Image source, Getty Images

Afghanistan's former vice-president and self-declared acting president has claimed that Taliban fighters are using young men to clear landmines as they advance into the Panjshir Valley.

Amrullah Saleh, who claimed the presidency after his predecessor Ashraf Ghani fled the country, said that Taliban fighters had been using "military age men of Panjshir as mine clearance tools walking them on mine fields".

He made the claims, which the BBC cannot independently verify, in a series of tweets on Friday.

• Panjshir - the valley trying to hold off the Taliban

Mr Saleh is currently leading anti-Taliban National Resistance Front (NRF) forces alongside Ahmad Massoud, the son of the legendary resistance commander, Ahmad Shah Massoud.

The NRF said on Friday that they were battling to drive back "heavy" assaults as the Taliban sought to capture the final holdout against their rule.

Image source, Getty Images

Several thousand anti-Taliban fighters are reported to be holding out against the militants in a remote valley with a narrow entrance - little more than 30 miles (48km) or so from the capital Kabul.

It's not the first time the dramatic and imposing Panjshir Valley has been a flashpoint in Afghanistan's recent turbulent history - having been a stronghold against Soviet forces in the 1980s, and the Taliban for the first time in the '90s.

The group holding out there now - the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF) - recently reminded the world of the valley's strength.

"The Red Army [Soviets], with its might, was unable to defeat us... And the Taliban also 25 years ago... they tried to take over the valley and they failed, they faced a crushing defeat," Ali Nazary, the NRF's head of foreign relations, tells the BBC.

Read more from the BBC's Paul Kerley and Lucia Blasco

Speaking after an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Kranj, Slovenia, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell says opening an EU mission in Kabul "is not a first step towards recognition".

"It is the first practical thing we need to do to keep in touch with the new Afghan government," he says.

Borrell says the "most pressing issue" is working out how to evacuate people from Afghanistan.

"This is not possible without talking with the Taliban," he says.

As we reported earlier, the EU and Britain have joined the US in saying they will deal with the Taliban, but the countries won't recognise them as Afghanistan's government.

Colourful and vibrant murals - some by well-known Afghan street artists - are being painted over and replaced with black and white slogans by the Taliban.

Pictures of women's faces are also being graffitied or completely covered-up, especially outside beauty salons.

• Kabul make-up artist: 'Women like me are Taliban targets'

Secunder Kermani, BBC Pakistan and Afghanistan correspondent, is in Kabul and saw the painting cover-up.

Image source, Getty Images

Afghanistan's former president, Hamid Karzai, has called on Taliban and resistance forces in the Panjshir Valley to lay down their arms and engage in peaceful dialogue.

Mr Karzai, who led the nation from 2001 to 2014, tweeted that "despite the efforts of the reformers, military operations and fighting have started in Panjshir."

"I do not consider the consequences to be in the interest of the country and the people.

"That is why I call on both sides that war is not only a solution, but a wounded and suffering Afghanistan."

Anti-Taliban forces in Panjshir said on Friday that they were battling to repulse "heavy" assaults from Taliban fighters, as the Islamists seek to capture the last province defying their rule.

Since the Taliban seized Kabul last month, Mr Karzai and his ally Abdullah Abdullah have met frequently with Taliban leaders in an attempt to convince the group to form an inclusive interim administration.

Image source, Reuters

Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, we've been reporting on the concerns women have of their rights under the Taliban's strict Islamist rule.

There have been a number of protests - today women have been pictured protesting in front of the presidential palace in Kabul.

• Uncertain times ahead for women

Image source, Reuters

The UN has highlighted "credible" reports of abuses by the Taliban, notably restrictions on women.

When the militant group were last in power, women had to wear the all-covering burka, and the Taliban also disapproved of girls aged 10 and over going to school.

The Taliban say they will rule "within the framework" of Sharia, or Islamic law - however they have not elaborated on what that means in practice.

Last month the militants advised women to stay at home for their own safety, because some newer Taliban members had not yet been trained on how to "deal with women."

• What is Sharia law? What does it mean for women in Afghanistan?

Image source, EPA

Here's what's been happening in Afghanistan so far on Friday:

• The EU and UK have said they won't recognise the Taliban as the new government of Afghanistan
• The Afghan flag carrier, Ariana Airlines, has said that domestic flights from Kabul airport will resume from Friday
• The UK parliament's Foreign Affairs Select Committee has announced its intention to launch an inquiry into Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab's handling of the Afghan crisis
• Talking of which, Raab is in Pakistan as part of efforts to secure safe passage for Britons and others trying to leave Afghanistan

So what else do we know about the Taliban and who leads them?

At the head of the group is Hibatullah Akhundzada, who became the group's supreme commander in May 2016, in charge of political, military and religious affairs.

In the 1980s, he participated in the Islamist resistance against the Soviet military campaign in Afghanistan, but his reputation is more that of a religious leader than a military commander.

Akhundzada worked as head of the Sharia Courts in the 1990s. He is believed to be in his 60s and has lived most of his life in Afghanistan.

Read more here about the Taliban's top leadership.

Image source, Getty Images

We've been hearing more about who might be in an eventual Taliban government.

Reuters news agency is quoting unnamed Taliban sources as saying that one of the group's co-founders, Mullah Baradar, will lead the new government.

Baradar, who heads the Taliban's political office, will be joined by Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, the son of late Taliban co-founder Mullah Omar, and Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, in senior positions in the government, three sources said.

• Who is Mullah Baradar?

In its latest update on when Afghans could expect a government to be announced, a Taliban spokesman said it would happen on Saturday at the earliest, and added that the reports on who will be in the government are "baseless".

The group may have been taken by surprise by the promptness of their victory, which would explain the hold up.

Afghan analyst Martine van Bijlert says the Taliban were "not at all prepared for the sudden departure of President Ashraf Ghani on 15 August, and for Kabul to fall into their hands so quickly".

They have never prepared a detailed plan or government policy, she is quoted as saying by AFP, adding the movement has been "divided on the way forward".

Image source, Getty Images

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the US withdrawal from Afghanistan is a "catastrophe" and has caused a humanitarian disaster, showing lessons have not been learned from previous US-led interventions.

Mr Putin said that attempts by Western nations to impose democracy by force were bound to fail. Sanctions, he said - whether against Russia or other countries - were the continuation of the same failing policy.

Meanwhile, the Russian ambassador to Kabul has told the news agency RIA that Russia is in touch with potential members of the Taliban's new government.

But he stressed that Moscow did not plan to supply the new regime with weapons.

Earlier this week President Putin called on the Taliban to “enter the family of civilised nations”.

Indian actor Naseeruddin Shah has sent a message to "sections of Indian Muslims" who are apparently celebrating the "dangerous" return of the Taliban to Afghanistan.

Speaking in Urdu, the 71-year-old said that those rejoicing should ask themselves "if they want a reformed, modern Islam or live with the old barbarism of the past decades".

His comments have irked many Muslims in India.

But supporters of the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) praised Mr Shah, who himself is Muslim, and said more Muslims should speak up against the Taliban.

Mr Shah is one of India's most successful actors and starred alongside the late Sean Connery in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

The European Union has said it won't recognise the Taliban as the new government of Afghanistan.

EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said any engagement would be subject to strict conditions and would only be to support the Afghan people.

Washington has taken a similar position, but Russia and China have both indicated a softer stance.

The EU also said it aimed to co-ordinate its contacts with the Taliban through a joint EU presence in Kabul to oversee evacuations and to ensure that a new Afghan government fulfils commitments on issues including security and human rights.

"We have decided to work in a co-ordinated manner... if the security conditions are met," he said at a meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers in Slovenia.

He also said the EU would co-ordinate "strongly" on Afghanistan with the US, G7, G20 and other organisations, and that it would initiate a "regional political platform of co-operation" with the country's neighbours.

As we mentioned earlier, heavy fighting has been reported between the Taliban and resistance fighters in Afghanistan's Panjshir Valley.

The National Resistance Front, a multi-ethnic group made up of militias and former Afghan security force members, is loyal to the deposed Afghan government.

Panjshir is the only province that has not fallen to the Islamist group and thousands of opposition fighters are believed to have massed there.

It is a short distance to the north of Kabul and has traditionally been a centre of resistance to the Taliban.

The UK does not recognise the Taliban as the government in Afghanistan, but will keep channels of communication open, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab says.

He tells a press conference in neighbouring Pakistan this is necessary to try to help people still seeking to flee Afghanistan.

“There are particular cases outstanding which I won't go into because of the sensitivity, but we need to be able to have that dialogue,” he says.

He vows that the UK will be "shouldering our humanitarian responsibilities" amid concerns that countries neighbouring Afghanistan could see huge numbers of refugees arriving.

"We will also be supporting those countries who face greatest demands from those who may be displaced in the weeks ahead," he says.

Image source, EPA

The UN has said that Afghan refugees have not been crossing the border into neighbouring Pakistan and Iran in large numbers since the country fell to the Taliban on 15 August.

Babar Baloch, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugee (UNHCR), told reporters that the numbers leaving Afghanistan "remain small", but gave no exact figures.

"So far what we have not seen is a large refugee influx", Baloch said.

However, the UNHCR did not touch on the large crowds seen at the Spin Boldak border crossing in recent days, where local officials said an "unprecedented" number of people had been attempting to cross into Pakistan.

Up to 500,000 Afghans could flee their homeland by the end of this year, the UNHCR said last week.

Image source, Reuters

We've now heard from the UK's Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who is in Pakistan as part of efforts to secure safe passage for Britons and others trying to leave Afghanistan.

At a press conference in Islamabad, Raab says there was "common widespread surprise" at the pace of the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan.

Even the Taliban were "taken by surprise" at the speed, he says. The militants took control of Kabul on 15 August, ahead of the scheduled withdrawal of foreign troops at the end of the month.

Raab suggests forming a regional coalition to hold the Taliban to account and apply a "moderating" force on the group.

"Pakistan's support and role will be vital," he says.

The Taliban needs to create a "safe and secure environment" to allow aid to be offered to people in Afghanistan, he adds.

Image source, Reuters

Pakistan is concerned about the potential security threat on its doorstep posed by a Taliban-run Afghanistan. Islamabad is said to fear a rise in militant attacks along the Afghan-Pakistan border.

"The next two to three months are critical," a senior Pakistani official has told Reuters.

"We [the international community] have to assist the Taliban in reorganising their army in order for them to control their territory," the source added, referring to the threat posed by resurgent rival militant groups including Islamic State (IS).

The official, who has direct knowledge of the country's security decisions, said Pakistan planned to send security and intelligence officials, possibly even the head of the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, to Kabul to help the Taliban reorganise the Afghan military.

"Whether we recognise the Taliban government or not, stability in Afghanistan is very important."

The official warned that Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K), a loosely affiliated offshoot of Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, was actively looking to launch attacks and recruit new fighters.

Left unhindered, it would almost certainly grow from relatively small numbers currently.

Pakistan was also one of three countries to recognise the Taliban when they were previously in power in Afghanistan. It was also the last country to break diplomatic ties with the group.

Image source, Press Association

The UK parliament's Foreign Affairs Select Committee has announced its intention to launch an inquiry into Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab's handling of the Afghan crisis.

Mr Raab has faced severe criticism over his decision to remain on holiday even as the Afghan government collapsed. He did not return to the UK until after Kabul had fallen.

The committee has said it will look at the role of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) "in the evacuation effort and in planning the response to the Taliban's takeover".

In a statement, committee chairman Tom Tugendhat MP said: "The fall of Kabul is a catastrophe for the Afghan people and for the reputation of those nations that were committed to its success.

"The Afghan people, who we worked alongside for many years, have been left at the mercy of the Taliban, a vicious fundamentalist group. While I thank the foreign secretary for appearing in front of the committee at late notice, big questions remain, and this inquiry hopes to provide some much-needed clarity."

The Treasury must "urgently" confirm extra funding before local authorities can start making offers to house Afghan refugees, a document seen by the BBC suggests.

Initial proposals suggest a shortfall between cash committed so far and estimates of the true cost.

The document estimates that resettling eligible Afghans over the next 10 years could cost more than £2.5bn ($3.5bn). The Treasury has been asked to comment.

UK officials say 8,000 Afghans who worked with British forces in Afghanistan have moved to the UK.

The government is seeking "firm offers of support" from local authorities able to show they have a specific home or homes available for an Afghan family - but many councils no longer own any homes.

Others have decided it would be unfair to offer them to Afghans ahead of local people who are on the housing waiting list. In those areas, councils are relying on encouraging private landlords to offer suitable accommodation. For some, that may be easier than others.

The UK has agreed to take in 20,000 Afghans over the next five years.

Read more here

Our correspondent Secunder Kermani, who has been driving around the Afghan capital, Kabul, reports coming across a beauty salon whose owner has been ordered to paint over the women's faces displayed on its shop front.

There has been much speculation on how the new Taliban government is likely to treat women.

Here is another example of a mural being painted over and replaced by a Taliban message, according to a local journalist.