London, November 16
UK’s much-awaited royal wedding is to take place next year with an official announcement saying that Prince William, the second-in-line to the British throne, is to marry his longtime companion Kate Middleton in 2011.

William-Kate wedding, which is likely to rekindle memories of the fairytale wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana in 1981, will climax an eight year on and off romance.

William is the most liked British royal after the late Queen Mother who died in 2002 aged 101 and Britons have been eagerly awaiting the nuptials for years.

“The wedding will take place in spring or summer of 2011, in London,” a statement from the Clarence House announcing the wedding said, adding that further details about the marriage will be announced in due course.

“Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton became engaged in October during a private holiday in Kenya. Prince William has informed the Queen and other close members of his family. He has also sought permission of Miss Middleton’s father,” the statement said.

William and Kate will live in North Wales where the Prince is currently serving with the Royal Air Force. The first to comment on the announcement was PM David Cameron, who said “he was delighted” and wished the royal couple very best. The royal announcement was broken at a Cabinet meeting and Cameron took the call from Buckingham Palace and later relayed the news to his ministers. — PTI

Singapore, November 16
A British author critical of executions in Singapore was today sentenced to six weeks in jail and fined $20,000 for contempt of court over his controversial book based on Indian-origin hangman Darshan Singh who put around 1,000 convicts to death.

Alan Shadrake, 76, had “scandalised” Singapore’s judiciary system in his book, “Once a jolly hangman: Singapore’s justice in the dock,” reported the Straits Times.

High court judge Quentin Loh, who had found Shadrake guilty of contempt of court earlier this month, sentenced the author to six weeks in jail and ordered him to pay a fine of Singapore dollars 20,000.

Shadrake arrived in court holding up an anti-death penalty poster and wearing a badge to signify giving those on death row a second chance, another report by the Channel News Asia said. In passing the sentence, Justice Loh noted that he had given Shadrake the chance to make amends.

Shadrake’s defence lawyer M Ravi said he intends to get British Parliament to take the case to the International Court of Justice. About 6,000 copies of the book have been sold in Singapore and overseas.

It has interviews with former Singapore hangman Darshan Singh, who had executed around 1,000 men and women from 1959 until he retired in 2006 from Singapore’s Changi Prison. — PTI