This is The Loop, your quick catch-up for this morning's news as it happened.
Key events
Live updates
That's all for The Loop this morning
By Shiloh Payne
Thanks for joining us. If you're catching up, here's a bit of what was covered (click the link to jump straight to the post):
- The UN says more than 8,000 civilians have died in Ukraine over the past year
- Wagner boss accuses Russia's defence minister of treason
- Lifesavers rescue four people from capsized boat
- Heavy rain lashes Greater Sydney
- Microsoft strikes a 10-year deal for Call of Duty
- Six killed, 90 aftershocks recorded after quake
Malcolm X's daughter to sue CIA, FBI and New York police
By Brianna Morris-Grant
The daughter of civil rights activist Malcolm X has filed a notice to sue the FBI, the CIA, New York City police and others for his death.
This week marks the 58th anniversary of his assassination.
Ilyasah Shabazz accused various federal and New York government agencies of fraudulently concealing evidence that they "conspired to and executed their plan to assassinate Malcolm X."
"For years, our family has fought for the truth to come to light concerning his murder," Shabazz said at a news conference at the site of her father's assassination, now a memorial to Malcolm X.
ASIO warns Australians targeted by spies at 'unprecedented' levels
By Shiloh Payne
Journalists, military veterans and judicial figures are being targeted by foreign espionage agencies at "unprecedented" levels, with the country's intelligence chief revealing a "hive of spies" was removed from Australia in the past year.
In his annual threat assessment, the director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) has also hit out at former military personnel who have put "cash before country" by working for authoritarian regimes, describing them as "top tools" more than "top guns".
"Based on what ASIO is seeing, more Australians are being targeted for espionage and foreign interference than at any time in Australia's history," Mike Burgess said in a speech on Tuesday night.
"More hostile foreign intelligence services, more spies, more targeting, more harm, more ASIO investigations, more ASIO disruptions. From where I sit, it feels like hand-to-hand combat."
- You can continue reading this story from defence correspondent Andrew Greene below.
Train company ordered to clean up toxic Ohio derailment
By Brianna Morris-Grant
Transport company Norfolk Southern has been ordered to pay for the cleanup of the Ohio train wreck and chemical release by the US Environmental Protection Agency.
It comes almost three weeks after more than three dozen freight cars — including 11 carrying hazardous materials — derailed near the town of East Palestine.
Officials seeking to avoid the danger of an uncontrolled blast chose to intentionally release and burn toxic vinyl chloride from five rail cars, sending flames and black smoke again billowing high into the sky.
“In no way, shape or form will Norfolk Southern get off the hook for the mess they created,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan vowed.
Search continues for survivors in Türkiye and Syria
By Shiloh Payne
The International Federation of the Red Crescent says the situation on the ground in Türkiye and Syria is dire as the search continues for survivors from the latest earthquake to hit the region.
The Federation's Mey Al Sayegh says they're doing everything they can to help survivors.
"For survivors these are some of the hardest moments of their lives. So what are some of the most urgent needs for them now are shelter, healthcare, sanitation, food and water," Al Sayegh says.
Brazil rains death toll rises to 44
By Brianna Morris-Grant
The death toll from heavy rains that devastated coastal areas of Brazil's southeastern Sao Paulo state has risen to 44 people.
Massive rainfalls over the weekend have caused landslides and flooding in coastal towns in the southeast of the country. Almost 2,500 people are still displaced or homeless, the government said, adding that rescue works are ongoing.
The city of Sao Sebastiao bore the brunt of the human toll, with 43 reported deaths.
The UN says more than 8,000 civilians have died in Ukraine over the past year
By Shiloh Payne
The UN Human Rights Office says it's verified more than 8,000 civilian deaths in Ukraine in the past year.
But High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, says the UN's data is "only the tip of the iceberg."
The head of the United Nations Human Rights Mission in Ukraine, Matilda Bogner, says the UN believes thousands of civilian deaths remain to be counted — many of them in the southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which is now under Russian control.
Wagner boss accuses Russia's defence minister of treason
By Brianna Morris-Grant
Owner of the Wagner private Russian military company Yevgeny Prigozhin has accused Russia's defence minister and chief of general staff of starving his fighters in Ukraine of ammunition.
Mr Prigozhin said it amounts to an attempt to "destroy" the force.
He said Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov are handing out orders “left and right” not to supply Wagner with ammunition and or air transport.
This “can be likened to high treason in the very moment when Wagner is fighting for Bakhmut, losing hundreds of its fighters every day,” Mr Prigozhin said.
His claims could not be independently verified.
New Orleans celebrates Mardi Gras
By Brianna Morris-Grant
The US city of New Orleans is celebrating its 2023 Mardi Gras, with packed crowds lining the streets.
Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is the culmination of Carnival season, which officially begins each year on January 6, the 12th day after Christmas.
It closes with the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday.
Real Madrid stuns Liverpool 5-2 in Champions League
By Shiloh Payne
Reigning champion Real Madrid have fought back from two goals down to beat Liverpool 5-2 in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie at Anfield.
Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior and Karim Benzema both scored doubles for Real.
The Spanish giant beat Liverpool in last season's final in Paris.
Australia's Eurovision contestant has been announced
By Shiloh Payne
Australia will be represented by a band for the first time at the Eurovision Song Contest.
Synth-metal group Voyager has been named as the entrant for the 2023 competition with the song Promise.
The Perth-based outfit band have been trying to make it to the contest for eight years since Australia was first announced as a participant in 2015, after being invited as part of celebrations for the contest's 60th anniversary.
You can read more about the announcement below.
Zelenskyy says Ukraines front line will continue to stand strong
By Shiloh Payne
In his nightly video address, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukrainian forces were maintaining their positions on the front line in eastern Ukraine despite considerable pressure from constant Russian attacks.
"It is very important that despite great pressure on our forces, the front line has undergone no change," Zelenskyy says.
He says Russian forces were suffering "staggering losses" in constant attacks in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the main focus of the fighting.
Putin delivered a 'provocative' speech last night
By Shiloh Payne
North America correspondent Carrington Clarke is on News Channel talking about Vladimir Putin's address overnight.
Here's what he says about it:
Well, it's a provocative speech and a very long speech. A lot of it was about domestic issues and he went through a broad range of domestic policies for his domestic audience, but obviously what the rest of the world is interested in is in particular the suspension of Russia's participation in the START treaty.
This is an agreement between the United States and Russia, which limits both countries on how much nuclear warheads they can hold. Both are supposed to only have 1,550 deployed each, as well as 700 long-range missiles.
Russia is saying that although they are suspending their involvement in this treaty, they will still keep to that restriction, that quantitative restriction on how much warheads will be deployed.
But this was a very long speech from Vladimir Putin. There had been great expectations about it and obviously the issue of the invasion of Ukraine loomed large in that speech.
Vladimir Putin spoke about the fact that the country is in a difficult position at this point, but there was no indication that he is having second thoughts about the invasion of Ukraine or that there would be any pullback from Russia, instead talking about the resolve of the Russian people.
Lifesavers rescue four people from capsized boat in NSW
By Shiloh Payne
Several people have been rescued from a boat that capsized off the coast of Merimbula in New South Wales.
Footage from the Westpac Rescue Helicopter shows four people winched off the capsized boat's hull.
Steven Spielberg receives lifetime achievement award
By Shiloh Payne
American director Steven Spielberg is receiving a lifetime achievement award at the Berlin Film Festival.
The filmmaker — whose works include E-T, Jaws, Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park — says the prospect of making new movies continues to excite him at the age of 76.
Spielberg is currently finalising a script left unfinished by his friend and fellow filmmaker Stanley Kubrick at the time of his death in 1999.
He says Kubrick's original script "Napoleon" will be turned into a seven-part limited series.
Biden warns of 'hard and bitter days ahead'
By Shiloh Payne
US President Joe Biden has warned of “hard and bitter days ahead" as Russia's invasion of Ukraine nears the one-year mark, but vows that no matter what, the United States and allies “will not waver” in supporting the Ukrainians.
A day after his surprise visit to Kyiv, Biden used a strongly worded address in neighbouring Poland to praise allies in Europe for stepping up over the past year and to send a clear message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that "NATO will not be divided, and we will not tire.”
“One year ago, the world was bracing for the fall of Kyiv,” Biden said before a crowd of thousands outside Warsaw’s Royal Castle.
“I can report: Kyiv stands strong. Kyiv stands proud. It stands tall and, most important, it stands free."
With Russia and Ukraine each preparing spring offensives, Biden insisted there will be no backing down from what he’s portrayed as a global struggle between democracy and autocracy — though polling suggests American support for ongoing military assistance appears to be softening.
“Democracies of the world will stand guard over freedom today, tomorrow and forever," Biden declared. The U.S. and allies will “have Ukraine's back.”
You can continue reading about this story below.
Heavy rain lashes Greater Sydney
By Shiloh Payne
Emergency crews have carried out 13 flood rescues across Greater Sydney and the Central Coast due to flash flooding caused by heavy rain overnight.
The thunderstorm caused damaging winds, bursts of heavy rain and large hail across large parts of Sydney's south, east, North Shore and Northern Beaches.
The State Emergency Service says it has responded to 377 callouts for help, primarily due to fallen trees and damaged and leaking roofs.
Superintendent Adam Dewberry from Fire and Rescue New South Wales says firefighters were also kept busy due to the storm.
"Flooding in homes, flooding in unit blocks, several car crashes, fortunately nothing too serious, numerous wires down, wires arcing where our firefighters go to these areas, render them safe, set up exclusion zones to prevent people becoming electrocuted," he says.
Several roads are closed due to flooding and the Pacific Highway at Chatswood is closed northbound due to a tree that has fallen on power lines.
Romanian court rules to hold Andrew Tate for 30 more days
By Shiloh Payne
Controversial influencer Andrew Tate and his brother have had their custody in Romania extended for a third time, and will remain in detention until at least the end of March.
The pair were arrested in December on suspicion of human trafficking, rape and forming an organised crime group.
Both men have denied any wrongdoing.
Two Romanian women being held with the brothers will be released from custody and placed under house arrest instead.
Microsoft strikes a 10-year deal for Call of Duty
By Shiloh Payne
Microsoft Corp has struck a 10-year deal to bring Call of Duty and other Activision games to Nvidia Corp's gaming platform, if the Xbox maker is allowed to complete its much-contested $69 billion acquisition of Activision.
Phil Eisler, vice president and general manager of Nvidia's GeForce Now segment, says titles like Call of Duty won't be available on Nvidia's service unless Microsoft acquires Activision.
But other Microsoft-owned titles such as "Minecraft" are covered immediately under the 10-year license agreement.
"We were a little concerned about it at the beginning," Eisler said of the Microsoft-Activision deal," Eisler says.
"But then we reached out to Microsoft, and they were very open about wanting to enable cloud gaming and work with us on a 10-year license agreement. So over time, they made us more and more comfortable with it."
NATO urges Putin to reconsider suspending nuclear treaty
By Shiloh Payne
In his annual address, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced he was suspending a bilateral nuclear arms control treaty.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says it made the world a more dangerous place, and has urged Putin to reconsider.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called the decision "deeply unfortunate and irresponsible".
Russia's foreign ministry said later that Moscow intends to continue abiding by restrictions in the treaty on the number of warheads it could deploy.
Washington left room for Moscow to change course, with Blinken saying it would be watching to see what Moscow actually did.
You can read more about this below.
