US News

• Trump issues an order that halts flights from Europe starting on Thursday. Trump issued several other orders to fight the coronavirus. He instructed the Treasury Department to defer tax payments without penalty. He also announced the federal government will provide financial relief to workers who take time off due to the virus. [Link]
• A judge will allow a lawsuit against police officers who framed a man for murder to move forward. Lamonte McIntyre served 23 years for a murder he did not convict before being released. He then filed a civil suit against the police officer and department that framed him because his mother refused to have sex with the officer. [Link]
• Chelsea Manning attempted to take her own life. Her legal team said she is recovering. [Link]
• The House passes the Iran War Powers Resolution to prevent Trump from starting a war with Iran without Congressional approval. Trump says he will veto it. [Link]

Ukraine

• Ukraine reports three soldiers were killed when their vehicle was hit by an anti-tank missile fired by separatist forces. Ukraine is in a state of civil war with a ceasefire agreement in place. There are routine violations of the ceasefire. [Link]

Afghanistan

• The Taliban reject Afghan President Ghani’s plan to release 1,500 Taliban prisoners. The Taliban are holding to the 5,000 number the US committed the Taliban government to release. The US pressured Ghani to issue the decree by making it a precondition to attending his inauguration earlier in the week. [Link]

Middle East

• An Israeli soldier killed a protesting Palestinian teenager. [Link]
• The US changes how it labels Palestinians in East Jerusalem. The US no longer labels them as Palestinian and will refer to them as Arab or non-Israeli. [Link] 
• Iran will send the black boxes from the Ukrainian plane – that was downed by the Iranian military – to Ukraine. [Link]
• About 18 rockets hit the Iraqi Taji military base. Two US and one British soldier were killed in the attack. [Link]
• Airstrikes killed 26 members of Shi’ite militias in Syria near the Iraqi border. It is unclear who carried out the strikes. [Link]

Africa

• The US carried out a drone strike in Somalia and claimed to kill five militants. Somali sources report the drone strike hit a minibus killing six civilians. [Link]
• Weapons are continuing to pour into Libya while the UN tries to enforce an arms embargo for the country. [Link]
• US investigators traveled to Sudan to assist the government in the investigation into the assassination attempt to the prime minister. [Link]
• The US sanctions two officials in Zimbabwe. [Link]