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WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 18, 2009 11
PHILIPPINES
Police say charges will not be brought against gold medallist
Rare birds
NEWS IN
are found
BRIEF
cooking
Swim case closed Minister
A rare Philippines quail that No charges will be filed about recognising that I used resigns
was feared to have become against American swim star bad judgment and it’s a mis-
extinct has been pho- Michael Phelps after he was take I won’t make again.” JAPAN: The finance minister
tographed alive for the first photographed with a pipe Phelps, 24, apologised for quit yesterday after
time - as it was headed for the typically used to smoke inappropriate behaviour and triggering a political storm
cooking pot. marijuana, police have said. was suspended for three over his apparently
Hunters snared the Worc- Richland County Sheriff months by USA Swimming. drunken behaviour at a
ester’s buttonquail (Turnix Leon Lott said that after a He also lost a sponsorship deal meeting of world powers.
worcesteri) in the Caraballo full investigation into the with cereal maker Kelloggs but Shoichi Nakagawa, a close
mountain range last month November party at which now hopes the matter is in his ally of unpopular Prime
and a TV crew took pictures Phelps was pictured, touching wake and a lesson to others. Minister Taro Aso, was
and video footage of the live off a controversy that led to a “For young people especial- incoherent and slurred his
bird at a poultry market, the three-month ban, there was ly - be careful about the deci- speech at a news
Wild Bird Club of the not enough evidence to sions you make. One bad conference on Saturday
Philippines said. charge anyone. decision can really hurt you after the Group of Seven
Club president Michael Lu “Having thoroughly investi- and the people you care talks in Rome, prompting
said the group was “ecstatic” gated this matter, we do not about,” Phelps said. calls for his sacking.
about the find, but they believe we have enough evi- “I really appreciate the sup- “I caused a lot of trouble
also “feel sad that the locals dence to prosecute anyone port my family and fans have due to my drinking.
do not value the biodiversity that was present at the shown me and now I will Considering my condition,
around them”. November party,” Lott said. move forward and dive back I’m not in a mood to drink
He added: “What if this was Phelps, who won a record into the pool, having put this alcohol right now. There
the last of its species? Much eight gold medals at the whole thing behind me.” are many things I have to
more has to be done in creat- Beijing Olympics six months Police confiscated the bong, reflect on,” Nakagawa said
ing conservation awareness ago, was shown holding a whose owner reportedly tried after stepping down.
and local consciousness bong in a photograph pub- to sell the now-infamous pipe He said earlier he had some
about our unique threatened lished two weeks ago by a for $100,000 on eBay, and wine with lunch but blamed
bird fauna.” British newspaper, humiliat- questioned people regarding jet lag and cold medicine for
The bird was previously only ing the superstar swimmer. the party after learning it was his drowsiness.
known through drawings “I’m glad this matter is put staged near the University of Nakagawa, 55, said he
based on dead museum spec- to rest,” Phelps said in a state- South Carolina. would check into hospital to
imens collected decades ago. ment. “But there are also But Lott said that he could rest after being diagnosed
“This is a very important some important lessons that not prove the swimmer had with a cold and fatigue.
finding,” said an ornithologist. I’ve learned. For me, it’s all smoked marijuana. WINNER: Michael Phelps picking up one of his Olympic golds
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