A day of violence swept Turkey leaving nine people dead and several injured, in attacks by apparent Kurdish insurgents, amid fears of growing instability. The Telegraph reports that two female gunmen attacked the US consulate in Istanbul. One was wounded and captured while the other escaped.
“I will never surrender to you. We’ve come here to take revenge for the Suruç [attack],” shouted one of the women, a reference to a deadly bombing on July 20th in the border town of Suruc that killed 32 Kurdish and Turkish Socialist activists en route to help rebuild the Syrian town of Kobani across the border.
Although it did not claim responsibility for the Suruc bombing, The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) was blamed by Turkish authorities, enraging Kurds in Turkey who accuse the government of giving Isil unfettered access along the 500-mile Turkish-Syrian border.
(Channel 4 News)
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WORLD
A state of emergency was in place in St Louis county following unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, after a second day of protests marked one year since the death of Michael Brown.
The worst outbreak of Legionnaire’s disease in New York City‘s history has now claimed the lives of 12 people, with more than 100 sickened since the July 10 outbreak. Mayor Bill De Blasio said there had been no new cases reported since August 3rd.
Chinese hackers had access to the emails of top US officials since 2010, NBC reports, in an espionage operation the US named “Dancing Panda.”
Astronauts on board the International Space Station ate the first-ever vegetation grown in space, a variety of Romaine lettuce.
New Zealand is looking for a new flag. One that’s not as “Australian-y”. After 10,000 public submissions there will be a referendum to pick a new design from a shortlist of 40, or to keep the existing flag.
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POLITICS
Democratic Sen Chuck Schumer broke his silence on his opposition to the Iran nuclear deal, saying that he believed the pact “fell short.”
“Some say the only answer to this is war. I don’t believe so,” Schumer said during a press conference in Rochester, N.Y. “I believe we should go back and try to get a better deal,” he added. “The nations of the world should join us in that.”
In the GOP race, after a weekend of publicity, none of it particularly good, Donald Trump may have settled his dispute with Fox, for now. The candidate tweeted:
and the network’s chairman later issued a statement:
Gov Jeb Bush is set to deliver a speech on Tuesday evening setting out his strategy for defeating ISIS.
Meanwhile, Gov Rick Perry’s campaign might be having money problems.
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BUSINESS
Google announced it was restructuring, with the birth of a new parent company, Alphabet.
Meanwhile, Apple supplier FoxConn announced plans for a major investment in India.
http://twitter.com/RAChampion/status/630627529292787712
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SPORTS
NBC Sports is to extend its broadcast partnership with the Premier League for six years, in a deal worth about $1bn.
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CULTURE
Benedict Cumberbatch really doesn’t want members of the audience recording him playing Hamlet.
Finally, dancer Jonathan Ollivier was killed in a motorcycle accident in central London on Sunday.
The Overnight Note 