World Briefs

Hong Kong conservationists yesterday said they had seized nearly 800 endangered pig-nosed turtles smuggled from Indonesia, in the Chinese city’s biggest haul in its battle against the illegal pet trade.

The baby reptiles, distinguishable by their fleshy snout-like noses, were confiscated in January and were believed to have been caught from the wild in Indonesia before being brought illegally to Hong Kong.

The record seizure came to light as authorities prepared to release 600 of the surviving turtles, of the total 785, back to their native habitat in Indonesia’s remote Papua province.

The pig-nosed turtles were also threatened because of the demand for their eggs and meat, but Alfred Wong, an endangered species protection official from the agriculture, fisheries and conservation department, told reporters said they were mostly kept as pets in Hong Kong. (AFP)

Multi-tasking driver

A motorist was caught driving while using a laptop, writing down the answers to a quiz on the radio and drinking coffee all at the same time, police said.

The behaviour was observed during a crackdown on distracted drivers by Hampshire police, with other offences including a man eating a pear with a knife while driving and motorists using mobile phones.

The force hired an unmarked HGV cab for the initiative in order to get a good viewpoint from which they could observe and video offenders. (PA)

Getting shirty

Rugby’s heavyweights have come up with a new excuse for the number of collapsing scrums at this year’s World Cup – skin-tight jerseys.

Prop forwards have traditionally grabbed handfuls of opponents’ shirts when it comes to the mighty clash as the rival packs bind together in the scrum, but the new shirts have left them clutching at thin air - or worse.

All Blacks prop Ben Franks said: “Especially for a loosehead it’s a lot harder to get that initial bind. There’s nothing really to grab, so you’re kind of grabbing for skin.” (PA)

No space flight

A committed adventurer has been forced to give up his dream of flying into space aboard Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic spaceline.

Venture capitalist Alan Walton, who has trekked to the North Pole, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and skydived over Mount Everest, has turned 75 and is not as spry as he used to be, and is concerned about project delays. A trip into space to enjoy a few minutes of weightlessness would have been the ultimate adventure.

Mr Walton was among the first 100 customers to sign up, but after waiting seven years to fly, he gave up on the dream and asked for a $200,000 ticket refund on his 75th birthday. (PA)

Oxford questions

Why do lions have manes? Would it matter if tigers became extinct? And why are both ladybirds and strawberries red?

These are just some of the interview questions faced by students hoping to win a place at Oxford University.

The institution has released a sample of the conundrums posed by tutors to give an insight into its interview process. (PA)

Clever kitty

A cunning cat’s instincts helped animal inspectors trace a litter of kittens left alone in a barn.The animal had been rescued by RSPCA officers after she was spotted being thrown from a car. After nursing the cat – now named Jolie – back to health, the charity returned her to the roadside in March, Cambridgeshire, where she was found, as it was clear she had recently given birth and would need to get back to her kittens.

But when Jolie was released she meowed insistently until inspector Jon Knight followed her – at which point she led him directly to her four kittens in a nearby barn. (PA)

Russian castration

Russian lawmakers prepared to give early backing yesterday to a Bill allowing judges to order the chemical castration of convicted child molesters.

The tough new measure was proposed by President Dmitry Medvedev in May and is almost certain to be approved by the Kremlin-controlled State Duma lower house of Parliament in the first of three required votes.

First-time offenders against children 13 and under would receive jail terms of 15 to 20 years. The chemical castration process involves the injection of drugs that reduce a person’s libido. The Bill says the chemicals may also be administered on a voluntary basis to convicts who want to reform. (AFP)