AnewZ Morning Brief - February 26th, 2025

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. 

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