World Briefs

An underground thermal lake Hungarian officials say is one of the biggest in the world was unveiled on Tuesday after its discovery below a Turkish bath in the capital Budapest.

"This is the biggest active, water-filled thermal water cave and hall in the world," speleologist Sandor Kalinovits, one of the lake's discoverers, said during a tour of the cave.

The lake, discovered earlier this year, lies in a subterranean hall 86 metres long, 27 metres wide and 15 metres high.

Budapest is built above a labyrinth of caves filled with warm thermal water and many have only partially been explored. Environment Minister Imre Szabo said the cave might be opened to the public. City officials plan to apply to Unesco to declare the cave system a World Heritage Site.

The Ottoman Empire, which governed Hungary in the 17th century, left a legacy of Turkish baths which remain extremely popular with local residents as well as tourists.

Downturn in car tax prices

Car tax prices in Singapore, one of the world's most costly places to buy vehicles have plunged to a record low of just two dollars for small cars, from over S$10,000 (€5,205) last month, as demand stalled.

The Certificates of Entitlement (COE), which allow Singaporeans to own a car, also slid 59 per cent to S$4,889 for bigger cars in an auction yesterday, transport regulator the Land Transport Authority said.

Small cars are classified as below 1600 cc.

Dealers said they expected car prices to fall sharply which could trigger renewed demand.

TV monitors in Albanian elections

Albania hopes to cut down on notorious levels of vote-rigging in its elections by installing video cameras and monitors in polling stations, officials said.

"The high-resolution cameras will be installed at vote counting tables in such a way that they will record how every ballot is assigned," a copy of a law seen yesterday, and passed by the country's two main parties, said.

Lawmaker Katriot Islami said cameras and screens would be set up in counting centres for elections due to be held next year, and which minor parties already have denounced as likely to be unfair.

"Whatever the cost, it would be cheaper than not holding free and fair polls," Mr Islami said.

He added no costs had yet been calculated but estimated installing cameras and screens would total €200,000 in around 65 voting places.

Albania has yet to hold elections that meet international standards. The European Union has made it clear the vote in the ex-communist state must be above reproach if it wants to join the 27-nation bloc.

Six million trees in single day

Thousands of Macedonians took to the hills and forests yesterday to plant six million trees in a single day as part of a mass reforestation drive in the Balkan country. The main aim of the campaign was to replant Macedonia's forests after extensive wild fires over the past two summers.

"Our goal is to make Macedonia "greener" and make people more aware of the needs of this planet", said Macedonian opera singer Boris Trajanov, who initiated the project.

Mr Trajanov said he hoped to spread the campaign across the whole Balkan region next year.

"If Macedonia, a country of two million people, can plant six million trees, we can only imagine how many trees can be planted in other, bigger countries," he said.

Sumo champion plots New Year ring return

Volatile Mongolian grand champion Asashoryu will not return to the ring until the New Year despite being fit enough to hunt and cook wild animals in the mountains.

The firebrand champion returned to his native country for treatment to an elbow injury last month and spent 10 days living in a tent and eating wild boar, deer and wolves.

"I was just trying to survive," Mr Asashoryu told reporters. "Out in the wild we had to catch the animals, prepare them and eat them ourselves... The whole experience really helped toughen me up mentally."

The 28-year-old endured temperatures of minus 15ºC in a bizarre rehabilitation regime that also involved him plunging into icy mountain rivers.

The Mongolian has struggled since returning to Japan's ancient sport following a ban for playing in a soccer match while claiming to have a back injury in August last year.