BBC News with David Legge
One of the top hotels in the Afghan capital Kabul, the Intercontinental, has come under attack. At least 10 people have been killed. Bilal Sarwary in Kabul has the latest details.
An Afghan intelligence official in the hotel also told me that three of the attackers have
managed to
detonate
their suicide vests, the first one in the second floor, where the rooms are. The second one has(have口误) detonated his explosive vest on the front gate, and the third one at the
backside
of the hotel. The Afghan intelligence official also said that the insurgents had chosen a late hour in the night when rear guards were relaxed. He also said that the electricity at the hotel had gone and that he had advised all guests not to open their room[s] to anyone.
The International Monetary Fund has appointed a new managing director. She is Christine Lagarde, who's currently the French finance minister and was chosen
by consensus
among the IMF board. Ms Lagarde becomes the first female head of one of the world's top financial bodies. Her appointment became almost certain earlier in the day when the United States, the IMF's biggest contributor, publicly announced its support. Her predecessor Dominique Strauss-Kahn resigned after facing serious sex charges. The British Chancellor George Osborne says he's delighted at Christine Lagarde's appointment.
"Well, I think Christine Lagarde was the best person for the job. That's why Britain proposed her. I'm delighted she's won. She's smart, she's intelligent, she's tough, and she knows how to get people together to fix a problem. And at the moment, there are lots of countries with problems because they can't pay their debts, so the world is, I think, going to be well served by having Christine Lagarde at the head of the IMF."