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.
Georgia and Armenia have resumed talks on their 225-kilometre border after years of limited progress, with disputes over historical boundaries, far...
China has extended the suspension of its additional 24 per cent tariff on U.S. goods for another two months, while keeping a 10 per cent levy in pl...
Russia and Ukraine are set to return to Abu Dhabi on Tuesday for a fourth round of U.S.-brokered peace talks, with European participation, security...
The gunman who allegedly killed six people in Poland’s unprecedented mass shooting in central Kraków on Saturday has died in hospital, police said early Monday. The attacker had demonstrated advanced military-style marksmanship skills, according to a spokesperson for the shooting club he attended.
Poland has declared two days of national mourning after a gunman opened fire in Kraków's historic main square. Investigators are examining possible far-right influences and the discovery of three bodies at the suspect's home.
Monday marks the second of two days of national mourning in Poland as police bolstered security after six people were killed in a mass shooting in Kraków.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis said it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles fired by the Iran-aligned group towards Riyadh on Sunday (8 November), after loud booms were heard in the Saudi capital. The Aramco building was damaged by falling debris.
Azerbaijan is marking the sixth anniversary of Victory Day on Sunday, 8 November, with President Ilham Aliyev visiting the Victory Monument in Khankendi, laying a wreath and paying tribute to servicemen killed during the 44-day Second Garabagh War in 2020.
China has extended the suspension of its additional 24 per cent tariff on U.S. goods for another two months, while keeping a 10 per cent levy in place, as Beijing and Washington seek to maintain their fragile trade truce.
Russia and Ukraine are set to return to Abu Dhabi on Tuesday for a fourth round of U.S.-brokered peace talks, with European participation, security guarantees and territorial disputes expected to shape the negotiations.
The bodies of 13 migrants have been recovered from a boat off the Greek island of Crete, the Greek coast guard said on Monday. A further 18 people were rescued, with four taken to hospital.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has tasked Gadi Eisenkot, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s main rival, with trying to form a government after an inconclusive election. The decision, announced on Saturday, follows a vote that left neither candidate with a clear path to power.
U.S. President Donald Trump is set to host Qatar’s prime minister at the White House on Monday as efforts to end the conflict with Iran stall, with Washington and Tehran still far apart on the terms of a possible agreement.
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