Israel reopens Rafah crossing in ‘pilot operation’ after two years
Israel has reopened Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt in what Israeli media described as a “pilot operation,” marking the first opening of the crossing in two years.
Israel has reopened Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt in what Israeli media described as a “pilot operation,” marking the first opening of the crossing in two years.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned that any U.S. military attack on Iran would spark a wider regional conflict, Iranian semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington may be able to reach a deal with Cuba, days after he threatened tariffs on any country supplying the island with oil.
Iran will treat the armies of European Union member states as “terrorist groups” in retaliation for the EU’s decision to list Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation, parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said on Sunday.
Pakistan’s security forces have killed 145 militants over the past 40 hours following coordinated attacks that began on Saturday across the southwestern province of Balochistan, the province’s chief minister said on Sunday, updating an earlier casualty toll.
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev spoke by phone with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on 31 January, as both sides exchanged views on regional tensions and the future of their cooperation.
Iran’s nuclear ambitions continue to shape regional tensions in the Middle East, particularly among key powers such as Israel and Türkiye, according to political analyst Dr Zaur Gasimov.
The 27 European Union member states have approved €20 million (approximately $23.3 million) in assistance for Armenia from the European Peace Facility, following Hungary’s decision to lift its earlier veto, European media reported on Wednesday (28 January).
Tajikistan has announced an unprecedented rise in dust storms. Over the past 12 months, meteorologists recorded 63 such weather events, lasting a total of 216 days, or almost 60 per cent of the year.
Afghanistan is seeking Azerbaijan’s support to help secure its official participation in the upcoming United Nations COP31 global climate change conference, scheduled to be held in Türkiye, as Kabul looks to strengthen its engagement on climate diplomacy and technical cooperation.
Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu has arrived in China for an official visit, where he is due to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to discuss international and regional security issues, Russian state media reported on Sunday.
Xi Jinping praised China–Algeria co-operation on Saturday following the successful launch of an Algerian remote sensing satellite from northwest China, calling it another milestone in bilateral space ties.
U.S. president Donald Trump said Iran is “seriously talking” with the United States and expressed hope that negotiations could lead to an outcome acceptable to Washington.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for 1st February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
U.S. stock markets finished mixed on Wednesday (28 January) as investors reacted calmly after the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged, a decision that had been widely expected and largely priced in.
The S&P 500 edged to a record closing high on Tuesday, marking its fifth consecutive day of gains, as strong advances in technology stocks offset a sharp selloff in healthcare shares and a mixed batch of corporate earnings.
Chevron is in talks with Iraq’s oil ministry over potential changes to the commercial framework governing the West Qurna 2 oilfield, one of the world’s largest producing assets, after Baghdad nationalised the field earlier this month following U.S. sanctions imposed on Russia’s Lukoil.
Argentina's economic activity shrunk 0.3% in November compared with the same month last year, marking the first monthly contraction of 2025, data from Argentina's national statistics agency showed on Wednesday.
Wall Street closed sharply lower on Tuesday as global markets fell after U.S. President Donald Trump’s new tariff threats against Europe unsettled investors and revived fears of renewed volatility.
A restored angel in a Rome basilica has prompted political scrutiny after reports that its face now resembles Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Melania, the new documentary about the U.S. First Lady Melania Trump that premiered Thursday, is drawing sharply contrasting reactions. Professional critics have slammed the film, giving it a 8% on Rotten Tomatoes, while ordinary viewers have embraced it, with audience ratings currently at 99%.
Hundreds of torchbearers filled the streets of Lerwick as Up Helly Aa lit the Shetland night.
American rapper Ye, formerly Kanye West, has apologised for his past antisemitic remarks in a full-page Wall Street Journal ad, attributing his behaviour to an undiagnosed brain injury and bipolar disorder.
Catherine O’Hara, the celebrated Canadian actress and comedy legend, has died at the age of 71, her publicist confirmed on Friday. She passed away at her home in Los Angeles following a brief illness.
The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday made public more than three million pages of documents on Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier and convicted sex offender, including investigative records referencing Donald Trump, tech mogul Elon Musk and Britain’s former Duke of York, Prince Andrew.
The United Nations faces the risk of “imminent financial collapse” because of unpaid contributions, including substantial arrears from the United States, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned.
Vladimir Putin said Russia earned more than $15 billion from defence exports in 2025 and fulfilled all military-technical contracts despite what he described as growing pressure from Western countries.
Explosions shook parts of southern Lebanon on Friday night as Israeli strikes rippled across the Zahrani district, with the blasts travelling toward the coastal city of Sidon.
Two Nipah infections involving health workers in India have triggered heightened screening across Southeast Asia as authorities move to prevent the high fatality virus from spreading beyond the country.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has said it regrets the United States’ decision to withdraw from the UN health agency and hopes Washington will resume active participation in the future.
Researchers in China said they have developed a “smart living glue” made from engineered gut bacteria that can detect internal bleeding and help repair intestinal damage, offering a targeted new approach to treating inflammatory bowel disease.
Mongolia has introduced a new decree to strengthen traditional Mongolian medicine and expand its international profile.
Save the Children has pledged to expand maternal and child health services across Afghanistan after its new country director met the country’s public health minister in Kabul on Wednesday.
China has announced plans to fully cover childbirth-related costs for families as authorities move to incentivise young couples to have more children.
American Airlines plans to resume flights to Venezuela for the first time in more than six years, pending government approval and security assessments. The move follows recent developments involving U.S. military action in the country, the airline said on Thursday (29 January).
Dozens of beaches along Australia's east coast, including in Sydney, closed on Tuesday (20 January) after four shark attacks in two days, as heavy rains left waters murky and more likely to attract the animals.
A railway power outage in Tokyo disrupted the morning commute for roughly 673,000 passengers on Friday (16 January) as two main lines with some of the world's busiest stations were halted after reports of a fire.
Snow and ice stalled travellers in northwest Europe on Wednesday, forcing around a thousand to spend the night in Amsterdam's Schiphol airport but delighting others who set out to explore a snow-blanketed Paris on sledges and skis.
Storm Kristin has killed at least five people and left more than 850,000 residents of central and northern Portugal without electricity on Wednesday (28 January), as it toppled trees, damaged homes, and disrupted road and rail traffic before moving inland to Spain.
Several people, including children, were reported missing in New Zealand's north island on Thursday after a landslide struck a coastal campsite amid heavy rain that caused evacuations of people to safety, road closures and widespread power outages.
At least four people were killed on Tuesday as floods swept across Tunisia during the worst torrential rain for more than 70 years in some regions, and there were fears the death toll could rise, authorities said.
The world has already entered an era of global water bankruptcy, with irreversible damage to rivers, aquifers, lakes and glaciers pushing billions of people into long-term water insecurity, according to a major United Nations report released on Tuesday.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric declared a state of catastrophe in two southern regions of country on Sunday as raging wildfires forced at least 20,000 people to evacuate and left at least 19 people dead.
Here are the latest stories from AnewZ’s Africa News programme, focusing on political and security developments across the African continent.
Here are the latest stories from AnewZ’s Africa News programme, focusing on political and security developments across the African continent.
The following story summaries are from AnewZ’s Africa News programme, focusing on political and security developments across Africa and beyond.
In today’s Prime Time, we covered the following conversations: Azerbaijan has shipped petroleum products to Armenia by rail for the first time in decades, marking a significant step toward economic cooperation and regional integration in the South Caucasus.
Amid ongoing conflicts and geopolitical tension, 2025 became a year defined not only by confrontation but also by a series of diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing violence, easing humanitarian crises and opening paths to long-term stability.
In 2025, climate talks, security negotiations and trade diplomacy defined a year of high-level summits. Leaders met across continents to confront conflict, debate climate responsibility and shape global priorities. Some eased tensions, others exposed divisions, but all left their mark.
The year 2025 was marked by widespread protests and civil unrest across multiple regions, as citizens took to the streets to voice anger over political decisions, economic pressures, governance failures and social inequality.
From the invasion of Ukraine to today’s border ceasefire in Southeast Asia, the global security architecture has undergone a period of unprecedented strain.
The 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, held in Tianjin, China, has been hailed as one of the most significant gatherings in the bloc’s history.
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