Vijay Mallya-promoted Kingfisher Airlines has finally slashed its domestic basic fares by up to 65 per cent, indicating an average reduction of around 20 per cent in overall fares.

Last week, Kingfisher had declared a range of fare cuts without indicating the quantum of cuts across sectors.

The company's announcement follows moves by rival Jet Airways and Air India, the country's national carrier to trim their basic fares by an average of 50 per cent and 40 per cent respectively.

New-Delhi-based Surya Roshni Ltd, a major lighting solution provider, is planning to invest Rs 100 crore in setting up a lamp manufacturing plant at Malanpur, Gwalior with an aim to attain Rs 1,500-crore turnover in the next three years.

The new plant, which will manufacture mainly CFL lamps, high masts and street lights, is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2009.

The firm plans to make 3 million lamps per month. The company already has two manufacturing plants - one each at Kashipur (Nainital) and Malanpur (Gwalior).

Amman - Jordan's King Abdullah II on Saturday issued a fresh appeal for a prompt action by the world community to force Israel to stop its offensive on the Gaza Strip, where he said the humanitarian situation had deteriorated drastically.

The monarch made the remarks during a telephone conversation with the envoy of the so-called Middle East Quartet Tony Blair, according to a royal court statement.

"The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip has deteriorated to the point where the world community should drop its silence and move promptly to ensure a cessation of the Israeli aggression," King Abdullah told Blair.

Abu Dhabi, UAE  - Britain's Andy Murray downed world number one Rafael Nadal of Spain 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 to win the final of the Abu Dhabi exhibition tournament on Saturday.

Kampala  - Uganda warned Saturday that it may withdraw its troops from peacekeeping duties in Somalia as Ethiopia pulls its forces out after a two-year occupation of the conflict-stricken nation.

"Uganda is going to consider withdrawing its troops from Somalia and it will do so as soon as possible after weighing the risks on the ground," Deputy Foreign Minister Henry Okello Oryem told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

Ethiopian forces invaded Somalia in late 2006 to help kick out the hardline Islamic Courts Union (ICU) regime.

After two years of battling a bloody insurgency and watching the government it backed fall apart, Ethiopia is now cutting its losses.

Buenos Aires  - Qatari driver Nasseer al-Attiyah claimed the first stage of motorsport's Dakar Rally on Saturday, ahead of Spaniard Carlos Sainz, one of the pre-race favourites.

Al-Attiyah in a BMW X3 of the German X-Raid team finished the 371-kilometre stretch from Buenos Aires to Santa Rosa de la Pampa with a time of 2:36.15 hours.

He enjoyed a lead of 2 minutes 17 seconds over Sainz in a Volkswagen Touareg. VW also had South African driver Giniel de Villiers third, 2:40 back, and Mark Miller of the United States fourth, 4:21 behind al-Attiyah.