With less than 50 days before president-elect Joe Biden takes office, speculation is growing as to how the US counterterrorism policies will shift under a new administration, with one expert saying it is naive to think the Taliban will stick to its promises, work in good faith with the Afghan government and break ties with al-Qaeda.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was in Azerbaijan Thursday to join in celebrations to mark the anniversary of the nation’s victory against Armenia following their six-week war over control of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh territory.

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s political deputy and head of the group’s Qatar office, told a virtual meeting at the Center for Humanitarian Conflict Studies in Doha that Afghanistan’s future system must be Islamic and inclusive.

From drug revenue to extortion to charitable donations, the Taliban has plenty of avenues to fill their coffers. The Taliban militants of Afghanistan have grown richer and more powerful since their fundamentalist Islamic regime was toppled by U.S. forces in 2001.

The Presidential Palace on Monday termed claims about the release of 7,000 more Taliban prisoners as premature and said government negotiators were currently engaged in discussions on agenda of peace talks in Qatar.

Pakistan’s apex court has ordered the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) to install energy metres at an Afghan refugee camp. In a verdict on Monday, the Supreme Court also directed the Afghan refugees to submit applications for power connections.

Afghanistan and India will ink soon deal on the construction of a major dam in Kabul, a news channel reported on Tuesday. The project, when executed, would supply safe drinking water to two million inhabitants of Afghanistan’s capital.

After clinching an agreement on procedural rules last week, Afghan government and Taliban negotiators have met for the third consecutive day in Qatar.

US President-elect Joe Biden has selected Gen. Lloyd Austin, the former commander of Central Command, As secretary of defence. Biden, who is be sworn in on January 20, is building his team. He has already elected his spymaster, secretary of state and some other officials.

The U.S.-led coalition seized land for hundreds of military bases, most now held by the Afghan military. Villagers have fought for years to collect compensation and to get their property back.