News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

IS fighters make advances in Iraq and Syria

Islamic State militants have seized the last government-held border crossing between Syria and Iraq – as they continue their offensives in both countries. The loss of al-Tanf to I.S. follows the group's takeover of the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra yesterday. In Iraq, I.S. fighters who captured Ramadi on Sunday, are said to have broken through government defences outside Habbaniya, where Shia militias are gathering to fight them. Despite the I.S. advances, President Obama is ruling out any large-scale deployment of US combat troops in Iraq and Syria. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest: “The president is not going to be in a position where he is going to consider a large-scale U.S. military deployment. And for those who are calling on (him for) a change in strategy, I would encourage them to be specific.”

Suicide bomber strikes Saudi Shi’ite mosque

A suicide bomber has blown himself up at a Shi'ite mosque in eastern Saudi Arabia during Friday prayers, killing and wounding several people. Witnesses describe a huge explosion at the mosque in the village of al-Qadeeh, where around 150 people were praying.

Ireland holds gay marriage referendum

Voting is underway in Ireland in a referendum on whether to change the country’s constitution to allow same-sex marriage. If the change is approved, Ireland will become the first country in the world to bring in marriage equality as a result of a popular vote. Tom Curran is a general secretary of Ireland’s main centre-right government party Fine Gael and a devout Catholic. But one of his three sons is gay: “I want our people to say this guy is equal to my (other) two sons, my daughter or to anybody else. This is fundamental to me as a father.”

EU signs loan with Ukraine

E.U. leaders have signed a 1.8 billion euro loan deal with Ukraine in a bid to help revive the country's struggling economy. The agreement was signed at a summit in the Latvian capital Riga with leaders from European Union countries and six former Soviet nations which are part of the EU's so-called Eastern Partnership Programme. The British Prime Minister, David Cameron, will also use the summit to push for reforms within in the EU that he wants to see before holding a referendum on the UK staying in or leaving the bloc.

South Korea “nut rage” woman freed

An appeals court in South Korea has released a former Korean Air executive, who was sentenced last December to a year in prison for obstructing airline safety during a row over how she’d been served nuts. The court ruled that Heather Cho did not cause the plane she was travelling on to alter its flight path when she ordered it to return its gate in New York to offload the steward who had served the nuts. Her conviction for assault stands.

The Weather

Overcast with only some regions north of the Danube seeing any sunshine. Rain will spread across much of the country and will be especially heaving in the south-east. Top temperatures will range from 7C to 18C.

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