News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

New developments in Nemtsov case

A member of Russia's Human Rights Council says some of the suspects in the killing of the opposition politician Boris Nemtsov may have been tortured while in detention. After visiting 3 of the detainees at a prison in Moscow, Andrei Babushkin said they had suffered multiple injuries. Nemtsov was shot dead as he was walking with his girlfriend near the Kremlin at the end of last month. Officials say one of the suspects Zaur Dadayev has admitted involvement in the murder.

Iraqi troops advance into Tikrit

Officials in Iraq say government forces and militias have re-taken part of a northern district of the city of Tikrit which has been held by Islamic State militants for nine months. Soldiers and Shia militiamen have reportedly raised the Iraqi flag at a hospital in the Qadisiya district. The IS group captured Tikrit during a major advance across northern and western Iraq last year.

Amnesty criticises Iran

The human rights group Amnesty International has criticised plans in Iran to encourage women to have more children. It says one proposed law would make it illegal to publicise birth control whilst another would make it harder for women without children to get a job. Amnesty spokeswoman Raha Bahreini says the legislation would be a setback for women's rights: "the Iranian authorities already tell women what to wear, where to work, how to dress and now they are going a step further and telling women how many children to have and when to have them."

Berlusconi cleared by high court

Italy's highest court has confirmed the acquittal of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi over charges of abuse of office and paying for sex with a minor. At the original trial in 2013, the politician was convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison. The case focused on a teenage nightclub dancer known by her stage name "Ruby".

Clinton makes statement on emails

In the US, Hillary Clinton has responded to the controversy over her use of a personal email account, rather than an official one, during her time as Secretary of State. Clinton - who's expected to be a presidential candidate - made this statement over the issue: "I opted for convenience to use my personal email account - which was allowed by the State Department - because I thought it would be easier to carry just one device for my work and for my personal emails instead of two. Looking back, it would have been better if I had simply used a second email account."

The weather

Occasional rain or snow on the northern side of the Alps and in the East. Just isolated showers and a bit of sunshine in the south. A lively wind. Highs generally between zero and 8 degrees, in the south, up to 12.

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