Denmark

Models strut catwalk in ancient fashion show

It wasn’t quite haute couture and the models weren’t exactly Givenchy. But the clothes were chic in their time — thousands of years ago.

Models in hides, wool and coarse linen strutted the Viking catwalk Saturday, showing off the “latest” in prehistoric and medieval fashion at an outdoor museum near Lejre, 25 miles west of the capital, Copenhagen.

The designs of ancient Scandinavia were re-created from pieces of fabric excavated from archaeological sites.

BEIJING

Report: Poison gas from WWII sickens 36

Toxic gas that leaked from canisters left behind from World War II sickened 36 people in northeast China, the official Xinhua News Agency said Saturday.

Xinhua said unspecified experts had concluded that the canisters were chemical weapons left by the Japanese army. Japan is believed to have abandoned about 700,000 chemical weapons loaded with mustard gas and other poisons.

Twenty-nine people were hospitalized after the cans were unearthed Monday in the city of Qiqihar, Xinhua said. The area is about 650 miles northeast of Beijing.

Xinhua said fumes from an oily substance in the canisters caused headaches, burning eyes and other symptoms.

TOKYO

Tropical storm leaves four dead, 11 missing

Eleven people were missing early today after tropical storm Etau pummeled northern Japan.

The storm hit Japan’s northernmost main island of Hokkaido and gradually lost steam as it moved off into the Pacific Ocean, the Meteorological Agency said.

Eleven people were missing after heavy rains brought flooding and landslides to parts of Hokkaido, the National Police Agency said.

Earlier in its four-day rampage through the archipelago, the storm caused four deaths and 77 injuries. It was downgraded Friday from a typhoon.

Brazil

More than 80 inmates escape from prison

Eighty-four inmates from a maximum security prison in northeastern Brazil escaped through a tunnel Saturday, authorities said.

The inmates escaped from the Silvio Porto prison in Joao Pessoa, the capital of Paraiba state, an officer at the state’s Public Security Office said.

Police recaptured one of the fugitives at a nearby beach several hours later.

Rebellions and escapes are frequent in Brazil’s notoriously overcrowded prisons.