Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 20 June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
U.S. and Iranian negotiators are set to begin peace talks in Switzerland on Sunday, following a Pakistan-brokered 60-day ceasefire aimed at ending nearly four months of conflict. The talks come amid fresh tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said the key waterway had been closed. The U.S. military disputed the claim, saying commercial vessels continued to pass through the strait, including 55 merchant ships carrying more than 17 million barrels of oil on Saturday. The negotiations are expected to focus on Iran’s nuclear programme, the Lebanon ceasefire and implementation of the interim deal.
Israeli strikes and gunfire killed at least nine people in Gaza on Saturday, including a child and Al Jazeera journalist Ahmed Wishah, health officials said. Four people were killed in an airstrike on an apartment building in Gaza City, while others were reported killed in Beit Lahiya, Khan Younis and Bureij refugee camp. Israel said it had targeted militants, including one it claimed worked as an Al Jazeera photojournalist, but did not provide evidence. Al Jazeera condemned Wishah’s killing and said he was the 12th of its journalists killed by Israel in Gaza since October 2023. The violence comes despite an October ceasefire, with talks on the next phase of Donald Trump’s Gaza plan still deadlocked.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that Russia is preparing a massive attack on Ukraine, urging residents to closely follow air raid alerts. His warning came as Russian strikes across several regions killed at least six people, including five in Zaporizhzhia, where glide bomb attacks damaged residential buildings and infrastructure. Casualties were also reported in Sumy, Kherson and Poltava, where three children were injured. Zelenskyy said Ukraine would continue its medium- and long-range strikes on Russia’s oil sector, including recent drone attacks on refineries in Tyumen and Moscow.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo says confirmed Ebola cases have risen to 956, including 247 deaths, up from 933 cases and 245 deaths a day earlier. Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba said 80 patients have recovered, while the WHO reported that 75 healthcare workers have been infected and 17 have died. Officials warn that shortages of protective equipment and limited medical staff are putting further pressure on efforts to contain the outbreak.
A severe heatwave is sweeping across much of Europe, prompting France to restrict alcohol consumption at public events, Germany to issue widespread heat warnings and Spain to close a football fan zone in Madrid. Temperatures in parts of France are forecast to reach up to 41C, while Germany and Italy are also facing extreme heat. Scientists warn that climate change is making European heatwaves more frequent and intense, increasing risks to public health, daily life and economic activity.
Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut down its 1,200-kilometre East-West oil pipeline after it was hit by a drone attack, with Riyadh and Baghdad sayin...
Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces struck two cargo vessels overnight in the Ukrainian Black Sea port o...
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he would “love” to see British-run Northern Ireland unify...
Overnight Iranian strikes on an air base in Jordan damaged multiple U.S. aircraft and left one without a wing, American media reported. Meanwhile, explosions were heard across parts of southern Iran according to local media reports.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in New Delhi on Friday to attend the weekend BRICS summit, amid the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict, joining a host of foreign dignitaries.
Ukrainian forces struck a Russian oil refinery in Siberia and a seaport in Dagestan in the past 24 hours, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. He will meet Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday to discuss air defences for Ukraine over winter.
Mexico and the U.S. are racing to secure a trade deal before the U.S. midterm elections in less than eight weeks, according to six sources familiar with the talks, with failed negotiations between Washington and Canada adding urgency.
A Russian strike on a gas station in Kyiv has killed two people, the city's Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in a statement on Telegram. In Russia, online marketplace Ozon has suspended operations in Saratov, southwestern Russia, following a drone strike on a warehouse in the region.
Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut down its 1,200-kilometre East-West oil pipeline after it was hit by a drone attack, with Riyadh and Baghdad saying the strike originated from Iraq.
Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces struck two cargo vessels overnight in the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Chornomorsk, the Interfax news agency reported on Saturday.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he would “love” to see British-run Northern Ireland unify with Ireland, remarks made during a visit to Dublin that drew a sharp response from pro-British unionists in Northern Ireland.
BRICS leaders have called for maximum restraint over the war in the Middle East, warning against actions that could further worsen tensions as the United States and Iran resume strikes against each other.
Dubai’s property market has spent years climbing. Now, for the first time since 2021, prices are moving in the opposite direction.
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