Trump Administration Bars U.S. Travelers From Congo Flights Amid Ebola Outbreak 
Iran Launches Fresh Attacks on U.S. Bases as Strait of Hormuz Tensions Escalate 
Nicaragua Cuts Diplomatic Ties With Italy Over Red Brigades Extradition Dispute 
Hegseth Defends Blue Angels After Low Flyover Sparks Safety Review 
Senate Weighs Permanent Daylight Saving Time Bill as Support Remains Uncertain 
Zelenskiy Cabinet Reshuffle Puts Ukraine Defense Minister Fedorov’s Future in Focus 
Ukraine, EU Sign Landmark Drone Deal to Boost Defense Production 
US Military Completes Sixth Night of Iran Strikes as Conflict Escalates 
Xi Jinping Calls for People-Centered AI Development at WAIC, Expands Global Cooperation 
Brazil Weighs IP Curbs, Patent Suspensions After New U.S. Tariffs 
US-Iran Conflict Escalates as Hormuz Tensions Disrupt Global Oil Shipping 
U.S. Imposes 25% Tariff on Select Brazilian Imports After Section 301 Trade Investigation 
Trump Criticizes ABC, NBC and CNN for Limiting Coverage of Election Speech 
US Restricts Commercial Flights From Congo Amid Ebola Outbreak 
US Troop Pullback Raises NATO Security Concerns Amid Russia Tensions 
DOJ Refuses to Release Unredacted Jeffrey Epstein Files to New Mexico Investigation 
Trump Administration Launches AI Cybersecurity Partnership to Protect Critical Infrastructure 
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appointed the former president of Kyrgyzstan to become the new UN special envoy to Afghanistan. The new special envoy will replace Deborah Lyons, who already stepped down back in June.
The UN issued a statement naming former Kyrgyzstan President Roza Otunbayeva as the new UN special envoy for Afghanistan, replacing Lyons. Otunbayeva also served as Kyrgyzstan’s foreign minister.
Otunbayeva’s appointment to become the new UN envoy for Afghanistan comes at a time when the country continues to face a worsening humanitarian and economic crisis.
The crisis worsened last year as the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan on the heels of the west’s military withdrawal from the country led by the United States after nearly 20 years of conflict.
Afghanistan has also experienced domestic attacks on its religious minorities. The latest attack took place Friday last week near a mosque in western Afghanistan, killing at least 18 people and wounding 23 injured, interior ministry spokesman Abdul Nafi Takor told Reuters.
The victims in the blast at Herat included a pro-Taliban cleric who was going to the mosque for Friday prayers.
A senior US official said last week that the Biden administration would temporarily stop the temporary relocation of Afghans to the United States, instead focusing on reuniting immediate family members with pathways to citizenship.
The revised policy follows criticism from lawmakers, refugee organizations, and rights groups, that the Biden administration failed to properly plan the evacuation of Afghans who are at risk of reprisals from the insurgent group when it withdrew its military presence from Afghanistan last year.
The administration continues to maintain that the withdrawal was a success, citing that nearly 90,000 Afghans resettled in the United States in what would be the first large-scale operation.
The official reiterated that the administration remains committed to US allies in Afghanistan, adding that there is no deadline for the commitment. The revised policy is set to take effect on October 1.
The exceptions to the revised policy include Afghans who are on humanitarian parole – the program that grants temporary entry but no pathway to lawful permanent residence.
