Afghanistan opium poppy cultivation surges 330% despite ban, UN says
Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan surged by 330 per cent in 2026 despite a four-year ban, the United Nations said on Thursday. Afghan authorit...
On 11 August, AnewZ’s Daybreak examined U.S. President Donald Trump’s new demands for Iran, Russia-Iran cooperation and regional connectivity through the South Caucasus alongside key political, security and climate developments worldwide.
The programme led with Trump’s call for Iran to pay compensation to people he says were killed in wars, attacks and protests over several decades. The demand comes as Tehran seeks compensation and sanctions relief while negotiations continue over reopening the Strait of Hormuz, raising fresh questions over prospects for a broader agreement between Washington and Tehran.
Daybreak also examined Russia’s gradual return of nuclear specialists to Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant and the broader constraints on Moscow-Tehran cooperation. Dmitry Bridzhe, a member of the Middle East and North Africa Editors’ Network, discussed the impact of attacks on Caspian shipping, Iran’s changing security calculations and Azerbaijan’s growing strategic importance to regional trade and energy routes.
The programme highlighted the first anniversary of the U.S.-backed Azerbaijan-Armenia peace declaration, with Washington reaffirming its commitment to regional stability and greater economic connectivity. It also looked at Kazakhstan’s plans to expand oil exports through Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan’s efforts to increase cargo flows along the Trans-Caspian corridor to European markets.
Daybreak also covered Russia’s exclusion of the Yabloko party from parliamentary elections, a deadly earthquake in Colombia, the destruction of millions of books in a Russian strike on Kharkiv, legal challenges facing major social media companies in the United States, worsening drought and wildfire risks in the UK, Trump’s defence of FIFA President Gianni Infantino and preparations for Wednesday’s total solar eclipse.
Evacuations and the provision of humanitarian aid in the Russian-occupied southern Ukrainian town of Oleshky have begun, a senior Ukrainian official said on Friday. In a statement on Telegram, David Arakhamia said a six-day ceasefire was holding, and that more details would follow.
The U.S. has approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine in a deal worth an estimated $2.1 billion, but Kyiv could face years of delays before receiving the weapons it urgently needs to defend against intensifying Russian attacks.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has ordered Iran's armed forces to respond to any threat immediately and without geographical limits in statements posted to social media platforms on Saturday (31 October).
Hackers have pulled off a staggering $6.3 billion cryptocurrency heist targeting Binance, shaking confidence in one of the world's biggest digital asset exchanges and sending crypto prices tumbling. U.S. analysts suspect North Korea was behind the attack.
Demonstrators carrying Iranian flags and placards supporting the hijab gathered outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in London.
On 12 August, AnewZ’s Daybreak focused on the aftermath of Colombia’s devastating earthquake, tensions surrounding Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, growing Russia-North Korea military cooperation and security and environmental challenges across the Caspian and Black Sea regions.
On 10 August, AnewZ’s Daybreak focused on developments in Gaza, Lebanon-Israel negotiations, Iran’s position on talks with Washington and the latest global security and climate-related challenges.
On 7 August, AnewZ's Daybreak focused on the Iran war, escalating violence in Yemen and a deadly migrant crisis in Spain's Ceuta enclave.
The 8 August commemorative edition of AnewZ's Context looked back on the year since the Washington breakthrough, examining how the initialling of the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace agreement and the launch of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity have reshaped regional politics.
The programme opened with tentative diplomatic progress in the Strait of Hormuz after Iran and Oman agreed in principle on a new shipping route, before turning to Europe's intensifying heatwave and its growing impact on energy supplies and public health.
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