■ Japan
Rocket launch successful
Yesterday a rocket was successfully launched carrying X-ray telescopes into Earth's orbit to examine black holes and galaxies. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, staged a live Web telecast of the M-5 rocket being shot into a cloudy sky from Uchinoura. The Astro-EII satellite reached its target orbit about 560km above the planet's surface. Astro-EII, draws power from solar panels. JAXA scientists will study the structure and movement of black holes and the collapse of gigantic galaxies, or clusters of stars and gas held together by gravity. They hope the research will reveal clues about the evolution of the universe.
■ New Zealand
Mosque vandals condemned
At least six Islamic centers in New Zealand have been vandalized with smashed windows and their walls painted with the message "Londoners RIP" in black paint, police said yesterday following Thursday's bombings in London. Muslim leaders and political leaders condemned the attacks. Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff, one of four government MPs to attend a mosque gathering, said the politicians had come to "express solidarity with you in the face of this mindless and stupid vandalism." Prime Minister Helen Clark was also quick to condemn the attacks, saying it was wrong to target the Muslim community in New Zealand in retaliation for the terrorist attacks in London.
■ Thailand
Bovine marriage feted
Farmer Amphol Wangboon was hesitant to give up his beloved Thong Khaow for marriage until he found her the perfect match and a dowry he couldn't refuse: truckloads of fresh grass, hay, maize and 100,000 baht (US$2,400). Thong Khaow and her new mate, Thong Kham -- a pair of rare dwarf Brahman cattle -- were married yesterday morning in a traditional Thai ceremony featuring processions and a banquet for more than 2,000 human guests at a cattle market in central Sa Kaew province. The animals wore silk outfits and jasmine garlands. Other beasts attended the wedding. Amphol, a village headman, said, "I wasn't going to sell her -- she's a special find -- but [Thong Kham's owner] said he would take care of her and wanted to display the couple in front of his restaurant."
■ Thailand
Permission to explore denied
Divers in Thailand have sought US approval to explore the purported wreck of a US submarine sunk during World War II, but a US official said that the vessel is a war grave that must remain undisturbed. The wreck, thought to be of the USS Lagarto, was discovered in May by divers now trying to obtain Pentagon permission to film and conduct research on the submarine, Jamie MacLeod, a 43-year-old professional shipwreck diver from England, said. Eighty-six sailors perished when the Lagarto sank in May 1945 -- reportedly after being hit by mines laid by an enemy Japanese ship.
■ China
Floods kill 18 more
At least 18 people died, eight were missing and an estimated 150,000 were evacuated after floods swept through Dazhou city in southwestern China. Water and electricity supplies were suspended in many parts of the city. At least 5,400 people were injured as the floods damaged nearly 14,000 homes in the area. The agency and other national media showed paramilitary police wading through chest-high water in Dazhou and using boats to evacuate local residents.
■ Chechnya
Gunmen wound 10 officers
RSS