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‘Taliban’s strategic goal is to take a provincial capital’: RS

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Last Updated on: October 24, 2022

rsTaliban militants are likely planning to perform high-profile attacks to capture a provincial capital as the end of the year is coming soon, a spokesman for the Resolute Support (RS) mission said on Friday.

“What we know is that the fighting is not over. We fully expect that the Taliban is absolutely going to take another run at Lashkar Gah, and that could happen very soon. They’ll likely try and take a run at Tarinkot and then maybe another provincial capital as well,” Brigadier General Charles Cleveland, RS deputy chief of staff for communications said while briefing reporters through a teleconference from Kabul on Friday.

He further said that it is fully expected that Taliban militants are going to perform high-profile attacks in Afghanistan in the near future as they recognizes the end of the year is coming soon.

Cleveland added that Taliban’s strategic goal is to take a provincial capital, but they have been defeated by the Afghan forces.

“While the ANDSF efforts has not been always perfect, they have been able to successfully defend each of their major population centers and each of their provincial capitals,” he continued.

According to the RS mission, the international forces are trying to help the Afghan forces improve to face the challenges ahead.

Meanwhile, the RS mission spokesman said they have carried about 230 counterterrorism strikes since the beginning of 2016.

“Our airstrikes are focused on Daesh as well as Al Qaida. So, about two-thirds to three-quarters of those are focused on Daesh and then the remaining amount on Al Qaida,” Cleveland stated.

In response to a question on how many strikes have taken  against the Taliban Brig. General Cleveland said,” we are not authorized to target the Taliban by status. What we are able to do is number one, our first authority is always force protection”.

Reported by: Fahim Noori

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IPL 2026: Rain scuppers KKR vs PBKS match

With every point crucial in the tightly contested 19th edition of the IPL, the teams are now focusing on the forthcoming fixtures to maintain or improve their rankings.

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Monday’s eagerly awaited IPL fixture between the Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings at Eden Gardens in Kolkata was abandoned due to persistent rain after only 3.4 overs, leaving fans disappointed.

With both sides unable to take the field, match officials eventually declared the game a no‑result, awarding each team one point in the league standings. The outcome gave KKR their first point of the season, while PBKS retained a strong position in the early table.

The washout continues to highlight the unpredictable nature of early‑season conditions, where weather can play an outsized role in shaping campaigns.

With every point crucial in the tightly contested 19th edition of the IPL, teams are now refocusing on the forthcoming fixtures to maintain or improve their rankings.

IPL 2026 Standings after Monday’s washout

Here’s how the points table looks after Monday’s abandoned match (matches played, wins, losses, no results, points, net run rate):

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) – 2 M, 2 W, 0 L, 0 N/R, 4 pts, NRR +2.501
Rajasthan Royals (RR) – 2 M, 2 W, 0 L, 0 N/R, 4 pts, NRR +2.233
Delhi Capitals (DC) – 2 M, 2 W, 0 L, 0 N/R, 4 pts, NRR +1.17
Punjab Kings (PBKS) – 2 M, 2 W, 0 L, 0 N/R, 4 pts, NRR +0.637
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) – 3 M, 1 W, 2 L, 0 N/R, 2 pts, NRR +0.275
Mumbai Indians (MI) – 2 M, 1 W, 1 L, 0 N/R, 2 pts, NRR ‑0.206
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) – 2 M, 1 W, 1 L, 0 N/R, 2 pts, NRR ‑0.542
Gujarat Titans (GT) – 2 M, 0 W, 2 L, 0 N/R, 0 pts, NRR ‑0.424
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) – 2 M, 0 W, 2 L, 0 N/R, 0 pts, NNR ‑1.964
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) – 3 M, 0 W, 3 L, 0 N/R, 0 pts, NRR ‑2.517

Teams receive 2 points for a win and 1 point for an abandoned/no‑result game. The top four at the end of the league stage will qualify for the playoffs later this season.

Match Preview: Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans

Tonight’s IPL action, Tuesday April 7, resumes with Match 14 as the Delhi Capitals host the Gujarat Titans at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.

DC have had an outstanding start to their campaign, winning both of their matches so far with powerful contributions from captain Rishabh Pant and young batting star Sameer Rizvi, who smashed a stunning 90 off 51 balls in Delhi’s recent win over the Mumbai Indians.

Gujarat Titans, however, are still searching for their first victory of the season. With key players such as Shubman Gill and seasoned pacer Mohammed Shami, GT will be looking for breakthroughs both with the bat and the ball to turn the tide in this fixture. With both teams desperate for crucial early‑season points, tonight’s showdown promises an exciting battle under lights.

Watch Live in Afghanistan

Cricket fans in Afghanistan can catch all IPL 2026 matches live and exclusively on Ariana Television. The broadcaster is offering full live coverage of the tournament, with expert commentary and match highlights throughout the season.

As the league stage builds momentum and teams jockey for positioning, every match — and every point — will be crucial on the road to the playoffs and ultimately the IPL 2026 final.

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Fragile progress as US–Iran tensions shift toward negotiations, says Khalilzad

Khalilzad described these steps as positive, adding that the US president had reportedly agreed to delay a previously threatened escalation.

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Senior former US diplomat Zalmay Khalilzad, says the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran has entered a new phase marked by both continued tensions and indirect diplomacy, with cautious signs of progress emerging.

In a social media post late Monday, Khalilzad, who served as the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation, said the confrontation has shifted toward a combination of fighting and negotiations facilitated by regional powers.

He noted that developments over recent weeks include a five-week ceasefire, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to all international shipping, and renewed talks between Washington and Tehran on issues of mutual concern.

Khalilzad described these steps as positive, adding that the US president had reportedly agreed to delay a previously threatened escalation.

“These are positive. The President (Donald Trump) apparently has agreed to delay the escalation initially threatened for tomorrow,” he stated.

However, significant obstacles remain. According to Khalilzad, Iran is insisting on guarantees that any agreement must prevent a return to war, while the United States wants to preserve the option of resuming hostilities if negotiations fail.

“Frankly it is hard to argue with that,” Khalilzad wrote, saying it is common for conflict to resume if talks collapse without a mutually acceptable outcome.

He proposed a potential compromise in which both sides would commit not to return to war for the duration of the negotiations—a measure that could help build trust and prevent further escalation.

Tensions between Iran, the United States and Israel remain volatile, with the current phase of the conflict underscoring how quickly flare-ups can spread across the Middle East.

The Strait of Hormuz—a critical artery for global oil shipments—has emerged as a focal point, and its reopening is being closely watched as a stabilising signal for international energy markets.

Khalilzad also noted that Iran has previously accused the United States of launching attacks while negotiations were still underway.

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Heavy rains in Nangarhar leave 16 dead and injured

Further casualties were reported in Khogyani district, where one person was killed and two others injured.

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Heavy rains and a series of roof collapses in eastern Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province have left at least 16 people dead or injured, local officials said, as severe weather continues to batter vulnerable communities.

The worst-affected areas include the provincial capital Jalalabad, particularly the Angoor Bagh neighborhood, as well as the districts of Sherzad, Khogyani, and Haska Mina.

According to provincial authorities, five people were killed and two others injured when the roof of a house collapsed in Angoor Bagh. In Sherzad district, a separate incident claimed the lives of a woman and two children after another roof gave way.

Further casualties were reported in Khogyani district, where one person was killed and two others injured. In Haska Mina, the collapse of two homes left one child dead and two more people wounded.

Provincial spokesperson Qari Ehsanullah Osmani said emergency response teams have been deployed across the affected areas, with both civil and military units working to assist victims and carry out rescue operations.

Authorities have warned that continued heavy rainfall poses an ongoing risk to homes and infrastructure, particularly in rural and mountainous areas where buildings are often not constructed to withstand extreme weather.

Afghanistan has increasingly faced severe weather events in recent years, with heavy rains, flash floods, and landslides exacerbated by climate change, deforestation, and fragile infrastructure, leaving communities highly exposed to natural disasters.

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