AnewZ Morning Brief - May 28th, 2025

Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for May 28th, covering the latest developments you need to know.

1. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev held limited format meeting with Prime Minister of Pakistan in Lachin

Yesterday, in Lachin, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev met with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif to discuss bilateral cooperation and regional developments. Sharif praised Azerbaijan’s restoration efforts in Karabakh and reaffirmed Pakistan’s support, stating “Karabakh is Azerbaijan.” The leaders also exchanged views on strengthening economic, scientific, and educational ties. They noted with pleasure that, following this bilateral meeting, a trilateral summit in the Azerbaijan–Türkiye–Pakistan format will take place today, May 28, in Lachin, with the participation of Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. This meeting will be yet another clear expression of the brotherhood and friendship among the countries.

2. Trump says Canada may contribute $61 billion "Golden Dome"

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed last week that Canada is in talks with the U.S. about joining the project. Carney stressed the importance of the defense system for Canada’s security, saying, “Is it a good idea for Canada? Yes, it is good to have protections in place for Canadians.”

Canada’s vast airspace provides the U.S. with a crucial line of sight for sensors needed to detect and intercept missiles from countries like China and Russia. Historically, Canada has played a key role in North America’s air and missile defense, making its involvement vital to the success of the Golden Dome system.

3. Sudan faces health crisis as cholera spreads

Sudan’s Health Ministry reported 172 cholera deaths in one week, mainly in Khartoum, where drone strikes have caused power outages at water plants, forcing use of unsafe water.

The ongoing civil war worsens the outbreak, with low vaccine coverage and dwindling medical supplies, says IRC’s Sudan director Eatizaz Yousif.

Doctors Without Borders reports thousands of cases, overwhelmed health facilities, and staff fleeing. On the worst day, Khartoum saw 500 new cases.

Cholera causes severe diarrhea and can be fatal without treatment, according to WHO. Sudan’s war has killed over 150,000 and displaced millions, creating a severe humanitarian crisis.

4. European Islamophobia report presented in Baku

The annual European Islamophobia Report, highlighting the state of Islamophobia across Europe with detailed data, was presented at the “Islamophobia in Focus: Unveiling Bias, Shattering Stigmas” conference in Baku. Introduced by Professor Enes Bayraklı from Turkish-German University, the report features contributions from 33 experts and activists across Europe. Since its first publication in 2015, the report has become a key resource, examining Islamophobia’s impact on politics, media, education, and justice, while offering policy recommendations and highlighting civil society efforts to combat prejudice.

5. Next round of Ukraine-Russia peace talks may move to Geneva, says Kellogg

Speaking to Fox News on Tuesday, Kellogg said the talks would move forward once Moscow submits its peace proposal, following a recent exchange of terms between the two sides.

Kellogg confirmed that Ukraine has already presented its proposal, while Russia is expected to deliver its own memorandum, a promise reportedly made during a phone call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin over a week ago.

“The US will combine both proposals to identify common ground and acceptable compromises,” Kellogg said, adding that once Russia’s document is received, the next meeting will be scheduled.

While Switzerland is seen as the likely host for the talks, Russia has rejected the Vatican as a possible venue. This follows an earlier suggestion by Trump that the Holy See could act as a neutral location—an idea publicly dismissed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

This comes after the first direct Russia-Ukraine talks since March 2022 were held in Istanbul earlier this month, leading to a prisoner exchange and an agreement to exchange written ceasefire proposals.

6. Israel and Syria hold direct talks to ease border tensions

Recent meetings between Israel and Syria, marking a notable shift in their tense relations, focused on preventing military escalation and improving coordination along their border. These talks, encouraged by U.S. officials, follow reduced Israeli airstrikes and the rise of a new Syrian government. While no formal normalization is planned, both sides aim to maintain “peace as in no war” by avoiding incidents and limiting military activity near the Golan Heights.

7. SpaceX to launch 9th Starship test

This mission marks a critical moment as the company will attempt to reuse a Super Heavy booster for the first time, after previously catching the massive 60-story rocket with its launch tower arms on three past flights.

The last two missions ended in fiery explosions of the upper Starship vehicle shortly after launch, scattering debris near islands east of Florida. Still, both NASA and SpaceX remain committed to the program.

NASA sees Starship as key to landing astronauts on the moon later this decade, while SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has called it the rocket that will eventually send humans to Mars — a vision that Donald Trump has publicly backed.

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