News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

UN Calls for Syrian Truce

The UN special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, has called for a 48-hour truce to allow aid to be delivered to the besieged city of Aleppo. Speaking in Geneva, he said that it has been impossible to deliver aid to Aleppo and other besieged areas for over a month: “In Syria there is only fighting, rockets, barrel bombs, napalm, chlorine, snipers…not one single convoy has reached any of the humanitarian besieged areas.”

New AI Report on Syrian Prisons

In a related story, Amnesty International has released a report stating that an estimated 17,000 inmates have died in Syrian prisons and jails since the civil war in Syria began over five years ago. Most died as a result of torture, disease and malnutrition. Part of the report is based on the testimony of 65 survivors. Claudia Scheufler is a researcher for Amnesty International: “It is really hard to say because of the Syrian authority’s practice to keep a lot of these detainees in secret, what we call a forced disappearance. About 65,000 people are currently forcibly disappeared, so they have no access to their families, their lawyers. No one knows what happened to them.”

Car Bomb Attacks in Eastern Turkey

Six people have been killed in two separate car bomb attacks at police stations in eastern Turkey. More than 200 other people have been wounded. Officials are blaming the attacks on Kurdish militants.

Suu Kyi Visits Beijing

Myanmar’s foreign minister, Aung San Suu Kyi, is visiting China for talks in Beijing. It is her first major diplomatic trip since her National League for Democracy took power earlier this year. The five-day visit is aimed at establishing a new era in relations between Myanmar and China.

Fires, Floods in USA

In the United States, firefighters in southern California are gaining the upper hand in putting out a large wildfire which has forced more than 80,000 people to leave their homes. The fires have also cut off the main highway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Staying in the US, the death toll from flooding and heavy rains which have hit the state of Missouri now stands at 13. Thousands of people in and near the cities of Baton Rouge and Lafayette have been evacuated to higher ground.

Two US Swimmers Detained in Rio

Two Olympic swimmers from the United States are being detained by police in Brazil. Swimmers Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger were in a group of four Americans who claimed they had been robbed at gunpoint by men dressed as policemen.

New Airship Takes Off

An airship being called the world’s largest aircraft has taken off from the first time near London. The Airlander 10 is about the length of a football field and can stay aloft for several days. Developers hope it can be used to ferry aid to disasters zone or heavy machinery to remote areas.

The weather

The afternoon will remain mostly sunny, especially in the east, but there is also a chance of scattered rain and thunderstorms. Highs today are ranging from 20 to 28 degrees.

Übersicht

• News In English