*) First direct Israel-UAE flight lands in Abu Dhabi amid deal

The UAE and Israel have opened their doors to a wide range of business opportunities after the US-brokered agreement to normalise relations.

El Al plane, flying from Israel, carried a high-ranking US and Israeli delegation to Abu Dhabi in the first-ever direct commercial passenger flight between the two countries.

The UAE is the first Arab country to establish full diplomatic relations with Israel in more than 25 years.

*) Sudan government and rebel groups agree peace deal

Sudanese leaders and rebel commanders have agreed on a peace deal, a crucial step towards ending 17 years of conflict.

The deal covers key issues around security, land ownership, transitional justice, power sharing, and the return of people who fled their homes.

It also provides for the dismantling of rebel forces and the integration of their fighters into the national army.

*) Macron starts Lebanon trip by meeting iconic Lebanese diva

French President Emmanuel Macron is visiting Lebanon on a two-day trip to try and push leaders there towards reform

The French president, who was recently accused of neocolonialism towards Lebanon, is making his second visit to the country following the Beirut blast.

Donors from around the world had demanded an overhaul of the country's financial and political system in order to release the billions of dollars in aid.

*) Hamas, Israel agree to truce in Qatar-brokered deal

Hamas and Israel have agreed to end a weeks-long escalation of unrest along the volatile Israel-Gaza fence.

Under the deal, brokered by Qatari, Hamas would end the launching of incendiary balloons, and Israel would end air strikes.

Israel has bombed Gaza almost daily since August 6, in response to incendiary balloons and rare rocket launches from across the border.

And finally,

*) Facebook threatens ban on Australians sharing news in battle over media law

Facebook has threatened to block users and media organisations in Australia from sharing news stories.

It comes in response to Australian government’s plan to force Facebook and Google to pay struggling local news organisations for content or pay millions of dollars in fines.

The measures would also force transparency around the closely guarded algorithms that tech firms use to rank content.

*) Israel PM: 'Many more' secret talks with Arab leaders on ties

Israel is in secret talks with several Arab states after striking a US-backed deal with the UAE, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has said.

His statement on Israel's normalisation of ties with Arab and Muslim leaders comes on the eve of Tel Aviv's first commercial flight to the UAE.

The flight is carrying a US-Israeli delegation led on the US side by White House advisor and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner.

*) India's Covid-19 case surge continues

India has reported more than 78,500 new cases of Covid-19, slightly fewer than the worldwide record of one-day infections it set the previous day.

The world's second-most populous country has more than 3.6 million confirmed cases with close to 65,000 fatalities.

India is relaxing restrictions on schools, public transport and shops despite the virus surge to protect its economy.

*) State police returning to Portland following deadly shooting

US President Donald Trump and Mayor Ted Wheeler have blamed each other after a man was shot in Portland amid race protests.

It is unclear whether the shooting is related to clashes between Trump supporters and people protesting against police brutality.

Portland has become a flashpoint in Black Lives Matter protests since unarmed Black man George Floyd was killed by police in May.

*) Montenegro's ruling party ahead in vote

In Montenegro, President Milo Dukanovic's Democratic Party of Socialists has narrowly beaten the alliance of mainly Serb nationalist parties.

Despite the win, it's the ruling party's worst performance since the establishment of the multi-party system in 1990.

The political parties now need to seek coalition partners as none secured the 41 deputies needed in the 81-seat parliament.

And finally,

*) MTV dedicates VMA show to 'true hero' Chadwick Boseman

MTV dedicated the Video Music Awards event to Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman, who died from colon cancer last week.

Host Keke Palmer said Boseman was “a true hero, not just on-screen but in everything he did.”

The show included performances that highlighted the hardships of a year marked by protests over systematic racism.

*) Japanese PM Shinzo Abe to resign over health problems

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will resign over health problems.

Officials in his party and local media reported his decision after speculation about Abe’s health over two visits to a hospital recently.

He has battled the chronic disease ulcerative colitis for years.

*) Trump to impose tariffs for US companies leaving country

US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on any company that leaves the US to create jobs elsewhere.

He said in his presidential nomination acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention that “Joe Biden’s agenda is Made in China. My agenda is Made in the USA.”

Trump has spent much of his first term waging a trade war against China over its trade practices, technology transfer and industrial policies.

*) Hurricane Laura leaves six dead in Louisiana

At least six people have been killed in Louisiana by Hurricane Laura, the most powerful storm to make landfall in the US state.

Hurricane Laura struck the coast of Louisiana early on Thursday as a Category 4 storm, the second-highest on the wind scale.

It has since been downgraded to a tropical storm.

*) Montenegro election tests pro-Western ruling camp

Montenegro is holding a parliamentary election marked by the coronavirus outbreak and ongoing tensions with Serbia.

Accused by rivals of spinning a web of clientelism and corruption, the ruling party could struggle to form a majority after Sunday's race.

Analysts and opinion polls ahead of the vote suggest the ruling party will win most votes but not enough to govern alone.

And finally,

*) NBA playoff games halted over racial injustice

An unprecedented NBA walkout over racial injustice postponed a second day of the playoffs although players pledged to finish the postseason.

They are still angry and emotional after the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

NBA spokesman Mike Bass said the league hoped to resume on Friday or Saturday.

*) Christchurch mosque gunman sentenced to life without parole

New Zealand mosque gunman Brenton Tarrant has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing 51 Muslim worshippers last year.

During sentencing Judge Cameron Mander told Tarrant: "It was brutal and beyond callous. Your actions were inhuman."

Crowds outside the courtroom were cheering and singing the national anthem to celebrate justice served.

*) Erdogan: 'No concessions' in east Mediterranean row

Turkey says it will make "no concessions" in the eastern Mediterranean, warning Greece to avoid taking steps that could lead to its "ruin."

Turkey's President Erdogan said the country will take whatever is rightfully its own in the Mediterranean, as well as the Aegean and the Black Sea.

His remarks came as Greece announced plans to extend its territorial waters along its western coastline with Italy.

*) Hurricane Laura makes landfall in US

Hurricane Laura has made landfall in Louisiana as a category 4 hurricane.

The US National Hurricane Center has called Laura "extremely dangerous"

The hurricane, packing maximum sustained winds of 150 miles per hour, is located about 64 km east of Port Arthur, Texas.

*) NBA postpones schedule after Bucks boycott over Jacob Blake

NBA has postponed its playoff games after the Milwaukee Bucks boycotted their game in protest against the police shooting of Jacob Blake.

The basketball league said all three scheduled games would not take place on Wednesday.

The Milwaukee Bucks' dramatic boycott follows outrage across the league after the latest police shooting of the unarmed black man by US police.

And finally,

*) TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer quits

TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer has quit the company as tensions soar between Washington and Beijing over the Chinese-owned video platform.

Mayer's resignation comes days after TikTok filed a lawsuit challenging a crackdown by the US government over claims the app spies on Americans.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order giving Americans 45 days to stop working with TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance.

*) Israel strikes Hezbollah positions after troops shot at from Lebanon

Israel's army has conducted air strikes on Hezbollah observation posts in Lebanon in response to fire from across the border directed at its troops.

An Israeli Army spokesperson earlier said there was a security incident on the border that is being investigated.

People in several Israeli border towns were asked to stay at home and avoid any outdoor activities.

*) Turkey says ready for talks with Greece with 'honest' EU mediation

Turkey has warned Greece against escalating tensions in the eastern Mediterranean or it will not hesitate to do "what is necessary.”

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey wants to solve the issue through dialogue and diplomacy but without preconditions.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas met with his counterparts in Greece and Turkey on Tuesday in a bid to de-escalate tensions between the NATO countries.

*) Sentencing hearing under way for Christchurch attacker

The sentencing hearing of the Australian man behind the mass shooting at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand in 2019 has entered its third day.

Families of victims are asking the judge to apply the maximum sentence.

Brenton Tarrant has already pleaded guilty to 51 counts of murder, 41 counts of attempted murder and a terrorism charge.

*) Lawyer says Blake paralyzed, protests erupt for third night

Jacob Blake, the Black man shot multiple times by police in Wisconsin, is paralysed, and it would “take a miracle” for him to walk again.

Blake’s family attorney has called for the officer who opened fire to be arrested and others involved to lose their jobs.

Blake’s shooting ignited protests with some demonstrations in Wisconsin devolving into unrest.

Gunshots could be heard in one Kenosha neighbourhood where residents carrying long guns and other weapons could be seen in the streets.

And finally,

*) US court rejects Roman Polanski's bid to rejoin Academy

Roman Polanski's legal battle against his expulsion from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was thrown out by a Los Angeles judge.

"The Pianist" and "Rosemary's Baby" filmmaker fled the US in 1978 after admitting to the statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl.

Polanski was expelled from the Los Angeles-based Academy after which he filed a petition to force the Oscars-awarding body to reverse its decision.

*) Republican party formally nominates Trump

US Republicans have formally nominated President Donald Trump as their candidate for November's election.

Day one of the Republican National Convention ended with speakers highlighting US economic growth despite millions left jobless by the pandemic.

Trump, who was at the convention, doubled down on his claim that the Democrats would try to steal the election.

*) Sentencing hearing continues for Christchurch attacker

In New Zealand, a sentencing hearing for Brenton Tarrant is in its second day.

Survivors and family members of Christchurch attack victims have been providing statements in what's expected to be a four-day hearing.

The court was told the white supremacist planned to burn down the mosques and had aimed to kill far more than the 51 people he shot dead.

*) Wisconsin deploys National Guard after shooting of Black man

The National Guard has been deployed in Kenosha, Wisconsin following protests over a police shooting of a Black man on Sunday.

Jacob Blake, 29, was listed in stable condition following surgery after being shot multiple times in the back.

Video footage of the shooting has sparked demonstrations, leading to authorities imposing an evening curfew on Sunday.

*) Gaza registers first cases outside quarantine centres

Gaza has announced a lockdown after the first Covid-19 cases outside quarantine areas were registered.

Four cases were detected in a refugee camp in central Gaza.

The previous 100 cases were all reported in quarantine centres where new arrivals have to stay for 21 days before being allowed to leave.

And finally,

*) Trove of 1,000-year-old gold coins unearthed in Israel

Israeli archaeologists have discovered hundreds of gold coins, from more than a thousand years ago.

The discovery was made by teenagers volunteering at an excavation site near Tel Aviv.

The collection is made up of 425 pieces of pure gold, and dates back to the Abbasid dynasty.

The coins are an extremely rare find and the owner’s identity is still a mystery.

*) Sentencing of Christchurch mosque shooter begins

A New Zealand court has begun a four-day sentencing hearing for the terrorist who killed 51 people at two mosques in Christchurch last year.

Brenton Tarrant pleaded guilty to 51 charges of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder and one charge of committing a terrorist act.

The Australian faces life imprisonment, a sentence never before imposed in New Zealand.

*) Trump approves plasma treatment for Covid-19

US President Donald Trump has authorised the FDA to use blood plasma from recovered coronavirus patients to treat the infected.

Trump says plasma treatment is safe and decreases the rate of mortality.

While experts believe the treatment could work, they say it needs further study to assess its efficacy.

*) Israeli PM accepts deal to extend budget deadline

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted a deal to postpone the national budget deadline by 100 days.

Netanyahu and his coalition partner, Benny Gantz, had faced a Monday midnight deadline to reach a compromise.

The deal avoids sending the country to its fourth election in less than two years.

*) Tropical Storm Laura pummels Caribbean

At least 10 people have been killed after Tropical Storm Laura ripped

across the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.

Laura has hit the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba.

The storm is forecast to strengthen into a Category 3 hurricane as it moves towards the US.

And finally,

*) Bayern Munich crowned Europe’s champions

Bayern Munich have been crowned champions of European football.

The German side beat French outfit PSG 1-0 in the UEFA Champions League final.

This is the sixth time Bayern have claimed the coveted title, with midfielder Kingsley Coman scoring the winner.

*) Joe Biden accepts Democratic presidential nomination

Joe Biden promises to end the "darkness" of Donald Trump's presidency, officially accepting the Democratic presidential nomination.

In his speech, Biden said the country needs a leader who will unite Democrats, Republicans, and everyone in between.

He dug into Trump's failure to protect Americans, their businesses and healthcare during the coronavirus pandemic.

*) Steve Bannon pleads not guilty in border wall scheme

US President Donald Trump's former advisor Steve Bannon has pleaded not guilty to charges of fraud and is out on $5 million bail.

The charges are connected to an online campaign to raise millions of dollars to build the president’s signature wall on the US-Mexico border.

Bannon and three other men have been accused of conning hundreds of thousands of donors and keeping some money for themselves.

*) Manchester bomber's brother gets 55 years

The brother of the Manchester Arena suicide bomber has been sentenced to at least 55 years in prison.

Hashem Abedi helped his sibling, Salman, plan the attack that killed 22 people attending an Ariana Grande concert in 2017.

The attack was the deadliest in Britain since the 2005 London transport suicide bombings which killed 52 people.

*) Second wave of locusts threatens Kenya's crops

Huge swarms of locusts are destroying crops across East Africa this year, and it’s the worst such plague Kenya has seen in seven decades.

Food insecurity in the country has worsened, and the UN warns another wave is coming and it could be more destructive.

As a new generation of locusts begins to take flight, the livelihoods of millions in the region are at stake.

And finally,

*) Germany introduces new dog-walking law

German dog owners are being forced by law to take their pets for a walk twice a day for an hour.

With almost one in five homes owning a hound, the new Animal Welfare Dog Regulation also sets limits on the transportation of farm animals in hot weather.

All 16 federal states will be responsible for enforcing the rule, but it remains unclear how.

*) Kamala Harris accepts historic vice president nomination

Kamala Harris has made history by accepting the Democratic nomination for vice president on the third night of the Democratic National Convention.

Harris is the first Black and South Asian woman to run on a presidential ticket.

Her running mate Joe Biden officially accepted the nomination for president on Tuesday.

*) Mali’s powerful protest leader quits politics

Mali's most influential protest leader has quit politics after Tuesday’s military coup.

Mahmoud Dicko’s spokesperson says he made the decision after a meeting with coup leaders, who promised fresh elections within a "reasonable" time.

Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita resigned and dissolved parliament this week after mutinying soldiers detained him at gunpoint.

*) Belarus leader warns of tough new steps against protesters

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has threatened to bring criminal charges against opposition leaders amid protests against his recent electoral win.

Lukashenko called on his security services to be tougher on demonstrators.

The EU has rejected the Belarus election results after opposition called for the bloc’s support.

*) North Korea to unveil new economic plans in rare meeting

North Korea will hold a rare political congress in January where leader Kim Jong-un will announce a new five-year plan.

State media says the plan aims to develop the country’s dismal economy ravaged by US-led sanctions and the coronavirus pandemic.

The ruling Workers’ Party of Korea last convened for a full congress in 2016 after a gap of 36 years.

And finally,

*) California wildfires chase people from their homes

Dozens of wildfires continue burning across northern parts of California, forcing residents to evacuate.

Authorities declared a statewide emergency and deployed the National Guard to fight the flames.

California is in the middle of a historic heatwave, with Death Valley recording the highest temperature on Earth on Sunday.

*) Mali coup leaders promise fresh elections after Keita’s ouster

Soldiers in Mali who forced President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita’s resignation say they will enable a political transition towards fresh elections.

Calling themselves the National Committee for the Salvation of the People, the leaders of the military coup pledged to stabilise the country.

Keita resigned and dissolved his government hours after soldiers seized him from his home.

The coup follows months of anti-government protests against corruption and worsening security in the West African country.

*) Democrats officially nominate Biden to take on Trump

US Democrats have formally nominated Joe Biden as their presidential candidate, uniting behind his bid to defeat President Donald Trump.

The second night of the Democratic National Convention featured elder statesmen and rising stars from the party as well as prominent Republicans.

Biden has run for the presidency twice before and is now cemented as the embodiment of the Democrats’ desire to defeat Trump this fall.

*) Hezbollah member found guilty in Hariri killing

A UN-backed tribunal has found a Hezbollah member guilty of assassinating Lebanon’s former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in a truck blast in 2005.

Salim Ayyash was convicted and three others accused were acquitted in absentia.

The tribunal said there was no evidence that the Hezbollah leadership or Syrian government were involved in the assassination.

*) US Senate exposes Trump 2016 campaign links to Russia

A US Senate investigation has found that Russia launched an aggressive effort to interfere in the 2016 presidential election on behalf of Donald Trump.

The Senate report says associates of the Republican candidate were in touch with the Russians throughout the campaign, eager to benefit from their help.

It found that President Putin personally directed Russian efforts to hack accounts affiliated with Democrats and leak information damaging to Hillary Clinton.

And finally,

*) UN dedicates World Humanitarian Day to Covid-19 health workers

The UN is honouring frontline health workers who risk their lives during the Covid-19 pandemic and other emergencies.

It marked World Humanitarian Day by remembering 125 aid workers killed in 2019 and hundreds of others wounded or kidnapped.

The UN’s Secretary General says humanitarian workers are stretched like never before.