U. S. President George W. Bush has given Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi a surprise gift during his trip to Asia; a Segway electric scooter. President Bush says, "I know the prime minister well," and points to the gift as a sign of close ties between the two leaders.

For women who want to keep warm this winter, a new lingerie maker suggests heating your bra. Triumph International introduced the bra in Japan which has launched a "Warm Biz" campaign urging people to heat up with their undergarments in order to save on heating.

Guinness World Records has officially recognized L. Ron Hubbard, acclaimed author and the founder of Scientology Dianetics, as the world's most translated author. This new world record, officially verified as 65 languages, beats the previous record of 51 languages set in 1997 by American author Sidney Sheldon. It also exceeds the unofficial count of 63 for "Harry Potter" novelist J. K. Rowling and the 64 languages translated for "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Dutch teenager Anne Frank.

A Japanese court allows two prison guards who killed an inmate by spraying him with high-pressure water hoses to walk free. The court rules the guards had not planned to hurt the prisoner. The pair received suspended sentences for the incident that took place in 2001.

Japanese subway signs have employed Sesame Street characters to ask riders not to take up too much space, but rather, fold their newspapers when riding the trains. The island nation, known for its efficient yet compact, underground rail system is looking to create even more space for riders.