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8. April 2017, 21:58

NATO meets on Ukraine conflict

The NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg says that Russia continues to violate international law, as fighting intensifies in eastern Ukraine. He was speaking as NATO defence ministers gathered in Brussels to discuss plans for the biggest reinforcement of its collective defence in Eastern Europe since the end of the Cold War. General Charles Wald is the former Deputy Commander of US European Command: "I think they´re facing the fact that Russia´s unpredictable and they have to prepare themselves to defend themselves in case of an unforeseen incursion of some sort. So I think it´s prudent on NATO´s part and I think it´ll make (Vladimir) Putin think twice."

US, French and German officials visit Kiev

The US Secretary of State John Kerry is holding talks in Kiev with President Petro Poroshenko and government leaders...as Washington considers whether to send weapons to help Ukraine fight pro-Russian separatists. The French President Francois Hollande has announced that he and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel are also heading to the Ukrainian capital with a new peace initiative and will then visit Moscow on Friday.

Greek FM in Berlin for talks

The Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis is in Berlin today for talks with his German counterpart Wolfgang Schaeuble, one of the toughest critics of the Greek´s new government. He is seeking to impress on European leaders that the leftist-led government can only run a balanced budget if its €240bn euro rescue loan is re-negotiated. Germany reportedly wants the government in Athens to go back on anti-austerity promises and revert to economic policies agreed by its predecessors.

Euro zone growth forecasts revised

The European Union is predicting that the 19-nation euro zone economy is likely to grow slightly better than anticipated this year, thanks to the drop in oil prices and a depreciating euro. According to the EU's winter forecast, the euro zone will see average growth of 1.3 percent in 2015. But Austria is expected to see a rise of just 0.8 per cent, down from the 1.2 percent forecast in the autumn.

Jordan vows retaliation for pilot´s killing

King Abdullah of Jordan has promised to fight back hard against the Islamic State group, saying that the death of a Jordanian pilot captured in Syria will not be in vain. He cut short a visit to Washington after the IS posted a video showing pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh being burned alive in a cage. The King pledged to step up Jordan´s role in the international coalition fighting the jihadists and vowed to take more retaliatory action, after the execution of two Iraqi death row prisoners.

The weather

More snowfall along and to the south of the main Alpine ridge. A mix of cloud and sunshine in the north. Top temperatures from minus 5 to plus 3.

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