News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

Italy intercepts another abandoned migrant ship

The Italian Coast Guard says it has taken control of an abandoned ship off the south-east coast of Italy, which is reported to be carrying around 450 migrants. The Sierra Leone flagged Ezadeen is now being taken to a port in southern Italy. It's the second vessel carrying migrants to enter Italian waters this week after being abandoned by its crew. Migration law expert Niels Frenzen says the incidents point to a new trend in human trafficking. “People smuggling organisations are very sophisticated, it’s difficult for refugees and irregular migrants to make their way through Libya to Europe. The people smugglers are likely adjusting their tactics to start taking people directly from southern Turkey or even possibly from Syria itself.”

Search for missing plane is stepped up

Indonesia says the search for the AirAsia aircraft, which crashed into the Java Sea on Sunday with 162 people on board, will be stepped up, as more specialist equipment arrives. France has sent a team with special underwater listening devices, in an effort to locate the aircraft's flight data recorder. Officials say the bodies of over 20 passengers have now been recovered.

Lifestyle factors not behind majority of cancers

A new study published in the journal Science suggests that around two thirds of cancers are caused by chance mutations and not genetics or lifestyle factors such as smoking, drinking or obesity. The former head of the World Health Organisation's cancer program, Professor Karol Sikora, says however, that many common cancers are still heavily influenced by how we live. “We do know from epidemiology that about 4 out of 10 cancers can be prevented by lifestyle alteration, relatively simple lifestyle alteration; smoking, avoiding obesity, a healthy diet, more exercise and so on.”

Kenya’s top court suspends controversial law

Kenya's High Court has suspended parts of a controversial new security law, pending the outcome of a legal challenge by the opposition. Critics say the law, which allows the security services to intercept communications and increases the time suspects can be held without charge, undermines civil liberties. However the government says it is necessary to tackle terrorism, following a wave of deadly attacks by the Somali militant group Al-Shabab.

Senior Chinese official in corruption probe

The Chinese Foreign Ministry says a senior diplomat is being investigated, as part of the government's crackdown on corruption. Zhang Kunsheng has been removed from his position as assistant foreign minister for "violating discipline".

Former New York Governor Cuomo dies

The former Governor of the US state of New York, Mario Cuomo, has died at the age of 82. A leading member of the Democratic party, Cuomo served three terms as governor, and was tipped on several occasions to run for president. He died just hours before his son Andrew was sworn in for a second term as New York governor.

The weather

Party sunny conditions are set to continue this afternoon but cloud will move in from the northwest, bringing some scattered rain showers. Top temperatures will range from 2 to 13 degrees.

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