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.
The bodies of Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei and members of his household killed in Israeli–U.S. air raids were laid to...
At least 28 people have died after a fire tore through a shoe factory in southeastern China, trapping hundreds of workers inside the multi-storey buil...
It has been a punishing week for large parts of China, and forecasters warn the worst may not be over. After Typhoon Maysak left a trail of destructio...
At least 28 people have died after a fire tore through a shoe factory in southeastern China, trapping hundreds of workers inside the multi-storey building. Authorities said more than 200 people escaped, while others were unable to get out before the blaze spread.
Hundreds of Palestinians gathered in Gaza to mourn Mohammad al-Waheidi, an aid worker remembered for bringing rare moments of happiness to families displaced by war by organising public screenings of World Cup matches.
Azerbaijan should unlock the full potential of its tourism sector to drive long-term economic growth, diversify its economy and create jobs as reliance on hydrocarbons declines, the World Bank has said.
The South Caucasus is increasingly being viewed not only through the lens of past conflicts but also as a strategic bridge linking Europe, the Caspian region and Central Asia. One analyst says this presents an opportunity for a new Euro-Atlantic approach focused on long-term regional cooperation.
The U.S. says it has launched strikes on Iran after alleged attacks on three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Washington described the action as a response to threats against civilian shipping and a breach of the ceasefire.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the memorandum of understanding signed with Iran to end the conflict was "over", adding he did not want to engage with Tehran, calling the Iranian leadership "sick people".
The death toll from Venezuela's twin earthquakes has risen to 3,811, according to figures released by National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez on Wednesday.
Typhoon Bavi churned southeast of Taiwan in the Pacific Ocean on Thursday, its winds easing overnight to just shy of 200 kph (124 mph), as authorities urged residents to stock up on supplies and brace for what could be the most powerful typhoon since 2024.
The U.S. military said on Wednesday it launched fresh strikes on Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping, triggering Iranian attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain in the latest escalation to derail efforts to end the war.
China's technology sector is producing billion-dollar startups at its fastest pace in nearly five years, with artificial intelligence and robotics driving a new wave of investment that is reshaping the country's innovation economy.
At least 28 people have died after a fire tore through a shoe factory in southeastern China, trapping hundreds of workers inside the multi-storey building. Authorities said more than 200 people escaped, while others were unable to get out before the blaze spread.
It has been a punishing week for large parts of China, and forecasters warn the worst may not be over. After Typhoon Maysak left a trail of destruction and at least 23 people dead, Super Typhoon Bavi is now threatening the country's eastern coast.
Western Europe experienced its hottest June since records began in 2026, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). The record-breaking month brought extreme heat, widespread disruption and thousands of excess deaths across parts of the continent.
South Korea's Supreme Court has upheld former President Yoon Suk Yeol's seven-year prison sentence in a case linked to his 2024 attempt to impose martial law.
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