The US and the Afghan Taliban have made "significant progress" in talks aimed at ending the 17-year-old conflict in Afghanistan, the US envoy has said. In a series of tweets, Zalmay Khalilzad did not give details but said the unprecedented six days of talks in Qatar were "more productive than they have been in the past". He said he was on his way to Kabul to consult Afghan government officials. Earlier, Taliban sources said the two sides had finalised a draft agreement. The deal calls for a withdrawal of foreign forces in return for assurances that al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) group will not be allowed to use Afghanistan as a base, the sources said. Mr Khalilzad said talks with the Taliban would continue and that nothing had been finalised. Skip Twitter post by @US4AfghanPeace Report End of Twitter post by @US4AfghanPeace The Taliban has so far refused to hold direct talks with Afghan officials, whom they dismiss as "puppets". They
London (CNN)
There will be a fancy dinner at the birthplace of Winston Churchill and a meeting with the Queen when Donald Trump makes his first official visit to the UK next week. But the US President will spend hardly any time in London, minimizing the risk of awkward encounters with angry protesters.
Announcing details of the itinerary on Friday, the UK government disclosed that Trump will attend a black-tie dinner hosted by Prime Minister Theresa May at Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of the UK's celebrated wartime leader. He will hold talks with May at her country retreat, and spend a night at the residence of the US ambassador in London.
But in a break from custom for a visit by a foreign leader, he will not visit Downing Street.
The US ambassador to London, Woody Johnson, rejected suggestions that the itinerary had been designed to avoid protestors. "The President is not avoiding anything," he told journalists. "The President is merely trying to get as impactful a trip as he can get in a 24 hour period."
Johnson said the President would use mostly the Marine One helicopter to get around. "This is a short trip. It's absolutely packed with things that he has to do. There's a lot of organization planning that went into it."
When a date for the UK trip -- billed as a "working visit" rather than a state occasion -- was finally confirmed last month, it ended a months-long back-and-forth over when Trump would at last pay a call on America's closest ally.
According to the itinerary released by Downing Street, Trump will arrive in the UK early Thursday afternoon from a NATO summit in Brussels that could prove acrimonious, if last month's G7 summit is anything to go by. Later that evening, he will attend the Blenheim Palace dinner with First Lady Melania Trump.
The guest list for the dinner includes business leaders from a range of sectors and is intended to celebrate the links between the two nations -- set to take on new importance in a post-Brexit world.
The Financial Times reported on Friday that a number of guests turned down an invitation to attend. The entrepreneur Martha Lane Fox told the FT: "I understand why the government have to entertain Trump but I certainly don't want to."
The event will begin with a military parade
featuring the bands of the Scots, Irish and Welsh Guards in the spectacular Great Court. The music will have an American flavor, with the "Liberty Fanfare" and the "National Emblem" chosen alongside "Amazing Grace." Read more
There will be a fancy dinner at the birthplace of Winston Churchill and a meeting with the Queen when Donald Trump makes his first official visit to the UK next week. But the US President will spend hardly any time in London, minimizing the risk of awkward encounters with angry protesters.
Announcing details of the itinerary on Friday, the UK government disclosed that Trump will attend a black-tie dinner hosted by Prime Minister Theresa May at Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of the UK's celebrated wartime leader. He will hold talks with May at her country retreat, and spend a night at the residence of the US ambassador in London.
But in a break from custom for a visit by a foreign leader, he will not visit Downing Street.
The US ambassador to London, Woody Johnson, rejected suggestions that the itinerary had been designed to avoid protestors. "The President is not avoiding anything," he told journalists. "The President is merely trying to get as impactful a trip as he can get in a 24 hour period."
Johnson said the President would use mostly the Marine One helicopter to get around. "This is a short trip. It's absolutely packed with things that he has to do. There's a lot of organization planning that went into it."
When a date for the UK trip -- billed as a "working visit" rather than a state occasion -- was finally confirmed last month, it ended a months-long back-and-forth over when Trump would at last pay a call on America's closest ally.
According to the itinerary released by Downing Street, Trump will arrive in the UK early Thursday afternoon from a NATO summit in Brussels that could prove acrimonious, if last month's G7 summit is anything to go by. Later that evening, he will attend the Blenheim Palace dinner with First Lady Melania Trump.
The guest list for the dinner includes business leaders from a range of sectors and is intended to celebrate the links between the two nations -- set to take on new importance in a post-Brexit world.
The Financial Times reported on Friday that a number of guests turned down an invitation to attend. The entrepreneur Martha Lane Fox told the FT: "I understand why the government have to entertain Trump but I certainly don't want to."
The event will begin with a military parade
featuring the bands of the Scots, Irish and Welsh Guards in the spectacular Great Court. The music will have an American flavor, with the "Liberty Fanfare" and the "National Emblem" chosen alongside "Amazing Grace." Read more
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