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.
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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