The Soviet Army entered Afghanistan in December 1979 and installed Babrak Karmal as president of the communist Democratic Republic of Afghanistan at the height of the Cold War.

The move was opposed by the US, which feared Afghanistan would be a domino followed by Pakistan, giving the Soviets a vital warm water port on the Indian Ocean.

Students in Iran stormed the US Embassy and declared America “the Great Satan” because the US supported the Mujahideen (“my enemy’s enemy is my friend”).

Read more on our website about how Washington supported the people who eventually forced the US out of Afghanistan: https://sptnkne.ws/FZyD

UPDATE | Speaking before the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, McKenzie told lawmakers that the US would be "positioning significant combat power to guard against the possibility that the Taliban decide to interfere in any way with our orderly redeployment" in the coming months.

He added that the Pentagon was "looking at" options for deploying forces "outside Afghanistan to deal with a possible Taliban surge," and that "if, say, we leave...if [the Taliban] want any form of international support, they're going to have to keep the agreements that we've made."

The commander noted that the US estimates there to be about two hundred Daesh (ISIS) militants in Afghanistan, and said that he would be "watch[ing] what they do," and not "what they say," to keep these numbers from growing

UPDATE | The shooting has left 1 person dead and two others injured, police have confirmed.

"The subject has not been apprehended yet & we ask that area residents remain indoors," police​ added

MORE | The suspect is Gabriel DeWitt Wilson, 30, who is approximately 6’2” and wearing a black baseball hat and black sweatshirt when he was last seen heading west on Hempstead Turnpike. Please call 911 immediately if you have any information, police said.

🗳 The administration of US President Joe Biden strongly supports a House of Representatives bill to make Washington, DC, the federal capital district, a new state of the Union, the White House said on Tuesday.

The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives approved the bill on Wednesday, pushing it to a full House vote.

Washington, DC overwhelmingly votes Democratic in all its mayoral, city council and House of Representatives elections. In the future the bill might give superiority to the Democratic party.

Republicans oppose the move, arguing that it’s nothing more than an attempt to strengthen the Democrats' power in Congress by expanding their representation

⚖️ US Jury reaches verdict in George Floyd murder trial, to be announced in about one hour.

UPDATE | Police say suspected shooter is in custody

❗️❗️BREAKING | Derek Chauvin found guilty in death of Minnesota resident George Floyd.

💰 Why is the US not rushing to embrace the digital dollar and join the cryptocurrency race with China, the EU & the UK?

The US Federal Reserve said they were not ready to launch a "Fedcoin" because most Americans are "attached to old-school paper money."

But it also appears that it's not so much the Americans' commitment to paper money that is causing Fed hesitance: Wall Street, big banks, credit card companies, and digital payment processors are reportedly "not thrilled" by cryptocurrency.

When will the US catch up?

UPDATE | President Biden, along with the vice president, Kamala Harris, and the first lady, Jill Biden called George Floyd's family following verdict in Chauvin's trial.

MORE | Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison says guilty verdict in Chauvin case is ‘not justice’.

UPDATE | Former US President Barack Obama reacts to verdict in Chauvin's trial.