*) North Korea 'fires suspected ballistic missile' into the sea

North Korea has fired at least one projectile into the Sea of Japan. That's according to officials in South Korea and Tokyo, who suspect the unidentified projectile may have been a ballistic missile.

The launch comes less than two weeks after North Korea tested a new railway-borne missile system. North Korea has defended the move saying no one can deny it the right to self defence and weapons testing.

Pyongyang is also calling on the US to give up what it calls a "hostile policy" towards North Korea. Washington has condemned the test.

*) SPD seeks alliance with Greens, Liberals for three-way coalition

Germany's Social Democratic Party fought hard to win Sunday's elections, but it will be just as tough forging a coalition.

The party's leader, Olaf Scholz, has the best shot of becoming the new chancellor, and he's got big shoes to fill.

Angela Merkel was one of the world's highest-profile political leaders during her 16 years in office. And she'll stay in the top job until a deal is done. The negotiations will be a complicated process.

*) Botched Nigeria air strike kills many fishermen – report

At least 20 fishermen have been killed accidently after Nigeria's military targeted a militant camp in the country's northeast, according to two security sources and locals.

A Nigerian fighter jet early on Sunday bombarded Kwatar Daban Masara in Lake Chad, which straddles Nigeria and neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon, the sources said on Monday.

The area is a bastion for the Daesh-affiliated Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

The reports of casualties came less than two weeks after officials said another airstrike on a village killed nine civilians in Nigeria's northeast.

*) Israel 'won't allow' nukes to Iran; Tehran says Israel has hundreds of them

Israel's Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, has addressed the UN General Assembly Monday, saying Iran has progressed too far in its nuclear program.

Bennett accused Tehran of seeking to dominate the Middle East under a 'nuclear umbrella'.

"Iran-phobia runs rampant at the UN," Iran's UN Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi posted on Twitter.

Israel "is in no position to discuss our peaceful program when it has hundreds of nuclear warheads," he said, referring to Israel's widely believed status as the Middle East's sole nuclear-armed state.

And finally…

*)Disgraced singer R. Kelly convicted in sex trafficking trial

A federal jury in New York has convicted American R&B artist, R Kelly, of racketeering and sex trafficking.

The charges against him also include sexual exploitation of a child, bribery and kidnapping.

The verdict comes 13 years after Kelly was acquitted of child pornography charges at an Illinois state trial.

The musician will be sentenced on May 4th, and is said to be facing decades behind bars.