Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 8th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Voters braved deep snow on Sunday in a rare February election expected to hand Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi a major win, with polls placing her coalition near 300 seats. Her growing youth appeal, known as “Sanakatsu”, and a pledge to cut the consumption tax have shaped the campaign, though some older voters fear future financial strain. Severe weather halted dozens of transport services and could lower turnout, potentially boosting organised blocs such as Komeito. Polls close at 8pm with exit poll projections due shortly after.
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said Tehran would target U.S. bases across the Middle East if American forces launch new attacks, stressing host countries would not be the intended target. His remarks followed constructive but incomplete indirect nuclear talks in Oman, with no date yet set for the next round despite U.S. President Donald Trump signalling they could resume next week.
Saudi Arabia and Syria signed five agreements worth $5.3 billion covering aviation, telecommunications, water projects and major digital infrastructure. Signed at the People’s Palace by President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Saudi minister Khalid al-Falih, the deals launch new investment channels, including the Elaf Fund and the Silk Link digital corridor. Plans also include upgrading Aleppo airport and creating a new low-cost airline, Nas Syria.
Suspected sabotage near Bologna brought Italy’s rail network to a halt on Saturday, delaying trains by up to three hours as the Winter Olympics entered their first full day. Police reported three coordinated incidents: a track switch cabin set on fire near Pesaro, cut signalling cables in Bologna and a rudimentary explosive device found by nearby tracks. Bologna’s high-speed station was temporarily closed, with traffic only gradually recovering. No group has claimed responsibility.
Fujiyoshida has cancelled its cherry blossom festival, saying overtourism around Arakurayama Sengen Park has disrupted daily life with overcrowding, litter, trespassing and pressure on school routes. Mayor Shigeru Horiuchi said residents’ dignity was being threatened as daily visitor numbers surged past 10,000. The park will stay open, and the city will add patrols, parking and toilets to cope with expected crowds. The decision comes as Japan struggles to manage record tourism levels at major sites.
At least four people died in Russian strikes on the Ukrainian port of Mykolaiv, officials said, as attacks were reported across Ukraine overnight. ...
Overnight Iranian strikes on an air base in Jordan damaged multiple U.S. aircraft and left one without a wing, American media reported. Meanwhile, ...
U.S. President Donald Trump has pledged to send every American adult a $5,000 payment if the Republicans keep control of the House of Represen...
Four people were killed, including a child, in Ukrainian strikes on the Russian port city of Novorossiysk overnight, according to the governor of the Krasnodar region. Ukraine's drone forces commander, Robert Brovdi, said Russian military ships were destroyed in the attacks.
A TV channel was struck during a live broadcast on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as Russian strikes on Kyiv killed at least three people, the city's Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Meanwhile, drones hit civilian infrastructure in Russia's southwestern Saratov region.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) allegedly launched two ballistic missile attacks against a U.S. Navy warship over the past two days.
Wildfires have broken out in Türkiye’s Antalya province, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate as strong winds fuelled the flames.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said on Wednesday they attacked two U.S. vessels and eight oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, calling the strikes a response to a U.S. attack on five Iranian tankers.
At least four people died in Russian strikes on the Ukrainian port of Mykolaiv, officials said, as attacks were reported across Ukraine overnight. In Russia, a woman was killed by drone debris, a regional official said, and drones sparked fires at a port city in Dagestan.
U.S. President Donald Trump has pledged to send every American adult a $5,000 payment if the Republicans keep control of the House of Representatives and the Senate in November's midterm elections.
At least five people have died and more than 80 others remain unaccounted for after a passenger ferry caught fire off the western Philippines, prompting a major search-and-rescue operation involving the coast guard, government agencies and local fishing communities.
Four people were killed, including a child, in Ukrainian strikes on the Russian port city of Novorossiysk overnight, according to the governor of the Krasnodar region. Ukraine's drone forces commander, Robert Brovdi, said Russian military ships were destroyed in the attacks.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said on Wednesday they attacked two U.S. vessels and eight oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, calling the strikes a response to a U.S. attack on five Iranian tankers.
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