*)HK readies for more protests as world leaders urge clam

Hong Kong is braced for more demonstrations after anti-Beijing protests forced the cancellation of nearly 1,000 flights this week.

Ten weeks of clashes between police and protesters plunged Hong Kong into its worst crisis since 1997.

US President Trump tied a trade deal with China to protests being resolved “humanely,” even suggesting a meeting with his Chinese counterpart.

*) ‘No suspicion of foul play’ in Franco-Irish teen’s death – Malaysia

An Irish-French girl whose body was found in a jungle died from internal bleeding probably due to hunger and stress, Malaysian authorities said.

Nora Quoirin, 15, who suffered from learning difficulties, was found on Tuesday, 10 days after she went missing in a rainforest in Seremban.

Police said there was no evidence Quoirin was sexually assaulted and no evidence “for the time being” to indicate she was kidnapped.

*)India’s PM uses Independence Day to defend Kashmir changes

At an Independence Day speech, Indian Prime Minister Modi defended his measure to strip the disputed Kashmir region of its statehood 11 days ago.

About 4 million Kashmiris have been forced indoors since August 4 when India imposed an unprecedented security and communications clampdown.

Modi said Kashmir’s previously-held autonomy fueled separatism and was unjust for Kashmiri women, Dalits and tribes.

*)Iran tanker likely to be allowed to leave after court – Gibraltar source

Iranian tanker Grace 1 will likely be allowed to leave Gibraltar following a court decision due today, a source told Reuters.

The hearing in Gibraltar is on whether to extend the detention of the ship which was seized on June 4 by British marines.

Britain said the vessel was violating European sanctions by taking oil to Syria, a charge Iran denies.

*)Adrian hero as Liverpool beat Chelsea on penalties to win Super Cup

And finally,

Stand-in goalkeeper Adrian’s save from Tammy Abraham allowed Liverpool to beat Chelsea 5-4 on penalties and win the UEFA Super Cup in Istanbul.

The richly-entertaining match at the home of Besiktas finished 2-2 at the end of extra time.

Reds manager Jurgen Klopp hailed “incredible” Super Cup hero Adrian and admitted he had no idea where the goalkeeper even was a fortnight ago.

*)Kashmir curfew to be eased after Thursday: governor

The curfew in India-administered Kashmir will be eased after Thursday, the state governor said, but phone lines and the internet will remain cut off.

India, on August 5, scrapped the autonomous status of Kashmir, which remains under a strict communications and security lockdown.

The Muslim-majority region is claimed in full and ruled in part by India and Pakistan – the latter has demanded a UN meeting on Jammu and Kashmir.

*)Flights resuming at Hong Kong airport after protest chaos

Flights resumed at Hong Kong’s international airport after two days of chaos, as pro-democracy protesters and the semi-autonomous city hardened their positions.

About three dozen protesters remained in the arrivals area after a mass demonstration and mob violence forced over 100 flight cancelations.

The airport said it obtained an injunction to restrain people who obstruct operations, and one area in the airport has been marked for demonstrations.

*)Trump delays China tariffs for Christmas shopping

US President Donald Trump backed off his September 1 deadline for 10 percent tariffs on remaining Chinese imports to buoy holiday sales.

This affects half of the $300 billion target list of Chinese goods, delaying duties on mobile phones, laptops and other consumer goods.

Trump’s tariffs will be effective from December 15 for thousands of products, including clothing and footwear.

*)Saudi activist rejects release tied to denying torture – family

Imprisoned activist Loujain al Hathloul’s family said she rejected a release deal which Saudi Arabia offered in exchange for a video denying she was tortured.

Hathloul, along with at least a dozen other women’s rights activists, were arrested as Saudi Arabia ended a ban on women driving over a year ago.

Rights groups say Hathloul and two other women were in solitary confinement for months and their abuse included shocks, flogging and sexual assault.

*)Opera’s Domingo faces sexual harassment probe, shows cancelled

And finally,

Two venues cancelled concerts by Placido Domingo, and the Los Angeles Opera has opened an investigation into allegations of his sexual harassment.

Several women told the Associated Press the opera singer used his power at the LA Opera and elsewhere to pressure them into sexual relationships.

The 78-year-old is one of opera’s most powerful figures, and dozens of people have said his forced sexual advances were an open secret.

*)Hong Kong airport protests enter fifth day

Hong Kong’s Airport Authority (AA) said it was working to restore normal operations as soon as possible, as protests entered the fifth day.

AA halted all flights on Monday, blaming a peaceful sit-in by thousands of anti-government protesters who have occupied the arrivals hall since Friday.

Protests marked by the use of police force plunged Hong Kong into its most serious crisis in decades, posing a direct challenge to Chinese rule.

*)Could we have a treatment for Ebola?

Scientists are a step closer to finding the first effective treatments for the deadly Ebola haemorrhagic fever.

Two experimental drugs showed a survival rate of as much as 90 percent in a clinical trial in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The drugs were developed using antibodies harvested from survivors of Ebola and will be offered to all patients in the DRC, according to the US body for infectious diseases.

*)Kashmir lockdown enters ninth day

Indian security forces kept Kashmir’s biggest city of Srinagar largely locked down during the Muslim festival of Eid al Adha.

Prime Minister Modi scrapped the Muslim-majority region of its autonomy last Monday, pushing disputed Kashmir into a lockdown.

Protests on Friday and Monday demanding freedom from Indian rule were shut down by the security forces.

*)Woman stabbed in central Sydney knife rampages

A man stabbed a woman and attempted to stab several other people in Sydney, before being tackled by the public and detained by the police.

The woman’s injuries were not life-threatening and the attack appeared to be unprovoked, Police Superintendent Gavin Wood said.

Australian media said a body of a woman was found near where the knife-wielding man went on a rampage in central Sydney.

*)Women accuse opera legend of sexual abuse

And finally,

Placido Domingo, one of the most powerful men in opera, has been accused of sexual abuse, the Associated Press reported.

Women accused the opera superstar of pressuring them into sexual relationships and professionally punishing those who refused his advances.

His accusers and others in the industry say Domingo’s behaviour has long been an open secret in the opera world.

*)Kashmir clampdown enters fifth day

A lockdown on Indian-administered Kashmir entered a fourth day after the government pulled the region’s autonomy and redrew its map.

Facing outrage, India’s Prime Minister Modi attempted to justify his move, saying it would free the disputed region of “terrorism and separatism.”

Pakistan’s army warned India against any misadventures as Islamabad, which also claims Kashmir, said it was not looking at military options.

*)Malaysia charges Goldman Sachs in 1MDB

Malaysia has filed criminal charges against 17 current and former directors at Goldman Sachs subsidiaries in its state fund 1MDB investigation.

Goldman Sachs was under scrutiny for its role in helping to raise $6.5 billion in bond offerings for 1MDB.

1MDB has been the subject of multibillion-dollar corruption investigations in at least six countries.

*)Hong Kong protesters kick off three-day airport rally

Pro-democracy activists kicked off three days of rallies at Hong Kong’s airport, hoping to win international support from arriving passengers.

The rallies were promoted on social media with a mock boarding pass reading “HK to freedom.”

The protests that began in opposition to extraditions to mainland China have entered its third month.

*)Italy’s Salvini calls for new elections

Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini declared the governing coalition unworkable and called for fresh elections.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said the leader of the ruling League party must explain to Italians why he wants to bring down the government.

The announcement follows intense public feuding between the right-wing League and its coalition partner, the anti-establishment Five Star Movement.

*)More than two million Muslims begin Hajj pilgrimage

And finally,

More than two million Muslims began the annual Hajj as the Saudi hosts sought to deter politicisation of the pilgrimage amid tensions in the Gulf.

The Hajj, one of the world’s largest religious gatherings, is one of Islam’s five pillars.

It consists of a series of religious rites which are completed over five days in Islam’s holiest city and its surroundings in Saudi Arabia.

*)Turkey, US agree on safe zone in northeastern Syria

Turkey reached an agreement with the US to establish a peace corridor in northeastern Syria.

Both countries will set up a joint operations centre in Turkey to coordinate and manage the establishment of the safe zone.

They’ve also agreed to assist displaced Syrians in returning to their country.

*)Former president of Kyrgyzstan evades arrest

Kyrgyzstan Special Forces fail in their attempt to arrest former President Almazbek Atambayev after trying to storm his home.

A police officer was killed in clashes with his supporters, and at least 15 other members of the security services and 35 civilians were injured.

Atambayev is accused of corruption during his leadership, which ran from 2011 to 2017.

*)US-China trade war escalates

The US-China trade war escalated after Washington's decision to restrict government agencies from doing business with Huawei and four other Chinese companies.

The ban is part of a broad push by the US government against Huawei.

The telecoms giant is being accused of spying and stealing intellectual property.

Huawei says it will challenge the ban.

*)Another governor for Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico's Justice Secretary Wanda Vazquez has been sworn in as the territory's new governor.

She's the third person to take office in less than a week.

Former Governor Ricardo Rossello resigned on Friday after massive anti-government protests.

His replacement, Pedro Pierluisi, was removed by the Supreme Court on constitutional grounds.

*) A high tide: Cocaine haul washes up on NZ beach

And finally,

Cocaine worth millions of dollars washed up on a New Zealand beach.

Media reports say the packages were in netting and the presence of shells indicated they had been at sea for some time.

Police collected around 19 packages from Bethells Beach in West Auckland, worth an estimated $2 million.

*)North Korea steals billions through cyberattacks to fund nuclear weapons programme

A UN report says North Korea has accumulated about $2 billion through cyberattacks to fund its nuclear weapons programme.

The report says Pyongyang coordinated about 35 cyberattacks to steal money from banks and cryptocurrency exchanges.

It says North Korea also uses cyberspace to launder money and violates international sanctions with ship-to-ship transfers of goods.

*)Honk Kong faces biggest crisis since 1997

China says Hong Kong is facing its biggest crisis since the UK handed it back to Beijing in 1997.

Months-long protests began with opposition to a now-suspended extradition law.

But it has evolved into demonstrations against Hong Kong's administration and Beijing's tightening control over the city.

*)Mozambique signs peace agreement with Renamo

Mozambique signs a peace agreement with former rebel group Renamo, bringing an end to a decades-long conflict.

Renamo launched a civil war against the government in 1975, shorty after the nation gained independence from Portugal.

Around a million people died, many of them in a famine, in 1984.

*)Dengue outbreak in Philippines

The Philippines issues a national alert due to a severe outbreak of dengue fever.

The health department recorded more than 146,000 cases of the disease over the past year.

At least 622 people, mostly children, have died so far.

*)Disney streaming bundle to go on sale in November

And finally,

Disney is going on the offensive in a bid to woo customers away from cable TV.

Disney will offer a bundle of three streaming services for the price of one in November.

Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu will cost $13 per month.

Disney and streaming giant Netflix say there is enough room for both services in the growing market of digital TV.

TRT World’s Daily News Brief for Tuesday, August 6th:

*) US imposes economic embargo on Venezuela's government

President Donald Trump issued an executive order freezing all Venezuelan government assets in the US.

This is a significant escalation in America's attempts to remove President Nicolas Maduro from office.

Trump's order will still allow international humanitarian assistance. But as far as Washington is concerned, it places Venezuela in the same category as Syria, Iran, Cuba and North Korea.

*) UN calls for restraint over Kashmir

Barely two months since starting his second term, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed a decree that abolishes an accession treaty and key law for India-administered Kashmir.

Critics say the ruling nationalist BJP party wants to make the disputed region fully Indian in religious, social, cultural and political terms.

Neighbour Pakistan has sought immediate UN intervention.

Outsiders are now allowed to buy land in India-administered Kashmir, sparking fears of increased bloodshed in the region contested by nuclear rival Pakistan.

*) Trump slammed over unconvincing speech

Donald Trump condemned white supremacy and hate crimes in the US, but not everyone is convinced.

Americans who watched his speech about the mass shootings in

Texas and Ohio say he was reading rather than feeling and seemed unconvinced by his own words.

Trump blamed the shootings on everything else, but guns.

At least 31 people were killed over the weekend and more than 50 injured.

*) North Korea fires another round of missiles into the sea

South Korea has monitored a fourth missile test in two weeks by the North.

Seoul says there were two launches into the sea off North Korea's east coast of what appear to be short-range ballistic missiles.

Recent tests are of a new type of missile which Kim Jong-un says is difficult to defend against.

*) Hiroshima marks 74th anniversary of US atomic bombing

And finally,

Japan marks the 74th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

More than 140,000 people were killed when the US launched the world's first atomic attack during WWII.

Another bomb dropped three days later on Nagasaki killed 70,000 before Japan's surrender ended the war.

*)India abolishes Kashmir accession treaty with rush decree

New Delhi has revoked the constitutional status of India-administrered Kashmir, which was signed under a treaty of accession.

The rushed presidential order came amid uproar in parliament and a huge troop deployment in the disputed region, with internet and phone services suspended.

The revoked law forbids outsiders from permanently settling, buying land and holding local government jobs in the valley.

Critics say New Delhi seeks to change India-administered Kashmir's Muslim-majority demographics with the change in law.

*)Pro-democracy push causes transport chaos in Hong Kong

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam says continued protests are challenging China's sovereignty and pushing the city towards an extremely dangerous situation.

It follows weekend demonstrations when violent clashes broke out between police and protestors.

*)Domestic terrorism in the United States

US authorities are treating the Texas mass shooting as domestic terrorism.

They say the gunman posted an online anti-immigrant manifesto and will be charged with a hate crime.

A few hours later, nine people were killed in Ohio when a 24-year-old white male opened fire in an area filled with restaurants and nightclubs.

There have been 251 mass shootings in the US this year.

*)Turkey to launch operation in northern Syria

Turkey will launch an operation against the YPG terror group in Syria.

Ankara and Washington failed to agree on the establishment of a safe zone in northwest Syria, which was meant to protect Turkey.

Washington's support for the YPG has been at the centre of the issue.

The YPG is an affiliate of the PKK terror group, which is responsible for a more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey that has killed 40,000 people.

*)Millions arrive for annual Hajj pilgrimage

And finally,

Millions of Muslims are in the holy city of Mecca ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage.

The five-day pilgrimage is a demonstration of a Muslim's submission to God.

Every Muslim is obligated to perform the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime.

*)Syrian regime agrees to Idlib truce

The Syrian regime has agreed to a truce in the northwestern region of Idlib on the condition that a Turkish-Russian buffer-zone deal is set up.

Meanwhile, parties to the Astana talks on the war in Syria met for the second and final day in the Kazakhstan capital of Nur-Sultan.

Iran, Russia and Turkey are the three main Astana guarantors, who are participating in the talks along with observers from the UN and Jordan.

*)Double attacks in Yemen’s Aden kills scores

To Yemen now, where at least 51 people have been killed and dozens injured in two separate attacks in the southern port city of Aden.

The first attack was a suicide car bombing at a police station, while Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for a drone attack at a military parade.

The attacks are the first to hit the southern port city in more than a year.

*)Saudi erodes male guardianship system

Saudi Arabia has allowed adult women to travel without permission and granted them more control over family matters.

A series of royal decrees also grant women the right to register childbirth, marriage or divorce.

They will also be issued official family documents and passports and will be eligible as a guardian to children who are minors.

The reforms come as Saudi Arabia’s leading women’s rights activists remain imprisoned for demanding the very freedoms now being given.

*)US reportedly plans to withdraw troops from Afghanistan

The US is reportedly preparing to withdraw thousands of troops from Afghanistan, as part of an initial deal with the Taliban, according to The Washington Post.

The move would be dependent on concessions from the Taliban, including a ceasefire.

Around 14,000 US soldiers are stationed in Afghanistan, and the deal would leave eight to nine-thousand troops in the country.

The conflict in Afghanistan is the US’s longest-running war, which began with Washington’s invasion in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.

And finally,

*)Katy Perry and Co hit with $2.73M fine

A “Dark Horse” has risen. A US judge has ordered Katy Perry and Co to pay rapper Marcus Gray $2.78 million over copyright infringement.

That’s because Katy Perry’s 2013 hit "Dark Horse" was found to have copied a 2009 Christian rap song called “Joyful Noise.”

Perry performed a version of "Dark Horse" at the 2015 Super Bowl, while "Joyful Noise" has been viewed more than 3 million times on YouTube.

Daily News Brief for Thursday, August 01:

*)US sanctions Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif

The US has imposed sanctions on Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif in the latest attempt to mount pressure on Iran.

The sanctions aim to freeze any assets of Zarif in the US even though he owns nothing there.

Zarif says he’s being sanctioned because he’s a threat to the US agenda.

The US-Iran tensions have continued to escalate since May with several attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf and Iran's downing of a US drone.

*)Syrian regime, opposition exchange prisoners

Syrian regime and opposition have mutually released prisoners in line with the provisions agreed in the Astana peace process.

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said the development is an outcome of the fourth project of the working group, set up under the Astana process.

With an aim to end the Syrian conflict, the Astana peace process was jointly launched in 2017 by Turkey and regime allies Russia and Iran.

*)Third Ebola case detected in DRC

A third case of Ebola virus has been detected in Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Goma.

A one-year-old girl who tested positive for the virus, is the daughter of the second patient who died earlier this week.

The first death from Ebola in Goma was reported on July 16.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the epidemic a "public health emergency of international concern."

*)Erdogan, King Salman talk on phone

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz on the phone on Wednesday.

Erdogan offered condolences to the King Salman, whose brother Bandar bin Abdulaziz al Saud recently died at the age of 96.

They also discussed regional developments and bilateral ties between the two countries.

And finally,

*)FIFA approves expansion of Women's World Cup

FIFA has approved the expansion of the Women's World Cup from 24 teams to 32.

The women's edition is now on par with the men's tournament, which has had 32 teams since 1998.

FIFA also opened the bidding process for the 2023 Women's World Cup with nine countries submitting their bids.

They include Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa and South Korea.