Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 20th of August, covering the latest developments.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained unchanged on Wednesday as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening continued amid stalled U.S.-Iran discussions. Kpler data showed nine commodity vessels transited the strategic route, the same as the previous day. The Strait remains a key global energy corridor, with shipping activity affected by ongoing security concerns.
A Russian ballistic missile attack on Kyiv killed at least twelve people and injured more than two dozen others, Ukrainian officials said. The strikes damaged residential buildings, a children’s hospital and other facilities, while parts of the capital were left without power. Poland activated preventive military aviation operations and placed its air defence systems on alert.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani arrived in Islamabad for the first visit by Syria’s top diplomat to Pakistan in 19 years. Talks are expected to focus on defence cooperation, economic ties and regional security. The visit comes as Syria’s new leadership seeks to rebuild diplomatic relations and expand partnerships after years of conflict and international isolation.
The death toll from last week’s magnitude 7.4 earthquake in Colombia has risen to 314, while 262 people remain missing, President Abelardo De La Espriella said. The quake damaged homes and critical infrastructure across western Colombia, with authorities shifting from rescue operations toward humanitarian support and reconstruction efforts.
AnewZ’s report from Tashkent explores Uzbekistan’s efforts to expand its media, healthcare, industrial and technology sectors as the country pursues economic transformation. The visit highlights projects ranging from digital development and manufacturing to cultural preservation, reflecting Uzbekistan’s push to combine modernisation with its historical identity.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said regional issues should be res...
Armenia could face soaring gas prices, a sharp drop in remittances and tighter restrictions on migrant workers if its membership of the Eurasian Ec...
Pakistan’s military chief is heading to Iran for talks as Islamabad pushes for dialogue between Tehran and Washington, while reaffirming its ...
U.S. President Donald Trump has criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for continuing to target Russia's energy infrastructure, while Russian strikes on Kyiv overnight killed at least one person and damaged a metro station.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Norway for talks about the Russia-Ukraine war. He is expected to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who arrived in Oslo earlier. Witkoff will also meet European officials.
French President Emmanuel Macron has condemned the violence, looting and vandalism that erupted during cost-of-living protests across France. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu held crisis talks on Monday, calling for partial curfews and raising the possibility of a state of emergency.
An oil tanker caught fire after striking a naval mine in the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said late Sunday.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said regional issues should be resolved through diplomacy and blamed the United States for insecurity and tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, speaking at a joint news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Norway for talks about the Russia-Ukraine war. He is expected to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who arrived in Oslo earlier. Witkoff will also meet European officials.
Beijing says it deployed naval forces to monitor a U.S. warship near Sabina Shoal, while Taiwan reports a separate confrontation with a Chinese coast guard vessel near the Pratas Islands.
Tensions are mounting across Asia, with North Korea warning of war, China clashing with the U.S. and the Philippines, and protests gathering pace in Indonesia and India. Military threats, diplomatic disputes and political unrest are fuelling uncertainty across the region.
Canada’s oil-rich province of Alberta voted to remain part of the country in a non-binding referendum on Monday, 19 October, CBC News reports, delivering a much-needed victory for Prime Minister Mark Carney amid an ongoing trade war with the United States.
A Kenyan court has convicted cult leader Paul Mackenzie and 28 co-defendants of murder over the deaths of 191 people, including 190 children, in a case that shocked the world and exposed one of the deadliest cult-related tragedies in recent memory.
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