When an 8 magnitude earthquake hit two coastal cities and destroyed 37,000 homes in Peru, President Alan Garcia promised a speedy reconstruction effort that would burnish the country's new image of dynamism. One year later, the cities of Chincha and Pisco still look devastated, Garcia's popularity has plummeted, and the only President who has won hearts and minds there is Venezuela's socialist leader, Hugo Chavez.
Mr Chavez, who has used his country's oil wealth to spread his influence throughout Latin America, has given away 100 new three-bedroom houses with green lawns in Chincha, and named the community after his hero, Simon Bolivar, the 19th century independence leader.
"Thanks to God and to Hugo Chavez, I have a house," said Emma Euribe, 50. She and her four children moved into their plastic-walled home two months ago, marvelling that it sits in front of a new park and came fully furnished.
The quake on August 15, 2007, killed more than 500 people.
Mr Chavez is spending money in Peru largely to support his ally and President Garcia's rival, Ollanta Humala, an ultra-nationalist who hopes to become Peru's next President in 2011.
Uniforms for the corrupt
In a bid to shame Indonesia's legions of corrupt politicians, officials, bankers and businessmen, the country's anti-graft agency has come up with a novel solution: A special uniform for the bribers and the bribed.
Few details of this proposed dress code for the corrupt have emerged yet, but suggestions include bright colours - preferably pink or orange, so that the offenders stand out from the crowd in prison or in court - or old-fashioned prison stripes.
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was elected in 2004 on promises to tackle rampant graft in a country that regularly ranks among the world's most corrupt. Barely a day goes by without news of some bigwig being caught, sometimes red-handed, or carrying a briefcase with a large sum of cash.
Winnie-the-Pooh held for robbery
Japanese police have arrested a 20-year-old man who attacked and robbed two people after they stared at his Winnie-the-Pooh costume, officials said yesterday.
Masayuki Ishikawa was hanging out on a Tokyo street corner after midnight last month while wearing the cuddly costume, accompanied by two friends dressed as a mouse and a panther, when he took offence at being stared at, police said.
"It's uncommon to see people dressed up like this, so the victims were watching them. Then the perpetrator came up and said 'What are you staring at?'" a police spokesman said.
Mr Ishikawa and his friends beat up the two victims and stole $160 from them, the spokesman said, adding the group had apparently donned the unusual garb because they had run out of clean clothes.
Airmen banned from lunchtime boozing
China's air force has for the first time been officially banned from drinking at lunch, state media said, not explaining why it was felt such a ban was needed.
"The move aims to better govern the military according to the law and maintain a good image of the air force with strict measures," Xinhua news agency quoted an air force source as saying.
Under the new rules, which took effect on Monday, air force officers and soldiers may face "demerit, demotion or the sack" for drinking alcohol at lunch on working days.
It was the first time the air force had "formally ordered" its personnel to stay away from alcohol, the China News Service said.
The rules are also aimed at drinking and driving. "Officers would be demoted or dismissed, while soldiers were to face demerit if caught driving after drinking," Xinhua said.
Digital breathalysers were being installed in sentry boxes and posts at parking lots, aimed at stricter monitoring.
Brazil candidates seek Obama buzz
Alexandre "Barack Obama" Jacinto has a dream - to be the first black President of Brazil.
But first, Mr Jacinto has to win his bid for a seat on the town council in Petrolina, Brazil. And like six other candidates in Brazil's municipal elections, Mr Jacinto is campaigning under the name Barack Obama, hoping to capitalise on the US Democratic presidential candidate's popularity.
A quirk in Brazilian election law allows candidates to use whatever name they want in campaigns, and Obama has emerged as a popular choice among politicians seeking to reinforce a "Yes, We Can" message.
US Republican presidential hopeful John McCain has not attracted any copycats, electoral data show.
FBI seeks owners of stolen art
Is this Picasso yours?
When New York art collector William Kingsland died in 2006, he left behind hundreds of works of art. But some, including works by Pablo Picasso, turned out to have been stolen. The FBI, searching for the rightful owners of possibly stolen items, have posted photographs of some Kingsland items on its website.
Mr Kingsland left behind an impressive collection of more than 300 pieces, including a minimalist still-life by Giorgio Morandi and collages by Kurt Schwitters. Because he left no will and no heirs stepped forward, public administrators hired auction houses Christie's and Stair Galleries to sell the art.
But an oil-on-canvas by early-American painter John Singleton auctioned off by Stair for $85,000 was discovered to have been a stolen item, and Christie's had to cancel a sale from Kingsland's collection when issues of provenance, or history of ownership, cropped up.
The FBI said it has since found several items had been stolen and believes there are more.