US News

• Assange’s lawyers are considering a cross appeal to the UK High Court. [Link]
• Bolivia has returned the entire US-IMF loan the country received when a coup government was in charge. The $346 million loan racked up $25 million in interest when it was paid off. [Link]
• Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin tells NATO allies that the US would not “hasty” leave Afghanistan. [Link]

China

• Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says US tariffs on China will remain. [Link]
• Senator Tom Cotton wants to change US policy to make it clear we would go to war with China if China invaded Taiwan. [Link]
• NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says China is a top priority for the alliance. [Link]

Myanmar

• Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US will take firm action against Myanmar’s military. [Link]
• The Myanmar military’s main Facebook page was removed. The military recently took control of the government in a coup. Facebook removed the page for inciting violence. [Link]

Iran

• National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said it is a “complete and utter outrage” that Iran holds Americans as prisoners. Sullivan said getting the American released is a “significant priority.” [Link]
• The US says it will not lift sanctions on Iran before engaging in talks. [Link]
• Iran’s Foreign Minister says Biden is continuing with Trump’s Iran policy. Iran plans to reduce the additional inspections of its nuclear energy program if the US refuses to lift sanctions. [Link]
• The IAEA and Iran reached an agreement to scale back the IAEA’s inspections in Iran. Iran is reducing its commitments to the JCPOA because the US left the deal. The agreement reached by Iran and the IAEA will allow monitoring of Iranian sites for another three months. [Link]
• Iran’s FM says US sanctions cost Iran $1 trillion and Iran expects compensation. [Link]

Israel

• The UN said Palestine is $30 million short in vaccination funding. [Link]
• Israel is starting to reopen its economy to anyone with a “green pass” or received both doses of the vaccination. Only a few thousand Palestinians have gotten their vaccination. [Link]
• Israel financed vaccines for Syria in return for releasing a Israeli prisoner. Russia helped facilitate the agreement. [Link]

Iraq

• A rocket attack in Iraq hit a base that houses US contractors. One Iraqi was injured in the attack. [Link]