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8. April 2017, 21:58

German cabinet approves Syria mission

Germany's cabinet has authorised the deployment of reconnaissance aircraft, a naval frigate and up to 1,200 military personnel to support the fight against the so called Islamic State militant group in Syria. The plan must still be approved by the German parliament, with a vote expected as early as Wednesday. Officials say German forces will not be actively engaged in combat.

Lebanese troops released in prisoner swap

Reports coming out of Lebanon say the al-Qaeda linked militant group, the al-Nusra Front, has released 16 Lebanese security personnel, who have been held captive since August last year. Under a deal brokered by Qatar, Lebanon also freed several Islamists from jail, including the ex-wife of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Paris climate summit focusses on deforestation

The international climate summit in Paris enters its second day, with world leaders set to discuss the issue of deforestation. Experts say the destruction of forests contributes around 10 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama told the summit that alternatives needed to be found so that people did not need to continue burning wood to cook. “In Ghana at independence 58 years ago, we had 8 million hectares of rainforest cover. Today we have 1.5 million hectares and people depend on charcoal and wood to continue to cook. And if they continue at that rate, you know, there’ll come a time when there’ll be absolutely no forest cover.”

Faulty part blamed for Indonesia plane crash

Officials in Indonesia, investigating the crash of an AirAsia plane into the Java Sea last December, say a faulty component was chiefly responsible for the disaster, which killed all 162 people on board. Investigators say the crew also contributed to the crash, by disabling the autopilot in an effort to reset the plane's computer.

Japan begins controversial whale hunt

Japan has begun it annual whale hunt in the Antarctic, defying a ruling by the International Court of Justice to halt its whaling program. The Japanese government argues that the program is for scientific purposes, while activists say it is inhumane and unsustainable. Jeff Kingston is Professor of Asian Studies at Temple University in Japan. “International experts have long believed that this research whaling exemption is a bit of a sham and the International Court of Justice has ruled that it’s in violation of the moratorium on whaling, and so clearly Japan is flouting the rule of law.”

Turkey challenges Russia to prove IS link

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he wants to avoid tensions with Russia, as the fallout continues over the shooting down of a Russian military jet last week by the Turkish Airforce. Earlier Erdogan challenged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to prove claims that Turkey had acted to protect its oil trade with Islamic State in Syria.

The weather

Strong winds are set to ease this afternoon, with sunshine in the south and rainfall for many areas. Top temperatures will range from 4 to 16 degrees.

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