Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for May 26th, covering the latest developments you need to know.
1. Trump delays EU tariff threat, sets new July 9 deadline
President Trump has agreed to extend the deadline for implementing steep tariffs on European Union imports, postponing the 50% tariff until July 9 following a call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The initial threat, announced for June 1, had shaken global markets and heightened tensions between the U.S. and its European allies.
While Trump initially claimed disinterest in a deal, he reversed course after the EU requested more time for negotiations. Financial markets reacted positively to the delay, with the euro and U.S. dollar gaining ground. This latest development highlights the rocky trajectory of U.S.-EU trade talks amid broader concerns over Trump's unilateral trade approach and its global impact.
2. Erdogan and Sharif push for stronger Türkiye-Pakistan ties
During their meeting in Istanbul, Türkiye and Pakistan reaffirmed their commitment to deepening cooperation across key sectors such as defence, energy, and transportation. President Erdogan and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also addressed regional and global challenges, including counterterrorism efforts.
The meeting was attended by Türkiye’s top foreign and defence officials. Despite Türkiye’s historically cordial relations with both Pakistan and India, Erdogan’s recent support for Pakistan following India’s military response in Kashmir has led to boycotts of Turkish goods in India.
3. Germany’s military told to be fully equipped with weapons by 2029
Germany’s Chief of Defence, Carsten Breuer, has issued a directive to prepare the country's military for full operational readiness by 2029. This move comes as NATO officials, including Breuer, warn that Russia could be capable of launching a large-scale attack on NATO territory by then. The directive prioritizes key areas such as air defense, deep precision strike capabilities, ammunition stockpiles, electronic warfare, and space-based systems.
Funding will be supported by relaxed fiscal rules introduced earlier this year. The document underscores Germany's intention to align more closely with NATO’s strategic goals amid a shifting security landscape.
4. Second blackout hits Nice as France probes sabotage
A second power outage in two days has struck France’s Riviera region following a fire at a substation in Nice overnight.
Authorities suspect the blaze was caused by a malicious act after finding the substation door broken and tyre marks at the scene.
At least 45,000 homes were affected by the fire.
The incident comes just a day after Cannes experienced a major blackout during the international film festival, also believed to be an act of sabotage. No link has yet been established between the two cases.
Nice Airport, the tramway network, and nearby towns were impacted before power was restored later in the morning.
Authorities have stepped up security around electric sites in Nice and launched an investigation into the incident.
5. Spain hosts European, Arab foreign ministers to discuss Gaza
Lawmakers from European and Arab countries have met in Madrid to discuss the war in Gaza.
Some of Israel’s longtime allies have joined the growing international pressure after it expanded military operations against Gaza’s Hamas rulers, whose 2023 attack on Israel triggered the devastating conflict.
A nearly three-month aid blockade has deepened shortages of food, water, fuel, and medicine in the Palestinian territory, raising fears of famine.
Aid organizations say the limited supplies recently allowed in by Israel fall far short of what is needed.
The high-level talks mark the fifth official meeting of what is known as “The Madrid Group.”
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares has called for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza “massively, without conditions and without limits, and not controlled by Israel.”
Representatives from European countries including France, Britain, Germany, and Italy joined envoys from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Morocco, the Arab League, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
Norway, Iceland, Ireland, and Slovenia—countries that, like Spain, have recognized a Palestinian state—also took part, along with Brazil.
6. Malaysia PM has written to President Trump to organise U.S.-ASEAN meeting
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced on Monday that he had personally written to U.S. President Donald Trump to request a meeting between the United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), amid growing concerns over proposed U.S. tariff increases.
Speaking at the opening of a regional summit in Kuala Lumpur, Anwar noted that the letter was sent in line with a consensus reached by ASEAN foreign ministers earlier this year.
"A shift in the global geopolitical landscape is underway, and the international trading system is under mounting pressure due to the recent imposition of unilateral U.S. tariffs," Anwar said. "We are witnessing a resurgence of protectionism as multilateralism appears to be unraveling."
Malaysia currently holds the rotating chairmanship of ASEAN, which comprises 10 member nations. This summit marks the first of two major ASEAN gatherings scheduled for the year.
The United States wants South Korea to join a coordinated push to limit China’s fast-growing share of the world shipbuilding market, Seoul’s trade...
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on July 12 between the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) and the Government of th...
On July 12, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev held a high-level meeting with the Transitional President of the Syrian Arab Republic, Ahmad Al-Shaar...
China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have agreed to present an upgraded free trade agreement to their leaders for approval in ...
European wine and dairy producers are facing growing uncertainty as new U.S. tariffs threaten to disrupt exports to one of their most lucrative market...
The United States wants South Korea to join a coordinated push to limit China’s fast-growing share of the world shipbuilding market, Seoul’s trade ministry said on Friday, tying the request to talks over 25 % tariffs on steel, cars and other goods.
On July 12, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev held a high-level meeting with the Transitional President of the Syrian Arab Republic, Ahmad Al-Shaar, during the latter's working visit to Baku, signaling a potential new chapter in bilateral relations.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on July 12 between the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) and the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic, during the working visit of Syria’s Transitional President Ahmad Al-Shaar to Azerbaijan.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for 12th July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
A series of earthquakes have struck Guatemala on Tuesday afternoon, leading authorities to advise residents to evacuate from buildings as a precaution against possible aftershocks.
A deadly mass shooting early on Monday (7 July) in Philadelphia's Grays Ferry neighbourhood left three men dead and nine others wounded, including teenagers, as more than 100 shots were fired.
Dozens of international and domestic flights were cancelled or delayed after Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupted on Monday, but Bali’s main airport remains operational.
French member of parliament Olivier Marleix was found dead at his home on Monday, with suicide being considered a possible cause.
Australian researchers have created a groundbreaking “biological AI” platform that could revolutionise drug discovery by rapidly evolving molecules within mammalian cells.
Chinese automaker Chery has denied an industry-ministry audit that disqualified more than $53 million in state incentives for thousands of its electric and hybrid vehicles, insisting it followed official guidance and committed no fraud.
China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will send an upgraded ‘version 3.0’ free-trade agreement to their heads of government for approval in October, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday after regional talks in Kuala Lumpur.
he U.S. Defence Department has asked Japan and Australia to spell out how they would respond if fighting broke out over Taiwan, the Financial Times reported on Saturday, citing people familiar with recent talks.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday that North Korea had reaffirmed full support for Moscow’s war in Ukraine during talks in the coastal city of Wonsan, underscoring an alliance that South Korea believes may soon send even more Pyongyang troops to the front.
The chiefs of Gazprom and China National Petroleum Corp met in Beijing on Friday to chart wider Russian gas deliveries, as the Power of Siberia pipeline nears full 38 billion-cubic-metre capacity and the two sides still haggle over prices for a larger Siberia-2 link.
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