Six people are killed and dozens injured in an Israeli airstrike against a building in Beirut, Lebanon.
Source:
Al Jazeera 
March 18
Armed conflicts and attacks
March 17
Health and environment
Argentine foreign minister Pablo Quirno announces the country's formal withdrawal from the World Health Organization.
Source:
La Nación
Sports
In association football, the Confederation of African Football formally overturns the result of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final in which Senegal won 1–0 over hosts Morocco due to a controversial walk-off by Senagalese players during extra-time. Morocco are awarded the title with a 3–0 win, their second title win.
Source:
BBC Sport
In baseball, Venezuela defeats the United States 3–2 in the championship game to win their first World Baseball Classic.
Source:
Yahoo! Sports
Politics and elections
Provisional results announced by interior minister Raymond Mboulou reported that incumbent president of Congo-Brazzaville Denis Sassou Nguesso was re-elected with 94.82% of the vote.
Source:
AP
U.S. National Counterterrorism Center director Joe Kent resigns in protest of the war with Iran, saying that "Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation".
Source:
Reuters
Law and crime
A court in Brussels, Belgium, orders former diplomat Étienne Davignon to stand trial on charges of participation in war crimes in connection with the 1961 killing of former Congolese prime minister Patrice Lumumba. Davignon is the only surviving individual among those accused by Lumumba’s family of involvement in the case.
Source:
The Caledonian-Record
A Vatican appeals court orders a retrial of Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, who was convicted of embezzlement in 2023, citing procedural errors in the original proceedings. The court maintains his previously imposed prison sentence pending the outcome of the new trial.
Source:
AFP via GMA News
The Legislative Assembly of El Salvador votes 59–1 to approve a constitutional amendment to permit courts to issue sentences of life imprisonment to individuals convicted of murder, rape, or terrorism where the limit was previously 60 years.
Source:
Reuters
Arts and culture
Patriarch Ilia II, head of the Georgian Orthodox Church since 1977, dies at the age of 93.
Source:
Reuters
Disasters and accidents
Five people are killed following a fire at the Dos Bocas Refinery in Paraíso, Tabasco, Mexico.
Source:
New Zealand Herald
Business and economy
The United Arab Emirates' Shah gas field suspends operations following a drone attack.
Source:
Forbes
Armed conflicts and attacks
Source:
Forbes
Source:
Ynet News
Israeli forces assassinate both Iran's Supreme National Security Council secretary Ali Larijani and Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani in an airstrike in Tehran. Iran confirms their deaths.
Source:
Reuters
reports that Russia is actively sharing military intelligence with Iran, including satellite images of U.S. military bases and locations of potential targets, as well as improved drone technology.
Source:
Reuters
Three Lebanese soldiers are killed and four more are injured during Israeli airstrikes in the Nabatieh Governorate, Lebanon.
Source:
L'Orient Today
Three people, including a child, are killed and fourteen more are injured in an Israeli airstrike in Al-Mawasi, Gaza.
Source:
Times of Israel
The Ecuadorian government deploys 75,000 soldiers and police officers to four provinces to enforce a nightly curfew. Officials say 253 people have already been detained for breaking curfew, which lasts from 11 pm to 5 am local time.
Source:
AP
Colombian president Gustavo Petro accuses the Ecuadorian military of being the perpetrator of an airstrike two days ago inside Colombia, killing 27 people, and orders the deployment of its troops to the border in response.
Source:
Al Jazeera
At least 18 people are killed and several others are injured in an attack by armed bandits in a village in Jibia, Katsina State, Nigeria.
Source:
The Punch
March 16
Disasters and accidents
Cuba reports a nationwide power outage following a total electrical grid collapse.
Source:
AP
Eleven people are killed and ten others are injured in a massive fire at the Srirama Chandra Bhanja Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, Odisha, India.
Source:
Hindustan Times
A roof collapses at a shop in Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab, Pakistan, killing eight people and injuring more than 50 others.
Source:
AP
At least four people are killed and four others are injured in a building collapse in Nairobi, Kenya.
Source:
AP via CTV News
Armed conflicts and attacks
Several NATO allies of the United States, including Germany, Italy, and Spain, rule out sending warships to lift the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz following a request from U.S. president Donald Trump.
Source:
Reuters
Source:
Nine News Australia
A Pakistan-bound oil tanker with its Automatic Identification System activated, the , gets safe passage and crosses Hormuz following negotiations between the Pakistani and Iranian governments. According to Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Pakistan agreed to pay the oil shipment, purchased from Abu Dhabi, in Chinese yuan instead of in US dollars.
Source:
AAJ News
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says that Iran is not seeking a ceasefire but also called for the war to end.
Source:
Iran International
Iran launches drone attacks on the United Arab Emirates, killing a Palestinian man in Abu Dhabi and forcing the temporary closure of Dubai International Airport. The port of Fujairah, in the Emirate of Fujairah, already attacked two days ago, is also hit.
Source:
BBC
The Israeli Air Force strikes and completely destroys the Iranian Space Research Center in central Tehran, stating that it was being used for potential space warfare activities against Israeli satellites.
Source:
Iran Wire
Source:
Jerusalem Post
The U.S. embassy in Baghdad is reportedly attacked by two suicide drones, causing a powerful explosion.
Source:
Ynet
The Royal Tulip Al Rasheed Hotel in the Green Zone in Baghdad is struck by a drone.
Source:
Al Jazeera
At least seven people, including four children, are injured by Hezbollah rocket and drone attacks on northern Israel.
Source:
The Jerusalem Post
The Israeli military's 91st Division launches a ground operation against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, expanding a buffer zone along the border.
Source:
The Times of Israel
At least four members of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) are killed and three others are injured in an airstrike on a checkpoint at the entrance to Al-Qa'im, Al Anbar Governorate. A PMF official attributes the strike to the United States.
Source:
AFP via LBCI
The European Union imposes sanctions against nine Russian individuals over their role in the mass murder of civilians committed during Russia's occupation of Bucha during the initial 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Russo-Ukrainian war (2022–present)International sanctions during the Russo-Ukrainian warInternational sanctions during the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Source:
Kyiv Post
Kenyan prime cabinet secretary Musalia Mudavadi says that the government has identified two prisoners of war from Kenya that have been detained by authorities in Ukraine after being involved in Russia's special military operations.
Source:
The Star Kenya
Afghanistan claims Pakistani jets bombed a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul, killing over 400 people. Pakistan denies the claim, saying it attacked military installations. AFP and BBC journalists confirm at least 30 dead as a result of the bombing.
Source:
The Washington Post
At least 23 people are killed and 108 others are injured in suspected suicide bombings at three locations, including the Monday Market and University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria. No group has claimed responsibility.
Source:
AP
Law and crime
Kuwaiti authorities arrest 16 people, including two Lebanese nationals, on suspicion of links to Hezbollah and involvement in a planned sabotage operation, with weapons, drones, and communication equipment seized during the operation.
Source:
Middle East Eye
Health and environment
United States federal judge Brian E. Murphy blocks the implementation of changes to vaccine policy introduced by health and human services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., including revisions to the childhood immunization schedule and recommendations issued by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Murphy rules that the measures likely violate required procedures and halts their enforcement pending further legal proceedings.
Source:
AFP via France 24
Business and economy
Cuba announces that citizens living abroad will be permitted to invest in and own businesses in the country as the government seeks to expand commercial activity amid an economic crisis.
Source:
AFP via Indo Premier
Sri Lanka introduces a four-day workweek for the public and education sectors to preserve fuel as the 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis continues to restrict fuel shipments to the region.
Source:
The Guardian
Arts and culture
A police report in New York formally reveals English street artist Banksy's identity as 51-year-old Robin Gunningham from Bristol, England.
Source:
The Telegraph
Politics and elections
Nepalese activist and Rastriya Swatantra Party member Bhumika Shrestha is confirmed by the Nepalese Election Commission, becoming the first transgender lawmaker elected in Nepal.
Source:
Dawn
India holds its first phase of elections for 37 seats of the Rajya Sabha.
Source:
Mathrubhumi
Science and technology
International relations
The European Union imposes sanctions against 16 Iranian individuals and three entities for their role in suppressing protests earlier this year.
Source:
Shafaq
Sports
In association football, the Premier League fines Chelsea F.C. £10.75 million and gives them a two-year suspended transfer ban for making secret payments worth £47 million to unregistered agents and third-parties between 2011 and 2018.
Source:
BBC Sport
March 15
Armed conflicts and attacks
Eight police officers, including the police chief of the Deir al-Balah Governorate, are killed by an Israeli attack on a police vehicle in Az-Zawayda, Palestine.
Source:
Business Recorder
Four people are killed and two others are injured when Israel Defense Forces soldiers open fire on a civilian car in northern Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present)Israeli–Palestinian conflictIsraeli incursions in the West Bank during the Gaza war
Source:
Hindustan Times
Source:
ANSA
Afghan forces launch mortars into Pakistan, with one hitting a residential property in Bajaur District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing four members of the same family and wounding two others.
Source:
The Guardian
The South Sudan People's Defence Forces announces that they have deployed troops in Akobo, South Sudan to secure full control of the area for the first time since the outbreak of the civil war in the country after having previously recapturing the area from opposition forces.
Source:
Medafrica Times
Disasters and accidents
Source:
BBC News
Politics and elections
Kazakhstanis vote in a referendum to approve a new constitution.
Source:
Reuters
North Koreans vote to elect the 687 members of the 15th Supreme People's Assembly.
Source:
The Diplomat
Congolese people vote to elect a president, with incumbent Denis Sassou Nguesso seeking a fifth consecutive term.
Source:
Reuters
Vietnamese citizens vote to elect the 500 members of the 16th National Assembly. The sole legal party contesting the election is the Communist Party.
Source:
Reuters
Arts and culture
At the Academy Awards, wins six Academy Awards, including Best Picture and the inaugural Achievement in Casting award.
Source:
Reuters
wins four Academy Awards following a record 16 nominations, with Ryan Coogler for original screenplay, Michael B. Jordan for lead actor, Autumn Durald Arkapaw for cinematography, and Ludwig Göransson for score.
Source:
The Hollywood Reporter
Sports
The Winter Paralympics conclude in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, with China as the highest-ranked team in the medal table. The Paralympic flag is handed over to the organizers of the 2030 Winter Paralympics to be held in the French Alps.
Source:
AFP via France 24
In para ice hockey, the United States defeats Canada 6–2, completing the three-peat of hockey championships at the Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Italy.
Source:
AP
In auto racing, Mercedes-Benz driver Kimi Antonelli wins his first Formula One Grand Prix after also setting his maiden pole position at the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix. He becomes the second-youngest Grand Prix winner at 19 years old.
Source:
AFP via France 24
Asian Football Confederation secretary general Windsor John says that the Iran national football team will still play at the upcoming FIFA World Cup despite remarks from U.S. President Donald Trump that their safety could be at risk.
Source:
The Independent
Source:
ESPN
Health and environment
Two people are killed and eleven others are hospitalized in serious condition following a meningitis outbreak at the University of Kent in Canterbury, Kent, England.
Source:
BBC News
Business and economy
Japan announces it will start releasing 80 million barrels of oil from its reserves, the largest such release in the country's history, in response to disruptions in the oil supply caused by the conflict.
Source:
Reuters