In Afghanistan, at least 17 people have been killed and 30 injured in a suicide bomb blast in the capital, Kabul. The dead include four Indians, a Frenchman, an Italian and two policemen. The main blast was followed by several smaller ones, and gunfire was heard on the streets. Afghan police say they shot dead two attackers. The blast happened near the nine-storey Kabul City Center shopping area, close to the Safi Landmark Hotel, mostly used by Indians. Parts of the city have been sealed off. A spokesman for the Taliban contacted news agencies to say its fighters were responsible for the attack.