*) Putin-Xi reach deal on Russian Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline to China

Russia and China have reached an agreement on the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline, which will connect Siberia to northwest China, Russian President Vladimir Putin said after talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

"All agreements have been reached," Putin said, adding that economic cooperation between Moscow and Beijing was a "priority" for Russia.

The planned pipeline would deliver 50 billion cubic metres of natural gas per year from Russia to China via Mongolia.

*) Israel annuls law that banned four occupied West Bank settlements

Israeli parliament has repealed legislation that ordered the evacuation of four illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.

This move is one of the first by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right coalition.

The original law, passed in 2005, mandated the evacuation of four illegal Jewish settlements in the northern occupied West Bank along with Israel's disengagement from Gaza.

The repeal would allow Jewish residents to return to these settlements on condition of approval by the Israeli military.

*) Death toll climbs after strong earthquake jolts Pakistan, Afghanistan

Death toll has climbed to 11 after a magnitude 6.5 earthquake rattled much of Pakistan and Afghanistan, sending panicked residents fleeing from homes and offices and frightening people even in remote villages.

More than 100 people were brought to hospitals in the Swat valley region of Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in a state of shock.

The US Geological Survey said the centre of the magnitude 6.5 quake was located 40 kilometres south-southeast of Jurm in Afghanistan's mountainous Hindukush region, bordering Pakistan and Tajikistan.

*) UN warns 'vampiric' water use leading to imminent global crisis

Humanity's "lifeblood" - water - is increasingly at risk around the world due to "vampiric overconsumption and overdevelopment," the UN has warned in a report.

The world is "blindly travelling a dangerous path" as "unsustainable water use, pollution and unchecked global warming are draining humanity's lifeblood," United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in a foreword to the report, released hours ahead of the first major UN meeting on water resources in nearly half a century.

Co-hosted by the governments of Tajikistan and the Netherlands, the UN Water Conference will gather some 6,500 participants, including 100 ministers and a dozen heads of state and government Wednesday through Friday in New York.

*) Yellen says bank situation 'stabilising,' system is 'sound'

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is trying to project calm after regional bank failures, saying the US banking system is “sound” but additional rescue arrangements “could be warranted” if any new failures at smaller institutions pose a risk to financial stability.

Silicon Valley Bank, based in Santa Clara, California, failed on March 10 after depositors rushed to withdraw money amid anxiety over the bank’s health. It was the second-largest bank collapse in US history.

*) Japan PM to meet Zelenskyy as Putin, Xi hold second day of talks

Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping are set to hold a second day of talks, as the Russian president said he was open to discussing China's proposals on the fighting in Ukraine.

The sit-down was to be unexpectedly mirrored in Kiev, where Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was en route to meet Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Xi's trip to Moscow has been viewed as a major boost for his strategic partner Putin, who is subject to an International Criminal Court warrant over accusations of unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children.

*) NYPD tightens security fearing protests over likely Trump indictment

New York police have tightened security ahead of a possible historic indictment of Donald Trump over hush money paid to an actress, with the ex-president calling for mass demonstrations if he is charged.

Trump supporters attended a protest in America's financial capital on Monday evening though, as a grand jury weighs an investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg over the 2016 payment to Stormy Daniels.

Trump would become the first former or sitting president to be charged with a crime if an indictment is filed.

*) Nigeria's two big parties emerge strong after deadly governorship polls

Nigeria's two biggest parties won the majority of states in weekend governorship polls, official figures have shown, maintaining their political dominance following elections in which European Union observers said 21 people died from violence.

Voters were choosing governors in 28 of the country's 36 states to bring to an end this year's election cycle that began with disputed presidential and legislative elections last month.

*) Erdogan lauds int'l solidarity as $7B pledged for quake-hit Türkiye, Syria

Türkiye will never forget the solidarity displayed by the EU, the UN and other international organisations after the February 6 earthquakes, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during a virtual address for the opening session of the International Donors' Conference, organised by the European Commission and the Swedish Presidency of the EU Council to support victims affected by the devastating earthquakes in southern Türkiye.

*) Biden signs bill to declassify US intelligence on Covid-19 origins

US President Joe Biden signed a bill that requires Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines to declassify information related to the origins of Covid-19, the White House has said.

Biden said he shared Congress' goal of releasing as much information as possible about the origin of Covid-19.

However, he said his administration would keep national security in mind when deciding what to release.

*) Russia hails China's willingness to resolve Ukraine conflict

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has welcomed China's willingness to play a "constructive role" in ending the conflict in Ukraine, saying Sino-Russian relations were "at the highest point" in history.

His Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping heads to Russia hoping to deliver a breakthrough on Ukraine as Beijing seeks to position itself as a peacemaker.

The quality of ties between Moscow and Beijing is "higher than the political and military unions of the Cold War era", Putin said in an article written for a Chinese newspaper and published by the Kremlin on the eve of Xi's visit.

*) Biden in call with Netanyahu expresses 'concern' over judicial reform plan

US President Joe Biden has spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to express "concern” over his government’s planned overhaul of the country’s judicial system which has sparked widespread protests across Israel.

The White House said on Sunday Biden reiterated US concerns about the measure to roll back the judiciary’s insulation from the country’s political system, in a call a senior administration official described as “candid and constructive.”

There was no immediate indication that Netanyahu was shying away from the action after rejecting a compromise offered by the country’s figurehead president last week.

*) North Korea's Kim supervises drills 'simulating a nuclear counterattack'

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un led two days of military drills "simulating a nuclear counterattack", including the firing of a ballistic missile carrying a mock nuclear warhead, state news agency KCNA has reported.

Kim expressed "satisfaction" over the weekend drills, which were held to "let relevant units get familiar with the procedures and processes for implementing their tactical nuclear attack missions", the report said on Monday.

The drills were the fourth show of force from Pyongyang in a week and came as South Korea and the United States stage their own military manoeuvres - 11 days of joint drills known as Freedom Shield, their largest in five years.

*) Governing party in Kazakhstan sweeps parliamentary election: exit polls

Kazakhstan voted in a snap parliamentary election widely expected to cement President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's position and complete a reshuffle of the ruling elite that began after he fully assumed leadership last year.

Exits polls showed the ruling Amanat party winning 53-54 percent of the vote, enough to retain a comfortable majority. Voter turnout stood at 54.2 percent, the Central Election Commission said.

A stronger mandate will help Tokayev navigate through regional turmoil caused by Russia-Ukraine conflict and the subsequent damage to trade, investment and supply chains throughout the former Soviet Union.

*) 'Jurassic Park' actor Sam Neill diagnosed with stage-three blood cancer

Actor Sam Neill has revealed he is being treated for stage-three blood cancer, writing in a memoir that he was "possibly dying" from the illness diagnosed a year ago.

The New Zealander, who burst to fame after starring as Dr Alan Grant in the 1993 blockbuster "Jurassic Park", said he began treatment last March.

Neill, 75, makes the revelation in his book "Did I Ever Tell You This?", which is being released next week.

*) Ukraine vows to drag Russia into court

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vowed that those guilty of war crimes in Russia’s war against Ukraine will be brought to justice.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine was carrying out legal processes and mobilising its allies to have Russia appear in the International Criminal Court, as well as in national courtrooms.

Moscow denies deliberately targeting civilians, though the conflict has killed thousands, displaced millions, and pulverised Ukrainian cities.

*) Israelis stage 'day of resistance' against judicial reforms

Tens of thousands of protesters have returned to the streets of Israel to stage another day of resistance against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial reforms.

The fresh protests in Tel Aviv, West Jerusalem and Haifa came after Netanyahu rejected a compromise plan touted by the country's President Isaac Herzog.

The judicial overhaul has raised concerns for Israel’s democracy, as it would upend the country's system of checks and balances and give the prime minister too much power.

*) Erdogan hails Turkic world's solidarity after quakes

Hosting the extraordinary summit of leaders of the Organization of Turkic States, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hailed the Turkic world’s solidarity after the deadly earthquakes in southern Türkiye.

The Turkic world was among the first to help after the February 6 quakes, Erdogan said at the summit focusing on Disaster-Emergency Management and Humanitarian Assistance.

You did not leave us alone in our most difficult moment. Our beloved nation will never forget your support, Erdogan told fellow heads of state.

*) Cyclone Freddy kills hundreds in Malawia

Rescuers in storm-ravaged Malawi have made a grim hunt for buried bodies after Cyclone Freddy struck the eastern African country, killing more than 300 people.

Search and rescue efforts were a joint operation by the military and local inhabitants, who lacked sniffer dogs and were armed just with shovels.

As the rains ceased for the first time in five days, rescuers dug up decomposing bodies from the mud and the debris of homes that had been swept away by the storm.

*) Australian breaks record for world's longest surf

Former surfing pro Blake Johnston has shredded the world record for the longest surfing session, catching waves for over 30 exhausting hours.

The 40-year-old Australian broke down in tears at Sydney's Cronulla Beach after beating South African Josh Enslin's previous record of 30 hours 11 minutes.

Johnston briefly thanked the crowd lining the beach during one of the short food and water breaks he was allowed, before paddling back out to try and push the record to 40 hours.

*) South Korea premier arrives in Japan to open 'new chapter'

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has arrived in Japan looking to open a "new chapter" in relations, just hours after North Korea fired a long-range ballistic missile.

Yoon's two-day trip comes after Seoul this month announced a plan to compensate Korean victims of Japan's wartime forced labour without any direct involvement by Tokyo.

Reports suggest the visit could herald the restart of shuttle diplomacy, including Prime Minister Fumio Kishida possibly inviting Yoon to the G7 summit in Hiroshima in May, and then visiting Seoul.

*) Pakistan court postpones police operation to arrest Imran Khan

A Pakistani high court has ordered police to postpone an operation to arrest former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

A lower court in Islamabad had issued a warrant against Khan for defying orders to present himself in court over charges that he unlawfully sold state gifts given to him by foreign dignitaries when he was prime minister.

The court-ordered attempt to arrest Khan, which began on Tuesday, triggered clashes between his supporters and security forces in his Lahore neighbourhood, raising fears about Pakistan’s political stability

*) IAEA says tonnes of uranium missing from Libya site beyond govt control

UN nuclear watchdog inspectors have found that roughly 2.5 tonnes of natural uranium have gone missing from a Libyan site that is not under government control.

In a statement, the International Atomic Energy Agency said it would carry out "further activities" to determine the circumstances of the uranium's removal from the site, which it did not name, and where it is now.

The IAEA statement said: "The loss of knowledge about the present location of nuclear material may present a radiological risk, as well as nuclear security concerns".

*) No signs of Ukraine withdrawing from Bakhmut - Russian official

According to the Russian-installed leader of Ukraine's Donetsk region, the situation for Russian forces trying to capture the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut is "difficult", because there are no signs Kiev is ready to order a withdrawal of its troops.

Russia says capturing the city will allow it to launch more offensives deeper into Ukrainian territory which it says it is fighting to "liberate".

The head of Wagner Group Yevgeny Prigozhin has said his forces are in control of practically half the city and only one exit road remains available to Ukraine.

*) Greek unions launch 24-hour walkout over train tragedy

Greek unions have started a 24-hour walkout with demonstrations planned in major cities to voice outrage over last month's train disaster, which claimed 57 lives.

The strike called by the country's leading private and public sector unions will disrupt transport and the civil service.

The fatal crash occurred shortly before midnight on February 28 when a passenger train crashed head-on into a freight train in central Greece after both were mistakenly left running on the same track.

The stationmaster and three other railway officials have been charged, but public anger has focused on long-running mismanagement of the network.

*) Some 1,000 Israeli figures urge Germany, UK to cancel Netanyahu visit

In a letter addressed to the German and British ambassadors in Israel, some 1,000 Israeli figures have called on the European countries to cancel upcoming visits by Prime Minister Netanyahu.

The group of writers, artists and intellectuals expressed their disapproval of Netanyahu’s plan to overhaul Israel's judicial system, saying he has put the country on a destructive course.

Netanyahu is scheduled to meet Germany’s Chancellor on Thursday in Berlin, where Israeli expats say they are organising a large protest against their visiting prime minister.

*) Russian jet collides with US drone over Black Sea: US military

A Russian fighter jet has dumped fuel on an American drone over the Black Sea and then collided with it, causing the drone to crash, according to the US military.

US European Command said that two Russian fighters intercepted the unmanned combat aerial vehicle over international waters and one clipped its propeller.

Russia's defence ministry said it ordered the immediate take off of the jets following the detection of a US drone over the Black Sea but denied causing it to crash.

The US State Department says it has summoned Russia's ambassador to protest the crash.

*) Facebook parent Meta to lay off 10,000 more employees

Facebook parent Meta is slashing another 10,000 jobs and will not fill 5,000 open positions as the social media pioneer cuts costs.

The company said it would reduce the size of its recruiting team and make further cuts in its tech groups in late April, and then its business groups in late May.

In February, Meta posted lower fourth-quarter profit and revenue, hurt by a downturn in the online advertising market and competition from rivals such as TikTok.

*) Price set for Türkiye's first domestically-produced electric car TOGG T10X

Türkiye's first indigenous electric car maker TOGG has unveiled the prices of its first model, with online pre-orders to begin later this week.

The price of the standard range model T10X will start from about $50,200 to about $55,600, while the long-range model was priced at about $64,000.

Pre-orders for the TOGG T10X will be taken online between March 16 to 27 and deliveries will start in late March.

*) Galatasaray to play charity match against Qarabag to help quake victims

Turkish football powerhouse Galatasaray will play a charity match against Azerbaijan's Qarabag on March 26 to help earthquake victims in Türkiye.

Qarabag said that Galatasaray will visit them in a friendly match in Baku, and all proceeds from the match will be donated to those impacted by the February 6 quakes that killed over 48,000 people.

Galatasaray is one of the many Turkish football clubs that have banded together to help with earthquake relief efforts.

*) Russia: 60-day extension of wartime grain deal acceptable

Russia's deputy foreign minister said Moscow does not object to another extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative but only for 60 days.

The deal was set to complete its second term on March 18.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin added that Russia’s future stance will be determined upon the tangible progress on normalisation of the country’s agricultural exports.

*) US, Britain unveil nuclear-powered submarine plan for Australia

The leaders of the United States, Australia and Britain revealed details of a plan to offer Australia nuclear-powered attack submarines.

Under the deal, the United States intends to sell Australia three US Virginia class nuclear-powered submarines in the early 2030s, with an option to buy two more if needed, a statement from the leaders said.

*) Two dead, multiple injured after truck hits pedestrians in Canada's Quebec

Two men died after a pickup truck hit pedestrians beside a road in the eastern Quebec town of Amqui.

A provincial police spokesperson said that nine other people were injured, including two whose injuries are considered serious.

The 38-year-old driver, a local resident, turned himself into police and was arrested under suspicion of committing a fatal hit and run, police further said.

*) US private sector raises over $110M to aid Türkiye quake victims

The US Chamber of Commerce has said the country's private sector raised more than $110 million for earthquake relief for Türkiye as the US-Türkiye Business Forum convened in Washington, DC.

As the business people, diplomats and representatives from both Türkiye and the US gathered for the forum in the US capital, a minute of silence was held by the participants to honour the victims of the February 6 earthquakes.

*) Amnesty decries rising police misuse of rubber bullets globally

Amnesty International warned that police use of rubber bullets and other projectiles against protesters has become increasingly routine worldwide, leading to many eye injuries and even deaths.

The group called for better global regulation of the trade and use of such policing equipment, also called for "less lethal weapons", after research in more than 30 countries over the past five years.

*) Casualties mount as Ukraine, Russia battle for Bakhmut rages

Russian forces suffered more than 1,100 dead in less than a week of battles near the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, the focal point of fighting in eastern Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.

Zelenskyy said Russian forces had also sustained 1,500 "sanitary losses" - soldiers wounded badly enough to keep them out of further action.

Russia has not responded to the Ukrainian claim. However, the Russian Defence Ministry had said earlier that up to 210 Ukrainian soldiers were killed in the broader Donetsk part of the frontline.

*) Deal with Iran does not mean 'all issues resolved': Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has said that agreement to reestablish diplomatic relations with Iran "does not mean that all issues have been resolved".

The agreement is an indication of the common desire to resolve issues through dialogue and diplomacy, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said.

The minister noted that Saudi Arabia is preparing to restart relations with Iran in two months and that mutual visits can be made in the future.

*) China's Xi highlights national security in congress closing speech

In his first address since being handed a historic third term, China's President Xi Jinping emphasised the need to strengthen national security.

Xi thanked the thousands of delegates at Beijing's Great Hall of the People for giving him a third term, vowing to "take the needs of the country as my mission, and the interests of the people as my yardstick".

Xi became China's most powerful leader in generations last week when he was reappointed for another five years at the helm of the world's most populous nation, in a break with long-standing political precedent.

*) US scrambles to prevent SVB collapse fallout, protects customer deposits

Fourteen migrants from sub-Saharan Africa drowned off the coast of Sfax, Tunisia, after their boat sank, according to the country’s coastguard. 54 people were rescued.

Tunisia has long been a springboard for Africans fleeing war and poverty to seek better lives in Europe, often on unseaworthy boats.

The coastguard regularly intercepts boats carrying migrants in Tunisia’s territorial waters, part of the world's deadliest migration route.

*)'Everything Everywhere All At Once' triumphs at Oscars with 7 wins

Surreal sci-fi film "Everything Everywhere All at Once" dominated the Oscars, winning seven golden statuettes including best picture, Hollywood's most coveted prize.

The unorthodox but beloved movie also won best director, best actress, best original screenplay, best editing, and both the best supporting actor and actress prizes on Sunday.

Michelle Yeoh, who is Malaysian, became the first ever Asian woman to win best actress, for her portrayal of an exhausted Chinese laundromat owner embroiled in battle with an inter-dimensional supervillain - who happens to be her daughter.

*) Xi Jinping bags historic third term as president

Xi Jinping has been handed a third term as China’s president, capping a rise that has seen him become the country's most powerful leader in generations.

Nearly 3,000 members of National People's Congress voted unanimously for Xi, who had locked in another five years as head of the Communist Party and the military in October.

69-year-old Xi's coronation sets him up to become modern China's longest-serving president, and means he will rule well into his seventies — if no challenger emerges.

*) Russia intentionally targeting nuclear facilities: Zelenskyy

Ukraine has accused Russia of unleashing a barrage of high-precision missile and other attacks that have triggered a wave of electricity, heat, and water blackouts.

Calling Russia a “terrorist state”, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Europe's biggest nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia was again disconnected from the power grid due to the attacks.

Adding that Moscow is "deliberately" creating critical situations at nuclear facilities, Zelenskyy called for sanctions against Russian nuclear industry.

*) Several dead in shooting in German city of Hamburg

Several people have been killed in a shooting at a Jehovah's Witness centre in Hamburg, Germany, with the gunman believed to be among the dead.

Police did not give an exact death toll, but several German media outlets said at least seven people had been killed and eight seriously injured.

Police said there was no reliable information on the motive of the crime yet, while sounding the alarm for "extreme danger" in the area.

Residents were urged to stay indoors.

*) Migrants from sub-Saharan Africa drown off Tunisia

Fourteen migrants from sub-Saharan Africa have drowned off the coast of Sfax, Tunisia, after their boat sank, according to the country’s coastguard. 54 people were rescued.

Tunisia has long been a springboard for Africans fleeing war and poverty to seek better lives in Europe, often on unseaworthy boats.

The coastguard regularly intercepts boats carrying migrants in Tunisia’s territorial waters, part of the world's deadliest migration route.

*) Innocent Black murder convict walks free

A Black man who spent more than eighteen years in prison for a murder he did not commit after being intentionally misidentified by the police has been freed from jail.

New Yorker Sheldon Thomas was convicted over the 2004 fatal drive-by shooting of 14-year-old Anderson Bercy, whose real killer remains unknown.

Thomas was arrested after a faulty witness identification. The witness was given the picture of another Sheldon Thomas by the United States police.

An attorney said the detectives were intent on arresting Thomas and used the faulty identification as pretext. The mistake was then concealed by the police.

*) Saudi engineer walks free from Guantanamo prison after 21 years

The United States has announced the release from Guantanamo military prison of a Saudi engineer seized over two decades ago as a suspect in the September 11 attacks.

48-year-old Ghassan Al Sharbi was detained in Pakistan in March 2002.

The US military had weighed charges against Al Sharbi and several others but dropped them in 2008.

Thirty-one detainees remain at Guantanamo, down from a peak of nearly 800. Of them, 17 are eligible for transfer.

*) Soldiers say fall of Kabul was US failure with blame touching Bush to Biden

Active-service members and veterans have provided firsthand testimony about the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan, describing in detail the carnage they witnessed on the ground.

The majority of witnesses argued to Congress that the fall of Kabul was an American failure with blame touching every presidential administration from George W. Bush to Joe Biden.

The initial hearing was the first of what is expected to be a series of Republican-led hearings examining the Biden administration's handling of the withdrawal.

*) Colombia, ELN rebels to hold next phase of peace talks in Cuba

Colombia's government and National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels will hold a third round of talks in Cuba aimed at ending decades of armed conflict, the two sides have said.

According to a statement, the dialogue has made "substantial progress" since resuming in Mexico on February 13, following a first round in Venezuela in November.

The negotiators reported late last month that the Colombian government had recognised the National Liberation Army (ELN) as a political organisation in order to advance the process.

*) Damning probe finds US police in Louisville discriminate against Black residents

An investigation conducted by the US Justice Department has found that American police in the Louisville city of Kentucky state routinely discriminate against Black residents.

The report comes nearly two years after US Attorney General Merrick Garland launched the investigation into the department whose officers shot and killed Breonna Taylor.

The investigation found a wide-ranging pattern of misconduct by police, including the use of excessive force and the conduct of illegal searches.

And finally…

*) Netherlands announces plans to curb tech exports after US pressure

The Dutch government has announced plans for new export restrictions on technology to make computer chips, following pressure from the United States to restrict Chinese access.

The Netherlands, Europe's premier maker of the machines that help manufacture microchips, has been pushed to impose curbs similar to those announced by Washington last year.

The government said the aim of the export controls was to prevent military use, and to protect the Netherlands' "unique and leading position".