*)Turkey, US agree on 120-hour pause in Syria operation

Turkey paused military Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria to give YPG five days to leave the border area.
The pause came into effect after a meeting between Turkish President Erdogan and US Vice President Pence in Ankara.
Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglu reiterated Ankara will end Operation Peace Spring only after YPG/PKK terrorists leave the safe-zone area.

*)Boris Johnson gets Brexit deal; next hurdle is Parliament

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pulled off a new divorce deal from EU leaders, paving the way for his promise for an October 31 Brexit.
Although Johnson returned home from EU with a victory, he may face defeat in the parliament, where he has no majority.
If the deal does not pass the House of Commons, Johnson will have to ask the EU to delay Brexit, which he said he will not do.

*)Protests spread across Lebanon over proposed new taxes

At least two foreign workers choked to death from a fire set during protests in Lebanon’s capital, Beirut.
Demonstrators set tires on fire, some of them ripping out billboards to toss them into the rising flames to protest the government’s new tax plans.
Security forces fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of protesters around the government headquarters in Beirut.

*)Street fires erupt in Barcelona in fourth day of Catalan protests

Thousands gathered in Barcelona on the fourth day of protests –– the worst that Spain has seen on the streets in decades..
Separatists hurled Molotov cocktails, burned barricades and clashed with police in the city centre.
Demonstrations erupted after Catalan leaders were sentenced to lengthy jail terms for their roles in the 2017 bid for independence.

And finally,

*)Life on Mars: Designers reveal Martian clothing, habitat

Is there life on Mars? One day there may be, should international space agencies’ plans come to fruition.
Sending humans to the Red Planet isn’t just a new frontier for scientists, it’s also one for designers.
Designers in the UK are showcasing what those Martians might wear and how they might live, at a new exhibit called “Moving to Mars” in London.

*)Trump says PKK 'probably worse at terror' than Daesh

The PKK terror group is "probably" a bigger terror threat than Daesh, US President Donald Trump said.
Trump's comments came as Turkish forces continue their offensive in northern Syria against YPG/PKK and Daesh.
President Erdogan will meet US State Secretary Pompeo and Vice President Pence in Ankara to discuss Operation Peace Spring.

*)Saudi bus crash kills at least 35 foreign pilgrims

At least 35 foreigners were killed and four others injured when a bus crashed with a heavy vehicle in the Saudi city Medina.
The victims were mostly Arab and Asian pilgrims, local media said, sharing images of the bus engulfed in flames and with its windows blown out.
The injured have been transferred to Al Hamna Hospital.

*)Brexit in the balance as key Johnson ally rejects deal

A Brexit deal was thrown into disarray just hours before an EU summit on Thursday.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s key ally, the Northern Irish DUP refused to support a draft compromise on the Irish border issue.
The two-day summit is due to begin later today, but the Brexit issue could be delayed to Friday if the deal's text needs more work.

*)Opposition protests suspend Hong Kong assembly session

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam was again forced from the legislative chamber because of protests on Thursday by opposition members.
The disruption followed a bloody attack on a leader of the nearly 5-month-old protest movement.
A day earlier, Lam was forced to abandon an annual policy address in the chamber, later delivering it by television.

And finally,

*)Scientists in Hawaii discovered why whales blow bubbles

University of Hawaii researchers released what they called “groundbreaking” footage of humpback whales off south-east Alaska.
The images –– captured from an aerial drone and the whale's point-of-view –– show how some whales use bubbles to optimise their consumption of prey by creating 'bubble nets'.
Researchers said seeing the bubble nets up close will shed light on how humpback whales interact with their environment.

*)Turkey 'can never declare ceasefire' in northern Syria

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has rejected a call from US President Donald Trump to declare a ceasefire in northern Syria.
He said Turkey's operation in northern Syria will continue until all of its objectives are met and that he is not worried about sanctions.
Meanwhile, Turkish forces have killed a total of 637 YPG/PKK terrorists as part of Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria.

*)Japan typhoon death toll climbs to 74

Rescue workers in Japan continue to search for the missing as the death toll from Typhoon Hagibis rises to 74.
Twelve people are missing and more than 220 injured after scores of rivers burst their banks across the country.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said the government would spend $6.5 million to facilitate disaster relief.

*)Brexit talks don't get breakthrough, continue on summit eve

European Union and British negotiators failed to reach a breakthrough in Brexit talks during a frantic all-night session.
They will continue seeking a compromise on the eve of Thursday's crucial EU summit.
It was still unclear if London could avoid postponing its departure due on October 31.
The bloc said it might be possible to strike a divorce deal by Thursday's EU leaders' summit but the British government must make more compromises.

*)Hong Kong leader delivers speech via video

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam delivered her annual policy speech by video link after lawmakers prevented her from doing so in the Legislative Council.
In the speech, Lam said that Hong Kong is going through "major crisis".
She was earlier stopped twice from delivering her speech in the chamber, where pro-democracy lawmakers are urging her to step down.

And finally,

*)Performers gather in South Korea for K-pop festival

Thousands of artists from around the world have gathered in South Korea’s Changwon city to take part in K-Pop World Festival.
Some 6,400 teams from more than 80 countries have entered the competition, with 13 groups from places as diverse as Kuwait and Madagascar.
K-pop – along with K-drama soap operas – has been one of South Korea's most successful cultural exports to date.

*)US imposes new sanctions on Turkey over Syria operation

The US Treasury Department announced sanctions on two Turkish ministers and three senior government officials over Turkey’s anti-terror operation in Syria.
Ministers of national defence, energy and natural resources, and interior face blocking of properties if any and having trade relations in the US.
Meanwhile, a total of 595 YPG/PKK terrorists have been killed since the beginning of Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria last week.

*)At least 67 die in Japan’s Typhoon Hagibis aftermath

At least 67 people have been killed by Typhoon Hagibis across Japan as rescuers search for survivors for the third day.
Fifteen people also remain missing after the typhoon smashed into central and eastern Japan.
The highest toll was in Fukushima where at least 18 people were killed, including a mother and her child who were caught in flood waters.

*)Hailing ‘new revolution,’ outsider Saied is elected Tunisia’s president

Kais Saied who wants to remake national politics won a landslide victory in Tunisia’s presidential election which he hailed as “new revolution.”
Saied won 73 percent of the votes, according to preliminary official results by the election commission.
The 61-year-old retired law professor wants to introduce an experimental form of direct democracy in the country which started “Arab Spring” in 2011.

*)India restores post-paid cellphone services in restive Kashmir

India partially restored cellphone services in Kashmir, more than two months after downgrading the region’s semi-autonomy.
People in Indian-administered Kashmir have been living under a military and communication lockdown for two months.
People in Kashmir said having no lines of communication for the past two months was akin to living in the Stone Age.

And finally,

*)Margaret Atwood and Bernardine Evaristo joint winners Booker Prize

Rule-breaking Booker Prize judges refused to name one winner for the prestigious fiction trophy this year.
Canadian writer Margaret Atwood and British author Bernardine Evaristo jointly won the Booker Prize in a surprize double-award.
Atwood previously won the prize in 2000 with “The Blind Assassin” while Evaristo becomes first black woman to win it.
The award honours “the best novel of the year written in English in the UK and Ireland.”

Turkey kills 550 YPG/PKK terrorists in Operation Peace Spring, and Vietnam blocks DreamWorks' 'Abominable' film over South China Sea map

This is TRT World’s Daily News Brief for Monday, October 14th.

Turkey kills 550 terrorists in Syria operation

A total of 550 PKK/PYD-YPG terrorists have been killed since the start of Turkey's anti-terror operation in northern Syria, the National Defence Ministry said.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of Defense Esper said the US president has ordered the evacuation of about 1,000 US troops from northern Syria.

Ankara launched its operation in the east of the Euphrates River to clear the area of terrorist groups and ensure the return of Syrian refugees.

Japan searches for missing after Typhoon Hagibis

Rescue operations in Japan search for missing people after Typhoon Hagibis left at least 36 people dead.

The typhoon unleashed torrents of rain and strong winds on Saturday which damaged thousands of homes on Japan's main island.

Authorities warn that more mudslides are possible with rain forecasted for the affected area during the day.

Poland's governing party declares victory in divided nation

Poland's conservative governing Law and Justice party won Sunday's election in the deeply divided nation.
The exit poll, conducted by research firm Ipsos, projected that Law and Justice won 43.6 percent of the votes.

Centrist pro-European Union umbrella group Civic Coalition would come in second with 27.4 percent, the poll said.

Ecuador president, indigenous people strike deal to end protests

President Lenin Moreno and leaders of Ecuador's indigenous people struck a deal to end nearly two weeks of protests.

Under the agreement, Moreno will withdraw the IMF-backed package that included a sharp rise in fuel costs.

Indigenous leaders, in turn, will call on their followers to end protests and street blockades.

And finally,

Vietnam pulls DreamWorks' 'Abominable' over South China Sea map
Vietnam has pulled the animated DreamWorks film "Abominable" from cinemas over a scene featuring a South China Sea map.

On the map, there is a U-shaped line, which is used to illustrate China’s claims over vast expanses of the resource-rich sea.

China and Vietnam have been locked in a months-long standoff in the disputed sea after China conducted an energy survey within waters controlled by Vietnam in early July.

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

Turkey kills 49 more YPG/PKK terrorists in northern Syria operation, and Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed wins 2019 Nobel Peace Prize

This is TRT World’s Daily News Brief for Friday, October 11th.

At least 277 terrorists killed in Turkey’s Syrian operation

Turkish armed forces killed 49 more YPG/PKK terrorists during overnight strikes in northern Syria, Turkey’s Defence Ministry said in a statement.

The total number of terrorists killed since the start of Operation Peace Spring now stands at 277, while one Turkish soldier was killed.

Ankara’s operation aims to neutralise terror threats against Turkey and establish a safe zone in the region to ensure the return of Syrian refugees.

Iran says two missiles struck oil tanker, causing explosion - state TV

An explosion damaged an Iranian oil tanker traveling through the Red Sea near Saudi Arabia, Iranian media reported.

State television said the explosion damaged two storerooms aboard the unnamed oil tanker and caused an oil leak into the Red Sea.

ISNA news agency quoted an anonymous source with direct knowledge of the incident while others relied on an online news report for their stories.

Typhoon Hagibis to hit Tokyo over holiday weekend

A powerful typhoon is advancing toward the Tokyo area, where torrential rains are expected this weekend.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said Typhoon Hagibis was in the Pacific advancing north-northwestward toward Japan's main island.

Up to 30 inches of rain was forecast south and west of Tokyo. The capital region may see 60cm of rain from Saturday morning to Sunday morning.

Sudan appoints first female judiciary head to fight corruption

Sudan appoints a woman as the head of its judiciary for the first time in the history of the country, the ruling Transitional Sovereignty Council said.

Supreme Court Judge Nemat Abdullah Khair was nominated by the judges' professional association.

Taj Elsir Ali, a former prosecutor and lawyer, was named as the public prosecutor, a government statement said.

Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed wins 2019 Nobel Peace Prize

And finally,

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed won the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize for his peacemaking efforts with Eritrea.

Ethiopia and Eritrea, longtime foes who fought a border war from 1998 to 2000, restored relations in July 2018 after years o f hostility.

The $917,000 prize money will be presented in Oslo on December 10.
And that’s your daily news brief from TRT World ... for more, head to TRTWorld.com.

*)Turkey launches anti-terror operation in Syria

Turkey's President Erdogan announced the launch of Operation Peace Spring against terrorists, in northern Syria.
Turkey’s Defence Ministry said the initial goals of the operation, that aims to establish a peace corridor and relocate Syrian refugees, were achieved.
Earlier, Turkey’s air strikes and artillery hit 181 terror targets in northern Syria following which ground forces also began their operations after crossing into Syria.

*)Democrat Biden calls for Trump’s impeachment

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden called for President Donald Trump’s impeachment, saying he betrayed the US.
Biden had refrained from making an outright plea for the move, saying the Congress would do its job on impeachment.
Trump maintains his decision of not cooperating with an ongoing impeachment inquiry, that followed a whistleblower's complaint into his dealings with Ukraine.

*)Ennahda wins Tunisian parliamentary election

Tunisia’s Ennahda party will be the largest party in the country's new parliament, preliminary official results said.
Ennahda may struggle to build a governing coalition having won only 52 of 217 seats in parliament with the Heart of Tunisia party coming in second with 38 members.
Results of the low-turnout vote appear to underscore Tunisians' dissatisfaction with the major parties amid chronic economic problems in the country.

*)US-China trade talks to resume amid low expectations

The first minister-level meetings in more than two months between the United States and China are set to begin amid low expectations.
President Donald Trump said the outcome was down to him, as markets expect Beijing to propose a partial deal to prevent further escalation.
US duties on $250 billion in Chinese imports are due to rise in five days while relations deteriorated through the past week.

And finally,

*)Saudi rules women can join armed forces

Saudi Arabia announced it would allow women to serve in the armed forces as it embarks on a broad programme of social reforms.
The move is one of the latest steps to improve the country’s image, that also include allowing women to drive and travel without a male “guardian”.
However, rights groups also criticise the kingdom for cracking down on women activists.