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THAILAND

Interpol probes surrogacy case

Interpol said it has launched an investigation into what Thailand has dubbed the "Baby Factory" case: a Japanese businessman who has 16 surrogate babies and an alleged desire to father hundreds more.

Police raided a Bangkok condominium this month and found nine babies and nine nannies living in a few unfurnished rooms filled with baby bottles, bouncy chairs, play pens, and diapers. They have since identified Mitsutoki Shigeta, 24, as the father of those babies and seven others.

Thailand's Interpol director, Police Maj. Gen. Apichart Suribunya, said Friday that regional Interpol offices in Japan, Cambodia, Hong Kong, and India have been asked to probe Shigeta's background.

Shigeta has not been charged with any crime and is trying to get his children back. He has said through a lawyer that he simply wanted a large family and has the means to support it. - AP
JAPAN

Landslide toll

Military, police, and fire personnel searched through the night for missing victims after downpours in Hiroshima triggered deadly landslides. The death toll rose to 42, with 43 people still unaccounted for and about 1,700 in evacuation centers, Michiko Asaki at the city's disaster control headquarters said Saturday. Hillsides drenched by several days of rain gave way, sending torrents of mud, trees, and boulders crashing into homes and buildings. - Bloomberg
FRANCE

Wrong orbits

European space officials say they are investigating whether the inaccurate deployment of two satellites will complicate their efforts to develop a new Galileo satellite navigation system that would rival America's GPS network. The European Space Agency and launch company Arianespace say the satellites ended up in off-target orbits after being launched Friday from Kourou, French Guiana, aboard a Soyuz rocket. - AP

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