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.
Nordic and Baltic leaders arrived in Kyiv for Ukraine’s Flag Day on Sunday as Russia continued its drone campaign and Kyiv warned of a potent...
Iran on Saturday denounced U.S. plans to announce new sanctions that could put further strain on the Islamic Repub...
U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed...
Russia is open to listening to new proposals on how to reach a settlement on the Ukraine conflict, a senior Russian diplomat said, but any proposals should reflect the "realities on the ground".
Iran on Saturday denounced U.S. plans to announce new sanctions that could put further strain on the Islamic Republic's economy and have an impact on its most important trading partners including China.
A large-scale drone attack has hit Russia's Samara region, damaging facilities and disrupting operations at an Ozon logistics complex, according to regional authorities and the company.
Nordic and Baltic leaders arrived in Kyiv for Ukraine’s Flag Day on Sunday as Russia continued its drone campaign and Kyiv warned of a potential new Russian mobilisation.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran was not ready to make what he called the "right deal" with Washington as tensions persisted over the war and the Strait of Hormuz.
Nordic and Baltic leaders arrived in Kyiv for Ukraine’s Flag Day on Sunday as Russia continued its drone campaign and Kyiv warned of a potential new Russian mobilisation.
Syria expects negotiations with Israel over a security agreement to resume soon despite deep mistrust between the two sides, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said in an interview with Reuters, urging Israel to seize an "historic opportunity" as the door for diplomacy is open.
India's Coast Guard and Navy continued search-and-rescue operations off the eastern coast on Sunday after a Panama-flagged cargo vessel carrying 24 crew sank, with two Chinese nationals rescued, a senior official said.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te has called for continued military strength and national unity during a visit to the sensitive frontline island of Kinmen, saying peace must be protected "through strength."
The European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism sent helicopters and firefighters to help Serbia fight a massive wildfire in a nature reserve in the northeast of the country, the head of the European Union mission to Belgrade said.
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