News Makers

George Bush 'looking for a job'

Former US President George W. Bush visited a Dallas hardware store that earlier this month made him a lighthearted offer to work as a greeter.

Andrea Bond, a manager at Elliott's Hardware, said Bush walked into the store on Saturday and quipped: "I'm looking for a job."

The store wrote an open letter to Bush, inviting him to apply for a store greeter position. The open letter appeared in two local newspapers.

Bond says Bush spent about an hour shopping and talking to customers during the visit. He bought a few flashlights, batteries and a can of rust-removal spray. He also bought night lights.

Masseur charged with wife's murder

A South Korean masseur who confessed to strangling eight women has been indicted on additional charges of burning alive his wife and mother-in-law, prosecutors said yesterday.

Prosecutors said Kang Ho-sun, 38, set fire to his mother-in-law's home, killing both women to claim insurance money in October 2005.

Kang, who was arrested last month, has admitted killing eight office workers, karaoke bar employees and university students after abducting them between September 2006 and December 2008, prosecutors said. In an indictment released yesterday, prosecutors added two counts of murder and arson in addition to charges for the other slayings.

Bruised Rihanna's photo leaked

The first picture of a bruised and bloodied Rihanna after her alleged assault by singer Chris Brown has surfaced on the Internet, prompting an investigation by Los Angeles police into how it was leaked.

Celebrity website TMZ.com said its photo of the Barbados-born singer was taken after she was beaten on February 8 after leaving a pre-Grammy Awards party with R&B star Brown, her boyfriend.

It shows the Umbrella singer with her eyes closed and her lower lip bloodied and swollen. There are also bruises and blood streaks on her cheek and two long, thin marks on her forehead.

"At the request of the authorities, Rihanna is not commenting about the incident involving Chris Brown," her representatives said in a statement on Friday.

"She wants to assure her fans that she remains strong, is doing well, and deeply appreciates the outpouring of support she has received during this difficult time."

Agencies

(China Daily 02/23/2009 page7)