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Akbar Shahid Ahmed is HuffPost's senior foreign affairs reporter, based in Washington, D.C. A native Pakistani, Akbar has reported from across the Muslim-majority world, Europe and elsewhere. He has also written for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Generation Progress and, in Pakistan, Newsline magazine and DAWN, and provided expert commentary for MSNBC, Al Jazeera, BBC and SXSW.
HuffPostHow Joe Biden Can Stop Donald Trump’s Massive UAE Arms Deal
The president has temporarily paused the $23 billion weapons package. His final decision will show if he's serious about building a more progressive foreign policy.
- HuffPost
Activists Say Joe Biden Could Still Deliver Justice For Jamal Khashoggi
HuffPost obtained a letter from key advocacy groups outlining additional steps against Saudi Crown Prince Muhammed bin Salman and lawmakers are rolling out similar proposals.
- HuffPost
U.S. Finally Admits It: Saudi Crown Prince Responsible For Jamal Khashoggi's Murder
President Joe Biden published intelligence on the Washington Post journalist that Donald Trump hid for years despite a law requiring its release.
- HuffPost
Donald Trump Froze Badly Needed Aid To Yemen. Joe Biden Can Restore It.
The president has stopped supporting the Saudi-led coalition bombing Yemen, but must also restore U.S. assistance for the struggling country, activists say.
- HuffPost
Key Jewish Groups Ask Joe Biden To Revoke Trump's Parting Gift For Israel's Netanyahu
HuffPost obtained a private request for the president to stop a plan to label goods from the occupied West Bank as "Made in Israel."
- HuffPost
Poorer Countries Are Still Being Left Behind On COVID-19 Vaccinations
As the global effort to share vaccines enters high gear, it will still be years before billions of people can get the shot — threatening more deaths and a longer journey to normalcy.
- HuffPost
Joe Biden Sanctions Myanmar Generals For Military Coup
The U.S. is targeting the army for hurting the country's move toward democracy, an American priority when Biden served as vice president under Barack Obama.
- HuffPost
U.S.-Linked Forces Are Detaining A Prominent Journalist In Yemen
Adel Al-Hasani has investigated his country's crisis for the BBC, CNN and Vice. Allies of the United Arab Emirates have imprisoned him for nearly six months.
- HuffPost
Joe Biden Delivers On Key Foreign Policy Promise: Pulling U.S. Support For Yemen War
The president announced his shift from both Presidents Donald Trump and Barack Obama in a speech describing how he will "course correct" America's international approach.
- HuffPost
Joe Biden Pauses Trump-Era Arms Sales To Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates
The news came after HuffPost reported that a group of top Democrats in the House of Representatives were urging Biden to reassess U.S.-Saudi ties.
- HuffPost
Iran Hawks Begin Effort To Undermine Joe Biden's Diplomacy
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) is leading hard-liners in smearing former White House official Rob Malley. Biden's response could be a key sign about his foreign policy.
- HuffPost
State Department Resumes Diversity Trainings Suspended Under Trump
Ned Price — the agency's first openly gay spokesman, who was appointed by President Joe Biden — made the announcement on Friday afternoon.
- HuffPost
Senate Confirms Lloyd Austin To Be The First Black Defense Secretary
President Biden made history by nominating Austin. But picking a retired general also threatens the bedrock democratic principle of civilian control of the military.
- HuffPost
Joe Biden Needs To Bolster U.S. Democracy. His Pentagon Pick Could Threaten It.
Congress will soon pass a special waiver for former general Lloyd Austin to be defense secretary amid fears that the military is becoming politicized.
- HuffPost
Trump’s Legacy Through The Eyes Of Those His Presidency Hurt
From inciting violence to separating families, the repercussions of the Trump administration’s policies and rhetoric will be felt for a long time.
- HuffPost
Taxpayer-Funded Reporter's Demotion After Questioning Mike Pompeo Raises Eyebrows
Democrats and Republicans in Congress want the Voice of America to reinstate Patsy Widakuswara as a White House correspondent.
- HuffPost
U.S.-Backed Airstrikes Are Killing People In Yemen. This Is Their Impact.
President Donald Trump has resisted bipartisan efforts to end the American role in the war, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives. President-elect Joe Biden says he will change course.
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Trump's Post-Election Pardons List: War Criminals, Crooked Politicians And Family
President Donald Trump's pardons include military contractors who killed children, law enforcement officers who violated civil rights and, of course, his allies.
- HuffPost
Joe Biden Blames Russia For Huge SolarWinds Hack
President Donald Trump has cast doubt on Moscow's involvement, despite even his own secretary of state and attorney general saying the intelligence points to Russia.
- HuffPost
Meet The Progressives Joe Biden Could Put In Key Foreign Policy Jobs
Activists sent the president-elect a list of 100 experts they say would help him craft a less hawkish U.S. approach — highlighting their diversity and lack of corporate ties.