News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

Iran to join Syria talks in Vienna

It´s being reported that Iran has accepted an invitation to participate in international talks in Vienna on Friday on the conflict in Syria. It´s the first time that Iran, a major backer of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, has been asked to take part. The US Secretary of State John Kerry, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and their counterparts from Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt will reportedly be among those attending the talks.

US signals shift in campaign against IS

The US Defence Secretary Ash Carter says the United States is considering escalating its military campaign against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. Testifying to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Carter said the new policy would mean additional air strikes and even "direct action" on the ground : "We won´t hold back from supporting capable partners in opportunistic attacks against ISIL, or conducting such missions directly, whether by strikes from the air or direct action on the ground."

Austria to build fence on Slovenian border

The Austrian government has given its approval, in principle, to a proposal by the Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner to build a fence along the border with Slovenia. Mikl-Leitner says she does not intend to seal the border, but wants to ensure an orderly crossing for refugees. The German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere has sharply criticized Austria for dumping migrants at the border between the two countries under the cover of night.

Turkey blames Islamic State for Ankara bombings

Turkish prosecutors say there´s strong evidence that an Islamic State cell in the south eastern city of Gaziantep carried out a string of bomb attacks culminating in a double suicide bombing which killed over 100 people in Ankara. The Ankara prosecutor's office said digital evidence indicated the bombers staged the attack in the capital to undermine political stability and delay the forthcoming parliamentary election.

Ouattara re-elected as Ivory Coast President

Electoral officials in Ivory Coast say President Alassane Ouattara has won a second five-year term with over 80% of the vote. He campaigned on his economic track record and has also promised to reform the Constitution. The last vote in 2010 was bitterly contested. It resulted in a civil war in which 3,000 people lost their lives.

VW posts loss in third quarter

Volkswagen has posted its first quarterly loss in over 15 years, following the diesel emissions scandal. It has also lowered its profit outlook.

The weather

A mix of cloud, fog and sunshine, with the chance of rain in the west. Top temperatures from 10 to 20.

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