Rotimi Adebari made history yesterday, becoming the first black mayor elected in Ireland, winning the election to lead Portlaoise, a busy commuter town just west of Dublin. Adebari, 43, a native of Nigeria, migrated to Ireland in 2000 with his wife and two sons, claiming political asylum based on religious persecution, although his application was rejected because of insufficient evidence.

Four ex-military men who have joined the Philippine Senate, revealed plans Thursday to form their own small group in the Senate to be called the Cavaliers club. The group includes two senators who launched several failed mutinies against past and present administrations. But some of their meetings will have to be held in the jail where one of the members is incarcerated. Re-elected Senator Panfilo Lacson, a former general who served both the Armed Forces of the Philippines and once as chief of the Philippine National Police, said the group will take on the Wednesday Group composed of Senators Manuel Villar, JoKer Arroyo, Francis Pangilinan and Ralph Recto. Vice President Noli de Casto was also a member of the Wednesday group when he was still senator.

Fierce political rivals in the traditionally violence-prone Lanao del Sur province in southern Philippines have decided to settle their differences and defuse the rising tension in the region over a cup of coffee. On Tuesday, or a day after the hotly contested election day, mayoral candidate Alexis Pablico, 38, who is running against Elvino Balicao Jr. , the incumbent's mayor's son, went to the town hall to invite Mayor Elvino Balicao Sr. for a cup of coffee.

The Philippine Justice chief has proven again that he is the ultimate defender of the beleaguered Arroyo administration. On Tuesday, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez vowed to sell chickens to raise the $210 reward he promised to barangay (village) chieftains who can deliver a 12-0 sweep for the pro-administration senatorial bets. Gonzales, who owns a livestock farm in Iloilo province said, "It's easy. This is just one [chicken] harvest. I can have the funds I need to support the [administration] candidates. "

Citizens are calling for a teacher in Florida to be fired after she stuffed the ballot box in a High School election to elect her niece homecoming queen. According to an editorial in the St. Petersburg Times, "Sharion Thurman, a 20-year Gibbs High School teacher, entered an office conference room on Sept. 28 carrying a box filled with ballots marked for her niece. . . A new election had to be held, revealing that Thurman had deposited more than 500 falsified ballots. "