Briefly

AUSTRALIA

Facebook to lift news ban after last-gasp deal

Facebook said on Tuesday it will lift a contentious ban on Australians sharing news and pay local media companies for content, after a last-gasp deal on pending landmark legislation. Australia's Treasurer Josh Frydenberg announced a face-saving compromise that will see Google and Facebook plunge tens of millions of dollars into the struggling local news sector. In return the US digital firms will, for now, avoid being subjected to mandatory payments that could cost them vastly more and create what they see as an alarming global precedent.

UNITED STATES

Metal fatigue led to 777 engine damage

Damage to a fan blade on an engine that failed on a United Airlines Boeing 777 flight is consistent with metal fatigue, based on a preliminary assessment, the chairman of the US air accident investigator said on Monday. The Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engine failed on Saturday with a "loud bang" four minutes after takeoff from Denver, National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Robert Sumwalt told reporters following an initial analysis of the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder. There was minor damage to the aircraft body, he said.

IRAN

Curbs imposed on UN nuclear inspections

Iran officially has begun restricting international inspections of its nuclear facilities, state TV reported on Tuesday, a bid to pressure European countries and US President Joe Biden's administration to lift crippling economic sanctions and restore the 2015 nuclear deal. The state TV report gave little detail beyond confirming that Iran had made good on its threat to reduce cooperation with International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors.

Agencies - Xinhua