Philippines Hit by 6.9 Magnitude Quake
At least five people have died following a magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck the Philippines on Tuesday, authorities report....
The European Commission says it will propose sanctioning "extremist Israeli ministers" and a partial suspension of the European Union's association agreement with Israel, targeting trade-related matters. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made the announcement on Wednesday.
"What is happening in Gaza has shaken the conscience of the world," von der Leyen said in a State of the Union speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, acknowledging divisions within Europe on how to move forward and pledging that the commission will do what it can on its own.
A suspension of the trade chapter of the agreement would withdraw trade preferences for Israeli products to enter the EU market and would require a qualified majority vote among EU governments, according to a July options paper prepared by the bloc's diplomatic service.
The EU is Israel's biggest trading partner, accounting for nearly a third of Israel's total international trade in goods last year.
A qualified majority is reached with the support of 15 out of 27 members representing 65% of the EU population, a difficult threshold to reach at a time when European capitals continue to have diverging views on how to approach Israel and Gaza.
Von der Leyen also said that the Commission will put its bilateral support for Israel on hold, without affecting work with Israeli civil society and Yad Vashem, Israel's main Holocaust memorial centre.
The Commission had previously proposed curbing Israeli access to its flagship research funding programme but failed to garner sufficient support from EU member countries for the move.
Diplomats say Germany's view on the proposal is key, and Germany has said it is so far unconvinced.
The Commission chief said the body will set up a Palestine Donor Group next month, including an instrument for Gaza reconstruction.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
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.
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.
US President Donald Trump, alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, unveiled a 20-point peace plan on September 29, 2025, aiming to end the Gaza conflict. The proposal addresses key geopolitical, humanitarian, and security issues, offering a pathway to peace.
The second round of the UEFA Champions League group stage began today, with nine matches scheduled, two of which have already concluded.
The U.S. federal government could face a shutdown if Congress fails to pass a budget bill before the end of fiscal year 2025 on Wednesday. A shutdown would force the suspension of all non-essential federal activities.
At least five people have died following a magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck the Philippines on Tuesday, authorities report.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for a missile strike on the Dutch-flagged cargo vessel Minervagracht, saying the attack was carried out on Monday outside the usual Red Sea theatre of their operations.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment