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New Zealand beat Afghanistan to make T20 World Cup semis
New Zealand crushed a billion Indian dreams and breezed into the semi-finals of the Twenty20 World Cup with an eight-wicket victory against Afghanistan in a key Super 12 match on Sunday.
The fates of three teams were tied to the outcome of the match, each fancying their chances of becoming the second side from the pool, behind Pakistan, to make it to the last four.
An Afghan victory would have suited 2007 champions India, who have the best net run-rate among the trio with a match to spare, while New Zealand had to simply win the game to advance, which they did in style.
Najibullah Zadran smashed a career-best 73 to rescue Afghanistan from a top order collapse and post 124-8 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
New Zealand romped home with 11 balls to spare to join England, Australia and Pakistan in last four.
Afghanistan captain Mohammad Nabi won the toss but the strong start he expected from his team did not materialise.
They were reeling at 19-3 in the sixth over, a mini-collapse that started when Devon Conway took an acrobatic catch behind the stumps to dismiss Mohammad Shahzad.
Zadran rebuilt their innings with his stroke-filled knock but his stay was cut short by another stunning catch, this time by a diving Jimmy Neesham at long-off.
Trent Boult dismissed Karim Janat in the same over for his third wicket and New Zealand put on a catching masterclass to restrict their opponents to a below-par total.
Off-spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman dismissed Daryl Mitchell (17) in the fourth over and Rashid Khan sent back Martin Guptill (28) but it was not enough to test New Zealand's batting strength.
Williamson oversaw New Zealand's chase with an assured 40 not out while Conway was unbeaten on 36.
New Zealand finished their group campaign with eight points, four ahead of India, who play Namibia in their final match on Monday (November 8), and Afghanistan.
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Armed attack on civilians in Daikundi-Ghor area sparks international reactions
Daesh-affiliated members' armed attack on civilians in an area between Daikundi and Ghor provinces has provoked international reactions. In this attack, 14 civilians were killed.
The United Nations has condemned the attack on Hazara community and described it as "heinous".
UNAMA has urged the Islamic Emirate to identify the perpetrators of this attack.
Karen Decker, Chargé d'Affaires of the US Mission to Afghanistan, has also strongly condemned the attack and expressed her condolences to victims and their families.
The Embassy of Japan in Afghanistan also condemned the attack in a post on X and called it “heinous terrorist attack”.
IEA’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed on Friday that 14 civilians were killed in an attack in an area between Daikundi and Ghor provinces.
Daesh claimed responsibility for the attack.
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US aid to Afghanistan should be conditioned on treatment of women and children: McCaul
McCaul also said that by not including the Afghan government in the Doha negotiations, Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan peace, made a big error.
Michael McCaul, Republican chair of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, has said that any aid or assistance Washington gives to Afghanistan has to be conditioned on treatment of women and children.
In an interview with the Voice of America, McCaul said that girls in Afghanistan should be allowed to go to school and enjoy their fundemental rights.
Referring to the restrictions against women, he said that Afghanistan has now returned to the "Stone Age".
McCaul also said that by not including the Afghan government in the Doha negotiations, Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan peace, made a big error.
“They (Afghan government) felt like they were sidelined,” he said.
McCaul also stated that the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan without an action plan was a “fatal flaw” because many Americans and their Afghan allies were left behind.
This comes as the Islamic Emirate has said that the rights of women and girls are an internal issue of Afghanistan and Sharia laws must be respected.
IEA has also said that foreign aid to Afghanistan is managed by international organizations and the Islamic Emirate does not use it.
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Pakistan’s ex-PM Khan says terrorism cannot be eliminated without dialogue with Afghanistan
He said that a large number of policemen in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been killed in the fight against terrorism and if terrorism is not controlled, the economy will come to a standstill.
Pakistan's jailed former prime minister, Imran Khan, said on Friday that terrorism cannot be eliminated without having dialogue with the authorities in Afghanistan.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Khan expressed his support for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapour's proposal for a direct dialogue with Kabul.
“Ali Amin is absolutely right,” Imran Khan stated. “They should be beseeching him to go and talk to Afghanistan for the sake of God."
A day earlier, Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif criticized Gandapur's plan to talk to Kabul, saying it was a direct attack on the federal government.
When questioned about the possibility of a province directly engaging with another country when a federal government and the Foreign Office were already in place, Imran Khan replied: "Forget the Foreign Office, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been the most affected by terrorism.”
He said that a large number of policemen in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been killed in the fight against terrorism and if terrorism is not controlled, the economy will come to a standstill.
Khan urged the government to lend a hand to anyone attempting to eradicate the menace of terrorism.
"If someone is trying to end terrorism, cooperate with them," he stated, dismissing the perception that Gandapur’s intentions were anti-state. "Ali Amin is speaking in the favour of the country, not against it."
Clarifying Gandapur’s stance, he pointed out, "Ali Amin spoke about going but didn’t say he was leaving immediately, — he didn’t even fix a time." Khan concluded his talk by saying, "What wrong has Ali Amin said?"
Gandapur announced on Wednesday that he would send a delegation to Afghanistan to resolve bilateral issues.
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