A state government in eastern Indian is encouraging people to eat rats in an effort to battle soaring food prices and save grain stocks. Authorities in Bihar, one of India's poorest states, are asking rich and poor alike to switch to eating rats in a bid to reduce the dependence on rice. They even plan to offer rats on restaurant menus.

"Eating of rats will serve twin purposes - it will save grains from being eaten away by rats and will simultaneously increase our grain stock," Vijay Prakash, an official from the state's Welfare Department, said.

Officials say almost 50 per cent of India's food grains stocks are eaten away by rodents in fields or warehouses.

Jitan Ram Manjhi, Bihar's Caste and Tribe Welfare Minister, said rat meat was a healthy alternative to expensive rice or grains, and should be eaten by one and all.

"We are very serious to implement this project since the food crisis is turning serious day by day," Mr Manjhi, who has eaten rats, said.

Mayor seeks "ugly duckling" women

A plea for lovelorn female "ugly ducklings" to move to a remote Australian mining town to reverse a shortage of eligible women has landed the local mayor in hot water.

Mt Isa mayor John Molony was refusing to apologise yesterday for angering local women with a suggestion that "with five blokes to every girl, may I suggest that beauty-disadvantaged women should proceed to Mount Isa", in north-west Queensland state.

"Quite often you will see walking down the street a lass who is not so attractive with a wide smile on her face. Whether it is recollection of something previous or anticipation for the next evening, there is a degree of happiness," Mr Molony told the Townsville Bulletin newspaper last week.

"Some, in other places in Australia, need to proceed to Mount Isa where happiness awaits. Really, beauty is only skin deep. Isn't there a fairy tale about an ugly duckling that evolves into a beautiful swan," Mr Molony said.

Japan police arrest Russian wrestler

Japanese police said yesterday they had arrested a 20-year-old Russian sumo wrestler, ranked in the top division of professional sumo, on suspicion of possessing cannabis. Tokyo police said the wrestler was suspected of being in possession of 0.4 grams of cut cannabis leaves and a cigarette containing cannabis. They said the offence occurred in June.

Police declined to release the name of the wrestler, who they said was still a teenager at the time of the alleged incident.

The incident follows recent scandals in the ancient sport of sumo, including the arrest of a former gym chief in February on suspicion of assault following the death of a teenage wrestler.

German couple survive plane crash

A German couple had a lucky escape after their light aircraft hit a 380,000-volt power line and then hung upside down from a wheel for nearly three hours.

"They had a very, very lucky accident," said police officer Edmund Martin at the scene in Durach, southern Germany.

Emergency services freed the pair suspended 20 metres from the ground late on Sunday with a hydraulic lift after a helicopter rescue was ruled out as too dangerous.

The couple suffered only minor injuries.

Obama meets Republican oilman

White House hopeful Barack Obama talked energy policy on Sunday with T. Boone Pickens, a billionaire oil investor who funded the "Swift Boat" attacks on Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry in 2004.

Mr Pickens, a lifelong Republican, has endorsed neither his party's candidate, Arizona Senator John McCain, nor Democrat Obama in the November 4 election and wants to make energy a top campaign issue. He has advocated a plan to cut US oil use by converting cars to run on natural gas.

Mr Pickens funded efforts in 2004 by a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, which sought to discredit Mr Kerry's military service in Vietnam. The Massachusetts senator's initially tepid response to the attacks was partially blamed for his loss to President George W. Bush.

Mr Obama brushed off Mr Pickens's past at the start of a meeting the Texas energy tycoon requested on Sunday.

"You know, he's got a lot longer track record than that," the Illinois senator told reporters when asked how it felt to meet with someone who tore down his Democratic predecessor in 2004. "He's a legendary entrepreneur and, you know, one of the things that I think we have to unify the country around is having an intelligent energy policy," Mr Obama said.

Mali's hairdos win top marks

Mali's female basketball team lost all their games at the Olympics but earned top style marks for their "electric shock" Don King-style hairdos.

The Olympic basketball venue is the place to be seen and Chinese fashionists looking for hairstyling tips from the cream of the world's basketballers have a myriad of options.

"Mali looked cool," said 17-year-old student Liu Qian of the players' frizzy dreadlock-styles, set off by a shock of midnight blue or lime green, the American boxing promoter would have been proud of. "Their hair was really colourful so I was sad they didn't win a game."

Yao Ming and the clean-cut China players, in contrast, are unlikely to trouble the barbers of Beijing for more than a short back and sides, scoring poorly for "artistic impression".