Russia's top court lifts Taliban's designation as terrorist group

Russia's Supreme Court on Thursday removed the Taliban's designation as a "terrorist organisation", a symbolic gesture aimed at building friendly ties with Afghanistan's de facto rulers.

"By decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, the previously established ban on the activities of the Taliban -- included on the unified federal list of organisations recognised as terrorist -- has been suspended," a judge said, according to the TASS state news agency.