News | 3. April 2018
French rail strikes begin +++ Germany moves to extradite Puigdemont +++ Putin visits Turkey
French rail strikes begin +++ Germany moves to extradite Puigdemont +++ Putin visits Turkey +++ UN donor conference for Yemen opens in Geneva +++ Netanyahu backs out of refugee deal with UN +++ The weather
4. Mai 2018, 02:00
News | 3 April 2018
Joe Remick
French rail strikes begin
Today sees the first wave of rolling strikes by railway workers. The move is expected to bring travel chaos to France and test President Emmanuel Macron’s efforts to reform the economy. Rail unions have called for three months of strikes with massive disruptions planned every few days through the end of June.
Germany moves to extradite Puigdemont
Justice officials in Germany want to extradite former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont to Spain where he faces rebellion and other charges for trying to declare an independent Catalonia last year. He was arrested on a Spanish warrant last week after he crossed in to Germany from Denmark.
Putin visits Turkey
Russian President Vladimir Putin is on a two-day visit to Turkey. The trip is the latest signs of increasingly warm ties between Moscow and NATO member Turkey. Their talks will include Syria where both Russia and Turkey are militarily engaged. Later today, Putin and President Recip Tayyip Erdogan will open Turkey’s first nuclear power station which is being financed by Russia.
UN donor conference for Yemen opens in Geneva
A United Nations conference to raise money for relief in Yemen opened today in Geneva. Civilians have borne the brunt of the current war in Yemen where one side is backed by Iran and the other by Saudi Arabia. Today’s conference was opened by UN secretary-General Antonio Guterres: “Yemen is the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. More than 22 million people---three quarters of the population---need humanitarian aid and protection. And a horrifying 8.5 million of these people do not know where their next meal is coming from.”
Netanyahu backs out of refugee deal with UN
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has suspended a deal to give residency to thousands of African migrants in exchange for Germany, Italy and Canada to accept a similar number of the migrants. Netanyahu backed out of the deal under pressure from right-wing parties in his coalition government. The UN’s William Spindler says the UN is ready to implement the agreement: “The UNHCR stands ready to work with the government of Israel to find solutions for the thousands of Eritreans and Sudanese living in Israel. We feel this is a win-win situation.”
The weather
The afternoon’s weather will be sunny but windy in the Alps and the south with highs ranging from 11 to 21 degrees.
