ONE NEWS

Monday, February 01, 2010 QUEENSLAND: Strong gales whip up seas along the coast causing beach erosion from Townsville to the Gold Coast. Emergency services were expecting the severe weather and king tides to cause major flooding and widespread damage to homes and property. Wayne Coutes from Emergency Management Queensland (EMQ) says the former cyclone and a monsoon trough have drenched the top half of state but that is about it. Mr Coutes says there was a lot of flash flooding but not much damage. "Generally not too bad at all and it wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been," he said. Strong gales of up to 90 kilometres an hour have whipped up seas along the coast causing beach erosion from Townsville to the Gold Coast. Weather bureau forecaster Ben Annells says the system will continue to head across central and southern Queensland over the next few days. "We are seeing quite a few showers coming through the far south-east corner of the state as th...

Monday, February 01, 2010 BAGHDAD: A female suicide bomber mingling among pilgrims in Baghdad detonated an explosives belt Monday, killing at least 54 people, officials said. The bombing was the first major strike this year against pilgrims making their way to the southern city of Karbala to mark a holy day. It came as a security official warned of a possible increase in attacks by insurgents using new tactics to bypass bomb-detection methods. The bombing raises fears of an escalation of attacks as hundreds of thousands of Shiites head to Karbala to mark on Friday the end of 40 days of mourning following the anniversary of the death of Imam Hussein, a revered Islamic figure. The bomber hid the explosives underneath an abaya, a black cloak worn from head to toe by women, as she joined a group of pilgrims on the outskirts of Baghdad's neighborhood of Shaab, said Maj. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, Baghdad's top military spokesman. The bomber set off the blast as she lined up w...

Monday, February 01, 2010 VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE: The Air Force says a missile-intercept test failed when a long-range missile launched from California missed a target missile launched from a Pacific island because of radar problems. A statement posted on the Vandenberg Air Force Base Web site says the target missile was launched from the Kwajale in Atoll in the Marshall Islands on Sunday at about 3:40 p.m. local time (2340 GMT) and the long-range interceptor missile was launched from California's central coast shortly after. The statement says both missiles launched and flew without trouble but the system's sea-based X-band radar did not perform as expected and the interceptor missed its target. The statement says officials from the Missile Defense Agency that conducted the test will conduct an extensive investigation to determine the cause of the failure.

Monday, February 01, 2010 HYDERABAD: The Melody Queen of India and Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar bagged Kalasaraswathi award for her outstanding contribution to Indian music for the last six decades. “After listening to the speakers on the stage, I felt I should learn Telugu,” Lata expressed her wish. The award, given by the Andhra Pradesh Kala Vedika in association with the Department of Culture, Government of AP, carries a cash prize of Rs 15 lakh, a gold bracelet, veena and a citation. “I am a big fan of ANR. Though I don’t watch south movies much, I saw the Telugu Devdas 10 times. I cannot understand the language but the acting by the cast stands out,” the living legend said. Lata, who of late is keeping away from mainstream playback singing, said, “Nowadays, I do not sing for movies much. I am dedicating more time to singing bhajans and devotional hymns. I have recorded Annamayya songs and was in Tirupati on Saturday in this connection.“ Not to disappoint her fans, Lata ...

Monday, February 01, 2010 JAKARTA: Thirty-three people including 25 Chinese nationals are feared to have drowned after their speedboat sank in heavy seas off eastern Indonesia last week, police said Monday. Maluku province police spokesman John Huwae said the 12-metre (40-foot) long vessel was travelling from Aru to Tual islands when it sank on Thursday due to bad weather.

Monday, February 01, 2010 CANBERRA: Australia's population is projected to grow by more than half to 36 million by mid-century, mainly through immigration, a government report said Monday. The additional 14 million people that Australia anticipates adding to its current population of 22 million by 2050 is cited in a report aiming to help lawmakers plan for the future challenges of an aging population, escalating health costs and urban overcrowding. In releasing the report, Treasurer Wayne Swan said that while a population of 36 million was not a target, such population growth could help pay for upcoming generations of retirees. The number of Australians over the retirement age of 65 is expected to double by 2050, while its GDP is expected to slow to an annual average of 2.7 percent by then. GDP has averaged 3.3 percent over the last 40years. ``To some extent, the higher population growth would help us manage the challenges of an aging population,'' Swan told the Nat...

Monday, February 01, 2010 LOS ANGELES: Following are the big winners at the 52nd annual Grammy Awards on Sunday. A complete list of winners in all 109 categories can be found at the website of Grammys. ALBUM OF THE YEAR - Fearless - Taylor Swift RECORD OF THE YEAR - Use Somebody - Kings of Leon SONG OF THE YEAR- Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) -Thaddis Harrell, Beyonce Knowles, Terius Nash & ChristopherStewart, songwriters (Beyonce) BEST NEW ARTIST -Zac Brown Band BEST FEMALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE- Halo - Beyonce BEST MALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE- If You Don't Know Me ByNow - Seal BEST POP PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCALS - IGotta Feeling - The Black Eyed Peas BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM- The E.N.D. - The Black Eyed Peas BEST DANCE RECORDING - Poker Face - Lady Gaga BEST TRADITIONAL POP VOCAL ALBUM- Michael Buble Meets Madison Square Garden - Michael Buble BEST SOLO ROCK VOCAL PERFORMANCE - Working On A Dream -Bruce Springsteen BEST ROCK ALBUM - 21st Century Bre...