News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

Attack on hospital in Donetsk leaves many dead

A bombshell has hit a hospital in the east Ukrainian rebel-controlled city of Donetsk, killing at least four people. City authorities say most of the casualties were outside the building. And there are unconfirmed reports of further deaths.

Jordan executes two prisoners in response to IS

Jordan has executed two Iraqi jihadists - including a female militant - in response to an Islamic State video showing a captured Jordanian pilot being burnt to death. Islamic State had demanded the release of the female prisoner in exchange for a Japanese hostage who it later beheaded. Jordan has promised what it calls an "earth-shaking response" to the killing of its pilot, Muath al-Kasaes-beh, who was captured in December when his F-16 crashed over northeastern Syria. His father is demanding revenge: "The blood of Muath is the blood of the nation. And the country should avenge the blood of Muath. I demand that none of the criminals should be spared. I demand that the vengeance should be more severe than just executing prisoners."

Dozens survive plane crash in Taiwan

In Taiwan, 15 people have miraculously survived the crash of a turboprop passenger plane belonging to TransAsia Airways. At least 19 people are confirmed dead and two dozen are still unaccounted for. Dramatic pictures taken by a motorist show the ATR aircraft lurching between buildings in Taipei before clipping a wing and cartwheeling into a shallow river.

Train crash leaves seven dead in New York

In the U.S., seven people have been killed and a dozen injured when a crowded New York commuter train struck a car stalled on the tracks. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo described the scene as devastating: "The third rail of the track came up and went right through the car, so it is truly a devastatingly ugly situation to see."

Greek Finance Minister in Germany

After visiting several other Eurozone partners in hopes of negotiating debt relief, Greece's Finance Minister Yanis Varou-fakis will be in Frankfurt this afternoon to meet ECB President Mario Draghi. Tomorrow, he will meet with German Finance Minister, Wolfgang Schaeuble, in Berlin. Germany has flatly ruled out Greek debt forgiveness. But Greece is proposing alternatives including debt repayment linked to economic growth, and a switch to interest-only "perpetual" bonds.

A "lost" novel by Harper Lee to be published

An unpublished novel by Harper Lee is to finally see the light of day, 60 years after the US author put it aside to write To Kill a Mockingbird. Go Set a Watchman, which features characters from her famous best-seller, will be released on 14 July. To Kill a Mockingbird was published in 1960 and won a Pulitzer Prize. It has sold over 40 million copies and was adapted into an Oscar-winning film.

The weather

Mostly cloudy with occasional light snowfall. Mountain regions can look forward to some sunny periods this afternoon and the sun could break through occasionally at lower elevations. Highs ranging from minus 5 to plus 3 degrees.

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