US LAWYERS ARGUE ASSANGE WENT BEYOND JOURNALISM, PUT LIVES AT RISK

Lawyers representing the US government argued before Britain’s high court that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should be extradited to the US to face espionage charges. They claimed Assange went beyond journalism by soliciting and indiscriminately publishing classified US government documents, putting innocent lives at risk.

The 52-year-old Australian faces 17 charges of espionage and one charge of computer misuse for his website’s publication of classified US documents. Assange's lawyers are seeking a new appeal, arguing that the charges are an attempt to punish him for exposing US government criminality.

Lawyer Clair Dobbin argued that Assange's actions went beyond journalism, as he encouraged theft and hacking that benefited WikiLeaks. Dobbin rejected claims that the charges are politically motivated, stating that they are based on law and evidence. Assange, who is unwell, was absent from court. The court is expected to take several weeks to consider its decision on the extradition.

TRUMP CONSIDERS VIVEK RAMASWAMY FOR VICE-PRESIDENT ROLE

Former US President Donald Trump is reportedly considering Indian-American entrepreneur and politician Vivek Ramaswamy as a potential running mate for the Vice-President position in the upcoming 2024 presidential elections. Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur, gained attention during a Fox News town hall event where Trump mentioned him among six possible choices for his vice-presidential shortlist.

Alongside prominent figures like Senator Tim Scott, Governor Ron DeSantis, and former Representative Tulsi Gabbard, Ramaswamy's name emerged as a contender. Despite his absence from the Iowa caucuses, where he initially ran as a Republican presidential candidate, Ramaswamy withdrew from the race and threw his support behind Trump after his poor performance.

Notably, Trump did not mention another Indian-American politician, Nikki Haley, in his list of potential vice-presidential candidates. Ramaswamy's inclusion in Trump's considerations underscores the growing influence of Indian-Americans in US politics and the diversity of options within the Republican party for high-profile positions.

UK’S N-DETERRENT MISSILE SYSTEM MISFIRES DURING TEST, AGAIN: REPORT

London : UK's Trident nuclear-deterrent system misfired during a test last month, with the missile crashing into the ocean off the Florida coast near the submarine that launched it, according to a report. The ministry of defence confirmed an "anomaly" but assured that Britain's "nuclear deterrent remains safe, secure and effective."

During the test witnessed by defence secretary Grant Shapps aboard the HMS Vanguard, the missile's first-stage boosters, equipped with dummy warheads, failed to ignite. This marks the second successive test failure of a Trident missile, following a 2016 incident where one veered off course.

"There are no implications for the reliability of the wider Trident missile systems and stockpiles," Shapps stated, adding that there are no implications for their ability to fire nuclear weapons if necessary. The government could face questions over the failure, especially given recent issues like the HMS Queen Elizabeth's withdrawal from a major Nato drill due to a propeller problem.

US DEFENDS ISRAEL’S POLICIES TOWARDS PALESTINIANS AT ICJ

The US defended Israel at the UN’s highest court on Wednesday, arguing that calls for the country to withdraw from the Palestinian territories fail to take into consideration its “very real security needs”. Richard Visek, the acting legal adviser at the US state department, told a 15-judge panel at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, that only a two-state solution could bring about peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

The court is hearing six days of arguments over Israel’s occupation of Palestinian-majority territories, including the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which has been the subject of years of debates. The hearings — involving more than 50 countries, a level of participation never before seen— were called long before Israel went to war against Hamas in Gaza, but have become part of a concerted global effort to stop the conflict.

Israel has said it would not participate in the hearings, and sent a letter to the court last year arguing that the focus of the proceedings failed to “recognise Israel’s right and duty to protect its citizens”.

The US has strongly defended Israel during the war, including on Tuesday, when it cast the lone veto against a UNSC resolution that called for an immediate ceasefire. On Wednesday, Visek asked the court to uphold the “established framework” for a twostate solution that he said UN bodies have agreed torather than heed calls by other nations for Israel’s “unilateral and unconditional withdrawal” from occupied territories. The Oct 7 attacks on Israel were a reminder of the security threats facing Israel,Visek said, “and they persist.”

HUNGER, FAMINE GRIP WAR-TORN GAZA AS TALKS OF RESOLUTION RESUME IN CAIRO

Heavy fighting rocked besieged Gaza on Wednesday as aid agencies warned of looming famine, a day after a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire was blocked by a U.S. veto.

Washington, which argued the resolution would have imperilled ongoing efforts to free hostages, sent top White House official Brett McGurk to Cairo for renewed talks involving mediators and Hamas.

Global concern has spiralled over the high civilian death toll and dire humanitarian crisis in the war sparked by Hamas’s October 7 attack against Israel.

Combat and chaos again stalled the sporadic aid deliveries for desperate civilians in Gaza, where the UN has warned the population of 2.4 million is on the brink of famine and could face an “explosion” of child deaths.

The UN World Food Programme said it was forced to halt aid deliveries in north Gaza because of “complete chaos and violence” after a truck convoy encountered gunfire and was ransacked by looters.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted the Army will keep fighting until it has destroyed Hamas and freed the remaining 130 hostages.

IRAN SENT HUNDREDS OF BALLISTIC MISSILES TO RUSSIA: REPORT

Dubai : Iran has provided Russia with a large number of powerful surface-to-surface ballistic missiles, six sources said, deepening the military cooperation between the two USsanctioned countries. Iran’s provision of around 400 missiles includes many from the Fateh-110 family of short-range ballistic weapons, such as the Zolfaghar, three Iranian sources said. This road-mobile missile is capable of striking targets at a distance of between 300 and 700 km, experts say. The shipments began in early Jan, one of the Iranian sources said.

Iran’s Shahed drones have become a staple of Russia’s assaults on Ukraine. Kyiv said in Dec that Moscow had launched 3,700 Shahed drones, which can fly hundreds of kilometres and explode on impact.

BRITAIN SANCTIONS OFFICIALS OVER NAVALNY'S DEATH AS MOTHER FIGHTS FOR HIS BODY RELEASE

Britain imposed sanctions on six individuals overseeing the Arctic penal colony where Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny died last week. Among those sanctioned are the head and five deputy heads of the colony, banned from the UK with frozen assets. British Foreign Secretary David Cameron condemned Russian authorities' treatment of Navalny, calling it oppressive and vowing accountability for those responsible.

Meanwhile, Navalny's mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya, filed a lawsuit in Salekhard contesting officials' refusal to release her son's body. The closed-door hearing is set for March 4. Navalnaya has been trying to retrieve her son's body since Saturday but has faced obstacles, with Navalny's team reporting difficulty in locating it. She appealed to President Putin for her son's remains to be released for a dignified burial. The developments come amid international outrage and calls for sanctions against Russia over Navalny's death and its actions in Ukraine. Germany, Lithuania, and Sweden are among EU countries pushing for new penalties, while the US plans a major sanctions package announced by President Joe Biden.

LAI BACKS ‘FIRM’ COAST GUARD POSTURE AFTER CHINA BOAT INCIDENT

TAIPEI: Taiwan’s President-elect Lai Ching-te on Wednesday said he supports “firm law enforcement” by the island’s coast guard but hopes to avoid a “similar situation” after two Chinese nationals died in a boat incident. The Chinese boat carrying four people capsized last week while pursued by the Taiwanese coast guard.

EU TARGETS CHINESE FIRMS, N. KOREA IN NEW UKRAINE WAR SANCTIONS

BRUSSELS: The EU on Wednesday agreed to ban exports to three mainland Chinese firms and blacklist North Korea’s Defence Minister in new sanctions for the second anniversary of Russia’s war on Ukraine, officials said. The firms were accused of involvement in supplying sensitive military technology to Russia.

LULA MEETS BLINKEN AFTER GAZA COMMENTS

U.S. top diplomat Antony Blinken met President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Wednesday, amid a diplomatic spat after the Brazilian leader likened Israel’s war in Gaza to the Nazi genocide during the Second World War.

In brief remarks in front of presspersons as they met at Brasilia’s presidential palace, Lula remarked that U.S. presidential elections are coming up in November.

Blinken responded that politics in the United States were “so polarised” and the election would come down to six or seven battleground states including Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Nevada.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that Washington disagreed with Lula’s comments, but declined to preview what Blinken would say in the meeting.

BRAZIL’S G-20 PRESIDENCY KICKS OFF IN RIO WITH MINISTERS MEET

Foreign ministers of the Group of 20 nations were gathering on Wednesday in Rio de Janeiro to discuss poverty, climate change and heightened global tensions as Brazil takes on the annual presidency of the bloc.

One of Brazil’s key proposals, set by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, is a reform of global governance institutions such as the United Nations, the World Trade Organisation and multilateral banks, where he wants to push for stronger representation of developing nations.

Brazil’s Ambassador to the bloc, Mauricio Lyrio, said at a news conference on Tuesday that structural reforms of international institutions are urgent because of a proliferation of conflicts around the world — not just in Ukraine and Gaza, but in a total of 183 locations, according to one study, he said.

After years of diplomatic isolation under former President Jair Bolsonaro, Lula has sought to reinsert Brazil on the centre stage of global diplomacy since returning to power in January of 2023.

Lucas Pereira Rezende, a political scientist at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, said Lula was especially well-suited for the role, recalling that during his earlier terms as President from 2003 to 2010 he was once called “the most popular politician on Earth” by then-U.S. President Barack Obama.