Robed Obama picture ignites row

US Democratic front-runners Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have traded accusations over a photo of Mr Obama circulating on the internet.

The picture, sent to the Drudge Report website, shows Mr Obama wearing traditional Somali dress during a visit to Kenya in 2006.

The website said it was circulated by Mrs Clinton's staff but her team denied they had sanctioned its release.

The row comes as the rivals campaign for two crucial primaries next week.

Analysts say Mrs Clinton needs to win the contests, in Texas and Ohio, to remain in the race to choose the Democratic candidate for November's presidential election.

With tempers fraying ahead of a crucial debate in Ohio on Tuesday, the former first lady highlighted Mr Obama's lack of foreign policy experience during a speech in Washington.

Reminding the George Washington University audience of her own international credentials, Mrs Clinton suggested her rival would need a "foreign policy instruction manual" to keep the country safe if elected.

Fear-mongering

The photograph published on Monday shows Mr Obama - whose father came from Kenya - wearing a white turban and a white robe presented to him by elders in the north-east of the country.

The Drudge Report said the image had been circulated by "Clinton staffers" as a smear.

Addressing the issue briefly in an interview with a Texas radio station, Mr Obama said: "I think the American people are saddened when they see these kind of politics."

Some Clinton aides have tried in the past to suggest to Democrats that the Illinois senator's background might be off-putting to mainstream voters.

A campaign volunteer was sacked last year after circulating an email suggesting, falsely, that Mr Obama was a Muslim.

But the BBC's Justin Webb in Ohio says the photograph - coming at this pivotal moment in the campaign - is being seen by the Obama team as particularly offensive.

His campaign manager, David Plouffe, accused Mrs Clinton's aides of "the most shameful, offensive fear-mongering we've seen from either party in this election".

The accusation was dismissed by Mrs Clinton's campaign manager Maggie Williams.

"If Barack Obama's campaign wants to suggest that a photo of him wearing traditional Somali clothing is divisive, they should be ashamed," she said.

"Hillary Clinton has worn the traditional clothing of countries she has visited and had those photos published widely."

News Source : Samachar

Army chief gets his way, Panag shifted out of J&K

The country's top political authority has now settled two unseemly battles raging among the top Army brass.

On one hand, despite his vehement protests, Northern Command chief Lt-General H S Panag has been shifted to the far-less consequential Central Command, as desired by Army chief Gen Deepak Kapoor.

On the other, by approving Lt-Gen V K Singh's promotion as the next head of Kolkata-based Eastern Army Command from March 1, it has virtually paved the way for him to take over as the next Army chief when Gen Kapoor retires in March 2010.

After sitting over the file for almost two months, the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC), chaired by PM Manmohan Singh, has now approved the transfer of Lt-Gen Panag from J&K to Lucknow-based Central Command.

While Lt-Gen Panag will be replaced as the head of the Udhampur-based Northern Command by Lt-Gen P C Bhardwaj on March 1, the former will take over the reins of Central Command from Lt-Gen O P Nandrajog, who retires on February 29.

Lt-Gen Singh, commanding the 2 Corps at present, in turn, will take over Eastern Command after Lt-Gen K S Jamwal's retirement.

Lt-Gen Panag had locked horns with Gen Kapoor over his proposed transfer to Lucknow, coming as it did less than a year before his retirement in December 2008. Bypassing the Army chief's authority, he had even raised the matter directly with defence minister A K Antony on January 5.

Though Antony had given Lt-Gen Panag a patient hearing, it was clear even at that stage that the minister was highly unlikely to undermine the authority of his own Army chief by rescinding the proposed transfer.

People close to Lt-Gen Panag had let it be known that he was being "victimized" for launching investigations into the irregularities in multi-crore procurements of tents, eggs and other supplies for the operationally crucial Northern Command.

Incidentally, Gen Kapoor himself was the Northern Command chief — Lt-Gen Panag took over from him in January 2006 — when the so-called tent scam took place. The Army HQ, on its part, had dismissed such insinuations, holding that Lt-Gen Panag's transfer was part of the "routine rotation" of Army commanders. Moreover, the courts of inquiry into the scams had already been completed, with "administrative action" being ordered against some officers.

Whatever be the case, the episode once again signalled the declining standards of "officer-like qualities" in the top brass of the 1.13-million strong Army, second largest in world.

News Source : Samachar

Mumbai court upholds gag order against Raj

A Mumbai sessions court has upheld a gag order against Raj Thackeray that prevents him from making provocative statements to the media or addressing public rallies.

The court has said that it's up to the state government to decide whether to extend the order.

According to sources, the police will serve a formal notice to Thackeray.

Raj Thackeray had challenged the order saying he had not been given a chance to explain himself.

News Source : Samachar

Zardari says his coalition will be unable to impeach Musharraf

Pakistan Peoples Party leader Asif Ali Zardari has said his coalition will be unable to impeach embattled President Pervez Musharraf and instead he would seek a working relationship with him.

"The ground reality is that we do not have two-thirds majority in both the houses of Parliament" that would be required for a successful impeachment of the President, Zardari told the Wall Street Journal.

"Our main objective is to work for the smooth transition to democracy," Zardari said. "We want to unify the country, which is facing some very serious challenges. We have to establish democracy and for that we need unity and not confrontation."
PPP has emerged as the single largest party in last week's parliamentary elections and is planning to form a coalition government with former premier Nawaz Sharif's PML-N.

The Senate, Parliament's upper house, remains in the control of Musharraf's supporters. Zardari's comments, the Journal noted, are among the most conciliatory to date from a senior official of the coalition regarding its intended approach to Musharraf.

The PPP leader also said his government would increase cooperation with the US, adding that Pakistan faces its own threat from the extremists.

"We are fighting our own war on terror, rather than the American war on terror," he said.

His government, Zardari said in the interview, wouldn't talk to the militants, but that it would reach out to the people living in the tribal areas.

"We will take democracy there and political reforms to win the support of the tribesmen," Zardari, the husband of slain former premier Benazir Bhutto, said.

He also indicated that he might run for a parliamentary seat in a by-election in Bhutto's constituency in the southern province of Sindh. "I will contest the elections if the party decides," he said.

Zardari said he didn't have any intention of becoming prime minister, but would concentrate on party organisation and assist the government.

Though co-chairman of the party, he didn't seek a seat in Parliament in the election. "It is more important to guide the government and the party," he said.

News Source : Samachar

In Oscars, 3 cheers for India

India's official entry in this year's Oscars, Eklavya , may have failed to make the grade but the country still made its presence felt at the 80th Annual Academy Awards.

Two films that walked away with statuettes had significant Indian contributions. The Golden Compass won the award for best special effects, while Ratatouille was adjudged the best animated feature film.

Around 150 artists from the animation company Rhythm & Hues in Mumbai worked on Compass along with FX specialists from their LA office. On Monday, as the awards were announced, celebrations erupted in both countries.

In LA, another Indian had reason to rejoice. Apurva Shah, an animation artist who has roots in Gujarat, was not only overall in charge of all the special effects and animation in Ratatouille, he was also involved in defining the look of the film. “It’s great to win an Oscar,” Shah told TOI over phone from LA.

The third Indian to make a mark was filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, whose Elizabeth: The Golden Age received an Oscar for costume design.

News Source : Samachar