Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 19th of August, covering the latest developments.
U.S. President Donald Trump has paused a planned 50% tariff increase on Canadian goods for three days, saying Washington and Ottawa had reached a preliminary agreement. The announcement followed a phone call with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, just hours before the tariffs were due to take effect. Trump said the two countries had “a deal”, but acknowledged that the documents still needed to be finalised.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz slowed on Tuesday as shipowners remain cautious over the waterways' reopening following the Iran war. Kpler data showed six commodity vessels crossed the Strait on Tuesday, down from nine the previous day and below the 10-day average of 11. U.S. President Donald Trump said no talks were taking place with Iran and insisted the Strait was open, contradicting Tehran's claim that it remained closed to shipping.
South Korea and the U.S. are scaling back their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises following President Donald Trump's order to substantially reduce American participation. The drills will now end on 21 August instead of 27 August. Some field manoeuvres will be reduced, while live-training activities will be cancelled or replaced by computer simulations. The changes come as Trump seeks to revive diplomacy with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, while Pyongyang continues to condemn the exercises as preparations for an invasion.
An Israeli airstrike killed at least six Palestinians and wounded 14 others at a café in western Gaza City, according to Gaza health officials. Israel said the strike targeted Hamas commanders and other militants, including one it said who took part in the 7 October, 2023 attack, but provided no evidence. The strike came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy Jared Kushner left the region without a breakthrough in efforts to advance Washington’s Gaza peace plan.
At least nine people, including a child, were killed in a hotel fire in Kolkata, India, on Wednesday. Around 30 people were safely evacuated from the building, while at least six others were reportedly receiving hospital treatment for injuries. Police said an electrical short circuit may have triggered the blaze, but the exact cause remains under investigation.
Trade along the Middle Corridor is accelerating, opening new opportunities for Central Asia and the South Caucasus as countries strengthen transpor...
Kazakhstan says the North Aral Sea’s water volume has risen by 24 per cent since 2022, reaching 23.4 billion cubic metres. The figures were u...
Israel’s newly elected parliament was sworn in on Tuesday amid political deadlock, with President Isaac Herzog urging lawmakers to avoid anot...
The gunman who allegedly killed six people in Poland’s unprecedented mass shooting in central Kraków on Saturday has died in hospital, police said early Monday. The attacker had demonstrated advanced military-style marksmanship skills, according to a spokesperson for the shooting club he attended.
Monday marks the second of two days of national mourning in Poland as police bolstered security after six people were killed in a mass shooting in Kraków.
Russia and Ukraine are set to return to Abu Dhabi on Tuesday for a fourth round of U.S.-brokered peace talks, with European participation, security guarantees and territorial disputes expected to shape the negotiations.
Nvidia has launched an independent investigation into whether its chief executive, Jensen Huang, was targeted in a foreign intelligence operation, following allegations that a businesswoman with whom he had a relationship passed information to Beijing.
At least 17 people have been reported killed in an explosion at a steel plant in western Türkiye, after a crane collapsed during maintenance work. The disaster has prompted a criminal investigation into what went wrong at the industrial facility.
Emissions cuts and climate finance took centre stage on the second day of COP31 in Türkiye on Tuesday, as developing nations pushed for greater financial support from wealthier countries.
Iran is stepping up military training for civilian volunteers, opening a new camp for women in Tehran amid U.S. threats of ground operations. The move follows Israeli and U.S. air strikes on Iran in 2025 and 2026.
German defence firm Helsing is preparing to unveil new AI targeting software amid growing European concerns over reliance on U.S. technology, while Britain has pledged $121 million to strengthen surveillance of Russian submarines.
Canada has reinstated sanctions on 11 Iranian entities over concerns about their alleged links to the country's nuclear programme, ballistic missile development and financial networks supporting its strategic activities.
An alleged affair between Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang and a Chinese businesswoman suspected of spying for Beijing helped channel at least $7.5 billion worth of Nvidia chips to Chinese firms, The Information reported on Tuesday.
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