23:20

Middle East Conflict

live Iranian FM says missile capacity at 120%; Deadly Israeli strikes hit Lebanon - Middle East conflict on 8 May

The U.S. and Iran exchanged fire in and around the Strait of Hormuz, though both sides signalled they did not want escalation. The clashes come as Washington awaits Tehran’s response to a proposed deal to end the war while leaving key disputes, such as Iran’s nuclear programme, unresolved for now.

20:37

Politics

Minval Politika releases new Ocampo footage on alleged contacts with Armenia’s foreign minister

Minval Politika has released new footage it says shows former International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo discussing alleged contacts with Armenia’s foreign minister and campaigns linked to Azerbaijan and Armenia.

19:05

Politics

Azerbaijan says European pressure is complicating Armenia peace process

Azerbaijan says political pressure and what it describes as biased rhetoric from some European institutions are complicating peace efforts with Armenia and undermining neutrality in the negotiations.

18:46

View from Georgia

Georgia pushes U.S. reset as middle corridor momentum gains momentum

Tbilisi is carefully rebuilding ties with Washington, using connectivity, regional diplomacy and security cooperation to position Georgia as a strategic partner at a time of shifting global trade and geopolitical priorities.

18:18

Türkiye-Armenia

Türkiye denies claims it blocked Macron from entering via Armenian border

Ankara has denied reports that French President Emmanuel Macron was prevented from entering Türkiye from Armenia following his recent visit to Yerevan..

17:06

Expert view

U.S.-Iran tensions deepen as fears grow over wider regional conflict

Tensions between the U.S. and Iran remain far from a genuine ceasefire, as military posturing, sanctions and uncertainty over diplomacy continue to fuel fears of a broader regional confrontation.

15:54

China

Former Chinese defence ministers handed suspended death sentences for graft

Former Chinese defence ministers Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu have been sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for corruption, state news agency Xinhua reported on Thursday. The cases highlight the scale of President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption purge within China’s military.

13:52

Expert View

Türkiye seeks lasting Iran-U.S. ceasefire as Ankara pushes diplomacy

Türkiye is urging Washington and Tehran to turn their fragile truce into a permanent ceasefire, as analysts say Ankara is seeking to use its geopolitical position to prevent a wider regional conflict.

13:09

Hantavirus

WHO: 'This is not COVID' as countries track passengers of Hantavirus-hit cruise ship

Countries worldwide sought to prevent the further spread of the hantavirus on Thursday, after an outbreak on a cruise ship, by tracking those who had disembarked before the virus was detected and anyone who had close contact with them since.

11:15

UK-China

UK parliamentary delegation heads to China for cautious reset of relations

A cross-party delegation of British lawmakers is set to visit China in mid-May for the first time since 2019. The trip is positioned as a sign of cautious warming of ties, following Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to Beijing earlier this year, according to two sources familiar with the plans.

10:13

Morning Brief

AnewZ Morning Brief – 8 May 2026

Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 8th of May, covering the latest developments you need to know.

10:09

Spying Case

Britain summons Chinese ambassador over spying allegations

Britain will summon the Chinese ambassador after two men were convicted in a London court of spying on behalf of Hong Kong and ultimately China, Security Minister Dan Jarvis said on 8 May.

09:38

Elections

Starmer under pressure as Labour suffers heavy local election losses

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer suffered heavy early losses in local elections on 8 May 2026, as results pointed to significant voter backlash against his Labour government and renewed questions over his leadership just two years after a landslide general election win.

08:47

ASEAN summit

Southeast Asian leaders seek strategy to ease impacts of Iran war at ASEAN summit

Leaders of Southeast Asian nations gathered in the Philippines on 8 May for an ASEAN summit focused heavily on the economic fallout from the Middle East conflict, with member states seeking a coordinated response to rising energy and food security risks.

08:35

DOGE

U.S. judge rules Trump-era DOGE grant cuts unconstitutional

A federal judge on 7 May ruled that the Trump administration’s cancellation of hundreds of humanities grants under the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was unconstitutional and amounted to “blatant viewpoint discrimination”.

08:06

Middle East conflict

UAE countering Iranian air attack after Trump says ceasefire still in effect

U.S. ally the United Arab Emirates said its air defences were engaging missile and drone threats from Iran early on Friday in a further test of the shaky, month-long ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran.

07:54

Opinion

Armenia and Azerbaijan’s border talks mark a fragile opening for peace

In a region where borders have long been drawn in blood rather than ink, even the act of sitting across the table carries strategic weight. The latest border talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan may appear procedural, but they carry profound geopolitical significance.

19:16

Middle East Conflict

U.S. launches 'retaliatory strikes' on Iran as Tehran's military says ceasefire breached - Middle East conflict on 7 May

The U.S military said it carried out retaliatory strikes on Iran on Thursday (7 May). Meanwhile, Iran's Joint Military Command accused the U.S. of breaching the ceasefire, by striking an Iranian oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz and launching attacks on several Iranian cities. 

17:06

Australian women

Australian women and children return from Syrian IS detention camps

A group of Australian women and children detained for years in Kurdish-run camps in northeastern Syria due to links to Islamic State are expected to arrive in Australia on Thursday evening.

16:39

South Korea

South Korea court cuts former PM Han Duck-soo’s jail sentence over martial law role

A South Korean appeals court on Thursday reduced former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo’s prison sentence from 23 years to 15 years over his role in ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol’s brief imposition of martial law in 2024.

14:34

Expert View

Israeli strike in Beirut kills Hezbollah commander, straining fragile ceasefire

A senior commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on Wednesday (6 May), highlighting ongoing tensions despite a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

11:01

Middle East Conflict

Tehran reviews U.S. peace plan as Trump pushes for deal

U.S. President Donald Trump has predicted a swift end to the war with Iran, as Tehran considers a U.S.-backed peace proposal that sources say could formally end the conflict but leaves several core disputes unresolved.

10:30

Markets

Asian stocks surge to record highs on Middle East peace hopes

Asian stocks surged to record highs on 7 May as investors priced in growing hopes of a potential Middle East peace deal, while oil prices eased and the U.S. dollar weakened amid shifting global risk sentiment.

10:05

Drones

Latvia reports Russian drone incursion and oil tank damage

Latvian authorities said two drones entered NATO member Latvia from Russian territory and crashed on Thursday morning, with officials linking them to Ukraine’s wider drone operations against targets in Russia.