Afghan women activists on Thursday demonstrated against the apparent growth of violence against women across the country, calling for more action from the government.

The demonstration began around 9:00am with a march from Darul Aman Palace to the front of Parliament, with women carrying signs and placards as the shouted slogans to end the violence.

"We want justice – enough with the violence. We want the government to bring the perpetrators of these incidents to court," protestor Mashaal told TOLOnews.

The demonstrators said forced marriages, child marriages, beheadings, beatings, and rape were all on the rise in recent months in Afghanistan, and not enough was done to ensure justice.

Meanwhile Human Rights Watch researcher in Afghanistan Heather Barr said that on this day there were demonstrations all over the world to combat violence against women.

"In many countries, almost every country around the world, men and women are joining together to have demonstrations and protest the violence against women," she told TOLOnews.

The latest statistics on violence are shocking, with the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission saying that over 3147 cases were reported in Afghanistan in the first nine months of the current Persian year (Mar-Dec 2012).

"We want education. We want equal rights. These are our legal rights," activist Nahid Mahbob told TOLOnews at the demonstration.

Many of the protestors said that despite the government speaking out about violence and knowing of several cases, nothing has been done to correct these situations.

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The Afghan army is training female special forces members to take part in night raids against insurgents as foreign combat troops take a back seat ahead of their eventual departure at the end of 2014.

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New Delhi will host the second trilateral dialogue with Afghanistan and US on February 19, the US State Department said Friday.

The meeting will focus on co-operation between the three countries post-2014 when the US forces are scheduled to hand over control for security operations to Afghan troops, the State Department said in a statement.

The US delegation, led by Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Robert Blake, will include the Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"The United States, India and Afghanistan all share a common vision for a strong, peaceful, and prosperous region and have pledged to work together on common challenges and opportunities including combating violent extremism, strengthening cultural exchanges and increasing regional trade and economic integration," the State Department said.

"The trilateral reflects our mutual commitments to transparency and coordination as Afghanistan continues with it ongoing security, economic and political transitions," it added.

The meeting closely follows the trilateral meeting between Afghanistan, Pakistan and Britain last month.

The first trilateral consultation with India and the US took place in New York City on September 25.

The US President Barack Obama on Tuesday night said that over the next year 34,000 US troops will withdraw from Afghanistan.

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President Hamid Karzai on Saturday said that Afghan security forces should no longer call on the US or Nato for air support during military operations following the reported deaths of 10 civilians in an airstrike intended to strike insurgents.

"Today I announce that no [Afghan] military institution under any conditions can call for foreign air support in the country," Karzai said in a speech at the National Military Academy in Kabul.

Emphasising his seriousness, Karzai added that a presidential decree will be issued in this regard in the near future.

At least 10 civilians of eastern Kunar province were reportedly killed in an airstrike conducted during a joint Afghan and Isaf military operation the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The raid, which took place in the Shigal district, was condemned by Karzai, who expressed his condolences to the families and said the Afghan authorities would further investigate.

Karzai summoned the newly-appointed top US and Isaf commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Joseph Dunford, to his presidential palace on Thursday to answer for the incident.

Isaf released a statement Thursday saying Dunford met with Karzai "to provide his insights into the Afghan and coalition forces partnered operation".

Dunford explained that "the coalition takes all allegations of civilian casualties seriously, and that we are conducting an assessment of the circumstances surrounding this incident. Gen. Dunford is committed to providing the results of that assessment to President Karzai once complete," the statement said.

The coalition will also meet with local village elders and "the families of those who may have been harmed during this operation in order to personally express our condolences", it added.

"We understand that protecting Afghan civilians is the cornerstone of our mission here in Afghanistan," Isaf said. "Gen. Dunford reaffirmed the coalition's commitment to taking every step possible to ensure that we conduct our operations in a way that further reduces the number of civilian casualties."

Afghanistan's neighbours do not want the country to have a strong army, President Hamid Karzai said Saturday, blaming the regional nations for abetting insurgency.

Speaking at the National Military Academy in Kabul, Karzai said that growth in Afghanistan has been undermined by external players who do not want to see it strengthen.

"In our region, they don't want that Afghanistan has a strong army," he said.

In order for the Afghan army to take overall responsibility for security this coming spring, it needs to be strong. But it is beset by constant attacks from insurgents.

Karzai believes that the anti-government forces are being helped by regional nations.

"Their aim is that Afghanistan should have a weak government, Afghanistan should not be owner of a strong army and system, so they misuse our ignorant sons," he said.

Afghanistan faces two key transitions in 2014 – a security and a political transition. Karzai sought to reassure Afghans who are afraid for year ahead with a more optimistic outlook.

"[The year] 2014 will be a new spring for Afghans, like the day when we celebrate a new year," he said.

Minister of Defense Bismillah Mohammadi also addressed the Academy, emphasising the abilities of the Afghan National Security Forces to take over from the US-led forces.

"After 2014 the situation will not get worse. Afghan forces are able to take security responsibility," he said.

A 19-year-old girl has been killed allegedly after ill-treatment and beating at the hands of her family in northern Parwan province, local officials said.

Samani Dunia Zakiri, who was buried Friday, worked in a private radio station in the province, but had not been allowed to attend work for at least a month, a local official told TOLOnews on the condition of anonymity.

"There were signs of beatings on her body. Her family had not let her to go to work in the past month," the source told TOLOnews.

But the family of the girl claim she died Thursday night from a stroke.

Parwan director of women's affairs Shah Jahan Yazdan Parast said that the women's department has started investigations into the girl's death.

"We are in talks with officials in the provincial hospital and we are waiting for the medical reports," Yazdan Parast said.

The local police have not commented yet on the incident.

Zakiri's death happened the same day that scores of protestors marched on Parliament in Kabul to protest against domestic violence and the government inaction to pursue perpetrators of such crimes.

Austria's foreign minister visited Afghanistan for the first time on Saturday and assured Afghan leaders of his country's assistance for the transitional years ahead.

Michael Spindelegger is also the first Austrian foreign minister to visit Afghanistan in around 50 years. He said his visit comes amid efforts to better understand the needs of Afghans to make sure Austria is getting its assistance right.

"We've also been discussing about refugees coming from Afghanistan every year to Austria, and we agreed to start with negotiations immediately just to see what we could do more to keep Afghan people in Afghanistan, from not going outside and asking in Europe, especially in Austria, for a new life," he said Saturday in Kabul.

Pledging financial support, Spindelegger said Austria will support training for Afghan police forces, the peace process, and the upcoming elections. He is also looking into more economic cooperation between the two nations.

"We are going to spend from 2013 on, every year, 6 million euros (US$8m) just to help police forces in the country, which are really in the position to bring security to the people of Afghanistan. We are very proud of this wonderful cooperation with Afghanistan," he said at the press conference.

"The new starting point we would like to have with Afghanistan is more economic ties. So we will start to see what we could do in this cooperation," he added.

Afghan foreign minister Zalmai Rassoul said at the press briefing that Austria's assistance in the past ten years has been very effective.

"Over the past decade, Austria has helped a lot in sectors of military, education, and reconstruction. This country has now assured another 18 million euros in aid to Afghanistan. We have had good discussions based on our bilateral relations which have been very beneficial to our country," he said.

France will support the Afghan National Security Forces in the years after 2014, the French Interior Minister said Saturday during his two-day visit to Kabul.

Manuel Valls said that France is ready to help strengthen the Afghan security forces in its fight on four defence fronts: drugs, public order, criminal activity, and insecurity from insurgents.

A consultative French military forces team will come to train Afghan forces in Kabul, paving the way for Afghan soldiers to also receive further training in Paris.

"We promise our aids especially in four sections. We will help in fighting against narcotics, [training] public order police, criminal police and the improvement of the security section," Valls said in a joint press conference with his Afghan counterpart.

Afghan Interior Minister Mujtaba Patang welcomed France's pledge to support Afghanistan after 2014.

French troops were deployed in Afghanistan for 11 years until the end of 2012.

Only one company filed an offer for New Kabul Bank by today's deadline, the Ministry of Finance said Saturday, despite claiming earlier in the week that as many as eight companies were interested in the sale.

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Most of Afghanistan's senators have travelled to India for an eight-day training programme on improving skills related to governance.

The move has been criticised by the former head of the Parliament's international relations committee Mir Ahmad Joyenda who described it as "ridiculous" and potentially damaging to ties with neighbouring Pakistan.

Joyenda, now chairman for the Foundation for Culture and Civil Society, said the visit was "exceptional" and may be interpreted by others as a sign of Afghanistan's dependency on India – to the detriment of other diplomatic relationships.

"There has been no such thing in the history of the parliament. It's so ridiculous that 90 senators of a country would travel to another country for training," he told TOLOnews.

"This act will boost tensions and invoke negative competition from Pakistan against Afghanistan," he added.

All of the Afghan senators were invited to attend the programme, however only 12 are understood to not have attended.

"The visit was decided by both countries. It's believed to be very important for exchanging parliamentary experiences between both sides. There is training within the programme on the process of approving laws, budgets, and other parliamentarian tasks," Senator Hafez Abdulqayyoum told TOLOnews.

It is believed India has covered all the expenses for the programme. Other analysts have remarked that it would be better if trainers visited India and the training was brought to Afghanistan.

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Afghanistan's neighbours do not want the country to have a strong army, President Hamid Karzai said Saturday, blaming the regional nations for abetting insurgency.

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Three police officers have been killed and four others kidnapped in two separate insurgent attacks, local officials said Sunday.

Two policemen were killed on Saturday night and four others injured in Shiberghan, the capital of northern Jawizjan province, when a police vehicle hit a roadside bomb, provincial security official Sayed Zaman Hussiani told TOLOnews.

The bomb detonated in the Khaja Burhan area of the city, he said, adding that the victims have been taken to a nearby hospital.

No group including the Taliban has claimed responsibility for the blast.

A third policeman was killed and another was injured in a Taliban attack in western Herat province, local officials said.

The incident took place Saturday night in the Islam Qala highway of the province when a group of Taliban insurgents attacked a police checkpost.

Officials said they also took two police with them and a search is underway to find them, they added.

The Taliban has not made any comment about the hostages or the attack.

President Hamid Karzai on Saturday said that Afghan security forces should no longer call on the US or Nato for air support during military operations following the reported deaths of 10 civilians in an airstrike intended to strike insurgents.

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Lack of job opportunities and low incomes are causing more people to turn to drugs, officials in northern Faryab province have claimed.

Faryab Governor Mohammadullah Batash said that many young people who leave the province looking for work return as addicts.

Meanwhile, the local rehabilitation hospital with only 20 beds is almost always full.

"We are concerned about the addicts in Faryab. They are increasing day by day because of the lack of employment opportunities and projects," Batash told TOLOnews Saturday.

Public Health Department chief Dr Alim Halim cited the same reasons.

"The lack of jobs for work in the province causes people to go Iran and other countries for work so they become addicts there," he said.

The main place addicts can receive treatment is in the 20-bed hospital dedicated to treating addicts in Faryab's capital Maimana.

"I made the mistake of becoming addicted so we've come here to regain our health through the help of God and the doctors in the hospital," one of the addicts in the hospital told TOLOnews.

The hospital says it has treated more than 4000 addicts including women and children since it was established five years ago.

Local officials in southern Zabul province said Sunday that the budget for a new provincial airport is insufficient to complete the construction, but they will begin building it anyway.

The Ministry of Finance has allocated US$1million for the airport which is expected to be built in the coming year, however local officials told TOLOnews that "it is not enough for a standard airport".

Nevertheless, construction on the project will begin.

"We will try to have an airport in the province and very soon we will start the construction work," acting provincial chief Mohammad Jan Rasouliar said.

Zabul member of Parliament Hamidullah Tokhi said they have requested from the Ministry of Transport and Aviation to build the airport because the residents of Zabul were facing major transport problems.

"We are in talks with the Ministry of Transportation and Aviation to start the work. We have been speaking to the government and we convinced them to build an airport for the residents of the province," he said.

The construction of an airport is expected to play an important role in development in the province and lessen threats from insurgents faced by residents and traders on the highways.

Telecom towers have been damaged or destroyed by insurgent attacks around 300 times in the past decade – an average of more than two attacks a month, the Afghan Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) said Sunday.

MCIT minister Amirzai Sangeen said the government has managed to repair most of the damage, but there are still constant threats.

Speaking at the annual coordination conference for provincial communication departments, the minister called on the provincial department chiefs to prevent sales of unregistered SIM cards and the use of illegal SIM boxes.

Pointing out some of the other challenges facing the communications sector across Afghanistan, Sangeen said that following a decision made in coordination with communications companies, in the future SIM cards will be sold inactivated, and the customer will need to register their SIM to use it.

In addition, the Afghanistan Telecom Regulatory Authority (ATRA) and heads of provincial communication departments are going to step up surveillance of internet cafes to block unauthorised websites, he said.

"As our representatives in the provinces, you have to seriously inspect this issue, to check which company's SIM cards are being sold illegally, and you have to arrest them. You have to show which branch it is, and shut it down with the help of police. ATRA will also cooperate with you over this matter," Sangeen told those at the meeting.

A number of provincial communication heads working in parts of the country which are considered insecure did not comment on the manner of services of communication companies, with some even saying that there are no communication service problems in their provinces.

"There are no specific problems in the southwest that is obstructing our developments. But the head of communications in the southwest has asked for an increased budget which is to be resolved soon," head of Helmand communications, Omidullah Zaheer, said.

According to the communications minister, Afghan TV broadcasts will soon be transferred to digital, and an independent satellite will be launched to improve the country's telecommunication sector.