Exclusive: US cancels talks with Taliban over U-turn on girls' education

An Afghan schoolgirl reads from her book inside a house in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 23, 2022. REUTERS/Charlotte Greenfield

KABUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States abruptly cancelled meetings with the Taliban in Doha that were set to address key economic issues, officials said on Friday, after Afghanistan's Islamist rulers reversed a decision to allow all girls to return to high school classes.

The cancellation of talks was the first concrete sign that recent Taliban moves on human rights and inclusivity could directly impact the international community's willingness to help the group, some of whose leaders are under U.S. sanctions.