Unlike his boss (Samak or Thaksin, you pick), Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama loves the news media - he hardly ever declines an interview.

Unfortunately he tends to overbook, so now he's getting a reputation as "Mr Cancellation". The job has turned out to be more demanding than he figured, what with unforeseen emergencies like people writing on the Thai flag.

The solution, he thinks, is being able to sleep in his office - catch a few winks between crises - so he's asked for a sofa bed or at least a reclining chair to be installed. He told ministry officials that he doesn't care if the press goes berserk, since even bad publicity is publicity, as they say in show biz.

Guy wants to be on the job round the clock? Who's complaining?

To coin a word

Starring in "Iron Man" has revealed the inner comic-book geek in Robert Downey Jr. He grew up reading Marvel Comics and reckons he's playing the best superhero of the lot.

"Superheroes are great," he says, "but superheroes who manufacture weapons and then build a suit of armour that they can fly around in makes for the ultimate 'nerdgasm'."