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Rio de Janeiro (Brésil) (AFP) – As Rio de Janeiro prepares to kick off three days of dazzling carnival parades, one samba school has chosen to honor President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the Sambodrome carnival parade. The parades of the city’s top 12 samba schools — a ferocious competition featuring towering, animated floats, thundering drum sections and scantily-clad samba queens — are the showpiece of Rio’s carnival. Samba school Academicos de Niteroi, the first to parade, has chosen Lula — the first time a serving president is the subject of a tribute on the famed Sambodrome avenue. IMAGES

San Esteban de Gormaz (Spain) (AFP) – People in the Spanish town of San Esteban de Gormaz watch as the Douro River reaches historic levels following days of relentless winter storms. In towns in central Spain, floods are inundating urban parks and promenades and forcing some people to evacuate.

Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) (AFP) – In Rio de Janeiro, Carnival isn’t just for humans — hundreds of costumed dogs take to the streets for the beloved Blocao festival. This year, the festivities take place in Barra da Tijuca. “We love coming here and having fun. For us, carnival with them is wonderful,” says dog owner Lua Machado.

(AFP) – Russia’s army chief, Valery Gerasimov, visits Moscow’s troops in Ukraine and says the Kremlin’s forces have seized a dozen eastern villages in February, according to the defence ministry. “In two weeks of February, despite severe winter conditions, combined forces and military units of the joint task force liberated 12 settlements,” says Gerasimov. 

London (AFP) – The UK’s most famous feline, Larry the cat, marks 15 years as the country’s chief mouser patrolling the corridors of power of 10 Downing Street. At an estimated 19 years old, Larry has outlasted five prime ministers, upstaged visiting world leaders, and is currently living with his sixth housemate, Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Paris (France) (AFP) – 40 skaters from over 20 countries are performing at the Zenith venue in Paris in Holiday on Ice’s new show, “Horizons.” Among them is Canadian Daniel Villeneuve, who has left competition behind and now embraces “the love of skating” and “having fun”. “Everyone loves the feeling of flying, of gliding, it’s magical,” he says.

Munich (Germany) (AFP) – “Europe needs to step up and has to take on its responsibility” when it comes to security, says European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen during the 62nd Munich Security Conference. She adds that Europe and Britain need to cooperate more closely “on security, on economy, on defending our democracies”.

Munich (Germany) (AFP) – During a speech at the 62nd Munich Security Conference, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the United Nations has played “virtually no role” in resolving international conflicts. He says “it took American leadership and partnership with many of the countries here today just to bring the two sides to the table in search of a still elusive peace.” This comes amid ongoing tensions between the US and Europe, amplified after US President Donald Trump said he wanted to annex Greenland.

La Havane (AFP) – A fire brakes out at a refinery in Cuba’s capital, as the island nation already struggles under a US blockade of oil deliveries. IMAGES

Tumbler Ridge (Canada) (AFP) – “She is forever my baby, because that’s what she was. She was a baby,” says Sarah Lampert, whose 12-year-old daughter Ticaria Lampert was killed in a mass shooting at a local school in the remote Canadian mining town of Tumbler Ridge. Eight people were killed in the shooting and dozens more injured. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is due to visit the remote mining town.

Zanesville (United States) (AFP) – “Don Colossus,” a 15-foot statue depicting US President Donald Trump, is at the center of a dispute between the Ohio-based sculptor who created it and the cryptocurrency investors who commissioned it. Sculptor Alan Cottrill says the group of investors who ordered the statue haven’t fully paid him yet. “They’ve been actually illegally using, infringing on my copyright of my original piece of art right up to the present day,” he adds.

Munich (Germany) (AFP) – “We need interceptors, we need the ammunition to make sure Ukraine can stay strong in the fight” says Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General, speaking at the 62nd Munich Security Conference. “What I will also be doing today and tomorrow is make clear that the Russians are not winning this…” Rutte says. “This so-called Russian bear is not there.”