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.
Factory activity across much of Asia weakened in June due to ongoing uncertainty over U.S. tariffs, though slight improvements in China, Japan, and So...
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Monday approved the disbursement of an additional $500 million to Ukraine, following the completion of its ei...
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday publicly criticized AT&T for technical issues that disrupted a national conference call with faith leaders, urgi...
France, Spain, Kenya, and several other nations announced on Monday a joint pledge to tax premium-class airline passengers and private jet users, in a...
Special envoys from Pakistan, China and Russia held an informal meeting in the Qatari capital on Monday to discuss regional cooperation on Afghanistan...
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Monday approved the disbursement of an additional $500 million to Ukraine, following the completion of its eighth review under the country’s $15.5 billion Extended Fund Facility.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday publicly criticized AT&T for technical issues that disrupted a national conference call with faith leaders, urging the company’s leadership to address the situation and suggesting his administration may turn to a different carrier in future communications.
France, Spain, Kenya, and several other nations announced on Monday a joint pledge to tax premium-class airline passengers and private jet users, in a move aimed at raising billions of dollars for climate action and sustainable development.
Special envoys from Pakistan, China and Russia held an informal meeting in the Qatari capital on Monday to discuss regional cooperation on Afghanistan, Pakistani envoy Mohammad Sadiq confirmed in a post on X.
The U.S. economy faces a 40% risk of recession in the second half of 2025, JP Morgan analysts said on Wednesday, citing rising tariffs and stagflation concerns.
China has ramped up efforts to protect communities impacted by flood control measures, introducing stronger compensation policies and direct aid from the central government.
Severe rain in Venezuela has caused rivers to overflow and triggered landslides, sweeping away homes and collapsing a highway bridge, with five states affected and no casualties reported so far.
A malfunction in the radar transmission system at the Area Control Center in Milan suspended more than 300 flights at the weekend, across northwest Italy since Saturday evening according to Italy's air traffic controller Enav (National Agency for Flight Assistance).
Thousands of protesters rallied in Bangkok on Saturday, demanding Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra resign as political and economic tensions mount.
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s president has pledged to pursue justice for victims of the conflict in the east despite a peace deal with Rwanda, calling the accord a hopeful yet fragile step toward regional stability.
Factory activity across much of Asia weakened in June due to ongoing uncertainty over U.S. tariffs, though slight improvements in China, Japan, and South Korea offered cautious optimism ahead of key trade talks.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Monday approved the disbursement of an additional $500 million to Ukraine, following the completion of its eighth review under the country’s $15.5 billion Extended Fund Facility.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday publicly criticized AT&T for technical issues that disrupted a national conference call with faith leaders, urging the company’s leadership to address the situation and suggesting his administration may turn to a different carrier in future communications.
France, Spain, Kenya, and several other nations announced on Monday a joint pledge to tax premium-class airline passengers and private jet users, in a move aimed at raising billions of dollars for climate action and sustainable development.
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