Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton on Friday made their first joint appearance after a hard-fought contest at a campaign rally in a New Hampshire town not ironically named Unity. In keeping with the theme of the day, Obama picked a senior Indian American Clinton aide to serve as an adviser on his presidential campaign.

The Obama campaign announced Clinton's former policy director, Neera Tanden, would start work next week at its headquarters in Chicago. She would serve as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee's director of domestic policy.

Tanden had worked on and off with Clinton for the past 10 years. The former first lady even organised a bridal shower for Tanden during their White House days together. Tanden is widely acknowledged as the key architect of Clinton's health-care plan. In a bitter nomination fight between Obama and Clinton, this plan was one of the main domestic policy differences between the two candidates.

On Friday, the Republican National Committee promptly dug up Tanden's past comments in which she had taken a swipe at Obama's health-care plan.

In March, Tanden noted that Obama's plan would leave "millions of Americans" without health insurance, the RNC said. At the time, Tanden was quoted as saying: “By choosing to forgo a mandate, it's not universal ... It will leave 15 million Americans uninsured. Even with a generous subsidy, millions of Americans will not get health insurance.”

She also reportedly lashed out at Obama's housing plan, saying it offered no “concrete solutions.” Tanden had said, “Senator Obama announced a series of broad, vague principles, while offering no new concrete solutions to provide Americans with greater confidence in the market or keep them in their homes.”

Meanwhile, in Unity, Obama and Clinton emphasised the need for reconciliation and their efforts were not lost of TV analysts who noticed everything from the fact that his bright blue tie matched her pantsuit to their relaxed body language.

“I am proud to call her a friend and I know how much we need both Bill and Hillary Clinton as a party and as a country in the months and years to come," Obama told the crowd. "We need them, we need them badly - not just my campaign, but the American people need their service and their vision and their wisdom.”

Obama said he could “not be happier, and more honoured, and more moved that we're sharing this stage as allies to bring about the fundamental changes that this country so desperately needs.”

Clinton urged the crowd to put Obama in the White House in November. "If you think we need a new course, a new agenda then vote for Barack Obama and you will get the change you need," she told the cheering crowd.

Dhaka, June 28
Bangladesh today paid glowing tributes to the iconic former Indian army chief Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, recalling his signal contribution to its 1971 Liberation War. "The people and the government of Bangladesh will always recall with gratitude his signal contribution to our War of Liberation and his association with a glorious epoch in the history of Bangladesh's evolution,” foreign adviser of the interim cabinet Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury said in a letter to external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee.

"Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw had the rare qualities of a great soldier, military strategist and a leader of the people he worked with." Army chief General Moeen-U-Ahmed mourned the death of the celebrated master strategist of the 1971 war saying, "Bangladesh Army recalls his contribution with gratitude and pays rich tribute to the departed soul." "The successful leadership of Field Marshal Manekshaw as the chief of Bangladesh-India allied forces helped Bangladesh achieve the quick victory during the War of Liberation in 1971," Ahmed said in a statement.

The 1971 veterans and researchers also paid their tributes to Manekshaw as a military strategist. Many recalled his landmark call for the surrender of the Pakistani troops, "lay down your weapons", through All India Radio. "His military strategy and talented leadership as the chief of the allied forces quickened our victory in the Liberation War," deputy chief of staff of Bangladesh's liberation forces air vice marshal (Retd) AK Khondkar said.

"We all are deeply shocked. His role in our Liberation War will always be remembered with gratitude." Liberation War researcher Harun Habib called Manekshaw a super strategist, saying his able leadership expediting surrender of Pakistanis without further resistance saved many lives, particularly in Dhaka. — PTI

Washington, June 28
As celebrities threw an early 90th birthday party for Nelson Mandela in London’s Hyde Park, US lawmakers erased references to the former South African leader as a terrorist from national databases. Legislation received final congressional approval late on Thursday when the Senate unanimously passed it on a voice vote. The House of Representatives approved it on May 8.

It removed the “terrorist” label and travel restrictions imposed on Mandela and other cadres from the African National Congress, which fought to end white minority rule in South Africa. South Africa’s apartheid government in 1960 had banned the ANC. Its leaders were jailed or forced into exile until the ban on the movement was lifted 30 years later.

“Passage of the bill to remove from the US terrorist watchlist Nelson Mandela and others who worked tirelessly to end the oppressive, inhumane system of apartheid in South Africa is a great victory for justice,” Rep Donald Payne, a New Jersey Democrat and chairman of the Foreign Affairs Sub-Committee on Africa in the house of representatives, said yesterday.”

I am gratified that we were able to show our respect and high esteem for a man who is loved and admired around the world,” he added.

Stricter security measures passed by Congress after the September 11, 2001, attacks against the US kept the ANC’s terrorist label because it used armed force as part of its campaign against apartheid.

Some lawmakers wanted changes to be made to the legislation before Mandela turned 90 on July 18 and there were fears that it would be delayed by Congress’ summer recess for much of August and a break over the July 4 week. — Reuters

BRIEFLY

US slams ‘sham’ election in Zimbabwe
Washington: The USA denounced a ‘sham’ election in Zimbabwe and called on the African Union nationas to increase pressure on President Robert Mugabe.State department spokesman Tom Casey denounced "a true climate of fear and intimidation" surrounding the second round presidential vote, held amid loud international criticism following the withdrawal of opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai, 56, due to violence against his supporters. — AFP

Minister, deputy die in chopper crash
GUATEMALA: Guatemala's interior minister Vinicio Gomez and deputy minister Edgar Hernandez were among four persons killed in a helicopter crash, a presidential spokesperson said. The helicopter crashed at Purulhan on Friday, in Alta Verapaz department, the official said. A local fire service spokesman said the helicopter lost contact with air traffic control at around 1958 GMT. The cause of the crash was under investigation. — AFP

Ex-Afghan president’s body found after 3 decades
KABUL: Afghan authorities have discovered mass graves containing the bodies of ex-President Mohammad Daud Khan, family members and aides, who were killed in a Soviet-backed coup three decades ago, his grandson Mahmoud Ghazi Daud said. “Two mass graves, one containing 16 bodies and the other 12, were found. We recognised by their shoes and clothes that the graves belonged to the deceased, his family and cabinet members,” his grandson added. — UNI

'Little heroes' honoured
BEIJING: China has honoured 50 children for their brave deeds in relief efforts in the aftermath of last month's devastating earthquake, after they were chosen by more than 50 million votes on-line in a nationwide campaign. A 9-year-old boy Lin Hao who pulled out two classmates from the rubble was among the 20 students who were awarded the honour of "heroic children", while 30 others were given the title "exemplary children" here on Friday. — PTI

Tropical storm kills 9 in China
BEIJING: Tropical storm Fengshen has killed nine persons as it pounded south China's Guangdong province with torrential rains, the local authorities said. The rains affected 340,000 people, destroyed more than 1,200 houses and inundated more than 640,000 hectares of land, submerging crops, a provincial flood control headquarters spokesman said. — PTI