BRIEF – ME! – DAILY NEWS BRIEFING
In today’s briefing update, the Israeli military claim they have destroyed Syrian targets in response to the four rockets fired. In Iran, Amnesty International believes more than 100 people have been killed in the protests over the fuel hike. The Taliban has freed an American and an Australian in exchange for 3 jailed Taliban militants.
Devastating bushfires have led to a ‘catastrophic’ alert being issued in South Australia. The Trump impeachment probe has seen another military personnel testify. The latest in the hearings suggests Trump’s request to Ukraine was more of a demand. And in the UK, Johnson and Corbyn have gone head-to-head in a live debate in the run-up to the general election. During the debate, Corbyn accused the PM of planning to sell off the NHS.
ALL in today’s news briefing – A daily roundup of all the news headlines that you need to know, summarised as part of WTX News Briefing.
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Israel and Syria exchange fire, Syrian aerial defence batteries destroyed, the Israeli military says
Fox News says the Israeli military carried out “wide-scale strikes” of targets in Syria according to The Israel Defence Forces (IDF). The strikes were in response to the four rockets launched into Israel. 
The IDF tweeted on Tuesday night: “We just carried out wide-scale strikes of Iranian Quds Force & Syrian Armed Forces targets in Syria in response to the rockets fired at Israel by an Iranian force in Syria last night.”
The targets reportedly included missile launchers, warehouses that stored weapons, command centres and bases.
“During our strike of Iranian & Syrian terror targets, a Syrian air defence missile was fired despite clear warnings to refrain from such fire. As a result, a number of Syrian aerial defence batteries were destroyed,” the IDF tweeted.
Read the full story on Fox News
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Citing ‘credible reports’, Amnesty International says more than 100 people killed in Iran protests
France24 reports Amnesty International says, citing ‘credible reports’, it believes at least 106 people in 21 cities have been killed during protests in Iran over a rise in government-set gasoline. 
Iran’s government has not made the death toll figures for the unrest, which began on Sunday, available. Amnesty said it “believes that the real death toll may be much higher, with some reports suggesting as many as 200 have been killed.”
Iran has cut off the internet and sent police and anti-riot forces to quell the unrest. Demonstrations are believed to be ongoing.
Read the full story on France24
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3 Taliban militants freed in exchange for 2 westerners
Arab News says on Tuesday two foreign hostages held since 2016 were released by the Afghan Taliban. They were released in exchange for three jailed Taliban militants. 
Kevin King (US) 63 and Timothy Weeks (Aust), 50, were released three years after being kidnapped outside the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul where they worked as professors.
A Taliban source said Nabi Omari, a Taliban negotiator in Qatar, had confirmed the arrival of the three militants to close friends.
“The guests have arrived. I saw them and sat with them. Congratulations to you and all Muslims,” Omari told Taliban leaders in an audio message.
Read the full story on Arab News
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Australia Fires: ‘Catastrophic’ alert issued to South Australia
BBC News says heat and winds are threatening to further Australia’s bushfires, with two states warned to expect their worst conditions of the season so far. 
“Catastrophic” alerts were handed out on Wednesday as temperatures soar in South Australia. And Tasmania is predicted to see its worst conditions yet on Thursday.
So far, six people have died since last month in massive bushfires that are burning in different parts of the country. The fires in New South Wales and Queensland have destroyed more than 500 houses and prompted debates on the impacts of drought and climate change.
Read the full story on BBC News
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Impeachment hearings: Trump request to Ukraine seen as a “demand”
USA Today says on Tuesday a key National Security Council expert testified he considered President Trump’s request to Ukraine as a “demand” that was “improper” for the president to make. The “demand” from Trump was for Ukraine to investigate Trump’s political rival, Joe Biden and his son Hunter. 
Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, was describing the July 25 phone call where Trump asked the Ukrainian President to probe Biden while the Trump administration held up nearly $400 million in military assistance.
“The culture I come from, the military culture, when a senior asks you do something, even if it’s polite and pleasant, it’s not to be taken as a request,” he said. “It’s to be taken as an order. In this case, the power disparity between the two leaders, my impression is that in order to get the White House meeting, President Zalensky would have to deliver the investigations.”
Read the full story on USA Today
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Election debate: Boris and Jeremy clash over NHS future
The Guardian says the Prime Minister and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn have clashed over which of them is best placed to safeguard the NHS. 
In the live election debate, Jeremy Corbyn accused Boris Johnson of being ready to sell off the NHS to US corporations. Mr Johnson repeatedly said he would “get Brexit done” and along with Corbyn, they praised the NHS.
Johnson continually tried to bring the focus back to Brexit, on which Corbyn repeatedly declined to say how he would campaign in a second EU referendum.
At one point Corbyn brandished a document he claimed showed that US negotiators hoped to secure full access to Britain’s health sector as part of a bilateral trade deal after Brexit.
“Full market access for US products to our National Health Service. You’re going to sell our National Health Service to the United States and big pharma,” he accused Boris.
Read the full story on The Guardian
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