■ Cambodia
Turtle lands monk in court
A fight between an elderly woman and a Buddhist monk over an allegedly magic turtle required the reptile to be rescued and landed the monk in court on charges of impersonating a god. The monk Khong Chantha, 26, sold a turtle with Buddhist inscriptions carved into its shell to an elderly local woman for US$1.25. When he heard the woman had begun her own business with the turtle, claiming it invoked miracles, he tried to reclaim it by force but she would not give the turtle back and there was a fight. The woman reported the monk to police, who then found a forged letter "signed" by Prime Minister Hun Sen in the monk's possession claiming the monk was a reincarnation of the Buddha. The turtle was confiscated and handed over to a local temple. The monk was released with a caution.
■ United Kingdom
Photo phone saves publican
Matthew Stevens, 25, was cleaning behind a freezer at his pub in Bridgewater when he was bitten twice on the hand by a 13cm-long Brazilian Wandering Spider. Within minutes Stevens began to feel ill and was rushed to the hospital. "My chest was so tight I could hardly breathe. The doctors didn't know what type of spider it was, but I'd got a picture of it on my phone, and they faxed it to Bristol zoo to identify it," Stevens said. He had been attacked by one of the world's most venomous spiders, so doctors used a saline drip to flush the poison out of his system, and he went home the next day. The spider perhaps arrived in the UK in a bunch of bananas.
■ United States
Thieves prefer iPods
New York City police said that 50 iPods have been reported stolen on the subways so far this year, compared to none last year. Most thieves are believed to keep the devices, which retail for US$100. "It usually has to do with young people taking them from young people," said police. Thieves spot people with the telltale white earphones, snatch the devices and run out the door.
■ United States
White House gets alarmed
President George W. Bush was rushed to a secure underground White House bunker and Vice President Dick Cheney was whisked outside the compound Wednesday because of a "radar anomaly" -- perhaps a flock of birds or pocket of rain -- that was mistaken for a plane flying in restricted airspace. The Secret Service leapt into action, moving the president and vice president out of danger. Officers toting shotguns raced around the compound taking positions. A surface-to-air missile battery on the roof of a nearby building was raised to fire position. Staff members were evacuated from the West Wing. Tour groups were hustled out of the executive mansion and a park across the street was cleared. It was determined within minutes to be a false alarm.
■ United States
Talks with China held
Senior US and Chinese military leaders were scheduled to hold annual defense talks in Washington yesterday. The "defense consultative talks" come amid growing US concerns over a Chinese military buildup, Chinese tensions with Taiwan and Japan, and a stalemate over North Korea's self-declared nuclear weapons program. The Chinese delegation was to be headed by General Xiong Guangkai (熊光楷), deputy chief of the general staff of the People's Liberation Army. Douglas Feith, undersecretary of defense for policy, will head a US delegation.
SEEKING CHANGE: A hospital worker said she did not vote in previous elections, but ‘now I can see that maybe my vote can change the system and the country’ Voting closed yesterday across the Solomon Islands in the south Pacific nation’s first general election since the government switched diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to Beijing and struck a secret security pact that has raised fears of the Chinese navy gaining a foothold in the region. The Solomon Islands’ closer relationship with China and a troubled domestic economy weighed on voters’ minds as they cast their ballots. As many as 420,000 registered voters had their say across 50 national seats. For the first time, the national vote also coincided with elections for eight of the 10 local governments. Esther Maeluma cast her vote in the
Nearly half of China’s major cities are suffering “moderate to severe” levels of subsidence, putting millions of people at risk of flooding, especially as sea levels rise, according to a study of nationwide satellite data released yesterday. The authors of the paper, published by the journal Science, found that 45 percent of China’s urban land was sinking faster than 3mm per year, with 16 percent at more than 10mm per year, driven not only by declining water tables, but also the sheer weight of the built environment. With China’s urban population already in excess of 900 million people, “even a small portion
UNSETTLING IMAGES: The scene took place in front of TV crews covering the Trump trial, with a CNN anchor calling it an ‘emotional and unbelievably disturbing moment’ A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former US president Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said yesterday. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) said the man was declared dead by staff at an area hospital. The man was in Collect Pond Park at about 1:30pm on Friday when he took out pamphlets espousing conspiracy theories, tossed them around, then doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire, officials and witnesses said. A large number of police officers were nearby when it happened. Some officers and bystanders rushed
HYPOCRISY? The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday asked whether Biden was talking about China or the US when he used the word ‘xenophobic’ US President Joe Biden on Wednesday called for a hike in steel tariffs on China, accusing Beijing of cheating as he spoke at a campaign event in Pennsylvania. Biden accused China of xenophobia, too, in a speech to union members in Pittsburgh. “They’re not competing, they’re cheating. They’re cheating and we’ve seen the damage here in America,” Biden said. Chinese steel companies “don’t need to worry about making a profit because the Chinese government is subsidizing them so heavily,” he said. Biden said he had called for the US Trade Representative to triple the tariff rates for Chinese steel and aluminum if Beijing was