Taliban Starts Talks Towards New Government

While its vehicles patrol the streets of Kabul, the Taliban says it has launched talks on the formation of a new government. It has promised an inclusive, Islamic government that will be representative of the entire country. It has apparently already held talks with one former enemy, former President Hamid Karzai. Residents of Kabul say all they want is peace, after decades of invasion and civil war. They also want the Taliban to stick to its promises of respecting women’s rights to work and girls’ rights to an education, but for many others, there’s just no thought of returning to life under the Taliban. Crowds of desperate people continue to gather outside Kabul's main airport in the hopes of evacuation. Many are standing in knee-deep water full of garbage and near barbed wire, as US troops push them back. These are the Afghans who managed to fight their way past the Taliban, which is trying to send Afghans back home, saying they have nothing to fear. It says evacuation flights will end next Tuesday and there’ll be no extension to that deadline.

Dozens Killed in Ethnic Tensions in Nigeria

At least 36 people have been shot dead by gunmen during a night raid on a village near the central Nigerian city of Jos. The gunmen apparently went house to house killing residents in Yelwa Zangam late on Tuesday. Nigerian troops couldn’t reach the area to protect residents as a bridge had been destroyed. Jos is the capital of Plateau State, which has seen regular fighting between the Hausa-Fulani group, who dominate the whole of northern Nigeria, and a number of smaller local ethnic groups. The whole country has seen an upsurge of violence this year, with poverty intensifying competition for resources, jobs and political power.

Lucky Escape in Mexico

And, amazingly, no-one was killed when a Mexican navy helicopter made a crash landing on Wednesday. Seconds before it had reported mechanical failure, as it attempted to reach an area affected by Hurricane Grace. The pilot somehow managed to avoid powerlines as he brought the chopper down. Three injured passengers were rushed to a nearby hospital and are in a stable condition.