Worldnews

Troubled waters

Pilot whales die on beach

Wellington - Twenty-eight pilot whales died after stranding themselves on a remote beach in southern New Zealand. The whales came ashore at West Ruggedy Beach on Stewart Island, a conservation official told the Southland Times.

The whales were found by a hiker on the morning of February 14. Wildlife officials arrived about an hour later but were unable to save any of the whales. Nine whales were already dead and there was no alternative but to kill 19 others, they said.

According to officials, stormy seas and strong winds made a rescue attempt impossible. - AFP

Oily skin A youth covered in oil and ash holds a mask in front of his face in the village of San Martin Tilcajete in Mexico on February 16. Young men cover themselves in oil and ash to ward off evil spirits in this century-old tradition during a festival before Lent and Ash Wednesday. - Reuters

Junta justice

Women given harsh sentences

Rangoon - Burma has sentenced four activists to two years in prison with hard labour, a lawyer said on February 16, as a United Nations special envoy was touring the country to gauge human rights ahead of upcoming elections.

The four women were accused of causing public unrest and sentenced at a closed prison court on February 15 in the former capital Rangoon, according to opposition party lawyer Kyaw Hoe.

"They were sentenced for upsetting public peace and tranquility. We will appeal for their release soon," the lawyer said.

The four women were arrested in October for donating literature to a monastery in the town of Dagon. - AFP

EASY NEWS FOR M1-3

Cold comfort

Man builds icy cave

Aquilla, Ohio - Jimmy Grey recently built an igloo in his garden. There was lots of snow in his town of Aquilla, Ohio. His igloo had 2 metre high ceilings. It had four rooms. Grey put a TV set in one of the rooms.

Grey, 25, is unemployed. He said that he made the igloo to keep himself busy. He said that the igloo also keeps his beer cold. - AP

Going natural

Cyclist defends nude ride

Wellington - A 40-year-old New Zealand man has asked the High Court to rule that it is okay to ride a bicycle naked on a public road. Wellington builder Nick Lowe appealed to the court against a NZ$200 (4,700 baht) fine for offensive behaviour.

Lowe said that there was nothing offensive about his ride on a quiet rural road in Upper Hutt, near Wellington, on last year's World Nude Bike Day. He was charged after a passing motorist objected and called police.

Lowe described himself as a natural athlete and said that he regularly trained nude. He also said that he once completed a Coast to Coast triathlon naked from the waist down and that nobody had complained. - DPA

Tiny dancer Seven-year-old samba queen Julia Lira performs ahead of the musicians during the first night of Rio de Janeiro's famed carnival parades in Brazil on February 15. - AFP

Off the streets

Oldest homeless man dies

Hong Kong - Hong Kong's oldest known homeless person was found dead on the coldest day of the winter so far, police said on February 17. Kwok Pan was found dead on an abandoned couch in an alley on the morning of February 16, when the temperature fell to 6 degrees Celsius, according to police.

The 101-year-old man had been sleeping rough in Kowloon district for 10 years. He had repeatedly refused offers of food, blankets and shelter. Police said that a shop worker putting out the rubbish discovered Kwok's body. - DPA

Brought to heel

Shoe thief caught

Seoul - A South Korean who stole 1,200 pairs of expensive shoes from funeral homes while posing as a mourner has been arrested, police in Seoul said on February 18.

The man, identified as Park, 59, took off his own shoes before entering mourning rooms and donned more expensive footwear when he left. He intended to sell them through his own second-hand shoe business, according to police.

Police said that they caught Park at a funeral home stealing three pairs of shoes, worth a total of 2 million won (57,800 baht) when new. - AFP

EXERCISE

1. Why did wildlife officials have to kill the pilot whales?

2. Why did Jimmy Grey build an igloo in his garden?

a. To keep his beer cold.
b. To keep himself busy.
c. Because there wasn't room for his TV in the house.

3. How much longer does Sujinda Cherdchai want to be allowed to run her green mini-buses?

	Lent (n): in the Christian church, a period of 40 days before Easter during which some Christians give up food or activities they enjoy in memory of Christ's suffering famed (adj): very well known junta (n): a military government that has taken power by force harsh (adj): cruel, severe and unkind envoy (n): a person who represents a government or an organisation and is sent to talk to other governments or organisations gauge (v): to make a judgement about something igloo (n): a small round house or shelter built from blocks of hard snow unemployed (adj): without a job although able to work triathlon (n): a sporting event in which people compete in three different sports, usually swimming, cycling and running abandoned (adj): left and no longer wanted, used or needed mourner (n): a person who attends a funeral, especially a friend or a relative of the dead person don (v): to put clothes, shoes, etc. on