site.news_by_theme Hamid Karzai

A suicide attacker killed a cousin of outgoing Afghan President Hamid Karzai near the volatile southern city of Kandahar, officials said, raising tensions during a struggle over the contested election result.

Suspected Taliban gunmen stopped two vehicles in central Afghanistan and shot dead 15 passengers at the side of the road, officials said Friday, in the latest attack to highlight the growing civilian toll from violence.

Explosions and gunfire rang out after the Taliban Thursday attacked Kabul airport in the militants' latest brazen attempt to steal the initiative with the country in the grip of a presidential power struggle.

US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Afghanistan on a key mission to try to quell tensions over disputed presidential polls which have triggered fears of violence and ethnic unrest.

Presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah claimed victory in Afghanistan's disputed election, blaming fraud for putting him behind poll rival Ashraf Ghani in preliminary results.

More than 800 Taliban insurgents have launched a major offensive in southern Afghanistan to try to gain territory recently vacated by US troops, officials said Wednesday, with 40 civilians killed in five days of fighting.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai intervened for the first time in the country's growing election crisis, backing a call for the United Nations to help solve a standoff over alleged fraud.

Afghans defied Taliban threats by voting Saturday in a second-round presidential election, as US-led combat troops wind down a 13-year war that has failed to defeat the insurgents.

US President Barack Obama promised a decision on post-2014 troop numbers in Afghanistan "fairly shortly", after paying a surprise visit to soldiers fighting the last battles of America's longest war.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai cast his vote Saturday in the election that marks the start of his country's first-ever democratic transfer of power, as he steps down after serving the maximum two terms in office.

A female Western journalist was shot dead and another wounded in Afghanistan's eastern province of Khost on Friday, on the eve of the country's presidential election, police said.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has become a father again at the age of 56 after his wife gave birth to their third child in India.

The brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Thursday dropped out of the country's election and endorsed Zalmai Rassoul, a move widely seen as signalling the current leader's prefered choice of successor.

The next president of Afghanistan will sign a security pact with the United States despite the refusal of outgoing leader Hamid Karzai, Secretary of State John Kerry confidently predicted.

President Barack Obama told Hamid Karzai on Tuesday that he is now planning for a full US troop withdrawal because of the Afghan leader's repeated refusal to sign a security pact.

Afghanistan released 65 alleged Taliban fighters from jail on Thursday despite condemnation from the United States, which says the men could return to the battlefield to launch strikes against NATO and Afghan forces.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai suspects the United States may have backed insurgent-style attacks to undermine his government but has no evidence to support his theory.

Barack Obama insisted Monday he had faith in the Afghan war mission after former Pentagon chief Robert Gates charged the president lacked passion for military action and soured on his own troop surge.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Monday condemned the NATO mission in his country for causing "a lot of suffering" without delivering any gains.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai flew into Islamabad on Monday for key talks with Pakistan's newly elected government, searching for communication with Taliban insurgents to end 12 years of war.
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