Kenya court fines teens for trying to smuggle protected ants

Kenya court fines teens for trying to smuggle protected ants
Belgians David Lornoy and Seppe Lodewijckx with Vietnamese Duh Hung Nyugen and Kenyan Dennis Ng’ang’a sit in court during their sentencing, after they pleaded guilty of illegal possession and trafficking of garden ants, in Nairobi, May 7, 2025. (Reuters)
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Updated 07 May 2025
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Kenya court fines teens for trying to smuggle protected ants

Kenya court fines teens for trying to smuggle protected ants
  • The case has received considerable attention after the Kenyan Wildlife Service (KWS) accused the four of engaging in “bio-piracy“
  • Lornoy and Lodewijckx were arrested in possession of 5,000 queen ants packed in 2,244 tubes in Nakuru County

NAIROBI: A Kenyan court on Wednesday fined four people, including two Belgian teenagers, more than $7,000 for attempting to smuggle thousands of live ants out of the country.
The case has received considerable attention after the Kenyan Wildlife Service (KWS) accused the four of engaging in “bio-piracy.”
David Lornoy and Seppe Lodewijckx, both 18 of Belgium, Duh Hung Nguyen of Vietnam, and Dennis Nganga of Kenya all pleaded guilty to possession of the ants, but denied seeking to traffic them.
Lornoy and Lodewijckx were arrested in possession of 5,000 queen ants packed in 2,244 tubes in Nakuru County, around 160 kilometers (100 miles) from the capital Nairobi.
Duh and Nganga were found with ants stored in 140 syringes packed with cotton wool and two containers, according to a charge sheet seen by AFP.
The senior magistrate, Njeri Thuku, made a reference to the slave trade while passing judgment.
“Imagine being violently removed from your home and packed into a container with many others like you. Then imagine being isolated and squeezed into a tiny space where the only source of nourishment for the foreseeable future is glucose water,” she wrote.
“It almost sounds as if the reference above is to slave trade. Yet, it is not slave trade, but it is illegal wildlife trade.”
Lornoy was described as an “ant enthusiast” who kept colonies at home in Belgium and was member of a Facebook group called “Ants and Ant Keeping,” according to the sentencing report.
He told investigators he was not aware that transporting the ants was illegal.
Police had put the value of the ants taken by the Belgians at one million shillings ($7,740).
The haul included the rare Messor cephalotes species, a single queen ant that currently sells for at least $99 each, according to the court report.
Possession of any wildlife specimen or trophy without a permit is a criminal offense in Kenya, with suspects normally subject to a fine of up to $10,000 and five years or more in prison.
The court ultimately sentenced all four to a fine of one million shillings ($7,740), or a year in prison if they failed to pay.
The court said Lornoy and Lodewijckx “do not come across as typical poachers” and were ignorant of the law.
But it said the case reflected a script “that has been played out before in centuries gone by... of Africa having resources that are plundered by the West and now the East.”
The KWS said their action was not only a “wildlife crime but also constitutes bio-piracy.”
The suspects “intended to smuggle the ants to high-value exotic pet markets in Europe and Asia, where demand for rare insect species is rising,” it said in a statement.


Turkiye’s youngest oil wrestlers keeping a 14th-century tradition alive

Turkiye’s youngest oil wrestlers keeping a 14th-century tradition alive
Updated 08 July 2025
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Turkiye’s youngest oil wrestlers keeping a 14th-century tradition alive

Turkiye’s youngest oil wrestlers keeping a 14th-century tradition alive
  • The sport, which is on UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list, sees wrestlers cover themselves in olive oil and try to press their opponent’s back to the ground to win the bout

EDIRNE, Turkiye: On a grass field slick with olive oil and steeped in tradition, hundreds of boys as young as 11 joined the ranks of Turkiye’s most time-honored sporting event: the annual Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Championship.

Held every summer in the northwestern city of Edirne, the event is said to date back to the 14th century as a way of keeping the Ottoman Empire’s fighting men fit and ready for battle.

The sport, which is on UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list, sees wrestlers cover themselves in olive oil and try to press their opponent’s back to the ground to win the bout.

Alongside the men contesting, youngsters also don the iconic “kispet” leather trousers to embark on a slippery test of strength, skill and stamina under the scorching sun.

The boys are ranked in divisions based on age, height and build, with the youngest generally placed in the “minik,” or tiny, category. Under strict safety regulations, their matches are shorter and closely supervised.

Most young wrestlers train year-round at local clubs, often in towns where oil wrestling is passed down through generations.

While the youngest competitors aren’t wrestling for titles like “baspehlivan,” the grand champion of the men’s matches, their participation is no less significant as it is key to the continuity of a sport that holds deep cultural importance across Turkiye.

This year’s contest – the 664th in its history – saw 36-year-old Orhan Okulu win his third men’s title.

“My goal was the golden belt in Kirkpinar and thanks to my God, I succeeded,” Okulu said of the coveted prize.


Pakistan confiscates 18 lions kept as pets in crackdown after attack

Pakistan confiscates 18 lions kept as pets in crackdown after attack
Updated 07 July 2025
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Pakistan confiscates 18 lions kept as pets in crackdown after attack

Pakistan confiscates 18 lions kept as pets in crackdown after attack
  • The lion, which was kept without a license in a house in Lahore, was confiscated and sent to a local safari park
  • Keeping exotic animals as pets has been fueled by social media, with owners often showing off their animals online as status symbols

LAHORE: Eighteen lions kept illegally as pets have been confiscated in Pakistan’s Punjab region, authorities said on Monday as they launched a crackdown after one escaped from a house and attacked a woman and two children.
The woman suffered scratches and bruises, and the two children, aged five and seven, were hospitalized after the attack last week but their injuries were not life-threatening, provincial wildlife officials said.
The lion, which was kept without a license in a house in Lahore, was confiscated and sent to a local safari park, said Mubeen Elahi, director general of the provincial Wildlife and Parks Department. The owner was later arrested, police said.
Keeping exotic animals as pets has been fueled by social media, with owners often showing off their animals online as status symbols.
“According to the new regulations for keeping big cats, no individual is allowed to keep a lion without a license, without adhering to the required cage size, and without following other standard operating procedures,” Elahi said.
The punishment is up to seven years in jail.
As well as confiscating the 18 animals, the department raided 38 lion and tiger breeding farms and arrested eight people for violating the rules, he said, adding that all farms will be inspected by the end of this week.
There are 584 lions and tigers in homes and breeding farms in Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province, he said.
“I know plenty of people who keep big cats as pets,” said Qaim Ali, 30, who himself had a lion but sold it after it attacked his nephew.
“Most of them are not interested in breeding but keep them as a symbol of power and influence in society.” 


Djokovic’s daughter steals the show at Wimbledon with her victory dance

Djokovic’s daughter steals the show at Wimbledon with her victory dance
Updated 06 July 2025
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Djokovic’s daughter steals the show at Wimbledon with her victory dance

Djokovic’s daughter steals the show at Wimbledon with her victory dance
  • Tara Djokovic’s victory dance brought a smile to dad’s face. Everybody else’s, too

LONDON: Novak Djokovic won the match on Center Court on Saturday, but it was his 7-year-old daughter who really wowed Wimbledon.
Tara Djokovic’s victory dance brought a smile to dad’s face. Everybody else’s, too.
Djokovic had just clinched his 100th Wimbledon singles win and was asked during his on-court interview to shed light on the little dance he’s been doing recently.
He said it’s done to a song called “Pump It Up.”
“There’s a song with my kids — look my daughter’s doing it right now,” a smiling Djokovic said as he looked into the crowd. “You want to show it darling?”
The TV camera then panned to Tara, who then showed everyone how it’s done: pump your fists down, then left, right and overhead.
The crowd roared.
“She’s the master. It’s a little tradition we have right now. Hopefully we can keep going so we can keep pumping more in Wimbledon.”


China’s first Legoland opens to visitors in Shanghai

China’s first Legoland opens to visitors in Shanghai
Updated 05 July 2025
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China’s first Legoland opens to visitors in Shanghai

China’s first Legoland opens to visitors in Shanghai
  • The resort, which opened Saturday, is the first in China
  • It is one of 11 parks across the world and was built with 85 million Lego bricks

SHANGHAI: A giant 26-meter (85-foot) Lego figure named Dada welcomed visitors to the new Legoland resort in Shanghai.

The resort, which opened Saturday, is the first in China. It is one of 11 parks across the world and was built with 85 million Lego bricks.

Among the main attractions is Miniland, which replicates well-known sights from across the world using Lego bricks. It features landmarks across China like Beijing’s Temple of Heaven and Shanghai’s Bund waterfront. There’s also a boat tour through a historic Chinese water town built with Lego bricks.

“My first impression is it is a good recreation, like a real fairyland of Lego,” said Ji Yujia, a Lego fan who was there on opening day.

The resort was developed in conjunction with the Shanghai government by Merlin Entertainments and the LEGO Group.

Visitors were greeted by performances featuring Legoland characters. Tickets range from $44 (319 yuan) to $84 (599 yuan).


River Seine reopens to first Paris swimmers after century-long ban

River Seine reopens to first Paris swimmers after century-long ban
Updated 05 July 2025
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River Seine reopens to first Paris swimmers after century-long ban

River Seine reopens to first Paris swimmers after century-long ban
  • The seasonal opening of the Seine for swimming is seen as a key legacy of the Paris 2024 Olympics
  • A few dozen swimmers arrived ahead of the Saturday morning opening for the long awaited moment

PARIS: The River Seine reopened to Parisian swimmers on Saturday morning for the first time since 1923, offering locals and tourists a welcome respite after a scorching temperatures.

A few dozen swimmers arrived ahead of the opening at 8:00 a.m. (0600 GMT) for the long awaited moment, diving into the water under the watchful eye of lifeguards, an AFP journalist said.

The seasonal opening of the Seine for swimming is seen as a key legacy of the Paris 2024 Olympics, when open water swimmers and triathletes competed in its waters which were specially cleaned for the event.

The swimming zones are equipped with changing rooms, showers, and beach-style furniture, offering space for 150 to 300 people to relax, lay out their towels, and unwind from the city’s hustle and bustle.

The promise to lift the swimming ban dates back to 1988, when then-mayor of Paris and future president Jacques Chirac first advocated for its reversal.