The State Department has designated Afghanistan as a sponsor of wrongful detention as the U_S_ ambassador to the United Nations separately called out the country for engaging in what he said was “hostage diplomacy.”.
Online fundraiser identifies victim of deadly St. Johns County shooting as father of 2; nearly $20K donated JFRD didn’t inspect a halfway house for 59 years. Inspectors then found costly issues that could put it out of business4 students, truck driver hurt when semi hits school bus stopped to pick up students on US 301: FHP Another popular downtown business prepares to shut down, raising vacancy, development concerns about the city’s core Proposal could bring new public beach access to Ponte Vedra Beach in exchange for building pair of single-family homesRead full article: HOAs one step closer to becoming nonexistent after Florida House passes billDispute between JEA and Mayo Clinic draws inspector general questions over millions in unpaid fees Read full article: Dispute between JEA and Mayo Clinic draws inspector general questions over millions in unpaid feesJFRD didn’t inspect a halfway house for 59 years.
Inspectors then found costly issues that could put it out of business Read full article: JFRD didn’t inspect a halfway house for 59 years. Inspectors then found costly issues that could put it out of business A Nassau County Sheriff’s Office deputy is being credited with saving a young child who was struggling in a retention pond behind his home while he was off duty. .PoliticsSecretary of State Marco Rubio takes part in a U.S. Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Flag Raising ceremony at the State Department, Monday, March 9, 2026 in Washington. With the designation, Afghanistan joins Iran as countries singled out by the U.S. in the past two weeks for their practice of detaining Americans in hopes of extracting policy concessions. Iran was given an identical designation on Feb. 27, one day before theThe designations are designed to ramp up pressure on both nations to stop taking Americans hostage or risk penalties. “The Taliban continues to use terrorist tactics, kidnapping individuals for ransom or to seek policy concessions. These despicable tactics need to end,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement. “It is not safe for Americans to travel to Afghanistan because the Taliban continues to unjustly detain our fellow Americans and other foreign nationals.” Rubio called on the Taliban to release Americans believed to be in its custody, including Dennis Coyle, an academic researcher detained in the country since January 2025, andan Afghan American businessman who worked as a contractor for a Kabul-based telecommunications company and vanished in 2022. The FBI and Habibi’s family have said they believe Habibi was taken by Taliban forces, but the Taliban has denied holding him. Eric Lebson, a former National Security Council official who serves as chief strategy officer at Global Reach, a nonprofit that is working on the cases of Habibi and other detained Americans, praised the designation as a “clear message from the Trump administration to the Taliban that they hold the keys to resolving four cases of Americans who were arrested in their country and nothing will move forward in the US/Afghanistan relationship until that happens.” Also on Monday, Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., accused Afghanistan’s Taliban leaders of engaging in “hostage diplomacy,” pointing to innocent Americans being detained. He also questioned the $1 billion in humanitarian aid being sought for the country when its leaders deny Afghan women their basic rights. Waltz told a U.N. Security Council meeting that the Taliban’s actions “demonstrate bad faith” and have made the U.S. “deeply skeptical of their willingness to meet their international commitments or respect Afghanistan’s international obligations.” He said this concern applies to the Doha peace deal that President Donald Trump signed with the Taliban in February 2020, which led to the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Taliban takeover of the country, and its harsh crackdown on the rights of women. “While the United States continues to participate in the process and its working groups, we doubt the Taliban’s motives,” Waltz said. “We cannot build confidence with a group that continues to detain innocent Americans and ignores the basic needs of the Afghan people.”Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.Loss last year in playoffs fueled this season's playoff run for Bishop KennyProposal could bring new public beach access to Ponte Vedra BeachAnother popular downtown business prepares to shut downCouncil President says Inspector General is looking into ‘serious allegations’ related to JEARunners flock to Gate River Run expo by the thousands as event expects to see record turnoutI feel rain drops! Scattered showers and thunderstorms are riding the sea breeze!FSCJ Manta Rays reach NJCAA mascot final; community urged to voteSt. Johns County Sergeant who pulled driver from fiery I-95 crash recounts rescueIt's gonna be warm! Start hydrating early for Gate River Run
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