http://news.smh.com.au

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has appealed for calm after clashes in several cities between Afghan security forces and protesters furious over the burning of Muslim holy books at a US military base left seven people dead.

The anger over the Koran burning has sparked two days of protests across Afghanistan and tapped into anti-foreign sentiment fuelled by a popular perception that US and Western troops disrespect Afghan culture and Islam. The demonstrations prompted the US to lock down its embassy and bar its staff from travelling.

The Afghan Interior Ministry said in a statement that seven people were killed - four in clashes in the eastern province of Parwan, one at a US base outside Kabul, and one each in Jalalabad and Logar provinces. It said an investigation was under way to determine what happened...READ MORE