AnewZ Morning Brief - 21 December, 2025
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 21st of December, covering the latest developments you need to...
The European Council decided on Monday to impose restrictive measures on an additional seven individuals and two entities responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran, including for the use of the judiciary as a tool for arbitrary detention.
"The European Union continues to be deeply concerned by Iran’s distressing practice to arbitrarily detain EU mono and dual nationals on spurious grounds, with a view to making political gains. Last year, there was a dramatic increase in the number of executions, including of women and individuals belonging to ethnic and religious minorities, as well as of one European citizen," - Council's statement reads.
In this context, the EU is imposing sanctions on the Shiraz Central Prison, located in Fars Province, and the First Branch of the Revolutionary Court of Shiraz. Furthermore, the EU is imposing restrictive measures on members of the judiciary, including Farzadi Hedayatollah, head of Evin prison, and Mehdi Nemati, head of the Fars Prisons Protection and Intelligence Department.
Restrictive measures now apply to a total of 232 individuals and 44 entities. They consist of an asset freeze, a travel ban to the EU, and a prohibition to make funds or economic resources available to those listed. A ban on exports to Iran of equipment, that might be used for internal repression, and of equipment for monitoring telecommunications is also in place.
The death toll from Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades has risen to 161, after forensic analysis confirmed one more victim among the charred remains at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, more than three weeks after the blaze began, authorities said on Saturday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet President Donald Trump on 29 December in Florida, where he is expected to present a package of military options regarding Iran, Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported on Saturday.
The United States has suspended the Diversity Visa Lottery programme, commonly known as the Green Card lottery, after a deadly shooting at Brown University.
US intelligence assessments indicate that Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to seek full control of Ukraine and to expand Russia’s influence in parts of Europe formerly under Soviet rule, contradicting repeated claims that Moscow poses no threat to the continent.
The United States has proposed a potential new format for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, which could include American and European representatives, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday, December 20.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced the arrival of the first rail shipment of Azerbaijani petrol on Friday, calling the delivery — the first such transfer between the two countries in decades — a sign that “peace has now become a reality”.
AnewZ has premiered The Oligarch’s Design, a long-form investigative documentary that marks the launch of AnewZ Investigations, the channel’s new cross-border journalism initiative.
Iran’s renewed call for international burden sharing in hosting Afghan refugees has revived a familiar narrative - that refugees are an economic strain rather than a source of long-term value. Analysts say this framing overlooks decades of contribution by Afghan refugees across the region.
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s official visit to Tokyo represents more than a strengthening of bilateral relations; it is a strategic step that broadens the economic and diplomatic horizons of the region.
AnewZ has premiered The Oligarch’s Design, a long-form investigative documentary marking the launch of AnewZ Investigations, the channel’s new editorial endeavour dedicated to cross-border investigative journalism.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment