ONE NEWS

Tuesday, December 01, 2009 RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah has ordered an immediate payment of SR1 million ($266,000) to the families of each person who died in last week’s flooding in Jeddah. The king also ordered the setting up of a high-level committee to study the extent of the damage and recommend policies to ensure that it does not happen again, local newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Tuesday, December 01, 2009 VIENNA: Continuing along with her worldly travels, Katy Perry made her way to Ischgl, Austria for the ski winter opening festivities. The singer started things off by attending a press conference, later taking the stage for another one of her penchant energetic performances.

Tuesday, December 01, 2009 NEW YORK: Turns out those discredited rumours of a possible Chelsea Clinton wedding last summer were mostly just premature. The 29-year old daughter of former President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has become engaged to her long-time boyfriend, 31-year old investment banker Marc Mezvinsky.The couple sent an e-mail to friends Friday announcing the news, saying they were looking at a possible wedding next summer. Matt McKenna, a spokesman for the former president, confirmed the engagement Monday.Mezvinsky is a son of former Pennsylvania Rep.

Tuesday, December 01, 2009 BANGKOK: Monkeying around in Thailand and for once, these primates aren't stealing the food. Instead they are honoured guests at this annual monkey feast in Lopburi.Platefuls of colourful food, delicious enough for human consumption, are given to the city's most famous residents. The monkey buffet is staged at sacred Khmer ruins and honours the place the long-tailed macaques hold in Thai legend. A giant tower of fruit, vegetables and assorted Thai deserts formed the centrepiece of the mass celebration. There wasn't any champagne but Pepsi seemed just fine. All this monkey business is big business in Lopburi, with the event bringing in thousands of visitors every year. Monkeys are a both a bane and a blessing in the city. The thousands of naughty, greedy animals are given free rein and often cause havoc.

Tuesday, December 01, 2009 MUMBAI: The special trial court hearing the 26/11 terror attack case in Mumbai has sacked Abbas Kazmi, the lawyer of Ajmal Kasab, the only captured terrorist of 26/11, for "non-cooperation."Special sessions judge M L Tahiliyani has sacked Kazmi on charges of non co-operation. A new advocate, KP Pawar, also Kazmis junior has been appointed as the new lawyer in the case.Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said Kazmi was removed as he neither withdrew from the case nor cooperate with the court.“The court had ultimately asked him whether he would like to withdraw from the case or whether he would cooperate with the court or the court should take further action. Mr Kazmi refused to withdraw from the case and since he did not co-operate with the court, the court was compelled to cancel his appointment,” said Nikam.Even as the trial will continue at its regular pace, advocate K P Pawar, who now steps into Kazmi's shoes, initially appointed as an ass...

Tuesday, December 01, 2009 GENEVA: The Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief at the Office of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (OHCHR) Asma Jahangir voiced shock on Monday at the outcome of the vote on the initiative to prohibit the construction of minarets in Switzerland, sources reported on Monday. "I have deep concerns at the negative consequences that the outcome of the vote will have on the freedom of religion or belief of members of the Muslim community in Switzerland. "Indeed, a ban on minarets amounts to an undue restriction of the freedom to manifest one's religion and constitutes a clear discrimination against the Muslim community in Switzerland," said Jahangir. As also stated by OHCHR's Human Rights Committee a month ago, such a ban runs counter to Switzerland's obligations under international human rights law, she added. "This vote reminds us that no societies are immune to religious intolerance. It is therefore ne...

Tuesday, December 01, 2009 PESHAWAR: NWFP minister for sports & culture Syed Aqil Shah said that the Tehmas Football Ground of Peshawar would be converted into the Tehmas International Football Stadium.He was talking with media during his visit to the Tehmas Football Ground here on Tuesday.He told that the preparations for the 31st National Games are in full swing and the players would have the facilities of international standard at the Tehmas Football Ground.Syed Aqil Shah said that 23 projects for promotion of sports in the province are in progress.He said that the federation has provided Rs1.5 billion for construction of stadiums in Punjab and Sindh whereas NWFP and Balochistan would not get any share of this amount.

Tuesday, December 01, 2009 CAPE TOWN: Players around the world can keep the games going after dark thanks to solar-powered LED technology from Philips. Soccer or football, as it is called through most of the world fans around the world will be happy to hear they can play well into the night. An innovative line of solar-powered LED floodlights has been introduced that will enable people in developing and developed communities alike to participate in social activities well after sunset.The floodlight system offers energy-efficient LED lighting technology and can illuminate areas up to 40 by 20 meter with bright white light. Moreover, the system is highly sustainable, with a rugged design that should sustain rigors of life in even remote terrains.

Tuesday, December 01, 2009 NEW YORK: Serena Williams has been hit with a suspended sentence and the largest fine in tennis history but is free to play in January's Australian Open. Williams has been put on a good behaviour bond until the end of the 2011 season after being found guilty of aggravated behaviour at the US Open in September. She has been fined about $191,100, almost twice the previous record penalty levelled at Lleyton Hewitt in 2002. If Williams misbehaves again in a grand slam in the next two years, she will be barred from the US Open. Williams will have to pay about $80,000 immediately, having already paid a about $11,000 at Flushing Meadow. The balance is payable only if she commits another grand slam major offence before the end of 2011. World No.1 Williams was found guilty of threatening a lineswoman during a tense semi-final against Kim Clijsters in New York.

Monday, November 30, 2009 HELSINKI: Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and his Indian partner Rohan Bopanna clinched their third ATP Challenger doubles title of the season after defeating Jarkko Nieminen and Henri Kontinen 6-2, 7-6 in the final of the Helsinki event in Finland.The third seed duo split euro 6600 as prize money and secured 110 ranking points each.They had also won the Aachen Challenger event in Germany two weeks back.Qureshi and Bopanna had won their first title this year at the Kohrat Open in Thailand in March.They had also reached the final of the ATP 250 event in San Jose along with Jarkko Nieminen of Finland in February.