Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan target $1 billion in trade by 2030
Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan are drawing up a new programme aimed at boosting bilateral trade to $1 billion by 2030, as the two countries move to deep...
UK has announced fresh sanctions to crack down Russia's so-called "shadow fleet", targeting 135 oil tankers along with two Russian firms, shipping company Intershipping Services LLC and oil trader Litasco Middle East DMCC.
New sanctions target the core of Russia’s energy sector, aiming to "cut off Putin’s access to vital oil revenues."
In its statement, the British government said the targeted oil tankers are part of a fleet that has illicitly transported $24 billion worth of cargo since the beginning of 2024.
Foreign minister David Lammy said the new sanctions would further "dismantle" the Russian President's so-called "shadow fleet and drain Russia's war chest of its critical oil revenues".
In particular, the sanctions target two Russian companies.
One is Intershipping Services LLC, which registers fleet vessels under the Gabonese flag and is responsible for transporting up to $10 billion worth of goods annually on behalf of the Russian state, - the UK government said.
The other is 'Litasco Middle East DMCC', a company linked to Russian oil major Lukoil, sanctioned for its continued role in transporting large volumes of Russian oil using shadow fleet vessels.
The collective-defence agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signals that regional powers no longer want to rely solely on external security guarantees. Whether it becomes a stabilising deterrent or another axis of rivalry remains unresolved.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 19th of August, covering the latest developments.
Once associated mainly with Muslim-majority countries, Islamic finance has become a global industry. Its assets reached around $5.98 trillion in 2025, according to ICD–LSEG, as more countries explore Shariah-compliant finance.
Fuel restrictions have returned to parts of Moscow and the surrounding region, adding another strain to Russia’s economy as refinery outages and rising imports weigh on the rouble.
Azerbaijan exported goods worth $17.372 million to Armenia between January and July 2026, according to data from the State Customs Committee, as commercial ties between the two South Caucasus neighbours showed signs of expansion.
Online fast-fashion platform Shein lost a London copyright lawsuit against rival Temu on Thursday over photographs used to promote some products.
Norway’s $2.3 trillion sovereign wealth fund has revealed a 0.05 per cent stake in SpaceX worth $1.22 billion, marking its first reported holding in Elon Musk’s space company.
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