Morning Briefing: July 28, 2025

ISTANBUL

Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Monday, including authorities in Gaza saying that only 73 aid trucks were allowed into the enclave as a famine deepens, the US and the EU striking a trade deal following "tough negotiations," and Malaysia saying it will mediate between Thailand and Cambodia amid deadly border tensions.

TOP STORIES

• Only 73 aid trucks allowed into Gaza as famine expands, authorities say

Local authorities in Gaza said that only 73 aid trucks entered the besieged enclave in the last 24 hours amid a deepening famine caused by Israel’s months-long blockade.

In a statement, the Government Media Office said the humanitarian crisis has reached unprecedented levels, with at least 133 people, including 87 children, dying from hunger since the start of Israel’s genocidal war.

The office accused Israel of deliberately engineering chaos and hunger in the territory.

• US, EU strike trade deal following 'tough negotiations'

The US and the European Union reached a trade deal, ending months-long uncertainty, President Donald Trump announced following a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Scotland.

"I think it's great that we made a deal today instead of playing games," Trump told reporters along with von der Leyen following talks at his golf resort in Turnberry.

He said he thinks the deal is going to be "great" for both parties, which sets the US tariff rate at 15% on EU goods.

• Malaysia to mediate between Thailand, Cambodia amid deadly border tensions

Malaysia will act as a mediator in the border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia, which has recently escalated into deadly tensions, said Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan.

He noted that Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai will visit Malaysia on Monday to seek a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

Thai Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura confirmed that Thailand and Cambodia will hold a meeting in Malaysia on Monday.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• US Democratic senators urged the Trump administration to halt funding for the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) over concerns about food aid distribution and casualties.
• US President Donald Trump said Israel will “have to make a decision” on its next move in Gaza following the collapse of ceasefire talks with Hamas.
• The Iranian foreign minister said he survived an assassination attempt during the recent 12-day war with Israel.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron discussed Kyiv’s key defense needs during their latest phone conversation.
• China said it has successfully launched a new group of low Earth orbit satellites, which will constitute an internet constellation, state media reported.
• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, expressing deep concern over "the catastrophic humanitarian situation" in Gaza.
• Austria is open to reconsidering its long-standing neutrality and engaging in a broader public debate on potential NATO membership, Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger said in an interview with the German daily Die Welt.
• Bangladesh’s interim government has placed an order for 25 Boeing aircraft in a move aimed at reducing a 35% tariff on Bangladeshi goods imposed by the Trump administration.
• Jordan said it had carried out three airdrops over the Gaza Strip amid a deepening famine caused by Israel’s month-long blockade.
• A Chinese-flagged research icebreaker was detected operating inside the US Extended Continental Shelf in the Arctic Ocean, prompting a response from the US Coast Guard, according to media reports.
• Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza and prospects for peace in the region in a phone call, according to a statement from the Turkish Presidency.
• At least 18,500 Israeli soldiers and police forces have been injured since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023.
• Israeli forces towed a seized aid ship seeking to break a siege on the Gaza Strip to Ashdod Port in southern Israel, local media said.
• The Kremlin accused Kyiv and the West of rejecting all proposals for dialogue concerning the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war after the two countries held a third round of renewed peace talks in Türkiye.
• Several Egyptian aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing carrying essential relief items, including food and infrastructure supplies, according to Egyptian media.