Ahead of UN-led talks in Doha, the Taliban government stresses it wants positive engagement with the world but warns against using "internal issues" -- like curbs on women's rights-- as "political tools". Afghanistan's Taliban authorities will be absent from the talks aimed at finding ways to convince their rulers to ease their ban on women working and girls going to school. Envoys from the United States, China and Russia -- as well as major European aid donors and key neighbours such as Pakistan -- are among representatives from about 25 countries and groups called for two days of talks by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.