■ Sri Lanka
Troops have narrow escape
Fifteen soldiers had a narrow escape yesterday when a roadside bomb set by Tamil rebels exploded near them as they patrolled in a northern Sri Lankan town, the military said. One soldier was slightly wounded in the attack near the garrison town of Vavuniya, military spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said. Samarasinghe blamed the separatist Tamil Tigers for the bomb, and said the troops were lucky because the remote-controlled device apparently exploded prematurely.
■ Japan
PM apologizes to emigrants
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi offered a formal apology yesterday to Japanese nationals who migrated to the Dominican Republic under false promises of a Caribbean paradise. "The government sincerely reflects on its past and apologizes for how it dealt with those who migrated and experienced great suffering," Koizumi said in a statement. Koizumi promised to compensate the migrants and to offer other aid, including assistance and education to older and poor descendants of the migrants.
■ Australia
Star's jeans cost A$30,000
A pair of old jeans owned by actor Hugh Jackman have been sold at a fundraising auction for A$30,000 (US$22,476), more than double the amount paid for Nicole Kidman's denim duds. Jackman's jeans -- decorated by a local artist and signed by the X Men star -- were among 17 pairs auctioned late on Thursday at a "Jeans for Genes" fundraising event for the Childrens Medical Research Institute in Sydney. The Australian-born actor's pants were the hit of the evening, outselling Kidman's, which went for A$11,000.
■ Thailand
King undergoes surgery
King Bhumibol Adulyadej was recovering yesterday in a Bangkok hospital after undergoing surgery on his spine, which the prime minister said went "better than expected." The 78-year-old king underwent surgery on Thursday to relieve pressure on nerves in his spinal cord, a problem that makes walking difficult and that can be very painful. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said doctors were pleased with the results of the operation, but that the king would need to remain in hospital for some time.
■ Hong Kong
Ex-governor drops by for tea
The last British governor to rule Hong Kong, Chris Patten, arrived in the former colony on Thursday for a five-day visit that will include tea with the chief executive. Patten, who antagonized Beijing by pressing for democracy in the run-up to Hong Kong's 1997 return to Chinese sovereignty, is visiting for a series of book signings and interviews. He will have tea on Monday with his former financial secretary Donald Tsang (曾蔭權), who has since stepped up to chief executive and lives in Patten's old home, Government House. Patten is also due to visit the priests from Hong Kong's Catholic Cathedral where he used to worship alongside Tsang, who is also a Catholic.
■ New Zealand
Nissan pulls raunchy ad
Japanese carmaker Nissan said yesterday it has pulled a raunchy commercial starring Sex and the City actress Kim Cattrall from New Zealand television after complaints over its content. Cattrall, who plays sex-obsessed, promiscuous Samantha Jones in the US series, appears in the ad purring with excitement about Nissan's new sedan. "Why didn't you tell me it was so big, I just wasn't prepared for it?" she gushes. "The all-new Nissan Tiida makes you feel really, really, really good inside." She tells a salesman: "Ah! That was amazing. Absolutely fabulous! I mean the great body and the way you moved it." The ad sparked a number of complaints to the Advertising Standards Complaints Board.
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