We start the day's other headlines in the Middle East. The U.S. says it remains

committed to talks to end the fighting in Gaza ahead of negotiations planned for

tomorrow in Qatar. That comes after a top Hamas official said the group was losing faith in the US to mediate a ceasefire.

It's unclear if Hamas will indeed attend the talks in Doha.

Meantime in Gaza, health officials say Israeli airstrikes killed at least 17 people.

While in Beirut, a special envoy for the Biden administration met with Lebanese officials

and emphasized the need for a ceasefire in Gaza.

There is no more time to waste and there's no more valid excuses from any party for any further delay. The deal would also

help enable a diplomatic resolution here in Lebanon and that would prevent an outbreak of a wider war.

Concerns about a broader conflict were only heightened by the death last month of Hamas

leader Ismael Hania in an explosion in Tehran.

Iran has blamed Israel and has vowed to retaliate.

The Taliban marked the third anniversary of its return to power in Afghanistan today.

That included a military parade at the Bogram Air Base once the center of the American-led

war.

Some of the military hardware on display, such as Humvees and tanks, were left behind during the evacuation of US and NATO-led forces back in 2021.

Taliban leaders praised their own achievements, but made no mention of the hardships faced by the population there.

Some Afghans and Kabul addressed those challenges.

There's no work in our country and many people are unemployed so they are forced to

migrate to Iran and Pakistan. If there are good job opportunities no one will want

to leave.

Aid groups say millions of Afghans are on the brink of hunger and starvation following decades

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