President Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke for 50 minutes on Thursday, in what a senior U.S. official characterized as a "serious and substantive" phone call setting the parameters for high-stakes security talks in Europe next month.
The South African government lifted most of its COVID-19 restrictions Thursday, including a midnight to 4am curfew, with officials saying the country has "passed the peak of the fourth wave" driven by the Omicron variant.
Why it matters: South Africa alerted the world to the Omicron variant in November and has been the worst-hit country in Africa, per Reuters.
Israel's top health official has approved the rollout of a fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose to people most vulnerable to the virus, AP reports.
Why it matters: The country is the first to approve the fourth dose, as much of the world faces a surge in cases driven by the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
Two U.S. Navy ships seized 385 kilograms (849 pounds) of heroin from a stateless fishing vessel in the Arabian Sea, the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command announced Thursday.
Why it matters: The heroin, discovered by the USS Tempest and the USS Typhoon on Monday, is worth approximately $4 million, per the news release.
Hong Kong police announced Thursday they've formally charged two people with "conspiracy to publish seditious publications," a day after a raid on Stand News' office that's been denounced by Secretary of State Tony Blinken.
Why it matters: Hong Kong previously enjoyed freedoms that saw the city "flourish as a global center for finance, trade, education, and culture," Blinken said in a statement Wednesday evening. But these have been encroached on since China's government passed a draconian national security law last year.
The Biden administration asked the Supreme Court on Wednesday to rule on whether it is required to keep the Trump-era "Remain in Mexico" policy.
Why it matters: President Biden was forced by a court order this month to restart the controversial program, which makes asylum seekers wait in Mexico for U.S. court hearings. The administration is seeking to end the program, again, per Axios' Stef Kight.
