International

UNICEF: Over 500,000 people affected by Afghanistan earthquake, urgent aid needed

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has estimated that more than 500,000 people have been affected by the earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan on August 31, which left 2,205 dead and 3,640 injured, and has launched an urgent appeal for donations to cover immediate needs.

According to the UN agency, over half of those affected—263,000—are children, with 393 girls and 338 boys among the fatalities. Additionally, 271 children have been orphaned, and 81 unaccompanied minors remain hospitalized, raising fears that they may have lost their entire families.

The earthquake has destroyed or damaged over 6,700 homes across the provinces of Kunar, Nangarhar, and Laghman, and entire valleys have been cut off due to landslides, complicating rescue efforts.

Healthcare facilities have treated 2,854 trauma patients and performed 304 major surgeries. A fleet of 47 ambulanceshas been operating nonstop to transport patients to Jalalabad and Asadabad. UNICEF has delivered medical supplies including IV medications, antibiotics, and ready-to-use therapeutic food packs.

Child protection teams have identified 45 unaccompanied minors, of whom 34 have been reunited with their families, and nine safe spaces for children have been set up, serving nearly 1,000 children.

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UNICEF highlights urgent needs for water and waste management, distributing 5,150 hygiene kits, 40,000 fuel containers, and installing 150 latrines, while continuing to send water tankers to the hardest-hit areas.

In Kunar, $150 cash assistance is being distributed to 5,000 households, and winter supplies are being provided to 25,000 families. The agency warns that malnutrition, already at crisis levels before the earthquake, has worsened in Kunar, Nangarhar, and Laghman, with rates expected to continue rising.

In light of the disaster, UNICEF has issued an appeal for $21.6 million to sustain relief efforts and meet the urgent needs of affected children and families.

International

White House says Cuba policy unchanged despite sanctioned fuel shipment

The White House said Monday that it has not changed its policy toward Cuba, despite allowing a sanctioned Russian oil tanker to deliver fuel to the island on humanitarian grounds.

U.S. officials emphasized that the decision was made as an exception and does not signal a broader shift in policy.

The administration added that similar decisions would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, depending on humanitarian considerations.

The clarification comes amid ongoing restrictions related to U.S. sanctions policy, which continue to limit trade and financial flows involving Cuba.

International

Spain to grant citizenship to Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López

The Spanish government is expected to grant citizenship this Tuesday to Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lópezthrough an extraordinary procedure known as “carta de naturaleza.”

The decision will be approved by royal decree, an exceptional legal mechanism used in special cases that require expedited resolution due to specific circumstances.

López has been living in Madrid since 2020, after leaving Venezuela following a prolonged political and legal conflict with the government of Nicolás Maduro.

According to government sources, López currently does not have a valid Venezuelan passport and faces difficulties in having his nationality fully recognized in his home country.

As a result, he applied for Spanish citizenship via a fast-track process at the end of 2025, after previously attempting to obtain it through regular procedures.

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The Spanish government justified the move based on López’s international relevance and foreign policy considerations.

López is the leader of the Voluntad Popular party and co-founder of the World Liberty Congress, an initiative launched in 2022 alongside figures such as Garry Kasparov and Masih Alinejad.

International

ICE to remain at airports amid DHS shutdown, Homan says

The U.S. “border czar,” Tom Homan, said Sunday that agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will remain deployed at airports until operations return to “100% normal,” as the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues.

“We will maintain ICE presence until airports feel they are fully back to normal operations,” Homan said during an interview on Face the Nation on CBS.

Homan justified the deployment on security grounds, noting that the measure was ordered by President Donald Trumpamid widespread absenteeism among agents of the Transportation Security Administration, who have gone without pay for over six weeks due to the DHS shutdown.

According to acting TSA administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill, at least 460 TSA agents have resigned during the shutdown, while daily absenteeism has averaged 11%, exceeding 50% at some airports.

Homan warned that if TSA staffing levels do not recover after the shutdown, ICE agents will continue filling the gap. “ICE is there to support our TSA brothers and sisters. We will remain as long as needed to ensure airport security,” he said.

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The DHS shutdown reached 44 days on Sunday, making it the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The impasse stems from disagreements between Democrats and Republicans over ICE funding.

A recent bipartisan Senate proposal to fund DHS without including ICE failed after being blocked by House Republicans, who insist on full funding for the agency.

Amid the deadlock, Trump signed an executive order directing Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to immediately pay TSA agents to address what he called an “emergency situation” and restore order at airports, with payments expected to begin Monday.