ISTANBUL

Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Sunday, including a partial government shutdown at the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began after Congress failed to pass a funding bill; Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasizing the importance of EU's participation in peace negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war; and the UK saying it confirms that Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny died in prison in 2024 after being poisoned with the dart frog toxin.

TOP STORIES

• Partial government shutdown at US Homeland Security Department begins after funding lapse

A partial government shutdown at the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began after Congress failed to pass a funding bill before the deadline.

The shutdown follows weeks of negotiations between Democrats and Republicans on reforms to immigration enforcement and oversight of agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

DHS is now the only federal agency without funding for the remainder of fiscal year 2026, which continues through Sept. 30, while lawmakers have already approved spending bills covering the rest of the government since a record-long shutdown ended in November.

• China’s top diplomat urges EU to engage Russia over Ukraine war

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasized the importance of the EU's participation in peace negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war, urging Europe to be "not on menu" but the "table."

Asked what China could do to convince Russia to end its war on Ukraine at the Munich Security Conference, Wang said: "Europe should not watch this from the sidelines. Right here, in Munich last year at that time United States had started engagement with Russia, and Europe seemed to be left watching from the sidelines ... Europe has every right to participate in the negotiation in due course. ... Europe should not be on the menu, but should be at the table."

• UK says Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny poisoned with dart frog toxin in prison

The British government said it has confirmed that Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny’s death in prison in 2024 came after he was poisoned with the dart frog toxin.

"UK and partners are today exposing the tragic circumstances surrounding Alexei Navalny's death and have confirmed there was poison found in samples from his body," the Foreign Office said in a statement.

It noted that consistent, collaborative work has confirmed through laboratory testing that the deadly toxin found in the skin of Ecuador dart frogs (epibatidine) was found in samples from Navalny’s body and it likely resulted in his death. 

NEWS IN BRIEF

• Spain called nuclear rearmament a “historic error,” saying powers are forgetting past lessons.
• Japanese and Qatari companies signed a 27-year agreement for 3 million tons of liquefied natural gas per year beginning in 2028, media reports said.
• Bangladesh's Jamaat-e-Islami party-led alliance accepted the results of the general election after claiming irregularities in the ballot-counting process.
• 2 Palestinians were injured by Israeli army gunfire in southern Gaza despite a ceasefire.
• African Union leaders opened the 39th summit with a water and a sanitation drive at the top of the agenda.
• The Iranian judiciary announced the conditional release of several detained political activists.
• The US Department of Homeland Security said two federal immigration agents involved in the Jan. 14 shooting of a Venezuelan immigrant in the state of Minnesota appear to have provided false sworn testimony.
• The British prime minister said Europe must focus on decreasing "some dependencies," urged creating a "more European NATO."
• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged a renewed transatlantic alliance rooted in sovereignty, economic resilience and shared Western identity, while outlining Washington’s approach to global conflicts and competition with China.
• The Iranian president said regional countries can resolve issues together, rejecting the need for external guardianship.
• The Dutch foreign minister said the US nuclear umbrella “will remain” central to Europe’s security.
• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Europe must be ready to defend itself “at all times.”
• Bangladeshi election winner Tarique Rahman called for “unity to rebuild” the nation.
• Africa’s exclusion from the UN Security Council is ‘indefensible,’ UN chief Antonio Guterres tells the AU summit.
• Ukraine and ASEAN discussed advancing mutually beneficial cooperation and deepening dialogue.
• Global warming hits its first tipping point as security risks rise, senior officials warned at the Munich Security Conference.
• China’s foreign minister criticized Japan for remarks by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi about Taiwan, saying the comments undermine China’s territorial sovereignty.
• Syrian Transport Minister Yarub Badr and his Saudi counterpart Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser agreed on a roadmap to enhance rail and road connectivity between the two countries.
• The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces carried out 10 strikes against more than 30 ISIS (Daesh) targets in Syria from Feb. 3-12.
• Norway and Germany signed a wide-ranging defense agreement aimed at strengthening European security cooperation within NATO.
• The British government announced it will deploy a carrier strike group to the North Atlantic and High North this year in a bid to boost regional security.
• Italy's foreign minister said Rome will continue its commitment to implement the Gaza peace plan and reconstruction of the Palestinian enclave involving the Italian private sector.
• Authorities in Ukraine’s Russian-controlled Luhansk region said 19 civilians were injured in a Ukrainian drone strike on the village of Tsentralny, while Kyiv has not commented on the claim.
• X removed blue verification badges from the accounts of several senior Iranian officials following a report alleging the platform provided paid services to individuals under US sanctions.
• The US House speaker blamed Democrats for a partial shutdown at the Homeland Security Department.
• Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes targeting the outskirts of Houmine al-Fawqa in the Iqlim al-Tuffah area of southern Lebanon, according to Lebanese state media.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• China to implement zero tariff policy on 53 African countries

China will implement zero-tariff measures for the 53 African countries it has diplomatic relations with starting May 1, Chinese state-run outlet CGTN reported.

Beijing "will continue negotiating and signing joint economic partnership agreements, and further expand market access for African exports through upgraded mechanisms such as the 'green channel,'" it said in a statement.

The policy would appear to cover almost the entire continent, which has 54 countries.

• Russia denies BRICS seeks to transform into military alliance

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov denied that the BRICS economic bloc sought to transform into a military alliance.

In an interview with the state news agency Tass, Ryabkov said BRICS is neither a military alliance nor a collective security organization with obligations regarding mutual military assistance.

“It was never conceived in that spirit, and there are no plans to transform BRICS in that direction,” said Ryabkov, arguing that the 10-member bloc’s portfolio does not include military exercises or arms control.