■ Hong Kong
Family used forceps on maid
Members of a doctor's family have gone on trial accused of punishing their Indonesian maid by using biopsy forceps to grip her breasts and nipples, a news report said yesterday. Dr. Chung Chong-fai, 32, his wife Lee Lai-ping, 28, and his mother-in-law Law Yee-lin, 60, allegedly used forceps on the maid to punish her when she repeatedly fell asleep at work. They would allegedly grip the breasts and nipples of the 22-year-old woman in the forceps as well as slapping her face and pinching her, the South China Morning Post reported. The maid told the court she was forced to work long hours and got only three hours' sleep every night, making her drowsy during the day when she would be punished for dozing.
■ Philippines
Four wounded by policeman
Four people were wounded yesterday when a rookie policeman accidentally fired his service firearm at Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport, an official said. Chief Superintendent Andres Caro, director of the police aviation security group, said the accident occurred at the departure area. He said police officer Gregorio Lazo Gale was sending off his wife at the airport, and had taken out the magazine of his 45-calibre pistol. "But when checking the gun, he accidentally fired it, with the bullet hitting the floor, causing splinters that hurt four bystanders," Caro said.
■ Malaysia
Coalition wins by-election
The ruling National Front coalition won a key by-election in the Muslim heartland after a recount yesterday, narrowly beating the hardline Islamic party that rules Kelantan state. The recount in Tuesday's poll for the Pengkalan Pasir state assembly seat showed the coalition -- which controls the federal government and every other state -- winning by 134 votes. The ballot was widely seen as a test of multiracial Malaysia's appetite for fundamentalist Islam. Coalition leaders hailed it as a victory for their moderate brand of Islam, which promotes development, against the policies of the Pan-Malaysia Islamic Party.
■ Japan
Girl escapes from `lock up'
An 18-year-old girl in Fukuoka has spent her entire life locked in her home, Japanese media reports said on Tuesday. The girl, who was not identified, was brought to the attention of the police after a passerby noticed her wandering around a park in her bare feet, despite the chilly temperatures. She is now in the custody of the authorities, a Fukuoka police spokesperson said. The girl ran away after her mother beat her for watching television. The reports said the mother had sequestered her child because she was ashamed of an illness the girl suffered as a toddler, which left her only 120cm tall. The mother has been fined ?100,000 (US$827).
■ China
Moon realtor shut down
A company's efforts at selling plots of land on the moon was a "beautiful" idea but fraudulent and illegal, a government watchdog has ruled. The firm, known as "Lunar Embassy," had managed to sell tracts of the moon for 298 yuan (US$37) per 0.4 hectares before being shut down in late October, the China Daily reported yesterday. Lunar Embassy chief Li Jie took the case to Beijing's commercial watchdog, urging that the suspension of his company's license be lifted. "There is not a law or regulation that prohibits the selling of land on the moon," the China Daily quoted him as saying in his application to the hearing.
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