Karzai accused of abuses

The United Nations says there is growing evidence Hamid Karzai's Government is abusing state resources to help him win this month's presidential election in Afghanistan.

A report by the UN mission to Afghanistan and the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission yesterday claimed monitors had received reports that officials were using their resources to campaign for Karzai.

Rival candidates were being denied access to state television, and Government trucks and cars were taking people to rallies.