Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 27th of November, covering the latest developments you need to know.
1. Hong Kong police make arrests as fire death toll reaches 44
Hong Kong police have arrested three men, including two directors and an engineering consultant, on suspicion of manslaughter following a devastating fire at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex. Authorities suspect that "gross negligence" involving unsafe scaffolding and foam materials used during maintenance work contributed to the blaze, which has killed at least 44 people and left nearly 300 missing.
Firefighters have been working through the night to reach residents trapped on the upper floors of the high-rise blocks in the Tai Po district. While the fire has been brought under control in four of the blocks, rescue operations remain critical, with 45 people currently hospitalised in critical condition and hundreds of residents sheltering in temporary accommodation.
2. U.S. plans troop expansion to combat global drug trafficking
U.S. Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth has announced plans to expand American military deployments abroad to tackle drug trafficking. Speaking from the Dominican Republic, which has authorised a temporary U.S. presence, Hegseth outlined a model aimed at sending a message to "drug terrorists" by increasing military cooperation with partner nations.
Washington hopes to convince other countries to accept similar deployments of troops and aircraft on their soil. The initiative follows a recent ramp-up of U.S. operations in the Caribbean, where strikes against suspected trafficking vessels have already resulted in dozens of casualties.
3. Pope Leo XIV begins historic first foreign trip to Türkiye
Pope Leo embarks on his first overseas visit on Thursday, travelling to Türkiye to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea and appeal for Christian unity. The Pontiff will meet with President Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara before joining Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Istanbul. The religious leaders are due to visit Iznik to commemorate the site where the Nicene Creed was formulated, seeking to strengthen ties between the Catholic and Orthodox churches.
The tour concludes with a high-stakes visit to Lebanon on Sunday, where the Pope is expected to focus on peace in the Middle East. The arrival comes amid renewed instability after a recent Israeli airstrike in Beirut killed a top Hezbollah official, straining a US-brokered truce. Breaking with recent tradition, the Vatican confirmed that the Pope will deliver his addresses in English throughout the trip.
4. National Guard soldiers critically wounded in ‘targeted’ Washington ambush
Two National Guard soldiers are in critical condition after being shot in downtown Washington, D.C., in what officials are investigating as a targeted terrorist attack. The suspect, identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who arrived in the U.S. during the Kabul airlift in 2021, was apprehended following an exchange of gunfire near the White House.
President Donald Trump condemned the shooting as an "act of evil" and vowed to re-examine the vetting of all Afghans who entered the country during the previous administration. The soldiers were part of a high-visibility patrol when they were ambushed, marking a significant security breach in the capital.
5. Indonesia battles floods and landslides as death toll hits 28
Torrential rain driven by a rare tropical cyclone has caused severe flooding and landslides in Indonesia's North Sumatra province, killing at least 28 people. Rescue efforts have been severely hampered by what officials describe as a "total cut-off" of roads and communications in the hardest-hit areas, including Sibolga and Central Tapanuli.
With approximately 8,000 people evacuated from their homes and 10 individuals still missing, emergency services are relying on helicopters to distribute aid and logistics. The country's meteorological agency has warned that extreme weather is likely to continue, with further flooding expected in the provinces of Aceh and Riau over the coming days.
6. Tashkent hosts major forum to boost EU–Central Asia economic ties
Uzbekistan is hosting the Third European Union–Central Asia Economic Forum in Tashkent, gathering representatives from 32 countries to deepen regional cooperation. Officials highlighted that trade between the EU and the region has quadrupled in the last seven years to €54 billion, with the EU remaining the area's largest investor.
Discussions focused on modernising transport logistics and improving the business climate to attract further European companies. Six bilateral documents were exchanged during the event, covering sectors such as environmental restoration and value-chain development, signalling a move towards an expanded strategic partnership.
U.S. and Iranian officials said they had agreed on a framework to end their war, halt the U.S. blockade of Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a pre...
Leaders of the Group of Seven wealthy nations will meet at a French lakeside resort on Monday against a backdrop of preliminary deal to end U.S. and I...
Four people were killed while the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery, a symbol of Ukrainian spiritual and cultural history, caught fire, in the heaviest Ru...
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia are aiming to establish a railway connection linking the two countries through Syria and Jordan within the next three to fou...
As football supporters around the world follow the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a group of young women in Gaza are fighting a very different battle - rebuildi...
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia are aiming to establish a railway connection linking the two countries through Syria and Jordan within the next three to four years, according to Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu.
As football supporters around the world follow the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a group of young women in Gaza are fighting a very different battle - rebuilding their lives through the sport they love after losing limbs during the war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday, 14 June about efforts to end Russia's war in Ukraine, as world leaders prepare to gather for the G7 summit in France.
At least six Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes and gunfire across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, 14 June, according to local health officials, as mediators intensified efforts to keep fragile ceasefire negotiations alive.
Pakistan has warned that any attempt by India to block or significantly reduce river flows under the Indus Waters Treaty could have “far-reaching consequences”, after India's water minister said New Delhi was working to ensure that “not a single drop” of water reaches Pakistan in the coming years.
Details of a reported draft memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran offer the clearest picture yet of how both sides plan to end months of conflict and move towards a longer-term settlement.
Armenia has every right to choose Europe. But Europe’s support for Armenia’s direction should not become automatic approval of its political process.
The U.S. and Iran say they have reached a deal to end their conflict, with an immediate ceasefire and reopening of the Strait of Hormuz after the lifting of the U.S. naval blockade. Talks will continue over the next 60 days to finalise the agreement
U.S. President Donald Trump has said a peace agreement with Iran is scheduled to be signed on Sunday in a post on social media, despite Tehran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei saying no deal would be approved this weekend.
Leaders of the Group of Seven wealthy nations will meet at a French lakeside resort on Monday against a backdrop of preliminary deal to end U.S. and Iran war reached by both sides.
Four people were killed while the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery, a symbol of Ukrainian spiritual and cultural history, caught fire, in the heaviest Russian air attack on the Ukrainian capital in two weeks, authorities said on Monday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday, 14 June about efforts to end Russia's war in Ukraine, as world leaders prepare to gather for the G7 summit in France.
All 12 people on board a plane that crashed near Butler Memorial Airport in the U.S. state of Missouri have died, according to local authorities.
Thousands of people took to the streets of Geneva on Sunday, 14 June ahead of this week's G7 summit in neighbouring France, but a largely peaceful demonstration later descended into clashes with police.
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