The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that the process of relocating eligible Afghans to the United States is being reviewed as previous vetting processes raised concerns.

During a US Senate hearing, Rubio said a review into the process is underway and that “frankly there have been some errors found in the previous vetting process that we’re concerned about.”

“To some extent, their transfer has been paused or slowed down because those previous vetting procedures need to be completed.”

He stated the process is still under review to ensure that only eligible individuals are admitted into the US.

Earlier, US officials said that with the start of Donald Trump’s administration, the travel plans of hundreds of Afghans had been canceled.

Recently, the Trump administration said over 10,000 Afghan refugees who have not yet been granted asylum and are under temporary protection need to leave the US.

Addressing the Senate, Rubio said: “There was some concerns early on about freezing or slowing down this program until we could determine whether we were properly vetting people to come towards the United States and that process is ongoing and I think we’ll have more concrete answers for you.

“We’re working to make progress on that,” he said.

Afghanistan has been named one of the nine worst-affected countries grappling with severe food insecurity, with over one million people facing emergency levels of hunger, according to the Global Report on Food Crises 2025 (GRFC) issued by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The report, compiled by the Food Security Information Network (FSIN) and partner organizations, paints a grim picture of worsening conditions across the country.

The report estimates that 3.6 million Afghans will face Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Phase 4 conditions this year — just one step below famine.

This places Afghanistan alongside countries like Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, and Pakistan, where war, economic instability, and climate-related disasters are driving millions into hunger.

Sudan currently leads the list, with a staggering 8.5 million people in IPC Phase 4 and an additional 800,000 experiencing famine-level hunger (IPC Phase 5).

In Afghanistan, the World Food Program (WFP) described the report’s findings as “not the records we want to break.”

While there have been minor improvements in food access over the past year, the sharp drop in humanitarian funding remains a critical concern.

The report warns that financial shortfalls, coupled with ongoing insecurity, are placing vital nutrition and health services—particularly for children—at serious risk.

Humanitarian funding globally is projected to fall by up to 45% in 2025, a trend that could have devastating consequences for low-income and crisis-affected countries like Afghanistan.

The WFP has urged the international community to act swiftly, warning that without sustained donor support, the situation could deteriorate even further.

The report attributes Afghanistan’s deepening food crisis to a combination of economic collapse, widespread poverty, and the fragile governance landscape following the Islamic Emirate’s return to power.

The withdrawal of development aid and ongoing banking restrictions have only intensified the crisis.

Despite efforts by humanitarian agencies to scale back and prioritize the most vulnerable populations, current resources are far from adequate to meet the growing needs.

The report calls on international stakeholders to keep food security at the forefront of their global agenda and to take decisive action to prevent a worsening catastrophe—not just in Afghanistan, but in all high-risk countries.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially announced the schedule for the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 Playoffs, setting the stage for a thrilling conclusion to the tournament’s 18th season.

Following 70 high-octane league matches, the Playoffs will begin with Qualifier 1 on Thursday, May 29, at the newly inaugurated PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh, where the top two teams of the league will face off for a direct spot in the final.

The action continues with the Eliminator match on Friday, May 30, also at the New Chandigarh venue, featuring the teams ranked third and fourth in the league standings.

The excitement then shifts to the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the world’s largest cricket arena, which will host both the Qualifier 2 and the Final. 

Qualifier 2 — between the loser of Qualifier 1 and the winner of the Eliminator — will be played on Sunday, June 1, while the much-anticipated Final is scheduled for Tuesday, June 3.

Originally, the final four matches of the IPL 2025 season were slated to be held in Hyderabad and Kolkata, but the IPL Governing Council revised the venues due to weather-related concerns and other logistical factors.

In addition to the Playoff changes, Match No. 65 between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) has been relocated to Lucknow from Bengaluru. 

The game will now take place at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, due to adverse weather conditions in Bengaluru.

To accommodate potential weather delays, an extra hour of playing time will be added to all remaining league matches starting Tuesday, May 20.

Fan Zone

Fans across Afghanistan can tune in to Ariana Television to watch the playoffs live. 

Until playoffs get underway, there are still a good few matches to be played. Today, Wednesday May 21, will see Match 63 take place at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai when Mumbai Indians take on Delhi Capitals.

This match starts at 6:30pm Kabul time.

Top Teams

As the race for the trophy heats up, there is still one spot in the top four up for grabs – and that will be decided in today’s match when Mumbai Indians take on Delhi Capitals. 

IPL 2022 winners Gujarat Titans however currently lead the IPL 2025 standings and have already sealed a place in the playoffs along with three-time runners-up Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings.