Latest News
Turkey should pull troops from Afghanistan under 2020 accord: Taliban spokesman

Turkey should withdraw its troops from Afghanistan under the 2020 deal for the pullout of U.S. forces, a Taliban spokesman said on Thursday, effectively rejecting Ankara’s proposal to guard and run Kabul’s airport after U.S.-led NATO forces depart.
The development raises serious questions for the United States, other countries and international organizations with missions in Kabul about how to securely evacuate their personnel from landlocked Afghanistan should fighting threaten the capital.
It also appeared to dash Ankara’s hopes of using the securing of Kabul airport to help improve ties with Washington – strained by Turkey’s purchase of Russian defense systems – in talks set for Monday between President Joe Biden and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan
Asked in a text message whether the Taliban rejected Turkey’s proposal to keep forces in Kabul to guard and run the international airport after other foreign troops leave, the Taliban spokesman in Doha responded that they should go as well.
“Turkey was part of NATO forces in the past 20 years, so as such, they should withdraw from Afghanistan on the basis of the Agreement we signed with US on 29th Feb 2020,” Suhail Shaheen told Reuters.
“Otherwise, Turkey is a great Islamic country. Afghanistan has had historical relations with it. We hope to have close and good relations with them as a new Islamic government is established in the country in future,” he added.
The State Department and the Turkish Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke on Thursday with Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar to “discuss bilateral cooperation and regional issues,” the Pentagon said in a statement, which did not specifically mention Afghanistan.
Under the February 2020 deal secured with the Islamist Taliban under former President Donald Trump, all U.S. forces were to be out of Afghanistan by May 1.
But Biden said in April that the pullout would be completed by the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, al Qaeda attacks on the United States that prompted the U.S.-led invasion and ouster of the Taliban government that sheltered the group.
Turkish officials say they made the Kabul airport proposal at a NATO meeting in May when the United States and its partners agreed to a plan to withdraw their forces by Sept. 11 after 20 years of backing the Afghan government in a war against the Taliban.
With violence raging, many U.S. lawmakers and current and former officials fear the departure of the foreign forces and stalled peace talks are pushing Afghanistan into an all-out civil war that could return the Taliban to power.
The Pentagon says the U.S. withdrawal is more than 50% complete. Turkey, with more than 500 soldiers still in Afghanistan training security forces, now has the largest foreign military contingent there.
Australia closed its embassy last month because of security concerns. The Taliban’s effective rejection of the Turkish plan to secure the airport could prompt other countries to shutter their missions.
The development also poses a quandary for the Biden administration, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken vowing as recently as this week at a congressional hearing to maintain a U.S. diplomatic presence in Kabul.
Latest News
Acting minister of mines calls on Iran to invest in Afghanistan

Acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum Hedayatullah Badri said at the opening ceremony of “Iran International Mineral Exhibition” in Tehran that Afghanistan currently has stability and that favorable opportunities for investment have been created in the country.
Badri added that the Islamic Emirate seeks to effectively utilize the experiences of neighboring countries in the extraction of Afghanistan’s mineral resources.
In addition to touring various sections of the exhibition and a lithium processing plant, he also extended an invitation to Iranian private sector companies to invest in Afghanistan.
He also held a meeting and discussion with Iran’s Minister of Industry, Mine, and Trade. A previous agreement between Tehran and Kabul regarding survey work, development, and laboratory procurement was the central focus of this meeting.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum of Afghanistan announced that two technical committees have now been formed to begin practical work on this agreement.
The Ministry of Economy also stated that Kabul is seeking to strengthen its economic and trade relations with Tehran, which would be mutually beneficial for both countries.
“Iranian investors are interested in investing in Afghanistan’s mining, transportation, energy, and infrastructure sectors, and the Islamic Emirate welcomes Iranian investors in Afghanistan,” said Abdul Latif Nazari, Deputy Minister of Economy.
Economic experts, however, consider Iran to be a valuable economic and trade partner for Afghanistan. They emphasize that expanding relations with Iran could benefit the economies and trade sectors of both Kabul and Tehran.
Latest News
Pentagon vows accountability for ‘disastrous’ Afghanistan withdrawal
Speaking to Fox News on Monday, he said those responsible for the manner of the withdrawal will definitely be held accountable.

Pete Hegseth, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, has stated that the findings of the special task force investigating the “disastrous” withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan will be released soon.
Speaking to Fox News on Monday, he said those responsible for the manner of the withdrawal will definitely be held accountable.
In response to a question regarding the results of the investigation into the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, Hegseth said: “We are pursuing this issue seriously in our office. A statement regarding the progress of the special task force working on this matter will likely be released tomorrow or Wednesday.”
He added: “The investigation is ongoing, but this process takes time, as many issues need to be examined. Some of the information is classified and requires conducting interviews.”
He predicted that the investigation into how the American withdrawal from Afghanistan was handled may continue until next year.
Referring to the withdrawal from Afghanistan as well as the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, Hegseth said: “What Joe Biden did to America’s credibility was disastrous.”
He asserted that with Donald Trump’s return, America’s strength and credibility have once again been restored.
International Sports
IPL 2025: Lucknow Super Giants crash out of playoffs race
LSG’s captain Rishabh Pant said injuries to key personnel created “lot of gaps” that played a part in the team’s underwhelming IPL 2025

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) fell out of the IPL 2025 playoffs race on Monday night, leaving Mumbai Indians (MI) and Delhi Capitals (DC) fighting for the last remaining slot in the top four.
In their match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Monday, LSG made a storming start, with Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram putting on 115 at close to 11 runs an over.
But SRH’s bowlers hit back with clever use of the old ball and limited them to 205, a total that proved inadequate in the face of a thrilling display of six-hitting from Abhishek Sharma.
SRH were already out of contention for the playoffs when this match began, but they showed their strength in their batting line up – even without Travis Head, who missed out after a bout of Covid-19 delayed his return to India.
Abhishek hit six sixes in a 20-ball 59, turning his team-mates’ task straightforward; with Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen and Kamindu Mendis also getting past 30, SRH reached their target with ten balls remaining, ESPNcricinfo reported.
LSG’s batting, yet again, was over-reliant on their big three, with Nicholas Pooran scoring 45 off 26 balls on the back of the openers’ half-centuries, and no one else reaching double figures.
Having scored 108 for no loss in the first ten overs, LSG only managed 97 for 7 in the back half, as SRH’s bowlers pulled them back with their changes of pace.
The match officially ended in the 19th over, but its symbolic end came in the 14th, when Kamindu hit Digvesh Rathi for three clinical, back-to-back fours in his final over.
Speaking after the match, LSG’s captain Rishabh Pant said injuries to key personnel created “lot of gaps” that played a part in the team’s underwhelming IPL 2025.
“It couldn’t be the best season for us,” Pant said.
“Getting into the tournament we knew a lot of gaps were there because of injuries. We decided we won’t talk about that, but it became difficult to close out those gaps.”
Pant was seemingly referring to the prolonged absence of several key players. Left-arm pacer Mohsin Khan missed the entire season, while express quick Mayank Yadav, one of LSG’s prized retentions, spent most of the tournament on the sidelines.
Other big-money signings Avesh Khan and Akash Deep also struggled with fitness issues and joined the playing XI only midway through the season.
“The way we planned the auction, if we had the same bowling [attack], the story would be different,” Pant said.
“At the same time, this is cricket, things can happen. Sometimes they go your way, sometimes they don’t. Need to take pride in the way we’re playing. Need to look at the positives other than discussing more on the negative side.”
Tuesday, May 20: Match 62
Today’s match will see Chennai Super Kings take on Rajasthan Royals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, in Delhi.
Fans in Afghanistan can tune in to Ariana Television from 5:30pm to watch the match live.
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