ONE NEWS

Sunday, February 21, 2010 DUBAI: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met members of a hit squad at Mossad headquarters shortly before they went to Dubai to kill a Hamas commander, Britain's Sunday Times newspaper reports. Netanyahu was welcomed to Mossad by its chief Meir Dagan and briefed on plans to kill Mahmud al-Mabhuh, a top commander of the Islamist movement that rules Gaza, the paper said, quoting unnamed sources with knowledge of Mossad. The prime minister reportedly authorised the mission, which was not seen as complicated or risky. "Typically on such occasions, the prime minister intones: 'The people of Israel trust you. Good luck,'" the paper added. It also quoted a source saying burns from a stun gun were found on the body of Mabhuh, a founder of Hamas's armed wing who was killed on a visit to Dubai, and that there were traces of a nose bleed, possibly from being smothered. The high-profile killing has caused diplomatic tensions b...

Sunday, February 21, 2010 PESHAWAR: Rejecting President Hamid Karzai’s peace offer, the Taliban on Saturday said they would not lay down weapons unless the foreign forces leave Afghanistan. “The entire world knows that foreign forces have invaded Afghanistan and occupied this country. They have also started the fighting. Taliban will neither lay down weapons nor will hold talks with Karzai administration even in the presence of a single foreign soldier in Afghanistan,” Qari Muhammad Yousaf Ahmadi, a purported spokesman for Taliban, told Afghan Islamic Press. He termed the ongoing fighting as a war between the Afghans and foreigners, saying, “The ongoing war in Afghanistan is between Afghans and foreigners. The responsibility of the war lies on the foreigners and their slaves. They continue fighting in the populated areas and have sent 15000 troops to small area like Marja; and are killing civilians and trying to impose infidels on Afghans.” Declaring Karzai as powerless ruler, ...

Sunday, February 21, 2010 LISBON: The death toll in flash floods on the Portuguese island of Madeira rose Sunday to 38 with over 100 injured, authorities said, warning that the number was likely to rise. "We have 38 dead but the figure is not completely definitive," regional government social affairs secretary Francisco Ramos told reporters. Earlier, authorities said 32 people had lost their lives with 68 injured. "We are going to continue to search for bodies, we are waiting for the teams which are due to arrive... in order to continue working one the ground," he added. Around 250 people had been left homeless, the Civil Protection authorities said on their website. Torrential rains caused flooding and landslides on Saturday, particularly in the south of Madeira, which is 900 kilometres (560 miles) southwest of the Portuguese mainland.

WHISTLER, B.C. - Simon Ammann of Switzerland has made Winter Olympics ski jumping history. Ammann won the individual large hill competition Saturday at Whistler Olympic Park, becoming the first man to win four career ski jumping gold medals in individual events. He has won the large and normal hill titles in 2002 and 2010. He finished out of the medals four years ago. The 28-year-old Ammann had 283.6 points after Saturday's two jumps, which covered 144 and 138 metres. Adam Malysz of Poland (269.4 points) won the silver medal and Gregor Schlierenzauer of Austria (262.2) claimed bronze. The top three finishers were the same on the normal hill one week earlier. Ammann joined Matti Nykanen of Finland as the only Olympic ski jumper with four gold medals. Nykanen twice reached the podium in 1984 and 1988, but one of his gold medals was earned when Finland won the team event in 1988 in Calgary. Ammann can win an unprecedented fifth ski jumping gold medal Monday in the large hil...

MIRAMSHAH: Sheikh Mansoor, a key al-Qaeda commander has been killed in a US drone strike in North Waziristan, sources told Geo News Saturday. A US drone had launched a strike targeting a spot in Tolkhel area of North Waziristan on February 17, killing Sheikh Mansoor, an operational commander of al-Qaeda, sources said. Local and intelligence sources have confirmed the death of Sheikh Mansoor, son of a significant al-Qaeda leader Seikh Abdur Rehman Kennedy who was killed in Baghar area in a military offensive in 2003. Sheikh Mansoor had taken charge of North Waziristan as al-Qaeda commander after his father’s death. Later, Muhammad Haqqani, son of Jihadi commander Jalaluddin Haqqani, was killed in another drone strike when he was on his way to perform fateha of Sheikh Mansoor.

Saturday, February 20, 2010 GENEVA: The global death toll from swine flu approached the 16,000 mark as the pandemic waned in much of Europe and Asia, the World Health Organisation said. "As of 14 February 2010, worldwide more than 212 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including at least 15,921 deaths," the WHO said in its latest update. The toll recorded since the A(H1N1) pandemic virus was first uncovered in Mexico and the United States last April grew by 629 compared to the previous week. Several countries in West Africa reported increases in cases after swine flu was recently detected there, but the WHO concluded there was insufficient evidence so far that swine flu was spreading widely in local communities. "In the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere, overall pandemic influenza activity continued to decline in most countries," despite pockets of activity, the...

Saturday, February 20, 2010 LONDON: London Fashion Week opened with a minute's silence for Alexander McQueen, as it mourned one of Britain's most daring and innovative designers who hanged himself earlier this month. The 40-year-old's death on February 11 was met with shock and disbelief around the world, and no more so than in London where McQueen grew up, trained inspired a generation of new designers. "I ask you to join me in sharing both respect and reverence for the passing of one of our greatest British designers, Lee McQueen," British Fashion Council chairman Harold Tillman said, using the first name the designer was known by. "His impact on London and the international fashion industry has been extraordinary. He will be sorely missed." McQueen's rise from humble beginnings in London's East End to create his own global brand was achieved through "determination, hard work and genius" and was an inspiration to others, Till...