Thailand lifts ban on political activity

BANGKOK Thailand’s interim government yesterday lifted a ban on political party activities that had been imposed in September when the military staged a coup to oust the elected government. The decision will allow parties to prepare for a general election tentatively scheduled for December. (AP)

Boy killed over debt

PATNA A butcher allegedly killed the eight-year-old son of a customer who owed him 20 rupees (25p) for meat bought last month, police said. Bhuvan Rai is said to have pushed the boy into a well in Saharsa, Bihar. (Reuters)

Firefighter jailed

PHOENIX The commander of a firefighting team in Arizona who started two small fires in the Coconino National Forest has been jailed for two years. Van Bateman, 57, had pleaded guilty in October but denied the fires were malicious. (AP)

Veterans return

DARWIN The remains of two Australian soldiers who died in the Vietnam War have been repatriated. Lance Corporal Richard Parker and Private Peter Gillson were killed during a battle in Dong Nai province in 1965. ( AP)

Voting age cut

VIENNA Parliament passed a law making Austria the first EU nation to let 16-year-olds vote in national elections. The measure was backed by all four parties in parliament except for the rightist Freedom Party. (AP)

Suspect surrenders

PORT-OF-SPAIN Abdel Nur, the fourth suspect in an alleged plot to blow up pipelines and fuel tanks at John F. Kennedy international airport, New York, has surrendered to police in Trinidad and Tobago. (AFP)

Bombings arrests

ATHENS Three people have been caught rigging a police vehicle with homemade bombs in an Athens suburb. Police said that they were the first arrests after a recent wave of nighttime bombings in the capital. (AP)

Castro TV interview

HAVANA President Castro gave his first interview since undergoing serious surgery last summer, broadcast on Cuban state television. Mr Castro, looking alert and well-rested, wore a tracksuit sporting a Cuban flag and gave an hour-long pre-recorded interview. He spoke about a recent visit by Nong Duc Manh, the chief of the Vietnamese Communist Party, but after a few minutes needed a little prompting. It took him about 40 minutes to mention President Bush. (AP)

Lonely hearts’ bank

SEOUL A South Korean bank is offering special interest rates to soldiers jilted by girlfriends while on military service. Troops will qualify for the deal if they have a letter or e-mail that proves the break-up, the Nonghyup Bank said. (AP)

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