Lords criticise anti-terror bill

By OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT

London

Aug. 5: The Labour government’s proposal to increase pre-charge detention period for terror suspects to 42 days on Tuesday was criticised by the House of Lords cross-party select committee on Constitution, which described the anti-terror bill as confusing and muddled.

The proposals in the anti-terror bill confuse the separate roles of the executive, Parliament and the judiciary, the committee said.

The proposals could also undermine the independence of judges and conflate the roles of Parliament and the judiciary, the report published by the committee said.

"The bill is ill-advised to create a decision-making process that requires Parliament and the judiciary to ask and answer similar questions within a short space of time, or at all. Far from being a system of checks and balances, this is a recipe for confusion that places on Parliament tasks that it cannot effectively fulfil and arguably risks undermining the rights of fair trial for the individuals concerned."

The House of Lords, which has 732 members, will debate on the bill in the autumn.

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Friends, fans serenade Obama on 47th b’day

Boston, Aug. 5: It may take a few months for Barack Obama’s birthday wish to come true.

The expected Democratic presidential nominee turned 47 on Monday and shared his special day with hundreds of friends and other admirers, who paid up to $28,500 for the honour.

Introducing Mr Obama, Massachusetts Senator John Kerry said, "I asked Barack Obama what he wanted for his birthday. He said, ‘"Indiana, Colorado and Virginia,"’ said Mr Kerry, referring to three potential swing states Mr Obama hopes to win in the November 4 election. The election is won on a state-by-state basis. In a ballroom on the 33rd floor of a downtown skyscraper overlooking Boston Harbour, Mr Obama was serenaded first by singer Harry Connick Jr. and Connick’s 10-year-old daughter, Kate, and then by the entire room in an animated rendition of "Happy Birthday." About 850 people attended the birthday fundraiser, which cost between $1,000. —AP