Taliban co-founder arrives in Kabul to hammer out new Afghan govt

West tries to ramp up speed of evacuations of its citizens, vulnerable Afghans ; Taliban to ready model for governing Afghanistan in coming weeks, says official

Taliban co-founder Mullah Baradar has arrived in Kabul for talks with other leaders to hammer out a new Afghan government, a Taliban official said on Saturday, almost a week after the Islamist militants took over the capital without resistance.

The Taliban completed their sudden advance across the country as U.S.-led forces pulled out, coinciding with what German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday said was the "breathtaking collapse" of the Afghan army.

Since then, thousands have thronged Kabul airport, with security worsening by the day, as Western nations struggle to ramp up the pace of evacuations of its citizens and vulnerable Afghans amid