SIDELIGHTS
Head of Taliban's political office in Doha Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai on Wednesday met with the Foreign Ministry delegation from the Netherlands in Qatar to discuss the Afghanistan situation.
The European Union is considering a 600 million euro (USD 709 million) assistance package for countries neighbouring Afghanistan to head off a refugee crisis after militants took over the country, Financial Times reported, citing unnamed officials.
Pakistan remains cognizant of the threats posed by the various terror groups operating from Afghanistan and it will strengthen intelligence sharing, counter-terrorism cooperation with China post-US withdrawal, the country's envoy to China has said.
A few hours after last US troop left Kabul, Al Qaeda's senior leadership released a congratulatory statement on Tuesday on the occasion of the "Taliban's victory" in the war-ravaged country.
The UK is reportedly in talks with the Taliban over furthering the evacuation process and securing a safe passage out of Afghanistan for British nationals and Afghans who remain there.
Food stocks in Afghanistan could run out this month, a senior UN official warned Wednesday, threatening to add a hunger crisis to the challenges facing the country's new Taliban rulers as they endeavour to restore stability after decades of war.
Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin spoke with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and discussed the latest developments in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of the US troops from the country after 20-year military presence.