US News

• Trump signs the massive Covid bailout/spending bill into law. [Link]
• Obama said he needed the aggressive drone program because he couldn’t afford to look soft on terrorism. [Link]
• Biden attacks Trump for not responding more to the hack of the Treasury and other departments. Biden blames Russia for the hack but lacks evidence for the claim. [Link]

China

• The US sails warships near islands claimed by China in the South China Sea. [Link]
• The US is helping India surveil its border with China. [Link]

Nagorno-Karabakh

• An Azeri soldier was killed in Nagorno-Karabakh. [Link]

Middle East

• The US is offering billions in financing to Indonesia if the country will agree to normalize relations with Israel. [Link]
• Israel and Gulf Arab states want to be included in future deals with Iran. [Link]
• Saudi Arabia jails a woman rights activist for at least five years. [Link]
• Turkey says it killed 15 Kurdish fighters in Syria. [Link]
• The US placed new sanctions on Syria, including President Assad’s wife. [Link]

Africa

• Ethiopia arrests a Reuters cameraman. No reason was given for the arrest. At a court hearing, the cameraman was ordered jailed for at least 14 days. [Link]
• After border skirmishes between Ethiopia and Sudan, Sudan reports securing the border. [Link]
• Two-hundred twenty-two people were killed in an attack in western Ethiopia. [Link]
• Three UN peacekeepers were killed in the Central African Republic in the days before the country held an election. [Link]