Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for February 26th, covering the latest developments you need to know.
1. Khojaly Genocide: marking 33 years of remembrance.
Thirty-three years ago, on the night of February 25-26, 1992, Armenian forces, with support from the former Soviet 366th Motor Rifle Regiment, attacked Khojaly. As 2,500 civilians attempted to flee towards Aghdam, they were brutally fired upon, resulting in the deaths of 613 people, including children, women, and the elderly.
Many were wounded, families were devastated, and hundreds were taken prisoner or went missing. This tragic event remains one of the darkest chapters in Azerbaijan’s history.
2. Ukraine and US reportedly finalise framework for minerals deal.
According to a report by The Washington Post on Tuesday, Ukraine and the United States have agreed on a framework for a comprehensive minerals deal. The report cited a Ukrainian official and another source familiar with the negotiations.
3. Thailand bus overturns in ditch killing at least 18 passengers.
At least 18 people were killed and 23 injured in eastern Thailand on Wednesday after the brakes failed on a tour bus and it rolled upside down into a ditch, police said.
"It was a downhill road and the brakes failed, and the driver lost control of the vehicle before it overturned," said Colonel Sophon Phramaneehe, adding that those who died were adults on a study trip.
There were 49 people on the bus, all Thai, including the driver, the police official told Reuters.
4. Pope Francis in critical condition for fourth day running, but stable, Vatican says.
Pope Francis, battling double pneumonia, remains in critical condition for the fourth day running but is stable and has not had any further respiratory crises, the Vatican said on Tuesday.
The 88-year-old pope was spending his 12th night at Rome's Gemelli hospital, the longest hospital stay of his papacy.
"The clinical conditions of the Holy Father remain critical, but stable," the latest forthright health update read.
The pope's prognosis, it said, remains "guarded". But his hemodynamic parameters, a measure of the functioning of his body's circulatory system, were also "stable".
5. Massive blackout in Chile leaves 19 million without power.
Amassive power outage across Chile plunged the country's capital Santiago into darkness on Tuesday and knocked out electricity to major copper mines in the country's north, buffeting global metal markets.
Hours after the outage began and as darkness fell, Chile's government announced a state of emergency and established a curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. (01:00 to 09:00 GMT) from the northern region of Arica to the southern region of Los Lagos.
6. Ukrainian parliament affirms Zelenskyy to remain president.
The Ukrainian parliament passed a resolution on Tuesday confirming that Volodymyr Zelenskyy will remain president during wartime. With 268 votes in favor, the Verkhovna Rada stated that his powers will continue until martial law ends.
The resolution emphasised that, under the Constitution, Zelenskyy remains the legitimate president, and elections will take place once peace is restored.
The bodies of Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei and members of his household killed in Israeli–U.S. air raids were laid to...
At least 28 people have died after a fire tore through a shoe factory in southeastern China, trapping hundreds of workers inside the multi-storey buil...
It has been a punishing week for large parts of China, and forecasters warn the worst may not be over. After Typhoon Maysak left a trail of destructio...
At least 28 people have died after a fire tore through a shoe factory in southeastern China, trapping hundreds of workers inside the multi-storey building. Authorities said more than 200 people escaped, while others were unable to get out before the blaze spread.
Hundreds of Palestinians gathered in Gaza to mourn Mohammad al-Waheidi, an aid worker remembered for bringing rare moments of happiness to families displaced by war by organising public screenings of World Cup matches.
Azerbaijan should unlock the full potential of its tourism sector to drive long-term economic growth, diversify its economy and create jobs as reliance on hydrocarbons declines, the World Bank has said.
The South Caucasus is increasingly being viewed not only through the lens of past conflicts but also as a strategic bridge linking Europe, the Caspian region and Central Asia. One analyst says this presents an opportunity for a new Euro-Atlantic approach focused on long-term regional cooperation.
The U.S. says it has launched strikes on Iran after alleged attacks on three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Washington described the action as a response to threats against civilian shipping and a breach of the ceasefire.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the memorandum of understanding signed with Iran to end the conflict was "over", adding he did not want to engage with Tehran, calling the Iranian leadership "sick people".
The death toll from Venezuela's twin earthquakes has risen to 3,811, according to figures released by National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez on Wednesday.
Typhoon Bavi churned southeast of Taiwan in the Pacific Ocean on Thursday, its winds easing overnight to just shy of 200 kph (124 mph), as authorities urged residents to stock up on supplies and brace for what could be the most powerful typhoon since 2024.
The U.S. military said on Wednesday it launched fresh strikes on Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping, triggering Iranian attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain in the latest escalation to derail efforts to end the war.
China's technology sector is producing billion-dollar startups at its fastest pace in nearly five years, with artificial intelligence and robotics driving a new wave of investment that is reshaping the country's innovation economy.
At least 28 people have died after a fire tore through a shoe factory in southeastern China, trapping hundreds of workers inside the multi-storey building. Authorities said more than 200 people escaped, while others were unable to get out before the blaze spread.
It has been a punishing week for large parts of China, and forecasters warn the worst may not be over. After Typhoon Maysak left a trail of destruction and at least 23 people dead, Super Typhoon Bavi is now threatening the country's eastern coast.
Western Europe experienced its hottest June since records began in 2026, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). The record-breaking month brought extreme heat, widespread disruption and thousands of excess deaths across parts of the continent.
South Korea's Supreme Court has upheld former President Yoon Suk Yeol's seven-year prison sentence in a case linked to his 2024 attempt to impose martial law.
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