W O R L D

Afghan Defence Minister escapes assassination bid

Kabul, September 10 Gunmen opened fire on a vehicle belonging to Afghan Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak today after he had got out, and shortly afterwards a helicopter carrying the army chief crash-landed.

Afghan Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak (C) attends a ceremony marking the fourth anniversary of slain mujahideen guerrilla leader Ahmad Shah Masood, in the Kabul stadium, on Saturday.— Reuters photo

G-20 asks West to eliminate subsidies
Bhurban (Pakistan), September 10
India and other members of the G-20 group of developing countries today put the ball in the developed countries court by saying that the success of multilateral trade talks depended on their commitment to abolish trade distorting subsidies.

Bush recalls 9/11 attacks on eve of 4th anniversary
Washington, September 10
US President George W Bush today said the terrorists who killed thousands of innocent people could not defeat the spirit of the nation as the tragedy was overcome by "displays of selflessness, courage and compassion."

Rebuilt temple in Canada is symbol against hate
Vancouver, September 10
A temple in the Canadian province of British Columbia that was destroyed in hate crimes following the 9/11 terror bombings in the US has been rebuilt and will be inaugurated Sunday, four years later.

Hosni Mubarak wins vote, loses trust
Cairo, September 10
Less than a fifth of the electorate voted for the incumbent Hosni Mubarak in Egypt’s presidential poll, curtailing the veteran leader’s legitimacy as he kicks off his last mandate.

• 13 die in Congo plane crash
• Maoists kidnap 100 students

A US soldier hugs an Iraqi boy at a refugee camp near the northern town of Tal Afar on Friday. Iraqi and US forces have launched an attack on Tal Afar to rid it of suspected terrrorists, Iraq’s Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari said on Saturday. A US army official said civilians had been evacuated from the town as military operations have been stepped up. — Reuters

Afghan Defence Minister escapes assassination bid

Kabul, September 10
Gunmen opened fire on a vehicle belonging to Afghan Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak today after he had got out, and shortly afterwards a helicopter carrying the army chief crash-landed.

No one was seriously hurt in either incident and it was not clear if there was a link between the two incidents, officials said.

The attack on Wardak came just over a week before parliamentary elections, the next big step in Afghanistan’s difficult path to stability.

Four gunmen opened fire on his vehicle shortly after he had left the airport by helicopter, the Defence Ministry said.

“The minister is safe. He had already left the airport by helicopter when the attack took place,” said ministry spokesman Zahir Azimi, describing the attack as a bungled attempt to assassinate the minister.

The gunmen — who were wearing military uniforms — were arrested, he said.

A short time later, a helicopter taking off in the Panjsher valley to the north of Kabul, where officials were attending a memorial ceremony with Wardak, crashed after taking off.

Among those on board was army chief General Bismillah Khan, another defence ministry official said.

The helicopter’s engine failed and it crashed, said ministry official Sayed Hussain.

“Thank God there are no casualties,” he said.

Asked if the incidents were connected, the officials said they had no additional information.

The Defence Minister travelled to the Panjsher valley with other officials to attend a ceremony in remembrance of Afghan national hero Ahmad Shah Masood, who was assassinated on September 9, 2001. — Reuters

G-20 asks West to eliminate subsidies

Bhurban (Pakistan), September 10
India and other members of the G-20 group of developing countries today put the ball in the developed countries court by saying that the success of multilateral trade talks depended on their commitment to abolish trade distorting subsidies.

At the end of the two-day G-20 ministerial meeting in this resort town of Pakistan, Brazilian Foreign Minister Salsoluiz Nunes Amoriam said the group would consider aggressive measures like boycott of WTO negotiations if the “industrialised world does not respond to our call.”

A declaration issued after the two-day meeting asked developed nations, mainly EU and the USA, to respond in a constructive manner and show positive response to its proposal.

The G-20 also asserted that market access for products of export interest to developing countries should not be impeded by the use of non-tariff barriers by developed countries.

Stressing that it should be ensured that least developing countries made meaningful gains from reform of each of the three pillars (domestic support, export subsidies and market access), the Ministers expressed support for provisions exempting them from any reduction commitments.

Though only five countries sent their ministers to the meeting, it got a shot in the arm with the participation of the least developed countries (LDS) coordinator and Zambian Trade Minister Deepak Patel.

To accommodate the LDC countries’ interest, the G-20 also called for urgently addressing the concerns of the cotton producing countries, particularly those in Africa. — PTI

Bush recalls 9/11 attacks on eve of 4th anniversary

Washington, September 10
US President George W Bush today said the terrorists who killed thousands of innocent people could not defeat the spirit of the nation as the tragedy was overcome by "displays of selflessness, courage and compassion."

He also took note of the havoc wrought by hurricane Katrina in his weekly radio address, saying that today the US "is confronting another disaster that has caused destruction and loss of life. About the 9/11 attacks, Bush said every American has memories of that day that will never leave them. "We remember the images of fire and terror at the Pentagon, in Pennsylvania, and in the heart of New York City."

"We remember the courage of the police ,the firefighters and the rescue personnel who rushed into burning buildings to save lives, knowing they might never emerge. And we remember the victims -- moms and dads, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives -- and the loved ones they left behind," President Bush said.

"As the night fell on September 11, 2001," he said, "we felt grief and great sorrow. Yet we also saw that, while the terrorists could kill the innocent, they could not defeat the spirit of our nation

"But above all, we remember the resolve of our nation to defend our freedom, rebuild a wounded city, and care for our neighbours in need." About hurricane Katrina, the President said it flattened entire towns along the US Gulf Coast and left one of America's "most storied" cities under water.

"Tens of thousands have lost homes and loved ones and all their earthly possessions. The storm took countless lives and forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee from their communities with no assurance of returning soon. "

"Once more our hearts ache for our fellow citizens, and many are left with questions about the future. Yet we are again being reminded that adversity brings out the best in the American spirit," he said. — PTI

Rebuilt temple in Canada is symbol against hate

Vancouver, September 10
A temple in the Canadian province of British Columbia that was destroyed in hate crimes following the 9/11 terror bombings in the US has been rebuilt and will be inaugurated Sunday, four years later.

Called Project Elimination of Hate Crime, the temple located in Hamilton, will be inaugurated at a public function.

The temple, destroyed on September 15, 2001, has become known as the Canadian Ground Zero and received donations from across the globe, the South Asian Observer newspaper here reported.

Multi-faith groups from Hamilton and the surroundings joined hands to rebuild the temple and eliminate hate crimes from the face of the world. The project also initiated programmes to heal victims of such crimes. — IANS

Hosni Mubarak wins vote, loses trust

Cairo, September 10
Less than a fifth of the electorate voted for the incumbent Hosni Mubarak in Egypt’s presidential poll, curtailing the veteran leader’s legitimacy as he kicks off his last mandate.

According to the official results of Egypt’s first contested presidential election announced by the electoral commission today, Hosni Mubarak mustered a whopping 88.5 per cent of the vote.

But in the same way that his score exceeded most expectations, the turnout rate of 23 per cent was lower than predicted by many observers.

“The central phenomenon of this election is the slump in turnout. It had always been low but this figure is very significant,” political analyst Mohammed Said Sayed said.

Less than 20 per cent of the electorate cast their ballot in favour of the leader who has already ruled Egypt for 24 years. These 6.3 million voters also represent less than 10 per cent of the country’s total population.

“It (the turnout) points to a total indifference towards the election. We can say there was a boycott of the election. The message is clear, it’s a vote of no-confidence for Mubarak and the regime,” said Mr Sayed from the Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies.— AFP 

13 die in Congo plane crash

Brazzaville, September 10
A plane crashed north of the Republic of Congo capital, killing 13 passengers and crew, including four Ukrainians, officials said today. The ‘Ukrainian-built Antonov 26, went down 50 km north of Brazzaville yesterday afternoon, government spokesman Alain Akoula said.

Rescue workers found 13 bodies, including the four-person Ukrainian crew, he said. The cause of the crash was not immediately clear.

The plane had taken off from an airstrip in Congo’s Equateur province and was bound for that country’s capital, Kinshasa, after flying over the eastern territory of the Republic of Congo. — AP

Maoists kidnap 100 students

Kathmandu, September 10
Maoist rebels have abducted more than 100 students from around 12 schools of Myagdi district in western Nepal, the police said today. The rebels did not give any reason for abducting the students, local teachers said. The incident comes a week after the Maoists declared a three-month unilateral ceasefire. — PTI