No Taliban-US talks on Thursday: Reuters

BEIJING, June 20 (Xinhuanet) -- Reuters reports that it has been told by an anonymous source that preliminary Afghan peace talks in Qatar between US and Taliban officials are unlikely to take place on Thursday.

The source said nothing was scheduled for the talks on Thursday, and there was no decision from the Afghan government on whether it would take part in the talks. A senior US official said on Wednesday that talks with the Taliban were likely to be held within the next few days in Qatar.

The comments come after delays caused by tensions over the naming of a new Taliban office in the capital, Doha. The Afghan government had objected to the office being called the "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" - the name given to Afghanistan during Taliban rule.

Meanwhile, the Taliban say they are ready to hand over a US soldier held captive since 2009 in exchange for five of their senior operatives being held in Guantanamo. A Taliban spokesman says the US soldier is in good condition.

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