■ Afghanistan
Toy gun accident fears
NATO troops have reported seeing lots of children with toy guns, apparently given as presents at a recent Muslim holiday, raising fears of an accident if troops mistook a toy for a real gun. "We've had a lot of reports since Id from troops on the ground of a lot of kids with toy guns," said a spokesman for the NATO force, Major Ian Clooney. Muslims celebrated the Id al-Adha festival at the weekend when children traditionally get presents.
■ China
Woman nets Yao Ming
A Chinese woman who registered the name of NBA star Yao Ming as an Internet domain address is willing to give it up -- for a price. Identified only as Jin by the China Youth Daily newspaper, the woman said the price would be "a hug and an autograph" from the 2.28m-tall Houston Rockets star. Yao is China's most popular and recognizable athlete. Others have tried to take advantage of his name, triggering complaints from agents and fans. But this woman said she was trying to protect Yao, not harm him. "I want to keep Yao's name from being misused, just like everyone else," she said.
■ Iran
Treaty to be honored
Iran's top nuclear negotiator said during a visit to Beijing that Tehran will continue to honor the principles of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Chinese state media reported yesterday. The pledge by Ali Larijani, head of Iran's national security council, was reported in the same week that the Iranian government said it was keeping open the option of quitting the treaty. On Tuesday, Iran said it could drop out of the treaty if Western countries step up pressure on the Islamic republic over its atomic program.
■ Australia
Cat receives credit card
A bank has apologized for issuing a credit card to a cat after its owner decided to test the bank's identity security system. The Bank of Queensland issued a credit card to Messiah the cat when his owner Katherine Campbell applied for a secondary card on her account under its name. "I just couldn't believe it. People need to be aware of this and banks need to have better security," Campbell told local media yesterday. The bank said the cat's card had been canceled. "We apologize as this should not have happened," it said in a statement.
■ Cambodia
Former king `perturbed'
Cambodia's former king Norodom Sihanouk said he was "perturbed morally and psychologically" by the violence and child sex crimes that continue to plague his country, in a New Year's message posted yesterday on his Web site. The message also condemned jealous husbands who kill their wives and women who cut off their spouse's penis or throw acid at their mistresses. "These crimes are acts of cruelty and anti-Buddhist and dishonor our country, our nation, our race," the 84-year-old former monarch wrote in the message, dated last Monday. Sihanouk, who is being treated for medical problems in Beijing but often uses messages on his Web site to weigh in on matters affecting Cambodia, also singled out pedophiles who "maltreat, torture, kill children."
■ Philippines
Bomb injures two in south
A homemade bomb blamed on Muslim militants exploded outside a restaurant in a southern Philippine city yesterday, wounding two people, police said. The bomb in Cotabato City was hidden in a carton box and made out of three 60mm mortar shells, two of which went off, police said. Chief superintendent German Doria, the regional police director, said al-Qaeda-linked militants -- the Abu Sayyaf and Indonesian-based Jemaah Islamiyah -- were suspected of planting the bombs, although he didn't offer any evidence. Two people were wounded in the legs and treated in a hospital, officials said.
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