Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 15 March, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Top U.S. and Chinese economic officials are set to launch a new round of talks in Paris on Sunday (15 March) to iron out remaining issues in their trade truce and pave the way for a trip by U.S. President Donald Trump to Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at the end of March.The talks, led by Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, will focus on adjusting U.S. tariffs and the supply of Chinese rare earth minerals and magnets to American buyers. They will also address U.S. high-tech export controls and China’s purchases of U.S. agricultural products. The two sides will meet at the Paris headquarters of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, a source familiar with the plans said.
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened further strikes on Iran's Kharg Island oil export hub and called on allies to send warships to secure the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran vowed to intensify its response and the conflict showed no sign of ending. Trump claimed the U.S. strikes had "totally demolished" most of Kharg Island and indicated that more could follow. He also expressed hope that China, France, Japan, South Korea, Britain, and other nations would deploy warships to the Strait of Hormuz, though none immediately confirmed such plans.
North Korea fired around 10 ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, South Korea's military said. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected the missiles launched from the Sunan area in North Korea at around 1:20 pm (0420 GMT), according to Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency. "Our military maintains a firm readiness posture while closely sharing North Korean ballistic missile information with the U.S. and Japan amid a heightened surveillance posture against additional launches," the military said in a statement.
The Israeli army threatened to target medical facilities and ambulances in Lebanon, claiming they are being used for military purposes by the Lebanese group Hezbollah. The warning came hours after an Israeli strike reportedly hit a healthcare centre in southern Lebanon, killing 12 medical personnel, including doctors, paramedics and nurses. Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee claimed Hezbollah is making “extensive military use of ambulances” as part of its activities.
French voters head to the polls on Sunday (15 March) to elect their mayors in a closely watched ballot seen as a test of the strength of the far-right and the resilience of mainstream parties. Heading nearly 35,000 municipalities, from major cities to villages with only a few dozen residents, mayors are France's most trusted elected officials. A second round will be held on 22 March in all cities where no single list wins more than 50% of the vote.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran has “no trust” in the United States and will only consider negotiations if Was...
The 13th edition of the World Urban Forum, due to begin in Baku on Sunday (17 May), is an ideal opportunity for Azerbaijan to show the world what s...
Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners of war as well as...
Central Asia is entering a period of acute water stress as glacier melt accelerates and ageing infrastructure wastes ...
Baku is hosting the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), bringing together political leaders, urban plan...
The 13th edition of the World Urban Forum, due to begin in Baku on Sunday (17 May), is an ideal opportunity for Azerbaijan to show the world what successful post-conflict urban development looks like, a representative for the conference has said.
Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners of war as well as the bodies of fallen soldiers, on Friday (15 May). The swap came as Ukranian officials said Moscow had carried out its largest aerial attack over 48 hours since the conflict started.
Central Asia is entering a period of acute water stress as glacier melt accelerates and ageing infrastructure wastes up to 40% of water supplies, fuelling concerns over food security and regional stability.
A U.S. Department of Justice official said Washington was preparing to indict former Cuban president Raúl Castro in connection with the 1996 downing of aircraft operated by "Brothers to the Rescue", a Miami-based exile group that conducted search-and-rescue flights for Cuban migrants.
The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran loomed over U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to China, as signs emerged that the conflict is causing a shift in alliances across the Middle East.
When Donald Trump boarded Air Force One for Beijing on Tuesday, he brought two cabinet members whose presence in China would have seemed unlikely a year ago, highlighting an unusual moment in U.S.–China relations.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran has “no trust” in the United States and will only consider negotiations if Washington shows seriousness. His remarks came as talks on Iran’s nuclear programme continued, with Trump and Xi also opposing Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.
A new trilateral energy partnership involving Uzbekneftegaz, Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR and BP has been announced during Uzbekistan Energy Week 2026 in Tashkent.
The Eurovision Song Contest opened in Vienna on Tuesday amid heightened political tensions, as Israel competed in the first semi-final despite a boycott by five European broadcasters over the war in Gaza.
China has launched the world’s first experiment to study how artificial human embryos develop in space, marking a major step in understanding whether humans could one day reproduce beyond Earth.
Every day, an elderly woman in China’s Shandong province looks forward to a video call from her son. He asks about her health, tells her he has been busy with work, and promises he will come home once he has saved enough money. She tells him she misses him. He tells her to take care of herself.
Deep in the ancient forests of southern China, researchers have discovered a small, shy snake with an extraordinary survival trick: when threatened, it creates the illusion that it has two heads.
A U.S. Department of Justice official said Washington was preparing to indict former Cuban president Raúl Castro in connection with the 1996 downing of aircraft operated by "Brothers to the Rescue", a Miami-based exile group that conducted search-and-rescue flights for Cuban migrants.
Australian citizens evacuated from a Dutch-flagged cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak have returned home after two weeks overseas. The passengers will now undergo quarantine and further testing in Western Australia.
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