Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 15th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The final day of the Munich Security Conference begins on Sunday (15 February) with discussions centered on Europe’s role in an increasingly unstable global environment, with leaders expected to address security coordination, economic competitiveness and the defence of democratic values. The morning opens with a panel titled 'Europeans Assemble! Reclaiming Agency in a Rougher World,' bringing together EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics, NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Sekerinska and French Armed Forces Minister Delegate Alice Rufo. Participants are expected to discuss Europe’s role and strategic positioning in a more challenging global environment.
Britain, France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands said on Saturday (14 February) they are convinced that late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a lethal toxin in a Russian penal colony two years ago. The governments issued a joint statement in London, saying analyses of Navalny’s samples conclusively confirmed the presence of epibatidine, a powerful toxin found in South American poison dart frogs and not naturally occurring in Russia.The Russian government, which has repeatedly denied any responsibility for Navalny's death, dismissed the latest allegations as "a Western propaganda hoax," according to the Russian state's TASS news agency.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security partially shuts down amid immigration dispute
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has partially shut down after Congress failed to reach agreement on immigration enforcement changes, deepening a political standoff between the White House and Senate Democrats. Congress is not scheduled to return until 23 February, although leaders say members could be recalled if a deal is reached earlier. Most DHS employees, including staff at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Transportation Security Administration and the Coast Guard, are expected to continue working because their roles are considered critical.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on Saturday (14 February) he hopes a peace agreement with Armenia will be signed this year, describing recent developments as evidence that lasting stability in the South Caucasus is within reach. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference during a panel discussion titled 'Open Corridor Policy? Deepening Trans-Caspian Cooperation', the President said the peace process had already produced tangible results on the ground. Aliyev also addressed the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), also known as the Zangezur corridor. “If peace with Armenia is achieved, the corridor from Azerbaijan through Armenia to European destinations has great cargo potential,” Aliyev said.
New Zealand flooding threat grows after road collapses leave one dead
New Zealand's weather forecaster on Sunday (15 February) warned more flooding could hit the country's North Island, a day after floods caused power outages, road collapses, home evacuations. There was "threat to life from dangerous river conditions, significant flooding and slips" as a deepening low-pressure system east of the North Island brought heavy rain and severe gales to several regions, the weather bureau said. Authorities on Sunday had a state of emergency in place for the districts of Waipa and Otorohanga, an agricultural region home to about 10,000 people that is 180km (112 miles) south of the country's most populous city, Auckland.
Trump said the U.S. and Iran were making progress in peace talks, though direct negotiations remain premature. Meanwhile, Israel, reportedly, ...
Shipping group Maersk beat first-quarter profit forecasts on Thursday but warned that the Iran war had pushed its fuel costs up by around $500 mill...
An Israeli air strike has killed the son of Hamas’ chief negotiator in U.S.-mediated Gaza talks, as group leaders met in Cairo to shore up a ...
A senior commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on Wednesday (6 May), highlighting ongoing ...
European Union countries and European Parliament lawmakers have agreed on a softened version of the bloc’s l...
The Secretary-General of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), Meysam Afshar, said the organisation has documented alleged violations of international humanitarian law during the U.S.–Israel war on Iran and shared the findings with international bodies.
The Middle East crisis is set to dominate the ASEAN summit on 8 May, shifting focus away from regional diplomacy.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) said it was dealing with missile and drone attacks from Iran for the second consecutive day on Tuesday (5 May), despite denials from authorities in Tehran.
U.S. President Donald Trump declared that a ceasefire had "terminated" hostilities against Iran, as he sought to bolster his argument that he does not need lawmakers' permission to continue the conflict.
Trump said the U.S. and Iran were making progress in peace talks, though direct negotiations remain premature. Meanwhile, Israel, reportedly, struck senior Hezbollah and Hamas figures and tensions over Hormuz and Tehran’s nuclear programme continue.
U.S. President Donald Trump said that Iran wanted to negotiate and make a deal in comments to reporters on Wednesday (6 May). But earlier, he warned Washington would ramp up attacks if no agreement was reached.
Argentinian authorities are reconstructing the journeys of Dutch citizens who presented with symptoms of deadly hantavirus after visiting Argentina and Chile as part of a luxury cruise trip, the country's Health Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday (6 May)
The United Arab Emirate said it was dealing with missile and drone attacks from Iran for the second day in a row on Tuesday (5 May), despite denials from authorities in Tehran who threatened a "crushing response" if the UAE retaliated.
The 61st Venice Biennale has opened under grey skies and political tension, with disputes over Russia and Israel, resignations on the jury, and protests marking the start of one of the art world’s most high-profile events.
Shipping group Maersk beat first-quarter profit forecasts on Thursday but warned that the Iran war had pushed its fuel costs up by around $500 million a month, adding that the energy crisis would persist even if a peace deal were reached.
European Union countries and European Parliament lawmakers have agreed on a softened version of the bloc’s landmark artificial intelligence rules, including delayed implementation, in a move critics say reflects growing concessions to major technology firms.
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) remains central to efforts to curb nuclear arms. More than 50 years after entering into force, it faces mounting pressure from geopolitical rivalry, modernisation and disputes over disarmament.
Latvian authorities said two drones entered NATO member Latvia from Russian territory and crashed on Thursday morning, with officials linking them to Ukraine’s wider drone operations against targets in Russia.
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