Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 20th of March, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Israel launched fresh strikes on Tehran on Friday, 20 March, with explosions reported and air defences activated, according to local media. The attacks came shortly after Donald Trump urged Israel not to target Iran’s gas infrastructure, while the Israeli Defence Forces said it was hitting “infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime.” The escalation follows a 28 February U.S.-Israel strike that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, prompting Iranian retaliation across the Gulf and raising global oil prices.
The CEO of Qatar’s state-owned energy company, Saad al-Kaabi said on Thursday, that attacks by Iran have wiped out 17% of Qatar’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) export capacity, equivalent to $20 billion in lost annual revenue. Kaabi also said that repairs to the damaged infrastructure will result in a deficit of 12.8 tons of LNG in production for the next three to five years. The losses threaten supplies to Europe and Asia, forcing QatarEnergy to declare force majeure, freeing it from obligations under long-term contracts for up to five years for LNG bound for Italy, Belgium, South Korea and China.
Viktor Orbán has refused to back a €90bn EU loan for Ukraine after talks in Brussels on Thursday (19 March), drawing criticism from leaders including Friedrich Merz. Orbán cited a dispute over a damaged Druzhba oil pipeline to justify his opposition to implementing the loan, which was agreed in principle in 2025. While EU officials warn Kyiv could run out of funds within weeks without the aid, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz accused Orban, who maintains cordial ties with Russia and is running for re-election next month, of an act of "gross disloyalty" that damaged the EU's reputation.
FIFA has mandated that every team in a FIFA women's competition will now have at least one female head or assistant coach. This new regulation is aimed at boosting the number of women coaching at the highest levels in football tournaments. The new regulations stipulate that each team must have two female staff on the bench and will cover all FIFA women's tournaments, from youth to senior level.
Philippine transport groups have launched a nationwide strike on Thursday (19 March) to protest rising oil prices. The protesters are calling for an immediate rollback in fuel prices, the removal of excise and value-added taxes on petroleum products, expanded subsidies for affected sectors, and the introduction of a living wage for workers. The country has seen a sharp rise in fuel prices amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, which have disrupted global energy markets.
Iran suggested it would be "unreasonable" to proceed with talks to forge a permanent peace d...
Millions of Indians queued to vote in local elections across two states on Thursday, kicking off four key contests this month....
More than a million Sudanese refugees now face drastic cuts to life-saving aid, including food and water, after major funding shortfalls have left ...
Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed to continue dialogue and avoid steps that could worsen tensions after China-hosted talks in Urumqi, with Kabul...
Russia will see revenue from its biggest single oil tax double to $9 billion in April, driven by the oil and gas crisis triggered by the U.S. and I...
Iran suggested it would be "unreasonable" to proceed with talks to forge a permanent peace deal with the U.S. after Israel pounded Lebanon with its heaviest strikes yet on Wednesday, killing hundreds of people. The warning came from Iran's lead negotiator, parliament speaker Mohammed Bager Qalibaf.
More than a million Sudanese refugees now face drastic cuts to life-saving aid, including food and water, after major funding shortfalls have left humanitarian agencies struggling to cope.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Thursday (9 April) that restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is a vital interest for both Italy and the European Union, pledging coordination with international partners to ensure safe passage.
Astronauts aboard Artemis II have described the emotional toll of their historic journey as they prepare for a high-risk “fireball” re-entry. The crew is set to splash down off California on Friday (10 April) after travelling farther than any humans in history.
China and Russia vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution on Tuesday aimed at coordinating defensive efforts to protect commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, leaving no agreed international framework for securing the vital route.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah said it had stopped firing on northern Israel and Israeli forces on Wednesday as part of a two-week ceasefire in the Middle East brokered between the United States and Iran. However, a Hezbollah lawmaker warned that the pause could collapse if Tel Aviv does not adhere to it.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Iran and the United States, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate two-week ceasefire covering all areas, but Israel says the deal excludes Lebanon. Tel Aviv says the U.S. is committed to achieving shared goals in upcoming negotiations.
Construction has begun on a major new solar power project in Xizang, as China continues to expand its renewable energy capacity and push towards a greener future.
Iran suggested it would be "unreasonable" to proceed with talks to forge a permanent peace deal with the U.S. after Israel pounded Lebanon with its heaviest strikes yet on Wednesday, killing hundreds of people. The warning came from Iran's lead negotiator, parliament speaker Mohammed Bager Qalibaf.
More than a million Sudanese refugees now face drastic cuts to life-saving aid, including food and water, after major funding shortfalls have left humanitarian agencies struggling to cope.
Russia will see revenue from its biggest single oil tax double to $9 billion in April, driven by the oil and gas crisis triggered by the U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran, Reuters calculations showed on Thursday.
At least four people died after a small dinghy carrying migrants to Britain sank in the English Channel, French authorities announced on Thursday.
A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday declined to block the Pentagon’s national security blacklisting of Anthropic for now, handing a win to the Trump administration after a separate appeals court reached the opposite conclusion.
North Korea has tested a new cluster-bomb warhead mounted on a tactical ballistic missile, alongside advanced electromagnetic and infrastructure-targeting weapons, in a significant escalation of its military capabilities.
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