Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for April 28th, covering the latest developments you need to know.
1. Baku hosts founding conference of Global South NGO Platform
Today, the founding conference of the Global South NGO Platform, a landmark initiative uniting civil society leaders and NGO representatives from 116 countries covering nearly 80% of the world’s population, is being held in Baku.
This significant event is hailed as a major milestone for the civil society of the Global South, encompassing Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Oceania - regions that together represent two-thirds of the world's countries.
The initiative to establish the Platform was proposed by the Azerbaijan National NGO Forum during COP29 in November 2024. Gaining rapid international support, the COP29 NGO Coalition subsequently raised the issue of institutionalizing the platform with the Azerbaijan National NGO Forum, further cementing Azerbaijan’s leadership in global civil society efforts.
2. Trump urges Russia to stop attacks; Rubio says US might walk away from peace efforts
President Donald Trump urged Russia on Sunday to stop its attacks in Ukraine while his top diplomat said the United States might walk away from peace efforts if it does not see progress.
Speaking to reporters in New Jersey, Trump said he was disappointed that Russia has continued to attack Ukraine, and said his one-on-one meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Vatican on Saturday had gone well.
"I see him as calmer. I think he understands the picture, and I think he wants to make a deal," Trump said of Zelenskyy.
3. Last day of Canada’s election campaign jolted by Vancouver attack
At least 11 people are dead and dozens injured after a driver rammed through a Filipino street festival in Vancouver on Saturday night.
The vehicle, reported by witnesses to be a black SUV, left victims, debris and chaos in its wake, with those who were at the scene describing their families being separated and bodies flying high into the air.
4. Amid U.S.-Iran talks, Netanyahu says Iran's entire nuclear program must go
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday repeated calls for Iran's entire nuclear infrastructure to be dismantled, as Washington and Tehran engage in talks for a nuclear accord.
The United States and Iran have so far held three rounds of indirect talks, mediated by Gulf state Oman, aimed at sealing a deal that would block Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon but also lift crippling economic sanctions imposed by Washington.
Netanyahu said the only "good deal" would be one that removed "all of the infrastructure" akin to the 2003 agreement that Libya made with the West that saw it give up its nuclear, chemical, biological and missile programmes.
5. Death toll from blast at Iran's Bandar Abbas port rises to 40
The death toll from a powerful explosion at Iran's biggest port of Bandar Abbas has risen to at least 40, with more than 1,200 people injured, state media reported on Sunday, as firefighters worked to fully extinguish the fire.
Saturday's blast took place in the Shahid Rajaee section of the port, Iran's biggest container hub, shattering windows for several kilometres around, tearing metal strips off shipping containers and badly damaging goods inside, state media said.
Gen Z protests swept 34 German cities on Saturday (31 October) over education, living costs and military service proposals. Violence erupted in Fra...
Iran designated Britain's Royal Navy and Royal Air Force as terrorist organisations on Sunday, (1 November), and classified the country's f...
Since 2021, only 9 per cent of $8 billion in humanitarian aid for Afghanistan can be traced beyond initial recipients in public re...
The U.S. has approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine in a deal worth an estimated $2.1 billion, but Kyiv could face years of delays before receiving the weapons it urgently needs to defend against intensifying Russian attacks.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has ordered Iran's armed forces to respond to any threat immediately and without geographical limits in statements posted to social media platforms on Saturday (31 October).
Demonstrators carrying Iranian flags and placards supporting the hijab gathered outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in London.
A Chinese-made AI chip has matched Nvidia’s H200 in tests conducted by its developer, marking a potential breakthrough in China’s efforts to reduce its dependence on foreign technology.
A hacking group linked to North Korea is widely believed to be behind the theft of $6.3 billion from cryptocurrency giant Binance, a cyberattack that experts describe as the largest cryptocurrency heist on record.
Since 2021, only 9 per cent of $8 billion in humanitarian aid for Afghanistan can be traced beyond initial recipients in public records, a Kabul Institute report released on 22 October said. The United Nations says its oversight systems ensure accountability.
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.
Demonstrators carrying Iranian flags and placards supporting the hijab gathered outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in London.
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.
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