Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 5th of May, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Tensions are escalating in the Gulf after new attacks linked to maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. forces say they struck Iranian fast boats at sea following hostile manoeuvres, after Iran was blamed for an earlier attack on a UAE oil facility.
Talks between the U.S. and Iran remain in a delicate state after U.S. President Donald Trump rejected a 14-point proposal conveyed via Pakistan, while simultaneously suggesting that discussions with Tehran have been “positive.”
Israel has approved a major defence deal to purchase new squadrons of advanced fighter jets from U.S. manufacturers Lockheed Martin and Boeing, the country’s defence ministry said on Sunday (3 May).
More than 100 pro‑Palestinian activists aboard boats carrying aid to Gaza were taken to the Greek island of Crete on Friday after Israeli forces seized their vessels in international waters near Greece, according to flotilla organisers.
President Trump has issued a warning to the international community, claiming a nuclear-armed Iran would strike Israel "very quickly" before targeting Europe and the United States.
U.S. President Donald Trump declared that a ceasefire had "terminated" hostilities against Iran, as he sought to bolster his argument that he does not need lawmakers' permission to continue the conflict.
Tensions between Washington and Tehran remain elevated after renewed warnings from U.S. President Donald Trump that military action against Iran has not been ruled out, alongside claims that Iranian leadership is eager to reach a deal.
The Iranian leaders have commemorated the National Day of Persian Gulf stressing Tehran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz amid the U.S. maritime blockade of Iran’s southern ports, a fragile ceasefire, and stalled negotiations.
The Iron Dome has long symbolised Israeli security, reshaping modern warfare with its reported “90% success rate”. But as regional tensions surge in April 2026, questions are growing over whether the world’s most battle-tested air defence system can remain sustainable.
Five people have been killed in Israeli air strikes on southern Lebanon, including three emergency responders who rushed to help victims of an earlier blast, according to Lebanese officials.
Tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border are intensifying as Israeli strikes push deeper into the Bekaa Valley, fuelling fears of wider escalation despite a fragile U.S.- and UN-brokered ceasefire.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi concluded a four-day tour on Tuesday, visiting Pakistan, Oman and Russia, expressing satisfaction with discussions focused on bilateral ties and regional developments.
President Donald Trump said on Sunday Iran could telephone if it wants to negotiate an end to their two-month war. Tehran said the U.S. should remove obstacles to a deal, including its blockade of Iran's ports. Meanwhile Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrives in St Petersburg for talks.
As the Iran war disrupts global flows of oil and gas and energy prices skyrocket, the Drin River, which descends through the mountains of northern Albania, is acting as a kind of shield.
Israeli air strikes have killed at least 14 people in southern Lebanon, according to the country’s Health Ministry, as tensions continue despite an ongoing ceasefire.
Loyalists of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas won most municipal races, election officials said on Sunday (26 April). Reuters reported that elections were held for the first time in nearly two decades in the central Gaza city of Deir al‑Balah, which is governed by Hamas.
Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner will travel to Islamabad on Saturday for Pakistan-mediated talks with Iran, the White House said.
Slovenia’s national broadcaster RTV Slovenia has confirmed it will not air the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, joining a widening boycott over Israel’s participation.
Lebanon and Israel have agreed to extend their ceasefire by three weeks following talks at the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday (23 April).
European logistics companies are set to report stronger first-quarter profits, benefiting from supply chain disruption linked to the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, though analysts warn the conflict could weaken demand later this year.
An Israeli airstrike killed five Palestinians, including three children, near a mosque in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday (22 February), health officials said.
The current standoff between the U.S. and Iran is likely to continue in the near term, with both sides seeking to outlast the other rather than escalate into a wider conflict, according to political analyst Orkhan Nabiyev.
A Lebanese journalist has been killed and another wounded following Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanese officials and local media.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
