AnewZ Morning Brief - February 14th, 2025

Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for February 14th, covering the latest developments you need to know.

1. Trump promises Kyiv involvement in peace talks with Russia

Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House, said Ukraine would have a seat at the table during any peace negotiations with Russia over ending the war.

2. Trump announced a new executive order aimed at imposing reciprocal tariffs on countries that have tariffs on US goods

"On trade, I have decided for purposes of fairness, that I will charge a reciprocal tariff, meaning whatever countries charge the United States of America, we will charge them. No more, no less," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

3. Trump says Russia should be readmitted to G7

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said he would love to have Russia return to the Group of Seven nations, saying it was a mistake for Moscow to be expelled.

Russia had been a member of the G7 club of industrialized democracies, then known as the G8, until Moscow was excluded following its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014.

"I'd love to have them back. I think it was a mistake to throw them out. Look, it's not a question of liking Russia or not liking Russia. It was the G8," Trump said at the White House when he announced new U.S. reciprocal tariffs.

4. TikTok returns to US Apple and Google app stores after Trump's ban delay

Social media platform TikTok has returned to Apple and Google mobile app stores in the United States after President Donald Trump delayed its ban until April 5 and assured the tech giants they would not be fined for distributing or maintaining the Chinese app.

TikTok, used by 170 million Americans, started restoring its services on AAPL and GOOGLE on Thursday, local time, weeks after the app went dark in the US and Mr Trump pledged to revive it.

5. French parliament votes to ban disposable e-cigarettes

The French parliament on Thursday voted to ban single-use electronic cigarettes, considered to be gateways to tobacco addiction for teenagers and harmful to the environment.

The bill was approved by the French parliament with a final vote in the Senate upper house. France now becomes the second EU country after Belgium to have introduced such a ban.

7. Azerbaijan's Central Election Commission to sum up municipal elections today

Today, a meeting of the Central Election Commission of Azerbaijan will be held.

Information about the general results of municipal elections will be presented and approved at the meeting.

8. Charges against Ruben Vardanyan announced in Baku court

The review session of court hearings on the criminal case against Ruben Vardanyan, an Armenian citizen charged with torture, mercenary activity, violation of the laws and customs of warfare, terrorism, financing terrorism, and other articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, continued on February 13

The open hearings were held at the Baku Military Court in the Baku Court Complex

9. Six dead at resort construction site fire in South Korea's Busan

Six people have died in a fire in a resort construction site in South Korea's port city of Busan, the Yonhap News Agency reported on Friday.

Around 100 people had been evacuated, Yonhap reported, citing fire authorities.

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