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Thursday, March 26th, 2026
Under the St Peter and Paul Church [nl] in Maastricht, Netherlands, the remains of French musketeer d’Artagnan are believed to be found. (BBC News)
U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff confirms that the United States has shared a 15-point peace plan to Iran through the Pakistani government. (The Pakistan Connect)
Pakistani foreign minister Ishaq Dar confirms that indirect negotiations between Iran and the U.S. are taking place. (The Hindu)
U.S. president Donald Trump extends his deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by ten days, untill 6 April, or “face further assassinations of senior officials”. (The Guardian)
Nine people are injured in Israel after seven salvos of ballistic missiles by Iran. (The Times of Israel)
Two people are killed and three others are injured by falling debris from an intercepted ballistic missile in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Hindustan Times)
Ugandan military chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba says the country is ready to join the war “on the side of Israel” and says the Ugandan military will enter the war soon if Iranian attacks on Israel do not end soon. (The New Arab)
Israel claims to have assassinated Alireza Tangsiri, the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy. (Al Jazeera)
One person is killed and 11 are injured by Hezbollah rocket fire in Nahariya, Israel. (The Jerusalem Post)
Two Israeli soldiers are killed in action in southern Lebanon. (Reuters)
Zimbabwe confirms that 15 of its citizens have been killed after being recruited by Russia to fight in Ukraine, with more than 60 others still on the front line. Information minister Soda Zhemu alleges that most of them were lured to Russia through social media. (BBC News)
Norway’s Storting passes a bill temporarily cutting petrol and diesel taxes in response to surging energy costs amid the Strait of Hormuz crisis. (Reuters)
Mauritius and South Sudan announce measures restricting electricity consumption due to the international energy crisis, with Juba’s main electricity distributor saying the capital will start experiencing daily power cuts on a “rotational basis” from today. (BBC News)
At least 14 people are killed and 27 others are injured when a private bus collides head-on with a tipper-truck in Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh, India. (Hindustan Times)
At least 10 people are killed and 35 others are injured when a bus collides with a truck and overturns in Chhindwara district, Madhya Pradesh, India. (The Hindu)
Two people are killed, including a child, and at least 90 families are affected in flooding in Kandahar, Afghanistan. (ATN)
Mexico’s navy launches a search and rescue operation in the Caribbean Sea for two sailboats, which departed from Isla Mujeres with nine crew members, carrying humanitarian aid to Cuba after they failed to arrive in Havana as scheduled and lost communication. (Reuters)
A 25-year-old Spanish woman from Barcelona, Catalonia, undergoes euthanasia after her request was approved by authorities and upheld through multiple legal challenges despite opposition from her family. (CNN)
The European Parliament approves legislation to implement the EU-US trade deal adopted in 2025. (BBC)
Russia says the United Kingdom’s decision to board and detain shadow fleet vessels is hostile and vows a “political, legal and asymmetric” response against the UK to protect Russian interests. (Reuters)
British Chief of the General Staff Roland Walker warns that the UK is now on an “inevitable collision course” with Russia and urges the government to prepare. (MSN)
South Africa says it is no longer invited to the upcoming G7 summit in Haute-Savoie, France, after an initial invitation, with differing statements from its officials on the reasons for the decision. (AFP via Arab News)
Australia announces a six-month ban on short-term visa applications from Iranian passport holders for tourism and work, citing concerns that some visitors may not depart Australia once their visas expire due to the Iran war. The new policy includes limited exemptions. (AFP via The Times of Israel)
Belarus and North Korea sign a “friendship and cooperation” treaty after North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un welcomed Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko to Pyongyang. (AFP via The Guardian)
France and the Philippines sign a visiting forces agreement allowing joint military exercises and cooperation in each other’s territory. (Reuters)
Tajik president Emomali Rahmon and Uzbek president Shavkat Mirziyoyev inaugurate the Tajikistan embassy in Tashkent during Rahmon’s state visit to Uzbekistan. (Kun.uz)
The Catholic Church in Portugal agrees to compensate 57 victims of sexual abuse with a total of €1.61 million (US$1.86 million) following findings from an independent inquiry into abuse cases over several decades. (AFP via Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Two people are killed, including the perpetrator, in a stabbing attack at a Pokémon Center at Sunshine City in Tokyo, Japan. (CTV News)
Two days after the Danish election, Faroe Islanders vote to elect 33 members of the Løgting. (Dagur.fo in Faroese) (Euractiv)
The People’s Party, led by Beinir Johannesen, wins the highest share of votes, receiving nine seats in the Løgting. (DR in Danish)
The Iranian sports ministry bans the men’s national football team from travelling to “hostile countries”, placing the team’s participation in this year’s FIFA World Cup tournament in doubt, which is being held in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Sports minister Ahmad Donyamali previously stated that Iran will not play in this year’s World Cup. (Reuters)
The International Olympic Committee announces that participation in women’s events will be limited to athletes classified as female based on biological criteria, with eligibility determined through a one-time genetic test starting from the 2028 Olympic Games. The policy replaces previous rules that allowed individual sports federations to set their own criteria. (AFP via ABS-CBN News)
Wednesday, March 25th, 2026
According to Press TV, Iran has rejected a United States proposal to end the war and sets out five conditions for a ceasefire. (bne IntelliNews)
A ceasefire between Afghanistan and Pakistan collapses with resumed cross-border shelling killing two people in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, while Afghan forces claim to have destroyed three Pakistani military outposts along the border. Both sides accuse each other of breaking the ceasefire first. (AP)
British prime minister Keir Starmer authorizes the military to board Russian shadow fleet vessels used by the Russian government to evade international sanctions. (Reuters)
Iran says it has received intelligence that the U.S. and an “unnamed regional country” are planning to invade and capture its Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf as thousands of U.S. Marines are due to arrive in the region in the coming days. (The Telegraph)
A senior Iranian official says that Iran is still reviewing the proposal despite an initial response that was considered “negative”. (Reuters)
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi states that Iran seeks to end the war “on its own terms” but does not plan to enter negotiations with the U.S. and will continue its current policy. (AFP via Al-Ahram)
Egyptian foreign minister Badr Abdelatty says that Egypt is ready to host negotiations aimed at ending the Iran war. (Reuters via Al Arabiya)
An Iranian cluster bomb wounds nine people, including six children and an elderly woman, in Bnei Brak, Israel. (The Times of Israel)
Jordan’s air force intercepts four missiles and one drone launched from Iran. (Al Jazeera)
A drone strikes a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, causing a fire at the site. (Reuters)
Seven fighters are killed and 13 others are injured in a strike on a Popular Mobilization Forces base in Al Anbar Governorate, Iraq. The attack follows an American strike on the same base yesterday. (AFP via Al-Ahram)
Seven security personnel are killed and 13 others are injured in a strike on a Popular Mobilization Forces base in Al Anbar Governorate, Iraq. The attack follows an American strike on the same base yesterday. (AFP via Al-Ahram)
A stray Ukrainian drone strikes a power station in Auvere, Estonia, while another crashes in Latvia during a large-scale drone attack on Russia. (Sky News)
A Ukrainian drone strike kills two people in Belgorod Oblast, Russia, according to Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. (Reuters)
A jury in California, United States, rules in favor of a woman who sued Google and Meta Platforms for her addictions to websites Instagram and YouTube as a child. (CNBC)
The United States Southern Command (Southcom) says its forces have struck a drug smuggling boat in the Caribbean Sea, killing four occupants. This brings the number of suspected narcoterrorists killed in Operation Southern Spear to 163 since U.S. strikes began. (AP)
Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán says Hungary will gradually suspend gas supplies to Ukraine until Russian oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline resumes, citing disruptions to deliveries crossing Ukraine. (AP)
COSCO Shipping resumes new container shipment bookings from the Far East to several Gulf countries after Iran allowed non-hostile vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz since yesterday. (AFP via The Straits Times)
India purchases a shipment of liquefied petroleum gas from Iran for the first time since 2019 following a temporary easing of U.S. sanctions, with the cargo set to be distributed among state-run fuel companies, in response to supply disruptions caused by the Strait of Hormuz crisis. (Reuters)
The Indian enforcement directorate says that it has attached ₹1,700 crore (US$200 million) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and has seized villas in the Burj Khalifa as part of the Mahadev online betting app money laundering investigation. (The New Indian Express)
Gold prices in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, rise after a 15-day drop amidst potential diplomacy to end the Iran war. (Gulf News)
Kuwaiti authorities arrest six individuals suspected of links to Hezbollah over an alleged plot to carry out assassinations targeting state officials. (AFP via Arab News)
The Sudan Doctors Network says that Rapid Support Forces have killed 16 civilians, including three women, in El Fasher, North Darfur, Sudan. (Sudan Tribune)
The International Organization for Migration reports that 922 migrants have died or went missing along the “Eastern Route” from the Horn of Africa to the Arabian Peninsula in 2025, marking the deadliest year for Red Sea migration and a significant increase from 2024. (AFP via The Daily Star)
A Chinese court sentences former Aviation Industry Corporation chairperson Tan Ruisong to death with a two-year reprieve after convicting him of corruption-related offenses, including bribery, embezzlement, and insider trading, during his tenure as chairperson. (Reuters)
At least 26 people are killed, including seven children, 11 others survive and around 13 are reported missing when a passenger bus carrying around 50 people plunges into the Padma River in Goalanda Upazila, Rajbari District, Dhaka, Bangladesh. (AA)
Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko visits Pyongyang, North Korea, to meet with its supreme leader Kim Jong Un in a effort to improve relations between the two countries. (AP)
Sarah Mullally is enthroned as the first female primate of the Church of England and Archbishop of Canterbury. (BBC News)
The United Nations General Assembly adopts a resolution proposed by Ghana recognizing the Atlantic slave trade as a crime against humanity and calling for dialogue on reparations, despite opposition and abstentions from Western countries. (Reuters)
Tuesday, March 24th, 2026
Artemis program NASA states that it plans to pause the Lunar Gateway project and redirect efforts toward developing infrastructure for sustained operations on the Moon‘s surface, including a future moonbase. (AFP via The Witness)
NASA states that it plans to pause the Lunar Gateway project and redirect efforts toward developing infrastructure for sustained operations on the Moon‘s surface, including a future moonbase. (AFP via The Witness)
OpenAI says it will shut down its Sora app. (NBC News)
The Walt Disney Company and OpenAI’s US$1 billion investment deal to allow Disney’s intellectual properties to be used with Sora is also cancelled in midst of the shutdown. (Deadline)
American video game company Epic Games announces that it will lay off more than 1,000 employees along with more than $500 million in savings from cuts to contracting and marketing amid a sharp decline in the number of people playing its flagship video game Fortnite. (Reuters)
BMW Brilliance recalls nearly 180,000 vehicles in China due to a defect in the air conditioning wiring that may cause a short circuit and increase the risk of fire. (AFP via The Straits Times)
Two concerts by Colombian singer Shakira in Doha, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, scheduled to be held in April are postponed due to safety concerns amidst the Iran war. The Abu Dhabi concert has been rescheduled for November. (USA Today)
The New York Times reports that the United States has sent Iran a 15-point plan to end the war. (CNBC)
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says his country is ready to host United States-Iran talks to reach a comprehensive deal and end the war. (Saudi Gazette)
Shrapnel from an Iranian ballistic missile wounds three people, including a two-month-old baby, in a Bedouin community in the Negev, Israel. (The Jerusalem Post)
Fifteen fighters from Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), including a commander, are killed in an American airstrike on a PMF base in the Al Anbar Governorate. (AFP via BSS)
Hezbollah rocket fire kills a woman and injures two others in northern Israel. (The Jerusalem Post)
Israeli defense minister Israel Katz states that the military will control a “security zone” up to the Litani River in southern Lebanon until “the threat of Hezbollah” is removed, while also suggesting that Israel will remain in control of the area after the conflict is resolved. (The Times of Israel)
Russian missile and drone strikes across Ukraine kill at least three people, including two in Poltava and one in Zaporizhzhia, and injures several others. The attacks also damage residential buildings and infrastructure in the areas. (AFP via BSS)
A Russian Shahed drone strikes and severely damages the Bernardine Church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in Lviv, western Ukraine. (AFP via Philippine Daily Inqurier)
The death toll from the March 20 drone strike on the Al Deain Teaching Hospital in East Darfur, Sudan rises to 70. (Reuters)
Philippine president Bongbong Marcos declares a state of national energy emergency in response to risks to the fuel supply linked to the Iran war. (Reuters)
A coalition of Rapid Support Forces and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement–North captures the Kurmuk in the Blue Nile region near the Ethopia border. (AFP via Arab News)
Australia and the European Union sign a free trade agreement after eight years of negotiations. (AP)
QatarEnergy declares force majeure on some of its long-term LNG supply contracts, including for customers in Italy, Belgium, South Korea and China. (Al Jazeera)
Hezbollah rocket fire kills a woman and injures two in Northern Israel. (The Jerusalem Post)
At least 84 people are killed in flash floods across Kenya, including in Kisumu, Uasin Gishu, and Tana River counties. (The Star)
The Lebanese foreign ministry declares the Iranian ambassador a persona non grata and gives him until March 29 to leave the country, due to Iran’s financial and military support of Shia paramilitary group Hezbollah. (Al Jazeera)
The Lebanese foreign ministry says that the decision to expel Mohammad Reza Raouf Sheibani as Iranian ambassador doesn’t affect diplomatic relations between the two countries. (Arab News)
The Iranian foreign ministry states that vessels it classifies as non-hostile may pass through the Strait of Hormuz if they comply with its safety and security requirements, while excluding vessels linked to countries it accuses of involvement in the Iran war. (AFP via Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Two people are killed in a school shooting in Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, Mexico. A 15-year-old suspect is arrested. (Reuters)
Danes, Faroe Islanders, and Greenlanders vote to elect 179 seats of the Folketing. Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen seeks a third term in office during the aftermath of the Greenland crisis. (Reuters)
Australia and the European Union sign a free trade agreement after eight years of negotiations. (AP)
Frederiksen’s left-wing bloc wins the most seats but fails to secure a majority. (AFP via Le Monde)
Monday, March 23rd, 2026
U.S. president Donald Trump says he is postponing his 48-hour ultimatum for five days before attacking the Iranian power plants as Iran and the U.S. have held “very good and productive conversations” on ending the war. Trump also claims that a “mayor points of agreement” focused on Iran’s renunciation of the nuclear weapon are being talked. Iran denies any dialogue took place. (ABC News) (States Newsroom)
Kata’ib Hezbollah says that it will extend its pause on strikes on the United States embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, for five more days. (AFP via Gulf News)
A person is killed and another is injured in a strike on a transmission site of the Persian Gulf Radio and Television Centre in southern Iran. (AFP via LBCI)
At least one person is killed in an Israeli strike on Hazmieh, Greater Beirut, Lebanon. The Israeli military states that the attack targeted a member of the Iran’s Quds Force in the area. (AFP via Al Arabiya)
At least 15 people are killed and 23 others are injured in strikes on Lagawa District, West Kordofan, Sudan. The Rapid Support Forces attribute the attack to the Sudanese army. (AFP via Business Recorder)
The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement calls for the United Nations Security Council to end the use of drones on Sudanese citizens. (Sudan Tribune)
Brent crude futures fall 11%, trading just below US$100 a barrel for the first time in days, following the announcement by U.S. president Donald Trump about talks with Iran to end the war. (Reuters)
Slovenia becomes first EU country to introduce fuel rationing to cope with extra demand by drivers from neighboring countries. (BBC News)
At least 66 people are killed when a military Lockheed C-130, carrying 125 people, crashes in Puerto Leguízamo, Colombia. (AFP via ABS-CBN News)
At least one person is killed and several others are injured in an explosion in Kwara State, Nigeria. (AP)
In its annual State of the Global Climate report, the World Meteorological Organization states that Earth’s energy imbalance and ocean heat content reached record levels in 2025, driven by rising greenhouse gas emissions. (AFP via CNA)
A U.S. civic court finds entertainer Bill Cosby liable for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman in 1972. The woman is awarded $59.25 million. (AP) (BBC News)
The Federal Court of Justice of Germany dismisses a lawsuit by Environmental Action Germany to ban BMW and Mercedes Benz from selling new combustion engine vehicles after 2030. (DW)
Puerto Rican police seize $12 million worth of cocaine found on a drug smuggling boat off the island’s northern coast. Three suspects are arrested. (AP)
In Italy, the constitutional amendment that proposed to select members of the High Council of the Judiciary through sortition is rejected by a 46% to 54% vote. (Reuters)
Following the February 22 elections to the National Assembly of Laos, Thongloun Sisoulith is reelected as President of Laos and Sonexay Siphandone as Prime Minister. (Xinhua) (Xinhua)
Kata’ib Hezbollah says that it will extend its pause on strikes on the United States embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, for five more days. (AFP via Gulf News)
In American football, the Seattle Seahawks signs a four-year deal worth $168 million with wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, with at least $120 million guaranteed, making him the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history. (KUOW)
A person is killed and another is injured in a strike on a transmission site of the Persian Gulf Radio and Television Centre in southern Iran. (AFP via LBCI)
Below ovlp
Sunday, March 22nd, 2026
Iran threatens to retaliate against the energy and water systems of the Gulf countries if U.S. President Donald Trump follows through with his 48-hours ultimatum to hit Iran’s electricity grid. (Reuters)
One person is killed after a rocket fired from Lebanon struck a vehicle near Israel’s northern border, marking the first reported Israeli fatality from cross-border fire since hostilities with Hezbollah resumed earlier in March. (AFP via The Daily Star)
Fifteen people are injured in central Israel in Iranian missile strikes. (Ynet Global)
At least four Hatzalah ambulances are set ablaze and destroyed in an apparent anti-semitic arson attack in Golders Green, London, England. No casualties are reported. (The Jerusalem Post)
Between 200 and 300 demonstrators gather in Amsterdam, Netherlands to protest against the war and the Iranian government. (NL Times)
A Bombardier CRJ900LR operating as an Air Canada Express flight from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, collides with a firetruck while landing at LaGuardia Airport in New York City, United States. Both pilots are killed and 41 others are injured. (ABC News)
One person is killed and 10 others are injured, including one critically, when a natural gas explosion collapses two residential buildings in Fatih district, Istanbul, Turkey. (The Canadian Press)
Between 200 and 300 National Council of Resistance of Iran-alligned demonstrators of the Iranian opposition gather in Amsterdam, Netherlands, to protest the war and the Iranian government. (NL Times)
Following the March 15 elections to the 15th Supreme People’s Assembly of North Korea, Kim Jong Un is reelected chairman of the State Affairs Commission (head of State) and Pak Thae Song is reappointed as Premier. (KBS)
Slovenians vote for 90 seats in the National Assembly. A tight race is forecasted between the incumbent prime minister Robert Golob and his predecessor Janez Janša. (Reuters)
Italians begin voting on a constitutional amendment that proposes separating the careers of judges and public prosecutors by splitting the High Court of the Judiciary into two bodies, while also establishing a High Disciplinary Court to oversee disciplinary proceedings. (Reuters)
In Germany, the SDP declines to second place in Rhineland-Palatinate for the first time since 1991. The CDU becomes the largest in seats in the Landtag, while AfD advances to third place. (Reuters)
Cuba restores their power after the power grid collapsed the previous day. (CBS News)
Saturday, March 21st, 2026
At least 230 people are rescued, ten of whom are hospitalized for hypothermia, during flooding and storms in Hawaii, United States. Around 5,500 people are evacuated ahead of a second storm. (BBC News)
The United States Central Command says that its military has struck over 8,000 targets in Iran, including 130 Iranian Navy vessels, since the start of the war. (The Times of Israel)
Israeli and U.S. jets strike the Natanz Nuclear Facility, according to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran. (Al Jazeera)
At least 88 people are injured, including seven seriously, and nine buildings are damaged in an Iranian ballistic missile attack in Arad, Israel. A mass casualty incident is declared. (Channel 12)
At least 78 people are injured, including a 10-year-old, in Dimona, Israel, by Iranian ballistic missile attacks. (The Times of Israel)
U.S. president Donald Trump issues an ultimatum to Iran to fully open the Strait of Hormuz within the next 48 hours or the U.S. military will “obliterate” their energy infrastructure, including all Iranian power stations. (BBC News)
A group of 22 countries in a joint statement calls on Iran to cease attacks and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. (The Shillong Times)
Axios reports that the U.S. has reportedly begun initial discussions on the next phase and what peace talks with Iran might look like. (Anadolu Agency)
Iran fires two intermediate-range ballistic missiles at the Diego Garcia military base in the Indian Ocean. However, neither missile hits the base, with one of the missiles failing in-flight, and the other having been intercepted by a United States warship using a SM-3 interceptor. (The Wall Street Journal)
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claims responsibility for targeting 27 American military bases in Iraq and across the region over the past 24 hours. One police officer is killed in a drone strike on the headquarters of the Iraqi National Intelligence Service in Baghdad. (Al Jazeera)
Russia launches attacks in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, against energy infrastructure, causing smoke contamination. (RBC-Ukraine)
Two people are killed and six others, including two children, are wounded in a Russian drone attack in Zaporizhzhia. (AP)
Two people are killed and another is injured in an Ukrainian artillery strike in Belgorod Oblast, Russia. (AP)
Cuba reports a nationwide power outage following a total electrical grid collapse, the third major blackout to occur on the island this month. (BNO News) (AP)
Seven people are killed when a Qatar Emiri Air Force helicopter crashes after a techincal malfunction during a routine mission over Qatar’s territorial waters. (Reuters) (ASN)
Two skiers are killed and 25 others are trapped, including five injured, in an avalanche near Ratschings in South Tyrol, Italy. (CTV News)
Two people are killed in an explosion when a tipper truck and a tank truck collide outside of a gas station on the Lekki-Epe Expressway in Ajah, Lagos State, Nigeria. Several surrounding buildings were destroyed in the initial blast and the ensuing fire. (The Punch)
The Iranian parliament says that it is preparing to pass a law that would impose fees on ships for “safe passage” through the Strait of Hormuz. (Middle East Monitor)
A anti-war protest organized by the Stop the War Coalition is held in London, United Kingdom against the Israel and U.S. strikes against Iran. (Richmond and Twickenham Times)
Large scale protests occurs in Berlin, Germany against the war. Demonstrators call for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve conflicts. (Bastille Post)
Anti-war protests and diaspora protests against the Iranian regime are held at the Colonial Building in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. (CBC)
Friday, March 20th, 2026
U.S. president Donald Trump says that the United States is considering “winding down” military operations in Iran as they “are getting very close to meeting [their] objectives” and urges the countries that “use” Hormuz to safeguard the Strait. (The Guardian)
U.S. treasury secretary Scott Bessent announces that the U.S. will temporarily lift sanctions on Iranian oil at sea in an effort to ease energy supply pressures. The temporary relief will last for 30 days until April 19. (The Guardian)
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi says that Iran is ready to help the passage of vessels from Japan in the Strait of Hormuz. (Kyodo News)
The Iranian army launches strikes against strategic aerial refueling aircraft stationed at the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel. (Shafaq)
Iran confirms the death of IRGC spokesperson Ali Mohammad Naini in an Israeli airstrike in Tehran. (Al Jazeera)
A second Marine Expeditionary Unit of 2,200 U.S. Marines is being sent to the region. (CBS)
British prime minister Keir Starmer allows the United States to use British bases to strike Iranian targets near the strait to lift the blockade. (BBC News)
United States Air Force general Alexus Grynkewich announces that NATO has withdrawn troops from Iraq and will relocate from the Middle East to Europe amidst the Iran war. (Reuters)
Belgium says that it will consider participating in securing the Strait of Hormuz if a ceasefire is in place and if the operation is conducted within a clear international framework. (Anadolu Agency)
Ceasefire mediators in Cairo, Egypt, give Hamas and all armed groups in the Gaza Strip 90 days to hand over their weapons in the coming months, including their missiles and rocket launchers along with their tunnel network. (Times of Israel)
Israeli forces strike Syrian military sites, including command and control centres and supply depots, in the country’s south, claiming to respond to alleged Syrian government attacks on the local Druze population. (BBC News)
Polish defence minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announces the withdrawal of his forces from Iraq, stationed there as part of the CJTF–OIR joint task force against the Islamic State, citing the regional threat from Iran. (Devdiscourse)
Government forces arrest three men suspected of participating in the February attacks and mass abductions in two villages in Kaiama, Kwara State, Nigeria. The suspects are cooperating with authorities to locate the kidnapping victims. (The Punch)
At least 64 people are killed, including staff, patients and children, in a strike on a hospital in East Darfur, Sudan. (Reuters)
Fourteen people are killed and 60 more are injured in a fire at a car parts plant in Daejeon, South Korea. (AFP and Reuters via The Straits Times)
A drone strike from the Rapid Support Forces targets Al Dabbah, Sudan, including a local power station, causing a power outage in the area and injuring three people. (Sudan Tribune)
The U.S. energy department says it has awarded contracts to loan a first batch of 45.2 million barrels of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. (The Business Times)
Philippine Airlines announces it will halt flights to the Middle East until April 30 due to safety concerns regarding the Iran war. (Manila Standard)
A United States jury in a civil trial finds that X (formerly Twitter) chairperson Elon Musk misled investors in two tweets, but absolves him of some fraud allegations. (DW) (Los Angeles Times)
The United States says it will not allow Cuba to receive any shipments of fuel oil from Russia as two Russian tankers are en route to Havana to deliver around 190,000 barrels of oil amid a critical shortage on the island. (CNBC)
Politico reports that the United States rejected an offer by Russia to stop providing intelligence to Iran in return for the U.S. ending intelligence sharing with Ukraine. (Politico)
American actor Kevin Spacey settles out of court with three men at the High Court of Justice in London, England, who accused Spacey of sexually assaulting them between 2000 and 2013. (AP)
Two anarchist militants are killed after the accidental explosion of a bomb they were fabricating at a casalis in Rome, Italy. (Fanpage in Italian)
American actor Kevin Spacey settles out of court with three men at the High Court of Justice in London, England, who accused Spacey of sexually assaulting them between 2000 and 2013. (AP)
Thursday, March 19th, 2026
A U.S. Air Force F-35 fighter jet is hit in Iranian airspace forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing at a regional U.S. airbase. (The Independent)
Iran executes three men arrested during protests last January by hanging. (Reuters)
Iranian Shahed drones strike two oil refineries in Kuwait and cause large fires, according to the Kuwait National Petroleum Company. (The Telegraph)
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) reports its forces have destroyed a factory in Karaj, Iran, which assembled surface-to-surface missiles for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. (BBC News)
The Rafah Border Crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip reopens for limited movement, allowing a restricted number of Palestinian patients to enter Egypt for medical treatment and some people to return to Gaza under coordinated security procedures, following its closure as a security measure amid the 2026 Iran war. (AFP via Philippine Daily Inquirer)
A raid kills eleven members of the Sinaloa Cartel in Sinaloa, Mexico, with a senior cartel leader being captured along with many weapons. (Reuters)
Germany drops out of defending Israel in South Africa’s International Court of Justice genocide case against Israel, citing their need to defend themselves in a separate case launched against them by Nicaragua. (Haaretz)
An Iranian man and a woman whose nationality is unknown are arrested by Police Scotland for attempting to enter Royal Navy base HMNB Clyde. (BBC News)
The End
artificial stupid 