Wednesday, October 17, 2018



Turkey steps up its investigation of Khashoggi's disappearance, and Syria’s Raqqa is still in ruins a year after Daesh were driven from the city.

This is TRT World’s Daily News Brief for Wednesday, October 17th.

Turkish police expect to search Saudi consul general's residence

We're starting with the Khashoggi case, and Turkish police are expected to search the residence of Saudi Arabia's consul general in Istanbul for evidence of the journalist's disappearance.

The consul general is reported to have left the country on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, US state secretary Mike Pompeo is in Ankara where he's briefing Turkish officials on his talks with Saudi leaders.

They deny any knowledge of what happened to the prominent government critic.

Israeli rocket fires kills Palestinian

At least one Palestinian has been killed and three injured after Israel launched air strikes on the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli military said the strikes were in response to rockets fired from Palestinian territory that hit a building and injured several people.

Israel has also shut all its border crossings into Gaza.

Raqqa is still in ruins a year after Daesh driven from the city

Syria now, and it's been one year since US-backed coalition forces took control of the city of Raqqa from Daesh.

US air strikes destroyed most of the city during the fight, and today, a lot of it is still in ruins, with thousands of civilian deaths unaccounted for.

The city was captured from Daesh by the SDF. The SDF is a US-backed coalition led by the YPG, which is linked to the PKK terror group.

Canada legalises marijuana

Canada has become the second country in the world to legalise the sale of marijuana for recreational use nationwide.

In some places, customers lined up at midnight as weed shops were allowed to open across the country.

Canada follows Uruguay in legalising recreational pot use.

Warriors begin new NBA campaign with solid win



And finally,

Basketball, and the Golden State Warriors have opened the defence of their NBA title with a victory at home over Oklahoma City.

Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant were dominant in Oakland in the 108-100 win.

The Warriors are looking for a fourth NBA title in five seasons.

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

Tuesday, October 16, 2018



Riyadh is reported to be set to admit it killed Jamal Khashoggi, and Australia considers moving its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

This is TRT World’s Daily News Brief for Tuesday, October 16th.

Reports say Saudi Arabia preparing to admit killing Khashoggi

US media are reporting that Saudi Arabia is set to admit it killed journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

They're reporting that Riyadh will say the prominent government critic was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul during a botched interrogation.

Khashoggi has not been seen since he entered the consular building two weeks ago.

Truce appears to be holding in Syria’s Idlib province

The deadline for terror groups to leave the demilitarised zone in Syria's Idlib province passed at midnight on Monday, with the ceasefire so far holding.

However, observers in the region say hard-line anti-regime rebels have yet to leave in line with the terms of the truce.

Turkey and Russia agreed on the deal nearly a month ago to try to prevent further bloodshed, in the last major rebel and opposition stronghold in Syria.

Australia considers moving its embassy to Jerusalem

Australia is considering moving its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he is open to the move, but would not change Australia's policy of support for a Palestinian state.

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen dies of cancer

Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft, died Monday at the age of 65.

He passed away in his home city, Seattle, which is also the home of the company he founded with Bill Gates.

From its humble origins in the late 1970s, the Microsoft operating system has gone on to change, well, pretty much everything.

Allen was also a philanthropist. Over his life, he gave more than $2 billion to education, science, technology, conservation and communities.

New NBA season gets underway



And finally,

The new NBA season gets underway tonight.

Reigning champions the Golden State Warriors take on Oklahoma City, and the Boston Celtics are hosting Philadelphia.

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

Monday, October 15, 2018



Saudi Arabia agrees to Turkish officials entering its Istanbul consulate in the Khashoggi case, and Harvard University is taken to court over accusations of racial bias.

This is TRT World’s Daily News Brief for Monday, October 15th.

Saudia Arabia okays investigation of its Istanbul consulate

Saudi Arabia has granted Turkish authorities permission to search the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, in the case of missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The search was set to begin on Monday afternoon.

The move comes after Turkey's President Erdogan spoke to Saudi Arabia's King Salman on Sunday.

Jordan and Syria reopen a key border crossing

Jordan and Syria have reopened the Nassib border crossing.

Before it closed in 2015, Nassib was a crucial trade route between Jordan and Syria.

It was also a transit route to other countries, including Turkey, Lebanon and Gulf nations.

UN says action needed in Yemen to prevent mass starvation

The United Nations says if action isn't taken within three months, Yemen will suffer its worst famine in a century.

The UN says 13 million people are on the brink of starvation.

Yemen is in the grip of a civil and regional proxy war that pits a Saudi-led coalition backing the government-in-exile against Iran-linked rebels.

Midnight Monday is latest Idlib deadline

Midnight on Monday is the deadline for terror groups to leave the demilitarised zone in Syria's Idlib province.

It's the last part of the country still controlled by anti-regime fighters.

The demilitarised zone was set up by Turkey and Russia in a bid to prevent further bloodshed in the region.

Harvard University faces discrimation lawsuit



And finally,

One of the world's best-known universities, Harvard, in the US, is facing court over accusations that it discriminates against Asian-Americans.

The outcome of the trial could influence the use of ethnicity as a factor in college admission decisions.

Critics of the suit say a win by the plaintiffs could be a blow for affirmative action.

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

*Turkish court orders release of US Pastor Andrew Brunson

A Turkish court in Izmir has ordered the release of US Pastor Andrew Brunson.

Brunson was arrested two years ago on charges of espionage, which he denied.

His detention had added to current tensions in Turkish US relations.

*Washington Post says video and audio exist of Khashoggi murder

The Washington Post is reporting that the Turkish government has told US officials that it has audio and video recordings that prove journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul last week.

The Saudi critic went missing on October 2nd, after he entered the consular building.

*Africa's youngest billionaire has been kidnapped

Africa's youngest billionaire has been kidnapped in Tanzania.

43-year-old Mohammed Dewji [Dow-Jee] was abducted outside a hotel gym in the country's capital, Dar es Salaam.

Police are searching for the missing billionaire. They say they don't know yet who took him or why.

*Landslides in Uganda kill at least 34

At least 34 people have been killed in a landslide on the slopes of Mount Elgon in eastern Uganda.

The area is close to the border with Kenya. It's prone to landslides and there have been several similar accidents in recent years.

*Space crew survives crash landing after launch

A Russian cosmonaut and a US astronaut have survived the failure of their rocket after it malfunctioned after launch.

They pair blasted off from a Russian launch site in Kazakhstan.

They were headed to the International Space Station, and are lucky to be alive, after returning to earth in an escape pod.

*MBS allegedly ordered operation against Khashoggi

The Washington Post is reporting that Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved an operation to lure dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi back to the country to detain him.

The prominent Riyadh critic hasn't been seen since he walked into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2.

Turkey fears he was murdered.

*Indonesia ends search for earthquake, tsunami dead

A fresh earthquake of magnitude 6 hit Indonesia on Thursday, killing at least three people on the islands of Bali and Java.

It comes as officials are calling off the search for survivors of a devastating quake and tsunami that hit the island of Sulawesi two weeks ago.

That tremor and its aftermath killed over 2,000 people, with some 5,000 still missing.

*Wall Street slumps, world markets follow suit

Asian share markets sank on Thursday after Wall Street suffered its worst drubbing in eight months.

US markets are jittery after a record bull run, and concerns about inflation.

The question everybody is asking is whether the current slump is the start of a real drop off, or whether, like February, the bull will recover and continue to run.

*Hurricane Michael pounds Florida

The most powerful storm to hit Florida since 1851 has now weakened as it passes through neighbouring Georgia.

Hurricane Michael killed at least one person in Florida, after it hit the southern US state with winds of around 200 kmh.

Florida, Georgia, Alabama and North Carolina have all declared emergencies.

*Celebs encourage fans to vote in US midterms

Musician Rihanna is the latest celebrity to call on her fans to vote in US midterm elections.

Taylor Swift, Chance the Rapper and John Legend earlier joined in the political fray.

Democrats and Republicans are battling for control of the House and Senate on November 6, but the real prize is the Trump agenda.

*
Turkish officials to search Saudi consulate in Istanbul

Turkish officials will search the Saudi consulate in Istanbul for missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The government critic went missing after entering the consulate building last Tuesday.

Turkish authorities fear the dissident journalist was murdered inside the building.

Riyadh says he left the consulate alive.

*Nikki Haley resigns as US ambassador to the UN

Donald Trump has lost another high profile member of his administration.

US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley has resigned after two years on the job.

She says she needs a break.

*Taiwan vows to stand firm against China

To Taiwan now, and President Tsai Ing-wen has vowed to boost security, saying her government will not submit to China.

Tsai was speaking on October 10, Independence day on the self-ruled island and multi-party democracy which broke with China in 1949 at the end of the civil war.

Beijing considers Taiwan a renegade province that will one day rejoin China.

*Kenya bus accident kills dozens

Africa, and over 40 people have been killed in a bus accident in western Kenya.

Police said the bus was travelling from the capital, Nairobi, when it swerved off the road and rolled down a hill.

*Amazon’s recruitment AI didn't like women

Amazon has apparently scrapped an AI it was testing as a recruitment tool because it didn't like women.

The robot brain was designed to scan resumes and pick the best.

But when it came to software and tech jobs it picked men every time.

It turned out it was designed to act that way, by accident according to Amazon.

People familiar with the project say it was shut down last year.

*Syrian rebels, opposition withdraw heavy weapons from Idlib frontlines

Syrian rebels and opposition have withdrawn their heavy weapons from the frontlines in northwestern Idlib province.

The move is part of deal reached between Russia and Turkey last month, which calls for radical groups to leave the region by October 15.

Under the deal, Russia and Turkey will conduct joint patrols in the area in a bid to prevent further fighting.

*Local elections under way in India-administered Kashmir

The first phase of local council elections in India-administered Kashmir was held on Monday.

The two main pro-India parties are boycotting the polls citing India’s constant attempts to amend the constitutional status of the disputed territory.

Authorities deployed tens of thousands of additional troops in the already highly militarised region ahead of the vote.

India and Pakistan both lay claim to Kashmir

*Turkey wants proof that Khashoggi is alive

Turkey is calling on Saudi Arabia to prove that journalist Jamal Khashoggi is alive.

The government critic went missing a week ago after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

Turkish authorities say they fear the dissident journalist was murdered inside the consulate.

Riyadh says he left the building alive.

*Hurricane Michael kills at least 13 in central America

At least 13 people were killed by Hurricane Michael in central America.

The storm is now heading towards the US coast of Florida, with winds up to 150km/h.

Thousands of people are already evacuating the state, with Michael expected to hit on Tuesday night.

*Google forced to shut down Google Plus

Google is shutting down its social network Google Plus after a security glitch exposed the data of up to half a million users.

The tech giant says its data protection team decided not to inform consumers about the breach, because it didn't appear as though any, quote unquote, "misuse" had occurred.