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Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most s...
Russia and North Korea have commenced the construction of a new road bridge across the Tumen River, marking a significant step in expanding their strategic partnership and enhancing bilateral trade links.
Russia and North Korea on Wednesday began construction of a road bridge between the two countries that will span the Tumen river, part of an effort to strengthen their strategic partnership, Russia's prime minister said.
The bridge is being built near the existing "Friendship Bridge", a rail bridge which was commissioned in 1959 after the Korean war.
At a ceremony dedicated to the start of the new bridge's construction, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said it was a significant event in Russian-North Korean relations, the TASS state news agency reported.
"The significance goes far beyond just an engineering task," Mishustin was quoted as saying. "It symbolises our common desire to strengthen friendly, good-neighbourly relations and increase inter-regional cooperation."
The new road bridge, which has been under discussion for years, will be 850 metres (2789 ft) and link up with the Russian highway system. Its construction was agreed during a visit by President Vladimir Putin to North Korea in 2024.
Russia's Kommersant newspaper said the bridge will be ready by the summer of 2026.
Mishustin said the bridge "will allow entrepreneurs to significantly increase transportation volumes and reduce transportation costs, ensure reliable and stable supplies of various products, which will contribute to the expansion of trade and economic cooperation," TASS reported.
About 600 North Korean troops have been killed fighting for Russia against Ukraine out of a total deployment of 15,000, South Korean lawmakers said on Wednesday, citing the country's intelligence agency.
U.S. President Donald Trump says Washington is not seeking an extension of its memorandum of understanding with Iran, claiming the U.S. already controls the Strait of Hormuz through its naval blockade.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
Ukraine has targeted at least 20 Wildberries warehouses across Russia since 18 July, disrupting a major logistics network. Kyiv says the strikes aim to disrupt alleged military-linked supplies, while the attacks have caused billions of dollars in losses and wider economic pressure.
Russia said its air defences downed 180 drones over the Moscow region overnight, with 620 drones reportedly targeting the area, according to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.
Azerbaijan exported goods worth $17.372 million to Armenia between January and July 2026, according to data from the State Customs Committee, as commercial ties between the two South Caucasus neighbours showed signs of expansion.
At least nine people were killed, including a child, in a fire at a hotel in India's eastern city of Kolkata on Wednesday, local police said.
France is set to expel two Iranian diplomats in response to what Paris has described as a “deliberate assault” on two French embassy staff in Tehran last month, escalating tensions between the two countries.
South Korea and the United States are scaling back their annual joint military exercises following an order from U.S. President Donald Trump to substantially reduce American participation.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 19th of August, covering the latest developments.
The United States is pushing to establish a formal deconfliction mechanism between Israel, Türkiye and Syria after Israeli airstrikes on a Syrian airbase raised concerns about the risk of a wider regional confrontation.
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