News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

Many dead and hundreds injured in China explosions

Chinese officials say the death toll currently stands at 44 after two huge explosions in warehouses containing toxic chemicals and gas in the north eastern port city of Tianjin. Over 500 people were injured, many of them seriously. Buildings within a 2km radius had windows shattered, office blocks were destroyed and hundreds of cars burnt-out. It´s understood that a shipment of explosives stored in a container detonated. An investigation is underway.

IS targets crowded Baghdad market

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for a massive truck bombing in the Iraqi capital Baghdad that killed at least 76 people. More than 200 others were wounded in the attack on a crowded food market in the predominantly Shia Sadr City district.

US launches first airstrikes from Turkey

The United States has launched its first airstrikes from Turkey against Islamic State targets in Syria. The Pentagon announced the F-16 strikes were launched from Incirlik air base in southern Turkey but provided no details on the number or types of targets struck.

Fears for Croatian man kidnapped in Egypt

Croatia´s Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic says he fears the worst for a Croatian national abducted in Cairo last month but cannot confirm that he has been beheaded by Sinai Province, the Egyptian off-shoot of the Islamic State group. Milanovic addressed the nation after a photo purporting to show Tomislav Salopek´s decapitated body was posted on Twitter: "It is my duty to tell the Croatian public that what we are seeing is, of course, horrifying. We cannot be 100% certain that it is true. I don´t know if we will be able to do so in the next few days. But what we are seeing does not look good. It looks horrible."

Greek parliament debates third bailout

Greek lawmakers are discussing the country's third bailout in Parliamentary committees today before the draft bill proceeds to a full assembly debate and vote ahead of a meeting of Eurozone finance ministers on Friday. The terms of the 85 billion euro bailout have left Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras facing severe dissent from within his Syriza party, although the bill is expected to pass with votes from the opposition.

Sweden drops some sex allegations against Assange

Prosecutors in Sweden say they have dropped their inquiry into sex crimes allegations brought against the Wikileaks founder Julian Assange in 2010 because of the statutes of limitations. But he still faces the more serious allegation of rape. Assange has been living in Ecuador´s embassy in London for over 3 years, after being granted political asylum to avoid extradition to Sweden.

The weather

Mostly hot and sunny with the chance of thundery showers in the west and north. Highs today from 30 to 38.

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