AnewZ Morning Brief - 17 March, 2026
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Azerbaijan has dispatched a new rail shipment of petroleum products to Armenia, marking a continued resumption of trade following the lifting of long standing transit restrictions.
A total of 48 rail cars carrying 2,698 tons of petroleum products have been sent from Azerbaijan to Armenia, according to Report. The shipment departed from the Bilajari station and is travelling toward the Boyuk Kasik station, from where it will continue to Armenia via Georgian territory.
The cargo consists of 1,742 tons of RON 95 gasoline and 956 tons of diesel fuel. This marks the second fuel shipment sent along this route in recent weeks.
Last month, the first freight train carrying 1,220 tons of RON 95 gasoline was dispatched from Baku to Armenia, signalling the practical start of renewed fuel transit.
The shipments follow the removal of restrictions on the transit of Azerbaijani goods to Armenia, which had been in place since the occupation period. The decision to lift the restrictions was taken by President Ilham Aliyev in October 2025, opening the way for resumed rail based trade between the two countries.
The other evening, I was fuelling my car at a petrol station in Kenya’s capital. It was one of those small moments most motorists barely notice. The attendant filled the tank, I glanced at the pump price, paid, and drove off.
President Trump called on countries to assist in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, while Starmer said the UK is working with allies to restore navigation and stabilise oil markets. It comes as a strike near Iraq’s western border killed several Hashed al-Shaabi fighters, raising regional tensions.
Top U.S. and Chinese economic officials launched a new round of talks in Paris on Sunday (15 March) to resolve issues in their trade truce. The discussions aim to smooth the way for U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at the end of March.
The process of evacuating foreign diplomats and citizens from Iran to Azerbaijan through the Astara state border crossing continues on Sunday (15 March), ensuring smooth and efficient transit for those arriving.
Kazakh voters have overwhelmingly approved a new constitution that could allow President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to stay in power beyond 2029. Exit polls showed that around 87% of voters have backed the new constitution.
Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of killing at least 400 people and injuring 250 others in an air strike on a drug treatment centre in Kabul on Monday night (16 March).
The U.S. Embassy in the Iraqi capital Baghdad came under fire from rockets and drones early on Tuesday (17 March), as the the Middle East conflict enters its 18th day.
Governments around the world are responding cautiously to U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for countries to send naval ships to the Strait of Hormuz to protect commercial shipping and help restore the flow of global oil supplies.
Kyrgyzstan lawmaker Shairbek Tashiev has resigned from parliament after being questioned by investigators. The Central Election Commission confirmed it has formally terminated his parliamentary mandate.
Kazakhstan’s next presidential election will be held in 2029 in line with the Constitution, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said after voting in a referendum on a draft new Constitution amid debate over whether the reforms could signal a future transfer of power.
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