Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 21 March, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The United States said it was getting very close to meeting its goals in the war with Iran and was considering winding down its military efforts. President Donald Trump also urged countries that rely on the Strait of Hormuz to guard and police the waterway themselves, if needed. "The Hormuz Strait will have to be guarded and policed, as necessary, by other nations who use it - The United States does not!," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
The UK has approved an expansion of U.S. access to British bases for operations targeting Iranian missile capabilities threatening shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Downing Street. A statement said in a meeting, Cabinet ministers “confirmed that the agreement for the U.S. to use UK bases in the collective self-defence of the region includes U.S. defensive operations to degrade the missile sites and capabilities being used to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz."
U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators will hold talks in Miami on Saturday (21 March) that a source familiar with the matter said could lay the groundwork for another meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy told reporters on Friday that the U.S. and Ukrainian working groups would focus on bilateral documents and discuss a wide-ranging drone deal during the weekend meeting.
Iceland's Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir told Reuters on Wednesday (18 March) she is optimistic her country could join the European Union as early as 2028. The Icelandic government has proposed holding a referendum on 29 August on resuming EU membership negotiations, a process Reykjavik froze in 2013 when a more Eurosceptic government took power. "We have seen that it's beneficial to have a voice at the table," Gunnarsdóttir said in an interview in Brussels.
Merz faces key second state election test in Germany
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservatives face their second electoral test this month on Sunday (22 March) when they hope to unseat the centre-left Social Democrats, their coalition partner at the national level, in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. For Merz, however, battling to shore up Western support for Ukraine and facing the looming threat of an energy shock caused by the Iran war, an election he once counted on to boost his domestic support has become uncomfortably tight.
Amid fragile calm, António Guterres urged constructive U.S.- Iran talks, while Pope Leo XIV warned violence is spreading. Lebanon's Pres...
Afghanistan’s foreign ministry says the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has pledged continued cooperation after...
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Khamenei has declared a “decisive victory” over the U.S. and Israel, signalling a &...
A charity co-founded by Prince Harry in honour of his late mother, Princess Diana, is suing him for libel at the High Court in London, according to...
Uzbekistan is advancing plans to reduce the state’s role in the economy while introducing a VAT refund system for foreign visitors, as part o...
Amid fragile calm, António Guterres urged constructive U.S.- Iran talks, while Pope Leo XIV warned violence is spreading. Lebanon's President said an Israeli strike killed 13 security personnel in Nabatieh.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Khamenei has declared a “decisive victory” over the U.S. and Israel, signalling a “new phase” in Tehran’s control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Uzbekistan is advancing plans to reduce the state’s role in the economy while introducing a VAT refund system for foreign visitors, as part of broader efforts to attract investment and boost tourism.
The European Union and Washington are nearing an agreement to coordinate the production and security of critical minerals, Bloomberg News reported on Friday (10 April).
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he has given an instruction for Israel to begin peace talks with Lebanon that would also include the disarming of Hezbollah.
Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed to continue dialogue and avoid steps that could worsen tensions after China-hosted talks in Urumqi, with Kabul and Beijing saying the meetings focused on easing differences and improving relations.
Amid fragile calm, António Guterres urged constructive U.S.- Iran talks, while Pope Leo XIV warned violence is spreading. Lebanon's President said an Israeli strike killed 13 security personnel in Nabatieh.
Memorial events were held in Tehran’s main squares on Wednesday (8 April) to mark the 40th day since the killing of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who died during U.S.-Israeli attacks on 28 February.
Dubai has restricted foreign airlines to one daily flight to its airports until 31 May due to the Iran crisis, raising fears of significant revenue losses for Indian carriers, industry letters show.
A charity co-founded by Prince Harry in honour of his late mother, Princess Diana, is suing him for libel at the High Court in London, according to a court record published on Friday (10 April).
The European Union and Washington are nearing an agreement to coordinate the production and security of critical minerals, Bloomberg News reported on Friday (10 April).
In a forceful rebuke to Washington’s foreign policy in the Americas, a senior Russian diplomat has declared that Moscow will never abandon Cuba, pledging ongoing support to help the Communist-run island overcome a severe energy crisis linked to the United States embargo.
Hungary votes on Sunday in a parliamentary election that could loosen Viktor Orbán’s 16-year hold on power. His ruling Fidesz faces a strong challenge from Péter Magyar’s Tisza party, which has led some polls, though many voters remain undecided.
While a fragile ceasefire in the Iran war may deliver badly needed relief to economies battered by the world’s worst-ever energy crisis, hopes it will quickly restore normal oil and gas flows from the Middle East are almost certainly misplaced.
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