■ Japan
Palace fries foreign fish
The government has taken action to keep foreign fish out of the moat surrounding the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported yesterday. Environmental Ministry officials on Tuesday went on a mission in an "electric shocker boat" to remove the alien fish. They extended two forks and a 500 volt electric shock wave ran through the water, bringing 14 bass and 530 breams floating to the surface. The fish were then removed. The ministry was expected to discard the alien fish after collecting scientific research, the ministry official said. Bream were first detected in the moat in 1984, but since then the population has grown and become a threat to the indigenous fish, according to the ministry official.
■ Japan
Disgraced architect held
Police arrested a disgraced architect and several construction industry officials yesterday in a scandal over faked earthquake-resistance data for hundreds of buildings. The case has sparked outrage in Japan, one of the world's most earthquake-prone nations, and triggered a series of nationally televised parliamentary hearings that detailed illegal cost-cutting in the construction business. The high-profile arrests include architect Hidetsugu Aneha, 48, who allegedly designed more than 200 buildings using faked quake data, a Tokyo Metropolitan Police spokeswoman confirmed.
■ Hong Kong
Millions in fines outstanding
The government is owed nearly US$12 million in unpaid court fines, according to an official auditor's report yesterday. Overdue and unpaid fines imposed for a variety of offences by magistrates courts across the city of 6.8 million currently amount to US$11.99 million, Hong Kong's director of audit said. Many of the existing outstanding fines are owed by women from mainland China for prostitution-related offences and the director of audit recommended putting them on an immigration watchlist. There has been a sharp rise in the number of mainland women arrested for vice-related offences since border restrictions were eased in 2003 and many leave Hong Kong without paying court fines.
■ Togo
China funds palace
President Faure Gnassingbe of Togo on Monday inaugurated a new presidential palace fully funded by China in the capital, an official said on Tuesday. The building was also built by Chinese experts, a Togolese government official said. The total amount invested by China for the construction of the palace spanning over 6,343m2, was not revealed. The vast and prestigious building, in a residential district north of the Togolese capital, boasts two levels comprising among other facilities, 40 offices.
■ China
Anti-terror drills planned
Defense ministers from China, Russia and four Central Asian nations agreed on new joint anti-terrorism drills next year as they gathered yesterday to discuss regional security, including the threat from. Islamic militancy. Ministers from the six-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organization were meeting in Beijing to address regional security and the "three forces of separatism, terrorism and extremism," China's official Xinhua News Agency said, using China's catch-phrase for Islamic militancy. Experts would meet later to plan the exercises between the members, Xinhua said.
■ Kenya
Pay hike demand raises ire
Members of parliament (MPs) have provoked outrage by demanding a huge increase in their mileage allowance, even as donors launch record appeals to help feed millions of Kenyans. Last week MPs blocked the national budget in an attempt to force the government's hand. Their action has caused widespread public anger. Although heavy rains have ended the drought in most areas, more than 3 million Kenyans need urgent food aid and financial help to rebuild their cattle herds. Last week, Oxfam launched its biggest food crisis appeal, seeking &$163;20 million (US$35.7 million) to help feed 11 million people in east Africa.
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