Who are the Taliban?

The Taliban are active in both Afghanistan and Pakistan

The hardline Islamic Taliban movement has proved to be a formidable fighting force in Afghanistan and a major threat to its government.

The Taliban also threatens to destabilise Pakistan, where they control areas in the north-west and have been blamed for a wave of suicide bombings and other attacks.

Many observers now believe that future peace in Afghanistan can only come if the government in Kabul negotiates with the Taliban.

The announcement of Taliban plans to open an office in Qatar is seen as a positive step in those negotiations, but mistrust on both sides remains high.

There has also been speculation that some of the Taliban-linked groups in Pakistan have held talks with the government in Islamabad - although this is not confirmed.

Taliban hangs eight-year-old boy

Cruel and bastard! The word is entitled to the Taliban. Indeed they are becoming more extreme. They themselves have strayed from Islam as  they had no religion and creed.

Yet they suspend the boy, who was only 8 years? It is these people damned and unworthy of their life on earth. They are more cruel than the Nazis and the Jews.

Taliban are a nation damned and unworthy of life on earth.