News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

Charlie Ebdo copies sell out

The planned print run for the first edition of France’s satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo since Islamist gunmen murdered eight of its journalists last week has been increased to five million copies after newsagents sold out. The edition is being translated into numerous languages including Arabic. The magazine normally sells 30 to 40000 copies a week. Its latest cover showing a cartoon of the prophet Muhammed has drawn criticism from some Muslim groups but the new chief editor Patrick Pelloux has said the magazine does not use the language of hatred, and that it was important to continue publication: “Today we are all Muslims, Christians, Jews, secular. We are altogether against what is a new expression of what amounts to modern-day Nazism, modern-day fascism.” A newspaper in Turkey, Cumhuriyet, has published a translation of a section of today’s Charlie Hebdo, the first majority Muslim country to do so. A small image of the cartoon of the prophet is shown in two columns. Meanwhile a video has been released in which the militant group Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula claims it planned and financed the attacks in Paris. Links between the group and the French terrorists had already been established.

Wreckage of AirAsia flight identified

Authorities in Singapore and Indonesia say the fuselage from the AirAsia plane that crashed in December, killing all 162 people on board, has been located in the Java Sea. They said images from the site have confirmed the identity of the wreckage.

Napolitano steps down

Italy’s president 89 year old Giorgio Napolitano has officially stepped down, as expected, after nine years in office. Some commentators have predicted Prime Minister Matteo Renzi may seek new elections if he can’t find support for a successor to Napolitano.

Obama plans tougher cybersecurity

United States president Barack Obama has unveiled proposals to strengthen cyber security laws, after a spate of attacks against high-profile US targets. The proposals allow companies to share information with government agencies, including the National Security Agency.

US-Iran meet on nuclear talks

The United States Secretary of State John Kerry has met his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif, in Geneva, ahead of a new round of negotiations on curbs on Iran's nuclear programme in return for a lifting of sanctions. An interim deal was struck in November 2013 between six world powers and Iran, but two deadlines for a comprehensive deal have been missed since then.

Austria’s ban on gay adoption struck down

Austria's Constitutional Court has ruled that the country's ban on gay people being allowed to adopt is unconstitutional. The President of the Court, Gerhart Holzinger said there is no justification for differences in adoption laws solely on the grounds of a person's sexual orientation.

The weather

Sunny in the south, cloud moving in from the west with rain showers. Top temperatures 2 to 13 degrees.

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