News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

Panamanian law firm „was hacked“

Mossack Fonseca - the Panamanian law firm at the centre of a massive leak of confidential financial data - says the company was the victim of external hacking. One of the founding partners, Ramon Fonseca, says the company has not broken any laws and is filing a complaint: "We have already launched a complaint with the Attorney General´s office for intellectual property and there is a government institution looking at the issue and helping us. There are international experts also helping us to identify what happened and how to close the system so it doesn´t happen again."

Iceland´s PM resigns over Panama Papers leak

Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson has stepped down as Iceland's Prime Minister, amid growing pressure over an offshore company revealed in the Panama Papers leak. He's denied concealing millions of dollars' worth of family assets and is one of dozens of high-profile figures mentioned in the leaked financial and legal records. Some 50 offshore firms with Austrian addresses are believed to be included, as well as 80 individuals or companies with Austrian connections.

Europe to announce new asylum regulations

The European Commission is to unveil proposed reforms to the way countries in the European Union handle asylum claims. Under the so-called Dublin Regulations, asylum seekers can be sent back to the first EU state they enter. But that´s left Greece and Italy having to deal with hundreds of thousands of people. The new proposals involve a modest change to the current system which includes a fairness provision to help countries that are struggling to cope. The second, more radical option would be to scrap the existing rules and redistribute refugees across Europe.

Dutch referendum as test of anti-EU sentiment

Voters in the Netherlands are casting ballots in a national referendum on a new European Union treaty which removes trade barriers with Ukraine. It is seen as a test of anti-EU sentiment before Britain votes on its membership of the bloc in June.

Wisconsin loss is blow for Trump

The US Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz has decisively won the Wisconsin primary. Donald Trump still leads the Republican race, but could fall short of the number of delegates needed to secure the nomination, increasing the chances of a rare contested party convention in July. In the Democratic primary, Bernie Sanders scored a strong victory over Hillary Clinton.

Steep rise in executions worldwide

The human rights organisation Amnesty International says there were more executions worldwide in 2015 than in any year since 1990. Over 1,600 people were reportedly executed last year, with almost 90 percent of cases in Iran, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

The weather

Rain in the west, elsewhere a mix of sunshine and showers. Top temperatures from 9 to 23.

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