News of the Day for Sunday, June 10, 2012

As it is confirmed that four NATO troops killed by a suicide bomber on Saturday were French, new French president Francois Hollande dispatches his defense minister to Afghanistan and vows to begin withdrawing French troops next month. Of five soldiers who were also wounded in the attack in Kapisa province, three are in critical condition.

Following the death of 18 civilians in a NATO airstrike in Logar province on Wednesday, president Karzai summons NATO commander John Allen to the presidential palace. Karzai says the action was in violation of the strategic agreement between NATO and Afghanistan; Allen pledges that NATO will no longer conduct air strikes on Afghan homes.

Taliban order schools closed for three days in Baraki Barak, the district where the fatal air strike happened. Most schools did close in response to the order.

A civilian is killed in Kunar province in a barrage of 20 rockets, which the provincial governor and residents say were launched from across the border by the Pakistani military. "Residents of eastern Kunar province believe that Pakistan is trying to foment insecurity in the country. Parliamentary members from the neighboring province of Nangarhar joined the cause Kunar residents, saying that according to Afghanistan's long term strategic agreement with the US and other western countries, it was their duty to help defend Afghanistan against outsiders' attacks." Note: The United States heavily finances the Pakistani military. -- C

Fire that destroys a school in Kabul is believed to be arson.

A Pakistani woman is held in connection with poisoning of schoolgirls in Takhar province. She was working as a physician but may have been doing so fraudulently. Now that's kinda strange. -- C

U.S. sets up a radio station in Kunar province, allows uncensored political discussion by callers.