In February 2021, the United States signed an agreement with the Taliban that would potentially end 20 years of fighting in Afghanistan. Under the agreement, President Trump would begin the withdrawal of American troops and in return, the Taliban would cut its ties with al-Qaida. Fast forward to 2021 and Biden has continued the process of withdrawing American troops by the end of August. Some people in congress worried whether this move would catapult Afghanistan into a world of chaos and violence while those in favor of this move stated that it would be better to see an end to this long war.
Capitalizing on the United States withdrawing troops, the Taliban seized two provinces in Afghanistan as they approached Kabul. 3,000 American soldiers arrived to help evacuate the U.S. Embassy. The Taliban captured Herat and Kandahar, Afghanistan’s second and third largest cities. They then commanded 19 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces. The Afghan President Ashraf Ghani stated that he would not let the achievements of the United States work in Afghanistan in the past 20 years go to waste. Later, the Taliban captured Kabul while Ghani fled the country. A US Official stated earlier this week that CIA Director William J. Burns held a secret meeting in Kabul with the Taliban leader, Abdul Ghani Baradar. If confirmed, this would be the highest-level contact between the United States and the Taliban since the Kabul incident. The Washington Post stated that the meeting might have involved a deadline for when the US military should conclude its airlift. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/burns-afghanistan-baradar-biden/2021/08/24/c96bee5c-04ba-11ec-ba15-9c4f59a60478_story.html https://www.npr.org/2021/08/24/1030723295/in-an-unexpected-move-the-cia-director-met-with-taliban-leader-in-kabul https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cia-taliban-meeting-director-william-burns-kabul-evacuations/ https://www.cfr.org/timeline/us-war-afghanistan
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In one of the biggest sports stories this year, it was stated that Lionel Messi was set to leave Barcelona. In the world of soccer or football, Lionel Messi is arguably considered the GOAT. He has spent his entire career at Barcelona (21 years) and was hoping to retire there. With Messi’s contract set to expire at the end of the 2021 season, many assumed that he would stay. If he could have it his way, Messi would have stayed. That was his intention when he went to renew and sign a new contract. However, details emerged stating that Barcelona couldn’t afford to renew Messi’s contract even after he proposed a 50% wage deduction. Even if Messi offered to play for free, Barcelona still would not be able to renew Messi’s contract due to their deep financial trouble stemming from the coronavirus and mismanagement. However, it would not be possible for any player to take any less than a 50% wage deduction as it goes against La Liga (The Spanish soccer league) rules. So why is Barcelona unable to afford Messi? Part of the reason is that they have a huge wage bill or the salary of the players. Barcelona’s annual salary would have accounted for 110% of their income and only 95% with Messi off the team. La Liga’s regulations are set at a maximum of 70%. Not to mention, Barcelona is more than $1 billion in debt and will lose $350 million in 2020. The financial troubles led Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu to resign. It is clear to see that the Spanish giants have fallen. As for Messi, he will be joining Paris Saint Germain. Widely considered the best team in the French league, Ligue 1, and even in the whole world. Messi will be playing in Paris with the likes of other superstars such as Neymar, Mbappe, and more. While it's the end of an era for Messi at Barcelona, he will have a chance to play with some of the best players in the world in his quest for more European glory. https://www.sportscasting.com/barcelona-drops-lionel-messi-bombshell-goat-out-because-club-cant-afford-84-million-salary-with-470-million-loss-last-season/ https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/lionel-messi-barcelona-wages-la-liga-salary-cap-play-free-why-1141150 https://www.thescore.com/fran/news/2190876 https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/14/football/psg-no-excuses-after-lionel-messi-signing-spt-cmd-intl/index.html |