In the news #2

[Tisha]

Gaffe-prone former Premier Infuriates Women

Tue July 1, 2003 08:57 AM ET
TOKYO (Reuters) - Former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, renowned for his propensity for gaffes, faced demands for an apology Tuesday after implying only women who bear children should be eligible for pensions.
"I think it is really strange to be told to use tax money to take care of women who haven't even had one child," Mori told a discussion group.
"The real purpose of a welfare system is to look after women who have a lot of children, as a means of thanking them," Kyodo news agency quoted Mori as saying last week during a politicians' panel discussion in front of an audience.
Opposition Socialist lawmakers submitted a letter to Mori's office demanding an apology Tuesday.
"This is equivalent to saying that women who do not or cannot bear children are of no use to society," Kyodo quoted lawmaker Keiko Yamauchi as saying.
While in office from 2000 to 2001, Mori managed to insult AIDS sufferers, Americans and residents of Japan's southern island of Okinawa.
In one speech, he revived uncomfortable memories of Japan's wartime emperor worship by calling Japan "a divine nation with the emperor at its core," a form of words favored by the militarist government in the early 20th century.
Mori's latest slip-up comes as Japan tries to raise its sagging birthrate because the rapid aging of the population is expected to cause difficulty in covering pension obligations.
Last week, another ruling party politician was condemned for referring to a group of alleged gang rapists as "close to normal."

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Everyone's Worst Nightmare

Thu July 3, 2003 07:55 AM ET
BERLIN (Reuters) - A German man woke up to find himself stark naked in the middle of a street after sleepwalking from home, police said Thursday. The 37-year-old man called police in the southern town of Buchen at around 6 a.m. after discovering he had left his house keys at home.
"The man waited naked for police at the phone booth, who gave him a raincoat to wear," said a police spokesman.

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Sex while speeding down the highway?  No problem!

Wed July 2, 2003 08:21 AM ET
BERLIN (Reuters) - Having sex while driving down a highway at 60 miles per hour is not an offence in Germany. But if you hit something, make sure you don't run off.
A Cologne court fined a man who admitted he was having sex with a blonde hitchhiker sitting astride him when he drove his car into a road sign. But only because he fled the scene of the accident with his naked accomplice.
"The man was convicted of hit-and-run and sentenced to a fine of 600 euros," court spokesman Juergen Mannebeck said on Tuesday. "It's hard to believe but in fact no law was broken with the intercourse on the motorway. It's a situation lawmakers never thought about."
The 23-year-old man, who was tracked down through the car's registration, was also ordered to pay 400 euros to repair the sign. He did not know the name of the woman who left her clothes behind in the car.

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