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8. April 2017, 21:58

Trump nominates new Supreme Court judge

President Donald Trump has nominated Colorado federal appeals court judge Neil Gorsuch for the US Supreme Court. If confirmed by the Senate, he would restore the court's conservative majority and shape rulings on divisive issues like abortion, gun control, the death penalty and religious rights. Trump nominated Gorsuch to fill the seat of Justice Antonin Scalia, who died last year, saying his qualifications were beyond dispute: "He is the man of our country and a man who our country really needs, and needs badly, to ensure the rule of law and the rule of justice. I only hope that both Democrats and Republicans can come together, for once, for the good of the country." Democrats say they have very serious doubts about the nomination.

UN voices concerns over Ukraine fighting

The UN Security Council has warned of a "dangerous deterioration" in eastern Ukraine and called for a halt to the violence. Heavy fighting between government troops and Russian-backed separatists killed eight people on Monday and injured dozens on both sides. Thousands of residents have also been left without water or power in freezing conditions.

New French poll sees Fillon losing support

A new opinion poll in France suggests that the independent centrist Emmanuel Macron is most likely to win the closely contested presidential election. The poll for Les Echos newspaper showed an increase in support for Macron and the far-right candidate Marine Le Pen of the Front National. The conservative Francois Fillon saw a significant fall in his popularity, as he battles allegations of corruption involving the employment of his wife.

Le Pen won´t repay ´misused` EU funds

The leader of the Front National in France, Marine Le Pen, says she has no intention of repaying €300,000 to the European Parliament. The parliament says she wrongly used the funds to pay an aide at the Front National's headquarters in Paris. Le Pen says she is the victim of a politically motivated vendetta.

Germany arrests Tunisian terror suspect

German police have reportedly arrested a Tunisian asylum-seeker on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack. The 36-year-old man is suspected of recruiting for the so-called Islamic State in Germany since August 2015. The arrest was part of a major operation in which more than 1,000 German police searched over 50 locations in Frankfurt and other towns in the western state of Hesse.

Iran confirms new missile test

The Iranian Defence Ministry has confirmed that it has tested a new missile. It says the test did not violate the country's deal on its nuclear programme or the UN Security Council resolution endorsing the pact. A US official said on Sunday that Iran had test-launched a medium-range ballistic missile that exploded after travelling around 1,000 km.

The weather

Mostly overcast with some rain or snow showers. Top temperatures from minus 2 to plus 8.

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