Daily News Brief for Friday, July 19:

*)US might still impose sanctions on Turkey over S-400 purchase

A US law could push the country into sanctioning Turkey over its purchase of the Russian S-400.

The federal law, called CAATSA, requires sanctions to be placed on anyone engaged in transactions with Russia's defence or intelligence sectors.

Turkey has already been suspended from the F-35 fighter jet programme.

Senior members of Congress are pushing Trump to enact the law, but he appears reluctant.

*)Gulf tensions continue in Strait of Hormuz

The blame game continues in the Strait of Hormuz between the US and Iran.

In the latest incident, the US claims it shot down an Iranian drone that flew close to one of its assault ships.

In response, Iran's deputy foreign minister says all of its air vehicles were fine and the US may have downed its own drone “by mistake.”

*)Blast at Afghan university kills at least eight

At least eight people were killed in a bomb blast in Afghanistan's Kabul University.

The explosion happened as a number of students were waiting near the campus gate to take an exam.

Police defused a second bomb close to the explosion site.

No militant group has yet claimed responsibility.

*)Moroccan state executes Daesh members

Three Moroccan men were sentenced to death for killing two Scandinavian tourists.

The women were killed last year near the popular hiking village of Imlil.

Officials say days before the murders, the three men had pledged allegiance to Daesh.

And finally,

*)"Top Gun 2" trailer released

Take my breath away ...

Yes, “Top Gun” is back!

If you're a fan of the iconic 80s film, the first trailer of the sequel has been released.

Actor Tom Cruise reprises his role as cocky fighter pilot Maverick.

“Top Gun 2” will be released in June 2020.

*)Turkey slams US for excluding it from F-35 programme

Turkey has slammed Washington's decision to exclude it from the F-35 programme.
Turkey's Foreign Ministry says removing it from the programme over its purchase of Russia's S-400 defence system is not based on a legitimate reason.
The Trump administration claims the anti-air system could be used by Moscow to covertly attain secret information on the stealth fighter.
Turkey is one of the main partners and heavily invested in the progamme.

*)US House votes to block sale of weapons to Saudi Arabia

US Congress is heading for a showdown with President Donald Trump after the House voted to block him from selling weapons to Saudi Arabia.

Trump has pledged to veto the resolutions of disapproval that passed the Democratic-led House.

The Senate cleared the resolutions last month but, like the House, fell well short of a veto-proof majority.

Overturning a president's veto requires a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate.

*)Boeing to make $50M in payments to 737 MAX crash victims' families

Boeing will pay $50 million directly to the families of those killed by two deadly 737 MAX crashes in Indonesia and Kenya.

Another $50 million will be paid out to local governments and non-profit organisations to help families and communities affected by the crashes.

*)Suspected arson attack on animation studio in Japan kills over 20

Over 20 people were killed and 35 others injured after a suspected arson attack in Japan.

Police say a man came into an animation studio in Kyoto and started a fire in the three-story building.

Police are investigating a case of arson.

And finally,

*)Ebola outbreak in DRC declared a global health emergency

The deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has now been declared an international health emergency by the World Health Organisation.

The virus spread this week to a city of two million people.

More than 1,600 people have died since August in the second deadliest Ebola outbreak in history, which is unfolding in a region described as a war zone.

This is the fifth such declaration in history. Previous emergencies were declared for Ebola in West Africa, Zika in the Americas, the swine flu pandemic and polio eradication.

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Trump bemoans not selling F-35 jets to Turkey, and Game of Thrones smashes Emmy nomination record

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

Trump says not selling F-35s to Turkey is ‘unfair’

US President Donald Trump says it is “not fair” to either Turkey or the United States that Washington cannot sell F-35 fighter jets to Ankara after it purchased a Russian air defence system.

Trump bemoaned the fact and blamed his predecessor for the situation.

Trump said Barack Obama forced Turkey to buy Russian S-400s, and it was "foolish" for the US to not sell Patriot missiles to NATO member Turkey.

China aims at becoming space superpower

China plans to become the next superpower in space.

China is already the first nation to land a rover on the far side of the moon and now plans to build a research station there.

Its budget for the space programme is estimated to be around $8.4 billion, which is more than Russia and Japan and second only to the US.

Worsening world hunger affects 821 million – UN

More than 821 million people suffered from hunger worldwide last year, a new UN report shows.

After decades of decline, malnutrition began to increase in 2015, mainly because of the climate crisis and war.

Africa and Asia are two of the most affected continents.

The UN aims to reverse this trend as one of its 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

US House votes to condemn Trump's 'racist comments'

The US House of Representatives formally condemns President Donald Trump for his racist attacks on four minority Democratic lawmakers.

Trump was condemned for his "racist comments that have legitimised and increased fear and hatred of new Americans and people of colour."

Over the weekend, he told four Democratic congresswomen of colour to "go back" to other countries.

The resolution also takes Trump to task for referring to immigrants and asylum seekers as “invaders.”

Game of Thrones breaks record with 32 Emmy nominations

And finally,

The final season of Game of Thrones smashed the record for most Primetime Emmy nominations by a drama series in a single year.

GoT is already the most decorated fictional show in the awards' seven-decade history, and now has 161 nominations overall.

The show about families vying for the Iron Throne broke a 25-year nomination record previously held by ‘90s drama NYPD Blue.

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

US Congresswomen fight back as Trump insists on racism tweets, and director Baz Luhrmann finds his Elvis

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

*)Pakistan reopens airspace after standoff with India

Pakistan says it has reopened its airspace for all civilian traffic following months of restrictions imposed in the wake of a standoff with neighbouring India.

Pakistani aviation officials say the airspace is open for all types of civil traffic in a sign of lowering tensions in the region.

Besides international and local Pakistani flights, the closure had
disrupted Indian flights headed west, especially India's flag carrier Air India that reportedly witnessed a daily loss of approximately $0.7 to $1 million.

*)US congresswomen fight back after Trump targeted them

US President Donald Trump intensified his incendiary comments about four Democratic congresswomen of colour.

The women fired back at what they called his "xenophobic bigoted remarks" and said it was time for impeachment.

Trump had called for lawmakers to go back to their, quote, broken and crime infested countries, unquote.

He defended his remarks, saying many people agree with him.

*)EU nominee Von der Leyen faces sceptical parliament

German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen is expected to replace Jean-Claude Juncker as president of the European Commission.

If she fails to secure a majority, EU leaders will have to come up with another name in a month.

There has been a stinging criticism over Von der Leyen’s candidature for the position.

*)Erdogan says S-400 to be fully deployed by April 2020

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the Russian S-400 missile defence system will be fully deployed by April 2020.

Russian planes have been delivering parts of the S-400 to Turkey over the past four days.

Turkey's purchase from Russia has raised tensions with US, which says the system is incompatible with the NATO defence network.

Turkey says S-400s will not be integrated into NATO systems.

*)Austin Butler to star as Elvis in Baz Luhrmann-helmed biopic

And finally,

After a competitive casting contest, 27-year-old actor Austin Butler will be cast as Elvis Presley in the untitled drama about the singer’s life.

Production is set to begin early next year on the Baz Luhrmann-directed film.

Tom Hanks co-stars as Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker.

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

.)Iran ‘ready to negotiate’ if US lifts sanctions

President Hassan Rouhani says Iran is ready to negotiate with the United States if Washington lifts economic sanctions.

EU foreign ministers are exploring ways to convince Iran and the US to hold talks amid fears of a complete collapse of the 2015 nuclear deal.

Iran began surpassing uranium enrichment limits set by the atomic pact but said this could be reversed in exchange for economic incentives.

.)Turkey remembers heroes of 2016 coup attempt

Turkey marks three years since the people’s power helped defeat a coup attempt.

A rogue faction in the Turkish military launched a coordinated operation to overturn the government on the night of July 15, 2016.

The attempted coup, orchestrated by the Fetullah Gulen-led FETO, killed at least 251 people and wounded more than 2,000 people.

.)Floods and landslides devastate Nepal

The death toll in Nepal from flash floods and landslides over the last three days has risen to 67 people.

The country’s home ministry said there were still at least 30 people missing and 33 injured.

Northeast India has also been hit by floods which killed at least 11 people.

.)Trump under fire for racist attack on US congresswomen

US President Donald Trump has drawn criticism for targeting four Democrats – all first-time congresswomen – with his racist remarks.

In a tweet aimed at the four women of colour, he said they should return to what he called the “broken and crime-infested” countries they came from.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley all hit back at Trump on his favourite social media site – Twitter.

And finally,

.)England wins Cricket World Cup for first time

England won the Cricket World Cup for the first time in its history by sealing a thrilling Super Over win against New Zealand at Lord’s.

Amid scenes of agony and ecstasy, the contest was decided in the Super Over, also a first in a World Cup final match.

It was a heart-breaking loss for New Zealand, who also finished as runners-up in the previous World Cup in 2015 after losing to Australia in the final.

Trump gives up citizenship question on census

US President Donald Trump backed down from a push to include a citizenship question in the 2020 census.

He directed federal agencies to try to compile the information using existing databases instead.

Critics said adding citizenship to the census would discourage participation by people living in the US illegally and by Americans with non-citizen family.

Iran calls on Britain to release seized oil tanker

Iran called on Britain to immediately release an oil tanker that British Royal Marines seized last week in Gibraltar.

The tanker was seized on suspicion of breaking European sanctions by taking oil to Syria.

Britain said three Iranian vessels tried to block a commercial UK tanker on Thursday on the Strait of Hormuz, an accusation Iran denies.

At least five killed in Afghan wedding suicide bombing

A suicide bomber targeted a wedding party in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nangarhar, killing at least five people and injuring 40.

An official said a young boy set off his explosives inside the house of a pro-government militia commander.

No group has claimed responsibility.

Sudan's military rulers say coup attempt thwarted

Sudan's military rulers said several officers had attempted a coup in an effort to undermine an agreement between the military and the opposition.

The thwarted coup involved a number of retired officers as well as officers still in service, an official said.

At least 12 people were arrested and four detained.

R Kelly arrested again in Chicago on federal sex charges

And finally,

Singer R Kelly was arrested in Chicago for sex crimes and obstruction of justice.

He was indicted by a grand jury on Thursday on 13 federal counts, including child porn, enticement of a minor and obstruction of justice.

This is the second time the R&B singer was taken into custody this year on sex charges.

Thursday, July 11, 2019

UK accuses Iran of trying to seize British tanker, and Japan space probe lands on asteroid to collect underground samples.

This is TRT World’s Daily News Brief for Thursday, July 11th.

UK: Iranian vessels tried to block British vessel in Gulf

The UK said three Iranian vessels tried to impede the passage of a British commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.

Britain said the Iranian vessels only turned away after receiving "verbal warnings" from a UK navy vessel.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard denied the allegations and said if it wanted to, it would have immediately seized the ships.

UK ambassador to US quits after leaked cables crisis

Britain's US envoy resigned after his leaked memos characterising Trump's administration as “inept” triggered Twitter rage by the US president.

President Trump said he would no longer deal with career diplomat Kim Darroch, despite the US State Department saying otherwise.

British Prime Minister May, whom Trump branded as "foolish", said Darroch had the government’s support and had served the UK well.

Bosnia marks 24th anniversary of Srebrenica genocide

Bosnia marks the 24th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, burying 33 newly-identified victims in a collective funeral.

Every year on July 11, newly-identified genocide victims are buried in a memorial cemetery in Potocari.

The massacre by Bosnian Serbs in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1995 killed more than 7,000 Bosnian Muslim boys and men.

Twin accidents kill at least 24 people in Pakistan

A passenger train rammed into a freight train in Pakistan’s Punjab province, killing at least 11 people, an official said.

Hospitals declared an emergency, receiving casualties from the collision in which dozens were injured.

Another 13 people were killed in another accident in the same province.

Japan space probe lands on asteroid

And finally,

Japan's space agency said data transmitted from the Hayabusa2 spacecraft indicated it successfully landed on a distant asteroid.

It completed its historic mission of collecting underground samples that scientists hope will provide clues to the origin of the solar system.

Hayabusa2 is the first to successfully collect underground soil samples from an asteroid.

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