Events at a Glance

DIPLOMACY

Diplomats win assurances from leaders of Afghanistan’s Northern Alliance that they would begin talks soon outside the country on plans to share power. A U.N. official says the alliance leaders appear sincere in their promise that they won’t limit other groups to only token participation.

INVESTIGATION

New arrests in Spain and France contribute to a picture of an interconnected Al Qaeda terrorist network that also reaches into England, Italy, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. On Sunday, a Spanish judge reportedly accused members of an alleged terror cell in Madrid of providing false identity cards and money to some of the Sept. 11 hijackers.

WAR FRONT

Fighting continues around the Taliban’s northern stronghold of Kunduz, where there are consistent reports from refugees of dozens of civilian casualties in several villages along the front line.

SECURITY

Charged with protecting the nation’s borders, the Immigration and Naturalization Service mismanaged a $31-million program to record the entries and exits of noncitizens, a recent Justice Department report found. INS officials estimate it will take four years and an additional $57 million to finish the job.