AnewZ Morning Brief - May 1st, 2025

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.

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