Archive for March, 2022

Biden to grant temporary deportation relief to Afghans in the US

The Biden administration will grant temporary deportation relief and work permits to Afghans without permanent legal status but who are currently in the US, a move that could aid those evacuated after last year’s US withdrawal from Afghanistan. The grant of so-called Temporary Protected Status (TPS) will be available to 72,500 Afghans who entered on what is known as “humanitarian […]

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US withdrawal from Afghanistan raises counterterrorism challenges, forces reliance on Taliban, general tells House lawmakers

House lawmakers on Thursday pressed Pentagon officials on the impact of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, raising doubt over efforts to combat terrorism from afar and whether the U.S. is compensating civilian casualties of the 20-year war.

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Iran raises April crude oil selling prices for Asia – sources

Iran has set the official selling price (OSP) of its Iranian Light grade for its Asian buyers at $4.70 a barrel above the Oman/Dubai average for April, up $2.05 from the previous month, two industry sources with direct knowledge of the matter said on Wednesday, Reuters reported. The table below shows April crude prices to Asia, as differentials to the […]

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Afghans facing crisis of ‘unparalleled proportions’: UN official

A senior United Nations official said Wednesday people in Afghanistan are today facing a food insecurity and malnutrition crisis of unparalleled proportions and that the rapid increase in those experiencing acute hunger – from 14 million in July 2021 to 23 million in March 2022 – has forced households to resort to desperate measures such as skipping meals or taking […]

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Afghanistan should not become a center for rivalry: Muttaqi

Afghanistan should not become a location for rivalry among the world’s great powers, acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said this week during a visit to the Afghan embassy in Turkey. Muttaqi said: “The policy is that henceforth Afghanistan should not become a center or ground for rivalry among the great powers.” “Henceforth, it should not be like Afghanistan be […]

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Islamic State Growing in Afghanistan But Not Ready to Attack US, West

More than six months after the U.S. pulled its last troops from Afghanistan, the threat from the Islamic State’s Afghan affiliate is growing, though new intelligence assessments suggest that earlier warnings the group might be able to strike at America and its allies as early as next month appear to have been overblown. Various intelligence estimates from the U.S. and […]

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US warns China against helping Russia as sanctions mount

US national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Monday raised concerns about China’s alignment with Russia in a seven-hour meeting with Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi as Washington warned of the isolation and penalties Beijing will face if it helps Moscow in its invasion of Ukraine. The meeting took place in Rome as the United States told allies in NATO and several […]

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Large-scale military drills and THAAD are back on the table in South Korea

Large-scale military drills with American troops and a U.S.-made missile defense system will be back on the table when South Korea’s new president is inaugurated in May. President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol and the conservative People Power Party released a statement of their goals for his five-year presidency on Feb. 25. In the document, Yoon and the party called for a […]

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Turkish FM ‘advises’ IEA officials on what’s needed to gain int’l recognition

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Sunday he advised Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) officials on what steps need to be taken for the Afghan government to gain international recognition. “We told them in a very friendly fashion which steps should be taken for international recognition,” Cavusoglu told a press conference. He said that they focused on the importance […]

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India unsure of Russian arms to meet China, Pakistan threats

India is exploring ways to avoid a major disruption in its supply of Russian-made weaponry amid U.S. sanctions following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tightrope walk could become more difficult due to a continuing border standoff with China. Experts say up to 60% of Indian defense equipment comes from Russia, and New Delhi finds itself in […]

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