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8. April 2017, 21:58

US says Russia responsible for aid convoy attack

The US says it holds Russia responsible for Monday's deadly attack on an aid convoy near the Syrian city of Aleppo. US officials said two Russian war planes were responsible for the incident in which 20 people were killed. Russia has denied any involvement and says it was caused by a fire on the ground and not by an air strike.

Obama praises Austria's efforts in refugee crisis

The US President Barack Obama has praised several countries, including Austria, for their efforts in helping refugees in the wake of the Syrian conflict. Obama has been hosting a conference on the refugee crisis at the annual UN gathering of international leaders in New York. He called for more collective responsibility, noting that the vast majority of refugees were being hosted by just 10 countries. The meeting resulted in dozens of pledges to resettle or allow the legal admission of hundreds of thousands of people this year. Obama singled out the German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for their efforts but also praised Austria and others: "Collectively our nations are roughly doubling the number of refugees that we admit to our countries to more than 360,000 this year. I want to especially commend Germany, Canada, Austria, the Netherlands and Australia for their continued leadership."

Man charged with New York bomb attack

In the US, a 28-year old man has been charged with planting bombs in New York and New Jersey. 31 people were injured when a bomb went off in the Chelsea neighbourhood of Manhattan over the week-end. No one was wounded in the other incidents. The charges facing Ahmad Khan Rahami include the use of weapons of mass destruction.

Man shot at Israel’s embassy in Ankara

A man with a knife has been shot and wounded by security officials outside Israel's embassy in the Turkish capital, Ankara. Israeli officials said he had tried to storm the building. No-one at the embassy was hurt.

Lula to face trial

A judge in Brazil has said that the former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is to face trial on corruption and money laundering charges in connection with an alleged scheme at the state oil company, Petrobras. Prosecutors allege he accepted over a million dollars’ worth of bribes. The 70-year old has been seen as a possible candidate in presidential elections in 2018. He denies any wrongdoing and says the accusations are politically motivated: "I'm a man with a clear conscience. I want to be judged as any Brazilian citizen under our constitution. I don't want privileges. What I don't want are lies."

The weather

A mix of cloud and occasional sunshine. Some light rain in places. Highs ranging between 11 and 19 degrees, where the sun's out up to 21.

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