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8. April 2017, 21:58

Belgian lawmakers break CETA deadlock

Belgian lawmakers say they have reached a deal aimed at breaking the deadlock over a free trade agreement between the EU and Canada. The Belgian region of Wallonia has held up the CETA deal, amid concerns that it could hurt farmers and increase the power of multinationals. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was forced to cancel his trip to Brussels today, after it became clear that the EU would not be able to sign the agreement.

Italy assesses damage from earthquakes

Rescue workers in Italy are assessing the damage caused by two powerful earthquakes, which struck near the central town of Visso overnight. The region is still recovering from an earthquake in nearby Amatrice in August, which left 300 people dead. Tomasso Dellalonga from the Italian Red Cross says there are no reports of serious injuries in Visso but hundreds of people have been displaced. “The problem is that the area hit by the earthquake is between mountains and some valleys and it’s very cold even now. Actually now it’s heavy raining. So the point is to find a place where people can live in safety in the next few hours.”

More migrants feared dead in Mediterranean

More than 90 refugees and migrants are feared dead, after their overcrowded boat sank off the coast of Libya. There has been a sharp rise this year in the number of deaths of people trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe.

Children abandoned after Calais camp clearance

Aid workers in the French city of Calais say they were forced to find emergency accommodation for around 100 unaccompanied children last night, following the closure of the so-called Jungle refugee and migrant camp. Caroline Gregory is from the British charity Calais Action. “We were begging the French authorities to actually do something about this and nothing was done. So it’s up to the volunteers to step in. Some of them were housed in the warehouse, where people are being processed and then some of them are being put up in a makeshift school in part of the camp.” Thousands of former residents of the Jungle camp are being relocated across France. Many of them have been trying to get across the English Channel to Great Britain.

Yazidi women win EU human rights prize

Two Yazidi women, who were abducted from their village in northern Iraq and held as sex slaves by the so called Islamic State group, have been awarded Europe's top human rights award, the Sakharov Prize. Nadia Murad Basee and Lamiya Aji Bashar managed to escape IS captivity and now lead the campaign to help Yazidi women and girls.

The weather

Changeable conditions are set to continue this afternoon with sunshine increasing in many areas. Top temperatures will range from 7 to 17 degrees.

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