■ Hong Kong
Condoms help set mood
Forget chocolates or roses this Valentine's Day -- a gift of musical condoms is bound to be more entertaining. Hong Kong's Ondo Creation, which makes designer condoms, hopes its Idom sheathes will put a more romantic spin on safe sex. The Idom itself doesn't sing -- but the mint, strawberry, chocolate and banana flavored condoms come in an attractive package with a music CD to get you in the mood for love.
■ Malaysia
Lightning kills student
A Malaysian student was killed by lightning as she answered her cellphone in Malaysia's Borneo island state of Sarawak. Chai Ming Hui, 23, was taking refuge under an umbrella with two others when her phone rang during a thunderstorm on Thursday, the New Straits Times reported. She answered it, and was struck by lightning, causing severe burns, the paper added. She died minutes later after being taken to the main hospital in Kuching, Sarawak's state capital, the report said.
■ Pakistan
Leader calls Ahmadinejad
Pakistan's president called his Iranian counterpart to discuss the ongoing Middle East crisis and raised the need to push for a just settlement of the impasse over Palestinian issues, Pakistan's foreign ministry said. President General Pervez Musharraf informed the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, about his forthcoming visit to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria and Jordan, during which he would discuss the "deteriorating situation in the Middle East." Musharraf spoke with Ahmadinejad without saying exactly when Musharraf would leave on his Middle East trip.
■ Japan
Gas leak death toll rises
The death toll from a carbon monoxide gas leak in the north of the country rose to three, officials said yesterday and utilities workers found a new leak near the disaster site while inspecting the underground pipes. Another eight people remained hospitalized from the leak that was discovered Friday in the city of Kitami, on the northern island of Hokkaido. Hokkaido Gas Co officials were checking lines for more leaks yesterday, police official Yoshimi Ikeda said. Another leak was found about 3km from the first leak, but no one suffered ill effects, he said. The gas is believed to have escaped from a ruptured pipe into the sewage system.
■ Philippines
Terror chief's death verified
DNA test results confirm the killing of Khaddafy Janjalani, the head of al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group, during a clash with Philippine troops in September, the government said on Friday. The news came four days after US-backed Philippine troops killed senior Abu Sayyaf commander, Abu Sulaiman, marking a major victory in a US-backed campaign to wipe out Islamic militants in the south of the archipelago after decades of bombings and kidnappings. Janjalani's death was confirmed after DNA tests were conducted in the US to compare tissue samples taken from remains found last month with those of Janjalani's relatives.
■ India
Clashes leave 20 injured
At least 20 people were injured in Bangalore on Friday when police clashed with thousands of demonstrators protesting against the execution of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Police fired shots in the air and used tear gas to disperse crowds when a peaceful demonstration by Muslims turned violent in the southern city. "Stone-throwing incidents have been reported and some shops and vehicles have also been damaged," Bipin Gopalakrishna, a senior police officer, said. Violence broke out when protesters tried to force Hindu shopkeepers to close their shops in the communally sensitive area of Shivajinagar.
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