BBC: The bomb went off late on Friday close to a guesthouse where the students were reportedly staying in Pul-e-Alam, the capital of eastern Logar province.Dozens of people were hurt. Witnesses described roofs collapsing and victims being trapped under the debris.No group has said it was behind the blast as people broke their fast in the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.      Full news...

CounterPunch: President Joe Biden, in announcing an ostensible end to the U.S. war in Afghanistan, is continuing his streak of paying eloquent lip service to progressive causes while maintaining the implied status quo. In a televised address from the White House on April 14, Biden said, “it’s time to end America’s longest war. It’s time for American troops to come home.” But just a day later, the New York Times reported without a hint of irony that “the Pentagon, American spy agencies and Western allies are refining plans to deploy a less visible but still potent force in the region.” This means we are ending the war, but not really.      Full news...

The Guardian: Outside a college from which their mothers were banned, the women waited for friends finishing exams they fear will be some of the last they can take. “The Americans are leaving,” said Basireh Heydari, a Herat University student. “We have terrible days ahead with the Taliban. I’m worried they won’t let me leave the house, let alone what I’m doing now.”The Biden administration’s decision to withdraw all US troops from Afghanistan by 11 September will bring an end to the US’s longest war.      Full news...

Human Rights Watch: (New York) – Taliban forces are deliberately targeting journalists and other media workers, including women, in Afghanistan, Human Rights Watch said today. Threats and attacks against journalists across the country have increased sharply since talks began between the Afghan government and the Taliban, heightening concerns about preserving freedom of expression and the media in any peace settlement.      Full news...