Morning news brief: Trump floats fired attorney as special counsel, updates on coronavirus vaccine, and more

Trump floated fired attorney Sidney Powell as special counsel, reports say

US President Donald Trump has floated naming lawyer Sidney Powell as a special counsel investigating allegations of voter fraud. She notably was booted from his campaign's legal team after pushing unfounded conspiracy theories | READ MORE

No ‘negative’ news: How China censored the coronavirus

In the early hours of Feb. 7, China’s powerful internet censors experienced an unfamiliar and deeply unsettling sensation. They felt they were losing control | READ MORE

WHO in close contact with UK authorities to understand new mutation of COVID-19

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday said that it was in close contact with the United Kingdom after a new strain of COVID-19 was found in the country | READ MORE

EU, UK continue post-Brexit trade talks as deadline looms

Britain and the European Union continued trade talks in Brussels on Saturday. But this time, they did not give any word on any progress made in resolving disagreements over fishing rights and fair competition rules -- seen as the main obstacles to a deal | READ MORE

Australian woman falls off cliff, dies while trying to take photo

An Australian woman died on Saturday after she fell from a cliff. The woman was reportedly attempting to click a picture at the cliff, when she lost balance and fell off | READ MORE

A new coronavirus strain is spreading more quickly

In an alarming development, England's Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said on Saturday that a new strain of coronavirus is spreading more quickly and urgent work was underway to confirm that it doesn't cause higher mortality rate | READ MORE

Thailand clamps down on coronavirus outbreak at seafood market

Thailand's biggest seafood market and the surrounding area have been locked down to contain a coronavirus outbreak | READ MORE

Coronavirus relief deal in Congress slips to Sunday as new funding deadline looms

U.S. lawmakers struggled on Saturday to clear final hurdles to a $900 billion coronavirus aid bill, including a dispute over Federal Reserve emergency lending authorities, pushing any deal closer to a Sunday night government funding deadline | READ MORE

US CDC issues guidelines on Covid vaccination after allergic reactions

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said it is monitoring reports of allergic reactions to the COVID-19 vaccination and made recommendations on how people with histories of allergies should proceed | READ MORE

Biden and Mexico leader discuss migration

US President-elect Joe Biden told Mexico's president Saturday he was committed to addressing the root causes of poor Latino migrants crossing the border into America | READ MORE