live U.S.-Iran standoff continues as Hormuz shipping and diplomacy remain uncertain
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to res...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 10th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
In the UK, Thames Valley Police have confirmed they are assessing fresh allegations that the Duke of York may have shared confidential government documents with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein whilst serving as the UK’s trade envoy. Buckingham Palace has expressed "profound concern" regarding the developments but stated the Royal Household stands ready to cooperate with authorities, noting that responsibility for addressing the specific claims rests with Prince Andrew, who continues to deny any wrongdoing. Meanwhile, the release of new files has also prompted the Kremlin to dismiss claims of intelligence links between Epstein and President Vladimir Putin.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has vowed he is "not prepared to walk away" from his mandate, rejecting calls for his resignation from Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar amid a growing scandal over the appointment of Lord Mandelson as Ambassador to the U.S. The controversy, fuelled by renewed scrutiny of Mandelson’s past association with Jeffrey Epstein, has already precipitated the resignations of the Prime Minister's chief of staff and communications director. Downing Street maintains that Sir Keir intends to deliver on his five-year election mandate.
During the first visit by a sitting U.S. Vice President to Armenia, JD Vance has announced an expansion of bilateral ties, including a civil nuclear cooperation agreement and the sale of defence technology to Yerevan. The move signals a major shift in the South Caucasus as Washington seeks to reduce the region's energy dependence on Russia and Iran, whilst promoting the Trump-backed TRIPP corridor to foster economic connectivity and cement the fragile peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the UAE have led regional condemnation of the Israeli government’s decision to ease settlement expansion and extend administrative powers in the occupied West Bank, describing the move as a violation of international law. The measures, championed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich as a means to dismantle the prospect of Palestinian statehood, involve repealing pre-1967 property laws to facilitate land purchases by settlers. The decision has drawn warnings from the United Nations regarding regional stability and a firm statement from U.S. President Donald Trump opposing any steps toward formal annexation.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has appealed for calm after violent skirmishes erupted between police and demonstrators in Sydney during the state visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Monday. Police arrested 27 people and deployed pepper spray to disperse crowds, utilising special powers enacted following the recent Bondi Beach attack last December. While protest organisers accused officers of heavy-handed tactics, state officials defended the police response as necessary to maintain order in a volatile atmosphere.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 sixteen people and injured more than forty others, Ukrainian officials said, with fires reported across the city and Poland activating defensive air operations.
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