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 18th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff has hailed "meaningful progress" during the second day of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Geneva, stating that delegations have agreed to brief their leaders on potential pathways to end the war. While Kremlin officials cautioned against expecting imminent breakthroughs and described the six-hour session as tense, the talks aim to address the core dispute over territorial control.
Diplomats from Washington and Tehran have reported measured progress following a new round of indirect nuclear talks in Geneva, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirming that an understanding has been reached on key "guiding principles". Although significant gaps remain, reports suggest Iran has offered to suspend uranium enrichment for three to five years in exchange for sanctions relief, as the U.S. warns that "all options remain on the table" should diplomacy fail to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
Addressing the United Nations Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared that Tehran’s right to peaceful nuclear energy is "inherent, inalienable, and non-negotiable". While insisting that Iran has no intention of developing atomic weapons, Araghchi criticised Western "double standards" regarding Israel’s nuclear capabilities and warned that any military aggression against Iranian facilities would trigger a response that extends beyond the country’s borders.
Peru’s Congress has voted to remove acting President José Enrique Jeri Ore from office just four months into his tenure, citing undisclosed meetings with Chinese businessmen and alleged hiring irregularities. The scandal has triggered a new political crisis in Lima, making Jeri the country’s eighth president to leave office since 2016, with lawmakers now set to elect a new congressional leader to assume the presidency ahead of the April elections.
Action at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics intensified on Day 11, with Canada securing gold in the women’s team pursuit speed skating and dramatic scenes unfolding in the men’s ice hockey qualification play-offs. The day also featured high-stakes performances in figure skating and bobsleigh, as athletes from across the globe competed in the final stages of the Games in Italy amidst enthusiastic crowds.
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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