Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for June 16th, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Israel-Iran clashes escalate, civilians urged to evacuate target areas
Israel and Iran launched fresh attacks on June 15, killing and wounding civilians and raising concerns of a broader regional conflict, with both militaries urging civilians on the opposing side to take precautions against further strikes.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he hoped a meeting of the Group of Seven leaders convening in Canada on June 15 would reach an agreement to help resolve the conflict and keep it from escalating.
U.S. urges citizens to exit Iran via Azerbaijan
Amid heightened Iran-Israel tensions, the U.S. State Department advises Americans in Iran to leave immediately, pointing them to the Astara land crossing into Azerbaijan; entry requires a special permit arranged through the U.S. Embassy in Baku because Azerbaijan’s borders are otherwise closed. Switzerland, acting as Washington’s protecting power, handles any urgent consular issues in Tehran.
Azerbaijan is already escorting foreign groups—including Americans, Russian filmmaker Fyodor Bondarchuk’s crew, members of the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra, Krgyz and Kazakh citizens—through Astara, providing medical checks, refreshments, and buses to Baku and its international airport, underscoring its broader role in humanitarian evacuations from Iran.
Second black box recovered from the Ahmedabad crash site
Investigators in India on June 15 recovered the second black box from the London-bound Air India Boeing 787 that crashed in the city of Ahmedabad, killing at least 279 people, authorities announced.
The cockpit voice recorder has been found, Mr PK Mishra, a senior aide to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said in a statement. The flight data recorder was recovered on June 13, one day after the crash.
G7 leaders gather in Canada for a summit
Leaders of some of the world’s biggest economic powers arrived in the Canadian Rockies on Sunday for a Group of Seven summit, overshadowed by an escalating conflict between Israel and Iran and U.S. President Donald Trump’s unresolved trade war.
Israel’s strikes on Iran and Tehran’s retaliation, which appeared to catch many world leaders unawares, is the latest sign of a more volatile world.
Iran rejects ceasefire negotiations while under Israeli attack, official says
Iran has told mediators Qatar and Oman that it is not open to negotiating a ceasefire while it is under Israeli attack, an official briefed on the communications told Reuters on Sunday, as the two foes launched fresh attacks and raised fears of a wider conflict.
"The Iranians informed Qatari and Omani mediators that they will only pursue serious negotiations once Iran has completed its response to the Israeli pre-emptive strikes," said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the conflict.
China adds 100 nuclear warheads in past year, report shows
China is beefing up its nuclear arsenal faster than any other country, a new report shows, highlighting the risks of a new nuclear arms race led by big powers.
China currently possesses at least 600 nuclear warheads, which is an increase of about 100 a year since 2023, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) estimates, while the number of warheads owned by other nuclear states remained relatively stable.
The U.S. military said on Wednesday it launched fresh strikes on Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping, triggering Iranian attacks on Kuw...
Azerbaijan should unlock the full potential of its tourism sector to drive long-term economic growth, diversify its economy and create jobs as relianc...
The Aviators of Ganja explores how young Spanish volunteers travelled to Soviet-era Azerbaijan to train as military pilots before being drawn into the...
Azerbaijan should unlock the full potential of its tourism sector to drive long-term economic growth, diversify its economy and create jobs as reliance on hydrocarbons declines, the World Bank has said.
The South Caucasus is increasingly being viewed not only through the lens of past conflicts but also as a strategic bridge linking Europe, the Caspian region and Central Asia. One analyst says this presents an opportunity for a new Euro-Atlantic approach focused on long-term regional cooperation.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has provisionally lifted its suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), allowing Russian athletes to compete in many international events, including qualifying competitions for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan gifted each NATO leader a revolver engraved with their name, along with ammunition at the alliance’s summit in Ankara.
The U.S. says it has launched strikes on Iran after alleged attacks on three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Washington described the action as a response to threats against civilian shipping and a breach of the ceasefire.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the memorandum of understanding signed with Iran to end the conflict was "over", adding he did not want to engage with Tehran, calling the Iranian leadership "sick people".
Typhoon Bavi churned southeast of Taiwan in the Pacific Ocean on Thursday, its winds easing overnight to just shy of 200 kph (124 mph), as authorities urged residents to stock up on supplies and brace for what could be the most powerful typhoon since 2024.
NATO leaders are unveiling multi-billion-dollar arms deals in Ankara as President Donald Trump joins the summit, highlighting Europe's increased defence spending amid tensions over Russia and Iran, and following years of U.S. criticism of the alliance.
The U.S. military said on Wednesday it launched fresh strikes on Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping, triggering Iranian attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain in the latest escalation to derail efforts to end the war.
China's technology sector is producing billion-dollar startups at its fastest pace in nearly five years, with artificial intelligence and robotics driving a new wave of investment that is reshaping the country's innovation economy.
Western Europe experienced its hottest June since records began in 2026, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). The record-breaking month brought extreme heat, widespread disruption and thousands of excess deaths across parts of the continent.
South Korea's Supreme Court has upheld former President Yoon Suk Yeol's seven-year prison sentence in a case linked to his 2024 attempt to impose martial law.
Germany has reached an agreement with the U.S. to purchase Tomahawk cruise missiles and deploy them on German territory, Chancellor Friedrich Merz told lawmakers in Berlin on Thursday.
Australia and India have finalised an agreement allowing Australian uranium exports for India's nuclear energy sector, expanding cooperation on clean energy, critical minerals and infrastructure as the two countries strengthen their strategic and economic partnership.
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