Afghan talks hit trouble

Talks on Afghanistan’s future stalled at a critical phase today, with the Northern Alliance refusing to present a list of names for interim bodies that would rule the country until a national council next spring.

Alliance chief envoy Younus Qanooni told the other delegations that he is not in a position to agree to any names, delegates said.

A Western diplomat said the talks, in a hotel outside Bonn, the former German capital, had deadlocked.

"We are now in a difficult phase," the diplomat said.