HONOLULU (AP) — A Hawaiian Airlines flight from Honolulu to Sydney hit severe turbulence, injuring seven people on board.

The plane was carrying 163 passengers and 12 crew members on Thursday when it “encountered unexpected severe turbulence approximately five hours into the flight,” said a statement from the airline.

“The plane just dropped,” passenger Sultan Baskonyali told ABC News. “We weren’t prepared.”

She said she wasn’t yet ready to discuss the turbulence in more detail because she was still upset and emotional about it.

BEIJING (AP) — The European Union’s climate chief on Monday expressed concern over the expansion of China’s coal industry, with the building of new coal-fired plants.

At a conference in Beijing, Frans Timmermans said that while China is forging ahead with plans to expand its use of renewable resources such as wind and solar energy, the country has also been constructing an ever-growing number of coal-fired plants in the past few years.

TOKYO (AP) — One of several Japanese officials charged in a widespread bribery scandal involving Tokyo Olympic organizers was found guilty Tuesday but avoided jail time.

The verdict in Tokyo District Court for Joji Matsui, the former head of Amuse consulting company, was the first for someone on the receiving end of the bribes from companies seeking sponsorships and licensing for the 2020 Games.

Matsui was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for four years.

PARIS (AP) — Even in normal times Emmanuel Macron needed allies’ help governing France.

To get some things done he worked with the traditional right. The center-left helped the French president accomplish others. The challenge was bigger than any a French leader had faced in more than two decades: He had to convince politicians across the country’s national assembly to support even a minor domestic project.

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s leader said Tuesday that eight pro-democracy activists who now live in the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia will be pursued for life for alleged national security offenses, dismissing criticism that the move to have them arrested was a dangerous precedent.

Chief Executive John Lee expressed his support for the police’s efforts to arrest the eight. At his weekly media briefing, Lee said anyone, including their friends and relatives, who offered information leading to their arrests would be eligible for the bounties offered by the police.

BRUSSELS, July 4 (Reuters) - NATO decided on Tuesday to extend Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s contract by a further year, opting to stick with an experienced leader as war rages on the alliance’s doorstep rather than try to agree on a successor.

Stoltenberg, a former prime minister of Norway, has been the transatlantic security alliance’s leader since 2014 and his tenure had already been extended three previous times.

TEL AVIV, July 4. /TASS/: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) destroyed an underground storage site for explosive devices, as well as two command and control centers for terrorist groups, in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank on Tuesday night as part of a major counterterrorism operation, the IDF press service said.

According to the military, last night the IDF, the General Security Service (GSS) and the border police continued their counterterrorism operation in the city of Jenin and the adjacent Jenin refugee camp.

TEHRAN, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Iran said on Monday that its upcoming admission to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as a full member state will promote regionalism and facilitate the economic development of other member states.

At a weekly press conference held in the Iranian capital of Tehran, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani hailed Iran's SCO membership, which is expected to be approved at the 23rd meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State on July 4, as a "positive development" for the organization.

CANBERRA, Jul 4 (NNN-AAP) – Australia will ease visa rules for Indonesian travellers, in a bid to boost economic ties between the two countries. Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, today met with Indonesian President, Joko Widodo in Sydney, for talks on visa requirements, trade and climate change.

During the Australia-Indonesia Annual Leaders’ Meeting, they discussed new initiatives to enable more Australian and Indonesian professionals to work in each other’s country.

BEIJING, July 4 - China has cancelled a trip by European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell scheduled for next week, an EU spokesperson said on Tuesday.

No reasons were given for the cancellation, which comes as Europe seeks to reduce the risks created by its close economic relationship with China, which Brussels has dubbed an "economic competitor and a systemic rival".

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Egypt and Turkey took a further step toward restoring full diplomatic ties on Tuesday by dispatching ambassadors for the first time in years, the latest step in the reconciliation between the two regional powers.

In a joint statement, the two countries announced the appointment of Salih Mutlu Sen as Turkish ambassador to Cairo and of Amr Elhamamy as the Egyptian ambassador to Ankara.

TOKYO, July 4 (Reuters) - Japan won approval from the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog on Tuesday for its plan to release treated radioactive water from the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima plant into the ocean, despite fierce resistance from Beijing and some local residents.

After a two-year review, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Japan's plans were consistent with global safety standards and that they would have a "negligible radiological impact to people and the environment".