*) Port officials under house arrest over deadly Lebanon blast

Several of Beirut’s port officials are under house arrest over Tuesday's deadly explosion.

At least 135 people are dead and thousands injured as Lebanon’s government vows to hold those responsible to account.

Initial investigative findings point to inaction and neglect around the storage of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate in a Beirut port warehouse.

*) US to push UN to extend Iran arms embargo

The US says it will push the UN Security Council to extend an arms embargo on Iran.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will table the resolution at the council meeting next week, where it needs nine out 15 votes to make it happen.

The embargo is part of the nuclear deal that Iran signed in 2015, but the US pulled out of it three years later.

*) Brazil’s Covid-19 death toll nears 100,000

The death toll in Brazil from Covid-19 is fast approaching 100,000.

The country reported 1,437 deaths in its daily figures release, bringing the total to 97,256.

Brazil has over 2,8 million infections as it struggles to contain the world's worst outbreak after the US.

*) Japan marks 75th anniversary of Hiroshima atomic bombing

Hiroshima is marking the 75th anniversary of the world’s first atomic bombing.

On August 6, 1945, the US dropped a bomb nicknamed “Little Boy” above Japan’s Hiroshima, killing around 140,000 people.

It was followed by a second bomb three days later in Nagasaki, killing another 75,000 people.

And finally,

*) Instagram moves to fill void if TikTok gets banned in US

Instagram is moving quickly to fill the void if TikTok gets banned in the US.

It introduced its new Reels feature which works like TikTok, where users can create 15-second videos using effects and music.

The US is threatening to ban China-based TikTok and is giving the company until mid-September to work out a takeover deal with Microsoft or find another suitor.