ONE NEWS

Sunday, September 27, 2009 HUNEDOARA: A full investigation has been launched after two tigers managed to escape from a zoo enclosure in Romania. Tigers Dorinel and Silvia literally leapt at the opportunity to escape from their cage and explore the grounds they'd only ever seen from behind bars. Both zoo keepers and visitors weren't as excited. Their disappearance sparked a full-scale emergency, with all visitors evacuated and firemen police, and even a local hunting squad called in to search for and recapture the wily felines. It wasn't until nightfall when a pair of bright green eyes was spotted in bushes nearby and zoo keepers were able to manhandle the tranquilised tigers back to their enclosure. No one was injured during the big cats' big day out and authorities are thankful the tigers strayed no further than the three hectare zoo park.

Sunday, September 27, 2009 NEW DELHI: India plans to spend an estimated $100 billion on defence over the next decade to modernize its Soviet-era arsenal and is pushing the Obama administration to ease the acquisition of US weapons and technology, according to a US Newspaper. “With its growing military footprint, India is steering away from traditional ally Russia, its main weapons supplier, and looking toward the United States to help upgrade its weapons systems and troop gear,” the newspaper reported. India’s expanding military ambitions, and the US role in selling this nuclear-armed nation more firepower, is starting to worry Pakistan, the report said. India also has ongoing border disputes with another Asian giant, China, which defeated it in a short 1962 war. “This increase in India’s military spending is seen with rising anxiety here in Pakistan,” said Hasan-Askari Rizvi, a leading defence analyst in Pakistan. “As long as India builds pressure on Pakistan militarily, Pakistan won’...

Sunday, September 27, 2009 Berlin: German voters appear ready to return Chancellor Angel Merkel to office to head a centre-right coalition in Sept. 27 elections. A poll released Friday – the last to be released before Germans vote – shows Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats with 35 percent support. Her preferred coalition partners, the Free Democrats, have 14 percent, enough for them to form a governing coalition. Merkel's main rivals the Social Democrats have 26 percent support, the poll by Infratest dimap showed. That is a jump of three points, reflecting a strong performance by their candidate Frank-Walter Steinmeier in a televised debate with Merkel last week. The poll gave a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percent.

Sunday, September 27, 2009 NEW YORK: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has given a cautious welcome to Iran's announcement that it will open a newly revealed nuclear plant to inspection. Speaking in New York, Mrs Clinton said it was always welcome when Iran decided to comply with international rules. The US, France and UK accused Tehran of deception after it admitted to the existence of the facility on Monday. Iran says the uranium enrichment plant, near the city of Qom, is in line with UN regulations. It maintains it wants atomic power only for the production of electricity. But the revelations have raised tension ahead of next Thursday's talks in Geneva between Iran and six global powers negotiating over Tehran's atomic programme. The Western powers are hoping to persuade Iran to freeze its uranium enrichment programme, but are threatening new sanctions if it fails to do so. Russia has also indicated that it may support new sanctions.

Sunday, September 27, 2009 MANILA: Rescue teams are stepping up efforts to reach flood victims in the Philippines, where at least 72 people are feared to have died following torrential rains. Tropical Storm Ketsana set-off the worst flooding in decades in the capital Manila and nearby provinces. Defence Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said troops, police and civilian volunteers had rescued more than 4,000 people - many clinging to each other on roofs. More than 250,000 have been driven from their homes, officials say. Correspondents say the massive rescue was set to intensify as the weather began to clear and floodwaters began to recede on Sunday. But some reports estimate that 80% of the capital is still under water. The government has declared a "calamity" in Manila and 25 provinces, allowing access to emergency funds.

Saturday, September 26, 2009 WASHINGTON: Three people were killed when a medical transport helicopter crashed in coastal South Carolina, the latest in a string of such accidents.The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the Friday night crash in Georgetown County. NTSB spokesman Peter Knudson says no patients were on board. There were no survivors.Knudson says the helicopter had dropped off a patient at about 9:35 p.m. local time Friday in Charleston. He says the helicopter went down about 11:30 p.m.Knudson did not know where the plane was traveling to. An NTSB investigator was on his way to the scene and was expected to be there sometime Saturday.

Saturday, September 26, 2009 MILAN: It looks like it's going to be a short summer in 2010, at least where hemlines are concerned.On Thursday, the opening day of Milan fashion week of preview showings for next year's warm weather fashion, short dresses, short skirts and short shorts showed up on almost every runway.But in this round, the cropped look is more demure than daring. Ruffles and bubble shapes replace the clinging styles that often symbolize Made in Italy label.Even Dolce&Gabbana, best known for their sexy styles, opted for a pert cowgirl look of short ruffled chiffon skirts paired with corset tops and boots with leather fringe for their second line D&G label, which is aimed at the younger set.Already hinted at on the winter runway, summer marks the return of the jacket, complete with its 1980's powersuit shoulder padding.Footwear looks like it's stepping down from the platform heights of recent seasons, with a sensible heel at Prada and flat sandals a...

Saturday, September 26, 2009 LONDON: World stocks traded in narrow ranges Friday as investors looked to leaders of the Group of 20 rich and developing economies assembled in the U.S. for assurance that they will not stifle global economic recovery by prematurely taking away stimulus measures.In afternoon trading in Europe, Britain's FTSE 100 was up 0.4 percent to 5,105.61 and France's CAC 40 climbed 0.02 percent at 3,759.01. Germany's DAX was down 0.1 percent at 5,600.09.Asian markets closed down, with Tokyo the heaviest loser — down 2.6 percent — and Wall Street was set to open marginally higher after markets fell Thursday. Investors had pulled out of stocks amid worries about the sustainability of this year's rally and news of an unexpected drop in sales of existing homes in August.Dow Jones industrial average futures rose 0.3 percent to 9,661 and Standard & Poor's 500 futures added 0.3 percent to 1,047.60.Investors are increasingly nervous that governments wi...