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.
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March 20, 2026 (Friday)
2.7 minutes to read
Armed conflicts and attacks
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.
United States Air Force general Alexus Grynkewich announces that NATO has withdrawn troops from Iraq and will relocate from the Middle East to Europe amidst the Iran war.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says that Iran is ready to help the passage of vessels from Japan in the Strait of Hormuz.
British prime minister Keir Starmer allows the United States to use British bases to strike Iranian targets near the strait to lift the blockade.
The Iranian army launches strikes against strategic aerial refueling aircraft stationed at the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel.
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.
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.
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.
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.
At least 64 people are killed, including staff, patients and children, in a strike on a hospital in East Darfur, Sudan.
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.
Business and economy
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 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.
Philippine Airlines announces it will halt flights to the Middle East until April 30 due to safety concerns regarding the Iran war.
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.
Disasters and accidents
Fourteen people are killed and 60 more are injured in a fire at a car parts plant in Daejeon, South Korea.
International relations
Law and crime
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.
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