Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 18th of March, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Ilia II, the Catholicos-Patriarch who led the Georgian Orthodox Church for over four decades, has died at the age of 93 following a sudden hospitalisation for massive internal bleeding. Elected in 1977 during strict Soviet control, he steered the institution through the collapse of the USSR and Georgia’s subsequent independence, overseeing a profound expansion of the church's influence and the reopening of hundreds of monasteries. Highly revered across the nation, Ilia II occasionally served as a crucial mediator during periods of political instability, cementing the Georgian Orthodox Church as one of the country's most powerful and constitutionally recognised institutions.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially stripped Senegal of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title, declaring Morocco the tournament champions following a dramatic appeal. The ruling relates to January's final in Rabat, where the Senegalese team temporarily walked off the pitch in protest over a stoppage-time penalty awarded to Morocco; although Senegal returned after 17 minutes and eventually won 1-0 in extra time, CAF determined their initial refusal to play violated Article 82 of the tournament regulations. Consequently, the match result has been overturned to a 3-0 forfeit in favour of Morocco, a decision the Senegalese Football Federation has branded "unfair and unacceptable" as they prepare an immediate appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Survivors of Monday night's devastating airstrike on a Kabul drug rehabilitation centre have described apocalyptic scenes, recounting how patients were engulfed in flames as explosions tore through the 2,000-bed facility. Afghan officials report that over 400 people were killed and 250 wounded when the state-run Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital—housed in a former NATO military base—was bombarded just as residents concluded their evening prayers. While Kabul insists the site was a strictly civilian medical facility, Pakistan has rejected the accusations as "false and misleading", maintaining that its forces precisely targeted terrorist infrastructure and military installations amidst both countries' fiercest cross-border fighting yet.
Tensions in the Middle East have reached boiling point once again as Iran vows a "decisive" response following the assassination of its top security chief, Ali Larijani, in overnight Israeli airstrikes. The Basij Militia commander Soleimani, Larijani's son and his deputy, Alireza Bayat were also killed in Monday night's attack. The targeted killing of the senior official marks yet another significant escalation in the ongoing regional conflict, further inflaming hostilities between Tehran and the US-Israeli alliance as the war approaches its third week.
Joseph Kent, the head of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, has dramatically resigned, becoming the most senior official in the Trump administration to step down over the ongoing war in Iran. In a blistering resignation letter posted on X, Kent stated he "cannot in good conscience support" the conflict, asserting that Tehran posed no imminent threat to the United States and claiming the war was launched due to pressure from Israel and its powerful lobbying network. The resignation has stunned intelligence circles and highlights deepening internal dissent regarding the legal and strategic justification for President Donald Trump's military campaign.
Tensions between the United States and Iran remain high after a U.S. official said President Donald Trump was unhappy with a proposal from Tehran t...
British lawmakers on Tuesday voted against launching an inquiry into whether Prime Minister Keir Starmer misled Parliament over his decision to app...
Five million children across Sudan’s Darfur region are facing extreme deprivation, the United Nations childr...
Tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border are intensifying as Israeli strikes push deeper into the Bekaa Valley, fuelling fears of wider escalation ...
Former close aide to Keir Starmer admitted on Tuesday he was “wrong” to back the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the U....
Former close aide to Keir Starmer admitted on Tuesday he was “wrong” to back the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the U.S., amid mounting political pressure.
A pivotal trial that could shape the governance of artificial intelligence begins Tuesday in California, as Elon Musk and Sam Altman face off over OpenAI’s shift to a for-profit model.
Russia has significantly expanded its blacklist of European Union officials and figures banned from entering the country, in retaliation for Brussels’ newly approved 20th sanctions package against Moscow.
A 21-year-old man accused of planning a terrorist attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna in 2024 has pleaded guilty in part, as his trial opened on Tuesday (28 April) in Austria.
Disney+ has debuted Disney Animation’s Songs in Sign Language, a new collection of animated musical sequences reimagined in American Sign Language (ASL), released on 27 April to mark National Deaf History Month.
Market reaction to DeepSeek’s preview of its next-generation artificial intelligence model has been relatively subdued, in sharp contrast to the global shock triggered by its breakthrough releases last year.
President Donald Trump said on Sunday Iran could telephone if it wants to negotiate an end to their two-month war. Tehran said the U.S. should remove obstacles to a deal, including its blockade of Iran's ports. Meanwhile Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrives in St Petersburg for talks.
Adidas shares rose after Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe delivered a historic performance at the London Marathon on Sunday (26 April), becoming the first athlete to run an official marathon in under two hours.
Tensions between the United States and Iran remain high after a U.S. official said President Donald Trump was unhappy with a proposal from Tehran that does not deal with its nuclear programme. Washington is insisting that any talks must address Iran’s nuclear activities.
British lawmakers on Tuesday voted against launching an inquiry into whether Prime Minister Keir Starmer misled Parliament over his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the U.S.
Five million children across Sudan’s Darfur region are facing extreme deprivation, the United Nations children’s agency said on Tuesday, issuing an emergency warning as the civil war in the country enters its fourth year.
Former close aide to Keir Starmer admitted on Tuesday he was “wrong” to back the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the U.S., amid mounting political pressure.
Russia has significantly expanded its blacklist of European Union officials and figures banned from entering the country, in retaliation for Brussels’ newly approved 20th sanctions package against Moscow.
China is moving to make it easier and cheaper for people to have children, with lawmakers reviewing plans to expand maternity insurance coverage nationwide.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment