Afghanistan

[…] As a matter of high priority, the EU will initiate a regional political platform of cooperation with Afghan direct neighbours to help prevent the negative spill-over effects in the region, and support the economic resilience and regional economic cooperation, as well as humanitarian and protection needs.

Since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan last month, they have made some commitments to uphold human rights. However, their subsequent actions have “sadly contradicted” those promises, the UN rights chief told a side event of the General Assembly on Tuesday.

The Afghan Taliban will be under major stress in the coming weeks and months as they focus on the challenges of governance. Such pressure could generate fresh internal tensions, analyst Michael Kugelman writes.

The mission was extended for another six months and was unanimously approved. The resolution stressed the importance of an inclusive government.

[…] The EU has expressed concerns over the composition of the interim government, noting that an inclusive and representative government – which the interim government is not – is an essential benchmark for EU engagement. The EU has made available large amounts of humanitarian and development aid and is hoping to establish a diplomatic presence on the ground in Kabul. The EU is also planning to set up a regional platform for cooperation with Afghanistan's neighbours on issues including population flows from Afghanistan, terrorism, organised crime and drugs.

The leaders of Pakistan and Russia have held telephone conversations to “coordinate” their position on the situation in Afghanistan, statements from both governments say, ahead of a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) later this week.

U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet says Afghan women have been progressively excluded from the public sphere since Taliban took power. … Bachelet called for a mechanism to monitor rights in Afghanistan.

UN chief Antonio Guterres pleaded for nations to continue dialogue with the Taliban, during an interview with AFP Thursday, as he expressed fears that the hardline Islamists' return to power in Afghanistan could embolden jihadists in the Sahel.

China has pledged 200 million yuan ($31m, £22m) worth of aid to Afghanistan, including food supplies and coronavirus vaccines. The aid comes as Beijing said it was ready to maintain communication with the Taliban government.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, acting PM Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund reiterates Taliban promise of amnesty for anyone who worked alongside the US and the gov’t it backed.