An official of the US Department of State says that the ongoing Afghan peace talks in Qatar are focusing on four key issues and that both sides are trying to reach a final agreement.

Robert Palladino, a spokesperson for the US Department of State, told reporters at a press conference that this time both the US and the Taliban teams are authorized teams and that there are people from other US authorized departments the combination of the United States negotiators including some members of the Department of State.

Hawa Alam Nuristani, the new head of the Independent Election Commission, on Wednesday said the commission is resolute towards using biometric identification devices in the July 20 presidential elections in the country in order to ensure transparency in the process.

She said the election management bodies will prefer to involve the youths and the students in the election process.