News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

Greece faces deadline over IMF loan

The Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has urged voters to reject the demands of its creditors in a referendum on Sunday. He said a clear signal against the proposals would help Athens negotiate a better deal, adding that he'd resign in the event of a "yes" vote. However, the Greek newspaper Kathimerini is reporting that Tsipras is now considering some last-minute concessions being put forward by the head of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker. Political scientist Emmanuel Sigalas says he doesn't believe the latest offer from Brussels will change the Greek government's position: "this will not make it possible to change the Greek government's mind and call off a referendum. I think the referendum will happen anyway unless there's a huge and dramatic shift at the European level. Juncker's proposal is not such a huge improvement." Some EU leaders have warned that a rejection of the package in Sunday's referendum would mean that Greece would have to leave the Eurozone. The country's bailout expires today - the same day that Athens faces a deadline to repay a 1.6 billion Euro loan to the International Monetary Fund. In another development, tens of thousands of people demonstrated against austerity in central Athens yesterday evening.

Yemen bomb causes many casualties

In Yemen, a car bomb blast in the capital Sanaa has caused many casualties. According to some reports, nearly 30 people were killed. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack which happened at a funeral being attended by Shia Houthi rebels.

30 killed in Indonesia plane crash

At least 30 people have died in a military transport plane crash in Indonesia. The aircraft came down in a residential area in the city of Medan, crashing into two houses and bursting into flames. Officials say the plane - which had 12 crew members on board - came down shortly after taking off.

Liberia reports Ebola case

7 weeks after the country was declared free of Ebola, Liberia has reported another case of the disease. Senior health officials say a 17-year old boy had died of the illness but added that his body had been buried safely. Deputy health minister Tolbert Nyenswah: "even before the result came out, the body was buried safely by a dead body management team. People need to be vigilant and take all the preventative measures because one case of ebola is dangerous."

EU reaches deal on roaming charges

The EU has reached a preliminary deal to abolish mobile roaming charges across the bloc by June 2017. The agreement will need approval from the European Parliament and EU member states.

The weather

It'll be very sunny in the West. Elsewhere mainly sunny but with some cloud and isolated brief showers. Highs ranging between 23 and 31 degrees with the warmer temperatures in the West.

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