World News

15:29

Russia-Ukraine-Poland

Russian missile strike on Kyiv kills 16, Poland activates air defences

Russian ballistic missile strikes on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv has killed at least sixteen people and injured more than forty others, Ukrainian officials said, with fires reported across the city and Poland activating defensive air operations.

14:16

Evergrande Collapse

Evergrande: How China's property giant collapsed

Five years after Evergrande's debt crisis rattled global markets, founder Hui Ka Yan has been sentenced to life in prison, marking a dramatic new chapter in the downfall of China's former property giant.

12:57

World News

Morning Brief - 20 August 2026

Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 20th of August, covering the latest developments. 

11:32

Nuclear warheads

South Korea says North Korea may have up to 120 nuclear warheads

South Korea estimates North Korea possesses between 80 and 120 nuclear warheads, its defence minister said on Thursday, citing a range significantly higher than U.S. President Donald Trump's recent assertion that Pyongyang has 57 nuclear weapons.

07:02

UK Israel

UK summons Israeli diplomat over E1 settlement tender

Britain has summoned Israel’s chargé d’affaires and demanded that the Israeli government withdraw a tender for construction in the controversial E1 settlement area in the West Bank.

06:37

Colombia earthquake

Colombia earthquake death toll rises to 314, with 262 still missing

The death toll from last week’s powerful earthquake in Colombia has risen to at least 314, while 262 people remain missing, President Abelardo De La Espriella said on Wednesday.

05:07

Hind Rajab

Palestinian girl's grandmother rejects Israeli probe into her killing

The grandmother of five-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab has rejected an Israeli military investigation into her killing, saying the family does not trust the Israeli judiciary and calling instead for an independent international probe.

04:46

Syria Lebanon

Lebanon extradites former Syrian general to Damascus over murder, torture charges

Lebanon has handed over former Syrian Major General Adel Issa to authorities in Damascus, where he faces charges including premeditated murder and torture resulting in death, Syria’s Interior Ministry said on Wednesday.

00:09

View from Iran

Iran rejects UAE missile claims as regional tensions escalate

Iran has rejected UAE allegations that it fired two ballistic missiles towards the Gulf state, as tensions rise over military activity, trade and the Strait of Hormuz.

20:59

Grain Exports

Black Sea attacks choke grain exports and drive up global prices

Escalating attacks on Black Sea ports, cargo vessels and export infrastructure have crippled a vital global grain trade route, threatening supplies to food-importing nations and driving prices higher.

17:04

View from Türkiye

Türkiye rejects Israel’s justification for Syria airbase strike

Türkiye on Wednesday rejected Israel’s justification for striking a Syrian airbase near its border, calling the claims “untenable” as tensions between the two countries rise over Syria.

16:52

View from Georgia

Uzbekistan plans Georgia logistics hub as Middle Corridor ties deepen

Uzbekistan plans to open a logistics centre at Georgia’s port of Poti by 2027, with capacity to handle up to 500,000 tonnes of cargo a year, as Tashkent strengthens transport links through the South Caucasus.

15:55

Sanctions

U.S. imposed sanctions against two ICC court officials

The U.S. imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court's (ICC) President Tomoko Akane and a senior trial lawyer at the court Abdoulaye Seye on Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.

15:43

Ukraine

Former Ukraine defence minister calls for wartime elections

Former Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has called for elections despite the war with Russia, mounting what is widely seen as the biggest domestic political challenge to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion.

15:43

Ukraine Politics

Ukraine parliament confirms Yevhenii Khmara as Defence Minister

Ukraine's parliament has approved Yevhenii Khmara as the country's new defence minister, cementing a key leadership change as Kyiv navigates wartime priorities and a broader government reorganisation.

15:20

School security

Thai schools hold shooting response drills after deadly school attack

Thai schools conducted active shooter drills on Wednesday (19 August), as authorities moved to strengthen security measures two weeks after a 14-year-old opened fire at a school and killed at least eight people.