US News

• A black Louisiana police officer was fired for speaking out against police abuse. [Link]
• Facebook will give journalists and activists extra protection from harassment. [Link]
• Overdose deaths in 2020 were up to at least 99,000. [Link]

Great Power

• Putin says he feels he has a stable and working relationship with Biden. [Link]
• The US accused Cambodia of allowing China to build a secret naval base. Cambodia has denied the accusations from the US. The US accusations came after a CSIS – a hawkish think tank – report alleged covert Chinese military involvement. [Link]

Afghanistan 

• The Taliban ask the US and EU to remove sanctions to help alleviate the economic crisis. [Link]

Israel

• Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US will reopen a diplomatic office in Jerusalem to serve Israel’s Arab population, but did not set a date for when the office would reopen. Israel is opposing the US reopening the office. [Link]
• Israel carried out an airstrike in Syria, killing at least one person. Shia militias in Syria vow to seek revenge against Israel. [Link]
• Blinken says if talks with Iran fail, the US will look to other options. Blinken made the statement with the Israeli Foreign Minister Lapid, Lapid clarified that the other operations were threats. [Link]
• In the joint Blinken-Lapid meeting, Blinken warned Israel against forming closer ties with China. [Link]

Middle East

• The Sadrist Bloc won a plurality of seats in Iraq’s parliamentary elections. However, a recount shifted the totals and the final results are still unclear. [Link]
• Blinken says the US does not support countries normalizing relations with Syria as long as Assad is in power. [Link]
• Blinken says the US opposes Syrian reconstruction. [Link]
• At least five people were left dead in Lebanon after gunmen opened fire on a Hezeballah-supported protest. [Link]
• Houthi fighters made gains in central Yemen as forces battle for the city of Maarib. [Link]