Kabul, Nov 17 : Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said that he would go to “any extent” to protect the fugitive Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar in exchange for peace in the country.

Karzai said he would offer the protection even if it meant defying Afghanistan’s international partners, who could remove him from his job or leave the country in disagreement.

London, Nov 14: The Taliban have reportedly dubbed the recent executions of nine death row prisoners as “barbaric”, and made appeals to the UN, the EU, the Red Cross and human rights groups to ask the Hamid Karzai administration to abstain from such moves in future.

The nine criminals executed were involved in crimes like child molesting, kidnap, murder and insurgent attacks.

According to The Telegraph, a statement posted on a website, purportedly coming from the organisation''s leadership council, raised concerns about fair trials.

London - Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Thursday in London that he does not see security worsening in Afghanistan, even as the British death toll in the conflict rose to 124.

"Violence is not getting worse. It is the same level as it was for the past year or two. The whole effort is to make it better and to bring violence down," he said.

London, Nov. 13: Afghan President Hamid Karzai, will today brief British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on talks being held with the Taliban with the aim of ending the conflict in his country.

According to The Independent, Karzai is due to meet Brown after flying into London from New York. He has already briefed Saudi Arabian King Abdullah and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari on the issue.

Karzai is on a short visit to Britain to attend Prince Charles’ 60th birthday party and will see Brown before the latter heads for Washington for the G-20 summit.

Kabul - A US-led coalition airstrike killed 40 civilians Monday, reported Afghan authorities on Wednesday as President Hamid Karzai condemned the action.

The airstrike took place in the Shah Walikot district of southern Kandahar province on late Monday after a group of militants attacked US-led troops in the area, Rahmatuallah Raoufi, the provincial governor said.

Kabul - Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Wednesday that he hoped Barack Obama's victory in the US presidential election would bring peace for war-weary Afghans and urged the president-elect to reduce civilian casualties in Afghanistan after being sworn in.

At a press conference held in his fortified presidential palace, Karzai congratulated Obama, who defeated his Republican rival and fellow senator, John McCain.