Lionel Messi scores as Inter Miami wins late against LA Galaxy
The Argentinian superstar returns from injury to score a goal and add an assist as Inter downs Galaxy at Chase Stadium. Lionel Messi returned from injury as a reserve and scored in the 84th minute to lead Inter Miami to a 3-1 victory over the defending Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup champions, Los Angeles Galaxy. The iconic 38-year-old Argentinian striker was back on the field on Saturday for Miami after suffering what Inter coach Javier Mascherano had called a “minor muscle injury” – an apparent hamstring strain – in Inter’s Leagues Cup victory over Mexican side Necaxa on August 2. “It had been something very small,” Mascherano said of his injury after the match. “The three training sessions we had were good. The important thing is that the match ended. As the minutes went by, I saw him better. We have to see how he feels tomorrow.” Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi, who missed a Leagues Cup win over Pumas UNAM and last weekend’s MLS loss at Orlando City, was on the bench as a reserve before entering in the second half, replacing Telasco Segovia. “We had planned the match to give minutes to Leo [Messi]. The idea was to give him 45 minutes so that he can find sensations,” Mascherano said. “I didn’t see him after the game. Tomorrow, we’ll see what feelings he had. “He’s an extraordinary player. I saw that he was clearly not 100 percent comfortable, but as the minutes went by, he was loosening up more and more. We will have to see how he ended with the fatigue.” Jordi Alba scored for Miami in the 43rd minute, but Joseph Paintsil equalised for the Galaxy in the 59th minute. Messi takes a shot and scores his team’s second goal against LA Galaxy at Chase Stadium [Chandan Khanna/AFP] Messi dominates late Messi’s brilliant goal six minutes from full-time – a thunderous left foot strike fired from the edge of the penalty area that caromed off the bottom corner of the net – restored the lead for Miami. Advertisement He then put the victory beyond doubt with a sensational 89th-minute assist to teammate Luis Suarez, who put the home side ahead 3-1. Messi, the reigning MLS Most Valuable Player, has 19 goals and 10 assists in 19 MLS appearances for Miami this season. He also has the Herons into the quarterfinals of the Leagues Cup, which they won in 2023, just after Messi’s arrival. Miami will play the Tigres in a Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday. “He wants to play every single game,” Mascherano said. “You have to understand why Leo is Leo. He always wants to be on the pitch. He’s happy there. Sometimes, we try to explain him that we have to go slowly, but when he feels good, he knows himself like no one. In the end, we tried to give him some minutes today to start having good feelings for Wednesday.” Inter Miami rank fourth in the MLS Eastern Conference, six points behind MLS leaders Philadelphia, but with three matches in hand. Messi, left, celebrates with teammate Luis Suarez after Inter Miami went ahead 3-1 in the 89th minute [Chandan Khanna/AFP] Adblock test (Why?)
Manchester United vs Arsenal: Premier League – teams, start, lineups
Who: Manchester United vs ArsenalWhat: English Premier LeagueWhere: Old Trafford, Manchester, United KingdomWhen: Sunday, August 16 at 4:30pm (15:30 GMT) How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 4:30pm (15:30 GMT) in advance of our live text commentary stream. Arsenal face an immediate test of their Premier League title credentials against a revamped Manchester United. Al Jazeera Sport takes a closer look at the game. How does the season shape up for Arsenal? Mikel Arteta has challenged Arsenal to keep digging for gold. The Gunners have finished as Premier League runners-up for the last three seasons, sparking criticism of their failure to get over the line in the title race. Arsenal blew significant leads when Manchester City pipped them to the trophy in 2023 and 2024, before Liverpool left the injury-plagued north Londoners trailing in their wake last season. Arsenal’s title frustrations are mounting, with fans questioning whether Arteta is the right man to end their drought after winning only the 2020 FA Cup since he took charge in December 2019. But the Gunners showed their potential last season, with a run to the Champions League semifinals that ended with a narrow defeat against eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain. And, buoyed by a host of new signings worth more than 180 million pounds ($244 million) in total, Arteta is convinced they can finally get their hands on the Premier League silverware this season. “You keep digging, digging, digging, and you have to be digging because one day the gold is going to be there,” he told reporters on Friday. “For three seasons, we’ve had more points than [nearly] any other team in this league, which is incredible. Advertisement “You have the consistency, but now we have to do it in a season, to end with more points than any other team. “That’s the objective. When I’ve been taught, when I’ve been educated, that’s it.” Hampered by injuries to Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz at various stages last season, Arsenal lacked a cutting edge and were held to 14 draws compared with Liverpool’s nine. That was a crucial edge as Arsenal finished 10 points behind the champions. Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres heads at goal during a preseason friendly against Athletic Bilbao [Matthew Childs/Reuters] Who did Arsenal sign this summer? In an attempt to insulate Arsenal against another fitness-related collapse, Arteta has brought in Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres, Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, Chelsea winger Noni Madueke and Brentford midfielder Christian Norgaard. After bemoaning Arsenal’s failure to sign Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins as Liverpool pulled away during the January window, the Spaniard is a far more upbeat figure on the eve of the new season. “I think we have great versatility, very different qualities in relation to the opposition, so we are very happy with that,” he said. Arteta said that “too many” teams have a legitimate shot at winning the Premier League for his liking, some he even suspects will “surprise everybody”. Whether that was a hint that United, who suffered their worst season since 1973-74 last term, could emerge as contenders after their summer spending spree remains to be seen. Arsenal were linked with a move for United’s new striker Benjamin Sesko before deciding to bet on Gyokeres for a fee that could rise to 66 million pounds ($89.5m). The Swede netted 97 times in 102 games in two years at Sporting, much of which came under United’s current manager, Ruben Amorim. Manchester United’s Bryan Mbeumo moved from Brentford in the summer transfer window [Andrew Boyers/Reuters] How is the season shaping up for Man Utd? Instead of being reunited with Gyokeres, Amorim overhauled his attack with the signings of Leipzig’s Sesko, Brentford winger Bryan Mbeumo and Wolves forward Matheus Cunha at a combined cost of more than 200 million pounds ($271m). United, who have not won the title since 2013, had to spend big to erase the stench of their putrid campaign. Amorim’s team finished a dismal 15th in the top-flight, and squandered a chance to qualify for the Champions League with a toothless 1-0 defeat against fellow underachievers Tottenham in the Europa League final. Advertisement The pressure is on Amorim, who replaced the sacked Erik ten Hag in November, to deliver major improvements in his second season. Amorim knows Sesko will be key to that target and believes the 22-year-old Slovenian is ready to rise to the challenge. “I don’t need to tell Ben, ‘Ben, this is Manchester United, a lot of pressure. Every game is like do or die’,” Amorim said. “He is always thinking about football. He’s really obsessed about that.” Head-to-head This is the 244th meeting between the clubs, with United winning 99 of those games and Arsenal winning 89. The last two meetings ended in 1-1 draws, although one of those was in the FA Cup with United advancing on penalties. The Red Devils have not beaten the Gunners since December 2022, a 3-1 home win lead by a Marcus Rashford double. The Gunners have won four of the six following meetings. Manchester United team news Defenders Lisandro Martinez (knee) and Noussair Mazraoui (hamstring) are both injury absentees for United. Joshua Zirkzee and Andre Onana have, however, both recovered from knocks and are available for selection. Arsenal team news Arteta has said that the new signings, Gyokeres and Zubimendi, are both “fit to play”. Leandro Trossard has had a groin problem but is expected to recover in time for selection. Gabriel Jesus remains a long-term absentee with an ACL injury, but otherwise, Arteta has a full squad to choose from. Manchester United predicted starting lineup Onana; Yoro, Maguire, Shaw; Dalot, Casemiro, Fernandes, Dorgu; Mbeumo, Cunha; Sesko Arsenal predicted starting lineup Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli Adblock test (Why?)
A hundred Hiroshimas
Hind Hassan examines the prospect of a new nuclear arms race, the companies helping to fuel it, and the dangers it poses. Eighty years after the first and only time nuclear weapons have been used – the US bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 – the risk of the unthinkable happening again has never been greater. The world’s largest nuclear powers – Russia and the United States – are as close as they’ve been to conflict since the height of the Cold War. As they upgrade their nuclear capabilities, even talking openly about using them, all signs point to the beginnings of a second nuclear arms race. Only this time, there aren’t just two players, but three: China, once a junior member of the nuclear club, is expanding its arsenal faster than any other nation. Adblock test (Why?)
‘Will I make it back alive?’: Gaza journalists fear targeting by Israel
After Israel’s attack on a tent housing journalists in Gaza City, Palestinians say press vests now feel like a target. Palestinian journalists have long known Gaza to be the most dangerous place on earth for media workers, but Israel’s latest attack on a tent housing journalists in Gaza City has left many reeling from shock and fear. Four Al Jazeera staff were among seven people killed in an Israeli drone strike outside al-Shifa Hospital on August 10. The Israeli military has admitted to deliberately targeting the tent after making unsubstantiated accusations that one of those killed, Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif, was a member of Hamas. Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed at least 238 media workers since October 2023, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office. This toll is higher than that of World Wars I and II, the Vietnam War, the war in Afghanistan and the Yugoslavia wars combined. Al Jazeera correspondent Hani Mahmoud said, “Press vests and helmets, once considered a shield, now feel like a target.” “The fear is constant — and justified,” Mahmoud said. “Every assignment is accompanied by the same unspoken question: Will [I] make it back alive?” The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists has been among several organisations denouncing Israel’s longstanding pattern of accusing journalists of being “terrorists” without credible proof. “It is no coincidence that the smears against al-Sharif — who has reported night and day for Al Jazeera since the start of the war — surfaced every time he reported on a major development in the war, most recently the starvation brought about by Israel’s refusal to allow sufficient aid into the territory,” CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah said in the aftermath of Israel’s attack. In light of Israel’s systematic targeting of journalists, media workers in Gaza are forced to make difficult choices. Advertisement “As a mother and a journalist, I go through this mental dissonance almost daily, whether to go to work or stay with my daughters and being afraid of the random shelling of the Israeli occupation army,” Palestinian journalist Sally Thabet told Al Jazeera. Across the street from the ruins of the School of Media Studies at al-Quds Open University in Gaza City, where he used to teach, Hussein Saad has been recovering from an injury he sustained while running to safety. “The deliberate targeting of Palestinian journalists has a strong effect on the disappearance of the Palestinian story and the disappearance of the media narrative,” he said. Saad argued the Strip was witnessing “the disappearance of the truth”. While journalists report on mass killings, human suffering and starvation, they also cope with their own losses and deprivation. Photographer and correspondent Amer al-Sultan said hunger was a major challenge. “I used to go to work, and when I didn’t find anything to eat, I would just drink water,” he said. “I did this for two days. I had to live for two or three days on water. This is one of the most difficult challenges we face amid this war against our people: starvation.” Journalist and film director Hassan Abu Dan said reporters “live in conditions that are more difficult than the mind can imagine.” “You live in a tent. You drink water that is not good for drinking. You eat unhealthy food … We are all, as journalists, confused. There is a part of our lives that has been ruined and gone far away,” he said. Al Jazeera’s Mahmoud said that despite the psychological trauma and the personal risks, Palestinian journalists continue to do their jobs, “driven by a belief that documenting the truth is not just a profession, but a duty to their people and history”. Adblock test (Why?)
Trump set to meet Ukraine’s Zelenskyy after ‘successful’ talks with Putin
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday will meet US President Donald Trump in Washington to discuss an end to the more than three-year war in Ukraine, hours after Trump’s talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska ended without a concrete deal. In a post on his Truth Social platform after holding phone conversations with European Union and NATO leaders, Trump said the talks with Putin “went very well”. “It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up.” Trump’s pitch for the peace agreement, analysts say, came after no deal was announced in the Alaska talks. Prior to the meeting, Trump had threatened Moscow to agree to a ceasefire. Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid, reporting from Moscow, said there has been an atmosphere of success in Moscow. “Trump’s remarks on the need for a larger peace agreement fall in line with what Putin has been saying for the last few months,” he said. The Ukrainian leader and his European allies, who have been seeking a ceasefire, welcomed the Trump-Putin talks on Saturday but emphasised the need for a security guarantee for Kyiv. Zelenskyy, who was publicly berated by Trump and his officials during his last Oval Office meeting, said, “I am grateful for the invitation.” The Ukrainian leader said he had a “long and substantive conversation with Trump”. “In my conversation with President Trump, I said that sanctions should be tightened if there is no trilateral meeting or if Russia evades an honest end to the war,” the Ukrainian leader said. Advertisement He said that Ukraine needed a real, long-lasting peace and not “just another pause” between Russian invasions. “Security must be guaranteed reliably and in the long term, with the involvement of both Europe and the US,” he said on X following his call with the European leaders. Zelenskiy stressed that territorial issues can only be decided with Ukraine. Trilateral meeting In his first public comment after the Alaska talks, Zelenskyy said he supported Trump’s proposal for a trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the US, and Russia, adding that Kyiv is “ready for constructive cooperation”. “Ukraine reaffirms its readiness to work with maximum effort to achieve peace,” the Ukrainian president posted on X. But Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said on Russian state television on Saturday that a potential trilateral meeting between Trump, Putin and Zelenskyy has not been raised during the US-Russia discussions. “The topic has not been touched upon yet,” Ushakov said, according to the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. Trump rolled out the red carpet on Friday for Putin, who was in the US for the first time in a decade, but he gave little concrete detail afterwards of what was discussed. Trump said in Alaska that “there’s no deal until there’s a deal,” after Putin claimed the two leaders had hammered out an “understanding” on Ukraine and warned Europe not to “torpedo the nascent progress.” Al Jazeera’s Charles Stratford, reporting from Kyiv, said Trump has been heavily criticised by the US media over the meeting in Alaska. “They are concerned about what has been described as far more of a conciliatory tone by Trump towards Putin, without coming out of that meeting with even a ceasefire,” he said. Stratford said that the eyes are now on the meeting in Washington as Zelenskyy and Trump try to set up a trilateral meeting with Putin. “If all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin,” the US president said. During an interview with Fox News Channel after the talks, Trump insisted that the onus going forward might be on Zelenskyy “to get it done,” but said there would also be some involvement from European nations. Meanwhile, several European leaders on Saturday jointly pledged to continue support for Ukraine and maintain pressure on Russia until the war in Ukraine ends. Europe’s stance In a statement, EU leaders, including the French president and German chancellor, outlined key points in stopping the conflict. They said: “Ukraine must have ironclad security guarantees to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity”. Advertisement Russia cannot have a veto against Ukraine‘s pathway to the EU and NATO, the statement said. “It will be up to Ukraine to make decisions on its territory. International borders must not be changed by force.” Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from Brussels, said reaching a ceasefire in Ukraine is the priority of European leaders. “They believe that there needs to be an immediate ceasefire before reaching a comprehensive deal on the future of Ukraine,” he said. “Then they seek to provide security guarantees by deploying their own forces to make sure Russians will not violate the terms of that agreement,” our correspondent stressed, adding that European countries reject the notion of changing the borders by force. Adblock test (Why?)
A political shift ahead? What to know about Bolivia’s presidential election
For the first time in nearly two decades, Bolivia is on the precipice of a rightward shift. Voters in the South American nation will go to the polls on August 17 to choose the next president, as well as members of Congress. But schisms within Bolivia’s long-dominant left have opened the door to a possible right-wing victory, with candidates like businessman Samuel Doria Medina and former President Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga leading the race. Bolivia has been unsettled by political and economic turmoil in recent years, including high inflation and dwindling currency reserves. That, in turn, has fuelled public dissatisfaction with the ruling Movement for Socialism (MAS) party, which has been in power almost continuously since 2006. Candidates like Medina and Quiroga are hoping to capitalise on that disillusionment to oust MAS from the presidency. But tensions in the country remain high, and polls show a close race that may not produce a clear winner in the first round of voting. Who are the figures shaping the race, what issues are top of mind for voters, and how could this election shape Bolivia? We answer those questions and more in this explainer. When is the election? The first round of voting will take place on Sunday, August 17. Will there be a second round of voting? Possibly. To avoid a run-off, the top presidential candidate must either earn more than 50 percent of the vote or garner 40 percent of the vote and have a 10-point lead over the second-place contender. But that scenario is unlikely, given the tight race between candidates like Medina and Quiroga. Advertisement The presidential race is expected to proceed to a second round of voting on October 19. Are there other races on the ballot? Yes. In addition to voting for a president and vice president, Bolivians will cast ballots for 36 Senate seats and 130 positions in the Chamber of Deputies. Bolivia has a population of approximately 12 million, of which more than seven million are eligible voters. Bolivian presidential candidate Jorge ‘Tuto’ Quiroga campaigns in La Paz, Bolivia, on August 7 [Juan Karita/AP Photo] Who are the main presidential candidates? A total of 10 presidential candidates registered to race in Sunday’s election, but so far, no single contender has decisively broken into the lead. “This is the first national election in two decades without a dominant party or a clear frontrunner,” said Glaeldys Gonzalez Calanche, an analyst with the International Crisis Group, a research nonprofit. Two closely watched candidates, however, are both conservatives who struggled to make an impression in past elections. They now appear to have a shot at success, a development that underscores the implosion of the once-formidable Bolivian left. One of the candidates is a politician and businessman named Samuel Doria Medina. An entrepreneur who made his fortune in cement, Medina now owns hotels and Burger King restaurant franchises in Bolivia. In the 1990s, he also served as a minister of planning under President Jaime Paz Zamora. The founder of the right-of-centre National Unity Front, Medina previously made three failed attempts to run for president: in 2005, 2009 and 2014. He likely faces his stiffest competition from fellow also-ran, the right-wing Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga. Like Medina, Quiroga has been a presidential candidate three times before: in 2005, 2014 and 2020. But he briefly ascended to the presidency himself after being elected as the country’s youngest vice president in 1997. He shared a ticket at the time with the country’s former military dictator Hugo Banzer, whose government in the 1970s was associated with abuses such as torture and enforced disappearances. As president, Banzer decided to leave office in 2001 after he was diagnosed with lung cancer, and Quiroga served the final year of Banzer’s term. Bolivian Senate President Andronico Rodriguez waves to supporters at a rally in La Paz, Bolivia, on May 10 [Juan Karita/AP Photo] Are there any contenders on the left? Yes, but they have not been polling as strongly as their conservative counterparts. Andronico Rodriguez is the leading left-wing candidate, running as an independent. The president of the Senate, Rodriguez boasts roots in Bolivia’s rural coca-growing regions, which tend to be strongholds for the governing MAS party. Advertisement Rodriguez, however, split from the MAS party this year as Bolivia’s leftist coalition fractured. Outgoing president and MAS member Luis Arce has been blamed for Bolivia’s slumping economy, and MAS founder Evo Morales has been locked in a feud with both Arce and Rodriguez as he seeks to regain the presidency himself. The official MAS candidate in the 2025 election, former minister Eduardo del Castillo, has barely made a ripple in the polls. What do the polls say? A poll aggregator compiled by the Americas Society/Council of the Americas shows conservatives Samuel Doria Medina and Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga vying for the lead. But the polls note that a significant number of voters are either undecided or intent upon casting null votes, adding a wild-card element to Sunday’s race. Three polls taken between early June and late July show Medina in the lead, with between 19.6 and 24.5 percent support. Quiroga, meanwhile, garnered between 16.6 percent and 22.9 percent in the polls. And Andronico Rodriguez, the left-wing candidate, earned between 6 percent and 13.7 percent support among the survey respondents. What issues are top of mind for voters? The country’s economic turbulence and cost of living crisis are among the highest-profile issues for voters this election cycle. “Bolivia is experiencing its worst economic crisis in a generation,” said Gonzalez Calanche, the analyst with the International Crisis Group. She pointed out that the national currency has lost more than half of its value. While Bolivia has vast stores of natural gas and oil, its production has tumbled, leading to an economic shortfall. The country has been forced to import fuel rather than exporting it amid shortages. A survey in May found that voters identified rising prices as their top concern, followed by other economic issues such as fuel shortages, shrinking dollar reserves and unemployment.
Hurricane Erin threatens Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands with flooding
Heavy rains are forecast to start with the storm expected to become a major Category 3 storm over the weekend. Hurricane Erin has formed in the Atlantic Ocean as it approaches the northeast Caribbean, as forecasters warn of possible flooding and landslides in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The storm is expected to remain over open waters, although tropical storm watches were issued for Anguilla and Barbuda, St Martin and St Barts, Saba and St Eustatius and St Maarten. Heavy rains were forecast to start late on Friday in Antigua and Barbuda, the US and British Virgin Islands, and southern and eastern Puerto Rico. Up to 10cm (four inches) are expected, with isolated totals of up to 15cm (six inches), according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Forecasters also warned of dangerous swells. The storm was located about 835km (520 miles) east of the Northern Leeward Islands. It had maximum sustained winds of 110km/h (70mph) and was moving west-northwest at 28km/h (17mph). Erin is forecast to become a major Category 3 storm late this weekend. The hurricane centre noted that “there is still uncertainty about what impacts Erin may bring to portions of the Bahamas, the east coast of the United States, and Bermuda in the long range.” Fifth named storm Dangerous surf and rip currents are expected to affect the US East Coast next week, with waves reaching up to five metres (16.4 feet) along parts of the North Carolina coast that could cause beach erosion, according to Accuweather. “Erin is forecast to explode into a powerful Category 4 hurricane as it moves across very warm waters in the open Atlantic. Water temperatures at the surface and hundreds of feet deep are several degrees higher than the historical average,” Alex DaSilva, Accuweather’s lead hurricane expert, was quoted by The Associated Press news agency. Advertisement Erin is the fifth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30. This year’s season is once again expected to be unusually busy and potentially perilous. The forecast calls for six to 10 hurricanes, with three to five reaching major status with winds of more than 177km/h (110mph). Adblock test (Why?)
Afghans in US mark Taliban Kabul takeover amid Trump immigration crackdown
Four years have passed since Hanifa Girowal fled Afghanistan on a US evacuation flight. But every August, her mind returns to the same place. Like many Afghans evacuated amid the August 15 Taliban takeover of Kabul, Girowal, who worked in human rights under the former Afghan government, still remains stuck in “legal limbo” in the United States. She is steadfastly pursuing a more stable status in the US, even as the political landscape surrounding her, and thousands of other Afghans in similar situations, shifts. “I somehow feel like I’m still stuck in August 2021 and all the other Augusts in between, I can’t remember anything about them,” Girowal told Al Jazeera. She often recalls the mad dash amid a crush of bodies at the crowded Kabul International Airport: people shot in front of her, a week of hiding, a flight to Qatar, then Germany and then finally, the US state of Virginia. Followed by the early days of trying to begin a new life from the fragments of the old. “Everything just comes up again to the surface, and it’s like reliving that trauma we went through, and we have been trying to heal from since that day,” she said. The struggle may have become familiar, but her disquiet has been heightened since US President Donald Trump took office on January 20. His hardline immigration policies have touched nearly every immigrant community in the US, underscoring vulnerabilities for anyone on a precarious legal status. There is a feeling that anything could happen, from one day to the next. Advertisement “I have an approved asylum case, which gives a certain level of protection, but we still don’t know the future of certain policies on immigration,” Girowal said. “I am very much fearful that I can be subjected to deportation at any time.” Unheeded warnings Four years after the US withdrawal, much remains unclear about how Trump’s policies will affect Afghans who are already in the US, estimated to total about 180,000. They arrived through a tangle of different avenues, including 75,000 flown in on evacuation flights in the immediate aftermath of the withdrawal, as the administration of US President Joe Biden undertook what it dubbed “Operation Allies Welcome“. Thousands more have since sought asylum by making treacherous journeys across the world to traverse the US southern border. Some have relocated via so-called Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs), reserved for individuals who worked directly with the US military in Afghanistan, under a notoriously backlogged programme. Others have been resettled through a special State Department programme, known as Priority 1 (P1) and Priority 2 (P2), launched by the administration of President Biden, meant for Afghans who face persecution for having worked in various capacities on behalf of the US government or with a US-based organisation in Afghanistan. Adam Bates, a supervisory policy counsel at the International Refugee Assistance Programme, explained that some of those pathways, most notably the SIV and refugee programmes, provide a clear course towards US residency and, eventually, citizenship. But, he clarified, others do not – a fact that advocates have warned leaves members of the population subject to perpetual uncertainty and political whims. “A lot of the advocacy to the Biden administration officials was about finding more permanent legal pathways for Afghans,” Bates told Al Jazeera. “That was with one eye towards the potential of giving the Trump administration this opportunity to really double down and target this community.” Pressure on Afghans in the US During Trump’s new term, his administration has taken several concrete – and at times contradictory – moves that affect Afghans living in the US. It ended “temporary protected status” (TPS) for Afghans already in the country at the time of the Taliban takeover, arguing the country shows “an improved security situation” and “stabilising economy”, a claim contradicted by several human rights reports. At the same time, the Trump administration added Afghanistan to a new travel ban list, restricting visas for Afghans, saying such admissions broadly run counter to US “foreign policy, national security, and counterterrorism”. Advertisement These actions underscore that “the situation in Afghanistan seems to be whatever it needs to be, from the Trump administration’s perspective,” according to Bates. Trump has offered his contradictory messaging, criticising the Biden administration on the campaign trail for its handling of the withdrawal, and as recently as July, pledging to “save” evacuated Afghans subject to deportation from the United Arab Emirates. Meanwhile, the administration terminated a special status for those who entered the US via the CBP One app in April, potentially affecting thousands of Afghans who entered via the southern border. Advocates warn that many more Afghans may soon be facing another legal cliff. After being evacuated in 2021, tens of thousands of Afghans were granted humanitarian parole, a temporary status that allowed them to legally live and work in the US for two years, with an extension granted in 2023. That programme is soon set to end. While many granted the status have since sought other legal avenues, most often applying for asylum or SIVs, an unknown number could be rendered undocumented and subject to deportation when the extension ends. Legislation creating a clearer pathway to citizenship has languished in Congress for years. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has not publicly released how many evacuated Afghans remain in the US on humanitarian parole, and did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for the data. Evacuated Afghans’ unease has been compounded by Trump’s aggressive approach to immigration enforcement, which has increasingly seen those without criminal histories targeted for deportations and permanent residents targeted for their political advocacy. “It’s just an escalation across the board and a compounding of fear and instability in this community,” Bates said. “It’s hard to make life decisions if you aren’t sure what’s going to happen tomorrow or next week or in a year”. ‘Pulled the rug out’ Meanwhile, for the thousands of Afghans continuing to seek safety in the US from abroad, pathways have been severely constricted or have become completely
As Trump splits from India, is the US abandoning its pivot to Asia?
New Delhi, India – When United States President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin meet in Alaska on Friday, their summit will be followed closely not only in both those countries, Europe and Ukraine – but also more than 10,000km (6,200 miles) away, in New Delhi. Since the end of the Cold War, India has juggled a historically strong relationship with Russia and rapidly blossoming ties with the US. New Delhi’s relations with Washington grew particularly strong under the presidencies of George W Bush and Barack Obama, and remained that way during Trump’s first term and under Joe Biden. At the heart of that US warmth towards India, say analysts, was its bet on New Delhi as a balancing force against Beijing, as China’s economic, military and strategic heft in the Asia Pacific region grew. With Soviet communism history, and China, the US’s biggest strategic rival, Washington increased its focus on Asia – including through the Quad, a grouping also including fellow democracies India, Australia and Japan. But a decade after Obama famously described the US and India as “best partners”, they appear to be anything but. Trump has imposed a 50 percent tariff on Indian imports, among the highest on any country’s products. Half of that penalty is for India’s purchases of Russian oil during its ongoing war with Ukraine – something that the Biden administration encouraged India to do to keep global crude prices under control. Meanwhile, China – which buys even more Russian oil than India – has received a reprieve from high US tariffs for now, as Washington negotiates a trade deal with New Delhi. Advertisement That contrast has prompted questions over whether Trump’s approach towards China, on the one hand, and traditional friends like India on the other, marks a broader shift away from the US pivot to Asia. President Donald Trump and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands during a news conference in the East Room of the White House, in Washington, DC, on Thursday, February 13, 2025 [Alex Brandon/AP Photo] Troubles for India, and Modi Since the early 2000s, successive governments in New Delhi have embraced closer ties with Washington, with its stocks rising in the US as an emerging strategic partner in security, trade and technology. Trump made that relationship personal – with Modi. During Trump’s first term, he shared the stage twice in public rallies with Modi, as they also exchanged frequent bear hugs and described each other as friends. But none of that could save New Delhi when Trump hit India with tariffs only matched by the levies issued against goods from Brazil. “The tariff moves have triggered the most serious rupture in the US-India relations in decades,” said Milan Vaishnav, the director of the South Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. For months after Trump threatened tariffs on Indian imports, New Delhi tried to placate the US president, refusing to get drawn into a war of words. That has now changed, with India accusing the US of hypocrisy – pointing out that it still trades with Russia, and that Washington had previously wanted New Delhi to buy Russian crude. “One thing is clear: Trust in the United States has eroded sharply in recent days, casting a long shadow over the bilateral relationship,” Vaishnav told Al Jazeera. To Praveen Donthi, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, the crisis in the relationship also reflects a dramatic turn in the personal equation between Modi and Trump. The state of ties, he said, is “a result of a clash of personalities between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi”. India has previously faced the threat of US sanctions for its close friendship with Russia, when it decided to buy S-400 missile defence systems from Moscow. But in 2022, under the Biden administration, it secured a waiver from those proposed sanctions. “Not long ago, India could avoid sanctions despite purchasing S-400 weapon systems from Russia. However, now, India’s policy of multi-alignment clashes with President Trump’s transactional approach to geopolitics,” said Donthi. To be sure, he pointed out, America’s Cold War history of bonhomie with Pakistan has meant that “a certain distrust of the US is embedded in the Indian strategic firmament”. The Trump administration’s recent cosiness with Pakistan, with its army chief visiting the US this year, even getting a rare meeting with the president at the White House, will likely have amplified those concerns in New Delhi. Advertisement But through ups and downs in India-US ties over the years, a key strategic glue has held them close over the past quarter century: shared worries about the rise of China. “A certain bipartisan consensus existed in the US regarding India because of its long-term strategic importance, especially in balancing China,” said Donthi. Now, he said, “the unpredictable Trump presidency disrupted the US’s approach of ‘strategic altruism’ towards India”. It is no longer clear to Asian partners of the US, say experts, whether Washington is as focused on building alliances in their region as it once said it was. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi walk around NRG Stadium waving to the crowd during the ‘Howdy Modi: Shared Dreams, Bright Futures’ event in Houston, the US, September 22, 2019 [Evan Vucci/AP Photo] Turn from Asia Under the Obama administration in 2011, the US adopted what was known as the “Rebalance to Asia” policy, aimed at committing more diplomatic, economic and military resources to the Asia Pacific region, increasingly seen as the world’s economic and geopolitical centre of gravity. This meant deeper engagement with treaty allies like Japan, South Korea, and Australia, strengthening security ties with emerging partners such as India and Vietnam, and pushing forward trade initiatives like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The idea was to shape a regional order that could balance China’s rise. During Trump’s first term, the economic leg that gave the pivot its weight hollowed out. The US withdrawal from the TPP in early 2017 removed the signature trade pillar,
Australia finds record meth, cocaine, heroin use in wastewater analysis
Australians consumed drugs with a street value of about $7.5bn, representing a 34 percent rise in annual consumption. There has been a sharp rise in drug use among Australians, with cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin consumption all hitting record levels, according to the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission’s (ACIC) latest wastewater analysis. Published on Friday, the ACIC’s annual report revealed that Australians consumed an estimated 22.2 tonnes of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and MDMA (commonly known as “ecstasy”) between August 2023 and August 2024. This represents a 34 percent increase on the previous year’s findings, with marked increases in the consumption of cocaine (69 percent), MDMA (49 percent), methamphetamine (21 percent), and heroin (14 percent). The drugs had a combined estimated street value of 11.5 billion Australian dollars (about $7.5bn), according to the ACIC. Meth alone accounted for 8.9 billion Australian dollars (about $5.8bn) – or 78 percent – of that total. Wastewater analysis, the process of testing sewage water for contaminants, is a widely used tool to measure drug use within national populations. The data was collected from Australia’s capital cities and regional sites, covering some 57 percent of the country. The increase in drug consumption reflects the “recovery of these illicit drug markets following the impact of COVID-19 restrictions”, the ACIC report said. It added that “transnational and domestic serious and organised crime groups have rapidly re-established and expanded their operations” following the pandemic. ACIC chief Heather Cook said crime groups are exploiting high demand for illicit drugs in Australia, where they are “maximising profit at the expense of the community’s security and wellbeing”. Advertisement “The 2.2 tonne increase in national meth consumption is concerning because 12.8 tonnes is the highest annual level recorded by the programme and the drug causes significant community harm,” she said. “Similarly, there has been a large increase in national cocaine consumption, also to the highest annual level recorded by our wastewater programme,” Cook added. Wastewater was also tested for alcohol and nicotine – which remained the most consumed lawful drugs – as well as cannabis and ketamine. Cannabis remained the most consumed illicit drug among Australians, with higher average consumption in regional areas than in capital cities. Capital cities, however, recorded higher consumption of cocaine, MDMA, heroin and ketamine. The Northern Territory saw the highest increase in meth, cocaine and MDMA consumption, according to the report, while Tasmania recorded the highest increase in heroin. The increases in meth, cocaine and MDMA consumption are likely to continue up to 2027, according to ACIC data modelling. Adblock test (Why?)