August 4, 2023

This is TRT World’s Daily News Brief for Friday, August 4th. *) Donald Trump pleads ‘not guilty’ to all charges in 2020 election probe Former US president Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to trying to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Trump appeared before a magistrate judge in Washington’s federal courthouse two days after being indicted on four felony counts by Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith. The charges accuse him of trying to subvert the will of voters and undo his election loss in the days before January 6, 2021, when supporters stormed the US Capitol. *) ​​Niger to respond ‘immediately’ to any ‘aggression’ from ECOWAS Niger’s junta has said it would respond immediately to any “aggression or attempted aggression” against it by West African countries. ECOWAS has threatened the potential use of force if the junta does not restore ousted President Mohamed Bazoum by Sunday. The landlocked nation is the fourth member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) hit by a putsch since 2020. *) Russia ‘destroys’ Ukraine’s drones targeting Novorossiysk port Ukrainian sea drones have attacked a Russian navy base near the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk , a major hub for Russian exports. The drones were destroyed by Russian warships, Russia’s defence ministry has said. The attack prompted the Novorossiysk port to temporarily halt all ship movement. Separately, Russian air defences downed 10 Ukrainian drones over Crimea and suppressed three more with electronic countermeasures. *) China to lift tariffs on Australian barley China has said it will remove extra tariffs on Australian barley, in the latest thawing of ties between the two after years of tensions. China had slapped hefty levies on key Australian exports such as barley and beef in 2020 at the height of a bitter dispute with the former conservative government. But their icy relations appear to have thawed since Australia’s centre-left government adopted a less confrontational approach to China