US News

• The State Department will pay employees who alleged they suffer from ‘Havana Syndrne’ six-figure payouts. State is making the payments in accordance with the HAVANA Act. [Link]

Haiti

• At least eight prisoners died from starvation in a prison in Haiti. [Link]

Ukraine

• President Biden authorized a new $450 million weapons package for Ukraine that includes more High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, patrol boats, and tactical vehicles. [Link]
• Ukraine had received the delivery of US-provided rocket systems, known as High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems. [Link]
• Russian President Vladimir Putin told a meeting of BRICS leaders on Wednesday that Russia is “actively redirecting its trade flows” to the BRICS. [Link]
• Lithuania’s president wants his country to hike military spending to 3% of its GDP to enable it to host more NATO troops. [Link]
• NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said alliance leaders will “address” China at the upcoming Madrid summit. [Link]
• A Department of Defense official strongly urged the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to quickly approve the request of Finland and Sweden to join NATO. [Link]
• The US is hopeful that there will soon be a positive resolution of the issues between Turkey, Finland and Sweden regarding the NATO bids of the two Nordic countries. [Link]
• NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said he wants Sweden and Finland to join the Western military alliance “soon” but that he can’t guarantee it as Turkey’s objection has blocked a swift application process. [Link]
• Ukrainian refugees face being sent to Rwanda if they travel to the UK without approval, Boris Johnson said. [Link]
• European Union leaders on Thursday granted Ukraine and Moldova candidate status, the first official step towards membership. [Link]

Middle East

• Two dozen US senators have called on President Joe Biden to ensure Washington is “directly involved” in investigating the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. [Link]
• The U.S. military delegation that spent three days in Israel this week was unusual in its size. Since the ties with Israel were transferred to CENTCOM last September, relations have become close and more intensive. [Link]
• A senior US official told lawmakers that more Arab countries are looking to make gestures to improve relations with Israel when President Joe Biden visits the region next month. [Link]
• Iran says it is serious about reviving the nuclear agreement. [Link]
• Iraq’s parliament replaced the 73 MPs that were a part of cleric Moqtada al-Sadr’s political bloc. The election runner-ups from the previous election were sworn in. The seats went mostly to the Shi’ite Coordination Framework, which now has a plurality. [Link]