Foreigners killed in suicide bombing of Afghan shop

Nine people were killed by a suicide bomber in Kabul today.

Three foreigners and a child were among those killed by the bomb in a Western-style grocery store.

The bombing was the worst attack of its kind in a year. At least six other people were injured.

The Taliban claimed they were targeting the head of a US security company. Despite the violence, a senior Foreign Office official claimed there were encouraging signs that Taliban commanders may be ready to enter talks with Afghan authorities about ending their insurgency.

She said that recent months had seen a number of "feelers" from insurgents in response to Afghan president Hamid Karzai's offer of talks. The official insisted that the Taliban figures involved were "sufficiently senior" to be seen as significant.