Doha

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed deep concern about the ongoing developments in Afghanistan, including the latest fighting in Herat and Kandahar province.

Tokyo – Maruša Mišmaš Zrimšek placed sixth in the women’s 3000-meter steeplechase at the Olympic Games in Tokyo on Wednesday after securing the finals on Sunday. By clocking 9:14.84 at what are her debut Olympics, she set a new Slovenian record for the second time this year.

The Taliban is seeking support from Muslim countries to find a political solution to the conflict in Afghanistan and wants to develop good ties with Turkey, the group's spokesman Zabinullah Muhajid has said.

"Turkey is our brother, and we have so much in common based on faith," Mujahid said in an interview with TRT Arabi.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said the Taliban should end the occupation of their brothers' soil and played down a warning from the militant group of consequences if Turkish troops remain in Afghanistan to run Kabul airport.

The latest round of intra-Afghan negotiations failed to deliver a breakthrough, with the Afghan government and the Taliban vowing in a joint statement on July 19 to meet again and expedite high-level peace talks in Doha, Qatar.

The Technical Regulation on the Deployment of Qatar Military Aircraft Personnel in Turkey signed between Ankara and Doha has been submitted to the parliament. Accordingly, Qatari fighter pilots will receive their training in Turkey, and Qatar will be able to keep 250 military personnel and 36 warplanes in the country for training purposes, daily Hürriyet reported on July 1.

Turkish athlete Ferhat Arıcan clinched a gold medal at the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Cup, the International Gymnastics Federation confirmed on June 26.

Ambassador Hakan Tekin, director general for South Asia at the Turkish Foreign Ministry, met Massoum Stanekzai, the Afghan government's top peace broker, in the Qatari capital Doha on June 8. 

According to a statement by the negotiating team in Kabul, Stanekzai and Tekin discussed ways and means to expedite the stalled peace drive.

Turkey announced on April 20 that it is postponing a much-anticipated Afghan peace conference in Istanbul until the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Lisbon – Slovenian judoka Tina Trstenjak won gold at the European Judo Championships 2021 in the women’s 63 kg event in Lisbon, Portugal on Saturday. She won against Russia’s Daria Davydova. Fellow Slovenian judoka Andreja Leški got a bronze in the same category earlier.