Cambodia’s monks have been warned not to mingle with the crowds at a major water festival this year, with any caught looking at girls in short skirts facing a reprimand.
Millions of visitors are expected to flock to the capital for the three-day festival from November 20-22 to enjoy boat races on the Tonle Sap lake, fireworks and parades. But for the city’s monks, this year’s event will be a muted affair in light of the new restrictions.
“As we are monks, it is not good to walk among the crowd because we could touch other people,” Phnom Penh’s chief monk Non Ngeth said.
Buddhist monks are highly revered in Cambodia, and they are not supposed to touch, or even look at, women. It would “not be suitable” for monks to be seen mingling with festival goers along the riverfront, Non Ngeth added.
The annual festival marks the reversal of the flow between the Tonle Sap and the Mekong river. (AFP)
Siberian tiger found in woman’s home
A Siberian tiger, the world’s largest feline, has been discovered in captivity at a woman’s home in Russia’s central Urals region, authorities said yesterday.
The inquiry began when prosecutors learned the woman was keeping the animal, also known as an Amur tiger, or tigre de l’Amour (tiger of love) in French, in a semi-free state on her property in the city of Yekaterinburg.
“The woman kept the animal without authorisation, and without respect for sanitary regulations,” said the Yekaterinburg prosecutor in a statement.
It is not known how the woman got hold of the Siberian tiger – there are about 450 left in Russia’s far east, their natural habitat. Hunting tigers has been banned since 1947. (AFP)
Set a thief...
A police force has enlisted the help of a former drug addict and prolific thief in a bid to combat vehicle crime in the run-up to Christmas.
James Hazell, 25, broke into more than 100 cars during his 10-year criminal career.
The former heroin addict from Leicester stole from cars, committed burglary and shoplifted to fund his £50-a-day habit – but after two prison sentences, he kicked the drug and has been enlisted by Leicestershire Police to help fight the traditional rise in vehicle crime in the festive season. (PA)
Singing nuns
A closed order of nuns is to take on Simon Cowell’s X Factor winner by joining the race for the Christmas number one, it was announced.
The singing sisters signed a deal earlier this year after a worldwide hunt by UK-based record label Decca.
And the firm have been so delighted by the success of the Benedictine Nuns that they have decided to release a track to go for the prized Christmas chart-topper.
Adoro te by The Nuns of Notre Dame de l’Annonciation will be released on December 13. (PA)
Boy brings WWII shell to school
A 12-year-old boy who brought a World War II-era anti-aircraft shell with him to school in Wroclaw, southern Poland, yesterday was being questioned by police after the evacuation of 400 pupils.
“Police removed the WWII shell from the school after some 400 pupils had been safely evacuated,” Wroclaw police spokesman Kamil Rynkiewicz said.
The shell was handed over to a bomb squad unit for disposal, he said. Police questioned the boy about where he found the derelict WWII munition and what he had intended to do with it.
“The boy said he found the shell in a local forest and wanted to show it to his school mates,” Pawel Petrykowski, also a Wroclaw city police spokesman, said. (AFP)
No, minister
Czech transport minister Vit Barta has been banned from driving for six months and fined for using an improper number plate on his car.
Barta was caught driving his Maserati in July on the way from his wedding.
The minister said he had lost his original plate and used a sticker to replace it. (PA)
Sunbeds coming to Moscow prison
Inmates at an infamous Moscow prison will get a full suite of new creature comforts including sunbeds.
The chief spokesman for Moscow prisons said the Butyrka prison improvements plan also included internet telephony and access to better medical services and drugs.
But the information was received with a heavy dose of scepticism by the Russian media and penal system experts.
“A sunbed is not a priority need. This looks like some kind of joke,” said New Times weekly penal system correspondent Zoya Svetova.
The fortress-like building, erected in 1879, has always carried frightening connotations in Russia. (AFP)