Sarah Palin, the Republican Party's presumptive vice-presidential nominee, lashed out at Democrats and the press on Wednesday night in what was arguably the most important speech of her political career.

Senator John McCain took his party and rest of the nation by surprise last week when he picked the little-known Alaska Governor as his running mate for the November 4 presidential election.

In the few days since her nomination, Palin has been mired in controversies starting with news that her 17-year-old daughter Bristol is five months pregnant; that her husband Todd was convicted of drunken driving 20 years ago; and that she herself is the focus of an ethics probe for firing Alaska’s public safety commissioner who refused to sack a state trooper under pressure from Palin. The trooper, Mike Wooten, is Palin's former brother-in-law who is embroiled in a messy divorce and child custody battle with the Governor’s sister.

The string of scandals put a question mark over McCain's judgement and had even Republicans wondering aloud whether Palin had been adequately vetted. Senior McCain campaign adviser Steve Schmidt issued a statement on Wednesday calling such speculation “a faux media scandal designed to destroy the first female Republican nominee for vice- president of the United States who has never been a part of the old boys' network that has come to dominate the news establishment of this country.”

Palin echoed that sentiment in her speech to the Republican National Convention in St Paul, Minnesota: “I'm not a member of the permanent political establishment,” she said, adding, “And I've learned quickly, these past few days, that if you're not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified for that reason alone. But here's a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I'm not going to Washington to seek their good opinion - I'm going to Washington to serve the people of this country.”

While accepting the nomination for vice-president, she defined herself as "just your average hockey mom" who got into local politics. She then took a swipe at Democratic presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama's record of public service.

Palin, who served as a mayor of her hometown Wasilla, which has less than a few thousand residents, said: “And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves. I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organiser, except that you have actual responsibilities.” The remark was a thinly veiled attack on Obama who began his public service as a community organiser in Chicago.

London, September 4
Embattled Scotland Yard boss Ian Blair, who has been accused of racial discrimination by an Asian origin Muslim officer, is set to be on his way out to halt the “collapse of morale” in the Metropolitan police, a news report said today.

“He has become the issue. There comes a point when fairness has nothing to do with it and what matters is the integrity of the organisation,” a well-placed source was quoted as saying by The Times newspaper today.

According to the British daily, plans are being prepared to oust Sir Blair from his position as head of Scotland Yard in an attempt to halt the collapse of the morale in the city police force.

“The grey suits are gathering. Ian has already been asked to consider whether his staying in the job is damaging the Met. The infighting at the top of the Yard is sapping the morale of the men and women doing the job on the street, a senior source said.

The report said ministers, senior officials and leading police chiefs have “secretly” discussed arrangements for replacing the embattled commissioner by the end of this year.

Assistant commissioner Tarique Ghaffur, who is Britain's top Muslim officer, has charged the Metropolitan police chief of racial discrimination, and started employment tribunal proceedings. Sir Ian is also at the centre of an inquiry into allegations that he influenced the award of the police contracts to a close friend.

Ugandan-born Ghaffur, whose parents were from Pakistan, arrived in Britain in the early 1970s. He has sought compensation of 1 million pound, claimed Sir Blair had discriminated against him “over a long period of time” and sidelined him from his job in charge of security for the 2012 Olympics. — PTI

Police resorted to light baton-charge to disperse a rally of leaders of bar associations and civil society activists converging here from across the country to demand the restoration of deposed judges including chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry.

President of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan who led the rally outside the Parliament House, rejected the government's move to invite judges to take fresh oath after reappointment, though with previous seniority. He said the lawyers would also not accept reinstatement of judges without Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry. Meanwhile, information minister Sherry Rehman said Justice Dogar is the chief justice of entire Pakistan and not that of Zardari as the lawyers are depicting him.

Aitzaz termed the invitation to fresh oath as “outrageous and unacceptable” and equivalent to the imposition of a civilian PCO imposed by Musharraf.

Earlier today, lawyers shouted slogans against PPP co-chairman Asif Zardari holding him responsible for blocking the restoration of deposed judges. They broke the barriers on the Constitution Avenue to demonstrate outside the Supreme Court building. The police used light baton charge but later retreated. The lawyers dispersed peacefully after speeches by the leadership. 

The special judge (central), Rawalpindi,on Thursday adjourned till October 7 the hearing of a petition by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) seeking reopening and swift hearing of three corruption cases against former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family members.

Prosecutor-general of NAB Danishwar Malik and special prosecutor Abdul Baseer Qurishi appeared before the court but none of the respondents was present.The prosecutor had shown what was described by Sharif's party, the PML-N, as "indecent haste" to rope in and "blackmail" the Sharifs for bringing them under political pressure on the eve of presidential election in which PPP co-chairman Asif Zardari is the frontrunner.

The PPP-led government has distanced itself from the move for reopening of the cases against leaders of the party that was till recently its ally. But law minister Farooq Naek, under whom the NAB now operates, was more circumspect in denial. He said the government would not register any case against Sharifs.

All three cases were registered by the Musharraf regime in 2000.Both Nawaz Sharif and his brother and chief minister of Punjab Shahbaz Sharif also face the question of eligibility in the Supreme Court which is due to be heard in the middle of this month. 

BRIEFLY

Kohat
26 Pakistani policemen kidnapped: Militants in Pakistan kidnapped 26 police recruits on their way to college, while security forces killed 36 Islamist insurgents in clashes elsewhere in the northwest, said the police today. The police recruits were travelling on three buses to a training college in the town of Hangu in North West Frontier Province when gunmen abducted them yesterday in the Orakzai tribal region. The militants freed the drivers. ''The drivers told us that militants had kidnapped the recruits,'' said Hangu police officer Mohammad Idrees. Militants battling security forces have kidnapped numerous government officials, soldiers and policemen over the past year and are still holding many of them. — Reuters

Dubai
Two Indians die in chopper crash: Two Indians were among seven people killed when a helicopter taking them to an oil drilling platform crashed off the coast of Dubai today. The Bell helicopter, which was carrying all seven foreign oil contractors, including the crew, crashed at the Rashid oil field approximately 70 kilometres offshore Dubai around 22:50 IST last night, said Petrofac, the service operator for Dubai Petroleum Establishment. The helicopter crashed on the deck of the platform during take-off and broke into pieces in a ball of fire. — PTI