News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

New EU naval mission against traffickers

The European Union is beginning a new military operation in the southern Mediterranean to intercept boats smuggling migrants. Under Operation Sophia, naval forces will be able to board, search, seize and divert vessels suspected of being used for human smuggling. The migration crisis is expected to be one of the issues raised when the German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande make a rare joint address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg later today.

MSF renews demands for Kunduz investigation

The US commander of international forces in Afghanistan, Army General John Campbell, has admitted that Saturday´s air strike on a hospital operated by Medecins Sans Frontieres in Kunduz was a mistake, adding that a protected medical facility would never be targeted intentionally. Twenty-two people were killed, among them MSF staff. Medecins Sans Frontieres has called the attack a war crime. It is demanding an investigation by the International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission. Dr Joanne Liu is the president of MSF International: "It is unacceptable that the bombing of a hospital and the killing of staff and patients can be dismissed as collateral damage or brushed aside as a mistake. Today we are fighting back for respect of (the) Geneva Convention."

Russia in coordinated assault in Syria

The Syrian army and allied militia backed by Russian air strikes have reportedly carried out ground attacks on insurgent positions in Syria. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says it appears to be the first major coordinated assault since Moscow intervened in Syria last week.

Arrests over Sydney police shooting

Australian police say four men aged from 16 to 22 have been detained in Sydney, in connection with the killing of police accountant Curtis Cheng. Cheng was shot dead outside his office on Friday in what police are treating as a terror attack. The 15-year-old attacker was shot and killed at the scene.

VW board meets to discuss emissions scandal

Volkswagen´s new chief executive Matthias Mueller says the company is planning a recall of vehicles with software at the centre of the emissions-rigging scandal, beginning in January. Mueller also says VW aims to bring them in line with emissions standards by the end of next year. Up to 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide are reportedly affected. Volkswagen executives are meeting today for an emergency board meeting to discuss the crisis.

Nobel chemistry prize for DNA research

The Nobel Prize in chemistry has been awarded for discoveries on how cells repair damaged DNA. The prize is shared by Sweden's Tomas Lindahl, the American Paul Modrich and Turkish-born Aziz Sancar.

The weather

Widespread rain, with top temperatures from 10 to 17.

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