KABUL - Afghan President Hamid Karzai's main challenger in the recent fraud-tainted presidential election said Wednesday his reelection has no legal basis and his new government is therefore illegitimate.
"This decision has no legal basis, and a government built on this basis does not have legitimacy," former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah told reporters.
---------- Record No. of principals seek demotion
TOKYO - A total of 179 public school principals, vice heads and their deputies, the largest ever, asked to be demoted in the 2008 academic year through March this year due mainly to health problems, a survey by the education ministry showed Wednesday.
The tally, up 73 from the previous year, showed that teachers who tend to endure long working hours made up the majority of the demotion seekers -- 89 teachers who assist principals and vice principals and 84 vice principals, according to the survey by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
---------- 5 British soldiers slain by 'rogue' Afghan policeman
KABUL - Five British soldiers have died after being shot by a "rogue" Afghan policeman in Afghanistan's restive southern province of Helmand, British media reported Wednesday.
The policeman opened fire on the British soldiers within a training compound in the Nad-e-Ali district of central Helmand where they and Afghan police live and work together as part of a mentoring program, the BBC quoted British military officials as saying.
---------- 121 road bridges closed over fears of collapse
TOKYO - The infrastructure ministry said Wednesday that 121 road bridges nationwide have been closed as of April 2008 due to their possible collapse as a result of their age.
At another 680 bridges, which are more than 15 meters long and supervised by local authorities, weight limitations have been imposed on vehicles, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
---------- Mothers hope kids study more rather than play outside: online survey
TOKYO - Mothers expect their children to spend more time studying than playing outside, results of an online survey by a toy import and sales company showed Wednesday.
According to the survey by Tokyo-based BorneLund Corp. to which 400 mothers with children aged from 3 to 12 responded, 68 percent said they want to increase study time for their children, while 44 percent replied they want their children to play more.
---------- China OKs project to build Disneyland in Shanghai
SHANGHAI - The Chinese government has approved a project to build a Disneyland theme park in Shanghai, the Shanghai city government said Wednesday, paving the way for its opening in as early as 2014.
It is believed that with the announcement, China aims to create a good mood with the United States ahead of President Barack Obama's planned visit to Shanghai and Beijing in mid-November.
---------- Taiwan 'frustrated' with U.S. over key radar, other arms deals
TAIPEI - The U.S. military has required Taiwan to bear the costs of a major, unexpected security upgrade to a key U.S.-made radar on the island, a move signaling Washington's growing distrust of Taipei's ability to safeguard against security breaches as the island woos China, a local government official said.
The request came as Washington demanded what sources said are exorbitant prices on a range of arms that Taiwan seeks to purchase -- from U.S.-made missiles to helicopters -- and dithers over the island's longstanding request to kick-start the procurement process for F-16 fighter jets.
---------- Hatoyama to decide action on funds scandal after probe of accountant
TOKYO - Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said Wednesday he would decide whether or how he would take responsibility for a funds scandal after prosecutors conclude their investigation of his former accountant over the false reporting of political donations.
"I trusted the former accountant. It is not fair to say that a politician should not be blamed because it is something his secretary has done," he said at the House of Representatives' Budget Committee session.
