SPECIAL COVERAGE
CHANDIGARH

LUDHIANA

DELHI


THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS
50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS
W O R L D

Obama chosen nomineeDemocratic presidential nominee US Senator Barack Obama and vice-presidential nominee US Senator Joe Biden appear onstage at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, on Wednesday.
Washington: In a historic session, the Democratic Party formally nominated Sen. Barack Obama as its presidential nominee in Denver on Wednesday night, making the senator from Illinois the first black presidential nominee of a major American political party.

Democratic presidential nominee US Senator Barack Obama and vice-presidential nominee US Senator Joe Biden appear onstage at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, on Wednesday. — Reuters

Presidential Polls
Papers of Zardari, 4 others accepted
Pakistan’s Chief Election Commission (CEC) Qazi Mohammad Farooq accepted the nomination papers of three main presidential candidates, Asif Zardari (PPP), Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui (PML-N) and Mushahid Hussain Sayed (PML-Q), on Thursday.

Sharif turns down Zardari’s fresh call to rejoin Pak coalition
Islamabad, August 28
Making fresh efforts to win back the estranged ally, PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari today requested PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif to rejoin Pakistan’s ruling coalition but the former premier said it is not possible in the “near future.”





EARLIER STORIES


9 killed in bomb attack in Pak
Islamabad, August 28
Nine persons, a majority of them policemen, were killed and 15 others injured when a police van was targeted with a roadside bomb in Pakistan's restive North West Frontier Province on Thursday.

Top US, Pak  army commanders hold secret meeting
New York, August 28
Top US and Pakistani army commanders had a highly secret meeting on board an American aircraft carrier in the Indian Ocean to discuss how to combat the escalating violence along the border between Afghanistan 
and Pakistan.

China launches new attack on Dalai Lama
Beijing, August 28
China launched a new attack on exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama today, denouncing what it said were his “lies” about Tibet and saying the region would never become independent.

1975 Jail Killings
B’desh HC acquits 4 ex-army officers
Dhaka, August 28
In a crucial judgment concerning the 1975 political changeover through bloody coups, the high court (HC) today exonerated four former military officers from conviction in the jail killing case.






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Obama chosen nominee
Ashish Kumar Sen writes from Washington

Washington: In a historic session, the Democratic Party formally nominated Sen. Barack Obama as its presidential nominee in Denver on Wednesday night, making the senator from Illinois the first black presidential nominee of a major American political party.

In a show of unity, Obama’s one-time rival for the nomination, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, asked that a roll call of delegates be suspended and that Obama be declared the party’s nominee by acclamation.

Obama, who made a surprise appearance at the end of the day’s events, picked up a strong endorsement from Bill Clinton. The former President said Obama “is ready to lead America and to restore American leadership in the world.”

In a speech on Tuesday, Hillary Clinton had pledged her support to Obama. Urging the Democratic Party to come together behind its new nominee, Clinton said: “Last night, Hillary told us in no uncertain terms that she is going to do everything she can to elect Barack Obama. That makes two of us. Actually, that makes 18 million of us.”

He was referring to the 18 million who had voted for Hillary Clinton in the primaries. And in remarks directed toward his wife’s disgruntled supporters, Clinton said:“Like Hillary, I want all of you who supported her to vote for Barack Obama in November.”

Clinton noted that the country is in trouble on two fronts. “The American dream is under siege at home, and America's leadership in the world has been weakened.” He contended that America’s position in the world had been weakened by, among other things, “too much unilateralism and too little cooperation.”

Clinton said the job of the next President would be to rebuild the American dream and to restore American leadership in the world.

Noting that Obama was the right man for the job, Clinton said: “He has a remarkable ability to inspire people, to raise our hopes and rally us to high purpose. He has the intelligence and curiosity every successful President needs. His policies on the economy, on taxes, on health care, on energy are far superior to the Republican alternatives.”

“A President Obama will choose diplomacy first and military force as a last resort.”

Dismissing critics who say Obama is too inexperienced to be President, Clinton reminded the crowd that similar charges were bandied about by Republicans when he was running for the same job. “It didn't work in 1992, because we were on the right side of history. And it will not work in 2008, because Barack Obama is on the right side of history,” Clinton said.

Touching on Obama’s rival, the Republican Party’s presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, Clinton said: “The Republicans in a few days will nominate a good man who has served our country heroically and who suffered terribly in a Vietnamese prison camp.

“He loves his country every bit as much as we do… But on the two great questions of this election - how to rebuild the American dream and how to restore America's leadership in the world - he still embraces the extreme philosophy that has defined his party for more than 25 years.”

In a speech that followed Clinton’s, Obama’s running mate, Sen. Joseph R. Biden Junior, also took a swipe at McCain saying he “profoundly” disagreed with the direction in which the Republican wanted to take the US.

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Presidential Polls
Papers of Zardari, 4 others accepted
Afzal Khan writes from Islamabad

Zardari ‘doubtful’

President of the PML-Q Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has said Asif Ali Zardari’s participation in the presidential polls is still in doubt. “Zardari may not take part in the polls,” he said while referring to speculations that he might field his sister Faryal Talpur for the office. Faryal’s papers were accepted as cover candidate.

Pakistan’s Chief Election Commission (CEC) Qazi Mohammad Farooq accepted the nomination papers of three main presidential candidates, Asif Zardari (PPP), Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui (PML-N) and Mushahid Hussain Sayed (PML-Q), on Thursday.

The CEC, who conducted scrutiny of nomination papers, rejected papers of 27 of the total 32 candidates who had filed their papers. He also approved the candidature of two cover candidates, Faryal Talpur, who is standing in for her elder brother Zardari, and Roedad Khan, a retired bureaucrat, who is cover candidate for Justice Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui.

The scrutiny of papers took place against the backdrop of intense political activity and lobbying for the election. Siddiqui and Mushahid appeared before the CEC while Zardari was represented by Farook Naek.

No candidate raised objection to any candidate. But the CEC found papers of 27 other candidates as irregular for want of proposers and seconders. The candidates can withdraw from the contest by Saturday while polling will be held on September 6.

Talking to mediapersons, Mushahid said he would conduct his campaign on the basis of vital issues confronting the nation, including terrorism, provincial autonomy, distribution of power among major pillars of the state and personal integrity of the candidate. He said his counsel did not raise any objection to Zardari's eligibility or any other candidate.

“However, people of Pakistan have a legitimate question to put to Zardari who, if elected as the president, will become the symbol of the federation of Pakistan, about the source of his $60 million that was released by the Swiss authorities after the withdrawal of the money laundering case against him from a Swiss court,” the PML-Q nominee said.

Mushahid said Zardari had become highly controversial even before the presidential election and the three stories - release of $60 million, US ambassador to the UN Zalmay Khalilzad’s secret contacts for rendering “help and advice” to Zardari and the PPP chief’s mental health - had attracted the attention of all and sundry.

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Sharif turns down Zardari’s fresh call to rejoin Pak coalition

Islamabad, August 28
Making fresh efforts to win back the estranged ally, PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari today requested PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif to rejoin Pakistan’s ruling coalition but the former premier said it is not possible in the “near future.”

Zardari made the request when he telephoned Sharif, senior PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal told reporters. The PPP chief also asked Sharif, who pulled out of the coalition on Monday, to withdraw the PML-N’s candidate from the presidential poll to be held on September 6.

During the phone conversation, Zardari referred to his apology extended to Sharif shortly after he broke away from the coalition on Monday as well as his comments about being unable to restore the deposed judges due to “pressures from certain quarters”.

Sharif thanked Zardari for his apology but said the PML-N would not like to rejoin the coalition “in the near future”.

The PML-N chief split from the ruling coalition after accusing Zardari of reneging on several agreements to reinstate dozens of judges deposed by former President Pervez Musharraf during last year’s emergency rule. The PML-N has fielded former Chief Justice Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui against Zardari in the presidential polls. — PTI

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9 killed in bomb attack in Pak

Islamabad, August 28
Nine persons, a majority of them policemen, were killed and 15 others injured when a police van was targeted with a roadside bomb in Pakistan's restive North West Frontier Province on Thursday.

The van, which was heading towards jail to transport some prisoners to court, was attacked with a remote-controlled improvised explosive device, police officials said. Besides policemen, some local government officials were also traveling in the vehicle.

Some local TV channels speculated a suicide bomber carrying out the attack in thier reports. However, no group has claimed the responsibility for the blast so far. — PTI

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Top US, Pak  army commanders hold secret meeting

New York, August 28
Top US and Pakistani army commanders had a highly secret meeting on board an American aircraft carrier in the Indian Ocean to discuss how to combat the escalating violence along the border between Afghanistan 
and Pakistan.

According to the New York Times, the meeting convened by the Chairman of the Joints Chief of Staffs on Tuesday included Pakistan Army Chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and Admiral Mike Mullen.

Amidst the star-studded list of participants and an extreme secrecy surrounding the talks, officials of the two allies offered a few details on Wednesday about what was decided or even discussed at the meeting - including any new strategies, tactics, weapons or troop deployment. — PTI 

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China launches new attack on Dalai Lama

Beijing, August 28
China launched a new attack on exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama today, denouncing what it said were his “lies” about Tibet and saying the region would never become independent.

The Dalai Lama earlier this month criticised some aspects of Chinese rule over Tibet, which he fled in 1959 after an abortive uprising.

He told Le Monde newspaper during a visit to France that the Chinese troops had fired on protesters in eastern Tibet on August 18 and that 400 people had been killed in the Lhasa area alone since protests against Chinese rule broke out in March.

But an opinion piece carried by China’s official Xinhua news agency said the more “lies” the Dalai Lama told, the less he would be believed.

“The larger a balloon is blown, the easier it will be to pop. The more shocking the lies, the easier it will be to expose them,” Xinhua said.

China’s crackdown on protests in Tibet in March drew widespread international criticism. China accused the Dalai Lama and his allies of orchestrating the trouble, and of trying to derail the Beijing Olympic Games.

The Dalai Lama denied the allegations, saying that he supported the Olympics and that the Chinese people deserved to host them. — Reuters 

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1975 Jail Killings
B’desh HC acquits 4 ex-army officers

Dhaka, August 28
In a crucial judgment concerning the 1975 political changeover through bloody coups, the high court (HC) today exonerated four former military officers from conviction in the jail killing case.

Lt-Col Syed Farooq Rahman (retd), Lt-Col Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan (retd), Lt-Col AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed (retd) and Maj Bazlul Huda (retd), who were said to be among the frontline operatives in 1975, got the acquittal in the long-drawn HC judgment.

Condemned “killers” Dafadar Marfat Ali Shah and Dafadar Abul Hashem Mridha were also acquitted. The HC only affirmed the death sentence against Risalder Moslem Uddin Ahmed for the gruesome killings staged on November 3, 1975 in Dhaka Central Jail. — UNI

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BRIEFLY

Sikh prisoner’s hair cut
NEW YORK:
A Sikh body here has strongly condemned the alleged forcible cutting of hair of a Sikh prisoner in Florida and has launched a signature campaign to pressurise the authorities concerned to respect the community’s religious sensibilities. United Sikhs, a US-based advocacy group, has termed the incident as “gross violation” of Sikh religion rights. — PTI

Tagore’s works on display
LONDON:
Rare works of art by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore and other artistes from Shantiniketan will be displayed from August 28 at the Royal College of Art here. “A total of 137 pieces of art works of 56 painters, ranging from old to young and emerging artistes are on show,” said Sangeeta Ahuja, Director of SA Fine Arts. Barring the paintings of the old masters, rest of the art works would be on sale, he added. — PTI

Indian jeweller shot dead
DURBAN:
Pat Pather (64), an Indian-origin jeweller, was gunned down by two armed men in a robbery bid here on Wednesday. He died after being wounded in a shoot-out in his shop, Pyrammid Jewellers, in the centre of Durban. He was taken to a hospital but was declared dead. His family have been in the jewellery business for more than 80 years. — PTI

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