Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 19th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The United Nations Security Council has expressed deep concern regarding Israel’s "de facto annexation" of the West Bank, warning that recent expansionist moves threaten the viability of a future two-state solution. While Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar dismissed the criticism, backed by a joint statement from 85 nations, as an "anti-Israeli obsession", the UK says it remains committed to a multilateral approach, planning a separate peace-building conference in March rather than joining the U.S.-led initiative.
U.S. President Donald Trump is set to convene the first leaders’ meeting of his controversial "Board of Peace" in Washington today, aiming to secure more than $5 billion for Gaza’s reconstruction. Whilst the initiative has secured participation from Israel and several regional powers, key Western allies including the UK and France have declined full membership, citing concerns over the Board’s governance structure, with Trump as chair for life, and concerns it could undermine the United Nations.
The top U.S. military commander for Latin America has made an unannounced visit to Caracas for security talks with Venezuela's interim government. General Francis Donovan’s arrival marks the first such high-level engagement since the capture of former President Nicolás Maduro, signalling Washington’s intent to align the country with U.S. interests and oversee its vast oil sector. The delegation met with interim President Delcy Rodríguez and senior ministers, who both currently face U.S. indictments, to discuss cooperation on counter-narcotics and regional stability as part of President Donald Trump’s wider three-phase stabilisation strategy.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has faced intense scrutiny in a Los Angeles courtroom, denying allegations that Instagram deliberately targets children despite internal documents suggesting strategies to recruit "tweens". In a landmark trial concerning youth social media addiction, the tech mogul was pressed on inconsistent age enforcement and engagement tactics, a case that could set a significant legal precedent for widespread litigation against major tech platforms.
Escalating an energy dispute, Hungary and Slovakia have suspended diesel fuel exports to Ukraine with immediate effect, declaring that shipments will not resume until Russian crude oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline is restored. The Slovak government has declared a state of emergency regarding oil supplies and threatened to cut electricity to Kyiv, whilst Hungary insists it cannot jeopardise its own energy security to aid a neighbour.
British lawmakers on Tuesday voted against launching an inquiry into whether Prime Minister Keir Starmer misled Parliament over his decision to app...
Tensions between the United States and Iran remain high after a U.S. official said President Donald Trump was unhappy with a proposal from Tehran t...
Five million children across Sudan’s Darfur region are facing extreme deprivation, the United Nations childr...
Tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border are intensifying as Israeli strikes push deeper into the Bekaa Valley, fuelling fears of wider escalation ...
Former close aide to Keir Starmer admitted on Tuesday he was “wrong” to back the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the U....
Former close aide to Keir Starmer admitted on Tuesday he was “wrong” to back the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the U.S., amid mounting political pressure.
A pivotal trial that could shape the governance of artificial intelligence begins Tuesday in California, as Elon Musk and Sam Altman face off over OpenAI’s shift to a for-profit model.
Russia has significantly expanded its blacklist of European Union officials and figures banned from entering the country, in retaliation for Brussels’ newly approved 20th sanctions package against Moscow.
A 21-year-old man accused of planning a terrorist attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna in 2024 has pleaded guilty in part, as his trial opened on Tuesday (28 April) in Austria.
Disney+ has debuted Disney Animation’s Songs in Sign Language, a new collection of animated musical sequences reimagined in American Sign Language (ASL), released on 27 April to mark National Deaf History Month.
Market reaction to DeepSeek’s preview of its next-generation artificial intelligence model has been relatively subdued, in sharp contrast to the global shock triggered by its breakthrough releases last year.
President Donald Trump said on Sunday Iran could telephone if it wants to negotiate an end to their two-month war. Tehran said the U.S. should remove obstacles to a deal, including its blockade of Iran's ports. Meanwhile Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrives in St Petersburg for talks.
Adidas shares rose after Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe delivered a historic performance at the London Marathon on Sunday (26 April), becoming the first athlete to run an official marathon in under two hours.
Tensions between the United States and Iran remain high after a U.S. official said President Donald Trump was unhappy with a proposal from Tehran that does not deal with its nuclear programme. Washington is insisting that any talks must address Iran’s nuclear activities.
British lawmakers on Tuesday voted against launching an inquiry into whether Prime Minister Keir Starmer misled Parliament over his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the U.S.
Five million children across Sudan’s Darfur region are facing extreme deprivation, the United Nations children’s agency said on Tuesday, issuing an emergency warning as the civil war in the country enters its fourth year.
Former close aide to Keir Starmer admitted on Tuesday he was “wrong” to back the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the U.S., amid mounting political pressure.
Russia has significantly expanded its blacklist of European Union officials and figures banned from entering the country, in retaliation for Brussels’ newly approved 20th sanctions package against Moscow.
China is moving to make it easier and cheaper for people to have children, with lawmakers reviewing plans to expand maternity insurance coverage nationwide.
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