Covid

• Massachusetts halts all elective procedures. [Link]
• The USS Milwaukee will remain in Cuba after several sailors tested positive for Covid. [Link]
• USAID is running out of money to distribute covid vaccinations. [Link]
• The US donates 1.5 million vaccine doses to Egypt through Covax. [Link]
• Biden will lift the travel restriction from eight African countries on January 1st. [Link]

US News

• LAPD officers killed a 14-year-old girl. [Link]
• The Pentagon cuts the cost of living stipend it gives to tens of thousands of soldiers living in high-cost areas in the US. [Link]
• Stu Scheller – who made a viral video calling for accountability for the Afghan withdrawal – has been discharged from the Marines. [Link]

Greece

• At least 16 migrants drowned in Greek waters. [Link]

Russia

• Congress ordered the creation of the Foreign Miligin Influence Center two years ago, but minimal progress has been made in setting up the new office. [Link]
• Russia says security talks with the US will begin in January. [Link]
• Biden is considering providing battlefield intelligence to Ukraine. [Link]
• More than 10,000 Russian troops return to their permanent military bases near Russia’s border with Ukraine. [Link]
• Putin will consider other options if the West refuses Russia’s request for security assurances. [Link]

China

• Biden signs the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. [Link]
• The US and Japan draw up joint defense plans for Taiwan. [Link]

Myanmar

• A Myanmar human rights group accuses the military of killing several 30 people – including women and children – and burning the bodies. [Link]

Middle East

• Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett unveils a plan to double the number of settlers in the occupied Golan Heights. [Link]
• National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan says the deadline to save the Iran Nuclear Deal is within weeks. [Link]
• An Iranian official says even if talks with the US fail, Iran will not enrich uranium past 60%. [Link]
• Over 3,700 people were killed in the Syrian War in 2021. [Link]

Yemen

• Saudi Arabia claims the Houthi have fired 430 missiles and 850 armed drones at Saudi Arabia since 2015. Saudi Arabia says 59 civilians have been killed. [Link]
• A Houthi projectile killed two people in Saudi Arabia. Saudi carried out a heavy bombing of Yemen killing three civilians. [Link]
• The US seizes a ship carrying guns manned by Yemenis. The US claims the ship was moving weapons from Iran to the Houthi. [Link]
• 18 Saudi-backed Yemeni fighters were killed by the Houthi. The Houthi reported Saudi heavily bombed the area. [Link]

Africa

• Biden will expel Ethiopia, Mali, and Guinea from the Africa Grow and Opportunity Act. The law created a program to allow African countries to access more American goods duty-free. [Link]
• At least 27 migrants died off the coast of Libya attempting to cross to Europe. [Link]
• Somalia’s President Mohamed Mohamed fires the prime minister. Several officials said the move was illegal and expects the prime minister to remain in the role. 
• Ethiopia’s government says it has ordered its forces not to advance further into Tigray. [Link]
• Militants in Burkina Faso killed 41 people in an attack on a town. [Link]
• Mali denies that mercenaries from the Russian Wagner Group are fighting in the country. Western governments have accused Mali of using the Russian defense firm. [Link]
• Russia says it will continue to provide assistance to Mali. [Link]
• Five people were killed in the Congo by a suicide bomber. [Link]