INDIA: A man has been killed by his own cockerel during an illegal cockfight, police said today.
Cockfighting was banned in 1960 but is still common in parts of the country. The cockerel, which had a three-inch blade tied to its leg for use in the fight, slashed its owner in the groin while being picked up. He died from blood loss.

HOLY SEE: Questions have been raised about the wisdom of a planned papal visit to Iraq after the Vatican’s ambassador there tested positive for Covid-19.
Christian communities in Iraq and Syria have been prominent victims of the Isis and al-Qaida terrorist groups, and Pope Francis plans a March 5-8 trip to boost their morale and promote interfaith dialogue.
But the Centre for Science Health Education in the Middle East’s Dr Navid Madani said a papal visit was bound to attract crowds and was likely to be a “superspreading risk” during a pandemic.

UNITED STATES: A Louisiana State Police officer has been suspended for just 50 hours after footage emerged showing him kicking and battering a handcuffed black man who later died in custody.
Kory York had turned off his own body camera before the incident, a decision he put down to the device’s beeping and his mind being on “other things.”
Ronald Greene was arrested after a car chase and Louisana police had claimed he died from injuries sustained in the crash. But another officer involved, Chris Hollingsworth – now dead, having crashed his own car after being fired – is recorded saying he “beat the ever-living f*** out of” Greene who then “just went limp.”

SPAIN: Nearly 900 cattle that have been on a ship for two months will be slaughtered as they are no longer in a suitable condition for consumption, vets have ruled.
The 895 cattle were exported from Cartagena on December 18, bound for Turkey, but it refused them on health grounds. They then tried to offload them in Libya, which also rejected them, before returning to Spain.
The Eurogroup for Animals said: “This is yet another wake-up call to urgently end live export.”