80 Rohingya arrive in Indonesia

BANDA ACEH • About 80 Rohingya in a wooden boat arrived in Indonesia yesterday, officials said, the latest batch of the vulnerable minority to come ashore in the world's biggest Muslim majority nation.

The group landed in Aceh province on Sumatra, just weeks after dozens of the persecuted Muslim minority from Myanmar came ashore in Malaysia.

All appeared to be in good condition, according to local police chief Riza Yulianto, who added that it was not clear how long they had been at sea.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Brick-throwing China zoo-goers kill kangaroo

SHANGHAI • Visitors to a zoo in south-eastern China killed one kangaroo and injured another by throwing bricks at them in an attempt to get a reaction from the animals, state media reported.

A 12-year-old female kangaroo was struck by bricks and concrete chunks on Feb 28 at the Fuzhou Zoo in Fujian province, China Central Television reported. It died days later . An examination revealed that the cause of death was probably a ruptured kidney.

A few weeks later, a five-year-old male kangaroo at the same zoo was slightly injured in a similar way, said the report on Thursday.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Charges against Thai activists dismissed

BANGKOK • A Thai court has dismissed all charges against seven female activists accused of violating public assembly laws, just weeks after a United Nations team called on the government to end attacks on human rights campaigners.

The court in north-eastern Loei province ruled on Thursday that the women, who belonged to a local environmental group, had been invited to attend a meeting at the council office, and that they did not breach any law, according to their lawyer Teerapun Phankeeree.

REUTERS