Myanmar coup: UN ambassador fired after anti-army speech

Myanmar's military rulers say they have fired the country's ambassador to the United Nations, a day after he called for help to remove the army from power. In an emotional speech, Kyaw Moe Tun said no-one should co-operate with the military until it handed back power to the democratically elected government. UN sources told Reuters that as they do not recognise the junta, Kyaw Moe Tun remains Myanmar's UN ambassador.

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  Myanmar's ambassador to the U.N. has been fired

  Reuters Videos
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  Myanmar military fires UN ambassador after anti-coup speech

  Axios

Nigerian families await news of 300 kidnapped schoolgirls

Families in Nigeria waited anxiously for news of their abducted daughters after more than 300 schoolgirls were kidnapped by gunmen from a government school in the country's north last week, the latest in a series of mass school kidnappings in the West African nation. Aliyu Ladan Jangebe said his five daughters aged between 12 and 16 were at the school when the kidnappers stormed in. “We cannot imagine their situation,” he said of his missing daughters.

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  Nigerian schoolboys freed as forces search for 300 abducted girls

  Reuters
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  317 schoolgirls have been abducted by 'bandits' in an attack on a boarding school in Nigeria

  INSIDER

Trump proposes new voting limits, rails against "monster" voting rights bill

Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday laid out a variety of election proposals, such as limiting absentee voting and days when Americans can vote, in his first public speech after his stinging Nov. 3 election loss. Democrats' nationwide push to register new voters, including Black voters and young people, and Trump's refusal to urge his Republican supporters to vote by absentee ballot are believed to have been factors in his 7 million vote loss to Joe Biden. At a speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida, Trump said Election Day should be only one day, not a number of days leading up to the actual voting day.

Republican congressman appears at white nationalist conference whose founder called Capitol riot ‘awesome’

Republican congressman Paul Gosar appeared at a white nationalist political conference before attending the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), according to reports. The Arizona Republican appeared on-stage at the "America First Political Action Conference" (AFPAC) on Friday, following the far-right conference's founder, Nicholas Fuentes. Mr Fuentes, an alleged white nationalist, said on Friday that the Capitol riot – in which five people died – was “awesome”, and that "white people are done being bullied".

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  Rep. Gosar criticizes ‘white racism’ after speaking at event whose organizer called for white supremacy

  TheGrio
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  Rep. Paul Gosar speaks at white nationalist event in Florida ahead of CPAC, skips in-person D.C. votes

  USA TODAY

Archaeologists uncover ancient ceremonial carriage near Pompeii

Archaeologists have unearthed a unique ancient-Roman ceremonial carriage from a villa just outside Pompeii, the city buried in a volcanic eruption in 79 AD. The almost perfectly preserved four-wheeled carriage made of iron, bronze and tin was found near the stables of an ancient villa at Civita Giuliana, around 700 metres (yards) north of the walls of ancient Pompeii. Massimo Osanna, the outgoing director of the Pompeii archaeological site, said the carriage was the first of its kind discovered in the area, which had so far yielded functional vehicles used for transport and work, but not for ceremonies.

Analysis: U.S. seeks to put Saudi crown prince in his place - for now

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman may have been spared direct punishment after a U.S. intelligence report implicated him in the killing of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but he has not emerged unscathed. The declassified report, based on CIA intelligence, concludes that the prince approved an operation to "capture or kill" Khashoggi, who was murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. President Joe Biden's decision to publish a report that his predecessor Donald Trump had set aside brings with it a broad refocusing of Washington's stance on dealing with the kingdom, on its human rights record, and on its lucrative arms purchases.

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  WH Press Secretary Defends Choice Not To Punish Saudi Prince For Khashoggi Murder

  HuffPost
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  Don't bully Riyadh, Saudi columnists tell Biden administration

  Reuters

Rooster kills Indian man during banned cockfight

A man was killed by a rooster with a blade tied to its leg during an illegal cockfight in southern India, police said, bringing focus on a practice that continues in some Indian states despite a decades-old ban. The rooster, with a 3-inch knife tied to its leg, fluttered in panic and slashed its owner, 45-year-old Thangulla Satish, in his groin last week, police inspector B. Jeevan said Sunday. Jeevan said police filed a case and were looking for over a dozen people involved in organizing the cockfight.

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  A rooster stabbed a man to death with a knife during a cockfight

  INSIDER
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  Indian man killed by his own bird during cockfight

  BBC

The mystery of India’s ‘lake of skeletons’

High in the Indian Himalayas, a remote lake nestled in a snowy valley is strewn with hundreds of human skeletons. Roopkund Lake is located 5,029 metres (16,500ft) above sea level at the bottom of a steep slope on Trisul, one of India's highest mountains, in the state of Uttarakhand. The remains are strewn around and beneath the ice at the "lake of skeletons", discovered by a patrolling British forest ranger in 1942.

Iran dismisses idea of talks with EU and U.S. to revive 2015 nuclear deal

Iran on Sunday ruled out holding an informal meeting with the United States and other major powers to discuss ways to salvage the unravelling 2015 nuclear deal, insisting Washington must first lift all its unilateral sanctions. "Considering the recent actions and statements by the United States and three European powers, Iran does not consider this the time to hold an informal meeting with these countries, which was proposed by the EU foreign policy chief," Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said, according to Iranian media.

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  Iran insists U.S. lift sanctions first to revive nuclear deal talks

  Reuters
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  Iran says it will not meet US for informal talks on saving nuclear deal

  The Telegraph

Saudi Arabia says it intercepts missile attack over capital

Saudi Arabia said Saturday it intercepted a missile attack over its capital and bomb-laden drones targeting a southern province, the latest in a series of airborne assaults it has blamed on Yemen's rebel Houthis. The Saudi-led military coalition fighting in Yemen's yearslong war announced the Iran-allied Houthis had launched a ballistic missile toward Riyadh and three booby-trapped drones toward the province of Jizan, with a fourth toward another southwestern city and other drones being monitored. No casualties or damage were initially reported.

Minneapolis approved funding to hire social media influencers to spread information about ex cop Derek Chauvin's trial

Minneapolis city council approved funding to hire social media influencers for Derek Chauvin's trial, WCCO-TV reported. The influencers will be paid to provide the local community with information about the trial. Chauvin was charged in Floyd's death, and his trial is set to begin on March 8.

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  Minneapolis To Hire “Social Media Influencers” To Report During Upcoming George Floyd Death Trial

  Deadline
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  Minneapolis Will Pay 6 Local 'Influencers' to Send Out City-Backed Messages During Derek Chauvin Trial

  Complex

U.S. calls on African Union to exert pressure over worsening crisis in Ethiopia's Tigray

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday called on the African Union and other international partners to help address a deepening crisis in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region as he condemned alleged atrocities in fighting there. Blinken's statement suggested growing frustration with the response so far from Ethiopia and neighboring Eritrea to what America's top diplomat described as a "worsening humanitarian crisis." His remarks came a day after Amnesty International released a report accusing Eritrean forces of killing hundreds of civilians in Tigray in a 24-hour period last year, an incident it described as a potential crime against humanity.

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  US is 'gravely concerned' by reports of abuses in Ethiopia

  Associated Press
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  Ethiopia's Tigray crisis: Blinken says US concerned about atrocities

  BBC

Arrival of 'sticky bombs' in Indian Kashmir sets off alarm bells

Security forces battling a decades-long insurgency in Indian-controlled Kashmir are alarmed by the recent arrival in the disputed region of small, magnetic bombs that have wreaked havoc in Afghanistan. "Sticky bombs", which can be attached to vehicles and detonated remotely, have been seized during raids in recent months in the federally administered region of Jammu and Kashmir, three senior security officials told Reuters. "These are small IEDs and quite powerful," said Kashmir Valley police chief Vijay Kumar, referring to improvised explosive devices.

Fauci Fires Back at Kristi Noem Saying He’s ‘Wrong’: ‘The Numbers Don’t Lie’

Biden's chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci hit back at South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem's harsh criticism of him on Sunday, saying her comments about him at this weekend's Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) were “not very helpful” and “unfortunate.” Noem, who has received praise from conservatives for largely ignoring coronavirus restrictions and guidelines, got a standing ovation from the CPAC crowd when she boasted about ignoring the medical advice of experts and called out Fauci for supposedly being “wrong.” Appearing on CBS News' Face the Nation, Fauci was asked if that sentiment was an impediment to the nation's recovery.

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  Dr. Fauci Slaps Down Gov. Kristi Noem's CPAC Dig: Numbers 'Don't Lie'

  HuffPost
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  Fauci on CPAC speech: ‘I'm sure that you can get a standing ovation by saying I'm wrong’

  Politico

Israeli-owned ship docked in Dubai after mysterious blast

An Israeli-owned cargo ship that suffered a mysterious explosion in the Gulf of Oman came to Dubai's port for repairs Sunday, days after the blast that revived security concerns in Mideast waterways amid heightened tensions with Iran. Associated Press journalists saw the hulking Israeli-owned MV Helios Ray sitting at dry dock facilities at Dubai's Port Rashid. Although the crew was unharmed in the blast, the vessel sustained two holes on its port side and two on its starboard side just above the waterline, according to American defense officials.

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  Israeli-owned ship in Dubai for assessment after explosion

  Reuters
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  Netanyahu blames Iran for blast on Israeli-owned ship which Tehran denies

  Reuters

Nigerian schoolboys freed as forces search for 300 abducted girls

Gunmen in Nigeria on Saturday released 27 teenage boys who were kidnapped from their school last week in the northern state of Niger, while security forces continued to search for more than 300 schoolgirls abducted in a nearby state. Schools have become targets for mass kidnappings for ransom in northern Nigeria by armed groups, many of whom carry guns and ride motorcycles. On Feb. 17, 27 students, three staff and 12 members of their families were abducted by an armed gang who stormed the Government Science secondary school in the Kagara district of Niger state, overwhelming the school's security detail.

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  Nigeria boys freed, police search for 317 missing girls

  Reuters Videos
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  Families wait as Nigerian security forces search for 300 abducted girls

  Reuters

Lawmaker breaks down confronting Ercot officials over death of boy in Texas freeze

A Texas lawmaker broke down as she confronted officials from the state's energy supplier, Ercot, over dozens of deaths during a power blackout and a winter storm last week. It came as Ercot officials appeared before Texas's legislature on Thursday to answer questions as part of a hearing into the firm's role in the crisis. That was when, as reported by MSNBC, a lawmaker broke down in tears as she confronted the officials from Ercot over the deaths, which are thought to be in the dozens – and include an 11-year-old boy, Cristian Pineda, who died of hypothermia.

Democratic voting bill would make biggest changes in decades

As Congress begins debate this week on sweeping voting and ethics legislation, Democrats and Republicans can agree on one thing: If signed into law, it would usher in the biggest overhaul of U.S. elections law in at least a generation. House Resolution 1, Democrats' 791-page bill, would touch virtually every aspect of the electoral process — striking down hurdles to voting erected in the name of election security, curbing partisan gerrymandering and curtailing the influence of big money in politics. Republicans see those very measures as threats that would both limit the power of states to conduct elections and ultimately benefit Democrats, notably with higher turnout among minority voters.

Hyatt says it's creating a 'highly inclusive environment' as people call for a boycott of the hotel chain for hosting CPAC in Florida

People are calling for a boycott of Hyatt, an American hotel chain that is hosting CPAC this weekend. The annual political gathering for conservatives is taking place at Orlando's Hyatt Regency hotel. A Hyatt spokesperson said the chain is responsible for creating an inclusive environment.

SCOTUS quietly banned the abortion pill from mail - the only mail-in medication barred during the pandemic

In January, SCOTUS reversed a ruling that made the abortion pill available by mail during the pandemic. Advocates say the ruling signals the majority conservative court's will to erode Roe v. Wade. Last month, the Supreme Court voted to ban the abortion pill, which is used to induce a miscarriage in people who are up to 11 weeks pregnant, from mail order during the pandemic.

What's in an adjective? 'Democrat Party' label on the rise

Two days before the assault on the U.S. Capitol, Pennsylvania state Sen. Doug Mastriano, a Republican, said supporters of then-President Donald Trump's claims of election fraud were basically in a “death match with the Democrat Party.” A day later, right-wing activist Alan Hostetter, a staunch Trump supporter known for railing against California's virus-inspired stay-at-home orders, urged rallygoers in Washington to "put the fear of God in the cowards, the traitors, the RINOs, the communists of the Democrat Party.” The shared grammatical construction — incorrect use of the noun “Democrat” as an adjective — was far from the most shocking thing about the two men's statements.

'We're done with that lifestyle': Jessica Watkins, Ohio woman charged in Capitol riot, renounces Oath Keepers

An Ohio woman ordered held in jail pending trial on charges in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol told a federal judge late Friday that she has disbanded her armed group in Ohio and plans to cancel her membership in the Oath Keepers. Jessica Watkins, 38, of Champaign County, told U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta in the District of Columbus that she was appalled and humiliated by the events of Jan. 6. "As soon as I'm out, whether acquittal or release, I'm canceling my Oath Keepers membership," she said.