US News

• Willie Stokes was released from prison after serving 37 years for a murder he did not commit. Stokes was convicted after police bribed a witness to give a false statement. The witness was convicted for purgery for lying in court. [Link]
• Biden doubles the government’s purchase of the Pfizer anti-covid treatment from 10 to 20 million courses of the treatment. [Link]
• The Kentucky National Guard deploys 200 soldiers to Kosovo. [Link]
• American-backed Ukrainian white-nationalist/neo-Nazi militias are recruiting from around the world, including the US. [Link]

Venezuela

• Venezuela’s opposition legislature elected US-proclaimed Venezuelan President Juan Guaido to serve in the role for another year. Guaido’s powers were restricted in the new mandate. [Link]

Japan

• Japan will buy ten new coast guard ships to defend its claim to the Senkaku Islands. [Link]

Korea

• North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile into waters off its coast. [Link]

Iraq

• Geoff Hoon – the UK Defense Minister in the lead up to the Iraq War – says before the war he received a memo that concluded the Iraq War as likely illegal. Hoon said he was ordered to destroy the memo but didn’t. [Link]
• A rocket hit an Iraqi base that houses US soldiers on Wednesday – no injuries were reported. The base was targeted by two drones on Tuesday. [Link]
• Pentagon Spokesperson John Kirby says US forces in Iraq have a right to “self-defense.” [Link]
• Four members of the PKK were killed by Turkish airstrikes in northern Iraq. [Link]

Middle East

• Israeli politician Yair Lapid says there will be no talks with Palestine once he becomes prime minister. Lapid is set to assume the role in 2023. [Link]
• Israel’s military intelligence head says it would be better to have an agreement with Iran than for talks to fail. [Link]
• State Department Spokesperson Ned Price says modest progress has been made in nuclear talks with Iran. [Link]
• The US coalition in Syria bombed a site it claimed was going to be the source of a rocket attack against US forces. [Link]
• Saudi Arabia carried out a series of airstrikes against Yemen’s capital. [Link]
• About 200 people were killed fighting in Maarib, Yemen on Tuesday. [Link]

Africa

• Doctors in Tigray say the Ethiopian government policies – and looting caused by war – are depriving hospitals of necessary supplies to save lives. A doctor claims over 100 deaths have occurred due to a lack of access to healthcare. [Link]
• US Envoy to the Horn of Africa Jeffery Feltman will visit Ethiopia to meet with officials on the conflict with Tigray. [Link]
• The US, UK, and EU issue a statement calling for Sudan to return to the democratic process for face sanctions. [Link]
• Congolese officials report its soldiers killed 18 militants in a fight, two soldiers were also killed. The battle was against Makanika-Twigwaneho – a group of Tutsis with Rwandan heritage. [Link]