*) Tunisia's biggest party ready for elections, warns against 'autocratic regime'

Tunisia's biggest political party, Ennahda, is calling for dialogue after President Kais Saied sacked the prime minister and suspended parliament.

Saied has been accused of launching a coup. But he says he's acting within Tunisia's constitution.

The party's top official said it is ready to go to early legislative and presidential elections while warning against delays as a pretext to maintain the status quo.

*) US police officers testify at first House hearing on Capital riots

A US House select committee has held its first hearing into the deadly attack on the Capitol building in Washington, DC on January 6.

At least five people were killed as a mob of former president Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the building.

Four police officers shared testimony of being attacked while trying to protect the building. Officer Daniel Hodges testified he had no doubt that the rioters were there to kill members of Congress.

*) Landslide kills Rohingya refugees at Cox' Bazar camp

At least six Rohingya refugees, including children, have been killed in a landslide that hit their camp in Bangladesh.

It happened at Cox's Bazar refugee camp, in which more than a million people reside.

Heavy monsoon rains have prompted Bangladeshi authorities to relocate thousands of Rohingya to safer areas.

*) Torrential rain triggers mudslides in towns around Lake Como

Extreme weather continues to grip Europe, this time Italy. Dozens of houses have been hit by mudslides and floods near Lake Como, the popular holiday hotspot.

Houses and villas were submerged in debris in the towns of Laglio, Cernobbio and Brienno.

Italian firefighters carried out more than 60 rescues in the area.

And finally ...

*) Vatican tries former senior cardinal on corruption charges

A landmark fraud trial of ten people has started at the Vatican. It includes a cardinal who was once a close ally of the Pope.

Cardinal Angelo Becciu is the most senior Vatican official to be tried for financial crimes after Pope Francis removed his immunity.

Becciu is accused of misusing Church funds causing the Vatican to lose millions of dollars.

*) Tunisia PM: Will hand over responsibility to whomever the president chooses

Dismissed Tunisian premier Hichem Mechichi has said he will hand over responsibility to whomever the president chooses.

His comments came as clashes erupted outside the army-barricaded parliament after President Kais Saied dismissed Mechichi and suspended parliament for 30 days.

Saied has now imposed a night curfew that will last for at least a month.

The Tunisian president says he's acting within the constitution in suspending parliament but his opponents say it's a coup.

*) Biden says US combat mission in Iraq to conclude by year-end

President Joe Biden has said the US combat mission in Iraq will conclude by the end of the year but will continue to assist Baghdad in its fight against Daesh.

The statement followed a strategic meeting between Biden and the Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al Kadhimi at the White House.

The US has additional concerns about an increase in attacks on its bases and troops in Iraq, assaults that have been linked to Iranian backed militias.

*) At least 57 migrants die in shipwreck off Libyan coast

At least 57 people drowned after a boat capsized off the Libyan coast near Khums, the UN's International Organization for Migration has said.

Survivors said at least 20 women and two children were among those who drowned, IOM spokesperson Safa Msehli said in a tweet.

Hundreds of thousands of people have made the perilous crossing in the last years, many fleeing conflict and poverty in Africa and the Middle East.

*) Koreas restore cross border communications, seek improved ties

North and South Korea said they have restored cross-border communications.

The North cut off all official military and political links with the South last June after activists allegedly sent anti-Pyongyang leaflets over the border.

The leaders of the two Koreas have exchanged letters since April to improve ties, the president’s office said, and agreed to restore the hotlines as the first step.

And finally ...

*) Britney Spears' new lawyer files to remove father's control

Britney Spears’ new attorney has petitioned to oust her father from the conservatorship that has controlled her life and money for 13 years.

Spear’s attorney requested in legal filings that the court replace Jamie Spears with a certified public accountant as the overseer of the singer's finances.

The judge will rule in late September on the bid to remove Jamie Spears from the control of an estate estimated to be worth $60 million.

*) Tunisian president suspends parliament, dismisses PM

Tunisian President Kais Saied says he will assume executive power after suspending parliament and sacking Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi.

​​Parliament Speaker Rached Ghannouchi said Saied's move is nothing but a "full-fledged coup" after soldiers at parliament did not allow him and other lawmakers to enter the building.

Saied's decision comes after violent protests against the government rocked several Tunisian cities amid a spike in Covid-19 infections and a worsening economy.

*) US offers further air support to Afghan troops amid Taliban offensive

The United States will continue to carry out air strikes in support of Afghan forces fighting the Taliban, a regional US commander has said.

US has drawn down troops in recent weeks, prompting an escalation in the Taliban's offensive as it takes rural districts and surrounds provincial capitals.

Meanwhile, the UN said nearly 2,400 Afghan civilians were killed or injured in May and June, warning of an "unprecedented" number of civilian deaths in over a decade.

*) Kidnappers in Nigeria release 28 schoolchildren

Gunmen in northwestern Nigeria who kidnapped 121 students at a high school in early July have released 28 of them, a school official has said.

The attackers stormed Bethel Baptist High School in Kaduna state on July 5, abducting students who were sleeping in their dorms.

Nigerian authorities have attributed the kidnappings to what they call armed bandits seeking ransom payments.

*) Evacuations ordered after two California wildfires converge into one

California's largest wildfire has merged with a smaller blaze and destroyed homes in remote areas where firefighters have limited access.

The Dixie fire gained ground over the weekend and was only 21 percent contained, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said.

Crews battling the California fire that incinerated more than 77,000 hectares are preparing for potential lightning storms triggered by smoke columns.

And finally ...

*) Early honours for Titmus in Olympic pool battle with Ledecky

The Olympics have finally begun.

Highlights from the 2020 Tokyo games so far include 13-year-old Momiji Nishiya winning the inaugural women's skateboarding gold.

Teen swimmer Ahmed Hafnaoui won gold for Tunisia at the 400-metre freestyle while Team USA were beaten by France in a huge Olympic basketball upset.

Meanwhile, organisers reported 16 new Olympics-related coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of cases to 148.

*) Tigray assault on Ethiopia's Afar causes heavy casualties, displacement

At least 20 civilians have been killed and tens of thousands displaced in clashes between rebels and pro-government forces in Ethiopia's Afar region.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops into Tigray last November to oust the region's ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front and fighting has dragged on.

Tigrayan forces have now mounted attacks in neighbouring Afar, marking an expansion of an eight-month-old conflict into a previously untouched area.

*) Pentagon: US carried out recent air strikes to repel Afghan Taliban

The US has carried out air strikes to back the Afghan army's bid to repel the Taliban, as international troops continue to exit Afghanistan.

Pentagon's confirmation of air strikes comes after a top general said the Taliban control half of all district centres.

On Thursday, US General Mark Milley warned that Taliban insurgents appear to have “strategic momentum” in the fight for control of Afghanistan.

*) Madagascar says it foiled bid to assassinate president, six arrested

Madagascar has foiled an attempt to assassinate President Andry Rajoelina, arresting at least six suspects, including two French nationals.

The country’s Public Security Minister said the arrests comprise "a foreigner, two dual nationals and three Madagascans."

Rajoelina was sworn in as president of Madagascar in 2019 after a hard-fought election and a constitutional challenge from his rival.

*) Troubled Tokyo Olympics set to open under Covid cloud

The most troubled Olympics in modern history are finally under way in Tokyo as more participating athletes contract Covid.

Friday's opening ceremony will take place with Japan's capital in a state of emergency.

After a one-year postponement, the Games are facing scandals over officials and fears that the global gathering of athletes will become a colossal super-spreader event.

And finally ...

*) Wolf Alice, Arlo Parks and Ghetts among Mercury Prize nominees

Singer-songwriters Arlo Parks and Celeste, rapper Ghetts and past winner Wolf Alice are among 12 acts in the running for this year's Mercury Prize.

First handed out to rockers Primal Scream in 1992, the annual thirty-four-thousand-dollar ($34,385) British music award shortlists 12 albums released in the United Kingdom in the past year.

Considered less mainstream than the annual BRIT Awards, it is open to all music genres.

*) US says Taliban has 'strategic momentum' in Afghanistan

The Taliban appears to have "strategic momentum" in its Afghanistan offensive but its victory is far from assured, US joint chiefs of staff chairman General Mark Milley has said.

Over the past few months, the Taliban has continued to seize more territory, with fighting intensifying since the withdrawal of most foreign troops.

But the insurgent group has none of Afghanistan's main cities, Milley told a press conference.

*) Cities in China submerged after several rivers burst their banks

At least 33 people have been killed by floods in central and western China. The amount of rainfall in some areas has been at levels expected only once every thousand years.

Zhengzhou city was the worst hit. Images inside a subway shared online in real-time showed water rise to passengers' necks.

At least a dozen people died before rescuers were able to cut survivors free from carriages.

*) Two more athletes test positive, 87 total cases recorded

In Tokyo, two more athletes in the Olympic Village have tested positive for Covid-19.

Organisers say 12 new cases have been recorded overall, bringing the total to 87.

Meanwhile, the opening ceremony show director has been fired after comments he previously made on the Holocaust surfaced.

*) US, Germany agree on completion of Russian gas pipeline

Washington has reached a deal with Berlin to allow the completion of a controversial pipeline that will take gas from Russia directly to Germany.

The agreement over the Nord Stream 2 pipeline means there will be no new US sanctions on any countries or companies working on the project.

US Congress has warned the pipeline could be used as leverage against European allies.

And finally ...

*) Weinstein pleads 'not guilty' to sex crimes charges in LA

Harvey Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to four charges of rape and seven of sexual assault in his second trial, this time in California.

The former Hollywood producer is accused of attacking five women between 2004 and 2013.

If convicted, the charges could bring a sentence of 140 years.

The convicted rapist was extradited to California from New York where he's serving a 23-year prison term for sexual assault and rape.

*) At least 12 killed in flooding in southwestern China

At least 12 people have been killed by floods in central China.

Torrential rain caused riverbanks to burst and left streets in dozens of cities submerged.

China’s military blasted a dam to release floodwaters threatening Henan, one of its most heavily populated provinces. More than 10-thousand people in Henan province have been evacuated.

*) Chancellor Angela Merkel promises government aid within days

German officials are under pressure to explain how one of the world's richest nations was so unprepared for last week's catastrophic flooding.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet will meet on Wednesday to approve a massive relief package to rebuild German regions destroyed in historic flooding and better protect them in future.

The disaster has claimed at least 196 lives across Europe, with many people still missing.

*) Former Trump aide arrested for acting in US as foreign agent

In the United States, a former key aide of Donald Trump has been arrested on charges of secretly acting as a foreign agent.

Tom Barrack is accused of illegally lobbying Trump on behalf of the United Arab Emirates.

The charges include failing to register as a foreign agent, conspiracy, and obstruction of justice.

*) Iran imposes six-day lockdown in Tehran as virus surges

Iran has rolled out its fifth lockdown in Tehran, reporting more than 27,000 new infections and 250 fatalities in the past 24 hours.

The surge is being driven by the highly transmissible Delta variant and a slow vaccine rollout.

A code red warning has been issued for Iran's capital, indicating almost all hospital beds are occupied.

And finally ...

*) Olympic Games kick off with softball in Fukushima

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics kicked off with a women's softball match between Japan and Australia.

The host nation beat the Aussies 8-1 in five innings.

The event took place two days before the official opening ceremony of Tokyo 2020 and was held without spectators due to pandemic related restrictions.

*) More than 30 killed in suicide attack in Baghdad's Sadr City

A suicide attack in Iraq's capital, Baghdad, has killed at least 35 people and wounded dozens more on the eve of the Muslim Eid al Adha festival.

The explosion hit a crowded market in Baghdad's Shia-majority suburb Sadr City, where shoppers were buying food for festivities.

At least seven children were among the dead in what appears to be the deadliest bombing in Baghdad in six months.

*) Suspected rocket attack on Afghan presidential palace: local media

At least two rockets were fired in Afghanistan's capital at the presidential palace ahead of a speech by President Ashraf Ghani.

The rockets, fired at around 8 am Afghanistan time were heard across the fortified Green Zone that houses the palace and several embassies.

There were no immediate reports of injuries. President Ghani and others in the vicinity continued with Eid prayers despite multiple loud explosions, TV channels reported.

*) Peru socialist Castillo confirmed president after battle over results

Pedro Castillo [castiyo] has been declared the winner of Peru's presidential election, defeating politician Keiko Fujimori by 44,000 votes.

The country's electoral authority released the official results on Monday evening, more than a month after the run-off election took place.

During his campaign, Castillo, a union leader and teacher, pledged to redraft the constitution and hike taxes on mining firms.

*)US, allies blame China for malicious hacks, Microsoft cyberattack

The US, UK and EU have accused China of carrying out a major cyber-attack earlier this year.

At least 30,000 organisations were affected globally in the attack targeting Microsoft Exchange servers. Western security services called the incident a smash-and-grab raid.

On Tuesday, Chinese authorities denied the accusations, calling them "groundless" and "irresponsible".

And finally ...

*) Muslims around the world are celebrating Eid al Adha

Muslims around the world are celebrating the first day of Eid al Adha, with coronavirus restrictions still in place.

This eid or the “Feast of Sacrifice,” is marked by communal prayers, social gatherings and, for some, the slaughtering of livestock to give meat to the poor.

But the holiday comes as many countries battle the Delta variant, prompting some to impose new restrictions.