Thailand lays out buffet feast for elephants

Chonburi: Nearly 60 elephants enjoyed a huge fruit banquet at a Thai botanical park on Sunday as the country marked its annual Elephant Day. Elephants are a source of national pride and cultural identity for Thailand and are used for labour, transport and earlier for battlefield triumphs. Reuters

100 Indians attend St Anthony’s fest in Lanka

Colombo: Around 100 Indian pilgrims, mainly fishermen and priests, participated in the annual festival at the St Anthony’s Shrine in Kachchateevu in Jaffna. The two-day festival, which underlines deep people-to-people linkages between India and Sri Lanka as well as enduring cultural ties, was held on March 11-12. Over 3,000 pilgrims from India participated in 2020. These pilgrims are extended consular and other forms of assistance by the Consulate General of India in Jaffna. PTI

US assistant principal fired over book choice

Mississippi: An assistant principal in a Mississippi school district has been fired after he read a children’s book to a class of 2nd graders that district leaders said was “inappropriate”. Toby Price read ‘I Need a New Butt’, a book by Dawn McMillan. Price said the book depicted a young child trying to find a new butt after he discovers his “has a huge crack”. “Will he choose armor-plated butt, rocket butt or robot butt?” it read. Price said he had read the book earlier too, but got no complaints. AP

Walking on fire

Tokyo: A man walks barefoot over burning coal at a fire-walking festival, called Hiwatari Matsuri in Japanese, at Mt Takao in Tokyo. Worshipers believe the ritual will keep them safe, ensure world peace and help overcome Covid. Reuters