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U.S. to begin new Afghan refugee program

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U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration will launch a new program to resettle certain Afghans as refugees in the United States, an administration official and two knowledgeable sources said on Sunday.

The U.S. State Department was expected to announce the setting-up of the so-called Priority Two refugee program on Monday, the three sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The program comes as fighting surges in Afghanistan ahead of the formal completion of the U.S. troop withdrawal at the end of this month, with the Taliban pushing to capture key provincial capitals.

Biden has faced pressure from lawmakers and advocacy groups to aid Afghans at risk of Taliban retaliation because of their association with the United States during the 20-year U.S. war.

The administration official said the new refugee program would cover Afghans who worked for U.S.-funded projects and for U.S.-based non-government bodies and media outlets.

Those Afghans do not qualify for the Special Immigration Visa (SIV) program that covers interpreters and others who worked for the U.S. government, and their families.

About 200 SIV applicants whose visas are in the final stages of processing and family members flew into the United States last week at the start of an evacuation effort dubbed “Operation Allies Refuge” that could include as many as 50,000 people or more.

They were taken to stay at a military base in Virginia to complete their final formalities before being resettled around the country.

The administration official said the new program for Afghans would differ from a Prority Two refugee program for Iraqis that has been indefinitely suspended while U.S. officials pursue a sweeping fraud investigation.

The new Afghan program will require applicants to be referred by U.S. agencies, senior U.S. officials, non-government bodies or media outlets, the official added.

The referral requirement is a key difference between the new Afghan program and the Iraqi program, which allows Iraqis to apply directly without a referral, the official said.

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Bayat Foundation donates hundreds of tents to earthquake victims in Samangan

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As part of its ongoing humanitarian assistance, Bayat Foundation has distributed hundreds of tents to families affected by the earthquake in the Khulm and Feroz Nakhchir districts of Samangan province.

Officials from the foundation said their humanitarian efforts will continue and that more affected families will receive assistance.

Hujatullah Noori, a representative of Bayat Foundation, said: “Today, Bayat Foundation is distributing 100 tents to the victims of the recent earthquake in Khulm and Feroz Nakhchir districts of Samangan.”

Currently, the most urgent needs of those affected by the earthquake are shelter, house reconstruction, food, and medicine—assistance that victims emphasize is essential.

One victim said: “Our life has been devastated. We thank the Bayat Foundation for standing with us and bringing us tents.”

Another added: “The earthquake destroyed our entire house. We are asking for more help. We hope the Bayat Foundation continues its support and helps rebuild people’s homes.”

Local officials in Khulm district also welcomed the Bayat Foundation’s humanitarian assistance, describing its role in supporting disaster victims and reducing poverty as significant.

According to the Khulm district governor, the recent earthquake completely destroyed 200 residential houses and partially damaged more than 1,000 others in the district. The quake also left nine people dead and 60 injured.

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Pakistan urges Islamic Emirate to relocate TTP to Afghanistan, sources say

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Sources in Turkey have told Ariana News that the Afghan delegation at the Istanbul talks shared its views with the mediators, but the Pakistani side raised certain demands that have no connection to Afghanistan.

According to the sources, the Islamabad delegation asked Afghanistan to relocate the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) group from Pakistan into Afghanistan.

The sources added that it is weird that, on one hand, Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of sheltering TTP members within its territory, yet on the other hand, it is itself requesting the transfer of such groups like the TTP into Afghanistan.

The sources emphasized that Afghanistan never wishes to create a major problem for itself under pressure.

According to the sources, the legitimate demands of the Islamic Emirate that Pakistan’s territory and airspace not be used by other country or by Daesh against Afghanistan — have not been accepted by Islamabad.

This comes as Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Tahir Andrabi said that a new round of talks with the Islamic Emirate began yesterday in Istanbul, during which the Pakistani delegation presented its evidence-based demands to the mediators with the aim of ending militant attacks.

Andrabi said at a press conference on Friday that the mediators are currently holding discussions with IEA regarding Pakistan’s demands.

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IEA ambassador in Moscow discusses role of ICC with Russian representative

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Gul Hassan Hassan, the Ambassador of the Islamic Emirate to Russia, met with Ilya Rogachev, the Special Representative of the President of Russia for International Criminal and Legal Cooperation, to discuss the role and position of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

According to a statement released by the Afghan Embassy in Moscow, the two sides exchanged views on issues related to the International Criminal Court, including its activities, status, and role as an international institution.

The statement added that the recent decisions of the ICC were also reviewed during the meeting.

It has been reported that Anton Lavrov, Head of the Afghanistan Department in the Second Asian Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was also present at the meeting.

This meeting comes after the Islamic Emirate previously announced the cancellation of Afghanistan’s membership in the Court, stating that history has shown the ICC acts based on political motives rather than the principles of justice and fairness.

ICC is an independent judicial body established to address serious international crimes such as genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

The Court operates under the Rome Statute and its jurisdiction applies only to countries that have accepted this statute.

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