M A I N   N E W S

Palestinians celebrate

Nablus (West Bank), September 11
Hundreds of Palestinians distributed sweets in this West Bank city to celebrate a series of aircraft attacks on two major US cities today.

The Palestinian President, Mr Yasser Arafat, condemned the attacks which levelled the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York and struck the Pentagon in Washington.

Palestinians who have often burned US flags in protests during their 11-month-old uprising against Israeli occupation celebrated in the streets of Arab East Jerusalem. Reuters

Prices of gold, oil soar

London, September 11
World gold and crude oil prices rose sharply in response to the two plane crashes at the World Trade Center in New York and explosions at the Pentagon today.

All US financial and commodity markets, including New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Stock Market, were closed.

While gold prices in London rose sharply by $ 20 to $ 290 an ounce, oil jumped up by over $ 3 to breach the $ 31 a barrel mark amidst apprehensions that the crude price could escalate up to $ 40 per barrel.

The upsurge in prices of yellow metal and black gold could severely impact India which imports about 600 tonnes of gold annually and over 70 million tonnes of crude a year. Gold is expected to open in Indian markets at around Rs 5000 per 10 gm as against today’s closing of Rs 4400 per 10 gm, market analysts said. PTI

Rupee may slide further
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 11
The devastating attacks on the World Trade Center, which houses the New York stock exchange and offices of several major corporations, has sent stock and currency markets across the world into a tailspin.

The Indian rupee, which is already on a downward trend, is likely to be adversely affected thereby having wide ramifications on the Indian trade scenario. Five India companies — ICICI Bank, ICICI Ltd, Wipro, Dr Reddy’s Lab, and VSNL — are listed in the New York Stock Exchange, while three others — Satyam Infoway, Rediff.com and Satyam Computers — are listed on Nasdaq.