BIDEN BUDGET PICK TANDEN DROPS OUT OF NOMINATION

In the first major setback to US President Joe Biden, Indian-American policy expert Neera Tanden has withdrawn her nomination as his top White House budget official after she faced strong opposition from both Democratic and Republican senators for her past controversial posts on social media.

Tanden, 50, had been facing a tough time for the confirmation of her nomination as director of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) over her past Twitter outbursts against several lawmakers, including those from her own Democratic Party.

Tanden, president of the left-leaning think tank Centre for American Progress, would have led a key economic post that oversees the production of the President's proposed budget for his agenda if she had been confirmed.

The OMB is in charge of the budget-drafting process in the White House as well as having a large role in the issuance of new regulations. Biden on Tuesday accepted her withdrawal and indicated that Tanden might be brought in the administration in some other capacity. Her withdrawal marks the first high-profile defeat of one of Biden's nominees. Eleven of the 23 Cabinet nominees requiring Senate approval have been confirmed, most with strong bipartisan support. "I have accepted Neera Tanden's request to withdraw her name from nomination for director of the Office of Management and Budget," Biden said in a statement. But the President indicated that she will have a role to play in his administration. "I have the utmost respect for her record of accomplishment, her experience and her counsel," Biden said.

MYANMAR SEES DEADLIEST DAY AS 38 PROTESTERS KILLED

The United Nations envoy to Myanmar called Wednesday the “bloodiest day” since the Southeast Asian country’s military coup last month, with 38 people reported dead. “We have now more than over 50 people died since the coup started and many are wounded,” Christine Schraner Burgener told reporters.

Earlier in the day, a human rights group said security forces opened fire on protests and killed at least 18 people on Wednesday, a day after neighbouring countries called for restraint and offered to help Myanmar resolve the crisis.

The security forces resorted to live firing with little warning in several towns and cities, witnesses said, as the junta appeared more determined than ever to stamp out protests against the February 1 coup that ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

“It’s horrific, it’s a massacre. No words can describe the situation and our feelings,” youth activist Thinzar Shunlei Yi told Reuters via a messaging app.

POLICE DISCLOSE POSSIBLE PLOT BY MILITIA GROUP TO ATTACK U.S. CAPITOL

The police force that guards the U.S. Capitol said on Wednesday it has obtained intelligence pointing to a possible plot by a militia group to breach the building on Thursday, an alleged plan with echoes of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.

A U.S. Capitol Police statement did not name the organization but called it “an identified militia group.”

Authorities have said right-wing extremists were part of a mob of supporters of former President Donald Trump that stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, interrupting the formal congressional certification of President Joe Biden’s election victory.

Thursday marks the date when some right-wing conspiracy theorists have claimed that Trump, defeated by Biden in the Nov. 3 election, will be sworn in for a second term in office.

The U.S. Justice Department has charged more than 300 people with taking part in the Capitol siege in which five people including a police officer were killed. Among those arrested were members of the right-wing groups called the Oath Keepers, Three Percenters and Proud Boys. The Oath Keepers and Three Percenters are armed militia groups.

“The United States Capitol Police Department is aware of and prepared for any potential threats towards members of Congress or towards the Capitol complex,” it said in its statement.

It said it is working with local, state and federal agencies “to stop any threats to the Capitol,” adding, “We are taking the intelligence seriously.” It did not disclose the nature of the intelligence.

EX-PM GILANI'S PARTY DEFEATS PAK PM IMRAN KHAN'S CANDIDATE IN SENATE POLLS

The 11-party opposition alliance - Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) scored a major victory over Prime Minister Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the Senate polls as former PM Yousuf Raza Gilani won the hotly-contested general seat from Islamabad.

Gilani defeated PTI's Abdul Hafeez Shaikh.

After the result was announced, Shaikh and Gilani shook hands and hugged each other. The news of Shaikh's defeat was told to him by Zain Qureshi -- who was the minister's polling agent, according to Geo News.

Official results announcing Gillani's victory will be announced later, sources said.

Geo ancherperson Shahzeb Khanzada termed it a "huge upset" for Imran Khan since he had personally campaigned for Shaikh and had managed to win over most of the government's allies.

PM KHAN TO SEEK VOTE OF CONFIDENCE IN PARL, SAYS REPORT

Prime Minister Imran Khan will seek a vote of confidence in the parliament, foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Wednesday, according to a Dawn news report.

The announcement came after former Pakistani prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday defeated ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party’s Hafeez Sheikh, an adviser to the prime minister, in a Senate election for the Islamabad seat. The defeat comes as a major setback for PM Khan’s government. Gilani received 169 votes to Sheikh’s 164, election authorities and opposition parties said.

LEGISLATION ON H-1B VISAS INTRODUCED IN US CONGRESS

Three American lawmakers have introduced a legislation in the House of Representatives that stops employers from hiring foreign H-1B workers if they have recently, or plan to, furlough their US workers and requires employers to pay their H-1B workers more than their American workers.

Introduced by Republican Congressmen Mo Brooks, Matt Gaetz and Lance Gooden the American Jobs First Act proposes to overhaul the H-1B visa program by making necessary changes in the Immigration and Nationality Act..

As per the text of the bill released on Wednesday, a foreign guest worker may not be admitted or provided status as an H-1B nonimmigrant in an occupational classification unless the petitioner employer has filed with the Secretary of Labor an application stating the employer is offering an annual wage to the H-1B nonimmigrant that is the greater of the annual wage that was paid to the US citizen or lawful permanent resident employee who did identical or similar work during the 2 years before the petitioner employer filed such application; or USD 110.

The petitioner employer also needs to file with the Secretary of Labour an application stating the employer will not require an H-1B nonimmigrant to pay a penalty for ceasing employment with the petitioner employer before the date agreed to by the H-1B nonimmigrant and the petitioner employer.

The bill that has been referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Labour among other things suspends the F-1 OPT program, which grants all foreign students extendable work permits and exacerbates job market competition among American graduates.

It ends the diversity visa lottery program, which the lawmakers alleged fails to serve US interests by issuing 50,000 green cards to foreigners from around the world regardless of their qualifications. Given that the Democrats have a majority in the House of Representatives, the bill has little chance to be passed.

FACEBOOK LIFTS BAN ON U.S. POLITICAL, SOCIAL ISSUE ADS

Facebook says it is lifting its ban on political and social-issue ads put in place after the 2020 U.S. presidential election.

Political candidates, groups and others will be able to place ads on Facebook and Instagram beginning on Thursday.

Restricting political advertisements following the November election was among the host of measures Facebook put in place last year in an attempt to ensure its platform is not used to sow chaos and spread misinformation.

Facebook halted U.S. political ads when the polls closed on Nov. 3, an extension of an earlier restriction on new political ads in the week leading up to Election Day. It said at the time that the ban would be temporary but did not give a clear end date.

“We’ve heard a lot of feedback about this and learned more about political and electoral ads during this election cycle,” the company said in a blog post Wednesday. “As a result, we plan to use the coming months to take a closer look at how these ads work on our service to see where further changes may be merited.”

Twitter has banned political ads permanently.

ISRAEL ACCUSES IRAN OF LINK TO OIL SPILL OFF ITS SHORES

Iran is linked to a recent oil spill off Israel’s shores that caused major ecological damage, an Israeli minister said on Wednesday, calling the incident environmental terrorism.

The ship that caused the spill was a Libyan-owned pirate ship that set sail from Iran through the Persian Gulf without radio contact, then passed through the Suez Canal, Environmental Protection Minister Gila Gamliel said.

The ship, a crude oil tanker called Emerald, which carries a Panamanian flag, entered Israeli waters in the east Mediterranean and again turned off its radios for almost a full day, polluting the sea between Feb. 1-2, she said in a briefing to reporters.

From there, the ship continued to Syria, carrying pirated cargo from Iran, she said.

“Iran is (conducting) terrorism by damaging the environment, and (when) Iran is damaging the environment it isn’t just hurting the state of Israel,” Gamliel said.

The ministry presented what it said was strong “circumstantial evidence” that this was the ship behind the spill, though it did not have “forensic evidence”. It said it also ruled out any other source.

BUCKINGHAM PALACE TO PROBE 'CONCERNING' MEGHAN BULLYING CLAIMS

Buckingham Palace said Wednesday it is "very concerned" and will investigate newspaper reports that Prince Harry's wife Meghan Markle faces a bullying complaint from her time living in Kensington Palace.

"We are clearly very concerned about allegations in The Times following claims made by former staff of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex... our HR team will look into the circumstances," the palace said in a statement.

The Times newspaper made the claims against the wife of Prince Harry, which are alleged to date back to October 2018.

"Members of staff involved at the time, including those who have left the Household, will be invited to participate to see if lessons can be learned," said the palace.

"The Royal Household... does not and will not tolerate bullying or harassment in the workplace."

Markle earlier said she was "saddened" by the report saying she faced a complaint while living at Kensington Palace before she stepped back from royal duties, her spokesman said.