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  • CENTCOM head says talks between Afghan government and Taliban are ‘critical’ as US drawdown reaches halfway mark

    About five weeks into U.S. withdrawal efforts, the “time is now becoming very short” for talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government to ensue before American forces leave after nearly two decades in the country, Marine Gen. Ken McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command, told reporters Monday during a teleconference.

  • Afghanistan, Iraq Drawdowns Cut $3.2B From US Army Costs, Officials Say

    The U.S. Army would get $173.0 billion under the Pentagon’s fiscal 2022 budget request, down from the $176.6 billion it received in the current fiscal year, according to its budget documents. If inflation stays at 4 percent, that would mean a real decrease of about 6 percent — a steeper real decline than in the overall defense budget request, which at $715 billion would decline about 3 percent in real terms from the current year.

  • Saudi minister defends order to turn down the volume on mosques

    Saudi Arabia's Islamic Affairs minister on Monday defended an order to lower the volume on mosque loudspeakers, saying families had been complaining that competing speakers were keeping their children awake.

  • Saudi Arabia’s mosques asked to turn down volume on loudspeakers

    “In Islam, we have to make sure we are a source of peace and comfort for all, Ms Redham, an American resident of Jeddah, told The National. "Sound is a part of it too. "If the prayers, which can go up to 10 to 15 minutes, are loudly played on speakers, it can cause discomfort to those living next to the mosques, including Muslims and non-Muslims.”

  • Turkey’s Karpowership says it is shutting down power to Lebanon

    Turkey’s Karpowership, which provides electricity to Lebanon from two barges, said on Friday it was shutting down supplies over payment arrears and a legal threat to its vessels as the nation grapples with a deep economic crisis. The company, which supplies 370 megawatts (MW), or about a quarter of Lebanon’s current supply, told the government this week it would have to shut down unless there were moves toward settling the issues.

  • Saudi releases Bin Laden patriarch held in ‘Ritz crackdown’: sources

    Saudi Arabia has released construction magnate Bakr bin Laden, more than three years after his detention in a purge of the kingdom's elite that upended his vast business empire, sources told AFP. The former chairman of the Bin Laden Group, Saudi Arabia's biggest construction company, was reunited last week with his family in the Red Sea city of Jeddah after being freed from an undisclosed detention site, two people close to his family said.

  • US orders big drawdown at Kabul embassy as troops leave

    Shortly before he spoke, the State Department said it had instructed all personnel to depart unless their jobs require them to be physically located in Afghanistan. The order was not specific as to the number of people affected, but it went well beyond the usual curtailment of staffers for security and safety reasons. Such orders normally apply only to non-essential personnel.

  • Analysis: Biden’s Mideast drawdown poses perils

    The Biden administration is making a critical mistake by moving vital military assets away from the Middle East. Drawing down America’s posture in the Middle East sends the wrong message as the administration simultaneously pursues nuclear negotiations with Iran, the region’s most dangerous aggressor. To prevent Iran and its proxies from taking advantage of the resulting vulnerabilities, Washington must work closely with its partners to expand defensive and offensive capabilities throughout the region.

  • JPMorgan downgrades emerging market currencies to ‘underweight’

    Investment bank JPMorgan recommended selling emerging market currencies on Tuesday, completing a 180-degree pivot from the start of the year when it was backing them to have a good run.

  • Iranian prosecutor announces indictments in downing of Ukrainian jet

    The announcement of the indictments comes after the country faced harsh criticism for its final report on the incident last month and before Iran is expected to begin indirect discussions with the U.S. to reenter a nuclear pact.