News Headlines - 05 August 2018

▽Venezuela braces for possible crackdown after apparent drone attack on Maduro - The Washington Post

The Venezuelan government made more arrests Sunday in connection with an apparent assassination attempt on President Nicolás Maduro, as the crisis-plagued South American nation braced for a possibility of wider crackdown on dissent.
Interior Minister Néstor Luis Reverol said six “terrorists” were detained Sunday, a day after the government said drones carrying explosives targeted Maduro in the midst of a nationally televised address.

▽M7.0 quake strikes off Indonesia's Lombok island, causes small tsunamis

An earthquake with a magnitude of 7 struck the popular tourist island of Lombok on Sunday, triggering small tsunami waves, according to the government.
Indonesia's meteorological and climatological agency said some damage was reported in buildings in Lombok and neighboring Bali.

▽Road safety demo continues for sixth day | The Daily Star

The road safety protesters again came under attack in the capital yesterday, a day after the students had been attacked by police and “ruling party men” in Mirpur... Sadaat Mahmood, one of the victims, said they rushed to Science Laboratory intersection after hearing the news of an attack on students. But when they returned to the campus, they found some people dragging one of the students who were controlling traffic.

▽Cultivated Areas in Iraq Halved due to Drought | Asharq AL-awsat

Areas under cultivation in Iraq have halved this summer compared to last year due to a drought wave and reduced water levels of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the Ministry of Agriculture revealed... This had led the government in June to suspended farming of rice, corn and other cereals that require major irrigation.
Losses for workers dependent on these productions will reach up to 34 million euros ($39 million) this year, according to authorities.

▽Scattered protests in Iran as U.S. sanctions loom | Reuters

Sporadic protests broke out in several cities in Iran for a fifth night on Saturday, a day after demonstrators attacked a Shi’ite seminary, according to Iranian news agencies and social media, as Iranians brace for a return of U.S. sanctions.
Hundreds rallied in cities including Tehran, Karaj, Shiraz, and Qom, according to videos posted on social media, to protest against high inflation caused in part by a collapse in the rial currency over fears of the reimposition of crippling sanctions on Aug. 7.