Motive unclear in Texas mass shooting +++ Leak shows widespread use of offshore tax havens

7. Dezember 2017, 02:00

Motive unclear in Texas mass shooting

US media are reporting that a gunman, who killed at least 26 people in a shooting at a church in the US state of Texas on Sunday, had been discharged from the military in 2014 after being found guilty of assaulting his wife and child. The motive for the shooting remains unclear, but investigators say the suspect, who has been identified as 26 year old Devin Patrick Kelley, does not appear to have had any connection to terrorist groups.

Leak shows widespread use of offshore tax havens

Financial documents leaked to the media have revealed the use of offshore tax havens by dozens of wealthy individuals and political figures, including the British Monarch Queen Elisabeth's private estate, Austrian investment banker Wolfgang Flöttl, and the US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. The so called paradise papers show business ties between Ross and the petrochemical firm Sibur which has links to the Russian government. Will Fitzgibbon from the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists says several Sibur shareholders are under US sanctions. “Wilbur Ross has a stake in a shipping firm that had as a client a pretty important Russian company, partly owned by not only the son-in-law of President Vladimir Putin but also at least two other sanctioned Russian oligarchs.”

UN climate talks get underway in Bonn

The latest round of UN climate talks begin today in the German city of Bonn.Delegates from almost 200 countries will discuss the technical details of the Paris climate agreement, which aims to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. It's the first climate summit since President Donald Trump announced plans to withdraw the US from the Paris agreement.

Trump talks tough on North Korea in Japan

US president Donald Trump has joined the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in expressing his determination to counter the threat posed by North Korea's nuclear program. Speaking at a joint press conference in Tokyo, Trump said exerting pressure on North Korea was key to resolving the current crisis. “The era of strategic patience is over. Some people said that my rhetoric is very strong but look what’s happened with very weak rhetoric over the last 25 years.”

Catalan separatist leader released

A judge in Belgium has granted conditional release to the former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and four of his ministers, who are wanted in Spain on charges of rebellion following their unilateral declaration of independence. Puigdemont turned himself into the authorities in Brussels, after a European warrant was issued for his arrest.

The weather

Overcast conditions have been forecast for most of Austria with the chance of rain or snow showers. Top temperatures will range from 2 to 10 degrees.

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