IN BRIEF

Philippine official fired after Facebook photo

MANILA: A Philippine official has been dismissed after Facebook photos showed him attending a high school reunion at an island resort when he was supposed to be at work. Nueva Ecija provincial information officer Maynardo Valdez was accused of gross misconduct and dishonesty. Philippine Information Agency chief Jose Fabia said Wednesday that Valdez closed his office for four days last year without permission and did not respond to calls and texts from his superiors.

Netizens bite back over shark fin soup ban

BEIJING: Chinese netizens yesterday bit back at a government decision to ban serving shark fin soup at state banquets within three years, mocking it as a timid step by leaders who spend lavishly on other delicacies and are aloof from common concerns. "You have to wait three years to do this?" demanded Wu Yaxue, a psychologist in Beijing, on his microblog account. "Given the way Chinese civil servants eat, in three years you won't need to enforce this ban; the shark fin will be all gone."

Air rescue unt for Sabah, Sarawak soon

MARANG, MALAYSIA: The Fire and Rescue Department plans to set up an air rescue unit to service the interior areas of Sabah and Sarawak, as soon as possible. The Department's director-general Datuk Wan Mohd Nor Ibrahim said the two states needed the air service due to their vast and mountainous terrain which impeded access by land and even river at times. He was speaking to reporters after the department's awards ceremony at the Fire and Rescue Academy in Wakaf Tapai on Tuesday.

Ruling party defectors to form new party

TOKYO: Japanese political heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa and dozens of other members of parliament who quit the ruling party in protest over a planned sales tax increase decided yesterday to form a new party in a move likely to add to the government's headaches. About 50 defectors from the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) are expected to join the party when it is launched on July 11, a lawmaker close to Ozawa said.

Seoul to punish activist for North Korea trip

SEOUL: Seoul said Wednesday it would sternly punish a South Korean activist when he returns from an illegal trip to North Korea, despite assertions from his organisation that the visit was justified. Ro Su-Hui arrived in Pyongyang on March 24 for a memorial service marking the 100th day since the death of longtime ruler Kim Jong-Il. Agencies