US News

• Tulsi Gabbard calls for legalizing and regulating narcotics. [Link]
• Trump fires Ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland and NSC Ukraine expert Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman. Both men testified in the House impeachment trial. [Link]
• Two Air Force bases in Florida will be renamed and placed under the Space Force command. [Link]
• The $13 billion USS Ford has flaws in its defense system that makes it vulnerable in combat. [Link]
• Congress attached a provision to the Omnibus spending bill that lifts arm restrictions to Cyprus and supports building a pipeline in the region. After the bill was passed, Greece, Israel, and Cyprus signed a $6.2 billion pipeline agreement. [Link]

Spain

• Catalonia’s leader is looking to set a date for an independence vote from Spain. [Link]

Australia 

• Australia is launching an inquiry into veterans’ suicides. Over 400 Australian vets have killed themselves since 2001. [Link]

Afghanistan

• Two US soldiers and an Afghan soldier were killed in an insider attack in Afghanistan. Six other US troops were injured. [Link]
• An airstrike killed five businessmen in Afghanistan. It is unclear who carried out the airstrike. [Link]

Israel

• Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu says Israeli is drawing up maps to annex the West Bank. [Link]
• The US warns Israel about annexing the West Bank without US permission. [Link]
• Four Palestinian protesters have been killed in protests since the Deal of the Century has been released. At a checkpoint, 12 Israeli soldiers were injured by a Palestinian driving a car into the soldiers. [Link]

Middle East

• Iran launched a satellite, but it failed to reach orbit. [Link]
• The Syrian Army recaptures more territory in the Idlib Province. [Link]
• Several Russian soldiers were killed in recent weeks in Idlib. [Link]
• Iraqi intelligence says the December 27th rocket attack that killed an American contractor may have been carried out by ISIS. The US blamed the attack on Iranian-backed militias and assassinated Soleimani in response. [Link]
• Iraqi cleric Sadr says if the new Prime Minister does not select an independent cabinet, he will be removed from office. [Link]