The French president François Hollande continued his whirlwind introduction to office yesterday with a snap visit to Afghanistan to defend his early withdrawal of French troops.

Latest fatal attack brings the number of UK military killed in the Afghan conflict to 414

Finance Minister says auditors were negligent in signing off Kabul Bank accounts

Seven die in Kabul attack as US President says he will not keep American troops 'in harm's way'

President Barack Obama slipped into Afghanistan under the cover of darkness last night on the anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden to sign an agreement cementing US commitment to the nation after American combat troops leave.

The US-Afghan relationship is about to be battered by its fourth crisis in four months. American troops have this year inadvertently burned Korans, massacred Afghan villagers, and been filmed urinating on Taliban corpses. And now there are more shocking photos of troops cavorting with corpses. This is hardly the basis for trust and friendship.

Raids on diplomats' homes in Kabul raise serious doubts about West's exit strategy

François Hollande's promise to withdraw troops this year means Nato allies may have to fill the gap

A stolen vehicle was driven onto the runway of the main British base in Afghanistan then burst into flames as US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta arrived there today.

US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta arrived in Afghanistan today to meet troops, commanders and Afghan government officials just days after a US soldier allegedly went on a deadly shooting spree.

More Nato troops are wounded as details emerge about Pakistani training of killer who struck at Interior Ministry

President Barack Obama apologised today for the burning of copies of the Muslim holy book at a US military base this week, as violent protests raging nationwide led a man dressed in an Afghan army uniform to kill two US troops.

More than 2,000 angry Afghans have gathered outside a US airbase to protest against the inadvertent burning of Korans and other Islamic religious materials.

More than 3,000 civilians were killed in the war in Afghanistan in 2011, the fifth year in a row the number has risen, according to the United Nations in a report likely to revive tension between the Afghan government and its Western backers.