The VICE Morning Bulletin

The US Army wasted millions on reconstruction in Afghanistan, like a $6 million program to import goats, a report claims. Photo via Flickr.

Everything you need to know about the world this morning, curated by VICE.

US News

US to Unveil New Visa Rules to Block ISIS
The Obama administration will announce new visa rules for European visitors who hold dual nationality in Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria, or who have gone to those countries in the last five years. The changes are aimed at making entry more difficult for Europeans involved with Islamic State.—The New York Times

Pharma Bro Pleads the Fifth Amendment
Former Turing CEO Martin Shkreli has invoked the Fifth Amendment in refusing to produce documents subpoenaed by a Senate committee investigating drug-pricing practices. Shkreli, who is set to testify next week, tweeted: "I have constitutional rights".—NBC News

Snyder Releases Toxic Water Emails
Michigan Governor Rick Snyder has released 270 pages of emails related to the toxic water crisis in Flint. They show the state's Department of Environmental Quality knew about elevated lead levels in children's blood as far back as August 2015.—ABC News

Pentagon 'Wasted' Millions on Goats
Investigators have attacked a Pentagon agency for "ill-conceived" spending in Afghanistan, including a $6 million program to import Italian goats to boost the country's cashmere industry. One investigating senator called it a "terrible waste of taxpayer money".—USA Today

International News

Vigils Held for Pakistani Students
Pakistan is observing a day of national mourning for the 21 people killed when armed gunmen stormed a northwest university. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has promised a "ruthless" response to the massacre, while the Pakistani Taliban has blamed a small faction within its group.—The Guardian

Zika Outbreak in Brazil
New figures from Brazil have shown a rise in the number of babies born with abnormally small heads to mothers infected with the Zika virus. There have been 3,893 cases of microcephaly since October. Zika is transmitted by the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito.—BBC News

Vietnam's Communists Pick New Officials
Vietnam's ruling Communist Party has begun an eight-day congress to choose a new set senior officials. Leader Nguyen Phu Trong said some transfer of power is important because "corruption and wastefulness remain serious problems, causing discontent in the public".—AP

Tajikistan Orders 13,000 Beards Shaved
Police in Tajikistan have shaved nearly 13,000 people's beards and closed 160 shops selling Muslim clothing in the past year, as the country fights against "radicalism". Tajikistan's secular leadership wants to stop "unwelcome" traditions coming from neighboring Afghanistan.—Al Jazeera

Mos Def. Photo via Wikimedia.

Everything Else

Rapper Known as Mos Def Retires
The rapper and actor formerly known as Mos Def, detained last week for attempting to leave South Africa with a "world passport", has announced his retirement. Yasiin Bey shared the news with a freestyle posted on Kanye West's website.—Billboard

Eagles of Death Metal to Play Free Gig for Bataclan Survivors
Eagles of Death Metal has offered free tickets to next month's return gig in Paris to survivors of the attack. One survivor who claimed a ticket said she is "happy to go and get the (closure) we deserve."—Newsweek

Planet Earth's Hottest Year Ever
Last year was the hottest year yet recorded, according to NASA and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Global temperatures in 2015 jumped 0.23 degrees Fahrenheit.—Motherboard

Female Musicians Attack PR Boss
Heathcliff Beru, one of the industry's most prominent PR people, has been accused of assault by several female musicians. Berru has been called a "scumbag" and a "monster" by women sharing their stories on Twitter.—Broadly

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