Afghanistan's Taliban insurgents said they had reached an agreement with the government on the framework for peace negotiations, more than two months after the two sides began direct talks in Doha.
The terms for the negotiations, comprising 21 articles, were approved by both parties, Mohammad Naeem, a spokesman for the Taliban's political office in Doha, said on Twitter. The Afghan government did not immediately comment.
The talks aim to end 19 years of conflict after the 2001 US-led invasion that toppled the Taliban regime.
But there has been no reduction in insurgent attacks since the talks began, despite repeated government calls for a ceasefire.
At least 30 security personnel were killed on Sunday when a suicide car bomber struck an army base on the outskirts of the eastern city of Ghazni.
Officials say casualties could increase given the intensity and location of the blast.
Baz Hemat, director of the provincial hospital in Ghazni, said 30 bodies and 24 injured people were taken there.
“All of the victims are security personnel,” Mr Hemat said.
The blast hit a compound of the public protection force, a wing of the Afghan security forces, local officials said.
They said it damaged civilian residences around the compound and there could be more casualties there.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, although Ghazni has had regular fighting between the Taliban and government forces.
A key disagreement in Doha has been whether a US-Taliban deal should serve as the basis for the Afghan-Taliban talks, a position rejected by the government.
The peace deal the US signed with the militants on February 29 requires the Taliban to cut ties with all terrorist groups, including Al Qaeda, in exchange for American troops to be wihdrawn from Afghanistan.
The US has started withdrawing forces from the country and will reduce its troops to 2,500 from 4,500 by January 15, with more scheduled leave by May.
The Afghan government has expressed concern over what it considers to be a premature withdrawal that could leave the country in civil war.
The UN has noted a surge in violence by the Taliban since the talks opened on September 12, ranging from attacks on Afghan army bases to attempts to capture key cities including Kandahar.
Other militants have launched assaults on Kabul University and other educational centres, killing dozens of students.
On September 21, unknown assailants fired a deadly barrage of rockets that struck residential areas in the capital.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
The five pillars of Islam
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The distance learning plan
Spring break will be from March 8 - 19
Public school pupils will undergo distance learning from March 22 - April 2. School hours will be 8.30am to 1.30pm
Staff will be trained in distance learning programmes from March 15 - 19
Teaching hours will be 8am to 2pm during distance learning
Pupils will return to school for normal lessons from April 5
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
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