News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

Earthquake strikes central Italy

Italian officials say at least 38 people have been killed in a powerful earthquake that struck central Italy in the early hours of this morning. Rescue efforts are underway with civil defence officials saying 150 people are missing in one village. Small hill top towns are especially badly hit. The epicentre of the 6.2 quake was near Perugia. Tremors were felt as far afield as Rome and Venice. Strong aftershocks continued after the quake. Sabrina Sbermola is from the village of Arquata del Tronto: “We have so many houses destroyed. You know people are on the street, we are so many people, you know, outside, waiting.” Prime minister Matteo Renzi is to visit the region this afternoon. Renzi speaking through an interpreter: “It is a time to cry but also to act. We are not going to leave anybody alone, no family, no village, no town”. The same region was hit in 2009 by a major quake in which over 300 people died.

Turkey sends ground forces into Syria

Turkish ground forces have entered Syria in an offensive aimed at driving Islamic State militants out of the Jarablus region along the border. The operation also involves around 1500 Syrian rebel fighters and is backed by jets and United States-led coalition warplanes. Turkey has also struck at Syrian Kurdish forces in the region, to try to prevent them gaining any ground lost by Islamic State fighters. A spokesman for the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia has denounced the Turkish intervention.

US VP Biden in Turkey

United States vice president Joe Biden is in Ankara for talks with Turkish leaders, the most senior Western official to visit Turkey since the failed military coup last month. Turkey has complained of a lack of support from the west since the attempt to remove president Recep Tayyip Erdogan from power. Relations with the US are strained over Turkish demands that Washington quickly extradite Muslim cleric Fetullah Gulen, whom Ankara blames for the coup attempt.

Colombia deal to be announced

Colombia's government and Marxist FARC rebels are expected to announce today that they have reached a final peace agreement. The deal aims to bring an end to half a century of conflict that has killed more than 220,000 people and displaced millions. It must still be approved in a referendum.

Ukraine marks independence

Ukraine is marking 25 years of independence from the Soviet Union. President Petro Poroschenko oversaw a major military parade in Kiev with thousands of soldiers and military hardware on display.

The weather

Mainly sunny, some cloud in the east and south east. Top temperatures 21 to 31 degrees.

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