Presidency of Joe Biden

Russia hosted talks on Afghanistan on Oct. 20 involving senior representatives of the Taliban and neighboring nations, a round of diplomacy that underlined Moscow's clout in Central Asia.

Moscow will host today an international meeting on Afghanistan with the participation of the Taliban, AFP reported.

The agency notes that Russia, which presents itself as a guarantor of stability in Central Asia, will use the forum to signal to the Islamist movement its concern about the rise of jihadist groups, and will stress the danger of a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

In talks with the Taliban, Turkey on Oct. 14 reiterated the importance of government inclusiveness for Afghanistan's unity, said a top Turkish official.

Top officials of Afghanistan's interim government will hold talks with senior Turkish officials on Oct. 14, an official said.

Afghanistan's acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is leading a high-level delegation to Turkey, Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said on Twitter.

Turkey conveyed its condolences after a deadly blast on Oct. 3 at a mosque in the Afghan capital.

At least eight people were killed and 20 others wounded when a bomb went off near the entrance of the Eidgah Mosque in Kabul.

Turkey's presidential spokesman told a German news website on Oct. 1 that Ankara was a strong NATO member and unconditionally loyal to the alliance.

Ibrahim Kalın told Der Spiegel magazine that Turkey contributed to many NATO missions and problems between member countries should not weaken the alliance.

Senior Pentagon officials said on Sept. 29 the collapse of the Afghan government and its security forces in August could be traced to a 2020 U.S. agreement with the Taliban that promised a complete U.S. troop withdrawal.

The United States placed Bulgaria and Norway in the last, fourth category, with a very high risk of travel due to the new coronavirus, informs CNN.

So far, both countries have been in the penultimate, third category.

Fourth category are countries with more than 500 coronavirus cases per 100,000 population in the last 28 days.

A prominent leader of the Taliban has said the group will reintroduce punishments such as amputations and executions for criminals, though perhaps not publicly.

One of the founders of the Taliban and the chief enforcer of its harsh interpretation of Islamic law when they last ruled Afghanistan said the hard-line movement will once again carry out executions and amputations of hands, though perhaps not in public.