges of crimes against humanity.

Verdict in South Korea

A court in South Korea has sentenced the head of a ferry operator to 10 years in jail over the sinking of a boat earlier this year which killed more than 300 people. Kim-Han-sik was found guilty of negligence causing death and embezzlement.

New UN date on Ukraine

The UN says over 4,300 people have been killed in eastern Ukraine since hostilities began there in March. The UN says an average of 13 people have been killed each day since a ceasefire between Kiev and Russian separatists was signed in Belarus in September.

Blizzard hits US

In the US, seven people have now died as a result of a massive snowstorm which has hit the Great Lakes region. Areas around Buffalo are now buried under almost two meters of snow and more is on the way. Andrew Cuomo is the governor of New York State: “When we say stay home, really stay home. Going out on the roads is dangerous. It is unnecessary. You’re not going to get anywhere. You will get stuck and then you will further complicate the situation.

Obama pushes immigration reform

US President Barack Obama will announce major immigration reforms later today. He has said he will use executive privilege to defy Republicans in Congress who have blocked an immigration reform bill. The Obama plan could see up to 5 million illegal migrants receiving documents allowing them to stay and work in the US.

Russians hack private webcams

Data privacy advocates have issued warnings about a Russian website, which they claim is broadcasting hacked images from private webcams. Linda Sanders is a journalist covering media issues: “Well these websites are accessing peoples’ CCTV cameras, their webcams and even their baby cams, broadcasting peoples’ lives for everybody to see. They are getting hold of the passwords and using them to hack into those devices.”

The Weather

The afternoon will be sunny in the west and southeast, and mostly cloudy in the east and north. Highs today are ranging from 4 to 12 degrees.

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