News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

Russia identifies plane crash bodies

The Russian authorities have started identifying the bodies of victims of the Russian plane crash in Egypt at the week-end in which all 224 people on board died. The Airbus is thought to have broken up in mid-air over the Sinai Peninsula. The Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has described claims that militants linked to Islamic State brought down the airliner as "propaganda". In an interview with the BBC, he said the claims were aimed at damaging Egypt's image and that it was too early to say what caused the disaster: "we are cooperating and we welcome all authorities to investigate. The plane was at 35,000 feet altitude. Believe me the situation in Sinai and especially in this limited area is under our full control."

Russia aims for Syria talks in Moscow

Senior Russian officials say Moscow is aiming to host a round of talks between the Syrian government and opposition groups. It’s unclear which opposition groups have been invited. The idea is expected to be discussed tomorrow at a meeting between Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and the U.N. envoy on Syria Staffan de Mistura.

Shell accused of failure over Nigeria oil spills

The oil company Shell has been accused of making false claims about the extent of its clean-up operations in Nigeria. In a joint report, Amnesty International and the Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development said several sites Shell had claimed to have had cleaned up were still polluted. Amnesty's Makmid Kamara says the company has failed in its duties: "Shell has a responsibility - the company that is operating in that area has the responsibility to ensure firstly that they contain the spill and then clean them up immediately after they've been informed but Shell is not doing that." Shell says it rejects the allegations and that it's committed to cleaning up all oil spills.

Cyclone hits Yemen

A cyclone with hurricane-force winds has hit Yemen's Arabian Sea coast. Thousands of people are seeking shelter from the storm which according to officials and meteorologists is the strongest in decades.

UNHCR warns of stateless problem

The UN's refugee agency says better laws are needed to help people who have no official nationality. The UNHCR says a child is born stateless every ten minutes and that the conflict in Syria has intensified the problem. It says such people are often denied basic human rights such as medical care and education. A year ago, the agency launched a campaign to end the plight of at least 10 million stateless people around the world within a decade.

The weather

Mainly sunny with a few clouds about in the West and a lively wind at times. Highs ranging between 7 and 17 degrees, where there's a föhn wind up to 20.

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