Afghanistan’s Taliban government says it has closed down all women’s beauty salons nationwide. The Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice had given salons one month to comply with an order to cease operations — shuttering some of the last remaining spaces where Afghan women and girls could congregate. This comes as the Biden administration says it’s sending a diplomatic delegation to Qatar for a rare meeting with Taliban representatives. State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said the talks will focus on security, humanitarian aid, Afghanistan’s economy, drug trafficking and women’s rights.

Vedant Patel: “This is not intended to mean any kind of indication of recognition or any kind of indication of normalization or legitimacy of the Taliban.”