Thailand's government on Wednesday blocked the popular Web site YouTube because of a short film mocking the country's king. The 44-second clip shows pictures of feet over a picture of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Feet are considered dirty and offensive in Thailand. The Thai national anthem is played as the film's soundtrack.

Marion Munk, 69, got into a confrontation with police last Wednesday in Piscataway, N. J. , as she was reportedly placing handmade anti-Democrat election posters around her neighborhood. Recalling the incident to The Star-Ledger of Newark, Munk said that while backtracking, she noticed at one intersection, where utility crews were working, her sign was gone, but two pro-Democrat signs were still there.

The government of Malaysia has announced plans to punish those who misuse the national language by imposing fines on them. A new group, whose job will be to identify the culprits of these offenses, will be created to enforce the law. Mixing the national language, Malay, with English is rife in the former British colony. The minister for Culture, Arts and Heritage Rais Yatim has said the fines could reach 1,000 ringgit ($271).

In an effort to protect the integrity of the country's national language, Malaysia has decided to levy fines on people who mangle Malay on signs and posters, and deploy monitors to ensure that speakers at official functions don't improperly mix Malay with English, news reports said Thursday. The fines which may amount up to 1,000 ringgit ($271) would be imposed after an initial warning. The move aims to ensure that "the national language was not sidelined in any way," Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Rais Yatim said, according to The Star.

Dropping an earlier plan to censor the photo, the subway walls in Tokyo will now feature a nude and pregnant Britney Spears. The advertisement space at the posh Omotesando station next week will be rented by HB Japan Inc. , publisher of the Japanese edition of Harper's Bazaar. They aim to promote their October issue with Spears posing naked on the cover. The AP reports that the advertisement that will appear in Tokyo is the same that was used in the August issue of the magazine's U. S. edition. It shows the 24 year old Spears baring her belly but she covers her breasts with her hands.