W O R L D

Obama vaults ahead of Hillary in fund raising
New York, July 2
Democratic White House hopeful Barack Obama, despite trailing his rival Hillary Rodham Clinton by several points in opinion polls, has vaulted ahead in raising funds for his campaign. Obama campaign announced yesterday it had raised $ 32.5 million in the April-June quarter, while Clinton campaign said she had raised around $ 27 million during the period.

Two more held in UK terror plot
London, July 2
Two more men were taken into custody today in the failed terrorist attacks at the Glasgow airport and London taking the number of arrested to seven amid reports that a doctor either from Jordan or Iran may be the ringleader of a plot to unleash a blitz of car bombs in the UK.

Restrictions on A.Q. Khan not relaxed: Pak
The Pakistan foreign office said today there was no change in the status of country’s disgraced nuclear scientist Dr A.Q. Khan and that he was living “quietly with his family”.

A handout image shows NASA’s modified 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with Atlantis on top as it lifts off from Edwards Air Force Base in California to begin its ferry-flight back to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Atlantis and the crew of STS-117 landed at Edwards AFB on June 22 after a successful mission to the International Space Station. — AFP

US village gets first Indian origin mayor
New York, July 2
Harvinder S. Anand, chief executive of an MNC, will create history when he will be sworn in as the first Indo-American mayor of an upscale village in New York state, three per cent of whose 1,930 residents are of Indian origin.

Nepal’s PM turns 84
Kathmandu, July 2
Nepal's Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala today quietly celebrated his turning 84 years by having a private meal with his only daughter at his residence here without even cutting a traditional birthday cake.

Banana leaves replace poly bags
Kampala, July 2
A ban on plastic bags in Uganda to cut down the stinking piles of rubbish that litter its dusty capital and other urban areas, breeding germs and poisoning water supplies.

Obama vaults ahead of Hillary in fund raising

New York, July 2
Democratic White House hopeful Barack Obama, despite trailing his rival Hillary Rodham Clinton by several points in opinion polls, has vaulted ahead in raising funds for his campaign.

Obama campaign announced yesterday it had raised $ 32.5 million in the April-June quarter, while Clinton campaign said she had raised around $ 27 million during the period.

But the funds raised by Clinton include $ 21 million for party primaries and rest for the general elections. Against this, Obama campaign says it has raised $ 31 million for party primaries and $ 1.5 million for general elections.

The money collected for the elections cannot be used for party primaries and generally, the candidates who lose money transfer the funds collected for general elections to the candidate who gets the nomination.

In the first January-March quarter, Clinton had raised $ 26 million which included $ 18.9 million for party primaries against Obama's more than $ 25.6 million. But Obama could use the whole first quarter money for the primary.

Clinton had also transferred $ 10 million from her Senate campaign funds.

However, analysts say that Obama would need to spend more in the third quarter in an effort to catch up with poll numbers of Clinton as he began an early television ad campaign with two spots in Iowa State. That would mean his spending might be higher than Clinton's.

The final figures would not be known until July 15, the date by which the candidates have to file their collection and spending figures with the Federal Election Commission.

But analysts said more important is the fact that a large number of 154,000 individuals contributed to Obama campaign.

Clinton aides have not released the number of individuals who contributed. However, Obama campaign said since the beginning of the year, some 258,000 individuals have contributed to his campaign in an effort to stress that he enjoys the advantage among the voters.

And Omaba tried to bring this point home when in a statement yesterday, he had a swipe at Clinton's fundraisers, saying "we have built the largest grass-roots campaign of a presidential race."

Though he did not say in so many words, the implication, analysts said, is quite clear -- he wants to say that he is raising money from grass-roots and Clinton from special interests. — PTI

Two more held in UK terror plot
H.S. Rao

London, July 2
Two more men were taken into custody today in the failed terrorist attacks at the Glasgow airport and London taking the number of arrested to seven amid reports that a doctor either from Jordan or Iran may be the ringleader of a plot to unleash a blitz of car bombs in the UK.

The police said the two men, aged 25 and 28, were arrested after an “intensive police operation” in the Paisley area of Scotland.

Yesterday, Iranian neurologist Dr Mohammed Asha (26) and his wife were held as they drove on the M6 motorway in Cheshire with their two-year-old son, leading tabloid The Sun reported today.

There were also reports that the doctor is a Jordanian even as British officials suspected that he may also be the head of an Al-Qaeda cell. Their home, 20 km away in a cul-de-sac in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs, was searched by forensic officers yesterday.

Asha was working at the North Staffordshire Hospital in nearby Hartshill, Stoke-on-Trent. Anti-terror cops also carried out a search of his locker at the hospital.

“It is shocking that a doctor, could be arrested over an attempt to kill and maim hundreds of people,” a security source told the tabloid.

Neighbours of the doctor said he and his wife had hardly any visitors during their year in the house. But in the past two weeks two Asian men with long beards had on several occasions stayed. — PTI

Restrictions on A.Q. Khan not relaxed: Pak
Afzal Khan writes from Islamabad

The Pakistan foreign office said today there was no change in the status of country’s disgraced nuclear scientist Dr A.Q. Khan and that he was living “quietly with his family”.

Responding to questions in her weekly new briefing regarding an AP story that the government had relaxed restrictions on Dr Khan, foreign office spokesperson Tasneem Aslam said: “There is no change in his status”.

“Dr Khan continues to live quietly with his family. He meets friends and talks to people. This was happening before as well and there is no change,” Aslam said.

AP said the authorities had eased restrictions imposed on Khan and claimed that Khan made his first public comment saying he was recovering from treatment for cancer, but declined to discuss other topics. It further said Khan was only allowed to meet associates and relatives on a list approved by officials.

Answering another question regarding the home secretary level India-Pakistan talks on terrorism beginning in New Delhi tomorrow, she said the two sides would discuss bilateral cooperation in combating terrorism, money laundering, fake currencies, anti-narcotics and exchange of prisoners.

Aslam said the Pakistan delegation would also take up its draft of visa agreement, which was pending with India for some time.

US village gets first Indian origin mayor

New York, July 2
Harvinder S. Anand, chief executive of an MNC, will create history when he will be sworn in as the first Indo-American mayor of an upscale village in New York state, three per cent of whose 1,930 residents are of Indian origin.

“I am honoured and humbled,” said Anand, who came to the United States 25-years ago, and has been a resident of Laurel Hollow village, south-east of New York, for the past 10-years.

Anand, 46, has been the president of the gated community's Homeowners’ Association and the village trustee during which he won admiration of residents and it was then that the outgoing mayor, Denise DeVita, asked him to run for the post.

Anand graduated as a chemical engineer from Panjab University and is the chief executive of Royce International, a multi-national corporation involved in manufacture of industrial chemicals for textile, aerospace, electrical, automotive, marine and construction industries.

He said he just wants to serve his community and has no plans to seek higher offices. — PTI

Nepal’s PM turns 84

Kathmandu, July 2
Nepal's Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala today quietly celebrated his turning 84 years by having a private meal with his only daughter at his residence here without even cutting a traditional birthday cake.

The occasion passed unnoticed by many as there were no grand celebrations, with the Prime Minister receiving gifts from party workers and well-wishers at his Baluwatar home.

Earlier in the morning, the PM's daughter Sujata presented a small perfume and an idol of Ganesh to her father and the two held a simple worshipping service to mark the happy occasion.

Though Koirala's birthday is on July 4, he celebrated the occasion today as per the Hindu calendar.

Meanwhile, the Royal Palace is gearing up to celebrate the 60th birthday of King Gyanendra from July 7. — PTI

Banana leaves replace poly bags

Kampala, July 2
A ban on plastic bags in Uganda to cut down the stinking piles of rubbish that litter its dusty capital and other urban areas, breeding germs and poisoning water supplies.

Due to serious environmental concerns and the difficulties in the disposal of polythene bags and plastic containers, action was required. — Reuters