Afghan president grieves murdered brother

Thousands of people gathered in southern Afghanistan today to mourn the death of Afghan President Hamid Karzai's powerful half- brother, who was assassinated in his home by a bodyguard.

The president, joined by tribal leaders, government officials and others, attended a prayer service in Kandahar this morning and then travelled to the nearby village of Karz to bury Ahmed Wali Karzai.

The assassination yesterday leaves a dangerous power vacuum in the south as the government pursues peace talks with insurgents ahead of a US withdrawal.

Two members of the Afghan intelligence service travelling to the funeral with Helmand provincial governor Gulab Mangal were injured when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Kandahar's Maiwand district.