Daily News Brief for Friday, February 15th:

*)Turkey, Russia, Iran outline road map for Syria

Turkey’s President Erdogan says a solution to the eight-year war in Syria is closer than it has been before.

Erdogan was speaking at a meeting in Sochi with his Russian and Iranian counterparts.

The three leaders agreed to work on a new constitution for Syria as well as rid it of terrorists.

*)Kashmir car bombing tests India Pakistan relations

India and Pakistan's troubled ties are being tested after New Delhi blamed Islamabad for harbouring militants behind the deadliest bombing in three decades of bloodshed in India-administered Kashmir.

Over 40 paramilitary troops were killed on Thursday in a suicide attack on a troop convoy.

Kashmir has been split between India and Pakistan since independence in 1947 with the nuclear-armed neighbours each claiming it as their own.

*)Maduro dismisses aid but open to discussion

The crisis in Venezuela took an unexpected turn on Thursday when President Nicolas Maduro said his government was in secret contact with the US administration. Beyond the possibility of further talks, the substance of the talks is not yet known.

The crisis was triggered in late January when opposition leader Juan Guaido named himself interim president with US backing.

*)Trump ups ante in battle for border wall

Boxed in by the US Congress, President Trump now says he'll declare a national emergency to get funding for his border wall.

The president's latest move comes after Congress passed a bipartisan resolution to keep the government open with minimal money for a wall.

Trump is expected to sign the bill after the negative fallout from his first shut down of the government over wall funding.

*)Chicago police dispute reports 'Empire' actor attack a hoax

And finally,

Chicago police are denying media reports that an attack on actor Jussie Smollet was staged.

Chicago's ABC7 television is reporting that Smollet staged being physically assaulted because he was being written out of the show ‘Empire’.

Producers of the hit Fox drama are also disputing reports that Smollett's character is being written off.

Daily News Brief for Thursday, February 14th:

*)US House votes to end support for Yemen war

The US-controlled House has voted to end American involvement in the war in Yemen.

The US is supporting the Saudi-led coalition fighting Iran-backed Houthis in a proxy war that has become a humanitarian catastrophe.

The Republican-controlled Senate could also back the resolution given the level of bipartisan revulsion at ongoing US involvement in the war.

However President Trump is a staunch Saudi ally and has threatened to veto the bill.

*)Suicide bomber targets Iran's Revolutionary Guard

A suicide car bombing on a Revolutionary Guards bus in southeastern Iran has killed at least 27 soldiers.

The Jaish al Adl militant group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Tehran linked the attack to ongoing US attempts to isolate Iran.

*)Google, Apple face pressure to pull app that monitors Saudi women

Activists are urging Google and Apple to remove from online stores a Saudi government app that allows men to monitor women.

The Absher app lets men give or revoke permission for their wives and female relatives to travel internationally and get text messages.

Campaigners say it's yet another sign of the repression and abuse of women in the kingdom.

*)US knuckles down on Venezuela

In the latest on the Venezuelan crisis, Trump heads to Miami on Monday when he's expected to voice support for opposition leader Juan Guaido.

The head of Congress has named himself interim president in defiance of President Nicolas Maduro.

Dozens have died in street protests on both sides in support of their preferred leader.

*)NASA bids adieu to Opportunity

And finally,

NASA has said goodbye to Opportunity, its trusty Mars rover.

The rover was originally designed to sniff about Mars for three months.

It ended up sending back data to Earth for 15 years.

But engineers lost contact with the little robot last June, and yesterday finally pulled the plug on its amazing mission.

TRT World’s Daily News Brief for Wednesday, February 13th:

*)El Chapo found guilty

Mexican drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman is facing life in prison after a US jury convicted him on multiple counts.

But his notorious Sinaloa cartel seems unfazed.

Experts say it's business as usual as drugs flow into the US from south of the border.

*)Hundreds flee battle for last Daesh stronghold in Syria

The YPG-dominated SDF battling to capture Daesh's last major stronghold in Syria is making measured progress.

That’s according to the US-led coalition backing them.

Hundreds of civilians are now fleeing the battle in eastern Deir Azzor province.

*)Missing Uighurs' kin want 'proof of life' videos

Uighur Muslims worldwide are calling on China to release videos proving their relatives, thought to be in internment centres, are alive.

The campaign is running with the hashtag #MeTooUyghur.

It follows the release by China of a video purporting to show famed Uighur musician Abdurehim Heyit alive after reports of his death in detention.

*)Australia to reopen Christmas island detention camp

Australia is reopening a controversial offshore migrant detention centre on Christmas Island, south of Indonesia.

The move comes after the government lost a vote in parliament to prevent asylum seekers from getting medical treatment in Australia.

A dozen refugees have already died in two offshore camps and a number have attempted suicide, including children.

*)Wire Fox Terrier is Westminster's 'Best in Show'

And finally,

A wire fox terrier called King has won 'Best in Show' at this year's Westminster Kennel Show in New York.

It's the 15th win for the adorable breed.

'King' beat about 3,000 of his tail-wagging friends from all 50 US states and 14 countries to take the crown.

Daily News Brief for Tuesday, February 12th:

*)US lawmakers reach deal on border wall funding

US lawmakers have reached a deal in principle to fund Trump’s border wall, but it's not what he'd hoped for.

Republicans tentatively agreed to $1.4 billion, far less than the $5.7 billion the president demanded.

The two sides are trying to agree on a deal that would placate Trump and prevent a second shut down of the US government.

*)Delhi hotel fire kills 17

A fire in a New Delhi hotel has killed at least 17 people and left four others injured.

The fire broke out at a budget hotel in a congested part of India’s capital.

The cause is not yet known, but authorities said there was a "clear case of negligence" as building codes are often ignored.

*)Bahrain refugee football player freed by Thailand, heads home

Footballer Hakeem al Araibi has returned to Australia, ending a two-month ordeal in a Thai prison. The threat of extradition to his native Bahrain is now over.

Authorities in Bahrain accused Araibi of crimes during the 2011 Arab uprisings.

The footballer fled in 2014 and was given refugee status by Australia.

*)Aid becomes flashpoint in Venezuela crisis

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido says a small first cargo of humanitarian aid has entered the country.

The move comes despite a pledge from President Nicolas Maduro to prevent aid crossing the border.

Since Guaido declared himself interim president on January 23, at least 40 people have died in street protests by both sides.

*)Winter arrives at Game of Thrones hotel

And finally,

If you need a Game of Thrones fix before the final season airs in April, then head to Finland.

You can now book a stay at the Game of Thrones Ice Hotel, built by HBO Nordic in Lapland.

Dine out in Frozen Winterfell, then turn in for the night - surrounded by the army of the dead.

Daily News Brief for Monday, February 11th:

*)China releases footage purportedly of Uighur poet

China has released a video it says shows that Uighur artist and activist Abdurehim Heyit is alive.

The video could not be authenticated but came after reports that the revered poet and singer had died in a Chinese detention camp.

Turkey is leading international calls for China to close the so-called 're-education camps' in the country's far west.

UN experts believe close to a million Uighurs and other Turkic language-speaking minorities may have been detained.

*)US says its troops will soon start leaving Syria

A top US general says the withdrawal of American troops from Syria is just weeks away.

General Joseph Votel made the comment after the Wall Street Journal reported that the US military is planning to withdraw all ground troops by the end of April.

*)Venezuelan crisis shows no sign of resolution

The political crisis in Venezuela continues with each side looking for ways to bolster its position.

Reuters is reporting that the state oil company is calling on customers to funnel oil sales through a Russian bank to avoid US sanctions.

Analysts see continued military support for President Nicolas Maduro as key to his tenure.

But a second ranking officer has now defected to the camp of opposition leader Juan Guaido.

*)Sudanese forces break up women's protest with tear gas

Sudanese security forces have used tear gas to break up a large protest of mostly women.

The demonstrations were against the detention of women who were arrested at previous protests.

The protests are part of a wider movement calling on President Omar al Bashir to step down.

*)Cardi B makes Grammy history

And finally,

Cardi B has made Grammy history by becoming the first solo female rapper to win best rap album award.

Childish Gambino was the night's big winner, bagging four awards, including best music video and best rap/sung performance.

Daily News Brief for Friday, February 8th:

*)UN report blames Saudi for Khashoggi murder

The UN says journalist Jamal “Khashoggi was the victim of a brutal and premeditated killing…” committed by “the state of Saudi Arabia.”

UN investigator Agnes Callamard's initial report says Saudi Arabia “undermined” Turkey’s prompt efforts to investigate the crime.

Khashoggi was killed in Istanbul on October 2; intelligence agencies believe crown prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the hit.

Callamard’s final report will be presented in June.

*)First aid shipment blocked from entering Venezuela

The first trucks carrying humanitarian aid for Venezuela are stuck at the border with Colombia.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro called the US aid a “cheap and bad show”.

But, opposition leader Juan Guaido, who is backed by the US and EU, is determined to allow foreign help into the financially-strapped country.

Protestors on both sides of the border are demanding the trucks be allowed to cross the bridge connecting the two countries.

*)Emiliano Sala’s body identified

Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala’s body has been identified after it was recovered from a plane wreck.

Sala was on his way from France to make his debut for Premier League side Cardiff City when his plane vanished over the English Channel.

Pilot David Ibbotson is still missing.

*)Yemen’s warring sides to remove forces from Hudaida

The UN says an agreement has been reached by Yemen's government and Houthis.

Forces from both sides will be redeployed from the key port city of Hudaida.

The warring sides are attending talks in Jordan’s capital Amman.

*)Amazon boss accuses National Enquirer of blackmail

And finally,

Amazon boss Jeff Bezos is accusing the National Enquirer of attempting to blackmail him.

Bezos says the tabloid is threatening to publish "intimate photos" of him if he doesn’t end an investigation into how they accessed messages he sent his girlfriend.

Bezos, who’s anti-Trump, says the Enquirer’s story on his extra-marital affair, is politically motivated.

The National Enquirer is already under scrutiny for helping pay hush money to women Trump allegedly had affairs with.

Daily News Brief for Thursday, February 7th:

*)UN warns against politicising Venezuela aid

The UN has warned the United States not to use humanitarian aid for political purposes in Venezuela.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has blocked shipments from entering the country. He said aid is a precursor for an invasion in support of the opposition.

Opposition leader Juan Guaido earlier urged for international aid to be allowed into Venezuela as the country grapples with poverty and medical shortages.

*)Trump foresees eliminating Daesh in Syria by next week

US President Donald Trump says complete victory over the Daesh Caliphate in Iraq and Syria will soon be announced by next week.

Speaking to 74 countries and five organisations that form the Global Coalition to defeat Daesh, Trump asked for more contributions to be made towards the cause.

Earlier, the CIA suggested Daesh still command thousands of fighters in Syria.

*)Sri Lanka to resume executions

Sri Lanka's President Maithripala Sirisena says a 42-year moratorium on state executions will end within two months with the hanging of five drug convicts.

The president made the announcement months after vowing to crack down on the country’s spiralling narcotics-linked crimes.

Sri Lankan criminals are given death sentences for murder, rape and drug-related crimes, but sentences have been commuted to life jail.

*)It’s only going to get hotter

The past four years might have been the hottest in recorded history, but not for long. Scientists predict it's only going to get hotter.

A new study by the US, UK and the World Meteorological Organization says increasing temperatures are a clear sign of long-term climate change.

The study confirms global warming is a man-made crisis, mostly caused by the burning of fossil fuels.

*)Roaring to life! Taronga Zoo welcomes new bundles of joy

And finally,

Taronga Zoo in Australia has new residents — three Sumatran tiger cubs.

There are fewer than 400 of the critically-endangered big cats left in the wild.

There’s hope the birth of the cubs will help preserve the species.

The cubs are expected to make their first public appearance in late March.