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Enthusiastic Afghans KABUL, Oct 9: Enthusiastic Afghans defied threats of violence to turn out in large numbers for their first chance at directly choosing the leader of their.....more Bush to aid ‘moderate’ parties in Iraq election WASHINGTON, Oct 9: The Bush administration plans to give strategic advice, training and polling data to what it deems as "moderate and.....more Australian
voters head SYDNEY, Oct 9: Australians voted today in an election which offered the choice between a conservative Government that unreservedly backs the ....more Mcqueen throws down gauntlet with retrospective PARIS, Oct 9: Models are used to being the playthings of designers, make-up artists and......more |
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Rumsfeld to meet foreign defence chiefs on Iraq MANAMA, Oct 9: US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was set to meet defence chiefs from about 18 nations aboard.......more India
asked to accept NEW DELHI, Oct 9: Russia today urged India to accept credit guarantees extended by Russian banks and recognise the.....more Swiss
Monks seek homes ST BERNARD PASS, SWITZERLAND, Oct 9: Switzerland’s St Bernard rescue dogs, known for centuries for saving.....more UNSC asks
countries to UNITED NATIONS, Oct 9: Asserting that terrorism cannot be justified under any circumstances, the UN Security...more |
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Enthusiastic Afghans defy threats to vote in historic polls KABUL, Oct 9: Enthusiastic Afghans defied threats of violence to turn out in large numbers for their first chance at directly choosing the leader of their war-shattered land, hoping for an end to decades of conflict. The vote is a milestone in Afghanistan’s road to recovery after more than two decades of drought and war capped by five years of harsh rule by the Taliban Islamic fundamentalist militia, which gave sanctuary to Osama bin Laden’s Al-Aqeda network. Interim President Hamid Karzai cast his vote under tight security in the capital Kabul, saying the country would be the ultimate winner. "For the first time we are electing our President so it is not important who wins," said a cheerful Karzai. "What is important is that Afghanistan is deciding its fate. If I win or someone else, the main winner will be the Afghan nation and we will accept it." The US-backed Karzai is running against 17 other candidates, but is widely tipped to win. His chief rival is his former Education Minister Yunus Qanooni, the favourite of the powerful anti-Taliban ethnic Tajik clique of commanders. With few policies in the campaign, most Afghans were expected to vote along ethnic lines, giving Karzai a strong chance as he hails from the southern Pashtun majority, shared by the former Taliban rulers. An early hitch in which it appeared that the system used to prevent multiple voting was faulty was later declared solved by officials. In some polling stations in Kabul the ink used to mark voters’ fingers could be easily erased, but officials said inexperienced electoral workers had simply used the wrong pens. "The problem has been solved and the election will continue throughout the country," senior election official Farooq Wardak told reporters. Queues formed early at polling stations nationwide as voters expressed delight at being allowed to choose their own leader and said they wanted to put the rule of the gun behind them. The first was cast by a 19-year-old woman, a refugee in Pakistan, where polling in the world’s largest-ever refugee vote began half an hour ahead of Afghanistan because of the time difference. Around 100,000 armed security personnel, including 27,000 foreign troops from a US-led coalition and NATO, have been deployed to protect the more than 10 million registered voters. In Kabul, a 50-year-old unemployed man, Hayam Udin, told AFP: "I came here to elect my President on my own. The election marks the end of warlords and wars in my country." He said he would vote for Karzai, 46, who was chosen as interim leader by a council of tribal leaders in June 2002. In the southern city of Kandahar, a queue of about 200 voters — all men except for about seven women — wrapped themselves in cloaks as they huddled against the early morning cold at the polling station at the Governor’s residence. (AFP) |
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Bush to aid ‘moderate’ parties in Iraq election WASHINGTON, Oct 9: The Bush administration plans to give strategic advice, training and polling data to what it deems as "moderate and democratic" Iraqi political parties with candidates running in the country’s upcoming elections, Government documents show. The administration said its goal is to help the parties "compete effectively" in the campaign and "increase their support among the Iraqi people" in national, regional and provincial elections scheduled for January, according to the state department documents obtained today. The White House had no immediate comment on who would qualify for the party-building support and it was unclear from the documents who would make those determinations. Non-Governmental groups expected to take part in the efforts said they understood that religious groups and Communist parties would be eligible for help. US President George W Bush has made the upcoming elections his top priority in trying to stabilise Iraq amid a worsening insurgency and to shore up support for the war at home. Under pressure from lawmakers, the White House said last month that it would not try to influence the outcome of the elections by "covertly" helping individual candidates. Instead, the administration said it would provide "strategic advice, technical assistance, training, polling data, assistance and other forms of support" to "moderate, democratically oriented political parties," according to the documents. Bush and Iraqi Interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi have vowed to push ahead with the nationwide elections despite the violence. To clear the way, Pentagon planners and military commanders have developed a strategy aimed at retaking towns and cities controlled by insurgents, a senior administration official said. However, many experts in the private sector and in Congress are skeptical all of Iraq will be ready for elections in January. UN officials now authorize no more than 35 international staff in the country, and few of them are now working on the elections. Political-party building efforts in Iraq will be overseen by John Negroponte, the US Ambassador to Iraq, but much of the work would be done through two Non Governmental Organisations, the international republican institute and the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs. Both groups said yesterday that it was their understanding that religious groups, Communist parties and others would be eligible for US support under the program. "It’s designed to include parties that are participating in the country’s emerging political process," said Ken Wollack, president of the National Democratic Institute. Asked whether support could be extended to leaders such as rebel Shi’ite cleric Moqtada-al-Sadr, who has given mixed signals that he may be willing to disarm his militia and join a political process, international republican institute president Lorne Craner said, "if you’re a violent party outside the process, this is not the right place for you." The administration told lawmakers it will initially spend 30 million dollars on the program, which will include weekly opinion polling of Iraqis, both nationally and in provinces. The polls will be used to identify "issues of interest to the Iraqi people ... And the strengths of the various political parties and candidates." The State Department’s Intelligence Agency will spent 1 million dollars on its monthly polls to assess "which candidates and parties are attracting the most support from the Iraqi people." After lawmakers objected, the White House was forced last month to scale back a plan proposing a covert CIA operation to aid US-friendly candidates in the elections. White House officials said they were concerned that countries like Iran would try to influence the outcome. Congressional aides said similar political party-building programmes have been undertaken in Afghanistan, where the country’s US-backed President, Hamid Karzai, is the favourite to win in elections there today. The White House denies that US support and protection gives Karzai an unfair advantage. (AGENCIES) |
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Australian voters head to polls SYDNEY, Oct 9: Australians voted today in an election which offered the choice between a conservative Government that unreservedly backs the United States and its Iraq war and a Labour opposition seeking stronger ties in Asia. Voting is obligatory in Australia, and the nation’s 13 million voters were casting their ballots at more than 7,000 voting stations from the dusty outback to the Antarctic. Queues began forming early at one polling station set up in the Sydney beachside suburb of clovelly as polls opened at 0330 ist under brilliant sunny skies in Australia’s biggest city. One man cast his vote wearing only a faded red swim suit and then walked back to the beach for a swim. The result of the election should be known by late on today, with bookmakers backing Prime Minister John Howard’s conservative coalition to win a fourth straight term. A newspoll in the Australian newspaper today showed the two sides split 50-50 on a two-party preferredbasis, where minor party preferences are distributed to major parties until a winner is declared. An Acnielsen poll in the Sydney morning Herald had the Government ahead 54 percent to 46 percent. The election pits Howard, 65, a master politician seen by voters as bland but safe, against fiery 43-year-old mark Latham, who has a colourful turn of phrase but is still perceived as a relatively unknown quantity after only 10 months in the job. "It’s a tense day. I think it will be very close, I’m not taking anything for granted," Howard told reporters after taking his customary early morning walk. Both Howard and Latham voted during the morning at polling booths at primary schools in their Sydney electorates, with Latham posting an early victory when he won a meat tray in a local raffle. "It’s good to be a winner at 10.30 am on Saturday," Latham told reporters. Both leaders were greeted with plenty of support, although several voters made it known they were not fans of Howard with one woman, wearing a T-shirt that read "not happy, John", singing "shame, Howard, shame, you have dirtied our good name". "If you win, then I am moving to Europe," another young voter told Howard as he shook his hand. With a cynical, mortgage-minded electorate focusing on basic economic issues like interest rates during the six-week campaign, the only real differences between the Government and Labor have been on foreign policy and the Iraq war. Howard has refused to apologise for joining the Iraq war despite a US report earlier this week showing that intelligence used to justify the war had not been proven. "When we went to war 80 percent of the country were against it and now everyone’s basically forgotten about it," said Kate Kensell, a 25-year-old law student, who lives in Howard’s Sydney electorate of Bennelong. "I think John Howard is going to get back in because I think his scare campaign on interest rates and the economy has worked." Latham wants Australia’s 850 troops serving in and around Iraq home by Christmas, while Howard — a close ally of US President George W Bush — is adamant Australia won’t "cut and run" and that they will stay as long as they are needed. Howard sees Australia’s alliance with the United States, forged during World War 2, as "the cornerstone of our national security". Latham views the partnership as one of three foreign policy pillars, along with the United Nations and Asia. The Australian election has attracted international attention because Australia’s two Iraq war allies also soon face elections, the United States on Nov 2 and Britain in May or June. Howard’s Government held 82 seats in the outgoing 150-seat lower house of Parliament and would be out of office if it lost seven seats and the support of independents. Labor needs to win 12 seats to claim power. Politicians rarely win an outright majority under Australia’s complicated preferential voting system. Both the newspoll and Acnielsen polls had the Government well ahead on a primary vote basis, or first count of votes. (AGENCIES) |
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Mcqueen throws down gauntlet with retrospective PARIS, Oct 9: Models are used to being the playthings of designers, make-up artists and photographers who transform them at will. British designer Alexander Mcqueen turned them into pawns in a human chess game. As a robotic voice announced the moves, they sidled across a chequered catwalk yesterday, gradually eliminating each other until they reached checkmate. The game seemed to fit the rebel designer’s contemplative mood, as he traced his evolution since graduating from London’s famed Central St Martins Fashion School in 1992. Mcqueen is at a turning point following a change of management at the Italian Luxury Group Gucci, which owns his label. Maybe this was his way of explaining to the new owners at French retailer Pinault Printemps redoute what he is all about. There were shrunken schoolgirl blazers from the 2002 collection when he sent live wolves prowling down the runway, while a floorlength blush dress was embroidered with the horses from his "merry-go-round" collection the previous year. Mcqueen showed his darker side with neck-bracing leather corsets, which first appeared in a 1998 show starring handicapped model Aimee Mullins, and fetishistic moulded rubber dresses with horsehair skirts. Thigh-high leather boots were fitted with spurs, while circular skirts with lasercut patterns resembled paper doilies. Mcqueen’s exceptional skill for tailoring shone through in sculpted brocade jackets with Kimono-style collars and sleeves — similar to the one icelandic singer Bjork wore on the cover of her 1997 album "Homogenic". It came across as a "take-it-or-leave-it" statement from the designer, who took his bow to the sound of elvis presley singing: "we can’t go on together with suspicious minds." French designer Christian Lacroix was in much lighter mood, with a collection of breezy summer whites that he summed up in a single word: "dazzled". British schoolgirl Lily Cole set the tone in a white bubble coat worn over a Victorian-style Camisole and Frilly Bloomers. Slim-fitting blazers came in pastel-coloured tweed or cream brocade with splashes of fluorescent yellow and neon pink, while men were dressed in black-and-white Toile De Jouy or pinstriped suits worn with jewelled flip-flops. Lacroix showed his main line together with his diffusion bazaar and lacroix jeans ranges, so that a white denim bustier mini dress was paired with a luxurious white lace boudoir coat. Beach bags and holdalls loaded with heart-shaped pendants and rhinestone straps were sure to go down a treat with fashion editors, who this season are trimming their bags with trinkets like Prada’s Robot Keyrings. Equally desirable was a sexy scribble-print Jersey dress with a ruffled flamenco skirt — perfect for partying long, long into the night. (AGENCIES) |
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Rumsfeld to meet foreign defence chiefs on Iraq MANAMA, Oct 9: US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was set to meet defence chiefs from about 18 nations aboard a US aircraft carrier in the Gulf on Saturday as the United States looks to improve the security situation in Iraq with January elections looming. Rumsfeld arrived in Bahrain, where the US Navy’s fifth fleet is headquartered, and was due to fly to the USS John F Kennedy, where Army General George Casey, the top US commander in Iraq, was to brief the visiting defence chiefs in a video teleconference, Pentagon officials said. Rumsfeld said it was possible the Pentagon would increase the number of US troops in Iraq above the current 138,000 to bolster security in Iraq ahead of the crucial elections. But he said the decision rested with casey and Army General John Abizaid, the top American commander in the region. Speaking to reporters travelling with him on the flight from Washington, he added there could be another 40,000 trained Iraqi security forces, on top of the roughly 100,000 the Pentagon says are already on the job, by the time of the elections. Many of the Defence Chiefs who the Pentagon says have accepted invitations to the meeting are from the former Soviet bloc. The Defence Minister of Iraq’s Interim Government is also due to attend. Rumsfeld indicated the degree to which the international community provides additional troops to help firm up security will affect the US decision on sending more forces of its own. But he declined to say whether he would ask any of the visiting Defence Chiefs to contribute additional troops. "Well, obviously, we’ve been requesting the UN to send in some troops, and we’ve been out helping the UN find countries that are willing to send in troops to support the elections, just as we did in Afghanistan," Rumsfeld said. He pointed out that the United States recently sent about 1,000 additional troops to Afghanistan to help enhance security for Saturday’s landmark Presidential election there. "And to the extent that’s appropriate or needed, obviously that makes sense," Rumsfeld said of additional US troops for the Iraq election. "To the extent other countries come in and take some of that responsibility then it might not be necessary. The thing that we’ve got going in Iraq that’s very good is the fact that we’ve got a steady, growing number of security forces because the Iraqi security forces have been growing at a good clip." Countries whose Defence Chiefs have accepted invitations for the meeting include: Albania, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Mongolia, Poland, Qatar, Romania and Ukraine, the Pentagon said. US troops, Iraqi security forces and about 22,000 other foreign troops are fighting an insurgency that appears to be intensifying and spreading. The United States recently wrested Samarra from rebels but other key cities, such as Falluja, remain strongholds for the insurgents. Asked the importance of bringing Sunni Muslim cities and towns under control to allow residents to vote in the elections, Rumsfeld said: "If there’s an election in any country in the world, the goal is to have all the people of that country participate. And that’s what one does. And it doesn’t matter whether they’re Sunnis or Shia or Kurds or anything else in that country." Rumsfeld is also due to meet NATO Defence Ministers next week in Romania to discuss among other issues the alliance’s role in training and equipping Iraqi security forces. (AGENCIES) |
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India asked to accept credit guarantee by Russian banks NEW DELHI, Oct 9: Russia today urged India to accept credit guarantees extended by Russian banks and recognise the market status of the Russian economy. Russian Foreign Minister Sergie Lavrov hailed Indian banking reforms and opening of a representative office by Indian banks in Moscow but said, "we expect India to consider accepting guarantees of Russian banks. We believe the Reserve Bank of India and Russian Central Bank are taking steps in this regard." Banking community cooperation was necessary for healthy bilateral trade, he said at a CII function here. He said the growth of bilateral trade had been hampered due to non-acceptance of credit guarantee extended by Russian banks, when the same had been accepted by leading western nations. The minister said economic cooperation was the key component for a strategic partnership and added that Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit to India in December was expected to give a boost to specific projects in various areas. The visiting minister said India should recognise the market status of the Russian federation and added that India and Russia should cooperate in the WTO forum on a range of issues. Mr lavrov said India-Russia economic linkages would further improve by establishing direct links between Russian provinces and Indian states as "this arrangement would provide a fillip to the small and medium enterprises of both the countries". The minister also called for improving the transport infrastructure between the two countries and said, "the proposed north-south international transport corridor, connecting south Asia with Russia and the countries of west Europe is a step in this direction." He said that growing bilateral trade and investment were a vital component of the strategic relationship. At present India-Russia bilateral trade stood at 1.7 billion dollars which was 1.5 per cent of the Russia’s total trade. He also said the current difficulties in boosting bilateral trade existed "because the russian economy is turning into a market economy." Russia is opening its economy and initiating reforms like reducing tax burden on industry, improvement in administrative and legislative frameworks, stability of national banks and stability of the rouble. He said Russia’s GNP during January-August grew by more than 7 per cent, investment by 12 per cent and forex reserves were comfortable at 95 billion dollars. He said though Russia had a presence in large scale projects in Indian enrgy, civil aviation, IT and infrastructure development, a large number companies were still willing to participate in new projects. He said India utilised Russian technology and expertise in the construction of the two billion dollar plus Kudankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu, which was proceeding ahead of schedule. The minister also asked for expediting some of the agreements like cooperation and drug trafficking that were pending. "Also there is a need to speed up some of the trade-related agreements," he said. (UNI) |
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Swiss Monks seek homes for St Bernard rescue dogs ST BERNARD PASS, SWITZERLAND, Oct 9: Switzerland’s St Bernard rescue dogs, known for centuries for saving avalanche victims from snowy Alpine graves, are to be sold by their Monk owners as helicopters and heat sensors take over their work. At St Bernard’s hospice, cradle of the breed, Augustinian Monks want to devote more time to needy people and less to the 18 dogs —which will be sold only to new owners who promise to bring them back each year. "They (the dogs) need a lot of time and energy. There are only four of US Monks now," said brother Frederic, perched on a rock with a St Bernard by his side. "Maybe we need to spend more time with people who ask for it," he added. At an altitude of 2,438 metres, the home of the St Bernards is an Alpine pass on the route to Italy where the huge, shaggy dogs are said to have saved the lives of some 2,500 travellers over the past few centuries. "Even if there was 2 or 3 metres of fresh snow, they were able to make a track in the snow so travellers could find their way, they could also find travellers lost in avalanches," brother Frederic said. But the dogs, which eat up to 2 kg of meat a day and weigh as much as 64 kg, have not rescued anyone for 50 years. They will be sold to new owners willing to bring their charges back to the hospice for the summer, when tourists are keen to see the living symbols of Switzerland, and ensure the breed is continued. "They’re not being sold to just anyone. All that is changing with the dogs is the ownership," said Pierre Troillet, president of the Swiss St Bernard association, adding the dogs were no longer kept on the pass in winter in any case. The dogs’ history is entwined with that of the pass, where the Romans first built a temple to Jupiter as they marched north to conquer Europe, and where Charlemagne, Hannibal and Napoleon all left footprints in the snow. St Bernard himself built a hospice on the spot in the 11th century, and a community of Monks formed to aid travellers and rescue avalanche victims. The Monks say the first dogs were probably a gift from rich local families to their predecessors, who took advantage of their keen noses, strength, sure-footedness and thick coats by the early 18th century. The dogs could pick out narrow and treacherous paths in blizzards that disorientated even the native monks. But with the progress of modern mountain rescue technology, the dogs have been pushed out of their traditional role in the mountains of Switzerland. Their popularity as pets has grown elsewhere in the world, particularly in China, where some Swiss dog lovers claim the fast-growing animals have also been bred for their meat, an accusation denied by Chinese breeders. "Of one thing I am certain — these dogs will not end up in a slaughterhouse," said Bernard Leger, who looks after the dogs at the hospice. (AGENCIES) |
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UNSC asks countries to cooperate in fighting terrorism UNITED NATIONS, Oct 9: Asserting that terrorism cannot be justified under any circumstances, the UN Security Council, stepping up efforts to tackle the menace, has asked all nations to prosecute those who help in financing, planning or Commissioning Terror Acts. The 15-member Council unanimously voted a resolution yesterday asking all states to deny safe haven to terrorists and prosecute any person who helps in financing, planning, preparing or Commisioning Terror Acts. Pakistan, which has been saying in the context of Jammu and Kashmir that a distinction should be maintained between terrorism and freedom struggle, earlier objected to the wording of the resolution that Acts of Terrorism "under no circumstances, justifiable by consideration of a political, philosophical, ideological, ethnic or relgious or other similar nature." However, it finally decided to drop the objection to allow unanimous passage of the resolution, drafted by russia which recently witnessed a hostage cranage in a Beslan school that left nearly 400 people dead. The resolution calls for expediting adoption by consensus of the conventions on international terrorism and suppresson of acts of nuclear terrorism. It also establishes a working group comprising all Council members to make recommendation on practical measures to be imposed on individuals, groups and entities involved with terrorist activities other than those associated with Al-Qaeda and Taliban. It also seeks establishing an international fund to compensate victims of Terrorist Acts. The fund, it suggests, be financed through voluntary contributions and assets seized from terrorist organisations, their members and sponsors. (PTI) Bush, Kerry clash over Iraq in 2nd heated debate WASHINGTON, Oct 9: Waging a war of words in their second face-to-face debate, US President George W Bush and his democratic challenger John Kerry sparred over Iraq with the republican describing Saddam Hussein as a "unique threat" and his opponent accusing him of making wrong decisions and turning his campaign into a "Weapon of Mass Deception." Ahead of the November two Presidential elections, Bush and Kerry challenged each other’s capability to lead the us and the world during the 90-minute town-hall style debate late last night at the Washington university in St Louis. The economy was another key theme during the heated exchange. Kerry charged again that Bush rushed to war against Iraq while the Al-Qaeda threat remained in Afghanistan. The President was challenged over his decision to invade Iraq in the wake of the duelfer report that Saddam Hussein’s regime had no Weapons of Mass Destruction. "I wasn’t happy when we found out there wasn’t weapons," Bush conceded, but said "Saddam Hussein was a unique threat. And the world is better off without him in power. And my opponent’s plans lead me to conclude that Saddam Hussein would still be in power, and the world would be more dangerous (if kerry had been the President)." A snap poll by the abc news taken just after the televised debate, which was more tense than the previous one, said that Kerry narrowly beat bush by 44 to 41 per cent. Thirteen per cent respondents said the two tied in their debate. "After 9/11," said Bush, "we had to look at the world differently... We had to recognise that when we saw a threat, we must take it seriously before it comes to hurt us." Kerry retorted: "World is more dangerous today because the President did not make the right decisions. The President did not find Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq, so he has really turned his campaign into a Weapon of Mass Deception." He charged that bush sent troops into Iraq without adequate body armour. "Without a plan for peace, insurgents could use the huge ammunition dumps which were left unprotected and use the weapons against American troops." Kerry said that Iran and North Korea now pose more of a threat than they did before the invasion of Iraq. "He (Bush) took his eye off the ball — off Osama bin Laden." Bush also declared "of course we are going to find Osama bin Laden. We have already 75 per cent of his people. And we are on the hunt for him. But his is a global conflict that requires firm resolve." Stressing that a leader has to take firm decisions, he said "I recognise that taking Saddam Hussein out was unpopular. But I made the decision because I thought it was in the right interests of our security." On domestic policy, bush defended the huge budgetary deficits he has racked up while kerry charged that Bush was more anxious to give tax breaks to the rich instead of attempting to balance the budget. The format of the second debate was different from the first one. In the previous one the debate referee put the quetions, but the latest debate was in town-hall style, with the questions-screened in advance — coming from the audience. The two candidates differed aggressively over a variety of issues, including jobs, education, environment, cheaper drugs and tort reform. Kerry pledged that he would not raise taxes on people making USD 200,000 or less. Estimating that the Kerry propoals would cost USD 2.2 trillion, Bush declared: "he (Kerry) is going to tax everybody here to fund these programmes" and insisted that Kerry’s plan to raise taxes on the wealthy would force 900,000 small business owners to pay more. Kerry claimed that Bush had a small company doing timber business and the Vice President also had a "small business." Bush denied that stoutly and asked when he owned such a business. To Kerry’s charge that bush went to war without allies, the President retorted that the coalition in Iraq has troops from 30 nations. Kerry reminded him that eight have left. Turning to his foreign policy, Bush said "I have made some decisions on Israel that are unpopular. I wouldn’t deal with (Palestinian leader Yasser) Arafat because I felt like he had let the former President (Bill Cliton) down and I don’t think that he is the kind of person that can lead toward a Palestinian state. "And people in Europe did not like that decision. And that was unpopular, but it was the right thing to do. I believe Plestinians ought to have a state, but I know they need leadership that is committed to democracy and freedom, leadership that would be willing to reject trrorism. I made a decisin not to join the international criminal court in the hague where our troops could be brought before an unaccounted judge....That was unpopular." (PTI) Fire in north Afghanistan scares many during vote KABUL, Oct 9: A fuel truck caught fire soon after voting opened in a northern Afghan city today, stoking tension in a nation holding its first Presidential election. "It was not a bomb, just a fire," said Lt Commander Ken Mackillop, a spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), of the scare in the city of Maymana. There were no casualties, he said. ISAF is responsible for security in Kabul and the north. Today’s poll is being held in the shadow of a threat by fundamentalist Taliban guerillas, who have called the vote a US-orchestrated sham. (AGENCIES) Britain mourns hostage murdered in Iraq LONDON, Oct 9: The killing of British hostage Ken Bigley in Iraq met with widespread condemnation in the UK, as his home city liverpool was set to observe a day of mourning today. Flags will be flown at Halfmast at the town hall in the northern English city whose residents have spoken of an emotional rollercoaster over the past three weeks as the nation hoped for Bigley’s release. At Midday, Lord Mayor Frank Roderick will lead a two-minute silence, which will begin and end with the tolling of the city’s municipal bells. "I hope the city will come to a standstill to express its sympathy and solidarity with Ken’s family at this time," Roderick said in a statement. The Guardian newspaper said a videotape of Bigley, showing him chained behind metal meshing and making an impassioned plea to Prime Minister Tony Blair to safe his life, would be etched into Britons’ memories. "The haunting pictures of Mr Bigley, caged and vulnerable, may for many people become the defining image of this war (in Iraq)," the Guardian said. Blair yesterday led the condemnation of Bigley’s murder by expressing his "utter revulsion" for the killers. "I feel utter revulsion at the people who did this, not just at the barbaric nature of the killing but the way frankly they played with the situation over the past few weeks," Blair said. Queen Elizabeth sent a private message of condolence to Bigley’s 86-year-old mother Lil, who collapsed with heart complications after taping a tearful plea for his freedom last month. "No words can adequately sum up the grotesque barbarity of those who have taken ken bigley’s life or the intense anguish and pain that his family will now be enduring," said Michael Howard, leader of Britain’s opposition conservative party. A spokesman for the muslim council of Britain, an umbrella group of 400 Muslim organisations that sent a delegation to Iraq to try to win Bigley’s release, described his beheading as "deeply repugnant and morally reprehensible". At liverpool’s Catholic cathedral, where Bigley’s mother worships, a single candle burned beside a photograph of her son — a picture that has become familiar to Britons since militants kidnapped the 62-year-old engineer in Iraq last month. Residents gathered yesterday for a hastily organised evening mass and late into the night, local people queued to add their notes to the book of condolences opened at the cathedral. Lifelong resident Lisa Sanderson’s voice cracked with emotion as she brought her young daughter to light a candle. ‘’we came here tonight because we just feel so deeply for his family,’’ she said. ``But we’re all sickened and shocked. It’s awful. A human life is lost - precious human life.’’ (AGENCIES) Woman in Pakistan is first to vote in Afghan poll ISLAMABAD, Oct 9: A 19-year-old Afghan woman living as a refugee in Pakistan made history today by casting the first vote in Afghanistan’s first direct Presidential election. Moqadasa Sidiqi, a science student who fled Kabul with her family in 1992, cast her ballot at a polling station at a primary school, not in Afghanistan, but in Islamabad, capital of neighbouring Pakistan. "I am very happy, I am very happy," Sidiqi told reporters after voting. Polls for around 740,000 Afghan refugees who registered to vote in Pakistan opened at 0730 ist, half an hour before those inside Afghanistan, which is in a time zone 30 minutes behind that of Pakistan. The international organisation for migration, the un affiliate conducting the refugee vote, said it arranged for Sidiqi to be the first to vote in an effort to encourage Afghan women to take part in the historic polls. Only 28 percent of those who have registered to vote in Pakistan are women and 41 percent inside Afghanistan itself, given conservative views about women’s rights and worries about Taliban threats to disrupt the polls. "We want to stress their right to vote," Peter Erben, who heads the Iom’s electoral operation in Pakistan, told . "We want to have strong women’s participation." More than 10.5 million people have registered to vote within Afghanistan itself, while another 400,000-600,000 refugees are eligible to vote in Iran. Numbers of women registered are particularly low in parts of Afghanistan bordering Pakistan and among refugees in Pakistan as their populations are predominantly conservative ethnic Pashtuns. US President George W Bush, who faces a re-election fight himself next month, has held up the Afghan poll as a foreign policy success and a victory for democracy. (AGENCIES) |
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