Elephant killed at training center

BENGKULU, Bengkulu: A male elephant being trained at the Seblat grooming center in Putri Hijau district, North Bengkulu regency, was killed by local people in an attempt to steal its 20-kilogram tusks.

An elephant trainer, Mahyudin, said on Friday that the elephant was killed while it was tied to a tree and left grazing near the center by its trainer who was reportedly sleeping. He claimed the would-be poachers fled into a nearby protected forest after the trainer caught them trying to chop the tusks off.

Mahyudin said the elephant sustained gaping wounds in the head and body. He added that the giant animal which had been at the center for five years was skillful enough to handle various jobs, especially driving away wild elephants which often ravaged local farmers' crops.

There are now 28 elephants left in the center. Previously two other elephants died of disease. --Antara

Tourists to be x-rayed in Bali

KUTA, Bali: In a bid to curb rampant drug smuggling into the Island, the Customs and Excise office in the Ngurah Rai Airport, Bali plans to use special devices to detect drugs in plastic pouches which are often swallowed by incoming and outgoing tourists.

"Swallowing drugs into the stomach has become a common practice adopted by international tourists entering the Ngurah Rai airport, therefore we need x-rays." Setio Juwarno, head of Ngurah Rai Customs and Excise Office, said here on Friday.

He revealed that, so far, his office had fallen short of a proper system to detect tourists suspected of illegal drug possession.

"It is far too time-consuming to take suspected tourists to the hospital to find drugs." He added.

In the past, tourists smuggled cocaine and hashish from Latin America, South Asia or the Golden Triangle (Thailand, Laos and Myanmar) into the island by putting them into aqua lungs or statues or other souvenirs.

Customs officers arrested a couple from Mexico, Navarro and Clara Elena in April 2001 in possession of 15,22 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside their surf boards. Navarro was sentenced to life in jail and Clara 10 years. --Antara Bombs found at junior high school

AMBON, Maluku: School activities in the public junior high school in the Ambon subdistrict of Talake were abruptly suspended on Friday after 16 home-made bombs wrapped in black plastic bags were found on the premises.

Eyewitnesses said the neat looking bomb packages were discovered at 5:30 am, just 90 minutes before classes usually begin. Local residents removed the explosives to a safer place in Lorong Radio Merpati, while students and teachers who were already in the area, fled in a panic.

The activities at the school and in the vicinity resumed after the Ambon police bomb squad from the nearby police station arrived nearly two full hours after the discovery of the bombs. --Antara

Thousands of children have goiters

MALANG, East Java: In a 2001 survey conducted by the regional administration in five districts, it was discovered that 40.33 percent of 9,527 school-age children have goiters.

Subagyo Sutarjo, the head of the local health agency, said on Thursday the local administration would distribute iodine capsules and iodized salt in the affected areas to deal with the problem.

Goiters are caused by an insufficient intake of iodized salt, and if not treated will affect growth and hearing, as well as causing respiratory and swallowing difficulties.

In later stages, goiters can trigger an abnormally high pulse rate and fatigue, as well as causing infertility, irregular menstruation or miscarriages in women. --Antara