US News

• The Mississippi Supreme Court denies a retrial for a man sentenced to 12 years for having a cell phone in jail. The man only had his cell phone because the police didn’t take it as they were booking him, and he asked his jailer to charge his cell phone. [Link]
• Trump is considering leaving the Open Skies Treaty. [Link]
• A sailor from the USS T Roosevelt dies from coronavirus. [Link]

Korea

• North Korea test-fires short-range anti-ship missiles. [Link]
• The US and South Korea are at an impasse in negotiations about how much South Korea will pay the US to have American troops in South Korea. Trump is demanding a massive increase in South Korean payments. South Korea has made its “best offer” that falls far short of Trump’s demands. [Link]

Afghanistan 

• The US Envoy to Afghanistan is traveling to Qatar for talks with the Taliban. [Link]

Middle East

• Luxembourg will unfreeze $1.6 billion of Iranian assets. [Link]
• Coronavirus test shortages continue in Gaza as Israel is limiting the number of kits allowed in the densely populated area. After Gaza ran out of tests, Israel allowed the WHO to bring five kits into Gaza. However, this is far short of demand as two million people live in the region. [Link] 
• The US says Patriot Missiles and two other air defense systems are now operational in Iraq. [Link]
• The US places a $10 million reward for information on a Hezbollah commander operating in Iraq. The US claims he assumed some of Soleimani’s duties in Iraq. [Link]
• The World Food Programme cuts the amount of food aid sent to northern Yemen in half because of funding issues. [Link]

Africa 

• An armed group stormed a key water facility in Libya. The group cut water to Tripoli and is refusing to turn it back on until the government releases family members of the armed group. [Link]
• Libya’s Government of National Accord took two coastal cities from the Libyan National Army. [Link]
• The Congo reports two Ebola deaths in the past two days. The Congo had gone six weeks without reporting a new case of Ebola. An Ebola outbreak began in the Congo of August 2018 and has killed over 2,200 people. [Link]