News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

Time running out for IS hostages

Jordan's government spokesperson says his country is willing to hand over an Iraqi would-be-suicide bomber if a Jordanian pilot captured by Islamic State was released. He did not make any reference to Japanese hostage Kenji Goto. Unconfirmed reports coming out of Jordan say Japan and Jordan have agreed to a prisoner swap with the Islamic State Group. In a new video, IS says the lives of Goto and Muath al Ka-ssessbey would be spared if Jordan freed a female IS supporter being held in a Jordanian prison. The video set a 24-hour deadline which will expire tonight. Japan's Deputy Prime Minister, Yasuhido Nakayama, says everything possible is being done to save Goto: "We will never give up until our hostage, Mr. Goto, is safely coming back to our nation. And we pray for him and we never give up."

New Greek PM says there will be no default

The new Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras says his country will not default on its debts. Addressing his first cabinet meeting since being elected on Sunday, the left-wing Syriza party leader said he would negotiate with creditors over the country's 240 Billion euro bailout. International investors remain unconvinced. As Tsipras made his inaugural cabinet speech, the Greek 10-year bond yield rose above 10% - reflecting investors' concerns about short-term risks of a debt restructuring over the coming months.

US increase pressure on Russia over Ukraine

US Secretary of the Treasury Jack Lew says the United States will work with its European allies to increase pressure on Russia and indicated their could be new sanctions imposed on Moscow over the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine. Lew made the statement this morning in Kiev where he signed a 2 billion loan guarantee deal with Ukrainian officials.

New report on female jihadis

An independent think-tank has published what's believed to be the first study on female jihadists being recruited in the West to join Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria. The Institute for Strategic Dialogue estimates up to 550 young women from Western Europe have joined IS. The report, entitled "Becoming Mulan" explores why young women in the west are willing to risk arrest or death, and plunge into the unknown. Ross Frenett is one of the authors of the report: "There's this willingness by women to engage in violence, but there is a knowledge there, it's important to say that ISIS doesn't currently allow women to do so. So when the go over there they will often only be engaged in domestic roles. What we are concerned about is that this could change as time goes on."

US blizzard buries Boston

And, in the aftermath of the severe storm that hit the northeastern United States, Boston has emerged as the worst hit major city. The storm has brought up to 90 cm of snow and winds exceeding 100 kilometers an hour. Marty Walsh is the mayor of Boston: "We're still very much in the middle of this storm here in the city of Boston and safety concerns remain a very serious concern of all of ours. It's not easy to stay ahead of a storm this size."

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