AnewZ Morning Brief - February 17th, 2025

Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for February 17th, covering the latest developments you need to know.

1. Netanyahu vows to "open the gates of hell" if all hostages in Gaza not returned

Benjamin Netanyahu, in a joint statement with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said the United States and Israel have a "common strategy" when it comes to Gaza.

2. DeepSeek AI app temporarily removed from South Korean app stores for privacy review

The Chinese AI app DeepSeek has been removed from South Korean app stores pending a review of its data privacy practices, authorities announced on Monday

3. At least 10 dead in Southeast as extreme weather sweeps nation

At least 10 people have died this weekend after a powerful storm battered the much of the Southeast, bring strong winds, heavy rains and devastating flooding.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear confirmed that nine people were killed after floodwaters started sweeping across the state. Emergency responders also conducted more than 1,000 rescues, Beshear said.

4. US plane with 3rd batch of illegal Indian immigrants lands in India's Amritsar

A plane with 112 Indians, who were deported from the United States for illegally residing in the country, landed in India's Amritsar on February 16 night, the third such arrival in a span of 10 days as part of the Donald Trump administration's crackdown on such immigrants

The flight C-17 Globemaster aircraft of the US Air Force landed at the Amritsar International Airport at around 10.03 pm, according to sources.

5. Meta Unveils 50,000 Km Waterworth Subsea Cable Project to Boost AI and Global Connectivity

Meta has announced Project Waterworth, which the American company calls its most ambitious subsea cable endeavour.

Once completed, the cable, using the highest-capacity technology available, is set to become the world's longest, spanning over 50,000 kmlonger than the Earth's circumference. 

6. Europe to be excluded from Russia-Ukraine peace talks, US envoy confirms

Europe will be excluded from talks aimed at ending Russia’s war in Ukraine, the United States lead Ukraine envoy said.

General Keith Kellogg made the announcement on Saturday after the US sent a questionnaire to European capitals to ask what they could contribute to security guarantees for Kyiv.

7. US, Russian envoys on Ukraine to meet in Saudi Arabia on February 18

A meeting of the US and Russian delegations on the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis will be held in Saudi Arabia on February 18.

According to the news outlet, high-ranking representatives of the US and Russia will also discuss preparations for the meeting between the presidents of the two countries, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.

8. Türkiye begins renovation of Damascus International Airport

Türkiye has sent a 25-member technical team to Syria to begin work on restoring Damascus International Airport, which was severely damaged during the country’s 13-year civil war, the country’s transportation and infrastructure minister said on Sunday.

In a written statement, Abdulkadir Uraloglu said the Turkish team, made up of personnel from the State Airports Directorate, is working to make the airport operational again.

9. Caspian Sea turns red: Test results announced

The water samples taken from the Caspian Sea contain no dangerous substances.

The specialists of the regional ecology department took water samples on February 12, 2025, to check for the presence of chemicals and petroleum products following the red discoloration of the Caspian Sea.

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