live Kuwait arrests IRGC-linked agents; Iran widens definition of Strait of Hormuz - Middle East conflict 12 May
Kuwait arrested four members of an IRGC-linked group as they tried to enter the country by sea, the Gulf s...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 10th of March, covering the latest developments you need to know.
As the Middle East conflict enters its eleventh day, U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that Washington will strike Iran "20 times harder" should Tehran disrupt global oil flows through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Despite the aggressive rhetoric, international oil prices fell sharply following a telephone call between Mr Trump and Vladimir Putin, which sparked cautious optimism for a rapid diplomatic settlement. However, the regional fallout continues to widen; Egypt has been forced to hike domestic fuel prices by up to 17 per cent, a drone has struck near the UAE consulate in Erbil, and U.S. Democratic senators are demanding urgent public hearings to scrutinise the Trump administration's widely unpopular military campaign.
Beijing has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their escalating border dispute through diplomacy, as violent clashes between the two neighbours enter their eleventh day. Following a meeting with the Afghan Foreign Minister in Kabul, China's special envoy stressed the need to maintain regional stability, echoing similar mediation offers from both Türkiye and Russia. The fighting, which erupted following Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan territory, has exacted a severe humanitarian toll, with the United Nations reporting that at least 56 civilians have been killed and over 16,000 families displaced across eastern Afghanistan.
A telephone call between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Keir Starmer has failed to bridge a growing diplomatic rift over the ongoing military campaign against Iran. The conversation follows a week of highly publicised criticism from Mr Trump, who accused the British government of providing insufficient support and mockingly stated that Sir Keir was "no Winston Churchill". Whilst Downing Street maintains its refusal to participate in offensive operations without a clear legal mandate and defined strategy, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper defended the Prime Minister's stance, reiterating that the UK will restrict its involvement strictly to defensive support from British airbases in Cyprus.
Iran's political and military establishments have publicly closed ranks behind the country's new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, pledging their loyalty amidst a highly fraught transition of power. President Masoud Pezeshkian hailed the appointment as the dawn of a "new era of dignity", whilst the armed forces swore their unwavering obedience to their new commander-in-chief. Meanwhile, as mass funerals were held in Tehran for civilians killed in the ten-day conflict, Iranian officials launched blistering verbal attacks on the international community, condemning the U.S.-Israeli strikes on energy infrastructure as "chemical warfare" and accusing the United Nations of prioritising the global economy over human lives.
Kuwait arrested four members of an IRGC-linked group as they tried to enter the country by sea, the Gulf state's KUNA news agency reported on Tuesday. Meanwhile, a senior IRGC officer said Iran had expanded its definition of the Strait of Hormuz to include a far wider area.
Australia confirmed it will repatriate citizens from the MV Hondius cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak, with quarantine on arrival. Spain, France are evacuating nationals as three deaths are confirmed. In the U.S., two passengers have been isolated after testing positive for the virus.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday dismissed Iran’s response to a U.S. peace proposal as a “stupid proposal,” saying Tehran failed to commit to abandoning its pursuit of a nuclear weapon, while warning the fragile ceasefire was on “massive life support”.
Metropolitan Shio of Senaki and Chkhorotsku has been elected the 142nd head of the Georgian Orthodox Church at a meeting of clergy in Tbilisi following the death of longtime Patriarch Ilia II.
Afghanistan has signed a five-year gold mining contract with Afghan and Azerbaijani companies in a deal worth more than $20m, the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum has said.
Senior officials from China and Uzbekistan met in Beijing this week for talks on trade, infrastructure and bilateral cooperation, underscoring a relationship that has continued to deepen steadily in recent years.
Senior economic officials from China and the U.S. are holding two days of trade talks in Seoul this week ahead of a summit in Beijing, where Donald Trump and Xi Jinping are set to meet face to face for the first time this year.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer laid down the gauntlet to challengers on Tuesday (12 May), as he defied calls to resign at a meeting of Cabinet, telling ministers that there had been no official move to trigger a leadership contest.
Malaysia's Maritime Enforcement Agency has launched a search and rescue operation for 14 people missing at sea after a wooden boat, strongly believed to be illegally transporting undocumented Indonesian migrants, capsized and sank off the country's western coast on Monday morning.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 12th of May, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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