*) Trump invokes Fifth Amendment to evade questions over alleged fraud

Former US president Donald Trump has invoked his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination as he testified under oath in a NY civil investigation into his business dealings.

The Fifth Amendment protects people from being compelled to become witnesses against themselves in a criminal case.

Attorney General Letitia James said her office uncovered evidence that Trump's company misled lenders and tax authorities about the value of prized assets like golf courses and skyscrapers.

Trump Organization even exaggerated the size of Trump's Manhattan penthouse, saying it was nearly three times its actual size — a difference in the value of about $200 million, James' office says.

*) Sierra Leone imposes nationwide curfew after violent protests

At least two police officers and a civilian have been killed after a protest descended into clashes between security forces and demonstrators who were demanding the president's resignation.

"Two police officers, a male and female, were mobbed to death by protesters at the east end of Freetown," police spokesperson Brima Kamara said on Wednesday.

In addition, Reuters reported that a civilian was also killed in the violence. A hospital worker in Freetown said that dozens more had been wounded.

*) Ukraine shelling causes ammonia leak in Donetsk – separatists

Pro-Russian separatists have accused Ukraine of shelling in the occupied eastern city of Donetsk, killing one person and triggering a leak of ammonia, Interfax news agency reported.

The emergency ministry in the Russian-backed so-called Donetsk People's Republic said a shell had hit an ammonia line late at night. It sparked a fire that at one point covered 603 square metres.

Pictures from the scene showed flames lighting the sky above one part of the city as well as firefighters donning masks. One picture appeared to show a corpse on the ground.

*) Iraq's Sadr gives one-week deadline to judiciary to dissolve parliament

Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada al Sadr has called on the country's judiciary to dissolve parliament by the end of next week.

The judiciary "must dissolve parliament by the end of next week... if not, the revolutionaries will take another stance," Sadr said in a statement on his Twitter account.

The Iraqi Shia leader has helped inflame tensions in Iraq over the last two weeks by commanding thousands of followers to storm and occupy parliament.

And finally…

*) African football body launches new Super League to boost local clubs

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has launched a new lucrative $100 million Super League aimed at injecting financial muscle to the cash-strapped clubs on the continent.

Twenty-four clubs, yet to be decided, will take part in the first edition, which has the backing of world governing body FIFA. It will take place between August 2023 and May 2024.

CAF president Patrice Motsepe, who announced the new competition, did not say if it would replace CAF's existing Champions League and the second-tier Confederation Cup.

*) Republicans dub FBI raid on Trump house 'weaponised politicisation'

Top Republican leaders have thrown their support behind former US president Donald Trump after an FBI raid on his Florida residence sparked a political firestorm.

Trump's former vice president Mike Pence expressed "deep concern" and said the raid smacked of "partisanship" by the Justice Department.

Kevin McCarthy, who is seeking to become the next House of Representatives speaker, accused the Justice Department of "weaponised politicisation."

The FBI search marked a significant escalation of the federal investigation into whether Trump illegally removed records from the White House as he was leaving office.

*) US police arrest 'prime suspect' in New Mexico Muslim murders

New Mexico police have arrested a "prime suspect" believed to be involved in two of the four murders of Muslim men in Albuquerque.

Authorities charged 51-year-old Muhammad Syed in the killings of two Muslim men and he is suspected of slaying two others.

Police tracked down a vehicle of interest in their investigation of the murders, Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina wrote on Twitter.

Medina said "the driver was detained and is our primary suspect for the murders.”

*) Large explosions rock Russian air base in occupied Crimea

Powerful explosions have rocked a Russian air base in the occupied Crimea, killing one person and wounding several others, authorities said.

Russia's Defence Ministry said munitions blew up at the Saki base, and it emphasised that the installation had not been shelled.

But Ukrainian social networks were abuzz with speculation that it was hit by Ukrainian-fired long-range missiles.

There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian authorities as the conflict entered its 167th day.

*) Deadly IEDs target soldiers in northern Burkina Faso

At least 15 soldiers have been killed in northern Burkina Faso when a transport vehicle drove over a hidden explosive device.

The first explosion killed several troops before a second explosion killed those who rushed to their aid.

The incident occurred on a rural road in the Bam province of the country's Central-North region, where soldiers and civilians are routinely targeted by insurgents, the army said.

And finally…

*) Serena Williams announces retirement from tennis after US Open

Tennis great Serena Williams has said that she is planning to retire from the sport following the US Open which begins later this month.

Williams wrote in a Vogue article that she "never liked the word retirement." She said that she is "evolving away from tennis" to focus on having another child and her business interests.

Williams won her last Grand Slam in 2017 and has been chasing an elusive 24th crown that will draw her level with Margaret Court who holds the record for the most majors.

*) FBI 'raids' former US president Trump's house

Former US president Donald Trump says his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida has been "raided" by FBI agents in what he has called an act of "prosecutorial misconduct".

The FBI did not comment on whether the search was happening or what it might be for. Trump did not give any indication of why federal agents were at his home.

Multiple US media outlets cited sources as saying that agents were conducting a court-authorised search related to the potential mishandling of classified documents sent to Mar-a-Lago.

*) Kenya begins voting in close presidential election

Kenyans have lined up to vote in a high-stakes election as two political heavyweights battle it out in a fiercely contested race for the presidency.

The East African powerhouse is praying for a peaceful transition of power after almost a decade under President Uhuru Kenyatta, but concerns about vote-rigging linger.

Deputy president and erstwhile heir apparent William Ruto is pitted against Raila Odinga, a veteran opposition leader now backed by his longtime rival Kenyatta.

*) Taiwanese minister: China using war games to prepare for invasion

Taiwan's foreign minister has said China is using the military drills it launched in protest against US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit as a game-plan to prepare for an invasion.

Joseph Wu, speaking at a press conference in Taipei, offered no time-table for a possible invasion of Taiwan, a self-ruled island which is claimed by China as its own.

A Pentagon official had said on Monday that Washington was sticking to its assessment that China would not try to invade Taiwan for the next two years.

*) Two more ships carrying over 70,000 tonnes of grain leave Ukraine

Türkiye's National Defence Ministry has said two more ships carrying over 70,000 tonnes of grain have left Ukraine.

A Liberian-flagged ship carrying 64,720 tonnes of corn to South Korea set sail on Tuesday under a historic Türkiye-brokered deal to unblock Ukrainian grain exports.

A Turkish-flagged ship, carrying 5,300 tonnes of bulk sunflower meal to Istanbul, too left Ukraine, where shipments had been stuck for months due to Russia's military offensive.

And finally…

*) Grease star and Grammy-winning singer Olivia Newton-John dies at 73

After a 30-year battle with breast cancer, Grammy-winning superstar Olivia Newton-John has died at age 73.

Newton-John won countless hearts when she starred as Sandy in the blockbuster film version of “Grease” alongside John Travolta.

She reigned on pop, country, adult contemporary and dance charts with hits such as “Physical” and “You’re the One That I Want”. Her sales topped 100 million records.

*) Ceasefire takes effect between Israel, Palestinian group

An Egyptian-brokered ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian group Islamic Jihad has taken effect late on Sunday.

The ceasefire agreement came after three days of Israeli air strikes on Gaza.

The attacks left at least 44 Palestinians, including 15 children dead and over 360 others injured, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Egyptian state news agency MENA reported that Egypt was exerting efforts to release Palestinian prisoners Khalil Awawdeh and Bassam al Saadi.

*) Senate Democrats pass $740B 'Inflation Reduction Act' package in US

The US Senate has passed a sweeping $430 billion bill intended to fight climate change, lower drug prices and raise some corporate taxes.

Amid Republican efforts to derail the package, the Senate approved the legislation known as the Inflation Reduction Act by a 51-50 party line vote. Vice President Kamala Harris cast the tie-breaking ballot.

That is a major victory for President Joe Biden that Democrats hope will aid their chances of keeping control of Congress in this year's elections.

*) Gustavo Petro sworn in as Colombia’s first leftist president

Gustavo Petro has taken the oath of office as Colombia's first-ever leftist president.

He was sworn in before a crowd of hundreds of thousands of people in Bogota.

Petro takes over from the deeply unpopular Ivan Duque for a four-year term during which he will enjoy support from a left-leaning majority in Congress.

*) Any attack on a nuclear plant in Ukraine 'suicidal' — UN

Any attack on a nuclear plant is "suicidal", United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has warned.

His statement comes after fresh reports suggested shelling hit a huge atomic power complex in southern Ukraine.

The fighting on Friday at the plant has prompted the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency to warn of "the very real risk of a nuclear disaster".

Guterres said "any attack to a nuclear plant is a suicidal thing,” adding that he hopes the “attacks will end."

And finally…

*) UK museum agrees to return looted Benin Bronzes to Nigeria

A London museum has agreed to return a collection of Benin Bronzes looted in the late 19th century from what is now Nigeria.

The decision comes after Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments formally asked for the artefacts to be returned earlier this year.

Since then, cultural institutions throughout Britain have come under pressure to repatriate artefacts acquired during the colonial era.

*) China announces sanctions Pelosi over Taiwan visit: Foreign ministry

China has announced unspecified sanctions on US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for her visit earlier this week to Taiwan.

China is holding huge military drills involving live firing on the waters and in the airspace near Taiwan, which Beijing considers as its own territory, to protest the visit.

Taiwan says Beijing's fighter jets and ships have crossed the median line that runs down the Taiwan Strait, calling China "the evil neighbour next door".

*) Three more ships carrying grain leave Ukrainian ports under landmark deal

Three more ships carrying grain and food items have set out from Ukrainian ports under a recent landmark deal, according to Türkiye’s National Defence Ministry.

The first of them, a Panama-flagged ship, departed for Ireland with 33,000 tonnes of grain on Friday. The second, a Malta-flagged sip, left with 13,000 tonnes of grain for the UK.

The third Türkiye-flagged ship was sailing to the Karasu port in northwestern Türkiye with 12,000 tonnes of grain. All of them will be monitored by the Joint Coordination Centre in Istanbul.

*) Erdogan set to visit Russia for talks with Putin on Syria, Ukraine

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is visiting Russia's coastal city of Sochi to meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

They will evaluate bilateral ties, mainly focusing on economy, trade and energy on Friday. They are also expected to discuss Syria and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

It will be their second in-person meeting in 17 days, after their talks in Tehran. In the Iran capital, they also took part in a trilateral gathering with their Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi.

*) Deadly nightclub fire in Thailand leaves multiple casualties

At least 13 people have been killed and 35 injured when a fire broke out at a nightclub in an eastern province of Thailand.

The cause of the fire is unknown and all victims so far have been identified as Thai nationals, police said on Friday.

The fire at the Mountain B nightclub, about 180 kilometres southeast of the capital Bangkok, started at about 0100 local time, police said.

And finally…

*) Parts of Australia's Great Barrier Reef show record coral cover in 36 years

Two-thirds of Australia's Great Barrier Reef has shown the largest amount of coral cover in 36 years, the Australian Institute of Marine Sciences (AIMS) has reported.

However, the reef remains vulnerable to increasingly frequent mass bleaching.

The recovery in the central and northern stretches of the UNESCO world heritage-listed reef contrasted with the southern region, where there was a loss of coral cover due to crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks.

*) China begins military drills as Taiwan faces Pelosi visit fallout

China's largest-ever military exercises encircling Taiwan have kicked off, in a show of force after a controversial visit to the island state by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Taiwan's military said its forces were closely monitoring the Chinese drills and was prepared for conflict, but would not seek it.

The exercises, which began on Thursday, will be the biggest aimed at Taiwan since 1995, when China fired missiles in a large-scale exercise after a visit by the Taiwanese president to the US.

*) First Ukrainian grain ship leaves Istanbul for Lebanon

The first grain-laden ship to leave Ukraine since the conflict with Russia erupted has passed an inspection in Istanbul and set sail for Libya.

The inspection by a team from the Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) in Istanbul was carried out on Wednesday and lasted over an hour.

The ship, carrying over 26,500 tonnes of corn, left Ukraine’s Odessa on Monday under a landmark deal brokered by Türkiye to resume grain shipments from blockaded Ukrainian ports.

*) Iran, US, EU envoys return to Vienna for revival of nuclear talks

Iran, the United States and the European Union have said they will send representatives to Vienna amid what appears to be a last-ditch effort at reviving the Iran nuclear talks.

The EU official who chairs the talks, Enrique Mora, wrote on Twitter that the negotiations would focus on the most recent draft on restoring the 2015 nuclear agreement.

It wasn't immediately clear from Wednesday's announcement if other parties to the landmark accord would attend the surprise summit.

*) Iraq's Sadr vows to continue parliament sit-in until demands met

Iraqi cleric Muqtada al Sadr has told his supporters to continue their sit-in occupation of the Baghdad Parliament until his demands are met. The demands include early elections and unspecified constitutional changes.

Thousands of followers of the Shia leader stormed the empty parliament building last weekend, staging a sit-in that is ongoing.

The move is a response to attempts by Sadr's Shia Muslim rivals to form a government with prime ministerial candidates that Sadr disapproves of.

And finally…

*) Myanmar announces birth of rare white elephant

A rare white elephant has been born in western Myanmar, state media has said.

Born last month in western Rakhine state, the baby weighs about 80 kilograms and stands roughly 70 centimetres tall.

Historically, white elephants were considered extremely auspicious in Southeast Asian culture, and the region's ancient rulers acquired as many as they could to boost their fortunes.

*) Pelosi stresses 'commitment to Taiwan' amid spiralling China tensions

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says her delegation's visit to Taipei is a show of support for the island, with the trip sparking a furious response from Beijing.

The United States wants Taiwan to always have freedom with security and will not back away from that, Nancy Pelosi has said.

China has announced multiple drills and issued a series of harsh statements after Pelosi landed in Taiwan, a self-ruled island that Beijing considers as its own.

*) West could trigger nuclear war over Ukraine: Russia

Moscow says the conflict in Ukraine does not warrant Russia's use of nuclear weapons.

At a nuclear nonproliferation conference, Russian diplomat Alexander Trofimov has rejected speculations that Russia threatens to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

Trofimov has said Moscow would only use nuclear weapons in response to weapons of mass destruction or a conventional weapons attack that threatened Russia’s existence.

*) UN: Truce in Yemen renewed for two months

Yemen's warring sides have agreed to renew a two-month truce hours before it was due to expire, the United Nations envoy says.

The move “includes a commitment from the parties to intensify negotiations to reach an expanded truce agreement as soon as possible," Hans Grundberg, special envoy for Yemen, has said.

US and Oman officials have also been engaging with parties to back Grundberg's proposal.

*) ​​US warns of Al Qaeda retaliation against Americans after Zawahiri killing

The United States has warned Americans travelling abroad that they face an increased risk of violence after the killing of Al Qaeda chief Ayman al Zawahiri in a US drone strike.

The US State Department urged US citizens to "maintain a high level of vigilance and practise good situational awareness when travelling abroad".

Zawahiri’s killing in Kabul over the weekend dealt the biggest blow to Al Qaeda since the killing of Osama bin Laden in 2011.

*) European Jew buys Hitler’s watch in an auction amidst protests

A Maryland auction house has sold a wristwatch that once belonged to Adolf Hitler for $1.1 million to an anonymous bidder, who is believed to be a European Jew.

Alexander Historical Auctions estimated the value of the watch between $2 and $4 million, describing it as a “World War II relic of historic proportions.” It features the initials “AH” and a swastika.

Jewish leaders and others have objected to the sale this week. But the auction house's president has defended the auction and said the buyer is a European Jew.

*) US kills top Al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahiri

President Joe Biden has announced that Al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahiri has been killed in a US drone strike in Afghanistan.

The president said in an evening address from the White House that US intelligence officials tracked Zawahiri to a home in downtown Kabul where he had been hiding out with his family.

Zawahiri and the better-known Osama bin Laden had together plotted the 9/11 attacks.

Biden said his death delivered justice and hopefully “one more measure of closure” to families of the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

*) Russia uses Ukraine's nuclear plant as 'shield' – US

The US has said Russia is using Ukraine's biggest nuclear power plant as a "nuclear shield" by stationing troops there, preventing Ukrainian forces from returning fire and risking a terrible nuclear accident.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters that "of course the Ukrainians cannot fire back lest there be a terrible accident involving the nuclear plant".

He spoke after nuclear non-proliferation talks at the UN in New York on Monday.

The US also announced a new tranche of weapons for Ukraine's forces fighting Russia, including ammunition for rocket launchers and artillery guns.

*) ​​UN chief warns of 'nuclear annihilation'

UN head Antonio Guterres has warned that a misunderstanding could spark nuclear destruction.

The statement came after the United States, Britain and France urged Russia to stop "its dangerous nuclear rhetoric and behaviour".

Guterres warned that the world faced "a nuclear danger not seen since the height of the Cold War".

*) US Pelosi's 'provocative' Taiwan visit to undermine ties – China

US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan will undermine relations between China and the US, China's UN ambassador has said.

Pelosi is set to visit Taiwan today, three sources said after the US said it would not be intimidated by Chinese warnings to “never sit idly by" if she made it there.

Zhang Jun told a news conference on Monday that "such a visit is apparently very much dangerous, very much provocative".

*) California: Largest blaze of the year claims lives as thousands evacuate

California's largest wildfire this year has claimed two lives after exploding in size over the weekend and forcing thousands to evacuate their homes.

Firefighters in the state's north battled to gain control of the McKinney Fire on Monday.

Whipped up by strong winds and lightning storms, the fire ripped through the state's dry terrain on Sunday.

*) First shipment of Ukraine grain leaves Odessa under Türkiye-brokered deal

As part of a recent deal brokered by Türkiye, the first ship carrying Ukrainian grain has departed from the port of Odessa to Lebanon.

Loaded with corn, the Sierra Leone-flagged dry cargo ship Razoni left Odessa on Monday morning, Türkiye’s Defence Ministry said in a statement.

The ship is carrying over 26,000 tonnes of corn, the Istanbul-based Joint Coordination Centre said.

An earlier statement by the Turkish Defence Ministry said other convoys would follow "along the (maritime) corridors as the "procedures are completed".

*) NATO-led KFOR ready to intervene amid Kosovo-Serbia tensions

NATO's forces in Kosovo are prepared to intervene if stability is endangered in the north of Kosovo, KFOR has said in a press release.

The commander of KFOR is in contact with all of his main interlocutors, as well as Serbian and Kosovar senior defence officials, to calm the tensions, the statement said.

Tensions between Pristina and Belgrade are running high as air raid sirens were heard for more than three hours in the small border town of Mitrovica.

*) ​​UN chief urges de-escalation amid tensions over Iraqi PM nomination

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on Iraqi parties to de-escalate the situation and avoid violence amid tension over the nomination of a new prime minister.

In a statement on Saturday, Guterres’ spokesperson said the UN chief is "following with concern" the ongoing protests in Iraq that left many people injured.

The spokesperson urged Iraqi parties and actors "to rise above their differences and form, through peaceful and inclusive dialogue, an effective national government".

*) Moscow strikes Ukraine's south, drone hits Russian Crimean fleet

Ukraine said the "brutal" shelling by Moscow so far of the southern city Mykolaiv killed a grain tycoon.

Meanwhile, Russia claimed an attack from a drone wounded six personnel at the headquarters of its Black Sea fleet.

Russian bombardment of the eastern town of Bakhmut was intense after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for civilians to leave the frontline Donetsk region.

And finally…

*) Myanmar extends state of emergency for six months

Myanmar military leader Min Aung Hlaing has received the approval of the national defence and security council to extend his rule under a state of emergency for a further six months.

The Global New Light of Myanmar reported on Monday that the period of the declared state of emergency will be extended for another six months.

Myanmar has been in chaos since the coup, with conflict spreading across the Southeast Asian country after the army crushed mostly peaceful protests in cities.

*) Xi warns Biden not to 'play with fire' amid tensions over Taiwan

US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have agreed to schedule their first in-person summit as leaders.

The decision came during a phone call, where Xi warned the United States not to "play with fire" in Taiwan.

In response, Biden reassured Xi that the US policy, known as "strategic ambiguity", was unchanged — essentially favouring the status quo in Taiwan.

Tensions are escalating over the self-ruled island that China considers its own, and there are fears that Xi could ultimately order an invasion to impose Beijing's rule.

*) ​​UK: Russia puts Wagner fighters on frontline duty in eastern Ukraine

Russia has tasked Wagner Group mercenaries to hold sections of the frontline in Ukraine in a sign it is running short of combat infantry, Britain's Ministry of Defence has said.

The ministry said in an intelligence update that Russia is relying more on the forces from its private military company for frontline duties rather than their usual work in special operations.

However, the ministry said the mercenaries are unlikely to make up for the loss of regular infantry units or alter the trajectory of Russia's military campaign in Ukraine.

*) Venezuela, Colombia agree to reestablish diplomatic relations

Venezuela and Colombia will reestablish diplomatic relations at an ambassadorial level when leftist President-elect Gustavo Petro takes office in Bogota in August.

Venezuela's minister of foreign relations, Carlos Faria, hosted Colombia's Foreign Minister-elect Alvaro Leyva in San Cristobal on Thursday.

Leyva read out a statement saying that both men had "expressed their desire to progress…towards the gradual normalisation of bilateral relations."

Relations between the two countries were broken in 2019 after Colombian President Ivan Duque refused to recognise the reelection of his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro.

*) Two foreign climbers ascending Pakistan's peaks announced dead

An Australian and a Canadian mountain climber died last week in northern Pakistan while attempting to scale K2, the world’s second-highest mountain.

Pakistan’s The Dawn newspaper reported earlier this week that the two climbers had been spotted between Camp 1 and Camp 2 on K2 after they both went missing on July 19 in separate incidents.

K2, on the Chinese-Pakistani border in the Karakorum Range, has one of the deadliest records, with most climbers dying on the descent, where the slightest mistake can trigger an avalanche and become fatal.

*) UN resolution recognises right to clean, healthy environment

The UN General Assembly has overwhelmingly approved a resolution recognising the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.

The 193-member world body voted 161-0 on the resolution on Thursday, a move that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called “historic.”

The resolution calls on all nations, international organisations and businesses to scale up efforts to ensure a healthy environment for all people.