News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

Eurozone holds crucial talks

Eurozone finance ministers are preparing for a crucial third meeting to try to solve the crisis over Greece's bail-out. Athens has put forward a compromise proposal for a 6-month extension of its international loan, but says it remains opposed to the original deal which came with tough austerity measures. The current arrangement expires at the end of the month. A spokesperson for the German government has said that the latest Greek proposal was a "good signal" and provided a basis for further talks, but was not sufficient in its current form. Daniel Gros is from the Centre for European Policy Studies: "in the end a deal would have to be found because the costs are very high for both sides of not having a deal. But perhaps the finance ministers are not a good group to find a deal because they're fixated on numbers, deficits and targets and the Greeks just cannot deliver on that right now."

30 killed in Libya bomb attacks

Reports coming out of Libya say more than 30 people have been killed in bomb blasts in the east of the country. The attacks happened in the city of Qubbah and targeted a petrol station next to a security building.

6 killed in Somalia attack

Officials in Somalia say at least 6 people have been killed and several injured in a car bomb attack in the centre of the capital Mogadishu. The country's deputy prime minister and transport minister are reported to be among the wounded. The militant group Al Shabaab has claimed responsibility.

Fighting continues in Ukraine

In Ukraine, there's been more fighting between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russia separatists in the east of the country in spite of fresh European efforts to try and ensure that a ceasefire agreed earlier this month in Minsk is adhered to. Daily Telegraph reporter Roland Oliphant is in Mariupol: "you can't call it a ceasefire when there are these battles going on but in a way they're quite isolated. There's definitely fighting going on - very serious fighting - but in some places it is still very quiet. " In another development, Ukraine's military says more than 20 Russian tanks, 10 missile systems and bus-loads of fighters have crossed into Ukraine.

Iraq plans offensive for Mosul

US military sources say Iraqi and Kurdish forces are preparing for an offensive designed to re-take the Iraqi city of Mosul from Islamic State militants who've held it since last June. The force would be made up of up to 25,000 fighters. The operation is expected to take place in April or May.

The weather

Frequent sunshine and highs ranging between 3 and 13 degrees.

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