News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

More protests in US cities

In the US, protests have been held for a second night over a grand jury's decision not to prosecute a white police officer involved in the death of an unarmed black man who was put in a stranglehold. Thousands of people took to the streets in New York and other cities, disrupting traffic and holding sit-ins. Eric Garner died in July in New York. The mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, has promised action to improve policing: "fundamental questions are being asked and rightfully so about how we respect people's rights, how we reduce the use of force in a relationship between police and community, how we get it right." The US saw a wave of unrest last week over the decision not to indict another white police officer who had shot dead a young black man in Ferguson, Missouri.

18 die in migrant boat disaster

18 people have died in another migrant boat tragedy in the Mediterranean. According to reports, the ship they were travelling on capsized between the Libyan coast and the Italian island of Lampedusa. 76 people were rescued. They were the first reported deaths since the EU took over Mediterranean rescue operations.

Typhoon nears Philippines

Tens of thousands of people have sought shelter in the Philippines as Typhoon Hagupit heads towards the country. The storm has winds of up to 250 kilometres per hour. Forecasters say it appears to be on course for the Eastern and Northern Samar provinces and follow the same route as Typhoon Haiyan last year. Haiyan left several thousand people dead.

Australia migrant law approved

The Australian parliament has approved changes to immigration laws that include re-introducing controversial temporary visas for refugees. The bill will allow them to live and work in Australia for three to five years, but denies them permanent protection. Australia currently detains all asylum seekers who arrive by boat, holding them in offshore detention centres.

Obama to announce new Defence Secretary

White House officials say President Barack Obama will announce that the former Pentagon official Ash Carter will be his next Secretary of Defence. If confirmed by the Senate, Carter will replace Chuck Hagel.

South Africa remembers Mandela

Events have been taking place in South Africa to mark the first anniversary of the death of Nelson Mandela. Veterans of the anti-apartheid movement attended a ceremony in Pretoria. His widow Graca Machel laid a wreath at the foot of a statue of the former President. Mandela's granddaughter Ndileka Mandela said people should honour his memory by living according to his values: "even after a year that he's gone, peace still prevails. People still uphold him, his legacy and what he stood for because he stood for peace and reconciliation."

The weather

It’ll be mainly overcast with a bit of rain coming in from the southeast. There’ll be occasional sunshine in some of the mountain areas. Highs ranging between zero and 9 degrees.

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