WorldAssociated PressThailand charges more activists with sedition, royal insults
Prosecutors in Thailand charged 18 pro-democracy activists with sedition on Monday, while lodging additional charges of insulting the monarchy against three of them. The sedition charges, which carry a maximum penalty of up to seven years in prison, stem from an antigovernment rally in September, though details on the alleged offenses were not immediately clear. The three charged with violating the lese majeste law, which outlaws criticism of senior members of the royal family, are Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, Jatupat Boonpattararaksa and Panupong Jadnok.
WorldReutersLooming China extradition deal worries Uighurs in Turkey
Joining hundreds of women in Istanbul to protest at China's treatment of Uighurs, Nursiman Abdurasit tearfully thinks of her jailed mother in Xinjiang and fears that Uighurs like her in Turkey may one day be sent back under an extradition deal. Beijing approved an extradition treaty between the two nations in December and with the deal awaiting ratification by Ankara's parliament, activists among some 40,000 Uighurs living in Turkey have stepped up efforts to highlight their plight. Abdurasit came to Turkey to study in 2015 and lost contact with her family four years ago.
- U.S.Associated Press
FBI arrests 2, including Stone bodyguard, in Capitol riot
Two men wanted in the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol were arrested over the weekend, including one who reportedly served as a bodyguard to former President Donald Trump's longtime political confidant Roger Stone, federal authorities said Monday. Roberto Minuta breached the Capitol grounds and “aggressively berated and taunted U.S. Capitol police officers" during the Jan. 6 insurrection, the FBI said in court papers. Minuta, 36, of Hackettstown, New Jersey, had been “equipped with military-style attire and gear, including apparel emblazoned with a crest related to the Oath Keepers," the FBI said, referring to the far-right antigovernment militia.
WorldReutersPhilippine leader's order to kill rebels 'legal', spokesman says
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's order to kill armed rebels was legal, his spokesman said on Monday, as catholic leaders joined condemnation of the killings of nine activists in separate weekend raids against suspected insurgents. Human Rights groups are outraged over the deaths of what they said were legitimate activists under the guise of counter-insurgency operations, which came two days after Duterte told security forces they could kill rebels if they were holding a gun and to "ignore human rights". "The president's 'kill, kill, kill' order is legal because it was directed at armed rebels," his spokesman Harry Roque said in a briefing, adding the government would still investigate the incident.
WorldReutersIndia seeks funds from Quad alliance to match China's vaccine push: source
India has urged the United States, Japan and Australia to invest in its vaccine production capacity, an Indian government source told Reuters, as the so-called Quad alliance tries to counter China's growing vaccine diplomacy. Beijing has committed to provide at least 463 million doses of its home-made COVID-19 vaccines through exports and donations across the world from Asia to Africa, Europe and Latin America, according to Reuters calculations. Two senior Indian officials said the Quad alliance, grouping the United States, Japan, Australia and India, was stepping up efforts to expand global vaccination to counter China's growing soft power.
PoliticsAssociated PressIowa governor signs GOP-forced voting changes bill into law
We don't have to wait to have Democrats talking with their neighbors in rural and metropolitan areas in the state about how these harmful pieces of legislation are being forced through,” said Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Ross Wilburn. The law shortens the early voting period to 20 days from the current 29, just three years after Republicans reduced the period from 40 days. It also requires most mail ballots to be received by Election Day, rather than counting votes postmarked by Election Day that arrive by noon on the Monday following the election.
WorldBBCWhat's causing vaccine delays in some Asian countries?
In others countries however, vaccine programmes are either yet to begin or are still at a very early stage. The reasons for this have been varied - ranging from an abundance of caution to high levels of vaccine scepticism. We looked at some of the countries in this situation and the different reasons behind it.
WorldReutersFrench billionaire politician killed in helicopter crash
French billionaire Olivier Dassault was killed on Sunday in a helicopter crash, a police source said, with President Emmanuel Macron paying tribute to the 69-year old conservative politician. Dassault was the eldest son of late French billionaire industrialist Serge Dassault, whose namesake Dassault Aviation, builds the Rafale war planes and owns Le Figaro newspaper. "Olivier Dassault loved France.
CelebrityThe TelegraphNew Zealand 'not likely' to become a republic in wake of Harry and Meghan interview, says Jacinda Ardern
New Zealand's prime minister says the country is “not likely” to become a republic in the wake of Prince Harry and Meghan's interview, as Commonwealth countries face calls for the removal of the Queen as Head of State. Jacinda Ardern was asked whether the unflattering picture of the British royal family painted by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had given her pause about New Zealand's constitutional ties to Britain. "I've said before that I've not sensed an appetite from New Zealanders for significant change in our constitutional arrangements, and I don't expect that's likely to change quickly," she said.
WorldAssociated PressLebanon's army chief warns economic crisis is hurting troops
Lebanon's army chief warned Monday that soldiers are hurting from the severe economic crisis engulfing the country, voicing rare criticism from the military of a ruling class that has done little to try and resolve a monthslong political deadlock. Gen. Joseph Aoun's comments came as protesters, angry with Lebanon's political class, blocked major roads leading to the capital for the seventh straight day. They caused traffic jams and prompted the head of the country's hospital union to warn they were preventing oxygen supplies from reaching medical centers treating coronavirus patients.
WorldBBCAfghanistan conflict: US makes new push for UN-led peace process
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has made a blunt new push for a UN-led peace effort in Afghanistan. In a letter to the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Mr Blinken called for a 90-day reduction in violence and a transitional government formed from both sides. Mr Blinken also said no decision had been made about whether to stick to a planned US troop withdrawal by 1 May.
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B-52s again fly over Mideast in American military warning to Iran
B-52 bombers flew over the Mideast on Sunday, the latest mission in the region aimed at warning Iran amid tensions between Washington and Tehran.
WorldReutersChina says hopes U.S. will remove 'unreasonable' curbs on cooperation
China urged the United States on Sunday to remove "unreasonable" curbs on cooperation as soon as possible and work together on issues like climate change, while accusing Washington of bringing chaos in the name of spreading democracy. Last week, U.S. President Joe Biden singled out a "growing rivalry with China" as a key challenge facing the United States, with his top diplomat describing the country as "the biggest geopolitical test" of this century. Speaking at his annual news conference, the Chinese government's top diplomat, State Councillor Wang Yi, struck a tough line even as he outlined where the world's two biggest economies could work together.
CelebrityThe WeekMeghan Markle, Prince Harry secretly got married 3 days before their televised wedding
When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle got married on May 19, 2018, at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, it was their second time around. During an interview with Oprah Winfrey that aired Sunday night, Markle revealed that the pair actually were married three days before their wedding, which was televised to millions of people around the globe. The private ceremony was conducted in their backyard by the Archbishop of Canterbury, with no one else present.
PoliticsReutersU.S. Supreme Court dumps last of Trump's election appeals
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday disposed of the last of three cases brought to the justices by former President Donald Trump challenging his election loss, bringing a muted end to his futile quest in the courts to hold onto power. The court without comment rejected Trump's appeal challenging thousands of absentee ballots filed in Wisconsin, an election battleground that the Republican businessman-turned-politician lost to Democrat Joe Biden by more than 20,000 votes. Biden became president on Jan. 20.
U.S.USA TODAYFact check: Image of Jill Biden handing out food to asylum-seekers in 2019 is missing context
The claim: Image shows Jill Biden handing out food and gifts to asylum-seekers in Matamoros, Mexico; 'Has anybody seen her in Texas helping Americans yet? A viral meme shared by users across Facebook asserts that first lady Jill Biden traveled to Mexico to hand out food and gifts to asylum-seekers but did not provide assistance to those in Texas struggling in the aftermath of deadly winter storms. "Jill Biden handing out food and gifts to asylum-seekers in Matamoros, Mexico," reads a Feb. 26 post with over 300 shares.
WorldBusiness InsiderA new lab study shows troubling signs that Pfizer's and Moderna's COVID-19 shots could be far less effective against the variant first found in South Africa
Pfizer's and Moderna's shots were at least 10 times less effective against variant in a new study. Researchers tested the vaccines on a variant first found in South Africa, which is now in 20 states. A mutation on the variant called E484K appeared to be a "major contributor," the study authors said.
U.S.INSIDERFormer neo-Nazi says Fox News radicalizes people by saying the same stuff he used to say
A former neo-Nazi was interviewed by CNN's Pamela Brown Saturday about domestic extremism in the US. Frank Meeink said Fox News has radicalized Americans by saying the same stuff he used to say. Fox News has been accused in the past of using language that echoes white supremacists.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderSen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat, says he will fight for Republicans to get a say in Biden's infrastructure bill and block it if they don't
Sen. Joe Manchin told Axios that he wanted bipartisan backing for Biden's infrastructure bill. Manchin, a Democrat, said he'd oppose a bill without tax hikes and GOP support being sought. Sen. Joe Manchin, a centrist Democrat, said in an interview with Axios broadcast Sunday that he'd block President Joe Biden's infrastructure bill if it didn't attract Republican support.
U.S.USA TODAYUSS Nimitz completes a 99,000-mile journey likely not done since WWII
At long last, the USS Nimitz returned home Sunday, close to a year after the aircraft carrier left Sinclair Inlet in Washington state. The 100,000-ton warship, in completing a deployment that included flying sorties against the Islamic State in the Middle East to navigating the disputed waters of the South China Sea, returns to Bremerton, Washington, having logged 99,000 miles. Most of its 3,000-plus sailors, roughly half of which were serving in their first-ever deployment, boarded the warship April 1, 2020 to quarantine for COVID-19.
CelebrityThe TelegraphThe Queen emerges unscathed as Meghan and Harry lavish praise on his grandmother
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex unloaded on Prince Charles, The Duchess of Cambridge, and the tabloid press in their extraordinary tell-all with Oprah Winfrey. Meghan described how "everyone" welcomed her to the royal set-up initially, but singled out the Queen as making her particularly comfortable. Meghan said the Queen has "always been wonderful" to her and that she reminded the Duchess of her own grandmother.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderThe White House says a 'large number' of Americans will receive $1,400 stimulus checks by the end of March
The White House says many Americans can expect to get a $1,400 stimulus check this month. Under the last stimulus bill, the IRS distributed 147 million checks in two months. The White House said on Monday that many Americans could expect to get a $1,400 stimulus check within a few weeks.
U.S.Business InsiderThousands of people who visited a COVID-19 vaccination site in California received the wrong dose, report says. Officials say nobody needs a booster shot.
An estimated 4,300 people received less of the Pfizer vaccine than they should have, KTVU reported March 4. Too little of the vaccine was administered due to a problem with syringes on March 1, the media outlet said. Thousands of people who visited a mass-vaccination site in Oakland, California, on March 1 received the wrong dosage of the Pfizer vaccine, KTVU reported.
U.S.Business InsiderProminent Georgia family sued their local grocery clerk over claims she made on Facebook about their alleged role in the Capitol riot, report says
A family is suing a clerk over posts she made about their alleged roles in the Capitol riot. Kathryn and Thelma Cagle are alleged to have organized buses to DC, The Washington Post reported. The Post said Rayven Goolsby confronted them on Facebook after seeing videos from the rally.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderLindsey Graham says he deals with Trump's 'dark side' because he thinks he has a 'magic' other Republicans don't
Sen. Lindsey Graham told "Axios on HBO" that he still thought Donald Trump was good for the GOP. Graham said Trump had a "dark side" but also a "magic" lacked by other Republicans.
“Taking humans to Mars would require an investment astronomically out of kilter with the possible benefits.”
“Can a Mars settlement be a freer society than we enjoy on Earth? Maybe.”
“What we learn...may spark the next revolution that will make life in 2071 beyond anything we can imagine right now.”
“Our presence on Mars could jeopardize one of our main reasons for being there — the search for life.”
“The future of geologic investigation of other worlds lies with highly improved versions of our Mars rovers.”