Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 17th of August, covering the latest developments.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz slowed sharply over the weekend following attacks on tankers and stalled U.S.-Iran talks. Only five commodity vessels transited the waterway on Saturday, with none recorded on Sunday, compared with 31 during the previous weekend. Iran said shipping could resume if Washington meets its conditions, while the U.S. said it could maintain a naval blockade indefinitely.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to advance his Gaza peace roadmap returned to the diplomatic arena as his envoys held talks with Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators in Cairo. Jared Kushner and Nickolay Mladenov are seeking to turn the proposal into practical steps. However, major disagreements remain between Israel and Hamas over its implementation. Israel has objected to key elements of the plan, while Hamas has demanded guarantees that Israel will honour its commitments under the ceasefire.
U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered a significant reduction in planned joint military exercises with South Korea, citing their cost and his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump said he had instructed Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to “substantially reduce” the drills, arguing they send an inappropriate and hostile signal to Pyongyang. The decision comes ahead of the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, scheduled for 17 to 27 August.
The European Union plans to significantly expand sanctions against Russia in the coming months, according to EU officials. The new measures are expected to be the bloc’s most far-reaching sanctions package. Existing EU sanctions have cost Russia more than €1 trillion ($1.16 trillion), according to the EU foreign policy chief. The proposed package would increase the number of sanctioned Russian entities by about a third.
A magnitude-7.7 earthquake in eastern Indonesia has killed at least 53 people and triggered landslides, road blockages and widespread damage. Nearly 1,600 aftershocks have been recorded, including a magnitude-5.6 quake near the initial epicentre on Monday. Thousands of residents have been evacuated to safety, and many are sheltering outdoors because of fears of further tremors and building collapses. More than 3,500 military and police personnel have been deployed.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday that the United States must recognise that the “rules of the game” i...
Russian President Vladimir Putin held more than three hours of talks with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow on efforts to end t...
Two Greek military pilots were killed on Saturday when an F-4 Phantom fighter jet crashed during an air show at Tanagra air base, north of Athens, ...
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Russia then Ukraine over the weekend, Russian state news agency TASS has reported, citing an unnamed source. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also said American envoys will visit the capitals of both countries.
An eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Anak Krakatau has disrupted air travel, school activities and fishing operations, with hundreds of passengers stranded at Jakarta’s main airport on Sunday.
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Moscow for peace talks on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, two people familiar with the matter said. They were met by Russian Presidential Envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday that the United States must recognise that the “rules of the game” in its war against Iran had changed “before it is too late”, a day after Washington struck several Iranian tankers in the Gulf.
Russian President Vladimir Putin held more than three hours of talks with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow on efforts to end the Ukraine war.
Two Greek military pilots were killed on Saturday when an F-4 Phantom fighter jet crashed during an air show at Tanagra air base, north of Athens, officials said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin held more than three hours of talks with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow on efforts to end the Ukraine war.
U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told reporters on Saturday that there is no plan underway to force Palestinians out of Gaza, following Israel's government proposal on relocation plans for people in Gaza.
A Chinese national was pulled alive from a tunnel in Nepal on Saturday, authorities said, 10 days after a wall of ice, rock and mud tore through a Himalayan valley, killing more than 1,300 people and leaving more than 5,600 missing.
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Moscow for peace talks on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, two people familiar with the matter said. They were met by Russian Presidential Envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
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