Iran's Khamenei says enemies' plots against nation are doomed to fail

DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei said the Islamic Republic should become strong enough to confront enemies’ plots, state TV reported on Saturday.

“We should become so strong to be able to put an end to our enemies’ plots … their plots against the Iranian nation are doomed to fail,” state TV quoted Khamenei as saying in a meeting with commanders and staff of the country’s Air Force.

China calls for work to resume on road, waterway projects by February 20

BEIJING (Reuters) – China Ministry of Transport said on Saturday that road and waterway projects in the country, except those in coronavirus stricken province of Hubei and other severely affected areas, should aim to resume construction by Feb. 20.

Key projects should start as soon as possible, the ministry added in a statement on its website.

China to allow quality virus-hit firms to issue bonds to refinance debt

BEIJING, Feb 8 (Reuters) – High-quality Chinese companies affected by the coronavirus outbreak will be allowed to issue bonds to refinance debts due in 2020, the country’s state planner said on Saturday.

Small firms affected by the epidemic are encouraged to issue bonds to improve their liquidity, the National Development and Reform Commission said in a statement on its website, adding companies should also sell bonds to fund virus control and prevention. (Reporting by Tom Daly and Samuel Shen; Editing by Neil Fullick)

Khamenei says U.S. sanctions against Tehran are "criminal act"

DUBAI, Feb 8 (Reuters) – The sanctions imposed on Iran by the United States are a “criminal act” against the country, Iranian’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday, according to state TV.

“These sanctions are criminal act … but we can turn it to an opportunity by distancing Iran’s economy from being dependent on oil exports,” said Khamenei. (Writing by Parisa Hafezi; editing by David Evans)

UAE says total of seven cases diagnosed with coronavirus, as two more cases detected

DUBAI (Reuters) – Two new cases of coronavirus infection have been detected in the United Arab Emirates, bringing the total number of people diagnosed with the disease to seven, the country’s health ministry said on Twitter on Saturday.

Leader Khamenei says Iran has a strong Air Force despite U.S. pressure

DUBAI, Feb 8 (Reuters) – Iran has a very strong Air Force despite limitations imposed on the country by the United States since the country’s 1979 Islamic revolution, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told a gathering of Air Force commanders and staff on Saturday.

“Since the revolution their aim was to stop us from having a strong air force … but look at us now. We even build planes. We have transformed their pressure to opportunity,” said Khamenei according to state news agency IRNA.

Iran's Khamenei says enemies' plots against nation are doomed to fail

DUBAI, Feb 8 (Reuters) – Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei said the Islamic Republic should become strong enough to confront enemies’ plots, state TV reported on Saturday.

“We should become so strong to be able to put an end to our enemies’ plots … their plots against the Iranian nation are doomed to fail,” state TV quoted Khamenei as saying in a meeting with commanders and staff of the country’s Air Force. (Writing by Parisa Hafezi; editing by David Evans)

Fox Sneaks Into UK Parliament, Poops Outside Politician’s Door

A fox slipped into the U.K. Parliament and pooped on the floor.

The cunning creature was caught on camera evading security and roaming around the Portcullis House building in central London on Thursday.

It ran through the lobby and rode an escalator to where lawmakers’ offices are located, reported Sky News. It then deposited this memento outside the office of Labour member of Parliament Kerry McCarthy:

“So apparently there was a fox running around in Portcullis House atrium about half an hour ago, and now I’ve just found this outside my office (2 floors up!)” McCarthy captioned the snap.

Footage that The Sun newspaper’s Westminster correspondent Kate Ferguson later shared on Twitter showed police removing the animal from the building inside a crate, and then releasing it onto a sidewalk:

The animal’s adventures inevitably captured the attention of people on social media, with some referencing the United Kingdom’s ban on fox hunting:

At Least 10 People Killed, Many Hurt in Thailand Mass Shooting

In this article

An attacker using military-style weapons killed at least 10 people Saturday near a shopping center in Thailand, according to police.

Many others are injured and the assailant drove away in a car, said police spokesman Kritsana Pattanacharoen. The shooting took place in Nakhon Ratchasima province northeast of Bangkok.

Local reports said the shooter livestreamed the attack on Facebook. Police said investigations are underway.

— With assistance by Natnicha Chuwiruch

Sanders And Biden Hug It Out At Debate In Slap At Hillary Clinton’s Attacks

Democrats do go at it, but it’s all in the family.

That was the message Friday night when former Vice President Joe Biden gave Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) a hug on stage during the debate. 

The embrace was triggered about 45 minutes into the debate, after ABC News moderator Linsey Davis referred to Hillary Clinton, who has been attacking Sanders as divisive. Davis, directing a question to Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), quoted Clinton as saying of Sanders that “nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with him. He’s got nothing done.”

That’s when Biden left his lectern to saunter left over to Sanders for a hug. (The men also hugged on stage during the Ohio debate in October.) 

“I like Bernie just fine,” said a smiling Klobuchar as she pointed to the men. “We actually worked together on a number of things,” she added, then detailed their work to lower prescription drug prices.

The hug cracked up the crowd at St. Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, and created a sweet image of the scrum.

Sanders started it all out with a unifying message. “At the end of the day…everybody up here is united,” he said. “No matter who wins this damn thing, we’re all going to stand together to defeat Donald Trump.”

Observers on Twitter were moved — though no one was switching candidates.