Doraemon creator getting a museum

The revered creator of Doraemon, a time-traveling, earless robotic cat that became a favorite with generations of children and Japan's official anime ambassador, will soon have his own permanent exhibition. The Fujiko F. Fujio Museum, which opens Saturday in Kawasaki, will include original pictures from the cartoonist's many mangas, a screening room, gift shop and cafeteria with a range of magical snacks known to fans (no word if Doraemon's favorite dorayaki pastry will be on the menu). To accommodate the expected crowds, admission will be by timed entry with reservations required.

The museum is located in Kanagawa Prefecture, just 20 minutes away from Tokyo center by way of the Doraemon express.

Stretching a vast 5,500 square meters, it features a collection of over 50,000 sketches used to produce the animation, a reconstruction of Fujio's studio, a cafeteria offering a range of magical snacks known to fans, and many more surprises.

For more information: fujiko-museum.com/english.

Woman, 90, chases burglars with cane

A feisty 90-year-old German woman chased away three would-be burglars from her rural farmhouse with her cane, police said on Monday. The retired farmer was moving around her house with the help of a walking frame and spotted the intruders - two men and one woman.

Ferry captain's day really in the toilet

A Finnish ferry has run aground while its captain was stuck in the bathroom. One member of staff managed to slow the island-hopping tourist ferry down, but the vessel, carrying 54 passengers, slammed onto a rock near the shore of Helsinki, the Finnish coastguard said on Friday.

Winslet escapes fire on island retreat

British Oscar-winning actress Kate Winslet (right) was among the guests who escaped unhurt from a fire which swept through Richard Branson's Caribbean holiday retreat.

The actress and 20 other guests were holidaying in the British Virgin Islands when lightning hit the wooden property on Necker Island, setting it ablaze.

Winslet was hailed a heroine after carrying Branson's frail 90-year-old mother Eve to safety as the building burned around them. All guests escaped the blaze unharmed.

"I'm just so glad that everyone is safe," Winslet told reporters. "And this very easily could not have been the case."

"I will never forget Richard placing his arms around both my children as we were watching the flames, and saying, 'At the end of the day, what you realize is that all that matters is the people that you love. Everything else is just stuff. And none of that stuff matters'."

Lil Wayne to release CD after awards

He won't be wearing a meat dress nor engaged in a same-sex kiss, but rapper Lil Wayne still hopes to create big media buzz after MTV's Video Music Awards by releasing his new CD minutes after Sunday's TV show. Wayne, the four-time Grammy winner and Lollipop rapper, on Monday said he will start selling his new album, Tha Carter IV, online at midnight after the widely-watched awards show on Aug 28. The CD hits retail stores on Monday.

Cyber squatter foiling Winehouse

Amy Winehouse's father Mitch said his plans to set up a charity in his late daughter's name had been frustrated by a cyber squatter who had stolen the organization's intended address on the internet. Mitch, a former taxi driver who launched his own musical career on the back of Amy Winehouse's success, plans to set up a foundation to help young people suffering from substance abuse, and has already received donations from the public.

U2 singer Bono denies being ill

U2 lead singer Bono last weekend denied reports he had been taken to hospital after complaining of chest pains while on holiday in the south of France. The 51-year-old did visit Princess Grace hospital in Monaco, but he said it was for a routine checkup.

Rapper Machine Gun Kelly charged amid flash mob at mall

Cleveland rapper Machine Gun Kelly was cited with disorderly conduct after he was accused of refusing to get down from a food court table during a flash mob he organized at a suburban mall, police said on Sunday. Police in Strongsville, Ohio, received a tip on Saturday of a possible flash mob planned for 5 pm local time by the rapper, who recently signed a recording deal with rap mogul Sean "P. Diddy" Combs' music label.

China Daily - Xinhua -Reuters