Greek as Athens Burns

Greece’s parliament approved a deeply unpopular austerity bill on Monday to secure a second bailout and avoid national bankruptcy, as buildings burned across central Athens and violence spread around the country.

Greece’s parliament approved a deeply unpopular austerity bill on Monday to secure a second bailout and avoid national bankruptcy, as buildings burned across central Athens and violence spread around the country.

A suicide bomber struck a crowd of Shiite worshippers at a mosque in Kabul on Tuesday, killing at least 55 people in the deadliest of two attacks on a Shiite holy day — the first major sectarian assaults since the fall of the Taliban a decade ago.

MAZAR-I-SHARIF Four people were killed and 20 others wounded in a bomb explosion in northern Balkh province on Tuesday, officials said.

Sweden will remain in Afghanistan 15 years beyond 2014, Swedish ambassador in development affairs, Henrik Landerholm said.

Five suspected Taliban were detained in a joint operation launched in the southern Helmand province, the governor’s office said in a statement.

A number of thieves and kidnappers were arrested in police operations last week in the southern Kandahar province, police said.

Two local commanders of the Taliban were killed in a sweeping operation in the eastern Paktika province, governor Mohebullah Samim told Veterans to day Reporter Rashidi.

Seven Pakistani citizens working a relief organization named NASPAK, were kidnapped by a group of unknown armed men in the eastern Logar province, police said.

Unknown individuals sprayed acid onto a woman and her four daughters in the northern Konduz province, an official said.

Unknown individuals sprayed acid onto a woman and her four daughters in the northern Konduz province, an official said.

The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) will review the methods of force usage against the insurgents in Afghanistan, ISAF commander Gen. John Allen assured President Karzai by sending a letter.

President Karzai called poppy cultivation and drugs trafficking as big calamity for Afghanistan, saying that his administration makes efforts for the removal, presidential press office said in a statement.

Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar called the narcotics as the biggest threat before the region and the world.

The Afghan – US strategic concord will be signed after the Bonn Second Conference, foreign ministry spokesman Janan Musazai told reporters.

13 Taliban militants were killed while 17 more were detained in the series of sweeping operations conducted by police, ministry of interior said in a statement.

Ten Pakistani militants were killed in an overnight air and ground offensive by Afghan and NATO-led troops in eastern Kunar province, officials said on Saturday.

Six militants were arrested by police over the past 24 hours in Uruzgan, Logar and Khost provinces, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) said on Friday.

A district police chief and a passer-by were wounded in a roadside bombing in northern Sar-i-Pul province on Friday, an official said.

Eight militants were arrested in two separate sweeping operations in the southern Kandahar province, the provincial office said in a statement.

President Karzai called the Silk Route as vital for Afghanistan’s economy, emphasizing for its revival.

Local officials, military commanders and a large number of people gathered in Dand district of the southern Kandahar province to explain fully support of the government peace process.

The national army with the cooperation of the national police has launched seven sweeping operations in the eastern and southern provinces, defense ministry spokesman Zaher Azimi told reporters.

The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Commander Gen. John Allen commended the performance of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) during the Loya Jirga (Grand Assembly) days.

The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon consulted President Karzai on the appointment of the UN new special representative to Afghanistan, presidential press office said in a statement.

The Swedish ambassador promised on Monday his country would continue supporting Afghanistan beyond 2014 when all foreign troops are scheduled to pull out.

Foreign soldiers detained four local civilians in the eastern Paktya province, police said.

10 Taliban fighters were killed and seven others were wounded in joint army and police operation in the eastern Nooristan province, governor spokesman Mohammad Zarrin told Veterans to day Reporter Rashidi.

Five policemen were killed and wounded in a foreign troops operation in the southern Ghazni province, police said.

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle landed Kabul airport for an official visit, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Janan Musazai told Rashidi Veterans to day Reporter.

The Loya Jirga (Grand Assembly) on its third work day discussed the peace process acceleration, asking the governments of Afghanistan and the US to pressure Pakistan for reaching peace and stability.