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. ...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for 13 October, covering the latest developments you need to know.
First Israeli hostages released from Gaza as ceasefire begins
Seven Israeli hostages have been released by Hamas in Gaza and handed to the Red Cross, marking the start of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal involving the exchange of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirmed on Monday that it had begun a “multi-phase operation” to transfer hostages held by Hamas to Israeli authorities, in exchange for Palestinian detainees imprisoned in Israel.
Trump threatens to impose additional 100% tariff on China
U.S. President Donald Trump has said he would impose an additional 100% tariff on imports from China from next month.
In a post on social media, Trump said the US would also put export controls on critical software.
Reappointed French Premier Lecornu announces new government
France’s reappointed Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu unveiled his new Cabinet late Sunday including 34 ministers to make up a new government.
"A mission government is appointed to provide a budget for France before the end of the year," Lecornu wrote on US social media company X.
The new government will include 34 ministers in total, down from 36 in the government of former Premier Francois Bayrou, broadcaster BFM TV reported.
EU begins gradual rollout of digital border system
European Union member countries began rolling out a new entry and exit system on Sunday at the bloc’s external borders, electronically registering non-EU nationals' data.
The Entry/Exit System (EES), an automated system that requires travellers to register at the border by scanning their passport and having their fingerprints and photograph taken, will be introduced over six months.
Dozens killed in Pakistan-Afghanistan clashes, border closed
Dozens of fighters were killed in overnight border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan, both sides said on Sunday, in the most serious fighting between the neighbours since the Taliban came to power in Kabul.
The Pakistan military said that 23 of its soldiers were killed in the clashes. The Taliban said nine on its side were killed.
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.
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.
Russian ballistic missile strikes on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv has killed at least twelve people and injured more than two dozen others, Ukrainian officials said, with fires reported across the city and Poland activating defensive air operations.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 20th of August, covering the latest developments.
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.
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.
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