Riga/Tallinn  - Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves urged his country's stateless residents to adopt full citizenship on Wednesday.

Speaking at a ceremony in Tallinn at which he handed citizenship certificates to newly-qualified citizens, Ilves said: "Your will demonstrates that you trust and need Estonia. I affirm to you that Estonia trusts and needs you."

Estonia has an estimated 100,000 residents who do not have full citizenship, out of a total population of 1.3 million. Most non- citizens are ethnic Russians.

London, Oct 1: Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s wife, Cherie Blair, has predicted that history will judge her husband as significant a world figure as Sir Winston Churchill.

Blair also admitted that she was not a success in her role as “First Lady”, and was ridiculed by Tory MPs for comparing her husband to Britain’s greatest wartime leader, The Telegraph reported.

New York, Oct 1: A review of a handful of Sarah Palin’s debate performances in the race for Alaska Governor in 2006 shows a somewhat different persona from the one that has emerged since John McCain named her as the vice-presidential nominee a month ago.

Palin, a former mayor who had become a whistle-blower about ethical misconduct in state government, held her own in those debates, but often spoke in generalities and showed scant aptitude for developing arguments beyond a talking point or two.

Washington, Oct 1: The Alaska Governor and John McCain’a running mate, Sarah Palin, has no command authority over the guardians of US airspace despite her recent suggestion in an interview to CBS News' Katie Couric.

“She doesn’t have any role in that process,” Air Force Maj. Allen Herritage, spokesman for the Alaska North American Aerospace Defense Command, said.

“The authority to launch and respond to a Russian incursion lies with the Alaska NORAD Region commander” - Air Force Lt. General Dana Atkins, the Daily News quoted him, as saying.

New Delhi, Oct 1: President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh today greeted the nation ahead of the occasion of Id-ul-Fitr, which will be celebrated on Thursday.

In her message, President Patil said, "I take great pleasure in extending my greetings and good wishes to all fellow citizens. This festival brings joy and happiness to all and especially to those who have observed fasting during the holy month of Ramzan."

Washington, Oct 1: Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden and his rival Sarah Palin are training hard and not taking anything for granted before the only vice presidential debate of 2008 on Thursday.

The veep debate at Washington University in St. Louis is expected to center on domestic and foreign policy, and the list of topics could run the gamut, FOX News reported.