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world news Diahuebs 13 OctOber 2022

477 whales die in ‘heartbreaking’ New Zealand strandings

WELLINGTON, New lands, which are home to “These events are tough,
Zealand (AP) — Some 477 about 600 people and located challenging situations,” the
pilot whales have died af- about 800 kilometers (500 Department of Conservation
ter stranding themselves miles) east of New Zealand’s wrote in a Facebook post.
on two remote New Zea- main islands. “Although they are natural
land beaches over recent occurrences, they are still sad
days, officials say. The Department of Con- and difficult for those help-
servation said 232 whales ing.”
None of the stranded whales stranded themselves Friday at
could be refloated and all ei- Tupuangi Beach and another Grover said the remote loca-
ther died naturally or were 245 at Waihere Bay on Mon- tion and presence of sharks
euthanized in a “heartbreak- day. in the surrounding waters
ing” loss, said Daren Grover, meant they couldn’t mobilize months. Scientists don’t to shore and become disori-
the general manager of Proj- The deaths come two weeks volunteers to try to refloat know exactly what causes the ented. The tide can then drop
ect Jonah, a nonprofit group after about 200 pilot whales the whales as they have in whales to strand, although from below them and before
which helps rescue whales. died in Australia after strand- past stranding events. it appears their location sys- they know it, they’re strand-
ing themselves on a remote tems can get confused by ed on the beach.”
The whales beached them- Tasmanian beach. “We do not actively refloat gently sloping sandy beaches.
selves on the Chatham Is- whales on the Chatham Is- Because of the remote loca-
lands due to the risk of shark Grover said there is a lot of tion of the beaches, the whale
attack to humans and the food for the whales around carcasses won’t be buried or
whales themselves, so eutha- the Chatham Islands, and as towed out to sea, as is often
nasia was the kindest option,” they swim closer to land, they the case, but instead will be
said Dave Lundquist, a tech- would quickly find them- left to decompose, Grover
nical marine advisor for the selves going from very deep said.
conservation department. to shallow water.
“Nature is a great recycler
Mass strandings of pilot “They rely on their echolo- and all the energy stored
whales are reasonably com- cation and yet it doesn’t tell within the bodies of all the
mon in New Zealand, es- them that they are running whales will be returned to
pecially during the summer out of water,” Grover said. nature quite quickly,” he said.
“They come closer and closer

Graft convictions extend Suu Kyi’s prison term to 26 years

BANGKOK (AP) — A violating coronavirus restric- Maung Weik, a construction
court in military-ruled tions, breaching the coun- magnate, had a close relation-
Myanmar convicted the try’s official secrets act, sedi- ship with the army generals in
country’s ousted leader tion, election fraud and five power during a previous mil-
Aung San Suu Kyi on two corruption charges. itary-run government, and
more corruption charg- has headed two main com-
es Wednesday, with two Her supporters and indepen- panies during three decades
three-year sentences to be dent analysts say the charges in business: Maung Weik &
served concurrently, add- are politically motivated and Family Co. Ltd., specializing
ing to previous convic- an attempt to discredit her in the trading of metals and
tions that now leave her and legitimize the military’s agricultural products, and
with a 26-year total prison seizure of power while keep- Sae Paing Development Ltd.,
term, a legal official said. ing her from taking part in a real estate and construction
the next election, which the company.
Suu Kyi, 77, was detained on military has promised in
Feb. 1, 2021, when the mili- 2023. He was reportedly interro-
tary seized power from her gated by the army two weeks ecutive — received $550,000 expected to file an appeal in
elected government. She has In recent months, her trials after its takeover, and shortly in four installments in 2019- the coming days.
denied the allegations against have been held in a purpose- after that, in March 2021, 2020 “to facilitate the busi-
her in this case, in which built courtroom in the main military-controlled state ness activities of a private en- In separate proceedings, Suu
she was accused of receiving prison on the outskirts of the television broadcast a video trepreneur.” Kyi is still being tried togeth-
$550,000 as a bribe from a ty- capital, Naypyitaw. She has in which he claimed to have er with the country’s former
coon convicted of drug traf- not been seen or allowed to given cash payoffs to govern- Suu Kyi’s close colleague, president, Win Myint, on an-
ficking. speak in public since she was ment ministers to help his Zaw Myint Maung, who other five corruption charges
arrested. Her lawyers, who businesses. served as a chief minister in in connection with permits
Corruption cases comprise had been a source of infor- the Mandalay region, was granted to a Cabinet minister
the biggest share of the mation on the proceedings, He said in his video that the separately accused of receiv- for the rental and purchase of
many charges the military have not been allowed to money included $100,000 ing more than $180,000 from a helicopter.
has brought against the 1991 speak publicly on her behalf provided to Suu Kyi in 2018 Maung Weik and was con-
Nobel Peace laureate. Suu or about her trial since a gag for a charitable foundation victed of corruption in June. Suu Kyi has been the face
Kyi has been charged with 12 order was placed on them last named after her mother, and of the opposition to military
counts in total under the an- year. another $450,000 in pay- Wednesday’s verdict sentenc- rule in Myanmar for more
ti-corruption act, with each ments in 2019 and 2020 for ing Suu Kyi to two three-year than three decades. The pre-
count punishable by up to 15 In the case decided Wednes- purposes he did not specify. sentences to be served con- vious military government
years in prison and a fine. day, Suu Kyi was accused of currently was conveyed by a put her under house arrest in
receiving a total of $550,000 A state-controlled newspa- legal official who insisted on 1989, which continued on-
Suu Kyi had already been in 2019 and 2020 from per, the Global New Light of anonymity for fear of being and-off for 15 of the next 22
sentenced to 23 years’ im- Maung Weik, with separate Myanmar, reported in Febru- punished by the authorities. years.
prisonment after being con- payments being treated as ary that Suu Kyi in her posi-
victed of illegally importing two offenses. tion as state counselor — the He added that her lawyers are
and possessing walkie-talkies, country’s de facto chief ex-