Australia returns ancient Chinese statue heads stolen from imperial tombs
Australia has returned two ancient stone statue heads to China, more than 30 years after they were taken from imperial tombs in central China....
Iran and the U.S. exchanged threats on Tuesday, as U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Tehran to expect the “most intense day" of attacks so far. Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said “anyone who entertains the illusion of destroying Iran knows nothing of history."
“Most fighters, most bombers, most strikes,” was the message U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had for Iran during a media briefing at the Pentagon on Tuesday, as he warned of the “most intense day of strikes” against Tehran yet.
Later, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian issued a defiant message on X, warning adversaries that those who think they can destroy Iran are entertaining an “illusion.” Meanwhile, Iranian naval officer Alireza Tangsiri reiterated Tehran's warning that it would target vessels if they try to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
Qatari government spokesman Dr. Majed Al Ansar demanded an end to the targeting of vital infrastructure such as water tanks and food reserves at a press conference in Doha.
Al Ansar didn’t attribute blame but said striking such facilities posed “a grave danger for the people of the region and beyond,” adding “this needs to stop immediately.”
Trucks carrying Azerbaijani humanitarian aid passed into Iran through the Astara state border checkpoint on Tuesday.
The convoy carried 30 tons of food, including 10 tons of flour, six tons of rice, 2.4 tons of sugar, more than four tons of drinking water, and roughly 600 kilograms of tea, alongside about two tons of medicines and medical supplies.
Iran’s ongoing internet shutdown has become one of the most severe ever noted, according to global internet monitoring group NetBlocks.
The organisation said the disruption is now the second-longest internet shutdown in the country’s history, after the blackout imposed during anti-government protests earlier this year.
Australia has granted humanitarian visas to five members of the Iranian women’s national team who refused to sing the national anthem during a match last week.
Concerns for the players’ wellbeing were raised after Iranian state media labelled them “traitors” for remaining silent while the anthem played during the game in Australia, which took place days after former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in Tehran by U.S.-Israeli airstrikes.
The Middle East conflict remains tense as diplomatic efforts continue alongside renewed Houthi attacks. Iran says it remains open to mediation, while the Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted a ballistic missile fired towards the kingdom.
Evacuations and the provision of humanitarian aid in the Russian-occupied southern Ukrainian town of Oleshky have begun, a senior Ukrainian official said on Friday. In a statement on Telegram, David Arakhamia said a six-day ceasefire was holding, and that more details would follow.
Rescuers searched the wreckage of two high-speed trains in central Spain on Thursday as the death toll rose to a provisional 74, making it the country's second fatal high-speed rail disaster this year.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia remains willing to rebuild relations with European countries but warned that any wider conflict on the continent would leave no winners, as he commented on recent diplomatic contacts with Nordic leaders and growing security concerns in the Baltic region.
Qatari mediators returned to Tehran on Friday as part of efforts to reach a deal between the U.S. and Iran, according to an official briefed on the talks.
Demonstrators carrying Iranian flags and placards supporting the hijab gathered outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in London.
Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan surged by 330 per cent in 2026 despite a four-year ban, the United Nations said on Thursday. Afghan authorities disputed the findings, while Japan urged continued support for farmers seeking alternative livelihoods.
Central Asia could gain up to $640 million a year from closer energy cooperation, but strained electricity grids threaten to limit those gains, with Kazakhstan particularly exposed to regional power shortages and growing pressure on its network.
Georgia and Azerbaijan are stepping up efforts to boost trade, strengthen transport links between Asia and Europe and resolve a longstanding border dispute, as both countries seek to deepen their strategic partnership.
People travelling between Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Azerbaijan could soon be able to pay for purchases using their usual banking apps. Central banks from the five countries are working on linking their national payment systems.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment