News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

Court orders re-run of Austria´s presidential election

The Austrian Constitutional Court has ruled that the second round of the presidential election must be re-run. The Freedom Party candidate Norbert Hofer lost the election on May 22 to the former Green party leader Alexander Van der Bellen by just 30,000 votes, with postal ballots having tipped the balance. The FPÖ challenged the outcome, alleging irregularities in 94 of the 117 electoral districts. It said the postal votes had been sorted or counted earlier than stipulated. The ruling was announced by the Constitutional Court president Gerhart Holzinger: "Put simply, this means that the run-off election must be held again in its entirety throughout Austria."

Slovakia takes over EU presidency

Slovakia takes over the European Union's rotating presidency today, with the bloc still reeling from Britain's vote to leave. Slovakia´s Prime Minister Robert Fico says that the EU's migration policy does not work and Europe has failed to properly communicate with its citizens. He also says states like France, Germany and Italy have had had too much say for too long, and they should start listening to the countries like Slovakia that have joined the EU since 2004.

Tory leadership battle surprise

The British home secretary Theresa May has won the backing of a number of senior Conservatives in the race to be the next Prime Minister. The justice secretary Michael Gove announced on Thursday that he would be standing. The announcement stunned Westminster and forced the former London Mayor Boris Johnson to drop out.

Turkey identifies airport bombers

Turkish officials say the three suicide bombers in Tuesday´s deadly attack on Istanbul's international airport were from Russia, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Over 40 people were killed and 239 others wounded. Turkish police have detained 24 people in raids in Istanbul, 11 of them foreign nationals, who are suspected of possible links to the gun and bomb attack on Europe's third-busiest airport. Turkey and the United States believe the so-called Islamic State group was responsible.

Hindu temple worker killed in Bangladesh

It´s being reported that a Hindu temple worker has been hacked to death in southwest Bangladesh in the latest attack blamed on radical Islamists. At least 18 people, including atheist bloggers, foreign aid workers and religious minorities, have been killed in attacks over the past two years.

The weather

Some sunshine but isolated thundery, especially in the south. Highs today from 23 to 31.

Übersicht

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