A company develops a robotic sentry to guard the border between North and South Korea. It is equipped with two cameras and a machine gun.
Daily Archive for April 24th, 2007
Kryptonite is no longer just the stuff of fiction feared by caped superheroes. A new mineral matching its unique chemistry – as described in the film Superman Returns – has been identified in a mine in Serbia.
Abu Sayyaf militants decapitate seven hostages and sent their heads to troops on the southern Philippine island of Jolo.
A yacht is found drifting off the North Queensland coast. The vessel has its engine running, and a table laid for dinner, but there are no signs of any people.
When World Bank President took over at the Bank in mid-2005, his ladyfriend – then a Bank employee for eight years – was transferred to work for the US State Department, to avoid any conflict of interest. But rapid rises in her tax-free World Bank salary to about $193,000 – more than the $186,000 Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice receives before tax – have aroused ire among other Bank employees.
The driver of a sport utility vehicle crammed with suspected illegal immigrants was fondling a female when he lost control and crashed, killing eight men.
The traditional penalty for a yakuza who has erred against his gang is brutal and permanent. It is the practise of “yubitsume” the little finger is chopped off at the knuckle to demonstrate penitence.
Gangsters are known for the spectacular tattoos that sometimes cover most of their bodies. Most Japanese public pools and gyms as a result exclude anyone with a tattoo of any kind.
The yakuza are trying toning down their gaudy image – the distinctive short hair-styles, the elaborate tattoos, and most famously, the chopped-off little finger. Now they want the more sober style.