INDIA
Monkeys steal blood
Monkeys mobbed a health worker and made off with blood samples that were to be tested for COVID-19. After making off with the three samples this week in Meerut, near the capital, New Delhi, the monkeys scampered up nearby trees and one then tried to chew its plunder. The sample boxes were later recovered and had not been damaged, Meerut Medical college superintendent Dheeraj Raj told reporters on Friday, after footage of the encounter went viral on social media. “They were still intact and we don’t think there is any risk of contamination or spread,” Raj said. The three people whose samples were stolen were retested for the virus, he said.
AUSTRALIA
Broom intruder cleared
A knife-toting man hired to break into another man’s home, tie him up and stroke him with a broom has been cleared of intimidation after accidentally entering the wrong house. Sydney man Terrence Leroy and an associate turned up at a rural home on a Sunday morning in July last year armed and ready to carry out a sexual fantasy organized on Facebook. The unsuspecting resident initially mistook the intruders for a friend who had come over to make coffee and said: “Bugger off, it’s too early.” When the men said their intended role-player’s name, the startled resident turned on the light and found them holding large knives next to his bed. After realizing he was not the willing participant, one of the pair apologized and shook the man’s hand before leaving, according to court documents published earlier this month. During the trial Leroy’s lawyer argued that there was no intention to intimidate the stranger. “It was a commercial agreement to tie up and stroke a semi-naked man in his underpants with a broom,” the lawyer said. After excusing themselves, the pair — along with a driver — headed to the correct address. However, instead of a kinky encounter, the client reportedly prepared a breakfast and Leroy fell asleep on the couch. Shortly afterward, police arrived. Judge Sean Grant said that he was satisfied Leroy — who was to be paid A$5,000 (US$3,323) if it was “really good” — mixed-up the address. “They carried the machetes either as a prop or something to use in that fantasy,” Grant said. “The fantasy was unscripted and there was discretion as to how it would be carried out.” Leroy was found not guilty of all charges.
CHINA
Carrier doing sea trials
The Ministry of Defense on Friday said that the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s only entirely home-built aircraft carrier is carrying out sea trials to test weapons and equipment and enhance training of the crew. Ministry spokesperson Ren Guoqiang (任國強) said the exercises were being conducted as planned. The Shandong carrier was commissioned last year by President Xi Jinping (習近平).
UNITED NATIONS
S Sudan sanctions extended
The UN Security Council on Friday adopted a resolution extending sanctions and an arms embargo in South Sudan through May next year. Drafted by the US, the resolution received 12 votes in favor, with Russia, China and South Africa abstaining. The council additionally scheduled a midterm review to take place by Dec. 15 and expressed its “readiness to consider adjusting measures ... including through modifying, suspending, lifting or strengthening.” The council was also asked to provide a report on the role of the arms embargo in implementing a 2018 peace agreement.
Republican US lawmakers on Friday criticized US President Joe Biden’s administration after sanctioned Chinese telecoms equipment giant Huawei unveiled a laptop this week powered by an Intel artificial intelligence (AI) chip. The US placed Huawei on a trade restriction list in 2019 for contravening Iran sanctions, part of a broader effort to hobble Beijing’s technological advances. Placement on the list means the company’s suppliers have to seek a special, difficult-to-obtain license before shipping to it. One such license, issued by then-US president Donald Trump’s administration, has allowed Intel to ship central processors to Huawei for use in laptops since 2020. China hardliners
A top Vietnamese property tycoon was on Thursday sentenced to death in one of the biggest corruption cases in history, with an estimated US$27 billion in damages. A panel of three hand-picked jurors and two judges rejected all defense arguments by Truong My Lan, chair of major developer Van Thinh Phat, who was found guilty of swindling cash from Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB) over a decade. “The defendant’s actions ... eroded people’s trust in the leadership of the [Communist] Party and state,” read the verdict at the trial in Ho Chi Minh City. After the five-week trial, 85 others were also sentenced on
Conjoined twins Lori and George Schappell, who pursued separate careers, interests and relationships during lives that defied medical expectations, died this month in Pennsylvania, funeral home officials said. They were 62. The twins, listed by Guinness World Records as the oldest living conjoined twins, died on April 7 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, obituaries posted by Leibensperger Funeral Homes of Hamburg said. The cause of death was not detailed. “When we were born, the doctors didn’t think we’d make 30, but we proved them wrong,” Lori said in an interview when they turned 50, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The
RAMPAGE: A Palestinian man was left dead after dozens of Israeli settlers searching for a missing 14-year-old boy stormed a village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank US President Joe Biden on Friday said he expected Iran to attack Israel “sooner, rather than later” and warned Tehran not to proceed. Asked by reporters about his message to Iran, Biden simply said: “Don’t,” underscoring Washington’s commitment to defend Israel. “We are devoted to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed,” he said. Biden said he would not divulge secure information, but said his expectation was that an attack could come “sooner, rather than later.” Israel braced on Friday for an attack by Iran or its proxies as warnings grew of