■ Vietnam
US may resettle Hmong
The US, still dealing with one of the legacies of the Vietnam War, said on Thursday it may accept thousands of ethnic Hmong refugees from Laos for resettlement. More than 15,000 Hmong people have been living for years around a Buddhist temple in Thailand after fleeing Laos following the communist takeover of the country in 1975. The CIA had enlisted the Hmong -- tough tribal people from the harsh countryside -- to spearhead US efforts to subdue Laotian communists during the conflict in neighboring Vietnam. Many Hmong, fearing retribution, fled after the communists took over Laos.
■ Hong Kong
Haircut leads to stabbing
An image-conscious prisoner stabbed his cellmate more than 20 times for cutting his hair badly then joking about it. Chan Ka-chun, 27, pleaded guilty to wounding with intent for using a pair of lawn trimmers to stab Fung Shing-hong in the head, back and hands to retaliate for the haircut he got a few hours earlier, according to a report in the South China Morning Post. Chan entered his plea on Wednesday in the District Court, the newspaper said, and Judge Peter Line delayed sentencing until he can get a psychiatric report. Fung suffered wounds to his neck, left eyebrow, left forearm and right wrist, but has since recovered and been released from prison, the report said.
■ New Zealand
Mates make own coffins
Builder Tom Pinfold and his friend Roy Booth, of Rotorua, had time on their hands when they retired and did not fancy filling it with golf, bowls or croquet. So, over a few drinks one day, and being capable "do-it-yourself" handymen, they came up with a novel idea: To build their own coffins. With Pinfold's building skills and his friend's assistance, they knocked up a couple of made-to-measure final resting places. Two friends were so impressed with their handiwork that they ordered individually tailored coffins for themselves, but the pair said their production line was stopping there.
"Four mates, four coffins," Pinfold told the local Daily Post. "And we've all had a bit of a laugh about it."
■ Japan
Corpse on street for months
Osaka police said yesterday that a dead body was ignored by crowds on a busy downtown corner for two months before a taxi driver finally alerted authorities. The partially decomposed body, believed to be that of a homeless man in his late 60s or early 70s, was found in front of a popular department store. A police official said the corner is among the busiest in the city, with about 1 million people passing through the area each day. The official said the cause of death had not been determined, but foul play was not suspected.
■ Hong Kong
Education chief plays games
The territory's education chief has admitted to playing computer games during a legislative meeting, a newspaper reported yesterday. Secretary for Education and Manpower Arthur Li came under intense criticism over reports two weeks ago that he played the games during a Legislative Council debate over school funding cuts. Li was quoted as saying he felt out of place in a room full of people opposed to the cutbacks the government is considering -- so he withdrew into cyberspace. "I felt very lonely in the Legislative Council. That's why I played games," Li told an audience of school principals on Wednesday, according to a report in the South China Morning Post.
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