17 August 2009 - In a country where regime change has often been violent the appearance of incumbent President Hamid Karzai in a live televised debate must have come as a surprise to many Afghans.

17 August 2009 - One and a half hours north outside Afghanistan’s capital city of Kabul is the peaceful province of Parwan.

There are 324,000 registered voters here for the forthcoming presidential and provincial council elections on 20 August.

KABUL - The Independent Election Commission is continuing to roll out its training programmes across Afghanistan for the presidential and provincial council elections on 20 August.