Karzai sworn in as leader, vows to fight graft

Kabul's streets were deserted early on Thursday with armoured vehicles blocking off major roads. Security officers even stopped people from walking on the streets.

The government declared Thursday a holiday and reporters were barred from attending the swearing-in ceremony.

Karzai was installed by the United States and its Afghan allies in 2001. He won a full term in the country's first democratic presidential election in 2004.

(Additional reporting by Jonathon Burch, Peter Graff and Yousuf Azimy; Editing by Paul Tait)