August 22, 2022

*) US-Afghan talks on release of frozen assets to continue US President Joe Biden's administration will press ahead with talks on releasing billions of dollars in Afghanistan's foreign-held assets. This is despite the late Al Qaeda leader's presence in Kabul, and Washington's frustration with the pace, according to sources with knowledge of the situation, Reuters news agency has reported. The decision to pursue the initiative to help stabilise Afghanistan's collapsed economy underscores growing concern over a humanitarian crisis as the United Nations warns that nearly half the country's 40 million people face "acute hunger" as winter approaches. *) Russia's Ukraine soldiers trial to undermine talks Russia might take the provocative step of putting Ukrainian soldiers on trial as Kiev marks 31 years of independence on Wednesday, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned. Zelenskyy warned: "If this despicable court takes place, if our people are brought into these settings in violation of all agreements, all international rules, there will be abuse." Ukraine's Independence Day on August 24 will also mark six months since Russia attacked the former Soviet republic, in a devastating war that has cost thousands of lives. *) Police file terrorism charges against Pakistan's Imran Khan In Pakistan, police have filed terrorism charges against former prime minister Imran Khan, escalating political tensions in the country. Pakistan's media watchdog has banned the live telecast of Khan's speeches, after he was accused of threatening top police officials and a female judge during a rally in Islamabad. Following that rally, Islamabad police registered a criminal complaint against Khan under the country's anti-terrorism act. *) ​​US, S Korea begin biggest military drills since 2018 amid N Korea backlash The United States and South Korea have begun their biggest combined military drills since 2018 – a move likely to enrage North Korea, which has been ramping up its nuclear threats. The two countries have