Iran US

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani says the era of the US making decisions for the rest of the world is over. He was speaking after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo unveiled a list of demands for a new nuclear deal with Iran which included imposing what he called, the ‘strongest sanctions in history’.However, Pompeo says Washington is willing to restore full diplomatic and commercial ties, if Iran makes major changes.

Pakistan Heatwave

At least 65 people have reportedly been killed in a heatwave in Pakistan's southern city of Karachi over the past three days.Local media say temperatures reached as high as 44 degrees celsius on Monday. Social welfare organisations say the death toll could climb as soaring temperatures and frequent power outages are set to continue. In 2015 over 1,000 people died from a heatwave in Karachi.

Malaysia Corruption

Malaysia's former Prime Minister Najib Razak is appearing before the country's Anti-Corruption Commission.Razak is the subject of a government probe launched by Malaysia's newly elected Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad into suspected corruption surrounding a multi-billion dollar state fund.On Friday, police launched raids on several of Razak's properties, seizing suitcases of cash and luxury designer items

Damascus Retaken

Syrian regime forces say they've taken full control of the capital Damascus from Daesh for the first time in six years.Intense battles against the terrorist group began on April 20th, after the collapse of evacuation talks.In a statement, the regime military said the capital and the surrounding countryside are now free of terrorism in "all its forms and designations".

Netflix Obamas

Netflix says it's reached a deal with Barack and Michelle Obama to produce material for the online streaming service.Under the name Higher Ground Productions, the Obamas have the option to produce scripted and unscripted series, documentaries and feature films.Netflix chief executive Ted Sarandos said the Obamas are in a position to highlight the stories of people who make a difference in their communities.

Iran US

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani says the era of the US making decisions for the rest of the world is over. He was speaking after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo unveiled a list of demands for a new nuclear deal with Iran which included imposing what he called, the ‘strongest sanctions in history’.However, Pompeo says Washington is willing to restore full diplomatic and commercial ties, if Iran makes major changes.

Pakistan Heatwave

At least 65 people have reportedly been killed in a heatwave in Pakistan's southern city of Karachi over the past three days.Local media say temperatures reached as high as 44 degrees celsius on Monday. Social welfare organisations say the death toll could climb as soaring temperatures and frequent power outages are set to continue. In 2015 over 1,000 people died from a heatwave in Karachi.

Malaysia Corruption

Malaysia's former Prime Minister Najib Razak is appearing before the country's Anti-Corruption Commission.Razak is the subject of a government probe launched by Malaysia's newly elected Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad into suspected corruption surrounding a multi-billion dollar state fund.On Friday, police launched raids on several of Razak's properties, seizing suitcases of cash and luxury designer items

Damascus Retaken

Syrian regime forces say they've taken full control of the capital Damascus from Daesh for the first time in six years.Intense battles against the terrorist group began on April 20th, after the collapse of evacuation talks.In a statement, the regime military said the capital and the surrounding countryside are now free of terrorism in "all its forms and designations".

Netflix Obamas

Netflix says it's reached a deal with Barack and Michelle Obama to produce material for the online streaming service.Under the name Higher Ground Productions, the Obamas have the option to produce scripted and unscripted series, documentaries and feature films.Netflix chief executive Ted Sarandos said the Obamas are in a position to highlight the stories of people who make a difference in their communities.

Maduro Venezuela

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro has won another six-year term in office but his rivals are already calling for a rerun to prevent a national crisis.Turnout was below 50 percent as the main opposition candidates boycotted the vote alleging massive irregularities.Maduro has hailed the results of the elections as a “truly popular victory.”

Trump FBI

US President Donald Trump says he will ask the Justice Department to investigate whether the FBI spied on his presidential campaign.In a tweet on Sunday, Trump demanded a probe into whether federal investigators 'infiltrated the campaign for political purposes', and whether the Obama administration was behind it. He said the request would be formally put forward on Monday. A special counsel is already investigating allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

US China

The US trade war with China is “on hold” after the world’s largest economies agreed to drop their tariff threats while they work on a wider trade agreement. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and President Donald Trump’s top economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, said the agreement reached by Chinese and American negotiators set up a framework for addressing trade imbalances in the future.Tension between the two sides has been growing since the Trump administration proposed tariffs of $50 billion on Chinese goods and said it might extend the levies to an additional $150 billion. China responded with its own measures targeting US agriculture.

Dirty Money

A committee of British MPs say Russian money hidden in British assets and laundered through City of London financial institutions is damaging the government’s efforts to take a tough stance against Moscow’s aggressive foreign policy.Britain’s financial centre has been a major beneficiary of the massive flight of Russian cash since the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union.Britain has led an international diplomatic backlash against Russia following the poisoning of an ex-Russian spy in an English city - an attack which the government blames on the Kremlin. Moscow has denied any involvement in the incident.

Hawaii Volcano

Lava from Hawaii's Kilauea volcano has reached the Pacific Ocean and created a steam cloud authorities have warned could be toxic.The lava can reach 2,000 degrees celsius, and when mixed with seawater it can produce plumes of laze, a mix of hydrochloric acid, steam and volcanic glass particles.This is a potentially deadly new challenge for Hawaii’s residents who have recently been dealing with evacuations and property damage from the eruption that has lasted 18 days.Authorities are also warning of more mandatory evacuations with many residents having already fled their homes.

Maduro Venezuela

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro has won another six-year term in office but his rivals are already calling for a rerun to prevent a national crisis.Turnout was below 50 percent as the main opposition candidates boycotted the vote alleging massive irregularities.Maduro has hailed the results of the elections as a “truly popular victory.”

Trump FBI

US President Donald Trump says he will ask the Justice Department to investigate whether the FBI spied on his presidential campaign.In a tweet on Sunday, Trump demanded a probe into whether federal investigators 'infiltrated the campaign for political purposes', and whether the Obama administration was behind it. He said the request would be formally put forward on Monday. A special counsel is already investigating allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

US China

The US trade war with China is “on hold” after the world’s largest economies agreed to drop their tariff threats while they work on a wider trade agreement. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and President Donald Trump’s top economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, said the agreement reached by Chinese and American negotiators set up a framework for addressing trade imbalances in the future.Tension between the two sides has been growing since the Trump administration proposed tariffs of $50 billion on Chinese goods and said it might extend the levies to an additional $150 billion. China responded with its own measures targeting US agriculture.

Dirty Money

A committee of British MPs say Russian money hidden in British assets and laundered through City of London financial institutions is damaging the government’s efforts to take a tough stance against Moscow’s aggressive foreign policy.Britain’s financial centre has been a major beneficiary of the massive flight of Russian cash since the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union.Britain has led an international diplomatic backlash against Russia following the poisoning of an ex-Russian spy in an English city - an attack which the government blames on the Kremlin. Moscow has denied any involvement in the incident.

Hawaii Volcano

Lava from Hawaii's Kilauea volcano has reached the Pacific Ocean and created a steam cloud authorities have warned could be toxic.The lava can reach 2,000 degrees celsius, and when mixed with seawater it can produce plumes of laze, a mix of hydrochloric acid, steam and volcanic glass particles.This is a potentially deadly new challenge for Hawaii’s residents who have recently been dealing with evacuations and property damage from the eruption that has lasted 18 days.Authorities are also warning of more mandatory evacuations with many residents having already fled their homes.

Vladimir Assad

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin says foreign forces will soon be leaving Syria.

Putin was speaking during a rare meeting with Syrian regime leader Bashar al Assad on Thursday in the Russian city of Sochi.

He said the "military success" in Syria allowed for a large-scale "political process" leading to the withdrawal of foreign forces and the reconstruction of the country.

Neither Putin nor Assad specified which foreign forces will be withdrawing.

The announcement comes a day after UN special envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura warned that a regime assault on the rebel-held area of Idlib could affect 2.3 million people.

OIC Gaza

Turkey is hosting an emergency Organization of Islamic Cooperation meeting on Friday to discuss joint action against Israel in the wake of the recent Gaza killings.

The Istanbul summit has been called by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and is expected to send a strong message against Israel.

At least 62 Palestinians, the youngest an 8-month-old baby, were killed by Israeli forces during mass rallies along Gaza's eastern border on Monday.

A number of heads of state and government officials are expected to participate in the summit.

A final declaration will be released after the meeting.

Ebola DRC

The World Health Organization has warned that an Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo has a high risk of spreading internally.

It is meeting today to discuss whether to declare the outbreak an event of international concern.

The move comes after the agency confirmed a case in a large urban centre connected to major national and international routes.

Rafah Opening

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al Sisi has ordered that the Rafah border crossing with Gaza be opened for the entire month of Ramadan.

The border with the Palestinian territory is mostly shut but opens at regular intervals. This would be the longest single opening in years.

Hamas controls Gaza, but not its most important crossings, Rafah with Egypt and Erez with Israel.

It handed control of those crossings late last year to its rival, the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, in a reconciliation deal signed in Cairo.

Uber Shakeup

And finally,

Uber’s Chief Product Officer Jeff Holden is leaving the ride-hailing company and becomes the latest of more than a dozen senior executives to depart since last year.

Holden oversaw Uber Elevate, the company’s flying car operation, which is now headed by Eric Allison.

Uber’s new CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, has been shaking up the company since taking over last August, aiming to improve Uber’s reputation after a string of scandals.

Uber, along with Lyft, scrapped mandatory arbitration to settle sexual harassment or assault claims earlier this week, giving victims several options to pursue their claims including public lawsuits.

Vladimir Assad

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin says foreign forces will soon be leaving Syria.

Putin was speaking during a rare meeting with Syrian regime leader Bashar al Assad on Thursday in the Russian city of Sochi.

He said the "military success" in Syria allowed for a large-scale "political process" leading to the withdrawal of foreign forces and the reconstruction of the country.

Neither Putin nor Assad specified which foreign forces will be withdrawing.

The announcement comes a day after UN special envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura warned that a regime assault on the rebel-held area of Idlib could affect 2.3 million people.

OIC Gaza

Turkey is hosting an emergency Organization of Islamic Cooperation meeting on Friday to discuss joint action against Israel in the wake of the recent Gaza killings.

The Istanbul summit has been called by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and is expected to send a strong message against Israel.

At least 62 Palestinians, the youngest an 8-month-old baby, were killed by Israeli forces during mass rallies along Gaza's eastern border on Monday.

A number of heads of state and government officials are expected to participate in the summit.

A final declaration will be released after the meeting.

Ebola DRC

The World Health Organization has warned that an Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo has a high risk of spreading internally.

It is meeting today to discuss whether to declare the outbreak an event of international concern.

The move comes after the agency confirmed a case in a large urban centre connected to major national and international routes.

Rafah Opening

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al Sisi has ordered that the Rafah border crossing with Gaza be opened for the entire month of Ramadan.

The border with the Palestinian territory is mostly shut but opens at regular intervals. This would be the longest single opening in years.

Hamas controls Gaza, but not its most important crossings, Rafah with Egypt and Erez with Israel.

It handed control of those crossings late last year to its rival, the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, in a reconciliation deal signed in Cairo.

Uber Shakeup

And finally,

Uber’s Chief Product Officer Jeff Holden is leaving the ride-hailing company and becomes the latest of more than a dozen senior executives to depart since last year.

Holden oversaw Uber Elevate, the company’s flying car operation, which is now headed by Eric Allison.

Uber’s new CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, has been shaking up the company since taking over last August, aiming to improve Uber’s reputation after a string of scandals.

Uber, along with Lyft, scrapped mandatory arbitration to settle sexual harassment or assault claims earlier this week, giving victims several options to pursue their claims including public lawsuits.

EU-Balkans Summit

European Union leaders have asked six Balkans countries to continue on the path of EU-oriented reform but have given no timeline for when any of the countries might be able to join the bloc.

At a summit in Bulgaria, the EU's Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn said that the process is merit based and that these countries would have to do their homework.

The prospect of joining the EU has been a powerful driver of reform in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and its former territory of Kosovo.

Arab League

The Arab League is holding an emergency meeting in Cairo in response to the US embassy move to Jerusalem and the killing of 60 Palestinians by Israeli forces at the Gaza border.

Assistant Secretary-General Hossam Zaki says the Arab League will draw up a plan to "counter the latest decisions taken by the United States, or any other country that plans to move its embassy to Jerusalem."

On Monday Israeli forces shot and killed nearly 60 Palestinians and injured more than 2,700 during mass protests along the Gaza border, while just a few miles away Israel and the US held a festive inauguration ceremony for the new American Embassy in contested Jerusalem.

Malaysia raids

Malaysian police conducted raids at five places linked to former prime minister Najib Razak, including his family home.

Najib’s lawyer said police seized handbags and other personal items from the home in connection with a money laundering probe.

A multibillion-dollar scandal at state fund 1-M-D-B, founded by Najib, is being investigated by police in at least six countries.

Najib, who was voted out of office in last week's general election, has denied any wrongdoing.

Congo-Ebola

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has entered "a new phase" after a case of the deadly virus was detected for the first time in the populous northwest city of Mbandaka.

This is a worrying shift for DRC’s authorities as the risk of infection is more easily passed on in densely populated urban areas.

So far, the 23 deaths believed to have been caused by the Ebola outbreak were all reported in more remote areas, giving authorities a better chance of isolating the virus.

YouTube Music

YouTube is launching a new music streaming service to take on Spotify and Apple Music.

YouTube Music will be launched next and along with a premium video service that will charge more for its original shows.

While Youtube Music will be free, you will now have to pay a little more to watch your favourite shows like Cobra Kai, YouTube’s hit spin off of the Karate Kid series.

EU-Balkans Summit

European Union leaders have asked six Balkans countries to continue on the path of EU-oriented reform but have given no timeline for when any of the countries might be able to join the bloc.

At a summit in Bulgaria, the EU's Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn said that the process is merit based and that these countries would have to do their homework.

The prospect of joining the EU has been a powerful driver of reform in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and its former territory of Kosovo.

Arab League

The Arab League is holding an emergency meeting in Cairo in response to the US embassy move to Jerusalem and the killing of 60 Palestinians by Israeli forces at the Gaza border.

Assistant Secretary-General Hossam Zaki says the Arab League will draw up a plan to "counter the latest decisions taken by the United States, or any other country that plans to move its embassy to Jerusalem."

On Monday Israeli forces shot and killed nearly 60 Palestinians and injured more than 2,700 during mass protests along the Gaza border, while just a few miles away Israel and the US held a festive inauguration ceremony for the new American Embassy in contested Jerusalem.

Malaysia raids

Malaysian police conducted raids at five places linked to former prime minister Najib Razak, including his family home.

Najib’s lawyer said police seized handbags and other personal items from the home in connection with a money laundering probe.

A multibillion-dollar scandal at state fund 1-M-D-B, founded by Najib, is being investigated by police in at least six countries.

Najib, who was voted out of office in last week's general election, has denied any wrongdoing.

Congo-Ebola

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has entered "a new phase" after a case of the deadly virus was detected for the first time in the populous northwest city of Mbandaka.

This is a worrying shift for DRC’s authorities as the risk of infection is more easily passed on in densely populated urban areas.

So far, the 23 deaths believed to have been caused by the Ebola outbreak were all reported in more remote areas, giving authorities a better chance of isolating the virus.

YouTube Music

YouTube is launching a new music streaming service to take on Spotify and Apple Music.

YouTube Music will be launched next and along with a premium video service that will charge more for its original shows.

While Youtube Music will be free, you will now have to pay a little more to watch your favourite shows like Cobra Kai, YouTube’s hit spin off of the Karate Kid series.

North Korea talks

The much-anticipated meeting between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump is still on but it will now take place in a much more tense environment.

North Korea on Tuesday threatened to walk out on the summit in Singapore next month if the US continued to unilaterally pressure the regime into abandoning its nuclear programme.

The resumption of military drills between South Korea and the US has also raised a few eyebrows in the North.

And for many on the Korean Peninsula the developments are a fresh reminder of the many false starts that derailed previous efforts to resolve the decades-long standoff between the North and the South.

Anwar Ibrahim

Malaysia's former deputy prime minister leader Anwar Ibrahim walked free from prison after being a granted a royal pardon.

Smiling and waving to supporters, the 70-year-old Anwar, emerged out of a hospital in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, where he had been undergoing treatment.

Anwar's release from his second jail term sets up a tantalising reunion with his nemesis-turned-ally Mahathir Mohamad, whose stunning election win swept Malaysia's establishment from power after more than six decades.

Guatemala embassy

Guatemala has relocated its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, becoming the second country to do so after the United States

Guatemala is one of only seven countries that supported the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales were among officials attending an inauguration ceremony at the new embassy in the disputed city at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The US is an important source of assistance for Guatemala and Donald Trump had threatened to cut off financial aid to countries that supported last year’s UN resolution rejecting his administration's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Hakan Atilla

A US judge will announce a ruling in the “sanctions-breaching case” against former Halkbank executive Hakan Atilla on Wednesday.

Prosecutors have demanded a sentence of more than 15 years after a New York jury had found Atilla guilty of helping Iran evade US sanctions, after a nearly four-week trial, in January this year.

On Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Atilla was "definitely innocent" and declaring him a criminal was almost equivalent to declaring Turkey a criminal.

Conflict and disaster displacement

And finally,

Conflict and disasters displaced over 30 million people within their own countries last year, a new report from the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre and the Norwegian Refugee Council said on Wednesday.

Of the 30 million, nearly 12 million fled as a result of conflict – the highest number in a decade.

Nearly 19 million people across 135 countries were displaced last year by natural disasters.

The worst-affected countries are Syria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, China, the Philippines, Cuba and the United States in terms of conflict and disaster-related displacements.

North Korea talks

The much-anticipated meeting between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump is still on but it will now take place in a much more tense environment.

North Korea on Tuesday threatened to walk out on the summit in Singapore next month if the US continued to unilaterally pressure the regime into abandoning its nuclear programme.

The resumption of military drills between South Korea and the US has also raised a few eyebrows in the North.

And for many on the Korean Peninsula the developments are a fresh reminder of the many false starts that derailed previous efforts to resolve the decades-long standoff between the North and the South.

Anwar Ibrahim

Malaysia's former deputy prime minister leader Anwar Ibrahim walked free from prison after being a granted a royal pardon.

Smiling and waving to supporters, the 70-year-old Anwar, emerged out of a hospital in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, where he had been undergoing treatment.

Anwar's release from his second jail term sets up a tantalising reunion with his nemesis-turned-ally Mahathir Mohamad, whose stunning election win swept Malaysia's establishment from power after more than six decades.

Guatemala embassy

Guatemala has relocated its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, becoming the second country to do so after the United States

Guatemala is one of only seven countries that supported the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales were among officials attending an inauguration ceremony at the new embassy in the disputed city at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The US is an important source of assistance for Guatemala and Donald Trump had threatened to cut off financial aid to countries that supported last year’s UN resolution rejecting his administration's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Hakan Atilla

A US judge will announce a ruling in the “sanctions-breaching case” against former Halkbank executive Hakan Atilla on Wednesday.

Prosecutors have demanded a sentence of more than 15 years after a New York jury had found Atilla guilty of helping Iran evade US sanctions, after a nearly four-week trial, in January this year.

On Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Atilla was "definitely innocent" and declaring him a criminal was almost equivalent to declaring Turkey a criminal.

Conflict and disaster displacement

And finally,

Conflict and disasters displaced over 30 million people within their own countries last year, a new report from the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre and the Norwegian Refugee Council said on Wednesday.

Of the 30 million, nearly 12 million fled as a result of conflict – the highest number in a decade.

Nearly 19 million people across 135 countries were displaced last year by natural disasters.

The worst-affected countries are Syria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, China, the Philippines, Cuba and the United States in terms of conflict and disaster-related displacements.