News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

Police believe Berlin market attack was terror related

German police are investigating what they say is a suspected terrorist attack after a man ploughed a lorry into a Christmas market in the heart of Berlin, killing 12 people and injuring 48. They have detained the suspected driver, who is said to be a 23-year-old Pakistani asylum seeker. He has denied any involvement. It is being reported that the vehicle may have been stolen. It´s understood a Polish man found dead inside the lorry had been shot. The German chancellor Angela Merkel says it must be assumed that it was a terror attack and it would be hard to bear if it turned out that a migrant had been the perpetrator: "We do not wish to live in a way that fear, Angst, takes our freedom of life. We need to have the strength that we can live in Germany as we want - free, liberal and together." Security is being stepped up at Christmas markets in Germany and Austria.

UN approves monitors for Aleppo

The UN Security Council has unanimously adopted a resolution calling for United Nations officials and others to monitor the mass evacuations from rebel-held east Aleppo and the safety of civilians who are still there. The International Committee of the Red Cross says some 25,000 Syrians have been evacuated from the rebel-held enclave since Thursday. Foreign and defence ministers from Turkey, Iran and Russia are to hold a key meeting on Syria in Moscow today.

Russian team to investigate ambassador´s killing

Russia says a team of investigators has arrived in Turkey following Monday´s assassination of the Russian ambassador in Ankara. Andrei Karlov was shot dead as he gave a speech at an art exhibition centre. The attacker, identified as a 22-year-old Turkish policeman, was later shot dead. He had reportedly shouted "Don't forget Aleppo" after the killing. Turkish police say they have detained a man who fired shots in front of the US embassy in Ankara, hours after the killing of the Russian ambassador. No one was hurt. It is not known if the two incidents are connected. The US missions in Ankara, Istanbul and Adana have been closed.

Trump officially confirmed as president

The US Electoral College has confirmed Donald Trump as president, despite a last-ditch effort to persuade Republican electors to abandon him. Trump promised to work hard to unite the country and be the president of all Americans. The voting process is usually a formality, but was clouded this year by claims that Russian hackers tried to sway the presidential election.

Lagarde found guilty of negligence

A French court has found the manging director of the International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde guilty of negligence but did not hand down any punishment. She had denied acting negligently over a €400 million out-of-court settlement paid to businessman Bernard Tapie while she was French finance minister in 2008. The IMF board and the French government have both confirmed their confidence in Lagarde.

The weather

Mist or fog in lower lying areas, with some light snow, but sunny elsewhere. Top temperatures from minus 4 to plus 11.

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