Taliban Qatar

The Taliban will be absent from UN-led talks that open Monday in Qatar on how to handle Afghanistan's rulers and press them to ease a ban on women working and girls going to school.

The United States and the Taliban plan talks Thursday in Qatar on unlocking some of Afghanistan's reserves following a devastating earthquake, officials said, with Washington seeking ways to ensure the money goes to help the population.

Two women ministers, from mainly Muslim nations, on Monday put international demands that Afghan girls be allowed back in school to a top member of the Taliban government, officials said.

The Taliban asked for help in keeping Afghanistan's airports running in weekend talks with EU officials that also raised "grave concern" about the humanitarian situation in their country, according to an EU statement late Sunday.

The United Arab Emirates has held talks with the Taliban to run Kabul airport, going up against Gulf rival Qatar in a diplomatic tussle for influence with Afghanistan's new rulers, according to four sources with knowledge of the matter.

The United States will resume talks with the Taliban next week in Qatar, addressing among other issues the fight against terrorism and the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

The United States said Friday it would set up an interests section in Afghanistan under Qatar, creating a more direct way to assist US citizens and engage with the Taliban after the embassy in Kabul was shuttered.

The US and the Taliban had "productive discussions" on the issue of humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan during meetings in Qatar over the weekend, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Tuesday

Qatar believes that recognising the Taliban government in Afghanistan is not a priority now, and that the focus should be on engaging with the new administration and addressing humanitarian issues, a senior Qatari official said on Tuesday.

The Taliban held their first face-to-face talks with a joint US-EU delegation Tuesday in Qatar, as Brussels pledged one billion euros ($1.2 billion) in aid for Afghanistan.

Qatar warned Tuesday it would not take responsibility for Kabul airport without "clear" agreements with all involved, including the Taliban, about its operations.

Qatari foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani visited Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Sunday and met Taliban-appointed Prime Minister Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund, Doha-based news channel Al Jazeera reported.

The Taliban are lying and France will not have any relationship with its newly-formed government, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said late on Saturday before heading for talks in Qatar on Sunday to discuss future evacuations from Afghanistan.

Around 150 passengers, mostly Afghans with dual citizenships, departed Kabul on a Qatar Airways flight Friday evening in a tense and emotional return to their home countries following the Taliban's rapid takeover of the capital last month.

The Taliban show "pragmatism" and should be judged on their actions, a top Qatari official told AFP in an exclusive interview, adding there was "no question" the Islamists were Afghanistan's de facto rulers.

The Taliban will be absent from UN-led talks that open Monday in Qatar on how to handle Afghanistan's rulers and press them to ease a ban on women working and girls going to school.

The United States and the Taliban plan talks Thursday in Qatar on unlocking some of Afghanistan's reserves following a devastating earthquake, officials said, with Washington seeking ways to ensure the money goes to help the population.

Two women ministers, from mainly Muslim nations, on Monday put international demands that Afghan girls be allowed back in school to a top member of the Taliban government, officials said.

The Taliban asked for help in keeping Afghanistan's airports running in weekend talks with EU officials that also raised "grave concern" about the humanitarian situation in their country, according to an EU statement late Sunday.

The United Arab Emirates has held talks with the Taliban to run Kabul airport, going up against Gulf rival Qatar in a diplomatic tussle for influence with Afghanistan's new rulers, according to four sources with knowledge of the matter.

The United States will resume talks with the Taliban next week in Qatar, addressing among other issues the fight against terrorism and the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

The United States said Friday it would set up an interests section in Afghanistan under Qatar, creating a more direct way to assist US citizens and engage with the Taliban after the embassy in Kabul was shuttered.

The US and the Taliban had "productive discussions" on the issue of humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan during meetings in Qatar over the weekend, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Tuesday

Qatar believes that recognising the Taliban government in Afghanistan is not a priority now, and that the focus should be on engaging with the new administration and addressing humanitarian issues, a senior Qatari official said on Tuesday.

The Taliban held their first face-to-face talks with a joint US-EU delegation Tuesday in Qatar, as Brussels pledged one billion euros ($1.2 billion) in aid for Afghanistan.

Qatar warned Tuesday it would not take responsibility for Kabul airport without "clear" agreements with all involved, including the Taliban, about its operations.

Qatari foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani visited Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Sunday and met Taliban-appointed Prime Minister Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund, Doha-based news channel Al Jazeera reported.

The Taliban are lying and France will not have any relationship with its newly-formed government, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said late on Saturday before heading for talks in Qatar on Sunday to discuss future evacuations from Afghanistan.

Around 150 passengers, mostly Afghans with dual citizenships, departed Kabul on a Qatar Airways flight Friday evening in a tense and emotional return to their home countries following the Taliban's rapid takeover of the capital last month.

The Taliban show "pragmatism" and should be judged on their actions, a top Qatari official told AFP in an exclusive interview, adding there was "no question" the Islamists were Afghanistan's de facto rulers.