Japan’s new PM suffers early blow as minister quits

TOKYO,  Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda’s new government suffered a blow today after just eight days in office when the trade minister resigned over gaffes on the sensitive topic of radiation from the tsunami-hit Fukushima plant.

The resignation of Trade Minister Yoshio Hachiro (picture), who handles the energy portfolio, will give opposition parties ammunition for attack as Noda strives to end the radiation crisis at the Fukushima plant while tackling a plethora of challenges from rebuilding after the March earthquake and tsunami to curbing huge public debt.

Putrajaya responsible for police handling of Bersih, says law expert

Constitutional expert Professor Abdul Aziz Bari said today that “the buck stops
 with the government” over the police's response to the July 9 Bersih rally.

KUALA LUMPUR,  A constitutional expert has criticised the government for blaming the police for the way the Bersih rally was handled, saying today Putrajaya should be held responsible for the public fallout over the matter as police officers had acted strictly under government orders.

Professor Abdul Aziz Bari said that Malaysia practised a Westminister model of democracy, whereby Article 43 (3) of the Federal Constitution dictates that the police force answers to no one but the government of the day.

“The government cannot blame the police in the Bersih issue. The police force is part of the public service and this, in turn, is under the care of the executive, namely the government of the day.

Drunken moose gets stuck in tree

A seemingly intoxicated moose has been discovered entangled in an apple tree in Sweden.

Per Johansson said he heard a roar from his vacationing neighbour's garden late Tuesday.

As he went to have a look, the 45-year-old found a female moose kicking about in the tree.

The animal was likely drunk from eating fermented apples.

With the help of police and rescue services, Johansson managed to set the moose free in part by sawing off tree branches.

But the animal appeared confused and wandered into Johansson’s garden, where she was still resting on Thursday.

Other neighbours in the Goteborg suburb Saro had seen the animal sneaking around the area for days.

Johansson said the moose appeared to be sick, drunk, or "half-stupid".

Abandoned boy suckles from cow

A Cambodian man says his young grandson has lived partly on milk he suckles directly from a cow since the boy's parents left their rural village in search of work.

Um Oeung says 20-month-old Tha Sophat started suckling the cow in July after he saw a calf do the same.

Um Oeung told The Associated Press he pulled the boy away at first.

He relented after his grandson protested loudly and the boy has suckled the cow's milk once or twice a day since then.

Tha Sophat has lived with his grandparents in Siem Reap province in north-west Cambodia since his parents moved to Thailand looking for work.