■ Malaysia
Fish chokes boy
An eight-year-old boy choked to death in a Malaysian village when a live fish he was holding in his hands leapt into his mouth and lodged in his throat, a news report said yesterday. Samiun Ahmad, the son of a rubber tapper, had scooped the fish out of a pond in a neighbor's house and was excitedly showing it around when the freak accident occurred on Monday, the New Straits Times reported.
■ China
Mine death toll rises
The death toll from a gas explosion in a coal mine in northwestern China rose to 76 yesterday and the chances of finding the seven miners still missing alive are slim, government officials said. The remains of the dead had been lifted out of the shaft and taken to funeral homes, said Yu Zhengui, deputy secretary general of the Xinjiang regional government. A total of 87 people were working in the mine in Fukang, Xinjiang region, when the blast happened on Monday, the State Administration for Work Safety said. Only four have been found alive so far.
■ Australia
Lawyer to sue over `McBrat'
An Australian lawyer vowed yesterday to pursue legal action against McDonald's after the fast food giant attempted to block him from using part of his own name to sponsor a local rugby team. Malcolm McBratney has used his nickname, McBrat, to sponsor his community-based rugby team for several years. He attempted to register the name with the national trademark office, in March last year but was blocked by McDonald's Australia, a unit of McDonald's Corp, which claimed the name was too similar to its McKids trademark used on action toys and clothes.
■ China
US pullout call reiterated
Beijing called on the US yesterday to respect a demand that it set a deadline to withdraw troops from Central Asia. Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao (劉建超) said Central Asian nations took part in anti-terrorist activity after the Sept. 11 attacks, but "now the situation has changed." China, Russia and four Central Asian nations last week jointly called on the US to set a date to withdraw forces from Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
■ The Philippines
`Elvis' confounds anchor
ANC network anchor Ricky Carandang was left fumbling for words yesterday following an interview with the president's executive secretary about a Cabinet appointment that included cutaway shots showing the interview's location at a government broadcast studio -- with Elvis in the background. "Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, making the announcement while, uh ... interestingly enough, talking with Elvis Presley," Carandang said to laughter in his own studio. "Or at least someone who looks very much like him." It turned out the Elvis impersonator is a new addition to the sparsely watched government TV network NBN, where he is a regular on a morning show.
■ Thailand
Energy plan approved
The Cabinet yesterday approved energy-savings measures designed to save the country US$162 million in oil imports. The Cabinet ordered all gasoline stations nationwide to close between 10pm and 5am and billboards using more than 1,000 watts of electricity to be turned off after 10pm, starting on Friday. It also ordered all civil servants to use gasohol in their cars. An official said the measures were expected to save Thailand 6,800 million baht (US$162 million) in fuel imports a year.
■ China
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