Xinhua world news summary at 0900 GMT, Feb. 24

FARAH, Afghanistan -- At least 22 Afghan army soldiers were killed in a massive Taliban attack on an army camp in western Farah province overnight, a local official said Saturday.

"Militants numbered hundreds attacked an army camp in Kanesk area of Bala Buluk district Friday night. The army soldiers fought back the attackers but some 22 soldiers lost their lives after the fighting," Naser Mehri, spokesman of the provincial government, told Xinhua. (Afghanistan-Army Camp-Attack)

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YANGON -- A series of four bomb explosions hit Sittwe, capital of Myanmar's western Rakhine state, early Saturday, injuring two people including a policeman, the Presidential Office said.

The blasts occurred at about 5:47 a.m. local time (2317 GMT Friday). (Myanmar-Bomb Blast)

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MOSCOW -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday accused the U.S.-led coalition in Syria of failing to fight the Nusra Front terrorists that Russia deems as the major obstacle to reaching a cease-fire in the Mideast country.

"The Nusra Front is not being targeted. We still have no evidence that the U.S.-led coalition considers the Nusra Front as a target for its military campaign," Lavrov was quoted as saying by Russia's Sputnik news agency. (Russia-FM-Syria)

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WASHINGTON -- Former Trump campaign aide Rick Gates pleaded guilty to charges of federal conspiracy and false statements on Friday in the ongoing Trump-Russia probe led by special counsel Robert Mueller.

Gates, 45, of Richmond, Virginia, appeared at the federal courthouse in Washington for a plea agreement hearing Friday afternoon. (US-Russia-Probe) Enditem