■ China
Nine die picking walnuts
Nine farmers fell to their deaths while picking walnuts from 20m trees made slippery from days of rain in a mountainous area in Zhejiang Province. An unnamed local government spokesman has stated that the slipperiness of the trees, along with fatigue after long days of work, could explain the accidents. Many farmers also refuse to wear safety harnesses, and some of the pickers are hired hands from outside the area who have less experience harvesting the nuts.
■ Laos
Puppets tell about bird flu
The government is turning to puppets to educate citizens about the threat of bird flu following an outbreak of the deadly virus among chickens, a newspaper said yesterday. The campaign by the Lao National Puppet Theater will begin next month to raise awareness of ways to prevent the spread of bird flu and how to avoid the disease, the English-language Vientiane Times reported. Last month, Laos reported an outbreak of H5N1 bird flu among chickens at a farm near the capital, Vientiane. There have been no reported cases of humans contracting the virus in Laos.
■ Vietnam
Forest ranger found
A forest ranger is recovering in a hospital after being lost for two weeks in Vietnam's Central Highlands. Duong Duc Cong, 57, went missing during an inspection mission on Sept. 1, prompting a search by about 200 people. Cong, was eventually found on Thursday by two members of the Hmong ethnic minority group who were collecting firewood. The ranger survived the two-week saga by eating rice which had been left behind by some villagers who came to the forest to find firewood.
■ New Zealand
Temblor sways buildings
A magnitude 5.0 earthquake shook New Zealand's lower North Island and the top of South Island late on Friday, but police said there were no immediate reports of injury or damage. The tremblor, a sharp jolt that rattled and swayed buildings in the capital, Wellington, happened at 11:43pm local time. Radio reports said the quake was felt as far away as Auckland on North Island, 660km north of the capital.
■ Australia
Irwin friend upset by scam
A close friend of "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin said yesterday that he was appalled at reports of people illegally cashing in on the exuberant entertainer's legacy. A 20-year-old woman was arrested on Queensland state's Gold Coast for allegedly selling fake Steve Irwin stickers she said were to raise money for his Wildlife Warriors fund, the Australian Broadcasting Corp reported. The woman appeared the Southport Magistrates Court early yesterday and was fined A$200 (US$150), the ABC said. Irwin's close friend and manager, John Stainton, said he was devastated by reports that some people were using the entertainer's profile to turn a profit.
■ Seychelles
Judge blasts prison delays
Criminals and lawyers are conspiring to delay court cases so the felons can enjoy Christmas before serving their sentences, a top judge said on Friday. With holidays highly prized in the laid-back Indian Ocean islands, some prisoners have been known to bust out for festivals before then heading back to their cells. But now they are working with lawyers on delaying tactics before they're imprisoned, Allear said. "[They] hope that witnesses will die or forget key evidence with time, forcing the courts to dismiss cases," he added.
■ India
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