ISTANBUL

Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Tuesday with, including Israel's power cut worsening Gaza's water crisis, the arrest of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on ICC warrant, EU inviting Damascus to annual conference on Syria, and Kremlin saying process of restoring Russia-US ties still in 'initial stages.'

TOP STORIES

• Israel’s power cut worsens Gaza water crisis

A power cut by Israel to the Gaza Strip will worsen a water crisis in the Palestinian enclave, a local official warned on Monday.

Israel cut off the electricity supply to Gaza on Sunday, in the latest move to tighten a stifling blockade on the enclave despite a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.

It followed an Israeli decision last week to stop humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, prompting warnings from local and human rights groups of a return to widespread hunger for the Palestinian population.

“Cutting off electricity to Gaza’s desalination plant reduces fresh water reaching central and southern Gaza by 70%,” said Nizar Ayyash, who heads Deir al-Balah Municipality in central Gaza.

He said eight out of 19 water wells in Deir al-Balah have stopped operation due to Israeli bombardment.

• Philippine ex-President Rodrigo Duterte arrested on ICC warrant

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested Tuesday in Manila after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant accusing

him of crimes against humanity in his war on drugs.

According to the Philippine government, Duterte was taken into custody at the airport in the capital after returning from a trip to Hong Kong.

"The former president and his entourage are in good health and have been examined by government doctors. They have assured him that he is in good condition," the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said in a statement.

When he was in Hong Kong, Duterte said that he was prepared for his possible arrest.

Reports indicate that the ICC issued Duterte's arrest order as part of its investigation into alleged crimes against humanity committed during his nationwide anti-drug trafficking operations between 2016 and 2022.

• EU invites Damascus to 9th Brussels Conference on Syria

European Commission on Monday said an invitation had been sent to the Syrian foreign minister for the 9th Brussels Conference on the war-torn country.

Answering questions about the latest developments in Syria during the European Commission's daily press briefing, spokesperson Anitta Hipper confirmed that “an invite was sent” to Asaad al-Shaibani for the conference on March 17.

“We are all having an interest in the stabilization of Syria. It's important that the work towards that happens, and this can only happen with an inclusive transition, because there's no alternative to that,” the spokesperson said.

Since 2017, the EU has been organizing donor conferences in Brussels to support Syria.

This year’s conference, will be the first since the fall of the Assad regime in December, and also the first conference in which the Syrian administration will be participating.

• Kremlin says process of restoring Russia-US ties still in 'initial stages'

The process of restoring relations between Moscow and Washington is still in its “initial stages,” the Kremlin said on Monday, as bilateral contacts began after Donald Trump took over as US president in January.

“We are at the initial stage of the path to restoring our bilateral relations. The path ahead is quite long and difficult,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow, adding that the presidents of both countries expressed “political will” in this regard.

Peskov, however, denied media reports that top Russian and US officials will meet in Saudi Arabia this week, describing them as “not true.”

On Sunday, CNN reported that top officials from the Trump administration will separately meet Russian and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia, in a bid to reach a deal between the two warring countries

NEWS IN BRIEF

• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday said that Ankara “strongly” condemns all kinds of attacks targeting Syria’s integrity and social peace, as well as acts of terrorism and intimidation.

• The director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, was subjected to torture and brutal abuse in Israeli prisons, a Palestinian lawyer said on Monday.

• The Syrian Defense Ministry said Monday that its military operation against the remnants of the deposed Assad regime in the coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus has concluded.

• Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon and his Kyrgyz counterpart Sadyr Japarov will sign a border agreement on March 12.

• A federal judge in Manhattan on Monday blocked the deportation of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil from the US.

• An Israeli army vehicle fatally struck a Palestinian man Monday evening in the city of Jenin in the northern occupied West Bank, said authorities.

• The US may resume military aid to Ukraine if talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday go well, said Secretary of State Marco Rubio

• Ukraine will not agree to a ceasefire on land that would allow Russian forces to regroup and resume hostilities later, an adviser to the head of the Ukrainian President's Office said Monday.

• The UN chief on Monday expressed deep concern over Israel's decision to cut electricity supply to Gaza, warning that the move would severely impact access to clean water for tens of thousands of people.

• US President Donald Trump on Monday defended the arrest of a Palestinian student protestor at Columbia University, calling it “the first arrest of many to come”.

• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed regional issues, the State Department said Monday.

SPORTS

• Turkish shooters win gold at European championship

Turkish shooters Yusuf Dikec and Sevval İlayda Tarhan won the gold medal in the 10-meter air pistol mixed team event at the European Shooting Championship in Osijek, Croatia on Monday.

They advanced to the final after scoring 580 points in the qualification round.

The two defeated the Czech team of Viktorie Sindlerova and Pavel Schejbal 16-14 to claim the title.

Serbia’s Zorana Arunovic and Damir Mikec took the bronze.

• Indiana Pacers' Pascal Siakam fined $25,000 for confronting game officials

The NBA fined Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam $25,000 for confronting game officials.

"Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam has been fined $25,000 for confronting and directing profane language toward game officials, it was announced today by Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations," the NBA said in a statement on Monday.

The incident occurred after the end of the fourth quarter of Indiana’s 120-118 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on March 8 at the State Farm Arena.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• BioNTech posts $721M loss in 2024 due to low demand for COVID-19 vaccines

German biotech firm BioNTech reported a loss of €665.3 million ($721 million) in 2024, as demand for its COVID-19 vaccines fell, according to the company's financial results report on Monday.

The company, which posted a €930.3 million profit in 2023, failed to make a profit in a fiscal year for the first time since 2019.

BioNTech's revenues decreased by 27% last year compared to the previous year to €2.75 billion.

"The decrease in revenues was primarily driven by lower sales of the company’s COVID-19 vaccines due to reduced market demand," it said.

• Incoming US ambassador warns Poland not to support EU tax on tech giants

The incoming US ambassador to Poland warned Monday that the country will face consequences if it supports a tax by the European Union that would be paid by the largest American tech companies.

"Not very smart! A self-destructive tax that will only harm Poland and its relations with the US. President Trump will take retaliatory action. Cancel the tax to avoid consequences!" Thomas Rose wrote on X, without elaborating.

Earlier Monday, Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Affairs, Krzysztof Gawkowski, spoke about plans to introduce a digital tax on big tech companies to be presented in the coming months, with funds going to support the development of companies and startups from the digital and technology sector and the media.