Man kills himself in trade demo

A protester killed himself as rioting broke out on the first day of trade talks aimed at bridging the gap between rich and poor nations.

The South Korean man died of his injuries in hospital after stabbing himself in the chest at the height of demonstrations against the World Trade Organisation meeting in the Mexican resort of Cancun.

The man, in his mid-fifties, climbed a security fence and waved a banner reading "WTO Kills Farmers". A friend later called his suicide "an act of sacrifice", saying he was disgusted at the organisation's policies.

Nearly 5,000 activists clashed with police, throwing paving stones, metal bars and bottles. Officers retaliated with batons and tear gas. At one point nearly two dozen demonstrators broke through eight-foot high fences surrounding the hotels along Cancun's central area.

Violent protests have marked every meeting of the 140-nation WTO since its meeting in Seattle in 1999. Two years ago, police in Italy shot dead a demonstrator at a summit in Genoa.

The five-day meeting is being guarded by squads of riot police, with Mexican warships patrolling the coast. Protesters include anarchistgroups, environmental activists and Mexican peasants.

Serious divisions have emerged between Europe and America and the Third World over subsidies paid to Western farmers.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan yesterday called on wealthier nations to scrap the handouts, saying: "Instead of open markets, there are too many barriers that stunt stifle and starve. "