News in English

8. April 2017, 21:58

Israeli soldier sentenced over controversial killing

An Israeli soldier has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for shooting dead a Palestinian man who was lying on the ground hurt in the West Bank last March. Sergeant Elor Azaria was found guilty of manslaughter by a military court in January, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. The case has divided public opinion in Israel, with protestors gathering today outside the Defence Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv.

Trump names his new national security adviser

US President Donald Trump has named Lieutenant General HR McMaster as his new national security adviser. He replaces Michael Flynn, who resigned last week, amid allegations that he discussed US sanctions with the Russian ambassador prior to his appointment. McMaster has a PhD in history and served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, where he worked on tackling government corruption.

UNICEF warns of mass child starvation risk

The UN's children's agency UNICEF is warning that up to 1.4 million children are at risk of starvation in South Sudan, Nigeria, Yemen and Somalia. The warning comes a day after the UN declared a famine in parts of South Sudan. Najwa Mekki is a UNICEF spokesperson. “Famine happens usually in areas where there are protracted conflicts and where families haven’t been able to farm their land or they lost their livestock or they’re suffering from drought, like we see in parts of Somalia right now. It’s a set of different factors which together lead to this catastrophic situation.”

Iraqi forces close in on Mosul airport

Iraqi government forces say they have taken control of the strategically important town of Abu Saif, on the third day of their offensive to recapture western parts of the city of Mosul from Islamic State fighters. Abu Saif overlooks Mosul Airport, which government troops are expected to use as a base to launch an assault on the remainder of the city.

Suicide bombing in Pakistan leaves 5 dead

Officials in Pakistan say five people have been killed in a suicide bombing at a courthouse in the north-western town of Tangi, near the border with Afghanistan. One attacker reportedly detonated his explosives at the gate of the complex, while two others were shot by police. A wave of militant violence has left more than 100 people dead across Pakistan since last week.

Dozens of bodies washed ashore in Libya

The Red Crescent says the bodies of at least 74 migrants and refugees who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea have washed ashore in the western Libyan city of Zawiya. The EU's Border Agency says people smuggling from Libya has risen to record levels over the past few months.

The weather

Some sunshine has been forecast for the south this afternoon but elsewhere it will be generally overcast with showers. Top temperatures will range from 3 to 12 degrees.

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