News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

Presidential poll in Burundi

Against a background of tension, people in Burundi are voting in presidential elections. Opponents of the incumbent, Pierre Nkurunziza, accuse him of violating the constitution by seeking a third term in office. The government says the opposition has been provoking violent protests. A policeman and a civilian were killed in overnight clashes.

Turkey to boost border security

The Turkish government says it will boost security along the country's border with Syria, following yesterday's bomb attack in which 30 people were killed. Investigators say they believe the blast in the town of Suruc was caused by a suicide bomber from the Islamic State group. The victims were a group of youth activists planning who were planning to cross into Syria to help rebuild the town of Kobani. Turkey-based Journalist Dorian Jones: "those youths who were both Turkish and Kurdish went down to Suruc planning to help in the re-building efforts. They were reportedly planning to re-build the library in Kobani and were about to leave for Kobani when the attack occurred."

Greek MPs discuss new laws

The Greek government has submitted a series of measures to parliament required by its international lenders. The laws need to be passed in order to start negotiations on a multi-billion Euro rescue package. They include EU rules for the banking sector and new regulations for the civil justice system aimed at speeding up the judicial process and cutting costs.

Toshiba's CEO resigns

The chief executive of the Japanese electronics giant Toshiba, Hisao Tanaka, is to resign after the company admitted it had overstated its profits by 1.2 billion dollars for the past six years. The development follows an investigation by an independent panel appointed by Toshiba. Japan's finance minister Taro Aso says the case could undermine confidence in corporate governance in the country.

US welcomes renewed Cuba ties

The US has welcomed the restoration of diplomatic ties between the US and Cuba. Yesterday the Cuban flag was raised at the country's newly opened embassy in Washington. The US Secretary of State John Kerry said he'll travel to Cuba soon to open the US embassy there. But he also acknowledged the differences between Havana and Washington: "of course this milestone does not signify an end to differences that still separate our governments. But it does reflect the reality that the Cold War ended long ago. And that the interests of both countries are better served by engagement than by estrangement.”

The weather

Very hot with frequent sunshine. The mountain regions and the south will have occasional cloud with some heavy showers and thunderstorms. Highs ranging between 26 and 36 degrees with the hotter temperatures in the east.

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