Morning Brief - 18 August 2026

Morning Brief - 18 August 2026
People walk by a mural depicting Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on a street in Tehran, Iran, 13 August 2026.
Reuters

Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 18th of August, covering the latest developments.

Iran warns of offensive military shift as Hormuz vessel hit

A senior Iranian official said Tehran could take “timely and precise” military action to break a U.S. naval blockade. The warning came after Washington ruled out extending a temporary ceasefire, and a 60-day deadline for a broader peace deal expired without agreement. Meanwhile, a vessel was struck by an unknown projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, damaging its engine room and injuring a crew member, according to UKMTO.

Hundreds of drones target Moscow as Moldova reports breach

Russia said hundreds of drones targeted the Moscow region overnight, with air defences intercepting 180. Strikes and falling debris damaged a Wildberries warehouse and other facilities, injuring at least three people. Moldova separately condemned an unidentified aerial object entering its airspace and exploding near the Ukrainian border. Meanwhile, Russia said it struck two cargo vessels in the Ukrainian Black Sea ports of Odesa and Mykolaiv. 

South Korea urges stronger defences amid U.S. drill cut

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called for stronger independent defence capabilities while defending annual civil-defence exercises held alongside joint U.S.-South Korea drills. His remarks came after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to substantially reduce the joint exercises and said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had responded to his outreach. 

Colombia earthquake losses estimated at $9.6 billion

Economic losses from last week’s powerful earthquake in Colombia are preliminarily estimated at 30 trillion pesos ($9.58 billion), President Abelardo de la Espriella said. The 7.4-magnitude quake killed around 290 people, left 140 missing and injured nearly 4,000, with Cali and Pereira among the worst-hit areas. 

At least two dead in rare Philippines school shooting

A Grade 9 student reportedly brought a pistol and rifle onto campus and opened fire inside a classroom before killing himself. The school confirmed the situation was under control, with no additional fatalities or injuries reported. The shooting comes less than two months after a separate attack at a high school in Tacloban City that killed at least three students. School shootings are rare in the Philippines, despite illegal firearms remaining in circulation.

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