News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

British-EU talks continue

Senior officials from Britain and the European Council are continuing efforts to negotiate the terms of reforms Britain is seeking before Prime Minister David Cameron can call a national referendum on British membership in the EU. In talks over the weekend with Council President Donald Tusk, Cameron called for curbing welfare benefits to EU citizens living in Britain. Peter Wilding is with the Bruges Group, an organization which wants the UK to stay in a reformed and de-centralised European Union. He believes an agreement will be reached before or during an EU summit later this month: “We should be a leading nation within Europe. It´s as simple as that; you pull the levers of power that you have your hands on, Europe is a lever of power we have. We want to reform the European Union. We have a great number of allies who want the same and I believe you’ll see that deal done on February the 19th.”

Syrian talks delayed in Geneva

Syrian human rights activists say the death toll from a suicide bomb attack yesterday in Damascus is now over 70 confirmed dead. The Islamic State says it was behind the attack on a district which is home to Syria’s holiest Shi´ite shrine. Meanwhile, United Nations talks aimed at ending the Syrian civil war and which began on Friday have been delayed and are not expected to take place today. The talks have the support of the United States, the European Union and the Russian Federation. US Secretary of State John Kerry: “The United Nations Security Council has created a framework for bringing the war in Syria to an end. It embraces a ceasefire, humanitarian access throughout the country, and elections within 18 months in which Syrians can determine the future of Syria.”

10 die in Afghan suicide bombing

There was a suicide bomb attack this morning in the Afghan capital Kabul. The bomber blew himself up outside of a police station. Ten people were killed and 20 others were wounded. It is unclear who ordered the attack, but Afghan officials say they suspect it was the Taliban.

Pro-democracy MPs take seats in Myanmar

In Myanmar, hundreds of people from former dissident Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League of Democracy have been sworn in as members of parliament. After winning 80 percent of the vote in late year’s elections, the NLD has enough seats in parliament to form the country’s first democratically-elected government since 1962.Myanmar has in recent years shifted towards democracy following decades of military rule.

Iowa votes in first US presidential primary

The primary season in the US presidential campaign opens today with voting in the state of Iowa to be followed by New Hampshire one week from now. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump will try and secure their front-runner status in their respective parties while facing strong challenges from senators Bernie Sanders and Ted Cruz.

Emergency WHO meeting on Zika virus

A World Health Organisation committee is holding an emergency meeting in Geneva on the Zika virus. Last week the WHO said the virus is spreading quickly beyond its outbreak zone in Brazil to at least 23 other countries. Zika is carried by mosquitos and is thought to cause birth defects in pregnant women. The governments of the United States and Brazil have said they will pool their efforts to find a vaccine for the disease.

Report: 50 POWs die in South Sudan

In South Sudan’s civil war, there are reports that 50 prisoners being held by government troops in the northern state of Unity have suffocated inside shipping containers which were being used as improvised jails. This follows a United Nations report issued last month which accused both sides in the conflict of committing war crimes.

The weather

The weather this afternoon will be partly sunny in the south and west. The east and north will remain cloudy and windy with a chance of rain. Highs today are ranging from 6 to 15 degrees.

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