KO at the karaoke

JAPANESE activist Kaname Odachi's campaign to stop her countrymen singing military songs during karaoke sessions has incurred their wrath - but not for the reasons you would expect.

'Because of her I can't sing any songs at karaoke,' complained one Japanese crooner. 'There was only one military song, number 25, the last on the laser disc. And when they pulled the song, they took away all the others. And they were the best ones, the golden oldies.' Karaoke clubs bowing to pressure have eliminated the offensive tunes from their repertoire. But laser disc technology being what it is, this meant that all other songs on the playlist are erased as well.