News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

Search continues for AirAsia plane

The search is continuing for an AirAsia plane which went missing yesterday after taking off from Indonesia. Officials say the Airbus - with 162 people on board - is presumed to have crashed off the Indonesian coast. The aircraft - which was bound for Singapore - disappeared from the radar over the Java Sea. Indonesian officials say 30 ships and 15 aircraft are taking part in the search. Two oily patches and some objects have been spotted in the sea, but it's not clear whether these are connected to the aircraft.

Ferry rescue operation in Adriatic

Over 100 people are still waiting to be rescued from the deck of a ferry after the vessel caught fire over the week-end off the Greek island of Corfu. Helicopter crews have been winching small groups of people to safety. The "Norman Atlantic" was travelling from Greece to Italy. Four people are now confirmed to have died in the disaster. Poor weather conditions have complicated the rescue effort. A spokesman for the Italian navy, Alessandro Lentini, has given an update on the rescue operation: "we hope to finish the rescue today, before sunset. We have a team of the Italian navy on board with a doctor and a nurse, and a flight operator to help them get on board the helicopters."

Greece heads for early poll

The Greek parliament has failed in a third and final vote to approve a new president, a move which will trigger an early general election. Former European Commissioner Stavros Dimas had been nominated for the post by Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, but failed to get the necessary support. Samaras says the election will be held on January 25th. Opinion polls suggest the left-wing Syriza is currently the strongest party. It's pledged to renegotiate the country's bailout deal with Brussels.

Croatia presidential election

Croatia's presidential election will go to a runoff following yesterday's vote. The incumbent, Ivo Josipovic, will face former foreign minister Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic in a second round next month.

South Korea offers North talks

South Korea has offered to resume high-level talks with North Korea on a range of issues. South Korean officials say they hope to discuss the reunion of families separated by the Korean War more than 60 years ago. There has been no response so far from Pyongyang.

The Weather

Much of Austria will be cloudy with some snow on the northern side of the Alps and isolated snow showers in the East. There’ll be sunny periods in the south and southeast. Windy. Highs between minus 9 and plus 1 degrees.

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