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.
Saudi Arabia’s air defences have intercepted and destroyed a hostile drone over the Riyadh region, according to the Saudi-led coalition fight...
Police were deployed across Paris on Saturday, as a curfew was set to take effect in the Republique and Chât...
A drone strike hit a power station in northern Sudan early Sunday (1 November), sparking a fire and triggering loud explosions, witnesses said....
The U.S. has approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine in a deal worth an estimated $2.1 billion, but Kyiv could face years of delays before receiving the weapons it urgently needs to defend against intensifying Russian attacks.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has ordered Iran's armed forces to respond to any threat immediately and without geographical limits in statements posted to social media platforms on Saturday (31 October).
A hacking group linked to North Korea is widely believed to be behind the theft of $6.3 billion from cryptocurrency giant Binance, a cyberattack that experts describe as the largest cryptocurrency heist on record.
Gen Z protests swept 34 German cities on Saturday (31 October) over education and living costs. Violence erupted in Frankfurt, where shops were looted and police reported Molotov cocktail attacks.
A tenth-grade student was critically injured after a man attacked her with a chainsaw inside a classroom in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur district. The girl suffered severe injuries to her head, neck and back, while a classmate who tried to protect her was also hurt.
Police were deployed across Paris on Saturday, as a curfew was set to take effect in the Republique and Châtelet-Les Halles areas from 11pm Saturday until 6am Sunday (1 November).
A drone strike hit a power station in northern Sudan early Sunday (1 November), sparking a fire and triggering loud explosions, witnesses said.
Gen Z protests swept 34 German cities on Saturday (31 October) over education and living costs. Violence erupted in Frankfurt, where shops were looted and police reported Molotov cocktail attacks.
Iran designated Britain's Royal Navy and Royal Air Force as terrorist organisations on Sunday, (1 November), and classified the country's foreign intelligence agency, MI6, as a hostile group, according to a statement from the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
Thousands protested in Albania's capital, Tirana, on Saturday (31 October), demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama's resignation over perceived corruption allegations and dissatisfaction with the government over a lack of jobs and poor education standards.
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