■ THAILAND
Meatball man sets self afire
A man set himself ablaze yesterday in front of parliament in what appeared to be a political protest, police said. The 44-year-old man was hospitalized with severe burns covering more than 90 percent of his body, police Lieutenant Colonel Ekachai Srirahong said. The man, identified as Man Trukmanka, a food vendor who sells meatballs near the Parliament, parked his motorcycle in front of the building yesterday morning. He then stripped off his clothes, doused himself with petrol and set himself on fire, Ekachai said, citing witnesses. According to Thai media, Man was demanding the resignation of the scandal-tainted speaker of parliament's lower house, Yongyuth Tiyapairat. Before setting himself on fire, he shouted "Yongyuth, get out!" media reported.
■ THAILAND
Police end bombing probe
Police have given up their probe into bombings across Bangkok on New Year's Eve in 2006, saying yesterday that they had failed to find any clues to the culprits. Three people were killed and 42 injured when nine small bombs exploded across the city during New Year's festivities. No one has been charged over the blasts, and deputy national police chief Thani Somboonsap said investigators had failed to turn up any evidence that could lead them to the bombers. "We have tried our best and questioned as many witnesses as possible, including the wounded. But we have not been able to make any progress in past year, so police will recommend to the Attorney General's Office that the investigation be stopped," he said.
■ SOUTH KOREA
Six-year-old robs bank
Police said yesterday they had arrested a woman accused of telling her six-year-old daughter to steal some US$140,000 from a bank in Jeju. The girl took cash and checks on Thursday from a small safe under the desk in the VIP room of the bank, they said. The mother was arrested the same day after a closed-circuit TV clip showed the child near the safe. "The mother insists she did not tell the kid to steal the money," a detective said.
■ AUSTRALIA
Cops no help in weed theft
A man's complaint of a break-in at his home went to pot yesterday when police arrested him for growing marijuana. The 35-year-old man in Adelaide called reported that six men had broken into his house through a window and stolen parts of his cannabis plants, South Australia Police said. Police were unable to find the intruders but brought a drug warrant to search the home, finding six large cannabis plants, police said. "Members of the public are reminded that the growing of cannabis is not only illegal but can also attract other criminal activity such home break-ins and assaults," they said.
■ CHINA
Earthquake rattles Xinjiang
A major earthquake struck China's west early yesterday. There were no reports of casualties. The 7.2 magnitude quake hit at 6:33am about 225km southeast of the city of Hotan in Xinjiang province, the US Geological Survey reported. China's Earthquake Administration confirmed the earthquake. There were no reports of anyone hurt so far, a spokesman for the agency said, and the area is sparsely populated. There were four aftershocks in the region, ranging from 5.0 to 5.2 magnitude, according to a notice on the Earthquake Administration's Web site.
■ GERMANY
Gun found in stroller
A stroller sold in an Internet auction came complete with a deadly plaything -- a pistol loaded with six bullets. A young couple from the northern town of Verden found the 9mm Sig Sauer pistol in a side pocket of the pram after collecting it from nearby Hamburg. They called the police. Officers searched the house of the 39-year-old seller, who could not explain how the weapon had got there. "He said it didn't belong to him," police said on Wednesday.
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