A round-up of today's other stories in brief.
Flash flood kills 30 in Pakistan
QUETTA, Pakistan - A flash flood swept through six villages in Pakistan's storm-hit Baluchistan province, killing 30 people and forcing more than 10,000 from their homes as a huge effort to help up to 1.5 million people geared up. Early rainy season storms have brought death and destruction to parts of Pakistan, Afghanistan and India, killing about 600 people over the past 10 days. - ( Reuters )
Inquiry sought into 'civilian massacre'
KABUL- Afghanistan's president, Hamid Karzai, has called for an investigation into reports that 45 innocent Afghans were killed in a Nato-led air assault in southern Afghanistan, the latest in a series of attacks which an incensed public is calling "civilian massacres".
Fighting began on Friday when Taliban fighters ambushed a joint US-Afghan military convoy, which was attempting to clear the Helmand river of Taliban positions. - ( Guardian service )
Israel gives funds to Palestinians
JERUSALEM- Israel transferred to the Palestinians yesterday a portion of the hundreds of millions of dollars in tax funds it had frozen for 17 months, hoping to bolster President Mahmoud Abbas while isolating Hamas.
Almost $120 million (€89 million) in frozen tax revenues were transferred in the first instalment - one-sixth of the total that the Palestinians say Israel has been withholding and more than enough to cover one full month's wages to Palestinian Authority workers and pensioners. - ( Reuters )
Obama raises record funds
WASHINGTON- Senator Barack Obama announced yesterday he had raised $32.5 million (€24 million) for his presidential campaign in the past three months, the biggest quarterly fundraising for any Democrat ever in a pre-election year.
The Illinois senator said more than 154,000 donors had contributed to his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in the April-June period, bringing his total donor list to more than 258,000.
Mr Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton of New York led all Democrats in the first quarter of the year, with the former first lady edging out Obama, $26 million to $25 million. - ( Reuters )
Portugal takes on EU presidency
LISBON- The Portuguese wonder if Europe's next treaty will be the Treaty of Lisbon as their country took over the rotating European Union presidency yesterday for six months that may be crowned by approval of a new treaty to reform EU institutions. Hopes are high, that a treaty will be approved. - ( Reuters )