Afghan President Karzai terms Kabul blast a “heinous act of terror”

October 7th, 2009 Explosion hits Afghan capitalKABUL — A large blast has sounded in the center of Afghanistan's capital. Associated Press reporters heard the explosion and saw a plume of smoke rising from a site in downtown Kabul.

September 17th, 2009 Italy Defense Ministry: 6 dead in Afghan blastROME — The Italian Defense Ministry says that six people have died in a blast in the Afghan capital, Kabul. The ministry said it was not clear whether the victims from Thursday's explosion were Italian, but news reports said the blast hit two Italian military vehicles.

September 17th, 2009 LONDON - At least six persons have died and 38 injured in a bomb attack on Thursday in the centre of Kabul amid rising tension in Afghanistan. The blast occurred near the U.S embassy.

August 31st, 2009 Karzai keeps big lead in new Afghan vote resultsKABUL — Afghanistan's election commission says President Hamid Karzai still has a big lead with ballots now counted from almost half the country's voting stations. In the latest results released Monday, Karzai has 45.8 percent of votes counted, while top challenger Abdullah Abdullah has 33.2 percent.

August 15th, 2009 KABUL - A large explosion rocked Kabul Saturday causing numerous casualties near the headquarters of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force and in the neighbourhood where the presidential palace and the US embassy are located. Local Tolo television reported 60 people were killed and injured, including foreign nationals.

August 15th, 2009 KABUL - At least seven people were killed and about 90 wounded in a suicide car bomb blast outside the NATO headquarters here on Saturday. Initial reports said three people, all Afghan civilians, had been killed and 70 people injured The presidential palace and several embassies are also located in the area.

August 15th, 2009 Huge blast rocks Afghan capitalKABUL — A huge blast has echoed through the Afghan capital. A plume of smoke was rising Saturday morning in the direction of the U.S.

August 13th, 2009 Karzai orders Afghan forces election cease-fireKABUL — Afghanistan's president says he's ordering Afghan security forces to observe a cease-fire during the upcoming election day. Hamid Karzai also demanded Taliban fighters not carry out violence during next Thursday's vote.

July 22nd, 2009 Karzai says no to first Afghan presidential debateKABUL — President Hamid Karzai said Wednesday he will not take part in Afghanistan's first major televised presidential debate, leaving his top two challengers to talk between themselves — if they show up. A debate was scheduled to take place Thursday on the most-watched TV network among Karzai, former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah and former Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani.

May 6th, 2009 Afghan president orders probe into US actionKABUL — President Hamid Karzai has ordered a probe into allegations that more than 30 civilians died in a U.S.-led bombing in western Afghanistan. Karzai said in a statement that Afghan and U.S.-led coalition officials headed to Farah province Wednesday to investigate the incident.

April 17th, 2009 KABUL - Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has said that the controversial law permitting men to rape their wives will be changed. In an interview with CNN, Karzai said he was unaware of the provision in the legislation, which he signed into law last month.

March 27th, 2009 KABUL - Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has said that accounts of widespread corruption within his government are exaggerated and politically motivated. Government figures, including relatives of Karzai, have been accused of abusing their connections for profit.

March 18th, 2009 KABUL - Three civilians were wounded Wednesday in a blast triggered by a roadside bomb in Kabul as NATO's highest decision-making body, led by its secretary general, was ending a visit to the war-torn country. The explosion took place near an oil pump station in Kota Sangi, an area in western Kabul after a convoy of NATO forces had passed the area.

February 14th, 2009 KABUL - US President Barack Obama has accepted Kabul's request to be part of a major review of the US strategy in the 'war on terror' in Afghanistan, Geo TV reported Sunday. President Hamid Karzai said he had urged Obama to participate in the review process, amid concerns about the worsening security situation in the country, seven years after the US-led invasion ousted the Taliban regime.

January 7th, 2009 KABUL - A top US official for the South-Asian region hailed the improved relations between Afghan and Pakistani governments and emphasized that the only way to defeat terrorism in two Asian states was through their joint cooperation. 'The United States very much welcomes the cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan,' Richard Boucher, US assistant secretary of state for south and central Asian affairs, told a news conference in Kabul Wednesday.