AnewZ Morning Brief – 20 May 2026

AnewZ Morning Brief – 20 May 2026
Delegates speak at a World Urban Forum 13 session on healthy homes at Baku Olympic Stadium in Baku, Azerbaijan on 19 May, 2026.
WUF13

Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 20th May, covering the latest developments you need to know.

 

Fourth day of WUF13 kicks off in Baku 

Policymakers and experts head to the fourth day of the World Urban Forum 13 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Wednesday will see events looking at low-carbon building, how to give public spaces a facelift and affordable housing financing options. The fourth day of the United Nations will take place from 08:00 local time (02:44 GMT)  until 17:30 local time (13:30 GMT) at Baku Olympic Stadium. 

Russia mulls teaming up with China and U.S. 

The Russian government is considering working on joint projects with the U.S. and China, Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund has said. Dmitriev is a special envoy to Putin and a key figure in negotiations between Moscow and Washington. The remarks come as Russian President Vladimir Putin begins a two-day state visit to Beijing. 

Tankers exit Strait of Hormuz

A pair of Chinese oil tankers left the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday (20 May). The development came as U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice-President JD Vance made comments suggesting that talks with Tehran, aimed at bringing about an end to the U.S. war with Iran, were going well. The sea passage has effectively been closed to shipping since the start of the conflict at the end of February. 

U.S. Defense Secretary Rubio to head to NATO talks

Marco Rubio will head to Sweden for talks with foreign ministers from the NATO alliance. The meeting in the Swedish coastal city of Helsingborg on Friday (22 May) is expected to focus on increasing defence spending among members of the alliance. U.S. President Donald Trump has criticised European allies for not spending enough on defence.

‘Anti-Islamic’ writings found in vehicle connected to deadly Mosque shooting 

Officials from the U.S. Department of Justice have said that investigators have found “anti-Islamic writings” inside a car linked to a deadly shooting at a Mosque in the city of San Diego. Three people were killed in the attack on Monday (18 May) at the Islamic Centre of San Diego. The suspects have been identified as 18-year-old Caleb Vasquez and 17-year-old Cain Clark.

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