Death toll in Afghan suicide attack jumps to 19: officials

A suicide attack on protesters in eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday killed at least 19 people, officials said, as an uptick in violence across the country dampens hopes for peace talks and elections.

Another 57 people were wounded in the blast in Nangarhar province, where demonstrators had blocked a highway in protest over the appointment of a local police chief, provincial governor spokesman Ataullah Khogyani said.