Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for 8th July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
1. Trump announces 25% tariffs on goods from Japan, South Korea in letters to leaders
President Donald Trump on 7 July began telling trade partners - from powerhouse suppliers such as Japan and South Korea to minor players - that sharply higher U.S. tariffs will start 1 August, marking a new phase in the trade war he launched in earlier 2025.
The 14 countries sent letters so far, which included smaller U.S. exporters like Serbia, Thailand and Tunisia, hinted at opportunities for additional negotiations while at the same time warning that any reprisal steps would be met with a like-for-like response.
“If for any reason you decide to raise your Tariffs, then, whatever the number you choose to raise them by, will be added onto the 25% that we charge,” Mr Trump said in letters, released on his Truth Social platform, to Japan and South Korea.
2. More than a 100 dead in Texas flash floods as search for missing continues
The death toll in the devastating flash floods in Texas has risen to 104 people, according to local authorities, as search and recovery efforts continue across several counties.
Flash floods across central Texas over the Fourth of July weekend have killed more than a 100 people, with search operations still underway for those missing, including several girls attending a summer camp in Kerr County.
3. Netanyahu meets Trump at The White House as Israel, Hamas discuss ceasefire
U.S. President Donald Trump, hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at The White House on Monday, said the United States had scheduled talks with Iran and indicated progress on a controversial effort to relocate Palestinians out of Gaza.
Speaking to reporters at the beginning of a dinner between U.S. and Israeli officials, Netanyahu said the United States and Israel were working with other countries who would give Palestinians a "better future," suggesting that the residents of Gaza could move to neighboring nations.
4. Trump says U.S. will send more weapons to Ukraine
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday the United States would send more weapons to Ukraine, primarily defensive ones, to help the war-torn country defend itself against intensifying Russian advances.
Washington's decision to halt some weapons shipments to Kyiv prompted it to warn the move would crimp its ability to fend off Russia's air strikes and battlefield advances, while drawing criticism from Democrats and some of Trump’s fellow Republicans.
5. China extends visa-free entry to more than 70 countries to draw tourists
Foreign tourists are trickling back to China after the country loosened its visa policy to unprecedented levels. Citizens from 74 countries can now enter China for up to 30 days without a visa, a big jump from previous regulations.
The government has been steadily expanding visa-free entry in a bid to boost tourism, the economy and its soft power. More than 20 million foreign visitors entered without a visa in 2024 — almost one-third of the total and more than double from the previous year, according to the National Immigration Administration.
Azerbaijan is prepared to chair the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in 2028, the country's President Ilham Aliyev has said. He made th...
U.S. federal immigration agents shot and wounded a man in a car with a five-year-old boy inside in New York City’s Bronx neighbourhood on Thu...
Several powerful explosions reported in the south of the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday may have been triggered by oil tankers hitting naval mines, I...
Russia struck Ukraine overnight in one of the biggest attacks of the conflict, killing at least 19 people, Kyiv's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. Around 70 missiles were fired at Ukraine during the attack, as well as drones, the Ministry said.
Azerbaijan is prepared to chair the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in 2028, the country's President Ilham Aliyev has said. He made the remarks as regional leaders met at the CIS Council of Heads of State meeting in Awaza, Turkmenistan.
The Saudi-led coalition says it has carried out a series of military operations against Houthi targets in Yemen after attacks on two Saudi airports left three people dead and dozens injured.
Azerbaijan and the five Central Asian states have signed two key documents at the 8th Consultative Meeting of Heads of State in Turkmenbashi, formalising a broader framework for regional cooperation in transport, trade, energy, digitalisation and security.
It started with classrooms. Too many students, not enough teachers, deteriorating buildings and growing anxiety over what comes after high school. But within weeks, a movement that began outside French lycées had spread across the country.
U.S. federal immigration agents shot and wounded a man in a car with a five-year-old boy inside in New York City’s Bronx neighbourhood on Thursday, city officials, police and witnesses say.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sharply criticised the United States following a series of Russian attacks that killed more than 70 people over two days, arguing that Washington is not doing enough to help Kyiv counter Moscow's continued assault.
Britain and Israel have reached a temporary compromise over the future of the British Consulate General in East Jerusalem, easing a diplomatic dispute that had threatened to further strain relations between the two countries.
The United States has unveiled a new round of sanctions targeting Iran's energy exports, taking aim at vessels, companies and individuals accused of helping move Iranian crude oil, petroleum products and petrochemicals to overseas markets.
The Trump administration has launched a major expansion of its immigration enforcement agenda, restricting access to a key employment-based green card process for several of the world's largest technology and outsourcing companies.
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