■ JAPAN
Delayed ban for bombs
The government will back an international ban on cluster bombs but suggest delaying restrictions to allow countries to develop alternative weapons, a news report said yesterday. Officials are set to declare their support for a global ban at the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons in Geneva later this month, the Sankei Shimbun reported. Tokyo had earlier been reluctant to support a ban, saying it needed the bombs for self-defense. But Japan decided to back a delayed ban to pre-empt a push by some for an immediate curb, the Sankei said.
■ JAPAN
Troops may cull wildlife
Japan is preparing to mobilize troops to deal with wild animals such as boars, bears and monkeys. Having debated since March on how to stop the animals from attacking crops and entering residential areas, a group of ruling party politicians has agreed to call on the military for help, the Asahi Shimbun reported yesterday. Under the plan, local leaders would be able to request help from the country's Self Defense Forces to build fences and set traps. Some in the party are also calling for troops to use guns, the Asahi said.
■ JAPAN
Military spied on war critics
Opposition lawmakers and journalists yesterday slammed Japanese military intelligence for allegedly monitoring critics of the country's mission to Iraq, accusing the Defense Ministry of threatening freedom of speech. Internal army documents made public last week by the Japan Communist Party suggested that military intelligence collected information on groups and individuals opposed to the troop dispatch.
■ INDIA
Roof collapse kills two
At least two people were killed and dozens more feared trapped when a concrete roof collapsed yesterday in a busy market in the northern city of Chandigarh, police said. Two bodies were recovered from the debris in the main grain market in the city of Chandigarh, Deputy commissioner of police R.K. Rao said. At least seven other badly injured people were rescued, said Rao, who was leading rescue operations at the scene. The market was crowded when the heavy concrete roof came crashing down. Hundreds of people scrambled around, pulling at the large chunks of masonry with their hands, trying to free those trapped beneath.
■ CHINA
Tit for tat and rat
US fast food giant McDonald's was forced to pay 2,216 yuan (US$290) in compensation to a student who was bitten by a rat at one of its outlets in northeastern China, state press reported yesterday. The incident comes to light amid a growing dispute between China and the US over tainted food and health products.
■ THAILAND
Randy sniffer dogs fired
Two Thai street mutts who became ace sniffer dogs at an airport near the notorious "Golden Triangle" opium-producing region have been fired for urinating on luggage and sexually harassing female passengers. The pair, Mok and Lai, had been plucked from obscurity under a program initiated by King Bhumibol Adulyadej to turn strays into police dogs. Although they did a good job sniffing out drugs at Chiang Rai airport, so many passengers complained about their behavior that they had to be fired. "He liked to pee on luggage while searching for drugs inside," said Police Lieutenant Colonel Jakapop Kamhon, Mok's former handler. "He also liked to hold on to women's legs." Mok and Lai now work on a farm, herding chickens and pigs.
■ AUSTRALIA
Controversial mufti replaced
Australia's outspoken Islamic leader Sheikh Taj Aldin al-Hilali was replaced as the nation's mufti. Hilali provoked anger last year when he likened scantily clad women to uncovered meat inviting rape. The comments led to him being denounced by some Muslims and the broader community but the mufti refused to resign, bringing Islamic leaders under intense pressure to remove him. In April, Prime Minister John Howard urged the Islamic community to sack the Egyptian-born mufti after Hilali reportedly claimed to be "more Australian" than the prime minister, whom he likened to Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. Hilali was initially reappointed to the position of mufti, but "gracefully declined," the Australian National Imams Council said.
■ BELGIUM
`Racist' dog blocks job
A businessman rejected a Nigerian job applicant on the grounds that his dog was racist and would bite non-whites, De Standaard newspaper reported on Saturday. The 53-year-old Nigerian said he arrived at the wrought-iron company and was immediately confronted by the barking dog. The dog's owner turned the man away before he could even enter, and wrote on his labor office letter that he could not hire the Nigerian because of his color, adding there was a risk the dog would bite him. "My dog is racist. Not me," the Belgian told De Standaard. The Nigerian, who has lived in Belgium for 32 years, said it was not the first time he had been rejected for a job because of his color, although other employers had been more subtle.
■ KENYA
Wall collapse kills 10
A concrete wall collapsed on Saturday night onto a maze of homes in a Nairobi slum, killing at least 10 people, including three babies, police said. The wall fell in the early evening, apparently after heavy rain loosened the foundation, said Julius Muthuri, police chief for the area of the capital that includes the Mukuru slum. The wall was serving as a barrier fence in the slum. "The city engineer needs to know we are living in a dangerous place," said Albert Omundi, a resident of Mukuru. "We blame them, they need to take care of us."
■ HUNGARY
Kissing title reclaimed
The world record for simultaneous kissing was broken on Saturday when more than 6,400 couples joined lips for a few seconds at a party outside the parliament in Budapest. Hungary has been engaged in a kissing duel with the Philippines since 2004, when 5,327 couples kissed in Manila, followed by new records in Budapest in 2005 and 6,124 couples in Manila again this February. "The news came a few months ago that Filipinos had overtaken us, we became defiant and said we would take it back again," said journalist Ferenc Pallagi who organized the Kissing Party. One young couple who identified themselves as Orsi and Pityu started kissing during the rock concert half an hour before the official record attempt. "That's the least we can do for the nation," Pityu said.
■ CONGO
Bemba to remain in exile
Opposition leader Jean-Pierre Bemba will remain in self-imposed exile in Portugal and not return home as planned amid fears for his safety, an adviser to the former rebel chief said on Saturday. Bemba, elected a senator after losing landmark presidential elections last year, was granted a 60-day leave of absence by the Senate leadership in early April to seek medical treatment in Portugal after heavy fighting between his personal guard and government troops in Kinshasa which killed hundreds of people. Bemba claimed troops loyal to President Joseph Kabila were trying to kill him.
■ UNITED KINGDOM
Dolphin harassers arrested
Two men were arrested on Saturday on suspicion of harassing a dolphin known as "Dave" off the Kent coast, police said. The men, aged 25 and 26, were arrested at dawn after numerous emergency calls from the public that the animal was being harassed off the coast at Sandgate in Folkstone. The dolphin has become a local tourist attraction over the past year after making his home in the waters off the Sandgate shore.
■ IRAN
Third suspected `spy' jailed
Tehran yesterday confirmed it is holding a third US-Iranian in jail along with two dual nationals who have been detained on spying charges. US and Iranian media have already said Ali Shakeri, a California-based businessman who works for a US "peacebuilding" body, was the latest detainee in a case that has sparked new strains between Tehran and Washington. "Ali Shakeri has been detained, according to the information that we have received," foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said, adding that the charges against Shakeri had already been announced by the justice ministry, indicating that his case is related to that of the other US-Iranians.
■ UNITED STATES
Protest site to be sold
Peace protester Cindy Sheehan will sell her war protest site near US President George W. Bush's ranch to a California radio talk show host, who will preserve it as a peace memorial and keep it open to protesters. Sheehan, who announced during the Memorial Day holiday that she was stepping down as the face of the anti-war movement, will sell the 2 hectare site in Crawford, Texas, for US$87,000 to Bree Walker. "I'm going to have native prairie grasses planted on the plot and create some kind of peace memorial that can include the names of fallen soldiers and injured soldiers," Walker said.
■ UNITED STATES
Robber steals odd things
One robber's list of things to steal included whiskey, a thermometer and lettuce. Police were called to a grocery store late on Thursday after witnesses said a 46-year-old man from Brown Deer, Wisconsin, threatened employees. The workers said the man gestured as though he had a concealed gun and told them he would shoot. The man left with 12 bottles of whiskey, two heads of lettuce and a digital thermometer, police said. Officers found a vehicle in a nearby neighborhood that matched a description given by store employees. The man was taken into custody and identified from store surveillance video.
■ UNITED KINGDOM
Security boost for Olympics
Scotland Yard is considering using foreign armed police to protect dignitaries during the 2012 London Olympics if it is unable to train enough officers to use firearms in time, police said on Saturday. The London Olympics are considered a prime target for terrorists and protecting the dignitaries and athletes who will attend could be too big a strain for British police, most of whom are not trained to use guns. Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair told a Metropolitan Police Authority meeting on Thursday that it may be very expensive to give firearms training to the number of protection officers needed during the Olympics.
■ UNITED STATES
Paris isn't eating, sleeping
Paris Hilton has not eaten or slept since arriving at the medical ward of a Los Angeles jail and is being given psychotropic drugs, celebrity Web site TMZ.com reported on Saturday, citing law enforcement sources. Nevertheless, the socialite and hotel heiress said late on Saturday afternoon that she had told her attorneys not to appeal the order that sent her back to jail on Friday after a day of house arrest. "Being in jail is by far the hardest thing I have ever done," Hilton, 26, said in a written statement issued by her attorney, Richard Hutton.
FRAUD ALLEGED: The leader of an opposition alliance made allegations of electoral irregularities and called for a protest in Tirana as European leaders are to meet Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party scored a large victory in parliamentary elections, securing him his fourth term, official results showed late on Tuesday. The Socialist Party won 52.1 percent of the vote on Sunday compared with 34.2 percent for an alliance of opposition parties led by his main rival Sali Berisha, according to results released by the Albanian Central Election Commission. Diaspora votes have yet to be counted, but according to initial results, Rama was also leading there. According to projections, the Socialist Party could have more lawmakers than in 2021 elections. At the time, it won 74 seats in the
A Croatian town has come up with a novel solution to solve the issue of working parents when there are no public childcare spaces available: pay grandparents to do it. Samobor, near the capital, Zagreb, has become the first in the country to run a “Grandmother-Grandfather Service,” which pays 360 euros (US$400) a month per child. The scheme allows grandparents to top up their pension, but the authorities also hope it will boost family ties and tackle social isolation as the population ages. “The benefits are multiple,” Samobor Mayor Petra Skrobot told reporters. “Pensions are rather low and for parents it is sometimes
CONTROVERSY: During the performance of Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael’s song ‘New Day Will Rise,’ loud whistles were heard and two people tried to get on stage Austria’s JJ yesterday won the Eurovision Song Contest, with his operatic song Wasted Love triumphing at the world’s biggest live music television event. After votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, JJ gave Austria its first victory since bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed running into yesterday morning, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel — whose participation drew protests — on 357 and Estonia on 356. “Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,” 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose
CANCER: Jose Mujica earned the moniker ‘world’s poorest president’ for giving away much of his salary and living a simple life on his farm, with his wife and dog Tributes poured in on Tuesday from across Latin America following the death of former Uruguayan president Jose “Pepe” Mujica, an ex-guerrilla fighter revered by the left for his humility and progressive politics. He was 89. Mujica, who spent a dozen years behind bars for revolutionary activity, lost his battle against cancer after announcing in January that the disease had spread and he would stop treatment. “With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,” Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi wrote on X. “Pepe, eternal,” a cyclist shouted out minutes later,
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