Trump Signs Executive Order Threatening 25% Tariffs on Countries Trading With Iran 
Anutin’s Bhumjaithai Party Wins Thai Election, Signals Shift Toward Political Stability 
Pentagon Ends Military Education Programs With Harvard University 
Trump Lifts 25% Tariff on Indian Goods in Strategic U.S.–India Trade and Energy Deal 
Trump Allows Commercial Fishing in Protected New England Waters 
Bosnian Serb Presidential Rerun Confirms Victory for Dodik Ally Amid Allegations of Irregularities 
India–U.S. Interim Trade Pact Cuts Auto Tariffs but Leaves Tesla Out 
Trump Backs Nexstar–Tegna Merger Amid Shifting U.S. Media Landscape 
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi Secures Historic Election Win, Shaking Markets and Regional Politics 
U.S. Lawmakers to Review Unredacted Jeffrey Epstein DOJ Files Starting Monday 
Jack Lang Resigns as Head of Arab World Institute Amid Epstein Controversy 
Japan Election 2026: Sanae Takaichi Poised for Landslide Win Despite Record Snowfall 
Trump Says “Very Good Talks” Underway on Russia-Ukraine War as Peace Efforts Continue 
New York Legalizes Medical Aid in Dying for Terminally Ill Patients 
Federal Judge Restores Funding for Gateway Rail Tunnel Project 
Antonio José Seguro Poised for Landslide Win in Portugal Presidential Runoff 
Ghislaine Maxwell to Invoke Fifth Amendment at House Oversight Committee Deposition 
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.
