Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for May 1st, covering the latest developments you need to know.
1. Azerbaijan, Kuwait sign joint declaration following 3rd meeting of Joint Commission for Cooperation
Azerbaijan and Kuwait held their 3rd Joint Commission for Cooperation in Kuwait City on 30 April 2025, co-chaired by Foreign Ministers Jeyhun Bayramov and Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya. Officials from both governments approved:
Two-year roadmap (2025-27) and meeting protocol to guide cooperation.
Trade & investment: plans to boost bilateral trade, support joint industrial/tech projects, and improve logistics.
Energy: deeper oil-and-gas ties plus joint clean-energy initiatives.
Sectoral accords: new agricultural pact and programmes for sports, culture, and tourism.
Both sides committed to expanding collaboration in infrastructure, high tech, transport, food security, education, health, media and sports, reaffirmed mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and praised coordination in multilateral forums. Kuwait lauded Azerbaijan’s COP29 hosting; Azerbaijan commended Kuwait’s current GCC chairmanship, with both pledging to implement the GCC–Azerbaijan work plan (2024-28). The next Joint Commission meeting will be in Baku in 2027.
2. Trump says he has "potential deals" with India, South Korea, Japan
President Donald Trump said Wednesday he is pursuing possible trade agreements with India, South Korea and Japan, hoping to translate his tariff strategy into formal deals. During a NewsNation town-hall event, Trump was asked when announcements might come and replied, “We have potential deals” with all three nations.
3. Pentagon chief warns Iran of consequences for supporting Houthis
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Wednesday that Iran will “pay the consequence” for arming Yemen’s Houthis, even as Washington and Tehran prepare for a fourth round of indirect nuclear talks in Rome on Saturday—mediated by Oman after three earlier sessions aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear program and easing U.S. sanctions.
Hegseth’s message on X, later echoed in a repost from President Donald Trump, followed more than 1,000 U.S. strikes on Houthi targets since March. Tehran insists the group, which targets Red Sea shipping in support of Palestinians, acts independently.
To reinforce the region, the Pentagon has positioned six B-2 bombers on Diego Garcia, two U.S. aircraft carriers in Middle Eastern waters, and redeployed air-defense assets from Asia. Despite the renewed diplomacy, major gaps remain; Trump recently told Time he still hopes for a deal but will not rule out military action.
4. Russian drones hit Odesa, Kharkiv
“There is considerable damage,” said Odesa Governor Oleh Kiper on Telegram. “Fires have broken out in a number of places.” Photos posted online showed shattered building facades and smoke rising across the city.
In Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, a drone hit a petrol station in the city centre, according to Mayor Ihor Terekhov. A fire broke out, but no further details were immediately released.
There were no reports of casualties as of early Thursday morning.
The strikes come amid renewed Russian attacks on Ukraine’s cities as the war approaches its fourth year.
5. North Korea, Russia begin bridge project
Work began Wednesday on the road bridge spanning the Tumen River, a long-discussed project finalised during President Vladimir Putin’s 2024 visit to Pyongyang. The bridge is expected to facilitate trade, tourism, and the movement of goods and people.
KCNA said the project marks a “substantial guarantee” for strengthening infrastructure and deepening economic cooperation.
The announcement comes amid growing signs of a strategic partnership. South Korean lawmakers, citing intelligence reports, say Pyongyang is receiving Russian assistance across 14 industrial sectors—including aviation, energy, and metals—in return for supplying arms to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
The bridge adds a new layer to what analysts see as a widening alignment between two heavily sanctioned states.
Uzbekistan has sent humanitarian aid to Afghanistan following the series of earthquakes and aftershocks that hit the country last week causing thousan...
The European Commission is expected to present its 19th package of sanctions against Russia by Friday, according to EU diplomats. The upcoming measure...
Israel's military said on Monday it had intercepted a drone launched from Yemen after sirens sounded near Eilat, a day after Yemen's Houthis hit an ai...
A 16-year-old has been arrested over the killing of two officers in a gun attack on a police station in the western Turkish city of Izmir on Monday, I...
Russian forces struck a thermal power generation facility in the Kyiv region as part of an overnight attack, Ukraine's energy ministry said on Monday,...
Uzbekistan has sent humanitarian aid to Afghanistan following the series of earthquakes and aftershocks that hit the country last week causing thousand of deaths and leaving thousands others displaced.
The European Commission is expected to present its 19th package of sanctions against Russia by Friday, according to EU diplomats. The upcoming measures are likely to include banks in two Central Asian countries, extending the bloc’s efforts to restrict financial channels linked to Moscow.
Israel's military said on Monday it had intercepted a drone launched from Yemen after sirens sounded near Eilat, a day after Yemen's Houthis hit an airport close to the southern Israeli city with a drone.
A 16-year-old has been arrested over the killing of two officers in a gun attack on a police station in the western Turkish city of Izmir on Monday, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
The European Commission is expected to present its 19th package of sanctions against Russia by Friday, according to EU diplomats. The upcoming measures are likely to include banks in two Central Asian countries, extending the bloc’s efforts to restrict financial channels linked to Moscow.
Israel's military said on Monday it had intercepted a drone launched from Yemen after sirens sounded near Eilat, a day after Yemen's Houthis hit an airport close to the southern Israeli city with a drone.
Russian forces struck a thermal power generation facility in the Kyiv region as part of an overnight attack, Ukraine's energy ministry said on Monday, provoking localised blackouts and gas outages.
The Azerbaijani women’s 3x basketball team clinched the silver medal at the European Cup to make history at the just concluded tournament in Copenhagen, Denmark.
South Korean and Japanese defence ministers agreed on Monday to strengthen cooperation with Washington in response to North Korea’s nuclear threats and growing military ties with Russia, Seoul’s defence ministry said.
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