Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, said he is “fully committed” to talks with America in Saudi Arabia next week on ending the war. Earlier, he urged allies to tighten sanctions on Russia after strikes killed at least 14 people and wounded 37, officials said. Missiles hit homes in Dobropillia, a town in the east, killing 11, while three more died in Kharkiv, in the north.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said he would not negotiate under “bullying”. His comments follow Donald Trump’s letter proposing the talks. Mr Khamenei accused America of imposing new demands on Iran’s missile programme. During his first term America’s president abandoned a nuclear pact with Iran, which he said was too generous, but failed to secure a stricter agreement.
Britain, France, Germany and Italy said they support an Arab-backed plan for the reconstruction of Gaza. The proposal has been rejected by Israel and Donald Trump, who wants to turn the war-ravaged enclave into the “Riviera of the Middle East”. Meanwhile Israel and Hamas signaled they were preparing for the next stage of ceasefire negotiations, as mediators sought to extend a fragile truce.
China announced tariffs on Canadian food products, retaliating for Canada’s own tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, as well as steel and aluminium products, in October. The new levies, which will take effect on March 20th, further heighten global trade tensions, which had already risen due to Donald Trump’s erratic policy.
More than 1,000 people were killed in two days of clashes between Syrian security forces and supporters of Bashar al-Assad, the deposed president, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor. A pro-Assad militia has vowed to overthrow the new Islamist-led government. Authorities imposed curfews and deployed reinforcements to the coast, home to many Alawites—and Mr Assad’s sectarian stronghold.
South Korea’s impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeol, was released from detention after a court quashed his arrest warrant, citing flaws in the indictment process. He remains suspended from presidential duties as his criminal and impeachment trials continue. The Constitutional Court is expected to rule soon on his removal from office. Tens of thousands protested near the court, calling for his dismissal, while supporters rallied in central Seoul.
Cyclone Alfred tore through Australia’s Queensland state, causing flash flooding and leaving more than 300,000 people without power. The storm, which was downgraded to a “tropical low” on Saturday, made landfall near Brisbane, the state’s capital. One man died in floodwaters in the state of New South Wales. Tropical cyclones are becoming more damaging because of climate change.
Word of the week: sertanejo, Brazil’s most popular music genre, a country-inspired style reflecting the country’s rural and agricultural roots. Read the full story.
Donald Trump’s return to the presidency has brought exceptional changes to American politics—with consequences for the rest of the world, too. Read The US in brief, a daily update of the domestic political stories that matter. Sign up here to receive it as a newsletter, each weekday, in your inbox.