News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

Hurricane Matthew hammers the Bahamas

Heavy rain and powerful winds are lashing the Bahamas, as Hurricane Matthew, the strongest storm to hit the Caribbean in nearly a decade, moves across the islands. Millions of people have been urged to evacuate coastal areas in the south-east of the United States, where the storm is expected to make landfall in the coming days. Matthew has already killed at least 20 people and left a trail of destruction in Haiti. Jean Claude Finole is a spokesman for the aid group Oxfam. “It’s tragic. We’re getting reports out of the south-west of Haiti, which felt the full force of the storm in that area of the country, reports of schools that have been completely destroyed. We’re looking at a crisis in terms of displaced people – over 10 thousand in the south alone.”

Blast on Syrian-Turkish border kills at least 25

Reports coming out of Syria say at least 25 people have been killed in a bombing at a crossing point on the Syrian-Turkish border. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says most of the dead are Turkish-backed rebel fighters. The so called Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the blast.

Polish lawmakers reject abortion ban

The Polish parliament has overwhelmingly rejected a controversial bill to impose a ban on all abortions where the mother's life is not at risk. The bill, which sparked widespread protests, was sent to parliament after a citizens’ initiative gathered almost half a million signatures.

Antonio Guterres set to become next UN head

United Nations diplomats say the former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres is set to become the next UN Secretary-General. Some lobby groups have criticised the choice, amid a push for a woman to take the post for the first time. Former UN Assistant Secretary-General Michael Doyle says Guterres has all the right qualities for the job. “His experience as a head of government, as Prime Minister of Portugal, means that he understands politics, the art of persuasion. The second thing is that he knows the multi-lateral system. For ten years he was the head of UNHCR, dealing with some of the world’s major crises. And the third thing is that he’s personally charismatic, he has a style that can move an audience.”

Protestors demand peace deal in Colombia

Tens of thousands of people have marched through the streets of the Colombian capital Bogota, demanding that the government and opposition work together to save a peace deal with the left wing rebel group FARC. Voters narrowly rejected the agreement in a referendum on Sunday, which aimed to end more than 50 years of violence.

Vienna Conference tackles youth radicalisation

Delegates from European, African and Middle Eastern nations are meeting today in Vienna to discuss ways to stop the radicalisation of young people.
The two day conference will also focus on the refugee and migrant crisis.

The weather

Rain is set to continue this afternoon in the north-east, with conditions improving in the west and south. Top temperatures will range from 4 to 16 degrees.

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