AnewZ Morning Brief - February 20th, 2025

Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for February 20th, covering the latest developments you need to know.

1. Trump warns Zelenskyy to quickly negotiate war’s end with Russia or risk not having a nation to lead

President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that he “better move fast” to negotiate an end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or risk not having a nation to lead.

The rhetoric from Trump toward Ukraine comes amid an escalating back-and-forth between the two presidents and rising tensions between Washington and much of Europe over Trump’s approach to settling the biggest conflict on the continent since World War II.

2. Trump's appeal on birthright citizenship order rejected by court

An appeals court will not allow the Trump administration to end birthright citizenship for certain children of immigrants, in a ruling that could propel the issue to the Supreme Court.

The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday declined an emergency Justice Department request that it lift the hold a Seattle judge had placed blocking implementation of President Donald Trump’s executive order, after concluding the order ran afoul of the Constitution.

3. 2 dead after 2 small planes collide midair in Arizona, officials say

Two people are dead after two small aircraft collided in midair at an Arizona airport Wednesday, authorities said.

A Cessna 172S and Lancair 360 MK II collided at 8:28 a.m. near the Marana Regional Airport, just northwest of Tucson, according to preliminary information from the National Transportation Safety Board.

4. Apple reveals its version of budget AI: the $599 iPhone 16e

Apple launched on Wednesday a budget-minded phone with artificial intelligence, the iPhone 16e, designed to win back mid-market customers at home and in crucial growth markets China and India.

The new phone, which drops the SE naming convention for Apple's budget series, will take on popular Android smartphones at a time when rivals Samsung and China's Huawei are adding AI tools to their devices.

5. Delta will pay Toronto plane crash passengers $30K with 'no strings attached'

Delta Air Lines said it will compensate every passenger who was onboard this week's regional jet that crashed and flipped upside down at Toronto Pearson International Airport with $30,000.

"Delta Care Team representatives are telling customers this gesture has no strings attached and does not affect rights," a spokesperson for the airline told USA TODAY in an email.

6. Flu outbreak: Infections cross 100,000 with nine fatalities

A total of 107,570 influenza cases have been recorded in Thailand so far this year, and nine people have died from the virus, the Public Health Ministry revealed on Tuesday.

New patients have increased by about 15,000 per week, compared to 10,000 per week during the same period in 2024, Dr Jurai Wongsawat, spokesperson of the Department of Disease Control (DDC) said.

7. Kazatomprom to supply uranium to Swiss nuclear power plants

Kazakhstan's Kazatomprom and Axpo Power AG signed their first contract for uranium supply to Switzerland's nuclear power plants.

Kazakhstan National Atomic Company "Kazatomprom" and Swiss company Axpo Power AG, together with Kernkraftwerk Leibstadt AG (KKL AG), have signed the first contract for the supply of Kazakh natural uranium concentrates for the Beznau and Leibstadt nuclear power plants in Switzerland.

8. Baku hosts 15th plenary session of Asian Parliamentary Assembly

The 15th plenary session of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA), themed "The Role of Parliamentary Diplomacy in Strengthening Multilateral Cooperation in Asia," commenced in Baku on Wednesday.

Bringing together 35 parliamentary delegations with nearly 280 participants, the session addressed a range of critical issues. 

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