News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

Banks close in Greece

The Greek government says that the country's banks will be closed all week with withdrawals being limited to 60 Euros a day. The move follows a decision by the European Central Bank not to extend emergency funding to Greek banks. Talks between Athens and the Eurozone over a bail-out agreement due to expire tomorrow broke down earlier, but the French President Francois Hollande says there's still time to strike a deal. In a televised address, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras appealed for calm: "the citizens' deposits in Greek banks are absolutely secure. Equally safe are the payment of salaries and pensions. Any difficulties that might be presented must be dealt with calmly and with determination." Stock markets in Europe and Asia have seen big falls in response to the latest developments.

11 killed in attack in Afghanistan

Taliban militants in Afghanistan have killed at least 11 Afghan soldiers in an attack in the western province of Herat. A convoy of trucks was the target of the assault. Weapons were stolen from the scene.

Investigations begin after Tunisia attack

Officials in Tunisia say a gunman who killed 38 people at a beach resort near the city of Sousse had help in carrying out the attack. The government announced increased security measures after the assault on Friday which was claimed by the Islamic State group. Most of those who died were from the UK.

Iran talks in Vienna

A senior US official says international efforts to negotiate a long-term agreement with Iran over its nuclear programme could be extended beyond tomorrow's deadline. The talks have been taking place in Vienna.

Asia development bank launched

Representatives from over 50 countries have gathered in Beijing to witness the signing of documents creating a new development bank for Asia. China is the biggest shareholder in the bank, followed by India, Russia and Germany. The bank will fund energy, transport and infrastructure projects in Asia.

Solar plane starts Pacific flight

A solar-powered plane is making its second attempt at a record-breaking flight across the Pacific Ocean as part of a bid to circumnavigate the world. The aircraft “Solar Impulse” took off from Japan and is scheduled to land in Hawaii in around 5 days time. The single-seater plane is being flown by Swiss pilot Andre Borschberg. Aviation journalist Jason Rabinowitz says the conditions over the Pacific need to be just right for the flight to be successful: "there's a razor-thin margin for a successful flight right now. They've been grounded in Japan for quite a number of weeks and they need the weather conditions to be just perfect for them to be able to successfully conduct this flight from Japan over to Hawaii."

The weather

A mix of sun and cloud with some thundery showers forecast. Highs ranging between 19 and 27 degrees.

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