Lahore takes SCO cultural spotlight with centuries of history behind it
For centuries, Lahore has been shaped by the people, cultures and empires that passed through it. Now, the Pakistani city is preparing to put that ...
Iran has executed three men convicted of killing two police officers during anti-government protests in January, according to state media. The men were executed in Qom, central Iran, on Thursday (19 March) after their sentences were upheld by the Supreme Court.
The judiciary said the men were found guilty of murder and mohārebeh (waging war against God), including carrying out acts it claimed were in support of Israel and the U.S.
Iranian officials have repeatedly accused foreign adversaries of involvement in the nationwide unrest earlier this year. The government’s subsequent crackdown on the demonstrations has been described as the largest in the Islamic Republic’s history.
Mai Sato, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, said in February that the number of civilians killed in the crackdown could exceed 20,000. The Iranian government has put the official death toll from the protests at 3,117.
The executions came a day after Tehran put to death a Swedish citizen who had been arrested in Iran in June 2025. Sweden’s Foreign Minister, Maria Malmer Stenergard, summoned the Iranian ambassador in response.
"The death penalty is an inhumane, cruel and irreversible punishment. Sweden, together with the rest of the EU, condemns its application in all circumstances," Stenergard said.
The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, also condemned the execution in a statement on Wednesday evening (18 March).
"The appalling human rights situation in Iran and the alarming increase in executions are intolerable and show the regime's true colours," she said, offering condolences to the deceased's family.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he thinks there is a chance of a peace being reached with Ukraine. He told the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia that he believed there was "a chance of finding a solution," to the conflict.
The Iranian Health Ministry said at least 18 people were killed and 142 others injured in U.S. airstrikes carried out between 30 August and 2 September.
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Russia then Ukraine over the weekend, Russian state news agency TASS has reported, citing an unnamed source. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also said American envoys will visit the capitals of both countries.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 3rd of September, covering the latest developments.
The Iranian Army has again struck at U.S. bases in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates in retaliation for U.S. attacks on southern and western parts of Iran late on Tuesday, which reportedly killed 18 people and injured more than 100 others.
A unique architectural monument dating back to the 9th to 12th centuries has been discovered in the village of Gargara, in the Korez village commune in Dangara district in Tajikistan.
Japan and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime have launched a $9.4 million, two-year project across five Afghan provinces to help former poppy-growing families and expand drug prevention and treatment services.
For centuries, Lahore has been shaped by the people, cultures and empires that passed through it. Now, the Pakistani city is preparing to put that rich history before a wider regional audience.
Israel is ready to move Palestinians from Gaza as soon as the U.S. approves, the country’s Defence Minister Israel Katz has said. He told a conference hosted by Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth on Wednesday that there was “no real solution” for Gaza without migration.
Flights between Central Asia and Russia have faced widespread disruption, with aircraft diverted, turned back or cancelled amid restrictions in Russian airspace and conflicting claims from Moscow and Kyiv over aviation safety.
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