*) Children starving in Gaza, ceasefire needed to get aid in: CIA chief

CIA Director William Burns has called for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza to facilitate humanitarian aid distribution, particularly for starving children amid Israeli attacks.

Speaking at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, Burns highlighted the challenge of effective humanitarian assistance without a ceasefire.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees has reported that one in six children under two years old faces acute malnourishment in northern Gaza.

*) Civilians in Israel, Palestine ‘cannot be abandoned’: UN official

In a recent mission to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, the UN’s top official on sexual violence in conflict Pramila Patten emphasised the imperative of not abandoning civilians.

Her visit aimed to gather, analyse and verify reports on sexual violence, providing a snapshot of her findings in a report to the UN Security Council.

*) Haiti PM Ariel Henry resigns after Jamaica summit seeks transition

Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry has resigned amidst a worsening civil war in the capital, driven by intensified activities of gang groups.

Henry took office following the 2021 assassination of the previous president.

Urgent discussions involving Caribbean leaders and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Jamaica preceded the resignation, focusing on finding a solution to Haiti’s escalating crisis.

*) India moves ahead to enforce anti-Muslim citizenship law ahead of election

India has announced rules to implement a 2019 citizenship law that critics call anti-Muslim, weeks before Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks a rare third term.

The Citizenship Amendment Act grants Indian nationality to certain people such as Hindus, Christians and Buddhists who fled to India from Muslim-majority countries before 2015.

Muslim groups say the law, combined with a proposed national register of citizens, can discriminate against India's 200 million Muslims.

They fear the government might remove the citizenship of Muslims without documents in some border states.

And finally…

*) Xiaomi schedules late March start for EV deliveries — company

China's Xiaomi will start deliveries of its first electric vehicle model SU7 this month, venturing into the world's largest auto market amid a brutal price war.

The smartphone maker, China's fifth-largest, said in a post on social media it has 59 stores in 29 cities nationwide that will take orders.

A launch event is scheduled for March 28 when the new EV's sticker tag is expected to be announced.