Construction still in progress in Belem as Brazil readies to host COP30
Heads of state are due to start arriving in the Amazonian city of Belém in a month’s time for the United Nations climate summit, yet much of the in...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for 16th July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
1. Trump confirms Patriot missile shipments to Ukraine, paid by NATO members
President Donald Trump announced that Patriot missile systems are already being sent to Ukraine from Germany as part of a NATO-backed agreement. Under the deal, the U.S. will be fully reimbursed by European allies, either through NATO or directly from EU members.
Trump emphasized that the U.S. will not bear any additional financial burden. The deal was finalized during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who confirmed Europe would cover the full cost of supplying weapons to Ukraine.
2. Syria declares Latakia wildfires under control, warns of long-term damage
Syria has announced that the wildfires in Latakia province have been fully extinguished after 12 days of intense efforts. Minister Raed al-Saleh emphasized the need for stronger forest protection and an early warning system to prevent future disasters.
More than16,000 hectares of forest and 2,200 hectares of farmland were destroyed, while 45 villages were affected and 1,200 families displaced. International support from Türkiye, Jordan, Lebanon, and others was praised as vital to the response.
3. EU imposes fresh sanctions on Iran, Russia, Moldova, and Haiti over rights abuses and hybrid threats
The EU has imposed new sanctions on individuals and entities in Iran, Russia, Moldova, and Haiti over human rights abuses, disinformation, and efforts to destabilize regions.
Targets include Iranian intelligence-linked groups, Russian judges, Moldovan political actors, and Haitian gang leaders. Russian media and military units were also blacklisted for interference and GNSS jamming. All face asset freezes and travel bans.
4. U.S. and EU set end-August deadline for new Iran nuclear deal
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the foreign ministers of France, Germany, and the UK have agreed on an end-of-August deadline to revive the Iran nuclear deal, according to Axios. If no agreement is reached, the European powers may trigger the 'snapback' mechanism.
Talks include calls for Iran to resume International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) monitoring and reduce its stockpile of 60% enriched uranium. Iran currently holds around 400 kilograms—well above limits set in the original deal. The U.S. exited the agreement in 2018 under President Donald Trump. Iran denies having a nuclear programme.
5. Azerbaijan and China officially end visa requirements for ordinary passport holders
The visa regime between Azerbaijan and China was abolished on 16 July, following an agreement signed during President Ilham Aliyev’s state visit to China.
Citizens holding valid ordinary passports from both countries can now travel, enter, exit, and transit without a visa for up to 30 days per trip and a total of 90 days within any 180-day period. This development aims to strengthen bilateral relations and facilitate easier travel and cooperation.
Video from the USGS (United States Geological Survey) showed on Friday (19 September) the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii erupting and spewing lava.
At least eight people have died and more than 90 others were injured following a catastrophic gas tanker explosion on a major highway in Mexico City’s Iztapalapa district on Wednesday, authorities confirmed.
At least 69 people have died and almost 150 injured following a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Cebu City in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, officials said, making it one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.
A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on 13 September with no tsunami threat, coming just weeks after the region endured a devastating 8.8-magnitude quake — the strongest since 1952.
Authorities in California have identified the dismembered body discovered in a Tesla registered to singer D4vd as 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who had been missing from Lake Elsinore since April 2024.
Heads of state are due to start arriving in the Amazonian city of Belém in a month’s time for the United Nations climate summit, yet much of the infrastructure intended to welcome them remains incomplete.
The Syrian army and the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) reached a ceasefire deal in two districts of Aleppo city, Syria's state news agency SANA reported on Tuesday, following a spike in tensions between the two sides.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to meet in person following a friendly video call on Monday, raising hopes of improving relations strained by tariffs and political disputes.
Clashes have broken out in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo after Kurdish YPG militants allegedly violated a ceasefire agreement and attacked Syrian forces and civilians.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has pledged to further strengthen his country’s alliance with Russia, in a letter to President Vladimir Putin marking his birthday and praising his leadership.
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