15.04.2016

News in English

Thousands flee fighting in Aleppo / Five EU nations launch tax crackdown / Belgian transport minister resigns over security lapses / North Korean missile test “fails” / Major earthquake hits Japan / Court upholds Rousseff impeachment vote / The weather

8. April 2017, 21:58

15.04.2016

Thousands flee fighting in Aleppo

The US-based organisation Human Rights Watch says at least 30,000 people have fled fighting between Syrian rebels and Islamic State forces in Aleppo in the past 48 hours. It´s called on Turkey to open its southern border to those seeking protection. There are unconfirmed reports that Turkish border guards fired shots at some of those who´d been displaced.

Five EU nations launch tax crackdown

The five largest economies in the European Union have agreed to exchange information on the secret owners of businesses and trusts to help fight tax evasion. The UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain have agreed to the move in response to the Panama Papers leak. They are now pushing for the rest of the G20 nations to follow suit. The head of the World Bank Jim Yong Kim says transparency is the way forward for the future: "We are not going to go backwards and become less transparent over time. The notion that you can hide illicit wealth or you can avoid paying taxes, I hope that´s going to be an idea that gets eroded more and more."

Belgian transport minister resigns

The Belgian transport minister, Jacqueline Galant, has resigned after a secret EU report detailing lapses in airport security oversight was leaked in the wake of last month´s attacks at Brussels Airport and the metro. The document, made public by two Belgian opposition parties, also cited serious deficiencies in the way safety checks are managed.

North Korean missile test “fails”

Officials in the United States and South Korea say that North Korea has conducted a missile test off its east coast, but the launch appears to have failed. It was reportedly an attempt to launch an intermediate range nuclear missile with a range of some 3,000 km, which extends to the US Army base on the Pacific island of Guam.

Major earthquake hits Japan

Aftershocks are being reported in southwestern Japan, a day after a strong 6.2-magnitude earthquake which killed nine people and injured at least 1,000 others. More than 40,000 people were evacuated to schools and community centres, with some spending the night out in the open.

Court upholds Rousseff impeachment vote

Brazil's Supreme Court has rejected a government injunction aimed at preventing an impeachment vote against President Dilma Rousseff, further reducing her chances of survival. Rousseff has denied allegations that she broke budget laws, but opponents claim that accounting tricks helped her to win re-election in 2014 by boosting public spending. Brazil's lower house of Congress is due to vote on her impeachment on Sunday.