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.
A senior U.S. administration official says a ceasefire agreed with Iran in early April has effectively ended hostilities for an imminent congressio...
The legal team of Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi plans to meet the detained former leader this weekend after sh...
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned “foreigners who commit evil” have no place in the Gulf, outlining a “new phas...
The final day of the Youth Forum on United Nations Global Goals 2026 in Istanbul focused on innovation, cooperation and global impact, with young p...
The federal agent injured in the attack at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner was not hit by friendly fire, U.S. President Dona...
The legal team of Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi plans to meet the detained former leader this weekend after she was transferred to house arrest in the capital by the military-backed government, a representative said on Friday.
Azerbaijan’s golden double at the 2026 European Wrestling Championship in Tirana, Albania brought “joy” to the entire country, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev told the victorious athletes at a reception on Thursday (30 April).
China has passed a new law aimed at ensuring its most vulnerable citizens are not left without support.
Tashkent hosted the INMerge Innovation Summit Roadshow, bringing together start-ups, investors and technology leaders to explore the future of Central Asia’s digital economy and regional cooperation.
A report published by Minval Politika has raised new questions over alleged efforts by Luis Moreno Ocampo to shape international pressure against Azerbaijan and influence political dynamics around Armenia.
A Pentagon official provided the first official estimate of the cost of the U.S. war in Iran on Wednesday (29 April), telling lawmakers that $25 billion had so far been spent on the conflict, most of it on munitions. Earlier, Donald Trump said that the U.S. had "militarily defeated" Tehran.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned “foreigners who commit evil” have no place in the Gulf, outlining a “new phase” for the Strait of Hormuz, while a senior adviser said U.S. blockade efforts would fail and could trigger confrontation.
Shares in Meta Platforms fell sharply in extended trading on Wednesday after the tech giant raised its annual capital spending forecast by billions of dollars.
A humanoid robot called Sophia took an unusual place at the heart of a classical concert in Hong Kong on Wednesday (29 April), as she performed alongside a live orchestra for the first time.
The legal team of Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi plans to meet the detained former leader this weekend after she was transferred to house arrest in the capital by the military-backed government, a representative said on Friday.
The federal agent injured in the attack at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner was not hit by friendly fire, U.S. President Donald Trump and the Secret Service Director said on Thursday (30 April).
The United States imposed sanctions on former Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila on Thursday, accusing him of supporting Rwanda-backed M23 rebels and fuelling political instability in the country’s troubled east.
Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla began wrapping up their four-day state visit to the U.S. with a very quick stop at the White House to bid farewell to U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday, having already charmed him at a formal dinner two days prior.
China has passed a new law aimed at ensuring its most vulnerable citizens are not left without support.
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