Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 12th of December, covering the latest developments you need to know.
U.S. issues new sanctions on Maduro’s family and oil tankers
The United States has imposed fresh sanctions on Venezuela, targeting three nephews of President Nicolas Maduro and six crude oil tankers accused of facilitating the country’s illicit oil trade. This escalation coincides with a significant U.S. military buildup in the southern Caribbean and the recent seizure of a sanctioned oil tanker, as Washington intensifies pressure on Caracas. President Maduro’s government continues to deny criminal links, dismissing the measures as imperialist tactics designed to seize control of Venezuela's vast oil reserves.
Zelenskyy reveals U.S. proposal for ‘free economic zone’ in Donbas
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that the United States has proposed creating a ‘free economic zone’ in the Ukraine-controlled parts of the Donbas as a compromise to resolve territorial disputes with Russia. While Kyiv has presented a revised 20-point peace framework, Zelenskyy emphasised that ceding territory remains a major sticking point and insisted that any land concessions would require a national referendum. The ongoing negotiations also include discussions on a potential Russian withdrawal from the Kharkiv and Sumy regions, freezing the contact lines in the south, and establishing joint governance over the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
Thai PM to speak with Trump regarding Cambodia clashes
Thailand’s caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is scheduled to hold talks with U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the ongoing border clashes with Cambodia, which have resulted in at least 20 casualties. Trump, who previously brokered a ceasefire between the two nations, has pledged to intervene again to halt the violence along the 817-km disputed border. The conflict involves heavy artillery exchanges and has displaced hundreds of thousands, prompting the U.S. President to assert his confidence in getting the ceasefire back on track.
Turkic States mark new era in energy cooperation
Energy ministers from the Turkic States have agreed to a new phase of collaboration focused on expanding joint investments in oil, gas, and green energy projects. During a meeting in Türkiye, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov highlighted the strategic importance of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline and the development of a ‘Green Energy Corridor’ connecting Central Asia to Europe. With a joint investment portfolio exceeding $20 billion heavily concentrated in the energy sector, the ministers reaffirmed their commitment to regional energy security and sustainable economic growth.
Pakistan signals openness to regional bloc with Bangladesh
Pakistan has expressed openness to establishing a regional bloc with Bangladesh that excludes India, following a proposal by Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Adviser, Md Touhid Hossain. Islamabad’s Foreign Office confirmed it would consider such a proposal in the spirit of multilateralism, noting that a trilateral mechanism involving China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh is already in place to foster cooperation. While Bangladesh views this arrangement as strategically feasible, it acknowledged that other neighbours such as Nepal or Bhutan would likely remain unable to join a grouping without India.
Venezuela’s oil exports under a flagship $2bn supply deal with the U.S. reached around 7.8 million barrels on Wednesday, vessel-tracking data and st...
Qarabağ claimed a late 3–2 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night, scoring deep into stoppage time to sec...
Azerbaijan’s State Oil Fund, State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ), has signed a long-term strategic cooperation agreement worth up to $1.4 billion w...
Azerbaijan said on Wednesday that it had accepted an invitation from U.S. President Donald Trump to join his 'Board of Peace' for Gaza....
Armenia and Azerbaijan will interconnect their energy systems, enabling mutual electricity imports and exports as part of a wider regional transit ini...
Venezuela’s oil exports under a flagship $2bn supply deal with the U.S. reached around 7.8 million barrels on Wednesday, vessel-tracking data and state-run PDVSA documents show, with shipments accelerating after Washington eased its blockade — but not enough for PDVSA to fully reverse output cuts.
Qarabağ claimed a late 3–2 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night, scoring deep into stoppage time to secure a dramatic home win in Baku.
Azerbaijan’s State Oil Fund, State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ), has signed a long-term strategic cooperation agreement worth up to $1.4 billion with Brookfield Asset Management on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, officials said.
Armenia and Azerbaijan will interconnect their energy systems, enabling mutual electricity imports and exports as part of a wider regional transit initiative, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said.
Several locally-developed instant messaging applications were reportedly restored in Iran on Tuesday (20 January), partially easing communications restrictions imposed after recent unrest.
There was a common theme in speeches at the World Economic Forum on Tuesday (20 January). China’s Vice-Premier, He Lifeng, warned that "tariffs and trade wars have no winners," while France's Emmanuel Macron, labelled "endless accumulation of new tariffs" from the U.S. "fundamentally unacceptable."
Dozens of beaches along Australia's east coast, including in Sydney, closed on Tuesday (20 January) after four shark attacks in two days, as heavy rains left waters murky and more likely to attract the animals.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington would “work something out” with NATO allies on Tuesday, defending his approach to the alliance while renewing his push for U.S. control of Greenland amid rising tensions with Europe.
At the World Economic Forum’s “Defining Eurasia’s Economic Identity” panel on 20 January 2026, leaders from Azerbaijan, Armenia and Serbia discussed how the South Caucasus and wider Eurasian region can strengthen economic ties, peace and geopolitical stability amid shifting global influence.
Venezuela’s oil exports under a flagship $2bn supply deal with the U.S. reached around 7.8 million barrels on Wednesday, vessel-tracking data and state-run PDVSA documents show, with shipments accelerating after Washington eased its blockade — but not enough for PDVSA to fully reverse output cuts.
Azerbaijan’s State Oil Fund, State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ), has signed a long-term strategic cooperation agreement worth up to $1.4 billion with Brookfield Asset Management on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, officials said.
A senior official at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said on Wednesday that roughly 6% of U.S. air travellers are not presenting identification that meets stricter federal standards, as the agency prepares to start charging passengers without enhanced ID a $45 fee from 1 February.
The United States is placing renewed emphasis on regional partnerships that offer predictability, security cooperation and economic continuity as instability deepens across the Middle East and parts of Eurasia
A fire alarm prompted the partial evacuation of the Davos Congress Centre on Wednesday evening while Donald Trump was inside the building attending the World Economic Forum, Swiss authorities said.
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