United States Vetoes Ceasefire Resolution
On Tuesday, the United States vetoed a ceasefire resolution in the U.N. Security Council. The resolution would have called for fighting to end in Gaza. The U.S. maintains that the ceasefire would jeopardize Israel’s continued hostage negotiations to free the remaining 136 Israeli citizens that Israel claims are still being held. 13 of the 15 members of the Security Council voted in favor of the resolution, with the U.K. abstaining.
“The United States at the U.N. Security Council is effectively sabotaging all efforts to bring assistance,” Avril Benoit, executive director of Doctors Without Borders, said. “The statements are one thing, the actions are another. We see that a ceasefire is the only way to ensure the safe delivery of assistance to the people who need it most.”
Russia Takes Ukrainian City of Avdiivka
The Ukrainian city of Avdiivka was taken by Russian forces after weeks of heavy shelling and ground fighting. According to the U.K. Ministry of Defense, approximately 600 guided munitions — bombs launched from planes designed to hit a specific target — were launched between mid-January and Feb. 8. The Ukrainian forces withdrew on Feb. 17. Before Russia captured the city, 900 civilians remained in the city, living largely underground and surviving on food brought by aid workers. Following the retreat of Ukrainian troops, the civilians’ conditions are unknown.
Julian Assange Extradition Battle Continues
On Tuesday, Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks — a media organization and library that publishes censored and restricted government materials — made his final legal attempt to prevent his extradition from the U.K. to the U.S. Assange has been in prison for espionage and hacking since 2019, when he was indicted with 18 charges for WikiLeaks’ publishing activities. A Swedish court also ordered Assange’s arrest in 2010 over rape allegations made by two WikiLeaks volunteers. Assange and his legal team maintain that his work falls under the purview of freedom of the press, while the U.S. maintains that his activities jeopardize the country’s security operations.
Scientists Explore Poison Frogs Toe-Tapping
In a recent study published online, biologists from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign reported poison dart frogs tap their toes up to 500 times per minute (which The New York Times describes as “more than three times as fast as “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift). This behavior is thought to be part of the frogs’ hunting strategy, potentially creating vibrations that carry on leaves to make the frogs’ bug prey move and become easier to detect. However, there is no definitive evidence that this is the goal of the tapping. Researchers from three labs plan to continue their work on this topic.
Art Fair Opens in
Cape Town
Cape Town hosted the 11th edition of the Investec Cape Town Art Fair from Feb. 16–18. This annual art fair contained the work of more than 100 artists from 24 countries. Most of the 400 works were by African and African-diasporic artists. Laura Vincenti, the fair’s director, told ARTnews that there was a learning curve to putting together the gallery. This year, she focused on bringing together “galleries with content that communicates with the local scene.” The fair also featured live performances by Cape Town-based artists including jazz musicians, a poet, a handful of dancers, and an Afrikaaps rapper.
