Taliban and US tensions escalate over Bagram airbase

A Taliban official has dismissed US President Donald Trump's suggestion that the US could retake Bagram airbase in Afghanistan, stating that the idea of any US military presence was 'completely' rejected during talks. Trump had hinted at retaking the base, citing its strategic location near China's alleged nuclear weapons production site. However, a BBC investigation found no evidence of Chinese presence at the base. The US and Taliban have been involved in recent talks, focusing on issues such as Americans held in Afghanistan.

Former US President Donald Trump stated that the US is attempting to reclaim Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan from the Taliban. Trump criticized the handling of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan under President Joe Biden and claimed that the US wants the base back because it is strategically located near China's nuclear weapon production site. The White House did not immediately respond to Trump's claims. The article also mentions a meeting between US envoy Adam Boehler and Taliban officials, indicating a possible interest in normalizing ties between the two.

An elderly British couple, Peter and Barbie Reynolds, who were detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan in February, have been released and reunited with their daughter. The couple, aged 80 and 76, were held in a maximum-security prison in Kabul without charge. They were released on Friday and flown to Doha, Qatar, following mediation led by Qatar. The couple have lived in Afghanistan for 18 years and run an organisation called Rebuild, which provides education and training programmes. The grounds for their detention remained unclear, but they were reportedly treated well during their detention. The UK government welcomed their release and thanked Qatar for its role in securing their freedom.