British singer Robbie Williams announced that his upcoming concert in Istanbul had been cancelled “in the interests of public safety,” following pressure from Turkish NGOs and social media users who had called for the event to be scrapped.
The performance, originally set for October 7, coincided with the second anniversary of the Hamas attack on southern Israel that triggered the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
In recent days, Turkish activists and pro-Gaza groups urged authorities to cancel the concert, accusing Williams of being “Zionist.” The 51-year-old artist has faced renewed criticism in predominantly Muslim Türkiye over his family’s Jewish background and a 2015 show in Israel that drew backlash from pro-Palestinian movements.
Bubilet, the ticketing company, confirmed that the Istanbul Governor’s Office had requested the cancellation. The governor’s office has not yet commented on the decision.
In a message shared on Instagram late Saturday, Williams expressed regret, saying the cancellation was “beyond our control,” but stressed that his fans’ safety “comes first.”
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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.
Australia on Thursday condemned Israel’s decision to close its criminal investigation into the deaths of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six World Central Kitchen colleagues killed in Gaza in April 2024.
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.
North Korea has fired more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles after U.S. President Donald Trump reduced American participation in joint military exercises with South Korea in an effort to revive dialogue with Pyongyang.
Georgia’s foreign trade data for January-July 2026 shows Kyrgyzstan, China and Russia as its top three export markets, highlighting its Middle Corridor ambitions and complex economic ties with Moscow.
Kazakhstan will vote on 23 August in its first parliamentary election under the new Constitution, choosing 145 members of the new Kurultai under a fundamentally changed electoral system based entirely on party lists.
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