Erstellt am: 8. 4. 2015 - 15:30 Uhr

Investigating Hypo

Reality Check: Parliamentary committee starts work; Greenpeace Arctic drilling protest; Tsipras in Russia; cycling in Bangkok.

APA/Roland Schlager

Parliamentary President Doris Bures (of the SPÖ) is chairing the parliamentary committee.

Hypo Inquiry

The parliamentary committee investigating the biggest banking disaster in the history of modern Austrian gets underway in earnest today, with the start of witness testimony.

In view of the vast amount of documents gathered as evidence, the possibility of appointing a special investigator, or “Ermittlungsbeauftragten” has been raised. Christoph Konrath is the head of the department in Parliament dealing with legal and legislative matters, and he explained how an investigator would be chosen, as well as the rules governing witness testimony:

Greenpeace Arctic Drilling protest

Miriam Fischer is an Austrian activist and one of a group of six Greenpeace protesters who have climbed aboard a Shell drilling rig which is being towed towards the Chukchi Sea to the north of Alaska.

Greenpeace/Vincenzo Floramo

We reached Miriam by satellite phone to find out what’s happening and why they are carrying out the protest:

Tsipras in Moscow

As the Greek prime minister sits down with President Putin, there’s talk that Athens might ask Moscow for financial help. A report on Russia’s position from our correspondent Tom Barton:

Bikes in Bangkok

Chris Cummins on a two-wheeled journey through the Thai capital - notoriously hot and polluted but also a dream for an adventurous cyclist, with its exotic alleyways and hidden jungles.

Chris Cummins