New Delhi: Joe Biden, President of the United States on Sunday (January 30) called on Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers to release an American hostage who was abducted two years ago and is believed to be the last American hostage held by the Taliban.
“Threatening the safety of Americans or any innocent civilians is always unacceptable, and hostage-taking is an act of particular cruelty and cowardice,” Biden said in a statement.
“The Taliban must immediately release Mark before it can expect any consideration of its aspirations for legitimacy. This is not negotiable.”
Who is the hostage?
Mark Frerichs, a 59-year-old civil engineer is said to be held captive in Afghanistan for two years and is believed to be the last American hostage in the war-torn country led by the Taliban.
Frerichs is a US Navy veteran from Lombard, Illinois, who worked in Afghanistan for a decade on development projects. He was kidnapped a month before the February 2020 US troop pullout deal was signed and was transferred to the Haqqani network, a brutal Taliban faction accused of some of the deadliest attacks of the war.
Frerichs` family has criticized the US government for not pressing harder to secure his release. Last week, his sister, Charlene Cakora, made a personal plea to Biden in a Washington Post opinion piece titled, “President Biden, please bring home my brother, the last American held hostage in Afghanistan.”
Monday marks his second year in captivity.
US pullout from Afghanistan
Months after Joe Biden came into power, his administration pulled US troops out of Afghanistan in August in a chaotic withdrawal that drew sharp criticism from Republicans and his own Democrats as well as foreign allies and punctured his approval ratings.
The pull out marked the end of the longest war in history after the infamous 9/11 terror attacks.
US and Taliban officials met for the first time since the pullout in October in Doha, Qatar, which had hosted talks on Afghanistan that led to the troop withdrawal.
The Qatari emir was due to visit the White House on Monday on a range of issues that will include global energy security, the White House said last week. Qatar represents US interests in Kabul.
(With PTI inputs)
Live TV
';
$('div.listing').append(string);
}
});
},
error:function(xhr){
//console.log("Error");
//console.log("An error occured: " + xhr.status + " " + xhr.statusText);
nextload=false;
},
complete: function(){
$('div.listing').find(".loading-block").remove();;
pg +=1;
//console.log("mod" + ice%2);
nextpath="&page=" + pg;
//console.log("request complete" + nextpath);
cat = "?cat=120186";
//console.log(nextpath);
nextload=(ice%2==0)?true:false;
}
});
}
//lastoff = last.offset();
//console.log("**" + lastoff + "**");
});*/
var maindiv = false;
var dis = 0;
var fbcontainer="";
var fbid = '';
var fb_script=document.createElement('script');
fb_script.text= "(function(d, s, id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) return;js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;js.src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_GB/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.9";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));";
var fmain = $(".sr2432137");
//alert(x+ "-" + url);
var fdiv = '
';
//console.log(fdiv);
//$(fb_script).appendTo(fmain);
$(fdiv).appendTo(fmain);
function fillElementWithAd($el, slotCode, size, targeting){
if (typeof targeting === 'undefined') {
targeting = {};
} else if ( Object.prototype.toString.call( targeting ) !== '[object Object]' ) {
targeting = {};
}
var elId = $el.attr('id');
//console.log("elId:" + elId);
googletag.cmd.push(function(){
var slot = googletag.defineSlot(slotCode, size, elId);
for (var t in targeting){
slot.setTargeting(t, targeting
}
slot.addService(googletag.pubads());
googletag.display(elId);
//googletag.pubads().refresh([slot]);
});
}
$(document).delegate("button[id^='mf']", "click", function(){
fbcontainer="";
fbid = '#' + $(this).attr('id');
var sr = fbid.replace("#mf", ".sr");
$(fbid).parent().children(sr).toggle();
fbcontainer = $(fbid).parent().children(sr).children(".fb-comments").attr("id");
});
function onPlayerStateChange(event){
var ing, fid;
//console.log(event + "---player");
$('iframe[id*="video-"]').each(function(){
_v = $(this).attr('id');
//console.log("_v: " + _v);
if(_v != event){
//console.log("condition match");
ing = new YT.get(_v);
if(ing.getPlayerState()=='1'){
ing.pauseVideo();
}
}
});
$('div[id*="video-"]').each(function(){
_v = $(this).attr('id');
//console.log("_v: " + _v + " event: " + event);
if(_v != event){
//jwplayer(_v).play(false);
}
});
}
function onYouTubePlay(vid, code, playDiv,vx, pvid){
if (typeof(YT) == 'undefined' || typeof(YT.Player) == 'undefined') {
var tag = document.createElement('script');
tag.src = "https://www.youtube.com/iframe_api";
var firstScriptTag = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
firstScriptTag.parentNode.insertBefore(tag, firstScriptTag);
window.onYouTubePlayerAPIReady = function() {
onYouTubePlayer(vid, code, playDiv,vx, pvid);
};
}else{onYouTubePlayer(vid, code, playDiv,vx, pvid);}
}
function onYouTubePlayer(vid, code, playDiv,vx, pvid){
//console.log(playDiv + "Get Youtue " + vid);
//$("#"+vid).find(".playvideo-"+ vx).hide();
var player = new YT.Player(playDiv , {
height: '450',
width: '100%',
videoId:code,
playerVars: {
'autoplay': 1,
'showinfo': 1,
'controls': 1
},
events: {
'onStateChange': function(event){
onPlayerStateChange(event.target.a.id);
}
}
});
$("#video-"+vid).show();
}
function kalturaPlayerAPIReady(code, playDiv,pvid){
var dt=new Date;
var nt=dt.getTime();
var vtitle = "";
var video_id_arr = code.split("https://zeenews.india.com/");
var youbora_video_id = video_id_arr[5].split(".");
var youbora_video_id = '"' + youbora_video_id[0] + '"';
pre_roll = "https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x480&iu=/11440465/Zeenews_English_Video/Zeenews_English_Preroll&tfcd=0&npa=0&sz=640x480&gdfp_req=1&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&env=vp&impl=s&description_url="+vtitle+"&correlator="+nt;
var sources ={};
var config = {
targetId: playDiv,
provider: {
partnerId: 2504201
},
playback: {
pictureInPicture : true,
autoplay: true
},
advertising: {
adBreaks: [{
position: 0,
ads: [{
url: [pre_roll]
}]
}]
},
plugins: {
youbora: {
options: {
"content.title": "US demands release of last American hostage from Taliban, know all about it",
"content.customDimension.1":"Zee News",
"content.customDimension.2":"https://zeenews.india.com/",
"content.customDimension.3":"2022-Jan-31 07:37:06",
"content.customDimension.4":"Kavya Mishra",
"content.customDimension.5":"2432137",
"content.customDimension.6":"World,Afghanistan,United States,Talibvan,Taliban-US Talks,Last American Hostage,Joe Biden,American Hostage",
"content.id":youbora_video_id,
"content.language":"English"
}
},
ima: {
adsResponse: ""
}
}
}
var kalturaPlayer = KalturaPlayer.setup(config);
if(kalturaPlayer){
kalturaPlayer.reset();
}
var videoUrl = code;
var mediaid = '"zn' + pvid + '"';
sources = {
hls: [{
id: mediaid,
url: videoUrl,
mimetype: "application/x-mpegURL"
}]
}
kalturaplayerSetup(kalturaPlayer, sources);
if (typeof kalturaPlayer !== 'undefined') {
doRegisterEvents(kalturaPlayer);
}
}
function kalturaplayerSetup(kalturaPlayer, playbackType){
kalturaPlayer.setMedia({
plugins: {},
sources: playbackType
});
}
function doRegisterEvents(kalturaPlayer) {
/* player event*/
kalturaPlayer.addEventListener(kalturaPlayer.Event.Core.PLAY, playEvent);
kalturaPlayer.addEventListener(kalturaPlayer.Event.Core.PAUSE, pauseEvent);
kalturaPlayer.addEventListener(kalturaPlayer.Event.Core.PLAYBACK_ENDED, playbackEndedEvent);
/* ad event */
kalturaPlayer.addEventListener(kalturaPlayer.Event.AD_STARTED, adStartedEvent);
kalturaPlayer.addEventListener(kalturaPlayer.Event.AD_COMPLETED, adCompletedEvent);
kalturaPlayer.addEventListener(kalturaPlayer.Event.AD_SKIPPED, adSkippedEvent);
kalturaPlayer.addEventListener(kalturaPlayer.Event.AD_CLICKED,adClicked);
}
var vlabel = "https://zeenews.india.com"+$(this).attr("video-path");
var isVideoPlayed = false;
var isAdSkippedCompleted = false;
function adStartedEvent(event) {
var videotype = "zee english video";
gtag('event', 'Adstarted', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel});
gtag('event', 'Play', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel});
isVideoPlayed = true;
isAdSkippedCompleted = true;
}
function adCompletedEvent(event) {
var videotype = "zee english video";
gtag('event', 'Adcompleted', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel});
isAdSkippedCompleted = true;
}
function adSkippedEvent(event) {
var videotype = "zee english video";
gtag('event', 'Adskipped', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel});
isAdSkippedCompleted = true;
}
function adClicked(event) {
var videotype = "zee english video";
gtag('event', 'Adclicked', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel});
}
function playbackEndedEvent(event){
var videotype = "zee english video";
gtag('event', 'Complete', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel});
}
function playEvent(event) {
var videotype = "zee english video";
if((isVideoPlayed) && (isAdSkippedCompleted)){
isAdSkippedCompleted = false;
}else if((isVideoPlayed)){
gtag('event', 'resume', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel});
}else{
gtag('event', 'Play', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel});
isVideoPlayed = true;
}
}
function pauseEvent(event) {
var videotype = "zee english video";
gtag('event', 'Pause', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel});
}
function AdloadEvent(event) {
var videotype = "zee english video";
gtag("event", "kaltura_adloaded", { "event_category": videotype, "event_label": vlabel});
}
function AdProgressEvent(event) {
var videotype = "zee english video";
gtag("event", "kaltura_adprogress", { "event_category": videotype, "event_label": vlabel});
}
function adPausedEvent(event) {
var videotype = "zee english video";
gtag("event", "kaltura_adpaused", { "event_category": videotype, "event_label": vlabel});
}
/* End of Kaltura player function code */
$(document).delegate("div[id^='play']", "click", function(){
//console.log($(this).attr("id"));
//console.log($(this).attr("video-source"));
//console.log($(this).attr("video-code"));
var isyoutube = $(this).attr("video-source");
var vurl = $(this).attr("video-path");
var vid = $(this).attr("id");
$(this).hide();
var pvid = $(this).attr("newsid");
var vx = $(this).attr("id").replace('play-','');
var vC = $(this).attr("video-code");
var playDiv = "video-" + vid + "-" + pvid;
if(isyoutube =='No'){
kalturaPlayerAPIReady(vC, playDiv,pvid);
}else{
onYouTubePlay(vid, vC, playDiv,vx, pvid);
}
});
$(document).delegate("div[id^='ptop']", "click", function(){
var vid = $(this).attr("id").replace('ptop','');
$(this).hide();
var pvid = $(this).attr("newsid");
var vurl = $(this).attr("video-path");
//console.log($(this).attr("id") + "--" + vid);
//console.log($(this).parent().children().find('#play-'+vid).attr("video-source"));
//console.log($(this).parent().children().find('#play-'+vid).attr("video-code"));
var isyoutube = $(this).parent().children().find('#play-'+vid).attr("video-source");
var vC = $(this).parent().children().find('#play-'+vid).attr("video-code");
var playDiv = "mvideo-play-" + vid + "-" + pvid;
if(isyoutube =='No'){
//console.log(jwplayer($(this).attr("id")).getState());
kalturaPlayerAPIReady(vC, playDiv,pvid);
}else{
onYouTubePlay($(this).attr("id"), vC, playDiv, vid, pvid);
}
});
var nxti = 3;
var ci = 1;
var nxti_1 = 6;
var nxti_2 = 9;
var nxti_3 = 12;
if($.autopager==false){
var use_ajax = false;
/*var disqus_shortname="zeehindi";
var disqus_identifier; //made of post id and guid
var disqus_url; //post permalink
function loadDisqus(source, identifier, url, nid) {
if (window.DISQUS) {
//alert("if");
jQuery('
').insertAfter(source);
jQuery('#disqus_thread').insertAfter(source); //append the HTML after the link
//if Disqus exists, call it's reset method with new parameters
DISQUS.reset({
reload: true,
config: function () {
this.page.identifier = identifier;
this.page.url = url;
}
});
}else{
jQuery('
').insertAfter(source);
disqus_identifier = identifier; //set the identifier argument
disqus_url = url; //set the permalink argument
//append the Disqus embed script to HTML
var dsq = document.createElement('script'); dsq.type="text/javascript"; dsq.async = true;
dsq.src="http://" + disqus_shortname + '.disqus.com/embed.js';
jQuery('head').append(dsq);
}
};*/
/*$('.disqusOn').live( "click", notify );
function notify() {
identifier = $(this).attr('id');
dUrl = $(this).attr('disqus-url');
source = $(this).parent();
loadDisqus(jQuery(this), identifier, dUrl);
}*/
function loadshare(curl){
history.replaceState('' ,'', curl);
if(window.OBR){
window.OBR.extern.researchWidget();
}
//console.log("loadshare Call->" + curl);
//$('html head').find('title').text("main" + nxtTitle);
if(_up == false){
var cu_url = curl;
gtag('config', 'UA-2069755-1', {'page_path': cu_url });
if(window.COMSCORE){
window.COMSCORE.beacon({c1: "2", c2: "9254297"});
var e = Date.now();
$.ajax({
url: "/marathi/news/zscorecard.json?" + e,
success: function(e) {}
})
}
//console.log('ga:'+r);
/*(function () {
var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type="text/javascript"; ga.async = true;
ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://' : 'http://') + 'stats.g.doubleclick.net/dc.js';
var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s);
})();*/
//console.log("loadshare Call");
}
}
if(use_ajax==false) {
//console.log('getting');
var view_selector="div.center-section"; // + settings.view_name; + '.view-display-id-' + settings.display;
var content_selector = view_selector; // + settings.content_selector;
var items_selector = content_selector + ' > div.rep-block'; // + settings.items_selector;
var pager_selector="div.next-story-block > div.view-zn-article-mc-all-2017 > div.view-content > div.clearfix"; // + settings.pager_selector;
var next_selector="div.next-story-block > div.view-zn-article-mc-all-2017 > div.view-content > div.clearfix > a:last"; // + settings.next_selector;
var auto_selector="div.tag-block";
var img_location = view_selector + ' > div.rep-block:last';
var img_path="
"; //settings.img_path;
//var img = '
' + img_path + '
';
var img = img_path;
//$(pager_selector).hide();
//alert($(next_selector).attr('href'));
var x = 0;
var url="";
var prevLoc = window.location.pathname;
var circle = "";
var myTimer = "";
var interval = 30;
var angle = 0;
var Inverval = "";
var angle_increment = 6;
var handle = $.autopager({
appendTo: content_selector,
content: items_selector,
runscroll: maindiv,
link: next_selector,
autoLoad: false,
page: 0,
start: function(){
$(img_location).after(img);
circle = $('.center-section').find('#green-halo');
myTimer = $('.center-section').find('#myTimer');
angle = 0;
Inverval = setInterval(function (){
$(circle).attr("stroke-dasharray", angle + ", 20000");
//myTimer.innerHTML = parseInt(angle/360*100) + '%';
if (angle >= 360) {
angle = 1;
}
angle += angle_increment;
}.bind(this),interval);
},
load: function(){
$('div.loading-block').remove();
clearInterval(Inverval);
//$('.repeat-block > .row > div.main-rhs2432137').find('div.rhs2432137:first').clone().appendTo('.repeat-block >.row > div.main-rhs' + x);
$('div.rep-block > div.main-rhs2432137 > div:first').clone().appendTo('div.rep-block > div.main-rhs' + x);
$('.center-section >.row:last').before('
Next Story
');
//$(".main-rhs" + x).theiaStickySidebar();
var fb_script=document.createElement('script');
fb_script.text= "(function(d, s, id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) return;js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;js.src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_GB/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.9";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));";
var fmain = $(".sr"+ x);
//alert(x+ "-" + url);
var fdiv = '
';
//$(fb_script).appendTo(fmain);
$(fdiv).appendTo(fmain);
FB.XFBML.parse();
var $dfpAd = $('.center-section').children().find("#ad-"+ x);
xp = "#star"+x;
//var $dfpAdrhs = $('.main-rhs' + x).children().find('.adATF').empty().attr("id", "ad-300-" + x); //$('.content-area > .main-article > .row > .main-rhs'+x).find('#ad-300-' + x);
//var $dfpAdrhs2 = $('.main-rhs' + x).children().find('.adBTF').empty().attr("id", "ad-300-2-" + x);//$('.content-area > .main-article > .row > .main-rhs'+x).find('#ad-300-2-' + x);
//var $dfpMiddleAd = $('.content-area > .main-article > .row').find('#ar'+x).find('#ad-middle-' + x).empty();
//fillElementWithAd($dfpAdrhs, '/11440465/Zeenews_English_Web/Zeenews_English_AS_ATF_300x250', [[300, 250], [300, 600]], {});
//fillElementWithAd($dfpAdrhs2, '/11440465/Zeenews_English_Web/Zeenews_English_AS_BTF_1_300x250', [300, 250], {});
//fillElementWithAd($dfpMiddleAd, '/11440465/Zeenews_Hindi_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF', [300, 250], {});
var instagram_script=document.createElement('script');
instagram_script.defer="defer";
instagram_script.async="async";
instagram_script.src="https://platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js";
/*var outbrain_script=document.createElement('script');
outbrain_script.type="text/javascript";
outbrain_script.async="async";
outbrain_script.src="https://widgets.outbrain.com/outbrain.js";
var Omain = $("#outbrain-"+ x);
//alert(Omain + "--" + $(Omain).length);
$(Omain).after(outbrain_script);
var rhs = $('.main-article > .row > div.article-right-part > div.rhs2432137:first').clone();
$(rhs).find('.ad-one').attr("id", "ad-300-" + x).empty();
$(rhs).find('.ad-two').attr("id", "ad-300-2-" + x).empty();
//$('.main-article > .row > div.article-right-part > div.rhs2432137:first').clone().appendTo('.main-article > .row > div.main-rhs' + x);
$(rhs).appendTo('.main-article > .row > div.main-rhs' + x); */
setTimeout(function(){
var twit = $("div.field-name-body").find('blockquote[class^="twitter"]').length;
var insta = $("div.field-name-body").find('blockquote[class^="instagram"]').length;
if(twit==0){twit = ($("div.field-name-body").find('twitterwidget[class^="twitter"]').length);}
if(twit>0){
if (typeof (twttr) != 'undefined') {
twttr.widgets.load();
} else {
$.getScript('https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js');
}
//$(twit).addClass('tfmargin');
}
if(insta>0){
$('.content > .left-block:last').after(instagram_script);
//$(insta).addClass('tfmargin');
window.instgrm.Embeds.process();
}
}, 1500);
}
});
/*$("#loadmore").click(function(){
x=$(next_selector).attr('id');
var url = $(next_selector).attr('href');
disqus_identifier="ZNH" + x;
disqus_url = url;
handle.autopager('load');
history.pushState('' ,'', url);
setTimeout(function(){
//twttr.widgets.load();
//loadDisqus(jQuery(this), disqus_identifier, disqus_url);
}, 6000);
});*/
/*$("button[id^='mf']").live("click", disqusToggle);
function disqusToggle() {
console.log("Main id: " + $(this).attr('id'));
}*/
$(document).delegate("button[id^='mf']", "click", function(){
fbcontainer="";
fbid = '#' + $(this).attr('id');
var sr = fbid.replace("#mf", ".sr");
//console.log("Main id: " + $(this).attr('id') + "Goodbye!jQuery 1.4.3+" + sr);
$(fbid).parent().children(sr).toggle();
fbcontainer = $(fbid).parent().children(sr).children(".fb-comments").attr("id");
//console.log(fbcontainer);
//var commentsContainer = document.getElementById(fbcontainer);
//commentsContainer.innerHTML = '
';
});
/************Player Code ***********/
var title, imageUrl, description, author, shortName, identifier, timestamp, summary, newsID, nextnews;
var previousScroll = 0;
//console.log("prevLoc" + prevLoc);
$(window).scroll(function(){
var last = $(auto_selector).filter(':last');
var lastHeight = last.offset().top ;
//st = $(layout).scrollTop();
//console.log("st:" + st);
var currentScroll = $(this).scrollTop();
if (currentScroll > previousScroll){
_up = false;
} else {
_up = true;
}
previousScroll = currentScroll;
//console.log("_up" + _up);
var cutoff = $(window).scrollTop() + 64;
//console.log(cutoff + "**");
$('div[id^="row"]').each(function(){
//console.log("article" + $(this).children().find('.left-block').attr("id") + $(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-url'));
if($(this).offset().top + $(this).height() > cutoff){
//console.log("$$" + $(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-url'));
if(prevLoc != $(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-url')){
prevLoc = $(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-url');
$('html head').find('title').text($(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-title'));
$('meta[name=description]').attr("content",$(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-summary'));
$('meta[name=keywords]').attr("content",$(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-keyword'));
$('meta[name=news_keywords]').attr("content",$(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-keyword'));
pSUPERFLY.virtualPage(prevLoc,$(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-title'));
//console.log("Summary: " + $(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-summary'));
//console.log("Keyword: " + $(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-keyword'));
//history.pushState('' ,'', prevLoc);
loadshare(prevLoc);
}
return false; // stops the iteration after the first one on screen
}
});
if(lastHeight + last.height() < $(document).scrollTop() + $(window).height()){
//console.log("**get");
url = $(next_selector).attr('href');
x=$(next_selector).attr('id');
//console.log("x:" + x);
//handle.autopager('load');
/*setTimeout(function(){
//twttr.widgets.load();
//loadDisqus(jQuery(this), disqus_identifier, disqus_url);
}, 6000);*/
}
//lastoff = last.offset();
//console.log("**" + lastoff + "**");
});
//$( ".content-area" ).click(function(event) {
// console.log(event.target.nodeName);
//});
/*$( ".comment-button" ).live("click", disqusToggle);
function disqusToggle() {
var id = $(this).attr("id");
$("#disqus_thread1" + id).toggle();
};*/
//$(".main-rhs2432137").theiaStickySidebar();
var prev_content_height = $(content_selector).height();
//$(function() {
var layout = $(content_selector);
var st = 0;
///});
}
}
});
/*}
};*/
})(jQuery);
.