The Minnesota Timberwolves are going all-out to upgrade their roster for next season by reportedly securing a meeting with restricted free agent D’Angelo Russell.
Per Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes, Russell will meet with Minnesota officials at the start of free agency on Sunday.
Whispers about Russell ending up on the Timberwolves have gotten louder the closer we get to free agency.
Per ESPN’sZach Lowe, Minnesota has tried to interest the Brooklyn Nets in a sign-and-trade involving Russell, but Brooklyn isn’t interested in adding Jeff Teague’s expiring contract.
Another scenario Lowe mentioned involved Andrew Wiggins: “One rival executive predicted to me this week that not only will Minnesota succeed at dealing Wiggins at some point, but that they will get at least net-neutral value for him.”
The T-Wolves will have to work out a sign-and-trade or find a separate trade partner for another player if they want to add Russell. They are$6.3 millionover the cap, though they are $26.1 million under the luxury tax.
The Nets could make things more difficult for Minnesota by renouncing Russell’s rights. Shams Charaniaof The Athletic and Stadium reported Kyrie Irving is “fully focused” on signing with Brooklyn.
If Irving ends up with the Nets, they would have no reason to retain Russell. He could end up becoming an unrestricted free agent, potentially taking a sign-and-trade agreement off the table.
A Russell-Karl-Anthony Towns partnership would certainly boost Minnesota’s playoff hopes after last season’s disappointing 36-46 record.
Russell is coming off the best year of his career, having averaged 21.1 points and 7.0 assists per game with the Nets.
The Palestinian Authority (PA) has arrested a Palestinian businessman for taking part in the US-led economic conference in Bahrain, according to a security source and local media.
The PA’s intelligence service detained Salah Abu Mayala, a businessman from the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, the security source told AFP news agency on Saturday.
The source said the PA had decided to arrest Palestinians found to have taken part in the conference, where US President Donald Trump‘s son-in-law Jared Kushner launched a long-awaited Middle East initiative.
The Palestinian leadership boycotted the Bahrain summit, and insisted a political solution to the conflict with Israel must come before economic issues could be addressed.
A spokesman for Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas slammed the conference.
“The abject failure of the Manama workshop … is a clear message to Mr Trump and his administration that the policy of threats and intimidation no longer work,” Nabil Abu Rudeineh said in a statement on Saturday.
The PA severed ties with the Trump administration over a year ago regarding a series of pro-Israeli moves including recognising Jerusalem as capital of Israel.
The PA’s security service did not respond to requests for comment, but Palestinian businessman Ashraf Jabari, who attended the conference in Manama, told the Reuters news agency: “Salah’s son spoke to me by phone and he told me his father was arrested.”
Jabari said that Abu Mayala was one of 15 Palestinian businessmen who participated in the Bahrain workshop.
He told The Jerusalem Post that PA security forces also raided the homes of three other Palestinian businessmen in the city in an attempt to arrest them.
“The Palestinian security forces did not find them,” Jabari said. “They searched their homes and confiscated security cameras and documents. They told the families of the businessmen that they are wanted for participating in the Bahrain workshop.”
Sources in Hebron said that PA intelligence officers raided and searched the home of Ashraf Ghanem, one of the businessmen who travelled to Bahrain. Ghanem fled his home shortly before the officers arrived, the sources said.
Jabari, a largely unknown businessmen with ties to Israeli settlers and US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, has faced intense criticism from Palestinians and has been disowned by members of his own family.
Branded ‘collaborators’
Last week, a list of Palestinian businessmen who attended the events was circulated on social media by Palestinian users.
The handful of Palestinian businessmen who attended the Bahrain workshop have been branded as “collaborators” by some in the Palestinian leadership.
Saeb Erekat, the secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s (PLO) Executive Committee on Tuesday said that no Palestinians were prevented from attending.
“It is shameless for some to claim that Palestinians were threatened or prevented to attend Manama workshop,” Erekat said in a tweet.
“As a matter of fact, Palestine’s business leaders declared their rejection, non attendance … two days before the PLO declared its position.”
Erekat also called on those who felt threatened to contact his office.
“If any Palestinian was invited to the Manama work shop [sic], and did not go because he/ she were threatened or prevented by the PLO, Palestinian National Authority, Palestinian factions or parties. Please do not hesitate to contact me in any way you see fit,” he wrote.
“We’ll see what happens, but we are going to have a good deal and a fair deal or we’re not going to have a deal at all and that’s OK too,” President Donald Trump said at his re-election rally. | Susan Walsh/AP Photo
The president is running for reelection with a major unfulfilled campaign promise — a trade deal with China.
OSAKA, Japan — President Donald Trump departed a gathering of world leaders Saturday without striking his long-sought trade deal with China, leaving him with a major unfulfilled campaign promise just as he revs up his reelection bid.
But the leaders of the world’s biggest economies agreed that their teams should resume negotiations that had broken down several weeks ago with Trump pushing off another round of tariffs on $300 billion on Chinese imports.
Story Continued Below
That incremental step is far from what he promised Americans when he was on the campaign trail in 2016 pledging to beat China — the so-called “enemy” that cost the U.S. jobs, spied on U.S. businesses and stole U.S. technology.
Trump will now need to try to persuade supporters — some of whom have been hurt by rising prices due to his many trade disputes — that not accepting a bad deal with China is actually a win.
“I don’t think they will see this as a failure. I think they will see this as him fighting,” said Jonathan Felts, who worked in the George W. Bush White House and now lives in the swing state of North Carolina and remains close to the Trump White House. “What they see is a man who is doing exactly what he said he would.”
At a rally kicking off his reelection campaign in Florida earlier this month, Trump, a businessman who prides himself on making shrewd deals, tried to put a positive spin on his failure to secure a deal with China.
“We’ll see what happens, but we are going to have a good deal and a fair deal or we’re not going to have a deal at all and that’s OK too,” Trump told the crowd.
Trump held a series of meetings in Japan while he attended the G-20, an annual gathering of the world’s biggest economies, but did not announce any major agreements with those he spoke with, including the leaders of Japan, Germany and Russia.
Most of the attention, however, was on trade. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping and their top aides talked for more than an hour at a meeting closely watched by foreign leaders and business executives worried that the trade impasse will continue to hurt the global economy.
“You know, we’ve never really had a deal with China,” Trump said at a news conference Saturday. “Tremendous amounts of money was put into China — $500 billion a year. And I mean, you know, not just surplus and deficit. I’m talking about real, hard cash. And it should have never, ever been allowed to have happened for all of our presidents over the last number of years.”
Trump had already hit China with two rounds of tariffs after unsuccessfully pushing Beijing to change longstanding trade practices that he deems unfair. China retaliated with its own set of tariffs.
“I think you’ve heard the president say publicly on a number of occasions that he’s quite comfortable with where we are, and he’s quite comfortable with any outcome of those talks,” a senior administration official said.
On Saturday, at least, they agreed to the ceasefire.
A former Trump adviser who remains close to the White House said Trump still looks engaged on the issue in contrast to lawmakers of both parties who try to tackle tough issues, such as immigration, only to give in when they can’t initially work out a deal. “The minute things got tough, they bailed,” the former adviser said. “He’s going to keep talking.”
But David Dollar, who served as economic and financial emissary to China for the Treasury secretary and is now a leading expert on China for the center-left Brookings Institution, said Trump was never going to leave his meeting with Xi this week with a win when the two sides hadn’t been talking for weeks.
“There hasn’t been enough preparation for there to be a really detailed trade deal between China and the United States,” he said.
Now, after more than two years of negotiations and his reelection campaign looming, Trump faces intense pressure to find a compromise before his yet-to-be-named opponent criticizes his lack of deal-making skills and his tariff threats continue to cost Americans money, including in states that helped him win in 2016.
And some of Trump’s allies fear that the tariffs could put a dent in the economy — his strongest reelection selling point — though they note the economy has stayed strong despite earlier Trump-imposed tariffs.
“Exporters are suffering from the retaliatory tariffs from China,” Matthew Goodman, who served as director for international economics on the National Security Council staff and is now senior adviser for Asian economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
“It’s causing some political blowback for the president. His polls in some states that are red states and farm states are not as good as he would like. And so, you know, it’s possible that he has an incentive to do a deal.”
Scott Jennings, who worked under President George W. Bush and is close to the Trump White House, said Trump still has plenty of time left in his term to make good on this campaign promise.
“Trump is in a strong political position,” he said. “He’s put so much effort in for them to roll over and accept less is not an option.”
Per Marc Stein of the New York Times, the Pelicans—who are in need of another big man for essentially an entirely new roster next season—have interest in Horford but are afraid of being outbid for him.
This article will be updated to provide more information on this story as it becomes available.
Get the best sports content from the web and social in the new B/R app. Get the app to get the game.
Which Suitors Make the Most Sense for Jimmy Butler?
Per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Terry Rozier is among the point guards on the Hornets‘ radar.
Walker has emerged as the top target of the Boston Celtics, who are expected to offer him a four-year, $141 million deal, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
This article will be updated to provide more information on this story as it becomes available.
Get the best sports content from the web and social in the new B/R app. Get the app to get the game.
Report: KD Considering ‘Possible Partnership’ with Kawhi
Sen. Kamala pressed former Vice President Joe Biden on his alliances with segregationists and his opposition to busing for desegregation during the Democratic debate. | Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Sen. Kamala Harris raised $2 million in 24 hours after her first presidential debate, her biggest fundraising day of the campaign, her campaign said Saturday.
Donations flowed to Harris from 63,277 people, nearly 60 percent of which were first-time donors. The average donation was $30. Her previous largest day was $1.5 million after launching.
Story Continued Below
By comparison, former HUD secretary Julián Castro had roughly 16,000 new donors and Sen. Cory Booker had almost 4,000 new donors after their Wednesday debate, their campaigns said Friday.
Harris’ haul comes in the final days of the second fundraising quarter. She also is holding five fundraisers over the weekend in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The California Democrat has invested significantly in her digital infrastructure since rising to the Senate, in large part to diversify her fundraising base but also to capitalize on sudden, viral moments.
Harris’ debate performance in Miami was considered the strongest of both nights. In her memorable exchange with Joe Biden, she pressed the former vice president on his alliances with segregationists and his opposition to busing for desegregation. Castro and Booker also raised their national profiles with high-energy performances.
Within moments of the debate ending, Harris’ campaign was selling T-shirts with a picture of her as a girl in Berkeley, Calif., and the phrase she used in the debate to personalize her own journey attending the second class in her school to integrate.
A handful of NBA rookies will be legitimate factors on the league’s stat leaderboards.
Last year, we saw Luka Doncic in a tier with top scorers, Trae Young finish as one of the best assist men and Deandre Ayton have one of the highest field-goal percentages among starters.
The 2019 draft class will also have immediate producers in all major categories, which we defined as points per game, assists, rebounds, steals, blocks, three-pointers made and field-goal percentage.
Predictions were based on a combination of perceived NBA-readiness and projected roles.
1 of 7
Layne Murdoch Jr./Getty Images
Runner-up: RJ Barrett, New York Knicks
Zion Williamson can benefit from the trade that sent Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers. He was going to produce regardless, with an unprecedented mix of power, quickness, explosion and motor. But a backcourt of Lonzo Ball and Jrue Holiday should make the game easier for the New Orleans Pelicans rookie, who’ll catch more balls in high-percentage scoring positions.
He’ll continue to be a lay-in and dunk machine just by tapping into his body and his athleticism for transition buckets, lobs, putbacks and finishes off cuts. His field-goal percentage will dip from 68 percent at Duke, however, as defenses adjust and force him into tougher runners and jumpers.
But assuming the 6’7″, 285-pound Williamson is receiving around 30 minutes per game, he’ll have enough chances to capitalize on his developing ball-handling, post moves and touch. He’ll still cause problems facing up and attacking in space, while his back-to-the-basket game should remain another source of offense around the block.
Barrett will have a good opportunity to produce in New York, but his perimeter skills aren’t ready for consistency. And after shooting 52.5 percent at the rim, he’ll likely struggle to finish efficiently as well.
Bet on Barrett’s scoring average winding up in the mid-teens, while Williamson gets closer to approaching 20 points per game like Doncic (21.2 ppg).
2 of 7
Joe Murphy/Getty Images
Runner-up: Coby White, Chicago Bulls
A lock to lead all rookies in assists, Ja Morant can also finish top-five in the league.
The Memphis Grizzlies guard just became the only NCAA player to average 10 assists per game since 1995. Speed, explosion and ball-handling regularly create playmaking chances for Morant, but his vision and passing skill are what led to historic production and our lofty projection.
Memphis’ shooters and rollers will benefit from his signature righty and lefty quick-trigger one-handers. He catches his teammates’ defenders off guard by delivering dimes off live dribbles through traffic or toward the corners and wings.
And Morant should have dangerous targets in Jaren Jackson Jr.—a finisher, spot-up shooter and pick-and-pop threat—as well as fellow rookie Brandon Clarke, a tremendous lob catcher who shot 68.7 percent from the field last season at Gonzaga.
Memphis’ trade of Mike Conley also puts the No. 2 pick in position to dominate the ball with starter minutes. Meanwhile, Darius Garland, a score-first ball-handler, has to share the rock with Collin Sexton in Cleveland. And Coby White, who only averaged 4.1 assists at North Carolina, will have to deal with Chicago running the offense through Zach LaVine, Otto Porter Jr. and Lauri Markkanen.
Morant may average near four turnovers, but expect him to dish roughly eight assists per game as the Grizzlies’ lead guard.
3 of 7
Layne Murdoch Jr./Getty Images
Runner-up: PJ Washington, Charlotte Hornets
There aren’t many rookie big men set up for full-time roles. Two who are were poor rebounders in college, specifically the Atlanta Hawks’ De’Andre Hunter (9.8 rebounding percentage last season) and the Washington Wizards’ Rui Hachimura (12.1 rebounding percentage).
With starter minutes, a 285-pound frame, explosiveness and motor, Williamson is poised to win the rookie rebounding crown, albeit with limited competition.
At 18 years old, he finished second in the country in points per game off putbacks (3.9), and there isn’t a reason why he can’t continue using the offensive glass as a source for scoring.
The Pelicans’ No. 8 pick, center Jaxson Hayes, was also a weak rebounder at Texas (12.5 rebounding percentage), which could lead to the need for Williamson to spend more time and energy under the boards.
The Charlotte Hornets’ PJ Washington and the Memphis Grizzlies’ Brandon Clarke will be the challengers to monitor. But neither has Williamson’s rebounding tools or role. New York Knicks forward RJ Barrett is the sleeper to finish second behind Williamson based on his projected minutes and urges to hunt grab-and-go opportunities.
4 of 7
Layne Murdoch Jr./Getty Images
Runner-up: Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies
Williamson’s athletic ability should translate to production and activity at both ends.
He registered a 3.9 steal percentage in 2018-19, the second-highest among first-rounders behind Matisse Thybulle, who played in a zone at Washington and presumably won’t have a full-time rookie role.
Williamson has spectacular quickness and acceleration to jump passing lanes or make plays on the ball.
He also has a tendency to hunt for steals, which leads to both highlight plays and blown gambles. Williamson will get caught at times throughout the season, but he’s going to force turnovers, intercept passes and pick-pocket ball-handlers while help-defending.
Morant will get his steals as well—he’s just dealing with a different type of competitor in Williamson. Williamson figures to rack up at least 1.7 steals per contest if Ben Simmons and Nerlens Noel were able to average 1.7 and 1.8, respectively, during their first years.
5 of 7
Michael J. LeBrecht II/Getty Images
Runner-up: Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans
The battle for the top shot-blocking rookie will feature the Memphis Grizzlies’ Brandon Clarke and a pair of New Orleans Pelicans.
At 6’7″, 207 pounds, Clarke figures to see a drop-off from his 4.5 blocks per 40 minutes at Gonzaga, particularly if Memphis re-signs Jonas Valanciunas in free agency. Williamson’s quickness and explosiveness will naturally translate to plays on the ball. But Jaxson Hayes is the most built for swatting shots with his 6’11” size, his quickness and his defensive territory while protecting the rim.
Williamson and Clarke will play most possessions at power forward. Hayes will find himself in a more suitable shot-blocking position at the 5. And just like Mitchell Robinson did for the New York Knicks, Hayes can compensate for his limited strength (220 lbs) and feel for the whistle with his anticipation plus his tools (height and 7’3½” wingspan) and his athleticism to cover ground and airspace.
Hayes blocked 2.2 shots in just 23.3 minutes per game at Texas. The same workload this year in New Orleans could be enough to out-swat Williamson and Clarke.
6 of 7
Stephen Pellegrino/Getty Images
Runner-up: Tyler Herro, Miami Heat
Between Darius Garland’s track record as a shooter and his projected role with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he’s the favorite to lead all rookies in three-pointers made.
He moved up recruiting ranks after drilling four threes at the 2018 Nike Hoop Summit. He then exploded up draft boards by drilling 11 threes in four games before a knee injury ended his season for Vanderbilt.
The eye test loves Garland’s fluid, concise shooting stroke, both off the catch and the dribble, with plenty of range.
He’ll receive a green light to play through mistakes on a rebuilding team, which will likely mean having the freedom to pull up when feeling confident or hot. Based on a small sample size that saw Garland make six of nine spot-up threes, he’ll remain a threat working off the ball for possessions when Collin Sexton is handling the point.
RJ Barrett’s 66.5 percent free-throw mark at Duke suggests he’ll need time (based on history and indicators). Cam Reddish won’t see enough shots in Atlanta this year. Cameron Johnson has to compete for minutes and looks with wings Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges (and possibly Josh Jackson and restricted free agent Kelly Oubre).
The Miami Heat’s Tyler Herro will pose a challenge, given his textbook shooting fundamentals and shot-making versatility—plus he has a path to the starting lineup. However, Garland’s role should be more consistent, and there isn’t much to question regarding his accuracy or his perimeter skill.
7 of 7
Jesse D. Garrabrant/Getty Images
Runner up: Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans
After leading all draft picks in field-goal percentage for 2018-19, Jaxson Hayes figures to finish first among rookies.
Tall and long with bounce and standout coordination, the 6’11” Hayes shot 72.8 percent just by running the floor, diving to the basket and finishing off plays at the rim. He ranked in the 95th percentile as a roll man, the 96th percentile as a cutter and the 95th percentile in transition.
His role won’t look any different in New Orleans, where he’ll play to his strengths, specifically the ability create and convert easy-basket opportunities. Hayes won’t take shots that aren’t outside five feet. And with Lonzo Ball and Jrue Holiday in the backcourt, he’ll have multiple high-level passers to set the table.
Williamson’s field-goal mark won’t plummet, but his transition may require an adjustment period, as defenses are bound to sag and make him shoot over the top. And at 6’7″, it may take another season or two for the soon-to-be 19-year-old Williamson to be as dominant inside as he’s been.
Sudan‘s ruling military council has said a proposal submitted by the African Union (AU) and Ethiopia received on June 27 is suitable for the resumption of talks with the opposition on a transition to democracy.
The generals of the ruling Transitional Military Council (TMC) and the opposition coalition have been wrangling for weeks over what form Sudan’s transitional government should take after the military deposed long-time president Omar al-Bashir on April 11.
Mediators led by the AU and Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed have since been trying to broker a return to direct talks between the two sides.
Sudan protesters accept Ethiopia plan for political transition
On Thursday they presented a joint proposal to both sides, after the military council rejected a previous Ethiopian proposal and called for mediation efforts to be unified.
A draft of the AU-Ethiopia proposal suggested few changes from a previous Ethiopian plan that a coalition of protesters has endorsed, Reuters reported.
‘A suitable proposal’
“A number of points have emerged around it, but in general it is a suitable proposal for negotiations to reach a final agreement leading to the establishment of the institutions of a transitional rule …,” council spokesman Lieutenant General Shams al-Din Kabashi said on Friday.
He said the TMC was ready to resume “immediate, serious and honest” negotiations.
The joint proposal provides for a sovereign council that would oversee the transition, made up of seven civilians and seven members of the military with one additional seat reserved for an independent member. The balance of membership of the council had been the sticking point during weeks of talks after al-Bashir’s removal.
However, the make-up of a legislative council would only be decided after the agreement was signed. In previous drafts, the Freedom and Change opposition alliance was to make up two-thirds of that council.
Meanwhile, a Canadian firm has signed a $6m deal with the Sudanese military council to help lobby foreign governments on behalf of the TMC.
A lobbying contract signed in May 2019 between the Montreal-based Dickens & Madson Inc. and Sudan’s military council says the company will help lobby the governments of the United States, Saudi Arabia, the Russian Federation and others for “the beneficial development of your political aims”.
“We shall use our best efforts to ensure favourable international as well as Sudanese media coverage for you and we shall further undertake to obtain financing for you from the United States, the Russian Federation and other countries,” the document said.
“We shall also strive to obtain funding and equipment for the Sudanese military.”
The document was signed by Rapid Support Forces’s (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemeti and Ari Ben-Menashe, the company’s president and a former Israeli intelligence officer and arms dealer.
It also said the company would “strive to arrange a public meeting between The Honorable President Trump and yourselves [the TMC]”.
Hemeti’s lawyers – Here’s the signature page of the TMC in Sudan’s lobbying contract with Canadian law firm Dickens & Mason to help the military government build relations with Russia and US – it’s signed by none other than Hemeti himself. Full doc here https://t.co/Ws7NoVHquTpic.twitter.com/MUOcEsoukp
Activists who led months of protests against al-Bashir have called for a million-strong march on Sunday to try to revive street pressure on the military council and call for it to cede power to civilians.
In a statement on Friday, Amnesty International’s Secretary-General Kumi Naidoo demanded that military rulers guarantee the safety of protesters ahead of the planned mass rallies and following a deadly military crackdown in early June that left 120 people dead, according to a doctors group linked to the protest movement.
“The horrific unprovoked use of lethal and unnecessary force against peaceful protesters as witnessed on 3 June must not be repeated this Sunday, or ever again,” said Naidoo.
Al-Bashir ruled Sudan for nearly 30 years before he was unseated following a deepening economic crisis and 16 weeks of street protests.
Sudan’s stability is seen as crucial to a volatile region straddling the Middle East and Africa. Various outside powers including wealthy Gulf states are trying to influence its course.
Sudan’s military rejects Ethiopia’s transition proposal
President Donald Trump said Joe Biden “didn’t respond great” to attacks from Kamala Harris during the first Democratic primary debates. | Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images
‘It wasn’t that outstanding,’ the president said at a news conference in Osaka, Japan. ‘I think probably he was hit harder than he should have been hit.’
OSAKA, Japan — Sen. Kamala Harris “received too much credit” for her attack on Joe Biden at Thursday night’s Democratic presidential debate, President Donald Trump said Saturday.
“I think she was given too much credit for what she did. It wasn’t that outstanding,” Trump said at a news conference in Osaka, Japan, where he was attending the G-20 summit of the world’s largest economies. “I think probably he was hit harder than he should have been hit.”
Story Continued Below
Harris was the most discussed candidate following Thursday’s debate, the second of two debates this week that featured 20 Democrats vying for their party’s presidential nomination. In particular, the California lawmaker received attention for her decision to go after the former vice president over his recent remarks about working with well-known segregationist senators during his time in Congress. She described Biden’s comments as “hurtful.”
Harris also used the moment to press Biden on his 1970s stance on federally mandated school busing programs, pointedly mentioning that she was part of a busing program during her childhood in Berkeley, Calif.
Biden’s response sought to clarify that he never opposed voluntary busing and supported busing programs enacted at the local level. He also stressed that he supported “federal action to address root causes of segregation in our schools and our communities.”
“I think she’s getting far too much credit for what she said,” Trump repeated on Saturday. “It was right out of the can. It was right out of the box. He didn’t respond great. This is not Winston Churchill we’re dealing with, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as they portend it to be.”
When asked if Harris would be a tough opponent in the general election, Trump said some of the candidates who are expected to be the toughest are actually the weakest. “You never know who’s going to be tough,” he said. “You never know.”
When asked about his views on busing, Trump said he will be releasing his own plan related to the issue in a couple months. He declined to elaborate but predicted it would be “surprising to a lot of people.”
Taliban fighters have killed at least 25 pro-government forces in northern Afghanistan as a seventh round of peace talks with the US is set to get under way in Doha.
The Taliban attacked the pro-government fighters in Baghlan on Friday night, Afghan officials have said. In addition to the deaths, eight others were also wounded during several hours of fighting late on Friday.
The Reuters news agency said the Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.
The group’s representatives are set to meet US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad in Doha on Saturday in the latest effort to end 18 years of fighting.
“There is a genuine sense of expectation on both sides,” a senior US official, who declined to be identified as he was not authorised to speak to media, told Reuters. “It’s a make-or-break moment.”
‘Crucial meeting’
Khalilzad has been in Afghanistan and regional countries for several weeks meeting a host of neighboring and Afghan officials, including Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
On a trip to Kabul on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States was close to finishing a draft agreement with the group on counterterrorism assurances, and he hoped a peace pact could be reached by Sept. 1.
The pace of talks between the US and Taliban has sped up as Afghanistan heads for presidential elections on September 28.
“This is one of the crucial meetings,” a senior Taliban leader in Qatar said, on condition of anonymity.
“If we fail to find any solution to the Afghan conflict then we would like to negotiate with the elected representatives of the American people.”
The Taliban have repeatedly refused to allow representatives of the Afghan government join the negotiations, but have held several rounds of talks with a collection of Afghans from Kabul, including former President Hamid Karzai, in two meetings in Moscow earlier this year.
The Doha talks centre on four interconnected issues: a Taliban guarantee that it will not allow fighters to use Afghanistan to launch international attacks, the withdrawal of US and NATO forces, an intra-Afghan dialogue and a permanent ceasefire.
About 20,000 foreign troops, most of them American, are in Afghanistan as part of a US-led NATO mission to train, assist and advise Afghan forces. Several thousand US forces carry out counterterrorism operations.
The Taliban, who control or contest half the country, more than at any time since they were ousted by the US invasion in 2001, do not support the election process and have rejected a ceasefire.
They want to form an interim government, but Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and leaders of opposition political parties have rejected the demand.
Ghani, who has been sidelined from the talks, hopes the seventh round will open the door for an intra-Afghan meeting.
Germany, a key ally of the US in Afghanistan, is trying to organise a meeting of the Taliban and civilian representatives.
Some Afghan officials fear the US and the Taliban will strike a deal allowing the US to leave the country, leaving government forces to battle on alone.
Civil society representatives, especially women’s groups are concerned that a deal with the Taliban, who banned women from many aspects of public life while in power, will roll back freedoms women have gained since the group was ousted in 2001.
Daily Trends Hunter 