All roads to district are blocked
Taliban gunmen have killed 26 security personnel including 19 policemen and seven soldiers since they laid siege to a police compound in the Helmand district on Monday. The district police chief said that the insurgents have seized vehicles and weapons from the compound, adding that they have also blocked all roads leading out of the district. Meanwhile, government officials said that Taliban fighters had been clashing with insurgents claiming allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. They said that over 25 insurgents had been killed in the clashes over the last three days.

Britain and Russia to resume talks on Syria
Agreeing to resume talks on finding a solution to the ongoing civil war in Syria, British Prime Minister David Cameron and Russian President Vladimir Putin also agreed it was "necessary to stop the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant". A spokesperson for Cameron’s office said that the two leaders reached the decision during a phone call made by Putin to congratulate Cameron for his victory in the recently-held general elections. Over 220,000 people have been killed in Syria over the last four years.

Thirteen dead as tornado strikes Mexico
At least 13 people were killed and over 150 people reportedly injured after a tornado struck the Mexican city of Ciudad Acuna on Monday. Officials said that the tornado had destroyed hundreds of homes in the city. Rescuers were searching 750 damaged properties for more survivors and casualties, said Evaristo Lenin Perez, the mayor of the city.

Nine killed in Brazilian prison riot
Nine people were killed during a mutiny at a Brazilian prison in the north-eastern city of Salvador de Bahia. Officials said that the riot began during visiting hours on Sunday. Eight prisoners were killed by their fellow inmates, while a ninth succumbed to his injuries later, officials said. The director of the prison said that the riot started due to a dispute between rival factions at the prison. A spokesperson for the police said that the mutiny ended after 18 hours of negotiations.

Tunisian soldier shot dead after killing seven others
A Tunisian soldier killed seven others and wounded 10 more before being shot dead at a military barracks in the capital city of Tunis on Monday. Defence Ministry spokesperson Belhassen Oueslati said that the incident began after the soldier grabbed one his colleagues’ gun after attacking him with a knife. Describing the incident as an “isolated act”, Oueslati said that the soldier had been suffering from psychological issues and had been “forbidden from carrying arms”. An inquiry would be initiated to determine the motives behind the soldier’s attack, he added.