The Dubai Capitals secured a crucial six-wicket victory over the Gulf Giants at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Sunday, climbing to second place in the ILT20 standings and handing the Giants a fourth straight defeat.

Mustafizur Rahman starred with the ball, taking three wickets in a decisive over to help restrict the Giants to 156 all out, despite solid knocks from Azmatullah Omarzai (43) and James Vince (36).

In reply, Shayan Jahangir’s steady 48 and an unbeaten 47 from Rovman Powell guided the Capitals to victory with four balls to spare. Mohammad Nabi added a quick 25 not out to seal the chase.

In Dubai, MI Emirates continued their strong form with a composed four-wicket win over table-toppers Desert Vipers, registering their third consecutive victory of the season.

Shakib Al Hasan delivered an outstanding all-round performance, claiming 2 for 14 to limit the Vipers to 124 before anchoring the chase with an unbeaten 17. Kieron Pollard’s brisk 26 swung the momentum decisively as MI Emirates reached the target with 15 balls remaining.

Cricket fans across Afghanistan can watch the next ILT20 match between Sharjah Warriorz and MI Emirates on Ariana Television today, Monday, December 22, from 2pm.

U.S. authorities are reviewing a classified terror watch list of about 18,000 people after it emerged that only one of three Afghan nationals arrested in recent high-profile cases was on the list, the New York Post reported, citing an intelligence source.

According to the NY Post, the revelation has raised concerns that some suspects may have been radicalized after arriving in the United States. The issue gained renewed attention following last month’s shooting of National Guard members in Washington, DC.

National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent told lawmakers at a December 11 hearing that around 18,000 known or suspected terrorists entered the U.S. over a four-year period under the previous administration. Since then, officials have been combing through the database to assess potential threats and examine how certain individuals were admitted into the country.

Jaan Shah Safi was the only one of three recently arrested Afghan nationals listed in the Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment (TIDE), the U.S. government’s central terror database. Safi, who arrived in the U.S. in 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, is accused of providing weapons and other support to ISIS-K. U.S. officials say he remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

The other two suspects — Rahmanullah Lakanwal, charged with killing a National Guard member in Washington, and Mohammad Dawood Alokozay of Texas, accused of threatening a suicide attack — were not on the watch list, according to the Post. Intelligence officials cited in the report said this suggests they may have been radicalized after entering the United States.

The Post said the Office of the Director of National Intelligence has identified nearly 2,000 Afghans with suspected terror ties and continues to share intelligence with law enforcement agencies.

The issue has reignited debate over the vetting process used during the rapid evacuation of Afghans in 2021, when more than 100,000 people were brought to the United States.

Lawmakers and officials quoted by the New York Post called for closer scrutiny of those admitted during that period, amid growing political and public concern over national security and immigration policy.

Afghanistan has participated in the Global Handball Congress held in Cairo, Egypt, with the head of the Afghanistan Handball Federation attending the international gathering alongside representatives from 107 member countries of the International Handball Federation (IHF).

The congress took place from December 19 to 22 and included elections for leadership positions within both the global and Asian handball governing bodies.

At the conclusion of the voting process, Egypt’s Hassan Moustafa was re-elected as President of the International Handball Federation, securing another four-year term.

At the continental level, Badr Mohammed Diyab Saleh Al-Diyab was elected President of the Asian Handball Federation.

Officials from the Afghanistan Handball Federation said that several meetings were held on the sidelines of the congress with senior international handball officials, including the newly elected Asian federation president.

According to the officials, the Asian handball chief reaffirmed continued support for the development and advancement of handball in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan’s participation in the global congress is being viewed as an important step toward strengthening international sports relations, attracting broader institutional support, and promoting the growth of handball in the country—a sport that has faced significant challenges and limitations in recent years.