Expose Nehe Milner-Skudder and Julian Savea under the high ball.

Watch for Ma’a Nonu’s sidestep.

Rattle Kieran Read.

Don’t get lured into an obsession with Dan Carter.

Those were some of the bullet points long-lens snappers picked out on a piece of paper in the hand of Australia forwards coach Mario Ledesma on Friday, 30 October 2015.

It was the eve of the World Cup final and the Wallabies were going through their final training run-out at Twickenham before taking on the All Blacks.

If it was a sneak peek at Australia’s plan for the next day, and there was some suggestion that the leak was a mischievous, misleading bit of gamesmanship, it didn’t work.

Nonu stepped his way to a solo try, Carter was immaculate and New Zealand won 34-17.

But then not many plans do succeed against a team who have lost just four of their 29 matches over the past two years.

Here is another, based on what went wrong in those rare defeats.

1. Out-kick them

Beauden Barrett may well become the first man to win the World Player of the Year three years in a row at the end of this month.

The All Blacks fly-half can cut a defence to ribbons with scything pace or the weight, timing and disguise on a pass. Delicate chips, teasing grubbers and booming touch-finders flow from his instep while his brain coolly steers the All Blacks points harvester around the field.

He is some player. But he is not the best goal-kicker the world has ever seen.

He clocked just a 65% success rate in the All Blacks’ recent Rugby Championship campaign. By contrast, France’s Maxime Machenaud and Wales’ Leigh Halfpenny landed 90% and 89% of their kicks at goal respectively during this year’s Six Nations.

By most measures South Africa should have lost when the two teams met in Wellington in September.

The Springboks made only 258m to the All Blacks’ 624. They had only 25% possession, 21% territory and conceded 10 penalties, while New Zealand offered up only three.

But, the statistic that headlined all of them was, a sensational 36-34 win for the visitors.

Key to victory was South Africa fly-half Handre Pollard landing five out of six kicks, earning his side 11 points.

By contrast Barrett landed only two from six.

South Africa kicking coach Vlok Cilliers was critical of Barrett in the aftermath, claiming that the All Blacks, so used to having games won before the final 10 minutes, struggled with clutch kicks at goal.

“All the other major kickers in the world are far likelier to have been exposed to pressure kicking at goal in the last quarter of games. Him? Not nearly so much,” he told Sport24.

Simon Gleave, head of sports analysis at Gracenote, also believes that Barrett’s return off the tee is a result of the All Blacks’ excellence, but in a different way.

His research, covering the All Blacks’ 23 Tests before last weekend’s win over Japan, shows that if they can make touch inside the opposition 22m from a penalty, it is actually more pragmatic than going for the posts.

“New Zealand add, on average, 3.07 points from each spell of possession inside the opposition 22m beginning with their own line-out ball,” he explains.

“So New Zealand rarely kick for points, taking only 36 shots in their last 23 Test matches.”

If the opponent can withstand those All Black raids into their own 22m though and force Barrett to try his luck off the tee instead, they could be onto something.

2. Bring the big lads wide

The All Blacks will have another kicking option in their line-up at Twickenham on Saturday. Full-back Damian McKenzie has landed 10 out of his 11 pots at goal for them this year.

He is also an instinctive, incisive runner with the ball in hand. But part of his elusiveness is his small stature.

He is 5ft 10in tall and weighs in at 12st 4lb – almost quaint numbers in the modern era of meat and muscle.

When Australia took a 23-18 victory over the All Blacks in Brisbane in October 2017, one Wallaby try came from isolating McKenzie against former Fiji rugby league international Marika Koroibete out wide.

Similarly one of the two scores for the British and Irish Lions in their win in Wellington in July 2017 came from Taulupe Faletau hanging wide to barge through full-back Israel Dagg.

It is not a subtle tactic, but isolating the All Blacks’ smallest defenders one-on-one against the heaviest-duty runners, or aerial bombs, could puncture their well-organised defence.

3. Shut down their all-court game

Grant Fox – All Blacks legend and a selector for the current crop – told the Times in December what irked him most about his side’s second-Test defeat by the Lions.

“We didn’t take as many risks against the Lions as we should,” he said.

“There were enough opportunities for us to move the ball to areas where we’d planned, where we felt we could hurt the Lions.

“We didn’t throw the pass, we chose to kick or carry. They did that to us because we knew how good they were.”

The ball-handling skills of the All Blacks – from one to 15 – leave defences struggling to get a fix on their targets. Their off-loading and intelligent support lines create a kaleidoscope of attacking patterns.

However, slow them down, tie them in and introduce a sliver of doubt into their play and, by Fox’s own admission, their attacking edge is blunted.

Coach Eddie Jones hinted England would try something along these lines this weekend, promising his team would not be drawn into an expansive “athletic contest”.

“We will not be wearing singlets and running shorts. It will be a proper game of rugby,” he added.

4. Exploit their slow starts to the half

Perhaps the All Blacks are still recovering from the exertions of the haka. Perhaps the novelty of playing against the world’s best team gives the opposition an early boost. Either way there are two clear windows of opposition opportunity.

“New Zealand appear to be at their most vulnerable in the first six minutes of each half. During those periods their opponents enter the All Black 22m more than New Zealand manage to do the same at the other end,” explains Gleave.

“During other periods of their matches, New Zealand always have the most entries into the 22m.”

Ireland got the jump on the All Blacks early in both halves of their seismic 40-29 win in Chicago in November 2016.

Joe Schmidt’s side found touch inside the New Zealand 22m after being awarded a penalty two minutes into the game and, awarded another shortly after, were three up with as many minutes on the clock.

Six minutes into the second half and Johnny Sexton kicked into the corner once again to set up the field position from which Simon Zebo raced over to make it 30-8.

New Zealand made it back to within four points, but could not make up the ground.

5. Get lucky

‘Lucky’ might be a bit harsh.

But, considering the world champions’ desire to offload and keep the ball alive (see point three), rushing out of the defensive line to gamble on making a high-risk interception has been a profitable tactic.

Fourteen of South Africa’s 36 points in their September win came that way, with Willie le Roux pinching an ambitious quick line-out attempt by Jordie Barrett before Cheslin Kolbe snaffled Anton Lienert-Brown’s pass to go under the posts.

Australia wing Reece Hodge did similar in the Wallabies’ October success, stealing the ball and darting in from 80m to open the scoring.

Just like the lottery of the loose ball, tight decisions can make all the difference if they break right.

The Lions were undoubtedly helped to victory in Wellington by Sonny Bill Williams’ first-half red card for a shoulder to the head of Anthony Watson.

Referee Jerome Garces turned down suggestions from his video official and his assistants to have a second look at the incident, certain that it was red.

And in the final four minutes, Garces decided Kyle Sinckler had been taken out in the air, awarding the Lions a match-winning penalty, when the decision could easily have gone the other way for the prop jumping into the tackle.

The margins between success and failure are as slim as a rare winning scoreline against the All Blacks.

Two loud explosions and heavy gunfire have been heard in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, according to an Al Jazeera correspondent.

A witness told Reuters news agency that the second blast on Friday went off after several minutes of the gunfire.

Videos posted on social media showed plumes of smoke rising from the scene.

More soon…

SOURCE:
Al Jazeera and news agencies

Listen live to the Brazilian Grand Prix first and second practice – Live – BBC Sport

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India is participating in a Russia-sponsored peace conference with Taliban in a significant reassessment of its position on talks with the armed group that has waged an armed rebellion since 2001.

New Delhi has sent former Indian envoys to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Amar Sinha and TCA Raghavan respectively to attend the conference at the “non-official level”.

“India supports all efforts at peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan that will preserve unity and plurality, and bring security, stability and prosperity to the country,” India’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. 

“India’s consistent policy has been that such efforts should be Afghan-led, Afghan-owned, and Afghan-controlled and with participation of the Government of Afghanistan,” he said.

Moscow said it had invited representatives from the United States as well as Iran, China, Pakistan and five former Soviet republics in Central Asia.

A five-member Taliban delegation led by Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanakzai, head of the Taliban’s political council in Qatar, also attended the talks in Moscow.

The US has said it will send a representative from its embassy in Moscow to attend Friday’s talks.

India’s participation is a stark departure from its earlier position as it has never engaged in formal talks with the Taliban group.

Foreign policy analyst, Manoj Joshi from the Observer Research Foundation, said the talks in Moscow come at a time when the Taliban have steadily fortified their control in the Afghan countryside. 

“Essentially, India has bowed to the inevitable since the US, Russia, China and even the Afghan government have all indicated one way or the other that they are ready to talk with the Taliban,” Joshi told Al Jazeera.

“New Delhi is confident that the host Russians would not do anything which would be against India’s interests. Also, in participating in these talks, India takes the view that since the Afghan government, through the High Peace Council, is present, there should be no problem,” he added.

The High Peace Council is a government body responsible for reconciliation efforts with the Taliban.

“Element of seriousness” 

The Russian diplomatic efforts come weeks after newly appointed US special envoy for peace in Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, held talks with Taliban in Qatar.

He will visit Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar from November 8 to 20 in an effort to end 17-year-old war in Afghanistan.

“There has been a shift in US policy – earlier, even though the previous administration spoke about a negotiated settlement, there was no concrete direction,” Zahid Hussain, an Islamabad-based security analyst, told Al Jazeera.

“For the first time now, the US is talking directly to the Taliban, which is also acceptable to the Taliban, as this was their demand from the outset. There has been some movement.

“There is an element of seriousness from all sides.”

Reconciliation efforts

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has previously proposed talks with the Taliban, saying they could be recognised as a political party if they accepted a ceasefire and recognised the country’s constitution.

The Taliban, who have been fighting the US-led forces since they were ousted from power in 2001, have generally refused to negotiate with the Afghan government.

“Although the Afghan government is preparing to negotiate, many people are now blaming the government particularly President Ghani,” said Hekmatullah Azamy, acting head of Centre for Conflict and Peace Studies in Kabul.

“They argue that successful peace talks mean a new interim administration which will be unacceptable to President Ghani,” Azamy told Al Jazeera.

In the meeting on Friday, members of the High Peace Council (HPC) said they are ready for talks with Taliban without any preconditions.

“The future of Taliban is a matter of serious concern for the group – both at the leadership level as well as for its rank and file,” Azamy said.

“Taliban often questions whether they are ready to become a 100 percent political group and whether they can survive mainstream politics.

“Moreover, would the rank and file follow the leaders or will they join groups like Daesh (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group).”

Taliban officials have set withdrawal of all foreign forces, the release of prisoners and the lifting of a ban on travel as a preconditions for any peace talks.

India had earlier refused to support a 2007 initiative of former Afghan President Hamid Karzai to engage the “good Taliban” in the peace process.

“Some make a distinction between ‘good Taliban’ and ‘bad Taliban’ – I don’t, because I’ve seen the Taliban, they have only one cult – the cult of violence,” then Foreign Minister of India Pranab Mukherjee had said.

The Taliban group has inflicted heavy toll on Afghan security forces in renewed attacks in recent weeks.

At least 20 Afghan army soldiers were killed at a border outpost in western Afghanistan on Tuesday.

More than 17 years after US-led forces invaded the country and removed the Taliban, the war is intensifying. In recent months, violence has continued with mounting casualties on both sides.

There have been several attempts in recent years to broker a settlement between the Western-backed government in Kabul and the Taliban without much success.

“India’s representatives are attending the talks in Moscow as part of efforts to bring peace and stability to the region. It’s not switching tack but evolving assessment of ground realities,” said a ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker in New Delhi on condition of anonymity.

“All efforts towards making peace, whether the US-led talks or Russia-led talks, will help. We will be there to observe,” he added.

According to Azamy from Kabul India is one of the important stakeholders enjoying friendly ties wih Kabul. He says it is vital for New Delhi to be a part of peace talks, especially with the Taliban involved.

“Without India’s involvement, the outcome of peace talks could upset them or make them feel insecure. They want to be engaged and aware of the developments,” he said.

India has forged a close partnership with Kabul since the fall of Taliban. It has engaged in infrastructure and welfare projects in the war-torn country worth millions of dollars earning goodwill from Afghans.

It has also provided training to Afghan military personnel as well as donating military hardware as part of its policy to deepen military ties.

“By attending the Taliban talks, India can get a voice in the outcome of the peace process, where it has none at present. It will try to coordinate with the Afghan government which it supports strongly,” analyst Joshi told Al Jazeera.

“Simultaneously, the process enables it to build ties with the Taliban, even if somewhat late in the day. India cannot ignore the fact that ground realities ensure that the Taliban will be in the Afghan governing structure in some form or the other.”

With additional reporting by Asad Hashim from Islamabad, Pakistan

England completed a thumping 211-run victory on day four of the first Test against Sri Lanka to end their 13-match winless run away from home.

The tourists steadily took top order wickets in the first two sessions before taking the final five after tea.

Moeen Ali claimed 4-71 and Jack Leach 3-60, while Adil Rashid and Ben Stokes picked up a wicket each.

The win puts England 1-0 up in the three-match series and is their first in an overseas Test since October 2016.

Between them, England’s three spinners took 16 wickets in the match, the second best return by English spinners in a Test since 1958.

A dominant performance from England over the first three days had left Sri Lanka needing to bat out the final two days to draw – or score a record 462 to win.

Beginning the day 15-0, the hosts survived the first hour unscathed but lost three quick wickets before lunch.

Angelo Mathews offered resistance with 53 but he chipped Moeen to mid-wicket shortly after tea as England closed in.

Rangana Herath – playing in his final Test – was the last wicket to fall, run out by Stokes.

The win is Joe Root’s first as captain away from home and is England’s first victory at Galle.

Spinners lead all-round attack

England’s bowling attack has struggled for potency overseas in recent years but in Galle, Root was able to call on a variety of bowlers who all contributed.

Root started day four with seamers James Anderson and Sam Curran before turning quickly to spin when there continued to be no swing.

He first introduced left-arm spinner Leach, followed by off-spinner Moeen, and the pair removed the Sri Lanka openers, with Leach trapping Kaushal Silva lbw for 30 and Moeen catching Dimuth Karunaratne off his own bowling for 26.

All-rounder Ben Stokes has had a light workload with the ball in this Test but he dismissed Dhananjaya de Silva on the stroke of lunch and bowled a hostile spell after the interval.

He peppered Mathews and Kusal Mendis with excellent short bowling and should have had been rewarded with another wicket but Anderson dropped a simple catch from Mathews.

Leach bowled a long, accurate spell in the afternoon session and claimed the two wickets to fall, having Mendis caught at mid-off and bowling Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal with a brilliant spinning delivery.

Moeen then returned after tea and for the second time in the match took a wicket with the first ball of the final session, this time having Dhananjaya de Silva caught by Stokes at slip.

Shortly afterwards Moeen saw off Mathews and leg-spinner Rashid claimed his first wicket of the innings by dismissing Dilruwan Perera for an aggressive 30, before the victory was sealed by the run out of Herath.

Other than Root, who bowled one over on day four, every England bowler took a wicket in the match but it will be the spinners who pleased the England captain most.

Their combined 16 wickets is the second-best spinners’ haul for England for 60 years, beaten only by the 19 Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar shared in Mumbai in 2012.

Losing run ends in Galle

England’s losing run overseas stretched back all the way to 30 October 2016 when they lost to Bangladesh in Dhaka.

Since then England have lost series 4-0 in both India and Australia, plus 1-0 in New Zealand earlier this year, with three draws accompanying the nine defeats.

Previously at Galle England had drawn twice and lost twice but on this occasion, after being reduced to 103-5 before lunch on day one, they then dominated the match.

As well as the bowlers the batsmen also contributed, with man-of-the-match Ben Foakes and Keaton Jennings hitting centuries in the first and second innings respectively.

A win in the second Test in Pallekele, starting on Wednesday, would seal their first away series win since beating South Africa in 2016.

Problems for Sri Lanka

For Sri Lanka, the final wicket summed up their disappointing performance in this Test.

Their bowlers were not as effective as England’s, their fielding disappointed and some of their batsmen again fell to reckless shots on the fourth day.

Making an albeit unlikely attempt to save the Test, Karunaratne was out attacking Moeen, hitting the ball straight back for a catch in the morning session, and Mendis foolishly charged down the wicket and skewed a shot to mid-off.

The ball before Dhananjaya edged to Stokes at first slip in the final over before lunch, he had played a wild drive to the Durham all-rounder which had been given out caught behind, only to be overturned on review.

Herath’s dismissal – sprawled in the dirt after failing to beat Stokes’ powerful throw – was an ignominious finish for a player who ended with 433 Test wickets – putting him joint eighth on the all-time list – but also a strange one as he had called for the risky second run.

The 40-year-old’s team-mates celebrated his retirement at the end of play by carrying the spinner around his home ground on their shoulders but Sri Lanka will now have to do without him for the remaining two Tests.

The hosts also have injury problems for the second Test, with captain Chandimal struggling with a groin injury.

Image: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

If ever there’s a time to bust out your most memorable outfit, it’s the red carpet. A nice, big world premiere, preferably.

On Thursday, on the red carpet for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Ezra Miller did exactly that.

Behold:

Image: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Closer!

Image: GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT/AFP/Getty Images

CLOSER!

Image: GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT/AFP/Getty Images

There were a lot of reactions, but one thread kept recurring.

“Sassy sleeping bag” may well be 2018’s hottest new look.

The names of patients have been changed to protect their identities. 

Nandita* doesn’t remember when she first used Methylphenidate, a central nervous system stimulant.

She is now 26 years old and recovering, but was addicted to two substances, not including, she says, alcohol and cigarettes.

“The first few times are a blur, it seems like they were many years ago,” she tells Al Jazeera.

She sought medical help two years ago. Her parents run a real estate company in Bangalore and live in an expensive neighbourhood.

Though several young women like Nandita check in to rehabilitation centres, addiction among Indian women is barely researched and analysed.

Defined as a disease by medical associations across the world and the World Health Organization, addiction can be caused by a combination of behavioural, environmental and biological factors.

Indian female addicts struggle specifically because of social and family pressure.

In short, the stigma is much higher, according to Dr Reni Thomas at St Johns Hospital in Bangalore, and so women are less likely to break out of the cycle, compared with men.

The Bangalore-based doctors at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (Nimhans) report an increasing number of young women seeking treatment. 

The rehabilitation centre to treat addicts is more than 25 years old, but in 2015, the doctors felt the need to open a separate centre for women. 

Nandita is among the fortunate, her parents can afford expensive care. Moreover, the “shame” associated with addiction is less pervasive among rich communities.

Mayamma*, an addict whose family is poor, is her parent’s seventh child.

“No one kept track of my birthday,” Mayamma says. 

She has been to state-funded rehabilitation centres in Bangalore and Chennai, the two cities she has worked in.  

She was married at a young age to a man who introduced her to arrack, or locally made alcohol.

“We began to drink together at night,” she said. 

According to a UN study on female drug users in India, “substance use among women is associated with early initiation into sex, which is often coerced.

“Women are dually affected by substances, both as partners of men using substances and their own use. Since, more often than not, women using substances are also partners of users they have a double disadvantage.”

During the day, Mayamma and her husband worked as day labourers at a construction site together. 

“We had a fairy-tale relationship, until my husband died [after consuming illegal alcohol],” she says. 

His death was a crude reminder for her to sober up and seek medical help so that her children had at least one parent.

Pratima Murthy, a doctor at Nimhans, said women are often introduced to drugs by relatives.

And other family members also take female relatives to hospital when they notice dysfunctional behaviour. 

“If they don’t perform their duties in the household, family members are alerted,” said Murthy.

Although women willingly attend the rehabilitation scheme, they are at risk of relapsing because of the burden of responsibility towards their families.

“It is not enough to ensure the women have steered clear of substances, family and societal support is required to ensure they are kept that way. Sadly, many women lack such support,” she added. 

Since men are seen as the main breadwinners, they are usually more supported.

At times, when I am forced to walk three kilometres instead of spending five rupees for the bus, I feel like drowning myself in alcohol.

Mayamma, recovering addict

Anish Cherian, who works at Nimhans’ psychiatric unit, said it is common to see women tend to their male relatives, but unusual for a man to take on the caregiver role to a female addict.

A 2008 study by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime surveyed 1,865 women drug users across the country, revealing that 25 percent were heroin users, 18 percent used dextropropoxyphene – an opioid, 11 percent used an opioid found in cough syrup and 87% used alcohol heavily. Twenty-five percent said they had a lifetime history of injecting drugs. 

The study showed women substance users were mostly in their twenties or thirties, and nearly one in three was illiterate.

In a transitional society like India, with rising incomes and easier access to substances, women often feel obliged to perform several sometimes contradictory roles. They must be contributing members of the family, workplace and society. 

“Many women find these to be unbearable pressures,” said Murthy, adding that the stress could spur drug abuse.

Mayamma has now been sober for four years. 

As the only member of her large family earning a salary, she is responsible for rent, the children’s education, and taking care of her elderly parents. 

“At times, when I am forced to walk three kilometres instead of spending Rs5 (7 cents) for the bus, I feel like drowning myself in alcohol,” she says, explaining that it takes significant willpower to stay sober.

For Thomas, the doctor at St Johns Hospital, the solution is welfare.

“Provide cheaper housing, state-funded medical care, education and food,” she says. “We will automatically see a reduction in mental illness and addiction.” 

This reporting was supported by the International Women’s Media Reporting Grants for Women’s Stories.

England have been dealt a major blow before the Women’s World Twenty20 after all-rounder Katherine Brunt was ruled out of the tournament with a back injury.

Brunt, 33, has a recurring back problem which flared up again during a warm-up game against India on Wednesday.

She will be replaced in the England squad by Fran Wilson, a member of the World Cup-winning squad of 2017.

England’s first match of the tournament is on Saturday against Sri Lanka.

Wilson is not expected to be available for the opening match.

England lost to India by 11 runs in the warm-up fixture in Guyana, with fast bowler Brunt only able to complete five deliveries because of her back.

Ireland, who begin their campaign against Australia on Sunday, beat Sri Lanka by eight wickets in their warm-up match in Antigua.

Image: James Gillham/StillMoving.net for Netflix

If Planet Earth II and Blue Planet II left you with an unquenchable David Attenborough-based thirst, we have some splendid news for you: There’s a whole lot more Attenborough on the way.

Not only do we have his upcoming BBC doc Dynasties to look forward to, but now we also have an announcement from Netflix: the legendary British presenter will be hosting an eight-part natural history series, Our Planet, which is coming to the streaming service in Spring 2019.

Here’s the very slick-looking, animal-packed teaser:

The series has been four years in the making, with a 600-strong crew filming in 50 different countries, according to a press release sent to Mashable. It will focus on showing “the planet’s most precious species and fragile habitats”.

“Our Planet will take viewers on a spectacular journey of discovery showcasing the beauty and fragility of our natural world,” said Attenborough at a recent event in London. 

“Today we have become the greatest threat to the health of our home but there’s still time for us to address the challenges we’ve created, if we act now. We need the world to pay attention. Our Planet brings together some of the world’s best filmmakers and conservationists and I’m delighted to help bring this important story to millions of people worldwide.”

Our Planet comes to Netflix globally on 5th Apr., 2019.

Russia is hosting peace talks in Moscow to end the war in Afghanistan, drawing delegates from the West-backed Kabul government and a group representing the Taliban, as well as representatives from a dozen nations, including the United States.

Opening Friday’s meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the participation of both Afghan leaders and the Taliban was an “important contribution” aimed at creating “favourable conditions for the start of direct talks”.

“I am counting on you holding a serious and constructive conversation that will justify the hopes of the Afghan people,” he said before the talks continued behind closed doors.

Russia hopes “through joint efforts to open a new page in the history of Afghanistan,” the Russian foreign minister said.

He emphasised the threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) in Afghanistan, saying that it has relied on foreign sponsors in a bid to “turn Afghanistan into a springboard for its expansion in Central Asia”.

Pakistan, which has long been accused of providing support to the Afghan Taliban, would “definitely” attend, foreign ministry spokesman Muhammad Faisal told AFP news agency.

India is also sending its representative at a “non-official level”, reassessing its policy on talks with the Taliban group.

The conference marks Moscow’s attempt to get the Afghan authorities and the Taliban together at a table. The US Embassy in Moscow has sent a diplomat to observe the discussions.

Russia’s first attempt to hold the conference in September fell through after the Afghan authorities refused to attend.

This time, the Afghan government hasn’t sent its envoys, but members of the government-appointed Peace Council are attending the event.

Taliban officials and Peace Council members have met at past forums elsewhere, and while no formal talks were ever held they have had some face-to-face discussions.

Push for peace 

The talks come weeks after newly appointed US special envoy for peace in Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, held talks with the Taliban group in Qatar. He will visit Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar from November 8 to 20 to push for peace negotiations with the Taliban.

Khalilzad’s meeting with the Taliban, which was overthrown from power by US-led forces in 2001, is part of efforts to find a way to end the 17-year-long war in Afghanistan.

“On his last trip to the region in October, Special Representative Khalilzad called on the Afghan Government and the Taliban to organise authoritative negotiating teams, and has been encouraged to see that both parties are taking steps in that direction,” the State Department said in a statement.

“The United States remains committed to a political settlement that results in an end to the war and to the terrorist threat posed to the United States and the world.”

A US watchdog agency said last week that the Afghan government was losing control of districts to the Taliban while casualties among security forces had reached record levels.

The government had control or influence over 65 percent of the population but only 55.5 percent of Afghanistan‘s 407 districts, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction said in a report.

The latest phase of Afghanistan’s decades-old war began in 2001 when the US-led troops overthrew the Taliban government in the wake of the September 11 attacks on the United States.