This is TRT World’s Daily News Brief for Tuesday, June 6th.

*) Russia 'thwarts another major attack' in Ukraine’s Donetsk

Russia has said it had thwarted another major Ukrainian offensive in Donetsk, inflicting heavy losses.

Moscow said earlier that Kiev’s forces had begun a major offensive in the southern part of the Donetsk region over the weekend, which it had also thwarted.

Ukrainian officials have not commented on if these attacks mark the start of the country’s long-anticipated counteroffensive.

*) Shelling, looting in Sudan's capital as military rivals continue battle

Shelling has hit western areas of Sudan's capital after rival military factions fought through the night, residents said.

Residents reported intense fighting across Khartoum, Omdurman and Bahri cities, and smoke was seen rising from several areas on Monday.

They also said RSF troops, who have spread out in neighbourhoods across the capital, were in full control and were looting extensively.

*) UN condemns killing of Palestinian toddler by Israeli army

A Palestinian toddler who was shot by Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank last week has died of his wounds, Israeli hospital officials have said.

Mohammed al Tamimi was shot in the head last Thursday near his village of Nabi Salih while riding in a car with his father.

The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process condemned the killing and urged Israeli authorities to hold those responsible accountable.

*) Iran set to reopen its embassy in Saudi Arabia after seven-year hiatus

Iran is set to reopen its embassy in Saudi Arabia following a seven-year closure, sealing a Chinese-brokered rapprochement deal earlier this year.

Tehran's foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanani announced the reopening in a statement on Monday.

Saudi Arabia severed relations with Iran in 2016 after its embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad were attacked over the execution of Shia cleric Nimr al Nimr.

And finally…

*) Former VP Mike Pence formally enters 2024 US presidential race

Former US Vice President Mike Pence has officially declared himself a candidate in the 2024 Republican race for the White House.

Pence will launch his campaign with a video and a speech in the early nominating state of Iowa, according to sources familiar with the situation.

His run pits him against Donald Trump, whom he once stood by but refused to back when the former president attempted to overturn the 2020 election results.

And that’s your daily news brief from TRT World. For more, head to trtworld.com

*) Russian forces 'thwart' major Ukrainian attack

The Russian Defence Ministry has said its forces pushed back a “large scale” Ukrainian assault at five points in Donetsk.

Donetsk is one of four Ukrainian regions Russia illegally annexed last fall.

Ministry Spokesperson Igor Konashenkov said Ukraine “did not achieve its tasks” and 250 Ukrainian personnel were killed.

16 Ukrainian tanks, three infantry fighting vehicles and 21 armoured combat vehicles were also destroyed, he said. There was no comment from Ukraine.

*) India: Deadly train crash caused by signal system failure

The cause of a train disaster that left more than 300 people dead and hundreds more injured in India was linked to the signal system, the railway minister said.

Railway officials had said a signalling error sent the Coromandel Express onto a side track where it slammed into a freight train and derailed an express train.

The minister confirmed this, saying a "change that occurred during electronic interlocking” caused the accident.

He said “whoever did it, and how it happened, will be found out after proper investigation”.

*) Sudan battles rage as US, Saudi renew push for fresh ceasefire

The United States and Saudi Arabia have made a renewed push for truce talks between Sudan's warring generals as deadly fighting has raged into its eighth week.

The foreign mediators called for "the parties to agree to and effectively implement a new ceasefire, with the aim of building to a permanent cessation of hostilities", Riyadh said.

A five-day extension of an earlier truce formally expired on Saturday evening, with no signs of the conflict abating and fears that the rival sides were poised for an escalation.

Deadly urban battles have gripped the Sudanese capital Khartoum and Darfur region, after fighting erupted between the regular army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

*) Stoltenberg thanks Türkiye for sending reinforcements to Kosovo

The chief of NATO has expressed gratitude to Türkiye for its efforts in Kosovo during a meeting in Istanbul with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said: "I thank Türkiye for sending reinforcements to northern Kosovo following the recent unrest" in the region.

In Kosovo last week, at least 30 soldiers of the NATO-led international peacekeeping mission were injured in clashes with protesting Serbs.

*) Saudi Arabia further cuts oil output by 1M bpd to boost falling prices

Saudi Arabia will cut one million barrels of oil per day in July but "can be extended", the energy minister said.

Saudi Arabia, the dominant producer in the OPEC+ alliance, was one of several members that agreed on a surprise cut of 1.16 million barrels per day in April.

That the country felt another cut was necessary underlines the uncertain outlook for demand for fuel in the months ahead.

This is TRT World’s Daily News Brief for Friday, June 2nd.

*) Deadly protests rock Senegal as court sentences opposition’s Sonko to jail

Nine people have been killed in Senegal in clashes between riot police and supporters of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko after a court sentenced him to two years in jail.

The government said that the deaths occurred after protests broke out in parts of the capital Dakar and other cities.

The court ruling cast serious doubt on the opposition leader’s chances of running for president next year.

*) US averts first-ever default as Congress passes debt deal

Fending off a US default, the Senate has given final approval to a ceiling and budget cuts package, and sent it to President Joe Biden for signing it into law before the fast-approaching deadline.

The upper chamber of Congress late on Thursday rubber-stamped a bill passed a day earlier by the House of Representatives to extend the country’s borrowing authority through 2024.

The compromise package negotiated between Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy leaves neither Republicans nor Democrats fully pleased with the outcome.

*) US imposes sanctions in Sudan as warring sides fail to abide by ceasefire

The United States has announced that it will levy sanctions against key defence companies and people “perpetuating the violence” in Sudan as warring sides fail to abide by a ceasefire agreement.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the measures are intended to hold accountable those responsible for undermining the peace, security and stability of Sudan.

Sullivan further said the ongoing fighting in Sudan between the Sudanese army and the RSF paramilitary group is a tragedy that has already stolen far too many lives, and that it must end.

*) Türkiye: Sweden must fulfil commitments against terrorism for NATO bid

Türkiye has called on Sweden to fulfil its commitments regarding the fight against terrorism in order to start the ratification of the Nordic country’s accession to NATO.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Twitter that Stockholm should fulfil its commitments arising from the trilateral memorandum, and take concrete steps in the fight against terrorism.

Earlier, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom, during his doorstep remarks at NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in Oslo called on Türkiye and Hungary to ratify Sweden’s bid.

And finally…

*) Heatwave and wildfires bake Canada’s east

Eastern Canada continues to swelter under a record-breaking heatwave that risks inflaming wildfires ravaging the Atlantic coast and other parts of the country.

More than 210 fires were burning across Canada, including 82 out of control. Officials said more than 2.7 million hectares have been scorched already this year.

Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair told a news conference that the conditions this early in the season are unprecedented and it is deeply concerning.

And that’s your daily news brief from TRT World. For more, head to trtworld.com

*) Sudan’s army bombs RSF bases in Khartoum

Sudanese army forces have blasted the bases of the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group with artillery in Khartoum.

The flare-up comes after the army pulled out of Saudi-brokered ceasefire talks, accusing their foes of failing to honour their commitments.

On Wednesday, in both the north and south of the capital, key bases of commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo’s RSF paramilitary came under attack by troops loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al Burhan, residents said.

*) US House votes to avert default, advancing Biden-McCarthy deal to Senate

The US House has approved a debt ceiling and budget cuts package, advancing President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s deal to the Senate.

The hard-fought deal pleased few, but lawmakers assessed it was better than the alternative — a devastating economic upheaval if Congress failed to act.

Tensions ran high as hard-right Republicans refused the deal to raise the nation’s debt limit, while Democrats said “extremist” GOP views were risking a debt default as soon as next week.

*) UN proposes ‘mutually beneficial’ system to improve grain deal

The United Nations has proposed that Kiev, Moscow and Ankara start preparatory work for the transit of Russian ammonia through Ukraine, a source close to the talks said.

The UN wants parallel talks to be held on widening the Black Sea deal that was agreed last July to include more Ukrainian ports and other cargoes, said the source.

Russia agreed this month to a two-month extension of the deal but has said the initiative will cease unless an agreement aimed at overcoming obstacles to Russian grain and fertiliser exports is fulfilled.

*) Firefighters battle ‘unprecedented’ wildfires in Canada

Firefighters have faced a gruelling uphill battle against wildfires in Canada’s Nova Scotia province, including one threatening the suburbs of Halifax.

Federal help was coming to the Atlantic province, officials said, along with firefighters from the United States.

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston told a news conference they will take all the support they can get, adding that “these fires are unprecedented.”

*) Earth in ‘danger zone’ in all ecological ways, scientists say

Earth has pushed past seven out of eight scientifically established safety limits and into “the danger zone,” according to a new study.

The ‘danger zone’ is not just for an overheating planet that’s losing its natural areas, but for the well-being of people living on it.

The study published on Wednesday looks not just at guardrails for the planetary ecosystem, but for the first time it includes measures of “justice,” which is mostly about preventing harm for countries, ethnicities and genders.

*) Deal averting debt default passes first test in US Congress

A deal to raise the US debt ceiling has passed its first major test in Congress, surviving a crucial vote amid a conservative backlash that resurrected the threat of the country’s first-ever default.

Lawmakers have until Monday next week to green-light an agreement between Republicans and Democrats to allow more borrowing and ensure the country doesn't miss loan repayments.

There were sighs of relief across Washington as Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Democratic President Joe Biden agreed on the 99-page “Fiscal Responsibility Act”.

*) North Korea’s bid to launch country’s first spy satellite fails

North Korea has said that its attempt to launch the country’s first spy satellite has failed.

In a statement published on state media, North Korea said a rocket carrying the spy satellite crashed into waters off the Korean Peninsula’s western coast.

The crash occurred after it lost thrust following the separation of its first and second stages.

It said scientists were examining the cause of the failure.

*) Fighting subsides in Sudan’s capital after extension of ceasefire

Intense fighting has subsided in Sudan’s capital although sounds of gunfire could still be heard in some areas, residents said.

The fighting decreased after warring parties — the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces group — battling for more than six weeks agreed to extend a ceasefire just before it was due to expire.

Hours before the ceasefire extension was signed, residents reported intensive fighting in all three of the adjoining cities that make up Sudan’s greater capital.

*) Several dead in Ukraine shelling of Luhansk village: Russia

Four people have been killed and 16 injured as a result of Ukraine’s shelling of the Karpaty village in the Luhansk region, the Moscow-backed local coordination centre said.

The centre said on its Telegram messaging channel the shelling hit a poultry farm.

There was no immediate response from Ukraine, but Kiev almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks inside Russia or on Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine.

And finally…

*) First Saudi woman in orbit, other astronauts, splash down off Florida

A private flight carrying two Saudi astronauts and other passengers has returned to Earth after a nine-day trip to the International Space Station.

The capsule carrying the four parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico, just off the Florida Panhandle, 12 hours after undocking from the orbiting lab.

The Saudi government picked up the tab for its two astronauts: Rayyanah Barnawi, a stem cell researcher who became the first Saudi woman in space; and fighter pilot Ali al Qarni.

This is TRT World’s Daily News Brief for Tuesday, May 30th.

*) Türkiye calls for calm in Kosovo as clashes injure 25 NATO soldiers

At least 25 soldiers of the NATO-led international peacekeeping mission in Kosovo have been injured in clashes with protesting ethnic Serbs.

In response, Türkiye has called on all parties in northern Kosovo to return to dialogue and calm.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said it is following the events with concern, adding that these events harm regional security and stability.

*) Sudanese generals extend truce for five days

Warring sides in Sudan have agreed to extend a humanitarian ceasefire by five days.

But residents told AFP news agency they could hear gunfire after dark, shortly before the ceasefire extension was announced.

A day earlier, mediators from the US and Saudi Arabia had said there were "violations by both parties that significantly impeded" the truce's goals of allowing humanitarian aid for civilians.

*) Russia launches massive new air assault on Kiev

Russia has launched a fresh wave of attacks on Kiev in the early hours of Tuesday.

Kiev city officials said its air defence systems were engaging incoming targets as air raid sirens blared in several other regions.

Falling debris hit several districts of the capital, including the Podil and Pecherskyi neighbourhoods.

*) Iran will welcome restoration of diplomatic ties with Egypt: Khamenei

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has said he would welcome a resumption of diplomatic relations with Egypt, during a meeting with Oman’s visiting Sultan Haitham bin Tarik.

Khamenei said that the Omani leader had told him that Egypt would be willing to resume relations.

He also called for a deepening of ties between Oman and Iran.

And finally…

*) Chinese Shenzhou-16 mission carries new crew to its orbiting space station

China has sent three astronauts to its Tiangong space station, putting a civilian scientist into space for the first time.

The Shenzhou-16 crew took off atop a Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China.

The world’s second-largest economy has invested billions of dollars in its military-run space programme in a push to catch up with the US and Russia.

And that’s your daily news brief from TRT World. For more, head to trtworld.com

This is TRT World’s Daily News Brief for Monday, May 29th.

*) Erdogan wins Türkiye presidential run-off vote – election body

Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has beaten the opposition’s combined candidate, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, in the presidential run-off election.

According to unofficial results, the Turkish incumbent won the race with 52.16 percent, while Kilicdaroglu got 47.84 percent of the votes.

Erdogan's reelection was confirmed by the chairman of the country's Supreme Election Council (YSK) on Sunday evening.

Currently, 99.85 percent of the ballot boxes have been opened.

*) 'Century of Türkiye': Erdogan hails his victory as triumph of democracy

In an address to the nation following the preliminary results of the 2023 presidential elections, Erdogan hailed his victory as a triumph of democracy.

He spoke before hundreds of thousands of people who had gathered in the courtyard of the presidential complex in Ankara.

Erdogan expressed gratitude to his fellow countrymen for their faith in his leadership and called for unity in pursuit of national goals and dreams.

He declared that the true winners of Sunday’s run-off polls were 85 million Turkish citizens and the Turkish democracy.

*) Türkiye elections: World leaders congratulate Erdogan on 'historic victory'

Leaders from around the world have congratulated Erdogan on his reelection.

The United Nations, NATO and European Union all said they look forward to further strengthening their collaboration with Türkiye.

And from US President Joe Biden to Russian President Vladimir Putin, world leaders also said they looked forward to continuing to work together with Türkiye.

Videos posted on social media also showed celebrations for Erdogan’s victory in some countries like Germany, Syria and Azerbaijan.

*) Kiev repels air strikes, day after Russian bombardment

Kiev has repelled another large volley of overnight air strikes, as the Ukrainian capital was still picking up the pieces from the biggest drone attack to hit it since the war began.

Local air defences managed to fend off more than 40 Russian drones and cruise missiles, and there were no casualties, authorities said.

Meanwhile, Russia hit a military target in Ukraine's western region of Khmelnytskiy in air strikes early on Monday.

And finally…

*) Heavy clashes in Sudan's capital as truce set to expire

Heavy and sustained clashes could be heard in parts of Sudan's capital, residents said, hours before the expiry of a shaky ceasefire deal.

Fighting continued from Sunday into Monday in the south and west of Omdurman, one of three adjoining cities that make up Sudan's greater capital.

Across the River Nile in southern Khartoum residents also reported clashes late on Sunday.

Both sides have said they are considering extending a deal for a week-long ceasefire brokered by Saudi Arabia and the United States that was designed to allow for the distribution of aid.

And that’s your daily news brief from TRT World. For more, head to trtworld.com

*) Ukraine sees increased danger of Russian missile strikes

Military authorities in the Ukrainian capital Kiev have reported an increased danger of Russian missile strikes and said anti-aircraft defences were working.

Russia has allegedly launched hundreds of rocket attacks against targets across Ukraine since last October, seeking to destroy critical infrastructure and other targets.

In recent weeks Ukraine said it has knocked out most of the missiles.

*) Israel to vote on bill targeting human rights institutions

A ministers’ committee on legislative affairs is set to discuss the security of human rights institutions in Israel.

The bill, proposed by a right-wing Knesset member Ariel Kallner, targets human rights institutions rejecting the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories.

Dozens of Israeli human rights organisations active in Israel criticise the occupation policies in the Palestinian territories.

*) Pakistan’s Imran Khan moves top court against military trial of civilians

Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan has approached the country’s top court against the trial of his supporters in military courts and deployment of armed forces in parts of the country.

Khan has requested the Supreme Court to term the move unconstitutional.

Calling it “undeclared martial law,” Khan petitioned that the arrests, investigations, and trials under the Army Act of 1952 “amount to negation of the Constitution, rule of law and independence of the judiciary.”

*) African Union warns continent must not become 'geostrategic battleground'

The African Union has warned that Africa must not become a "geostrategic battleground" for global powers, as it grapples with several threats to its own peace and security.

The continent of 1.3 billion people has found itself at the centre of a tussle for influence among the major powers, which has redoubled since Russia's invasion of Ukraine 15 months ago.

And just as the AU marked the anniversary of the creation of its forerunner, the Organisation of African Unity, Ukraine itself announced it wanted to boost ties with Africa.

*) Musk’s Neuralink ‘cleared’ for human test of brain implants

Elon Musk’s start-up Neuralink has said it has received approval from the US regulators to test its brain implants in people.

Neuralink said clearance from the FDA for its first-in-human clinical study is “an important first step” for its technology, which is intended to let brains interface directly with computers.

On at least four occasions since 2019, Musk has predicted that his medical device company would soon start human trials of a brain implant to treat intractable conditions such as paralysis and blindness.

*) Ron DeSantis announces 2024 White House bid in Twitter event with Musk

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has entered the 2024 presidential race, stepping into a crowded Republican primary contest.

The 44-year-old Republican revealed his decision in a Federal Election Commission filing before addressing his decision in a video posted on social media.

DeSantis vowed to build a wall on the border with Mexico and not restrict usage of Bitcoin.

*) Pakistan’s Imran Khan softens demand for snap vote as allies quit party

Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan has softened his year-long demand for early election. Khan said he is forming a committee for talks with the government to end the country’s lingering political turmoil.

The offer, if accepted by the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, may help ease political tensions amid the country’s stalled talks with the International Monetary Fund.

Although not a member of parliament, Khan leads a broad opposition movement against the government.

*) US approves $285M sale of NASAMS air defence system to Ukraine

The United States has announced the approval of a $285 million sale of a NASAMS air defence system and related equipment to Ukraine as Kiev seeks to boost protection against Russian strikes.

The US Defence Security Cooperation Agency said the sale will support US foreign policy national security goals by “improving the security of a partner country that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe.”

The sale would not require any additional US government employees or contractors to be assigned to Ukraine, the agency said.

*) Türkiye rescues nearly 100 refugees and migrants pushed back by Greece

Türkiye has rescued 96 irregular refugees and migrants in separate incidents in an Aegean province, the country’s Coast Guard Command said.

Fifty refugees and migrants on two lifeboats off Mugla’s Datca district were saved after being pushed into Turkish territorial waters by Greek forces, the coast guard said in a statement.

Separately, 46 refugees and migrants pushed into Turkish territorial waters by Greek forces were rescued off the coast of Dalaman district, it added.

*) ‘Queen of rock ‘n’ roll’ Tina Turner dies aged 83

Tina Turner, the American-born singer who became one of the top recording artists of all time, has died at the age of 83.

She died peacefully after a long illness in her home in Kusnacht near Zurich, Switzerland, her representative said.

Turner began her career in the 1950s during the early years of rock and roll and evolved into a phenomenon. Sometimes nicknamed the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” Turner won six of her eight Grammy Awards in the 1980s.

*) Russia says Ukraine’s attack on Belgorod region ‘repelled’

Several drones struck Russia’s border region of Belgorod overnight, a day after an armed group infiltrated the area from Ukraine, the local governor said.

Belgorod’s governor wrote on Telegram that the drones struck houses and a government building, leaving one woman dead and injuring eight others.

Meanwhile, calling it a “terrorist” attack, the Russian Defence Ministry claimed that Ukraine’s attack on the Belgorod region was repelled.

*) Thousands rally in Israel against budget 'looting' for ultra-Orthodox Jews

Thousands of Israelis have protested the allocation of funds to ultra-Orthodox Jews in the far-right government's proposed state budget.

Ahead of the budget votes beginning late Tuesday and continuing on Wednesday, the drum-beating protesters, bearing Israeli flags, marched to parliament.

They accused the ruling coalition of "looting" the state's money.

*) Over 450 Catholic clergy sexually abused nearly 2,000 children in Illinois

More than 450 Catholic clergy in Illinois have sexually abused nearly 2,000 children since 1950, the state's attorney general has found in an investigation.

The investigation revealed that the problem was far worse than the church had let on.

But the Illinois State Attorney General Kwame Raoul said at a news conference on Tuesday that the statute of limitations has expired in many cases and that those abusers "will never see justice in a legal sense."

*) 'Stolen': UK royals refuse to return remains of teenage Ethiopian prince

Buckingham Palace has refused to return the body of a teenage Ethiopian prince who was buried at Windsor Castle 144 years ago.

A descendant of Prince Alemayehu – an orphan who was adored and supported financially by Queen Victoria and died at the age of 18 – has demanded that his remains be returned to Ethiopia.

However, Buckingham Palace has rejected the call once again, saying that removing the body would affect others buried in the catacombs of St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle.

*) Hollywood urged to depict safer gun use as US mass killings rise

A report by USC Annenberg's Norman Lear Center for Hollywood, Health and Society said Hollywood should portray safer use of guns in TV and film at a time of rampant gun violence in the US.

Norman Lear Center's programme director Kate Folb said if television can embrace depicting gun safety, we will see people in America become more comfortable with securing their guns safely at home.

Folb, who has spent years studying the correlation between entertainment and society, is of the view that simply showing safe gun storage onscreen can have a lasting impact.