AnewZ Morning Brief - 20th August, 2025

Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 20th of August, covering the latest developments you need to know.

Oil flows resume to Hungary and Slovakia via Druzhba pipeline

Oil is once again flowing to Hungary and Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline, officials from both countries said late on Tuesday, after a Ukrainian drone strike on an oil pumping station in Russia's Tambov region halted supplies.

Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russia's energy infrastructure, a key conduit for generating money for Kremlin's war efforts, with oil and gas sales accounting for a quarter of Russia's total state budget proceeds.

Unlike most other European Union countries, Slovakia and neighbouring Hungary have kept up their dependence on Russian energy and get most of their crude through the Druzhba pipeline.

China to stage massive military parade marking World War II anniversary

China will hold a large-scale military parade in central Beijing on 3 September to mark 80 years since Japan's surrender in World War Two, showcasing new weaponry and air power amid rising regional tensions.

Hundreds of aircraft, including fighter jets and bombers, will fly over Tiananmen Square alongside ground equipment, some never seen in public before according to authorities. The parade will feature 45 military contingents and last 70 minutes. President Xi Jinping will oversee the event, joined by foreign dignitaries including Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is expected to unveil new hypersonic and anti-ship missiles, drone-defence systems, and early warning aircraft designed to protect China’s expanding naval presence.

Syria and Israel meet in Paris as U.S. mediates peace effort

Syria and Israel aim to boost stability in southern Syria and the broader region according to reports.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani met an Israeli delegation in Paris on Tuesday for talks and addressed the potential reactivation of the 1974 disengagement agreement, which established a U.N.-monitored buffer zone in the Golan Heights.

This was the second meeting in the French capital in under a month, following July talks where no final agreement was reached on reducing hostilities in the south.

U.S. imposes new tariffs on steel, aluminium products and auto parts

The U.S. Commerce Department has expanded steel and aluminium tariffs on Tuesday, to include more than 400 products, aiming to protect domestic industries.

The new tariffs target items such as wind turbines, mobile cranes, bulldozers, railcars, furniture, compressors, pumps, and imported automotive parts including exhaust system components and electrical steel for electric vehicles.

Copied