Kazakhstan vows to fast-track AZAL crash investigation amid rising diplomatic tensions
Kazakhstan has vowed to speed up its investigation into the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) crash near Aktau, as mounti...
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Sunday that the EU will extend its pause on retaliatory measures against U.S. tariffs until early August, in an effort to reach a negotiated trade agreement with the United States.
The move comes after U.S. President Donald Trump escalated trade tensions by threatening to impose a 30% tariff on EU imports starting August 1, in addition to existing sector-specific duties, despite months of talks.
Von der Leyen said the EU is continuing to prepare additional countermeasures to ensure readiness, should talks fail. The initial package of retaliatory tariffs, worth €21 billion ($24.6 billion) and aimed at U.S. steel and aluminium imports, was suspended in April for 90 days and had been set to expire on Monday.
A second set of measures, under development since May, targets €72 billion in U.S. goods. While the list has not been made public, it still requires approval from EU member states.
Von der Leyen also clarified that the EU’s Anti-Coercion Instrument, which allows for broader economic retaliation against countries applying pressure on EU policies, is not yet being considered. She emphasised that the instrument is reserved for “extraordinary situations,” which the EU has not yet reached.
Potential EU responses could involve limiting U.S. access to the European market, imposing restrictions on foreign investment, financial services, export controls, and other economic measures.
The Kremlin is utilising the recent United States and Israeli military strikes on Iran to validate its ongoing war in Ukraine. Russian officials are pointing to the escalation in the Middle East as evidence that Western nations do not adhere to international rules.
Saudi Arabia’s state oil giant Saudi Aramco closed its Ras Tanura refinery on Monday following an Iranian drone strike, an industry source told Reuters as Tehran retaliated across the Gulf after a U.S.-Israeli attack on Iranian targets over the weekend.
The Middle East crisis intensifies after the deadly attack on the compound of the Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei on Saturday that killed him, other family members and senior figures. Iran has launched retaliatory strikes on U.S. targets in the region.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. military has enough stockpiled weapons to fight wars "forever"; in a social media post late on Monday. The remarks came hours before conflict in Iran and the Middle East entered its fourth day.
Türkiye raised its security level for Turkish-flagged vessels in the Strait of Hormuz to Level 3 on Sunday (2 March). The development follows Iranian restrictions on shipping after U.S. and Israeli strikes and confirmation of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s death.
Strikes across the Middle East are intensifying, fuelling travel disruption, driving up global energy prices and forcing diplomatic missions to shut their doors as tensions continue to rise.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said the United States has a “virtually unlimited supply” of munitions and is capable of sustaining military action indefinitely, as the conflict with Iran entered its fourth day.
The United Nations has called for an investigation into a deadly attack on a girls’ primary school in Iran, which Iranian officials say has killed more than 100 children. The U.S. has said its forces “would not” deliberately target a school.
U.S. first lady, Melania Trump chaired a UN Security Council meeting on children and education in conflict on Monday (2 March), a move criticised by Iran as hypocritical following U.S. and Israeli strikes that triggered a UN warning about risks to children.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 3rd of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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