Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 16th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Former Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko has been arrested by anti-corruption detectives while attempting to flee the country. The arrest forms part of the ‘Midas’ investigation into an alleged $100 million (£80m) kickback scheme involving the state nuclear operator, Energoatom, which previously prompted his resignation. The move underscores Kyiv’s intensified efforts to root out graft within the energy sector, a crucial requirement for the nation’s European Union accession bid.
In an unprecedented joint appeal, the military chiefs of Britain and Germany have urged the public to accept the moral necessity of rearmament to counter the growing threat from Russia. Writing in The Guardian newspaper, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton and General Carsten Breuer argued that strengthening industrial capacity and defence spending is not ‘warmongering’ but essential deterrence. They warned that Moscow’s military posture has shifted decisively westward, requiring a unified European response to preserve peace and security.
Tehran has signalled a readiness to compromise on its nuclear programme in exchange for economic benefits and sanctions relief ahead of renewed talks with Washington. With a U.S. delegation led by Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff due to meet Iranian officials in Geneva this week, Iranian diplomats have struck a conciliatory note, suggesting potential flexibility on uranium enrichment. However, tensions remain, as the U.S. has dispatched a second aircraft carrier to the region to underpin diplomacy with the threat of military force.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has backed a report by five European allies concluding that late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was killed with a lethal toxin derived from poison dart frogs. On the second anniversary of his death in a Russian penal colony, nations including the UK and Germany stated that forensic analysis confirmed the presence of epibatidine, accusing Moscow of deliberate poisoning. While the Kremlin dismissed the findings as a ‘propaganda hoax’, Western leaders maintain that only the Russian state possessed the means and motive for the assassination.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has confirmed that Italy will participate as an observer in President Donald Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ initiative, citing constitutional constraints that prevent full membership. Speaking ahead of the body’s inaugural leadership meeting in Washington on Thursday, Meloni described the move as a solution to support Middle East peacemaking efforts while adhering to Italian law. The initiative, launched in Davos, aims to foster a settlement in Gaza and has invited various European partners to engage in a similar capacity.
Houthi attacks target Riyadh amid concerns over Saudi oil supplies, as Iran says it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until its conditions are m...
The death toll from an overnight Russian attack on the Kyiv region rose to four, including three children, Kyiv regional authorities said on Sunday...
Uzbekistan’s grape exports have grown rapidly. In January-August 2025, the country exported 86,200 tonnes of fresh grapes worth $78.3 million...
Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy said a Togo-flagged oil tanker was struck while attempting to make an “illegal passage” through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media said early on Friday.
Saudi civil defence sent an all-clear on Saturday after issuing alerts for a second time for potential danger in Riyadh and the city of Al-Kharj east of the capital, amid an uptick in attacks by Iran-aligned Houthis on the Gulf country.
The European Union will disburse €3.3 billion ($3.8 billion) to Ukraine for missiles and drones, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The U.S. State Department approved a $2.7 billion military sale to Ukraine for air-defence development upgrades, along with related equipment and services, the department said. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities reported at least 10 people had died in Russian attacks over the last 24 hours.
Three students were killed in a school shooting in the southern Philippines on Friday, including a 16-year-old suspected gunman who turned the gun on himself, provincial officials said.
The death toll from an overnight Russian attack on the Kyiv region rose to four, including three children, Kyiv regional authorities said on Sunday. A mother and her two 3-year-old children were killed when a Russian drone strike hit a private home, the emergency service said.
A small container of lunar soil travelled more than 380,000 kilometres from the far side of the Moon to Earth two years ago. It recently made one more journey - from Beijing to Vienna, where China officially handed it over to the United Nations.
Russian authorities have reported attacks on voting systems and communication lines as the country’s parliamentary election entered its second day on Saturday (19 September).
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has launched a new eight-nation grouping aimed at boosting trade, energy and security cooperation across central and eastern Europe. Here's what you need to know.
The U.S. State Department approved a $2.7 billion military sale to Ukraine for air-defence development upgrades, along with related equipment and services, the department said. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities reported at least 10 people had died in Russian attacks over the last 24 hours.
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