PAKISTANI MINISTER ENDORSES OBAMA PLAN FOR AFGHANISTAN

The Pakistani foreign minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, said his country, a key ally for America in the fight against terrorism, backs Senator Obama’s plan to shift the focus of the American military to Afghanistan from Iraq. “If there is a greater presence, it will help reduce the problems coming our way,” Mr. Qureshi, asked about Mr. Obama’s proposals, said yesterday in an interview in London. “We want them to concentrate on Afghanistan because there are serious challenges in Afghanistan.” Mr. Obama has said American troops should be shifted from Iraq to Afghanistan, which he has identified as the main battlefield in the struggle against terrorism. The Illinois senator said earlier this month that he would send two additional brigades, up to 10,000 troops, into the country.

Bloomberg News

McCAIN TO MEET WITH DALAI LAMA

Senator McCain is to meet with the Dalai Lama on Friday, providing the presumptive Republican presidential nominee with another opportunity to tweak China, which he has criticized on the campaign trail. The meeting is scheduled in Aspen, Colorado, and was “jointly arranged,” a McCain spokesman, Tucker Bounds, said. Mr. McCain yesterday called the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet, “a transcendent international role model and hero.” The meeting may not sit well with Chinese leaders, who say Tibet is a part of China. They accuse the Dalai Lama of “separatist activity” and have cracked down on protesters seeking more autonomy in Tibet.

Bloomberg News

SECRET SERVICE REQUESTS EXTRA FUNDS

The Secret Service has asked for an extra $9.5 million to cover unexpected costs of protecting the presidential candidates during what has turned into an historic year for the agency’s campaign security job. Among other things, the extra money would be used for the added costs for the candidates’ international travel and a decision by Senator Obama to accept the Democratic nomination at Denver’s Invesco Field — an open-air, 76,000-seat stadium — instead of the 20,000-seat Pepsi Center. The 2008 campaign cycle is the longest in Secret Service history by about five months. The service budgeted $106.65 million for the cycle, compared to $73.3 million in 2004.

Associated Press

McCAIN JOINS ARMSTRONG AT CANCER FORUM

Yesterday evening, Senator McCain shared a stage at the Ohio State University with fellow cancer survivor Lance Armstrong at a forum that focused on cancer treatment and prevention. “Yes, I was in a battle. Not a war; I was in a battle with melanoma. And I know how tough that battle can be,” Mr. McCain, a three-time survivor of melanoma, said. Both Mr. McCain and Senator Obama were invited to the nonpartisan event. “My opponent, of course, is traveling in Europe,” Mr. McCain said. He said Mr. Obama would soon see a scene familiar to Mr. Armstrong, a seven-time Tour de France winner. “A throng of adoring fans awaits Senator Obama in Paris,” Mr. McCain said.

Associated Press