US News

• The Department of Labor drops the OSHA-enforced vaccine mandate. [Link]
• As many as 500 criminal cases could be dropped because NYPD detective Joseph Franco was caught planting drugs. [Link]
• Twitter says it removed nearly 45,000 accounts in the first half of 2021 for promoting violence or terrorism. Over the same time span, Twitter forced users to delete 4.7 million posts. [Link] Twitter also saw a record number of government requests to remove content. [Link]
• Lockheed Martin is investing heavily in hypersonic missiles. [Link]

Venezuela

• The US-recognized leader – although he holds no actual power – of Venezuela Juan Guadio offers the country’s true leader – Maduro –  talks in exchange for the possible reduction in some US sanctions. [Link]

Russia

• US and Ukrainian officials are giving conflicting statements on the possibility of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. [Link]
• The UK delivered thousands of anti-tank weapons to Ukraine. [Link]
• The US delivered 80 tonnes of Javelin missiles and launchers to Ukraine. [Link]
• The House will vote on the Defending Ukraine Sovereignty Act as early as next week. The bill would impose sanctions on Russia and give Ukraine $500 million in military aid. [Link]

China

• China and Russia conducted joint naval war games. Russia said it discussed conducting bilateral trade with China in national currencies. [Link]
• The US flew operations with patrol and spy planes around Taiwan. [Link]

Korea

• North Korea test-fired two cruise missiles. [Link]

Afghanistan

• The accounts for the Afghan embassy in the US have been frozen. [Link]
• Thousands of Afghans – many CIA-trained commandos – have been stranded in the UAE. [Link]

Middle East

• A senior Human Rights Watch employee had their device hacked by the Israeli NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware. [Link]
• Talks between Israel and Russia could reduce Israeli airstrikes in Syria. [Link]
• The US says it is ready for direct talks with Iran. [Link]
• Ted Cruz introduces a bill that will put the Houthi on the terrorism list. [Link]
• UAE-backed forces report making gains in Marib against the Houthi. [Link]

Africa

• The Biden administration approves a $2.5 billion weapons sale to Egypt. [Link]
• Senegal says two of its soldiers were killed and nine went missing while on operations in The Gambia. The Senegalese military said the Movement of Democratic Forces for Casamance was behind the attack. [Link]