AnewZ Morning Brief - 21 March, 2026
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 21 March, covering the latest developments you need to know....
Iraq signed a deal with Türkiye on Sunday under which water infrastructure projects to be carried out by Turkish firms will be financed with revenue from oil sales, a Turkish official said.
The Iraqi prime minister's office said in a statement that the two countries had signed an accord on an implementation mechanism for a water cooperation agreement that they sealed last year.
Iraq's government will establish a committee for water infrastructure projects and invite bids for them from Turkish companies, with payments for the projects to be financed by revenue from Iraqi oil sales to Türkiye, the Turkish official said.
The initial batch of projects expected under the agreement includes three water harvesting dam projects and three land reclamation initiatives, an Iraqi water resources official said.
The original framework water agreement was signed in April 2024 during a visit to Baghdad by Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan, which marked a new phase of better relations between the two neighbours after years of strained ties.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Israel struck Iran’s South Pars gas field without U.S. or Qatari involvement, and warned that any Iranian attack on Qatar would prompt massive retaliation. The comments come as regional tensions soar after Tehran fired missiles at Gulf energy sites.
Israel reportedly launched a fresh wave of attacks on Iran on Friday (20 March), a day after U.S. President Donald Trump told it not to repeat its strikes on Iranian natural gas infrastructure, which sharply escalated the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
Carlos Ray “Chuck” Norris, the martial artist, actor and cultural icon best known for his roles in action films and the long-running CBS series Walker, Texas Ranger, has died at the age of 86.
Transport groups across the Philippines launched a nationwide strike on Thursday in protest against rising oil prices. The action affected 15 to 20 protest centres in Metro Manila, with similar demonstrations taking place across several major provinces.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has refused to lift his opposition to a €90 billion ($104 billion) European Union loan to help Ukraine keep up its fight against Russia’s invasion, following a meeting of EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday (19 March).
Uzbekistan has outlined plans to select its first astronaut and launch two Earth observation satellites, as it steps up efforts to build a national space programme and strengthen its scientific and technological capacity.
Israel launched strikes on Tehran and Beirut on Saturday (21 March) as the United States deployed thousands of additional Marines to the Middle East, while President Donald Trump criticised NATO allies as "cowards" over their reluctance to help open the Strait of Hormuz.
The Trump administration has waived sanctions on the purchase of Iranian oil at sea for 30 days on Friday (20 March) in its latest attempt to ease oil prices that have been driven up by the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
Georgia’s relationship with the European Union is coming under increasing strain, as Members of the European Parliament openly criticise both the country’s political direction and the EU’s response.
Ankara has conveyed “friendly advice” to the Iranian leadership in an effort to avert a wider war in the Middle East, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday in the Qatari capital, Doha.
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