Afghan polls postponed to September

Afghanistan’s presidential and parliamentary elections, planned for June, will be held in September, President Hamid Karzai said on Sunday, as fresh attacks underlined security worries behind the delay.

The decision on September polls came after the UN said both the elections could not be held in June, as outlined in an international agreement that brought Karzai to power in late 2001. Instead, the UN and Afghan authorities had recommended both elections be held in September.