Sudan's military council resumes talks with protesters

TRT World’s Daily News Brief for Friday, May 17:

*)US ends preferential trade agreement with Turkey

US has withdrawn Turkey as a preferential trade partner.

The US says Turkey's economy is now sound enough to end its participation in a system aimed at promoting economic development.

The system allowed some Turkish products to enter the US free of tariffs.

But the US has announced a reduction in tariffs on Turkish steel imports.

*)Trump proposes new residency laws

Staying with the US, Donald Trump unveiled his proposal to overhaul the US immigration system.

It sees a merit-based system that favours high-skilled workers and those with degrees and job offers instead of relatives of those already in the country.

Efforts to overhaul the US immigration system have gone nowhere for three decades amid deep partisan divisions.

*)Air strike kills at least 17 policemen in Afghanistan

An air strike in Afghanistan killed at least 17 policemen ... by mistake.

Afghan police were locked in a battle with the Taliban in southern Helmand province.

It wasn't immediately clear who carried out the air strike, Afghan or US forces.

A Taliban statement claims US forces were behind it.

*)Police bust cybercrime network

Authorities in six countries dismantled an international cybercrime network.

At least a dozen people were charged with malicious software attacks which enabled them to take control of infected computers and siphon funds from victims' bank accounts.

More than 40,000 computers were infected and around $100 million was stolen.

And finally,

*)Jagger back with swagger!

The Jagger is back!

The Rolling Stones are hitting the road again this summer with their North American tour.

The tour was postponed after frontman Mick Jagger underwent heart valve replacement surgery.

The legendary foursome of Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood will resume their tour in Chicago on June 21.

May 16, 2019 - Daily News Brief by TRT World

TRT World’s Daily News Brief for Wednesday, May 15:

*)US, Iran say not seeking war as tensions spike

US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said his country is not seeking war with Iran, despite a Pentagon dispatch of bombers to the region.

Pompeo made his comments at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at Sochi.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, meanwhile, insisted the showdown between Tehran and Washington is only a test of resolve.

*)Sudanese agree to three year transition period

Sudan’s military rulers and protest leaders agreed on a three-year transition period for transferring power to a full civilian administration.

The two sides agreed to establish a joint transitional council, cabinet and parliament.

Negotiations will continue on the exact composition of the council.

*)DHKP-C suspects arrested for attempt to target Turkish parliament

Turkish police arrested a man and woman who attempted to enter parliament and take a staff member hostage.

Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said the two DHKP-C members “targeted the Turkish people's will” and “will pay the price”.

Turkey, the US and the EU have designated the far-left DHKP-C as a terror group.

*)Venezuela's court opens cases against opposition lawmakers

Venezuela's top court opened a criminal investigation against seven opposition lawmakers following a failed attempt to spark a military uprising against President Maduro.

The lawmakers are suspected of "betraying the homeland" and "instigating an insurrection," the pro-government Supreme Court said.

The action comes a week after opposition leader Juan Guaido urged soldiers to oust Maduro.

And finally,

*)Facebook restricts Live feature after New Zealand shooting

Facebook is tightening live streaming rules ahead of a meeting of world leaders on curbing online violence after the Christchurch massacre.

The company is introducing a "one-strike" policy for Facebook Live.

The policy will temporarily restrict access for people who faced disciplinary action for breaking Facebook's most serious rules anywhere on its site.

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

China strikes back at the US with tariffs, and WhatsApp finds spyware.

This is TRT World’s Daily News Brief for Tuesday, May 14th.

*) Stock markets slide as China retaliates on tariffs

Global stocks fell as Trump's war on Chinese trade gave investors the jitters.

China announced it will impose higher tariffs on US goods, ignoring President Trump's threat against Chinese retaliation.

China’s extra tariffs on US products worth about $60 billion will take effect on June 1.

*) Curfew partially lifted in Sri Lanka

A nationwide night curfew has been relaxed in Sri Lanka, except in the North Western Province where violence has flared against Muslims.

Authorities imposed the curfew after the worst outbreak of communal violence since the Easter bombings.

Authorities say social media posts incited the latest flare up, with at least one Muslim man dead and dozens of shops and mosques damaged.

*) Violence flares in Sudan after transition agreement

At least six people, including an army major, were shot dead in overnight clashes in Sudan.

The violence followed negotiations between the military council and the opposition on a new power structure following the coup that ousted President Omar al Bashir.

Hours earlier, prosecutors charged Bashir with involvement in killing and incitement to kill protesters during the uprising.

US-Iran ties escalate over sanctions, tanker attacks

Ties between the US and Iran continue to deteriorate over sanctions and Trump's shredding of the nuclear pact.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told EU and NATO officials of what the White House is calling "escalating" threats from Iran.

President Trump said, quote, "It’s going to be a bad problem for Iran if something happens," end quote, after oil tankers were allegedly attacked off the coast of the UAE.

*) WhatsApp finds spyware infecting with a call alone

And finally,

Spyware crafted by a sophisticated group of hackers took advantage of a flaw in WhatsApp to remotely hijack dozens of phones.

The malware was able to penetrate phones through missed calls via the app's voice calling function without any user intervention.

The Financial Times pointed the finger at Israel's NSO Group.

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

The Assad regime and Russia continue assault on Syria’s northwest, and Manchester City keep Premier League title.

This is TRT World’s Daily News Brief for Monday, May 13th.

Regime forces make advances in northwest Syria

Syrian regime forces advance forward into parts of Idlib and Hama, the last areas controlled by the opposition and rebels.

As Bashar al Assad’s forces push forward on the ground, ally Russia has been pounded the region with over 200 air strikes.

The demilitarised zone has been rocked by violence since April 30, with dozens dead and 150,000 displaced.

Social media sites blocked in Sri Lanka after fresh violence

Sri Lanka has imposed a temporary and partial ban on social media, including Facebook and WhatsApp.

The platforms were suspended after rioters attacked Muslim homes and shops following a dispute which started on Facebook.

The country is still dealing with the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings which killed more than 250 people.

Attackers kill 6 people at Catholic church in Burkina Faso

Gunmen killed six people – a priest and five worshippers – in a Catholic church in Burkina Faso.

According to the mayor of Dablo, nearly 20 to 30 attackers then set fire to the church, several shops and looted a health centre.

This is the second attack on a church in two weeks.

Pompeo to discuss Iran in Brussels

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will discuss Iran with European officials in Brussels.

The talks follow Iranian President Rouhani’s decision to partially stop complying with the 2015 nuclear accord.

Pompeo will meet Russia’s President Putin and Foreign Minister Lavrov in Sochi as planned but has cancelled the Moscow leg of his Russia trip.

Manchester City wins Premier League title

And finally,

Manchester City retained the Premier League trophy after beating Brighton 4-1 on the final day of the season.

The Guardiola team reached the title one point above Liverpool after an intense race as the top two finished with a record 195 points combined.

"Liverpool was exceptional. I don’t mean to rub it in, it is what it is. They didn’t deserve to lose," City captain Vincent Kompany said.

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

Friday, May 10, 2019

Turkey calls on Russia to halt air strikes in Syria's Idlib, and a fake heiress is behind bars.

This is TRT World’s Daily News Brief for Friday, May 10th.

*) Turkey calls on Russia to halt air strikes in Syria's Idlib

Turkey is calling on Russia to halt air strikes in Syria’s Idlib province.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu asked his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov to stop the bombardments.

More than 80 civilians have been killed there in the past two weeks.

Idlib is meant to be a de-escalation zone Moscow agreed with Ankara.

*) Trump's tariff hike on Chinese goods takes effect

The US has raised tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods.

Trump's attack on imports from China comes as officials from the two countries are trying to find a solution to his trade war.

Analysts say US consumers will pay the price for the president's move.

The IMF says the showdown is a "threat to the global economy."

*) South Africa’s ANC looks set to remain in power

South Africa's governing African National Congress looks set to stay in power for at least another five years.

The party has 57% percent of the vote from Wednesday's election with most votes counted.

President Cyril Ramaphosa is promising reforms to boost the economy.

*) All-English finals in Europe

English football is the best in Europe.

Only English clubs will feature in the finals of Europe’s two top club competitions for the first time.

Chelsea will play Arsenal in the Europa League final in Baku on May 29.

And Liverpool will play Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League final in Madrid on June 1.

*) Fake heiress goes to prison

And finally,

Convicted fraudster Anna Sorokin will spend up to 12 years in prison.

The 28-year-old stole over $270,000 from New York's elite after conning them.

Her cover... a wealthy heiress!

Netflix and HBO are already looking at a movie or TV series.

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

*) Trump imposes new sanctions on Iran’s metal sector, and Uber drivers in London and US protest low wages.

This is TRT World’s Daily News Brief for Thursday, May 9th.

*)Trump hits Iran's economy as nuclear deal withers

US President Trump has imposed sanctions on Iran’s metal industry.

Hours earlier, President Rouhani announced Iran was relaxing some restrictions on its nuclear programme as it awaits better terms from participants of the landmark 2015 atomic deal.

The new US sanctions target Iran’s iron, steel, aluminium and copper sectors.

*)UN Security Council to discuss situation in Syria's Idlib

The UN Security Council will meet on Friday to discuss the latest escalation of violence in Syria's northwestern region of Idlib.

Belgium, Germany and Kuwait requested a closed-door meeting as Russia and the Syrian regime intensify their bombardment of the region.

More than 150,000 of Idlib’s remaining 1.5 million residents have fled since April 29, according to the UN.

*)House panel votes to hold US attorney general in contempt

The US House Judiciary Committee has voted to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress over access to special counsel Robert Mueller's Trump-Russia report.

President Trump has invoked executive privilege to block access to the full report.

In April, Barr released a redacted version of the 400-plus-page document on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

*)Attackers in Kabul target foreign aid group

Afghan security forces clashed with attackers who used a car bomb to attack the compound of a US aid group in Kabul.

At least a dozen people were injured while some 80 employees of Counterpoint International were rescued.

*)Uber drivers strike in London and US

And finally,

Uber drivers are going on strike in London and major US cities to protest declining wages.

Drivers turned-off their apps on Wednesday, complaining the company was attracting billions of dollars from investors.

The rift between Uber and the drivers exposes financial unrest as the company heads its initial public offering on Friday.


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