1. Israel has agreed to halt its Gaza attacks for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, US President Joe Biden said, adding that he hoped a temporary ceasefire will take hold next week as Hamas reviewed a truce deal that includes a prisoner-hostage swap.

2. French President Emmanuel Macron refused to rule out the possibility that European nations could send troops to Ukraine, although he warned that there was no consensus at this stage.

3. The US cautioned Pacific Islands nations against assistance from Chinese security forces after Reuters reported that Chinese police are working in the remote atoll nation of Kiribati, a neighbor of Hawaii.

4. New Zealand will repeal a world-first law banning tobacco sales for future generations, the government said, even while researchers and campaigners warned of the risk that people could die as a result.

5. South Africa recorded 499 rhinos poached in 2023, 51 more than the previous year, despite efforts to protect the animals. The country is home to nearly half of the critically-endangered black rhino population in Africa.

6. The number of babies born in Japan fell for an eighth straight year to a fresh record low in 2023, preliminary data showed, underscoring the daunting task the country faces in trying to stem depopulation.

7. Russia ordered a six-month ban on gasoline exports from March 1 to keep prices stable amid rising demand from consumers and farmers and to allow for maintenance of refineries in the world's second largest oil exporter.

Source: Reuters
=FRESH NEWS