News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

Far right defeated in French vote

France's far-right National Front has failed to win a single region in the second round of regional elections. The party won 6.8 million votes and came in third place, despite leading in 6 out of 13 regions in the first round of voting a week ago. Responding to the results, party leader Marine Le Pen said the two mainstream parties had colluded to keep it from power. In his reaction, Prime Minister Manuel Valls said there was no room for complacency - in spite of a stronger than expected showing for his governing Socialist Party: "there is no place for relief, or triumphalism or a victory message. The danger posed by the far right has not gone away, far from it. I have not forgotten the results of the last round and past elections."

Human rights lawyer on trial in China

One of China's most prominent human rights lawyers has been put on trial over comments he posted on social media, criticising the ruling Communist Party. Pu Zhiqiang has been accused of "inciting ethnic hatred" and "provoking trouble". His family says he pleaded not guilty to all charges. A verdict is not expected for some weeks. If convicted, he faces up to 8 years in jail.

CDU debates Germany's refugee policy

Germany's refugee policy is being debated at the annual conference of Chancellor Angela Merkel's CDU party. The country has taken in hundreds of thousands of people this year, prompting criticism from some of her party members. Speaking at the congress, she said the issue had become an enormous challenge and that her party would reduce the number of people entering the country.

Storm causes evacuations in the Philippines

Officials in the Philippines say over 700,000 people have been evacuated because of Typhoon Melor. Schools have closed and flights and ferry trips cancelled. The storm has gusts of up to 185 kilometres per hour.

US and China discuss climate deal

China's President Xi Jinping has held a telephone conference with U.S. President Barack Obama to discuss the global climate change accord which was reached in Paris over the weekend. Xi said his country was keen to work with the US on implementing the agreement. Jeffrey Sachs, the Director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University, says implementation is key: "an agreement like this depends on countries following through - we have no global enforcement mechanism other than the peer pressure of 196 signatories saying we need to do something, we need to do it urgently and every signatory has to be part of this."

The weather

Quite sunny but with some cloud or fog about in the north and east. Highs ranging between minus 2 and plus 9 degrees.

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