Abdullah Brings Proposed Taliban Deal to Kabul

The Taliban's advance in Afghanistan moved closer to Kabul with the seizure of Ghazni, a city about 150 kilometers from the capital. Here is the latest:

Aug. 13 – Abdullah Abdullah returned Friday from Doha, Qatar, with a proposal for a political deal, rumored to involve a cease-fire, between President Ashraf Ghani and the Taliban, according to a former Ghani spokesperson. Abdullah, the head of Afghanistan's High Council for National Reconciliation, is to return to Doha by Saturday to discuss Ghani's decision with the Taliban. Aug. 13 – Canada announced it is accepting 20,000 Afghan refugees, with the first planeload arriving in Toronto Friday, according to Agence France-Presse. Aug. 13 – NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said NATO allies met in the North Atlantic Council to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. In a statement, he said that "NATO will maintain our diplomatic presence in Kabul and continue to adjust as necessary" and that NATO's "aim remains to support the Afghan government & security forces as much as possible."