World Vignettes

Dying Shame embarrasses AustraliaSYDNEY: The Australian government is preparing to face an international backlash on account of a shocking n...

Dying Shame embarrasses Australia

SYDNEY: The Australian government is preparing to face an international backlash on account of a shocking new film which depicts the dire living conditions of a remote aboriginal community in the northern territory. A Dying Shame will go on air in Australia on Tuesday.

Sydney film maker Paul Roy said he hoped the documentary would provoke international debate and shame the Australian government into action. The film looks at a group of aborigines living in decrepit conditions with flooded sewage, inadequate water supply, widespread health problems a 14-year wait for housing.

Blasphemous cartoon

CAIRO: An appellate court said it would reconvene in March to hear a 10 billion dollars lawsuit against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over a cartoon drawn by an Israeli extremist, portraying Islam8217;s Prophet Mohammed as a pig. The lawsuit was filed in September by an Egyptian lawyer, Moustafa Ashoub. Ashoub said he wantsIsraeli-owned property in Egypt, including cars, ships or planes, to be confiscated to secure the compensation money.

Earlier, a court rejected Ashoub8217;s case, saying such a lawsuit can only be filed by an Egyptian religious authority. Ashoub filed the case again, saying he had the approval of Egypt8217;s most prominent Islamic cleric, Sheik Mohammed Sayed el-Tantawi.

The cartoon, drawn by an Israeli woman, depicted Prophet Mohammed as a pig and was pasted on Arab shops in the West Bank. It provoked an outcry in the Muslim world.

Poison-killing paint

BAYREUTH: Microbiologists at the University of Bayreuth in Germany have developed a paint which absorbs poisons such as cigarette smoke and car fumes. The paint contains a bacteria which feeds off carbon monoxide CO, said Bayreuth microbiologist Professor Ortwin Meyer. The process transforms poisonous CO into harmless carbon dioxide.

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The bacteria feed off the carbon monoxide, releasing electrons which alter certain colour pigments in thepaint. When the concentration of smoke is too high, the walls change colour, signalling a need for ventilation. Scientists hope to make the paint available for use in homes within a few years. They are looking at ways to mass produce the poison-eating bacteria.