Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 20th of January, covering the latest developments you need to know.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he would impose a 200% tariff on French wines and champagnes after France declined to join his proposed Board of Peace on Gaza. Asked about French President Emmanuel Macron’s decision, Trump said “nobody wants him because he will be out of office very soon,” adding that the tariff threat could force France to join. France said the board’s proposed powers could undermine the role of the United Nations, warning it would go beyond Gaza and raise serious concerns over the United Nation’s principles and structure.
Australia is set to pass new laws enabling a national gun buyback and stricter background checks for firearm licences following the country’s deadliest mass shooting in decades at a Jewish festival in Bondi Beach last month. The bill passed the lower house on Tuesday by 96 votes to 45 and is expected to clear the Senate with support from the Greens. The measures would establish the largest gun buyback since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre and expand licence checks using intelligence data. The government said Australia held a record 4.1 million firearms last year. Conservative lawmakers opposed the bill, arguing it unfairly targets lawful gun owners, while separate legislation on hate speech offences is also under debate.
Syrian government forces expanded control across parts of northern and eastern Syria after Kurdish-led fighters withdrew under a ceasefire agreement, consolidating President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s authority. Syria’s Interior Ministry said about 120 Islamic State detainees had escaped from a prison in the eastern town of Shaddadi after it came under government control, with security forces later recapturing dozens during search operations. The withdrawal followed the Syrian Democratic Forces’ decision to leave Raqqa and Deir al-Zor, key provinces that include major oil fields, under a deal requiring Kurdish fighters to be integrated individually into Syria’s armed forces.
Spain will hold three days of national mourning after a high-speed train collision in the southern province of Córdoba killed at least 40 people and injured around 120 others. The crash occurred near the town of Adamuz when two high-speed trains collided, with regional authorities warning the death toll could rise as dozens remain missing. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez pledged full transparency as a formal investigation was launched, while rail services between Madrid and southern Andalusia were heavily disrupted following one of Spain’s deadliest rail accidents in decades.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he told NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte that Greenland was “imperative for National and World Security”, reinforcing his push to acquire the territory while escalating trade pressure on European allies. Trump said Denmark could not adequately protect Greenland and warned he would impose tariffs on countries opposing his plan, including a threatened 200% duty on French wines after France declined to join his proposed Board of Peace. European leaders rejected the approach, with Denmark and Greenland insisting the island is not for sale and European Union officials warning they are prepared to retaliate if the tariffs are imposed.
Georgia and Armenia have resumed talks on their 225-kilometre border after years of limited progress, with disputes over historical boundaries, far...
China has extended the suspension of its additional 24 per cent tariff on U.S. goods for another two months, while keeping a 10 per cent levy in pl...
Russia and Ukraine are set to return to Abu Dhabi on Tuesday for a fourth round of U.S.-brokered peace talks, with European participation, security...
Poland has declared two days of national mourning after a gunman opened fire in Kraków's historic main square. Investigators are examining possible far-right influences and the discovery of three bodies at the suspect's home.
Monday marks the second of two days of national mourning in Poland as police bolstered security after six people were killed in a mass shooting in Kraków.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis said it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles fired by the Iran-aligned group towards Riyadh on Sunday (8 November), after loud booms were heard in the Saudi capital. The Aramco building was damaged by falling debris.
The gunman who allegedly killed six people in Poland’s unprecedented mass shooting in central Kraków on Saturday has died in hospital, police said early Monday. The attacker had demonstrated advanced military-style marksmanship skills, according to a spokesperson for the shooting club he attended.
Azerbaijan is marking the sixth anniversary of Victory Day on Sunday, 8 November, with President Ilham Aliyev visiting the Victory Monument in Khankendi, laying a wreath and paying tribute to servicemen killed during the 44-day Second Garabagh War in 2020.
China has extended the suspension of its additional 24 per cent tariff on U.S. goods for another two months, while keeping a 10 per cent levy in place, as Beijing and Washington seek to maintain their fragile trade truce.
Russia and Ukraine are set to return to Abu Dhabi on Tuesday for a fourth round of U.S.-brokered peace talks, with European participation, security guarantees and territorial disputes expected to shape the negotiations.
The bodies of 13 migrants have been recovered from a boat off the Greek island of Crete, the Greek coast guard said on Monday. A further 18 people were rescued, with four taken to hospital.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has tasked Gadi Eisenkot, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s main rival, with trying to form a government after an inconclusive election. The decision, announced on Saturday, follows a vote that left neither candidate with a clear path to power.
U.S. President Donald Trump is set to host Qatar’s prime minister at the White House on Monday as efforts to end the conflict with Iran stall, with Washington and Tehran still far apart on the terms of a possible agreement.
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