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/ 12 January 2006
The location of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il remained a mystery on Friday amid a series of rumours that he was in Beijing, possibly for nuclear talks. Other rumours, quickly picked up by global media outlets, had him in southern China near the border with Hong Kong staying at a luxury hotel while more speculation placed him in Russia.
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/ 12 January 2006
Unrest broke out on the streets of Ulan Bator on Thursday as Mongolia’s democratic government edged closer to collapse following allegations of political corruption and economic mismanagement. More than 500 protesters converged on the central square and stormed the office of the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party to protest over its withdrawal from the ruling coalition.
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/ 12 January 2006
Three men were arrested in the early hours of Thursday in connection with a violent protest over service delivery in Soshanguve, north of Pretoria, police said. ”We arrested three men shortly after midnight this morning on charges of public violence and malicious damage to property,” said Inspector Lucas Sithole.
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/ 12 January 2006
Norway is to build a ”doomsday vault” in a mountain close to the North Pole that will house a vast seed bank to ensure food supplies in the event of catastrophic climate change, nuclear war or rising sea levels. Built with Fort Knox-type security, the -million vault will be designed to hold around two-million seeds representing all known varieties of the world’s crops.
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/ 12 January 2006
South African cricket coach Mickey Arthur believes out-of-form captain Graeme Smith is ready to show his true form in the upcoming limited-overs series with Australia and Sri Lanka. Smith failed to deliver during South Africa’s three-Test series loss to Australia, scoring just 155 at an average of 25,83 as his team went down 2-0.
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/ 12 January 2006
Johannesburg’s emergency services urged caution near bridges and rivers on Thursday as another night of heavy rains raised flood fears. A tow-truck driver rescued a woman who was swept away in her car while crossing a bridge on Witkoppen Road in Sunninghill and two taxis were involved in a head-on collision on the Golden Highway.
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/ 12 January 2006
A Malaysian snake charmer announced on Thursday that he will attempt to kiss a poisonous snake 50 times in 10 minutes in an attempt to break a current world record. Shahimi Abdul Hamid (33) said he plans to attempt the feat in March this year at the hill resort of Genting Highlands.
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/ 12 January 2006
Israeli politics resumed in earnest on Thursday as four Likud ministers were set to hand in letters of resignation while Prime Minister Ariel Sharon remained "serious but stable" after a massive brain haemorrhage. A series of upbeat medical reports from the hospital where he is in intensive care have sunk a truce in electioneering for a March poll.
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/ 12 January 2006
With Prime Minister Tony Blair entering his final years in power, the youthful David Cameron taking over the Conservatives and the recovering alcoholic Charles Kennedy toppled as Liberal Democrat leader, British politics is livening up after a long spell of apathy.
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/ 12 January 2006
It’s been said laughter is the best medicine, but no one has yet proved it. Now a Japanese scientist is unlocking the secrets of the funny bone, which he believes can cheer up people’s genes. Geneticist Kazuo Murakami has teamed up on the study with an unlikely research partner: stand-up comedians.