Washington, D. C, Jan. 20 : A new era would begin in the history of United States in a few moments from now with Barack Hussein Obama taking oath of office and secrecy at the steps of Capitol at (1700 GMT) as the 44th President of the United States of America.

Ahead of the ceremony the President-elect visited St. George Church here for a private prayer service.

He will take charge as the first African American to be elected President of the United States by replacing George W. Bush.

Kabul - Two policemen were killed in a roadside bomb in the southern city of Kandahar, while three other police officers were killed and seven others were presumably abducted by Taliban militants in western Afghanistan, officials said Tuesday.

In the latest attack, a bomb loaded on a parked bicycle was remotely detonated in Kandahar city, the capital for the province of the same name, when a police vehicle was passing by on Tuesday, said Zelmai Ayoubi, spokesman for the provincial governor.

"The enemy attack killed two policemen and wounded one policeman and one civilian," he said, adding that the bomb was detonated by a remote control device and police forces were deployed to the area to track down the culprits.

Islamabad, Jan. 20 : Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has said that his country will not compromise on the issue of national security.

Zardari met Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Kayani here and told him that the government will not compromise on national security in any case, The Daily Times reported.

During the meeting, General Kayani briefed Zardari about the security situation in Pakistan, including the rise in tension with India.

Stockholm - Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt arrived Monday on an unannounced visit to Swedish troops based in Afghanistan, news reports said.

Sweden is this year to raise its some 400-strong force in northern Afghanistan to around 500.

Along with forces from neighbouring Finland, the Swedish forces are based in Mazar-e-Sharif in northern Afghanistan as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

Kabul - One Afghan civilian was killed and nine others including police officers were wounded in two suicide attacks and a roadside bomb blast in a town in south-eastern Afghanistan, officials said Monday.

A suicide bomber driving a explosive-filled vehicle attacked a NATO-led US military base in Khost city, the capital of the province of the same name on Monday, but caused no casualties among the troops, a NATO spokesman in Kabul said.

The Afghan interior ministry said that the blast killed one Afghan civilian and wounded six others.

Kabul - One Afghan civilian was killed and nine others, including police officers, were wounded in two suicide attacks and a roadside bomb blast in a town in south-eastern Afghanistan, officials said Monday.

A suicide bomber driving a explosive-filled vehicle attacked a NATO-led US military base in Khost city, the capital for the province of the same name, on Sunday, but caused no casualties among the troops, a NATO spokesman in Kabul said.

The Afghan interior ministry said that the blast killed one Afghan civilian and wounded six others.