The New Nation - Internet Edition

Republicans nominate McCain for President

AP, St Paul

Republicans have nominated Sen. John McCain for president, handing the senator the prize that eluded him eight years ago.

By a roll call vote Wednesday, the Arizona senator clinched his party's nod. The late-night vote was conducted after vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin addressed the Republican National Convention.

McCain is scheduled to accept the nomination in a speech Thursday night. He heads into a competitive fall campaign against Democratic nominee Barack Obama.

If elected, the 72-year-old McCain would be the oldest first-term president

Another report adds: Vice presidential pick Sarah Palin emerged from a political maelstrom to capture the heart of a raucous Republican Party , before unleashing a fearsome attack on Barack Obama.

The Republican National Convention, reverberating with energy after the Alaska governor's prime time speech, formally nominated John McCain as its candidate for the November 4 election after a fabled roll-call of the states.

Palin's passionate, hardnosed speech rocked the convention hall, and a beaming McCain bounded onto the stage to embrace his controversial running mate.

"Don't you think we made the right choice for the next vice president of the United States?" McCain asked, following days of political and personal revelations about Palin, the first-ever woman on a Republican ticket.

Palin's family joined her on stage, including pregnant 17-year-old daughter Bristol, boyfriend Levi Johnston and the Alaska governor's four-month-old Down syndrome son Trig.

In a speech which mixed homespun small town values and searing political rhetoric, Palin , who will be formally anointed vice presidential nominee on Thursday, styled herself as a scourge of the Washington elite.

She lauded the character of former Vietnam war hero McCain, and contrasted it to what she described as the "dramatic speeches before devoted followers" of Democratic White House nominee Obama.

"For a season, a gifted speaker can inspire with his words, for a lifetime, John McCain has inspired with his deeds," said Palin.

The 44-year-old mother of five and staunch opponent of abortion also noted she had served as a smalltown mayor in her native Alaska, saying in another swipe at Obama that the job was like being a community organizer "except that you have actual responsibilities."

Obama started in politics as a community organizer in Chicago after law school.

"What does he actually seek to accomplish, after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet?" Palin asked in another mocking slight towards Obama.

"The answer is to make government bigger t take more of your money t give you more orders from Washington t and to reduce the strength of America in a dangerous world."

The Obama campaign struck back in a strongly worded statement, saying that though Palin's speech was well delivered, it was the work of President "George Bush's speechwriter."

Spokesman Bill Burton said the speech "sounds exactly like the same divisive, partisan attacks we've heard from George Bush for the last eight years."

"If Governor Palin and John McCain want to define change' as voting with George Bush ninety percent of the time, that's their choice, but we don't think the American people are ready to take a ten percent chance on change."

Since she was picked on Friday, Palin has disclosed that Bristol was pregnant, faced claims she abused her power as governor and mayor of a small town, and sought federal cash for programs opposed by McCain.

Palin painted herself as maverick in McCain's image, primed to go to Washington to launch a wave of reform.

"I'm not a member of the permanent political establishment 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."

Democrats have questioned whether Palin has enough experience to serve a "heartbeat" from the presidency, but she defended her credentials, saying she was steeped in executive leadership experience.

But Palin said: "in politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers. And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change."

The speech was a key moment in a Republican bid to quell a storm raging around Palin, which led Democrats to question McCain's judgment and the extent to which he vetted his shock choice.

In a speech punctuated by standing ovations from delirious Republicans, Palin said she got her start as a simple small town 'hockey mom' and quipped : "you know, they say the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? Lipstick."

'Grim' conditions as India flood rescue hits crucial stage

AFP, Chandpur Bhangaha

Efforts to rescue tens of thousands of villagers cut off by a monsoon-swollen river in northern India were reaching a critical stage Thursday, aid workers and evacuees said.

Those who have escaped Bihar state's worst-hit areas say food is running out and people are drinking the muddy flood water, while aid workers speak of "grim" conditions.

"We haven't had anything to eat for five days," said Murti Shah, who finally got out of her village in worst-hit Madhepura district after spending two weeks on the school's rooftop eating through the family's supplies of grain.

"We drank the flood waters."

Asked if she had boiled the water first, she looked amazed.

"How would we boil it?" she asked. "We have no utensils. We have nothing. Everything is under water."

Many villagers in the area, submerged after the Kosi river breached its defences upstream in Nepal and swung east, have lost their lives trying to make it to safety.

"My uncle was on a tree and when he tried to get down he was washed away by the current," said 30-year-old Anil Kumar Bhaskar, who also made it out Wednesday on a navy boat. "Later we found his body in the reeds."

State government warnings to evacuate when the river first broke through its flood walls have kept the death toll low, with some 100 people drowned so far even though the floods have affected at least three million.

Over 600,000 people have been evacuated from flooded areas, but rescuing the estimated 350,000 villagers still stranded in the coming days is vital to prevent more deaths, rescuers and survivors say.

"We are getting to areas we haven't been able to get to before," said Rajeev Ahluwalia, an assistant commander with India's new National Disaster Response Force set up after the 2004 tsunami, in Chandpur Bhangaha.

"It's very grim. The people there are in pathetic conditions," he said as he set off on a final rescue late Wednesday afternoon.

Hanna leaves 61 dead in Haiti as more storms brew in Atlantic

AFP, Port-Au-Prince

Helicopters rescued survivors from rooftops in the flooded Haitian city of Gonaives as Tropical Storm Hanna claimed at least 61 lives, the third major storm to hammer Haiti in as many weeks.

Hanna left scenes of devastation with hundreds of homes destroyed amid desperate rescue efforts as forecasters warned the storm could strengthen into a hurricane before it heads to the southeastern US coastline.

As two more storm systems churned in the Atlantic, the flooding in Haiti revived memories of lethal Tropical Storm Jeanne in 2004, when about 3,000 people were killed, mostly in the northern city. "Something must be done quickly," said Germain Michelet, a priest who took refuge from the flooding on the second floor of the archbishop's office in Gonaives. "I don't know how much longer we will remain alive," he told AFP. "If we are forced to go through another night under these conditions, there will not be many survivors."

The UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) carried out numerous helicopter missions in Gonaives to rescue those stranded by the high water.

"We have managed to recover two dozen people who were trapped on rooftops," MINUSTAH spokeswoman Sophie Boutaud de la Combe told AFP, adding that nine injured people were flown to the capital for treatment.

The Gonaives hospital was also flooded, a doctor told local radio. "The patients are grouped in one room," the unnamed doctor said. He added: "The situation is critical." Haiti is especially prone to flooding and landslides due to widespread deforestation on its section of the island of Hispaniola, which it shares with the Dominican Republic.

Tens of thousands of people in both countries were forced to take refuge due to the driving rain and flooding, though there were no casualties reported in the Dominican Republic.

Hanna struck Haiti one week after it was hit by Hurricane Gustav, which killed 77 people. Two weeks ago, Tropical Storm Fay sparked flooding in Haiti that left about 40 people dead.

As Hanna churned, the government of the Bahamas downgraded its hurricane watch to a tropical storm warning, while the US embassy in Nassau announced it would be closed Thursday and Friday.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami called Hanna "tenacious" and said it would "regain hurricane status in a day or two but it could occur earlier."

Hanna could strike the US coasts of the Carolinas or move "very close" to the area in coming days, the NHC said in its latest advisory.

Heavy fighting rages in Lanka as troops move on Tiger capital

AFP, Colombo

Government forces and Tamil separatists were locked in heavy combat in northern Sri Lanka with at least 26 rebels killed in fresh fighting, the defence ministry said Thursday.

Six soldiers were wounded and another was missing following the latest clashes with the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) since Wednesday, the ministry said in a statement.

"The LTTE continues to steadily lose manpower as the Sri Lankan security forces continue to advance further into the heart of the LTTE administrative power, Kilinochchi," the ministry said. "This is a major set back for the terrorists."

The military has said that it wants to dismantle the Tigers' de facto mini-state by capturing the town of Kilinochchi, 330 kilometres (206 miles) north of Colombo.

Government troops were now said to be within striking distance.

The military on Wednesday evening accepted the bodies of 19 soldiers killed by the Tigers during this week's fighting that saw security forces capture the strategic town on Mallavi from the rebels.

The defence ministry described the capture of Mallavi as "one more decisive and impressive phase" in its campaign to defeat the Tigers, who have fought for decades for a homeland for minority Tamils in island's north and east.

Syria makes peace proposals to Israel

AP, Damascus

Syrian President Bashar Assad has disclosed that his country has handed proposals for peace with Israel to Turkish mediators.

He says he's waiting for Israel's response before holding any face-to-face negotiations. The talks have so far been indirect, through Turkish mediation.

Assad says the future of negotiations rests on who becomes prime minister in Israel and whether the new leader will be committed to pursuing peace with Syria.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's party will hold elections this month to choose a new party leader, who could become prime minister. Assad spoke Thursday at a summit with the leaders of France, Turkey and Qatar to discuss Mideast stability and peace. He did not disclose details of the Syrian proposals.

Zardari says global terror Pakistan's priority

AP, Islamabad

The front-runner in Pakistan's presidential election says global terrorism is the biggest challenge facing the country and that it will continue to stand by the United States.

The comments from Asif Ali Zardari come after U.S. troops carried out their first known cross border ground attack on a suspected militant target. Pakistan's government, which is dominated by Zardari's party, issued strong protests.

However, Zardari said in a newspaper article published Thursday that Pakistan stood with the U.S. and other countries who have been attacked by terrorists. He said an apparent assassination attempt on the prime minister hours after the U.S. raid underlined that global terrorism was Pakistan's primary challenge.

Thai PM refuses to quit as crisis drags on

Reuters, Bangkok

Defiant Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej refused to quit as his opponents vowed on Thursday to keep up a street campaign to unseat him, setting the scene for more political uncertainty.

Speaking on national radio amid widespread speculation that he would resign, Samak also dismissed talk that he would call a snap election to defuse the protests. "I will not jump ship, I will be in control," he said in a 50-minute address.

"I can tell you I will not quit. I will not dissolve parliament. I will stay to protect democracy."

Later in the day, a government minister said the cabinet had in principle approved a plan to hold a referendum as a means to end the crisis. No further details were immediately available. The anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), barricaded inside the prime minister's official compound in Bangkok for a tenth day, vowed to stay until Samak gave up. "As long as he insists on staying on, we will not go anywhere. It doesn't matter how many days or years, or even into the next life," PAD leader Sondhi Limthongkul told a crowd of cheering supporters.

The PAD, a coalition of businessmen, activists and academics, has been trying to unseat Samak for over three months, accusing him of being an illegitimate proxy for former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, ousted in a 2006 coup and now in exile in London.

Analysts said the two sides had effectively precluded any chance of a compromise being thrashed out, and predicted more uncertainty ahead.

"The philosophical difference between these two disparate groups will mean that there is unlikely to be any clear resolution any time soon," said Sin Beng Ong at JPMorgan.

"Growth will continue to be affected by these tensions and politics could derail what had been an incipient recovery in domestic demand in July following the decline in energy prices."

Mugabe to form cabinet if MDC does not sign deal

Reuters, Harare

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has said he will go ahead and form a cabinet if opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai does not sign a power-sharing deal on Thursday, state media reported.

Tsvangirai's main opposition MDC responded by saying any attempts by Mugabe to pressure it into an agreement would fail.

"Where on earth have you seen dialogue held on the basis of threats and ultimatum? They want to bully us into an agreement, but that's completely unacceptable," said MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa. Mugabe said he would form a government with or without the MDC because Zimbabwe could not afford to have a situation where "we will not have a cabinet forever," the state-run Herald newspaper reported. The negotiations have stalled over how executive power should be shared by Mugabe and Tsvangirai.

Tsvangirai beat Mugabe in a March 29 election but fell short of enough votes to avoid a run-off vote, which was won by Mugabe unopposed after Tsvangirai pulled out citing violence and intimidation against his supporters.

Zimbabwe state radio said South African President Thabo Mbeki was expected to arrive in Zimbabwe on Thursday to continue

mediation efforts aimed at ending a post-election crisis that has worsened its economic decline.

Mbeki's spokesman said there was no truth to reports that he would visit Zimbabwe on Thursday.

"If after tomorrow (Thursday) Tsvangirai does not want to sign we will certainly put together a cabinet. We feel frozen at the moment," Mugabe told reporters in Lusaka on Wednesday after attending the funeral of Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa.

Massive Canada Arctic ice shelf breaks away

AP, Toronto

A chunk of ice shelf nearly the size of Manhattan has broken away from Ellesmere Island in Canada's northern Arctic, another dramatic indication of how warmer temperatures are changing the polar frontier, scientists said Wednesday.

Derek Mueller, an Arctic ice shelf specialist at Trent University in Ontario, told The Associated Press that the 4,500-year-old Markham Ice Shelf separated in early August and the 19-square-mile shelf is now adrift in the Arctic Ocean. "The Markham Ice Shelf was a big surprise because it suddenly disappeared. We went under cloud for a bit during our research and when the weather cleared up, all of a sudden there was no more ice shelf. It was a shocking event that underscores the rapidity of changes taking place in the Arctic," said Mueller. Mueller also said that two large sections of ice detached from the Serson Ice Shelf, shrinking that ice feature by 47 square miles - or 60 percent - and that the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf has also continued to break up, losing an additional eight square miles.

Mueller reported last month that seven square miles of the 170-square-mile and 130-feet-thick Ward Hunt shelf had broken off.

This comes on the heels of unusual cracks in a northern Greenland glacier, rapid melting of a southern Greenland glacier, and a near record loss for Arctic sea ice this summer. And earlier this year a 160-square mile chunk of an Antarctic ice shelf disintegrated.

"Reduced sea ice conditions and unusually high air temperatures have facilitated the ice shelf losses this summer," said Luke Copland, director of the Laboratory for Cryospheric Research at the University of Ottawa. "And extensive new cracks across remaining parts of the largest remaining ice shelf, the Ward Hunt, mean that it will continue to disintegrate in the coming years."

Formed by accumulating snow and freezing meltwater, ice shelves are large platforms of thick, ancient sea ice that float on the ocean's surface but are connected to land.