World Briefs

Space Shuttle Endeavour sits on launch pad 39A after the launch was cancelled after sensors detected a hydrogen leak at Kennedy Space Centre yesterday in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The scheduled mission of the Endeavour's seven-strong crew is to install the last element of the Japanese Kibo laboratory. NASA expects the delay to be a minimum of four days. (AFP)

Berlusconi denounces smear campaign

Italy's scandal-wracked Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said Saturday he was the victim of a subversive plot aimed at replacing him by someone "who has not been elected by Italians."

The billionaire leader, heading for a divorce after his alleged links to a teenager and the subject of unflattering media reports of raunchy parties, said he was the victim of a campaign of "calumny," ANSA news agency reported.

"They want to topple (me) to install someone who has not been elected by Italians," Berlusconi told young industrialists at a town near Genoa.

This is scandalous campaign which has been very bad for Italy's image abroad," he said, calling it "subversive" action.

Massimo Donadi, the leader of the centre-left opposition Italy for Values party, rubbished the claim.

"He is a clown. Our country does not merit this operetta figure, especially in these difficult times. (AFP)

Chimp bites off zoo director's finger

The director of the Berlin Zoo made famous by the polar bear cub Knut has had his finger bitten off by a chimpanzee called Pedro.

Bernhard Blaszkiewitz, 55, was feeding Pedro walnuts as he showed a visitor round the zoo last Monday when the ape grabbed his hand and bit off his right index finger.

"Pedro is the boss of the group so he has to demonstrate a certain dominance in it to prove himself," zoo spokesman Andre Schuele said Tuesday.

Doctors sewed Blaszkiewitz's finger back on but said it was not clear if the operation would be successful.

Schuele said the incident would have no repercussions for the 28-year-old Pedro. (Reuters)

41 candidates for Afghan presidential ballot

Afghanistan's electoral authority yesterday unveiled a final list of 41 candidates for August presidential elections in August, including incumbent Hamid Karzai, amid criticism of the large field.

The number is down from a provisional list of 44 people after two men were disqualified and one dropped out, Independent Election Commission president Azizullah Lodin told reporters.

Still in the running are former finance minister Ashraf Ghani and former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, seen by many observers as the strongest challengers to Karzai, who is going for a second term.

Lodin was scathing of some of the runners: "A number of candidates are famous for committing actions against national interests," he said. (AFP)

Man toupee for revealing bald truth

A man who tore the wig off a Taiwan legislator last year was sentenced to five months in jail for depriving the MP of his freedom to look good, a court spokesman said Tuesday.

The Taipei District Court sentenced Huang Yung-tien, 50, to jail for snatching the toupee off the head of ruling Nationalist Party lawmaker Chiu Yi. Chiu has become a household name for his media-friendly offensives against the political opposition.

"The judge thought Chiu Yi had the freedom to wear what he wanted, and Chiu felt the wig made him look prettier," court spokesman Huang Chin-ming said. "The judge thinks that to remove it intentionally was to take away that right."

Chiu lost his wig, revealing a mostly bald head, when he went to file a complaint against former president Chen Shui-bian in December. (Reuters)