North Korea May Deploy 120 Missiles to Russia 
Trump Administration Plans $1 Billion Security Aid Package for Colombia 
Russian Strikes on Ukraine Kill Six, Wound Dozens in Balakliia and Sumy 
Joe Biden’s Prostate Cancer Has Spread Further, Hunter Biden Says 
Bezalel Smotrich Faces Election Battle as Israel’s Far-Right Vote Fractures 
US Expects Iran-Oman Hormuz Shipping Deal Soon 
Senate Majority Leader John Thune Moves to Advance Crypto Clarity Act 
Taiwan Tests Penghu Defense, Mobile Internet Limits in War Drills 
US Expands Social Media Vetting to Foreign Journalists Seeking Visas 
Trump Orders Probe Into Pentagon Munitions Stockpile Leaks After Iran Conflict 
Taiwan President Lai Oversees Coastal Strike Drills in Han Kuang War Games 
US-Backed Venezuela Government, Opposition Talks Begin 
Russian Strikes Kill Six in Eastern and Northern Ukraine, Dozens Injured 
New Zealand MMP Electoral System Faces Fresh Referendum Debate 
Trump Faces Tough Choices as Iran War Drags On 
Iran-Oman Hormuz Shipping Deal Nears Final Stage 
Tens of thousands of Afghans fled the country following the military withdrawal of the US and the West in August last year. A US official apologized to the Afghans that were stranded in UAE for the delays in the processing for repatriation.
A senior US official met with the Afghans who have been stranded in the United Arab Emirates and apologized for the long delays as the US is still grappling with the thousands who boarded US planes, fleeing Afghanistan in fear of the Taliban. Over 74,000 Afghans are now living in the US and were housed in military bases in the midst of immigration issues and logistical issues in finding affordable homes for them to live in.
“I told them that I was really sorry it was taking so long and I was as frustrated as they were, frankly,” said the official. “But I also asked for their understanding of how hard we’ve been working to get the systems going.”
While the official pledged to do whatever they could, they also acknowledged that some who have fled and are currently stranded in the UAE may never receive US visas. This includes some of those who made up civil society in Afghanistan such as journalists, prosecutors, and others.
US officials said that as of January, out of the 40,000 Afghans who applied for a “humanitarian parole” status, 930 of them were denied and 160 were approved. The rest have yet to be processed. 12,000 Afghans are stranded in Abu Dhabi, 10,000 of which are in Emirates City while 2,000 were in Tasameem Workers City, according to Ahmad Shah Mohibi, the founder of an organization called Rise to Peace that is helping Afghans stranded in UAE.
Meanwhile, a report by the United Nations reveals that nearly 400 civilians have been killed from attacks in Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power. This marks the first major human rights report since August last year. The report found that from August 2021 to February 2022, 397 civilians were killed by attacks from the Islamic State Khorasan or ISIS-K in the country.
Around the same period, the report noted that up to 50 people with suspected ties to the extremist group were also killed, some of which were tortured and beheaded.
