US News

• Biden is planning an executive order that would regulate crypto and NFTs as a matter of national security. [Link]
• The US will begin its Global Lighting nuclear war games. [Link]

Russia

• Biden says he will send troops to Eastern Europe in the near term. [Link]
• The US doubled its naval presence in the Black Sea in 2021. [Link]
• Citizens of NATO countries are enlisting in the Ukrainian armed forces. [Link]
• NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says the alliance has no plans to send combat troops to Ukraine. [Link]
• The Pentagon says Russia is increasing the number of troops on Ukraine’s border. [Link]
• Russia agreed to conduct naval war games outside of Ireland’s ‘exclusive economic zone’ after a request from the Irish government. [Link]
• Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Russia wants a response about European security obligations from western nations before making its next proposals on the Ukraine crisis. [Link]
• The UK claimed that Russia was planning a coup in Ukraine. The claim originated from US intelligence. [Link]

China

• China warns of a possible war with the US if American-Taiwanese ties continue to increase. [Link]
• The US Embassy in the Philippines says that the Philippines’ territorial claims in the South China Sea are a “non-negotiable part of the US commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.” [Link]
• The Philippines signed a $378 million deal with India for shore-based anti-ship missiles. [Link]

Korea

• North Korea carried out its seventh missile test of 2022. [Link]
• The US called on North Korea to engage in direct talks. [Link]

Afghanistan

• 12,500 Afghans are living on US military bases. [Link]
• Biden says the Taliban must release an American prisoner before they get legitimacy. [Link] 

Middle East

• The FBI bought NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware and considered using it against American citizens. Israel exported the spyware to reach normalization agreements with Arab states. [Link]
• Iran nuclear talks are on pause as delegations return to their home countries for consultations. [Link]
• Six rockets were fired at the Baghdad airport, causing damage to runways and planes. [Link]
• The Iraqi government says it killed nine IS fighters. [Link]
• The US says the SDF has regained control over a prison that holds accused IS fighters and children. [Link] At least 270 people have been killed in the fighting. [Link]
• The UN says 2,000 children have died fighting for the Houthi. [Link]
• The UAE intercepted a ballistic missile fired by the Houthi. The missile was fired during a visit by the Israeli president. [Link]

Africa

• The US will donate four million covid vaccinations to five African countries through Covax. [Link]
• Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed visits the UAE. [Link]
• One protester was killed by security forces in Sudan. [Link]
• France is considering its options in Mali. The foreign minister said France was unwilling to pay an unlimited price to continue to keep fighting the war. [Link]