World News Roundup: Niger accepts foreign forces from Mali to combat jihadist threat; U.S. announces Abrams tanks for Poland as Russia threat mounts and more

The drivers, joined by thousands of demonstrators and some 400 vehicles, turned the streets around Parliament into a noisy party zone since first arriving on Jan. 28, in what has become one of the worst crises to hit Trudeau since he took power in 2015. Hong Kong's future unclear as leadership election, lacking front-runner, is delayed by COVID Hong Kong on Friday postponed an election for a new leader until May to battle a raging COVID outbreak, but unlike previous years, there's still no front-runner for the job, adding to uncertainty about the city's future as Beijing imposes its rule.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Niger accepts foreign forces from Mali to combat jihadist threat

Niger has accepted that French and European special forces will cross into its territory from neighbouring Mali to combat jihadists and try to secure the border with the West African state, Niger's president said on Twitter on Friday. In his first comments since France said on Thursday that it would leave Mali along with its military allies, President Mohamed Bazoum said the forces would be able to respond to threats from jihadist militants groups in the area.

U.S. announces Abrams tanks for Poland as Russia threat mounts

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced on Friday the planned sale of 250 Abrams tanks to Poland, as Washington moves to strengthen the defences of a key eastern European ally amid a mounting threat of war between neighboring Ukraine and Russia. Austin was speaking during a trip to Warsaw, where Polish leaders have been alarmed by the deployment of thousands of Russian forces in neighbouring Belarus, part of a huge Russian buildup around Ukraine that NATO says positions Moscow for an invasion. President Vladimir Putin denies any plan to invade.

"What's the point?" Hong Kong resident questions quarantine ordeal

Hong Kong accountant May Ng says her family made huge sacrifices last month to comply with the city's COVID-19 policies, but now thinks these were in vain as she does not expect the latest outbreak to be contained. The global financial hub follows mainland China in deploying a "dynamic zero-COVID" strategy aimed at ending any outbreaks as soon as possible after they occur, but the highly-transmissible Omicron variant has proven hard to keep under control.

Brazil's attorney general asks top court to drop case against Bolsonaro

Brazilian Attorney General Augusto Aras asked the Supreme Court to shelve an investigation into President Jair Bolsonaro, who was accused of disclosing sensitive information regarding a probe into the alleged hacking of the Superior Electoral Court's computer networks last year. In a statement late on Thursday, Aras said the probe was not under seal, concluding "there is no crime" in discussing it on social media.

Japan plans targeted COVID curbs as new cases fall but deaths hit record

A Japanese health panel approved on Friday a plan for more targeted COVID-19 curbs across much of the nation, as new infections decline but deaths rise to a record level. The government will let limits on mobility and commerce lapse on Sunday in five prefectures where the virus appears to have peaked, but extend curbs until March 6 in 17 more areas where infections are still relatively high.

Canada police set to end siege of capital by protesters fighting COVID measures

Canadian police are poised to clear out on Friday hundreds of truck drivers from Ottawa who have staged a three-week-long protest against pandemic restrictions that has crippled the capital and prompted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to assume emergency powers for the first time in more than 50 years. The drivers, joined by thousands of demonstrators and some 400 vehicles, turned the streets around Parliament into a noisy party zone since first arriving on Jan. 28, in what has become one of the worst crises to hit Trudeau since he took power in 2015.

Hong Kong's future unclear as leadership election, lacking front-runner, is delayed by COVID

Hong Kong on Friday postponed an election for a new leader until May to battle a raging COVID outbreak, but unlike previous years, there's still no front-runner for the job, adding to uncertainty about the city's future as Beijing imposes its rule. The former British colony returned to China in 1997, since when there have been four chief executives, all of whom struggled to balance the democratic aspirations of some residents with the vision of China's Communist Party leaders.

Alarm as east Ukraine's most intense shelling for years enters second day

Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian rebels reported increased shelling in eastern Ukraine for a second straight day on Friday, an escalation that Washington and other Western allies say could form part of a Russian pretext to invade. A diplomatic source with years of direct experience of the conflict described the shelling over the past two days as the most intense along the frontline in eastern Ukraine since major combat there ended with a 2015 ceasefire.

Netherlands to send military equipment to Ukraine -government

The Netherlands plans to send military equipment to Ukraine, including rifles, ammunition, radar systems and mine-detecting robots, the government said on Friday. "We continue to aim for a diplomatic solution", Foreign minister Wopke Hoekstra said. "But at the same time Ukraine must be able to defend itself against a possible Russian attack."

Two trapped, scores rescued after flames engulf Greece-Italy ferry

Two people are trapped on a ferry that was engulfed in a blaze as it sailed from Greece to Italy early on Friday, the coastguard said, after scores of others passengers and crew members were rescued. A total of 239 passengers and 51 crew were onboard the Italian-flagged Euroferry Olympia when the fire broke out and rescue vessels had taken most of them to the island of Corfu where ambulances were waiting, the Greek coastguard added.

(With inputs from agencies.)