Reuters World News Summary

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Sweden clears final hurdle to join NATO as Hungary approves accession

Hungary's parliament approved Sweden's NATO accession on Monday, clearing the last hurdle before the historic step by the Nordic country whose neutrality lasted through two world wars and the simmering conflict of the Cold War. Hungary's vote ended months of delays to complete Sweden's security policy shift and followed a visit by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Friday, during which the two countries signed an arms deal.

Colombia, ELN rebels hold meeting after troubles at peace talks

Colombia's government and the National Liberation Army (ELN)rebels said on Monday they have held a meeting amid difficulties at peace talks and will meet to continue negotiations in April. The guerrilla group, which has fought the government since 1964, said last week the talks were in crisis because the government participated in regional talks with communities. The government said it complied with all its commitments.

Senegal seeks consensus on date for delayed presidential election

Senegal's President Macky Sall on Monday urged participants in a national dialogue to reach a consensus on a date to hold a delayed presidential election, failing which he will ask the Constitutional Council to find his replacement when his mandate ends on April 2. The West African nation, set to become an oil and gas producer by the end of the year, has been thrown into an unprecedented political crisis after Sall postponed the election initially scheduled for Feb. 25.

Dutch to give 100 million euros to Czech initiative to buy ammunition for Ukraine

The Netherlands will contribute 100 million euros ($108.47 million) to a Czech initiative to buy ammunition for Ukraine from countries around the world, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Monday. Rutte was speaking after a meeting in Paris to bolster support for Ukraine as it struggles to fight Russia's invasion, convened by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Polish farmers block highway at border crossing with Germany

Polish farmers protesting against European Union regulations and cheap food imports from Ukraine blocked the A2 highway at a border crossing with Germany on Monday. Farmers across Europe have been protesting for weeks against constraints placed on them by European Union measures to tackle climate change, as well as rising costs and what they say is unfair competition from outside the EU, particularly Ukraine.

Putin vows to boost Russian special forces' ability to strike

President Vladimir Putin promised late on Monday to increase the mobility and striking potential of Russia's special operations forces, saying this is a key priority to make the country's army stronger. "We will continue to strengthen the Special Operations Forces, increase their mobility and striking potential, and arm them with new-generation weapons and equipment," Putin said in a congratulatory video message issued ahead of the Feb. 27 Special Operations Forces Day in Russia.

Navalny was close to being freed in prisoner swap between Russia and West - ally

Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny was "killed" because he was close to being freed in a prisoner swap and President Vladimir Putin could not tolerate the thought of him being released, a close ally alleged on Monday. Navalny, 47, died at an Arctic penal colony on Feb. 16. The Kremlin, which casts Navalny and his supporters as U.S.-backed extremists, has denied state involvement in his death. Navalny's death certificate, according to supporters, said he died of natural causes.

Biden flags ceasefire soon as Israelis, Hamas take part in Qatar talks

U.S. President Joe Biden said he hopes to have a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza by next Monday as the warring parties appeared to close in on a deal during negotiations in Qatar that also aim to broker the release of hostages. The presence of both sides for so-called proximity talks - meeting mediators separately while in the same city - suggested negotiations were further along than at any time since a big push at the start of February, when Israel rejected a Hamas counter-offer for a four-and-a-half-month truce.

Mexico's president defends decision to share journalist's phone number

Mexico's president on Monday shared a letter from the New York Times' bureau chief for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean for the second time and defended his decision last week to share her private telephone number publicly. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador shared the letter from the Times' Natalie Kitroeff to his head of communications at his morning press conference, although the version on Monday obscured the telephone number which he had made public on Thursday.

Hungarian parliament elects top court chief as new president

Hungary's parliament elected Constitutional Court chief Tamas Sulyok as the country's next president on Monday, two weeks after the unexpected resignation of Katalin Novak. Novak, a close ally of conservative Prime Minister Viktor Orban, resigned from the largely ceremonial role as president after she came under mounting pressure for pardoning a man convicted of helping to cover up sexual abuse in a children's home.

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