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.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has said Tehran is not currently involved in direct talks with Washington about reopening the St...
Myanmar's detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi met with a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross on Monday, after years of ...
Indonesian rescue teams are searching for 28 people still unaccounted for, three days after a passenger ferry caught fire off the coast of Madura isla...
A tourist aircraft crashed near Peru's UNESCO-listed Nazca Lines on Saturday (1 August), killing all 13 people on board, authorities said.
U.S. President Donald Trump said late on Saturday he would hold off on a fresh attack on Iran as long as a deal could be reached quickly to halt Iran's nuclear ambitions and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has said Tehran is not currently involved in direct talks with Washington about reopening the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. President Donald Trump said negotiations with Iran were to begin on Monday.
Two firefighting helicopters collided while battling a major wildfire in Greece on Sunday, killing two crew members as emergency services continued efforts to contain fires fuelled by extreme heat and dry conditions across Europe.
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said wildfires that swept across France were now under control. Authorities warned that risks remained as Greece and Spain continued battling active blazes across parts of Europe.
Myanmar's detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi met with a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross on Monday, after years of questions over the health and well-being of the 81-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner.
Indonesian rescue teams are searching for 28 people still unaccounted for, three days after a passenger ferry caught fire off the coast of Madura island.
17 Gaming won the PUBG: Battlegrounds title at the Games of the Future 2026 in Astana after a closely fought tournament that was decided in the 15th and final match.
Cuba faced another nationwide blackout after its electricity grid failed, deepening an energy crisis tied to fuel shortages and U.S. sanctions.
The Japanese yen strengthened on Monday after Japan and the United States confirmed a rare coordinated currency intervention to halt the currency's slide following weeks of pressure.
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