Several bodies turn up in Aleppo river

At least 20 bodies were pulled out of Syria's River Quwaiq, most with their hands tied and gunshot wounds to the head.

Most bodies found so far floated down River Quwaiq to opposition-held Bustan al-Qasr neighbourhood [Al Jazeera]

Syrian opposition campaigners have said at least 20 bodies of young men shot by security forces were found in a small waterway running through the contested city of Aleppo. Sunday's discovery was the largest in a single day of number of bodies lifted from what became known as "the river of martyrs", after 65 bodies turned up in late January. An average of several bodies a day have been appearing in the river since, several activists in the northern city, which is near Turkey, told Reuters news agency. Most bodies found so far floated down the River Quwaiq to the opposition-held Bustan al-Qasr neighbourhood after being dumped in an upstream district in central Aleppo under the control of President Bashar al-Assad's forces where several security compounds are located, opposition activists in Aleppo said. There was no official comment from the government. State media said the bodies found in January were those of people abducted and killed by al-Nusra Front. Syrian authorities have banned most independent media, making it difficult to verify reports from inside Syria. Hands bound, shot in the head Video footage taken on Sunday, which could not be immediately verified, showed 16 bodies of young men dressed in casual clothes lying on the banks of the small stream. In-depth coverage of escalating violence across Syria Some had their hands bound, and many appeared to have been shot in the head or had deep wounds to the neck. Some were gagged. One body was covered with mud and flies. Louay al-Halabi, an activist in Aleppo, said he was present when the bodies were dug up. He added that bodies had been turning up in Quwaiq when the water level, which is controlled from a government held area, is on the high side. "I counted 23 bodies today. One man literally had his brains blown out," Halabi said. Halabi said the men appeared to have been prisoners at security compounds in government-controlled areas taken either dead or alive to a public park in the centre of Aleppo that has been turned into a barracks. Mohammad Nour, another activist who said he had went to the site of the bodies, said the men were in their 20s and 30s. He added that they were a mix of civilians and captured rebel fighters. "Six men were identified so far. Five of them were detained by air force intelligence last week," he said. Assad's forces and rebel brigades have been battling in Aleppo, Syria's commercial and industrial hub, since last year.

Thai elephant polo trumpets conservation

German royalty, transgender Thais, and New Zealand All Blacks converged to raise money for pachyderm rehabilitation.

Thai transvestites mounted the rehabilitated street elephants, raised the long wooden mallet, and prepared to do battle against some of the world's toughest rugby players. Welcome to the 11th annual King's Cup Elephant Polo tournament that recently played out in balmy Hua Hin, Thailand, about 200km outside Bangkok. "This is the most eclectic mix of quirky people you'll find anywhere in the world." - German Prince Carl Oettinger-Wallerstein The event was more spectacle than sport with a wide range of colourful characters from a variety of cultural backgrounds. Champagne breakfasts and black-tie parties lubricated the social scene. But by the end of the five-day tourney, the competition inevitably heated up, and pride overrided the party. "This is the most eclectic mix of quirky people you'll find anywhere in the world," said German Prince Carl Oettinger-Wallerstein, 42, from Bavaria. Beside the fun and games, there was a serious side to the event: helping elephants - Thailand's revered national symbol. Most of the animals were taken from the jungle to serve as tourist attractions in busy cities such as Bangkok. About 3.3 million baht (US$107,000) was raised this past week for various elephant rehabilitation initiatives. Elephant polo was first founded in 1982 in Nepal when James Manclark, a scion of horse polo, started the pachyderm version with fellow enthusiast Jim Edwards, now deceased. They rode elephants that gave tourist rides to get the sport up and running, but many adjustments were obviously necessary. "We tried to play on a horse polo field, but decided it was too far for the elephants to run," Manclark remembered. "We also tried to play with small footballs, but found the elephants would step on them and burst them." Manclark is typical of the eccentric personalities the tournament attracts each year. An industrialist who lives in Scotland, he unsuccessfully attempted to circumnavigate the globe in a hot-air balloon in 1999. All Blacks meet lady boys This year's tournament also pitted former New Zealand All Black's Robin Brooke, Olo Brown and Charlie Riechelmann against opponents such as Panvilas Mongkol "Miss Tiffany Thailand" - a transgender beauty queen - and her team ofkatoey cabaret dancers. "Here we are watching Thai lady boys playing elephant polo with former members of the All Blacks rugby team," marvelled Prince Oettinger-Wallerstein. "Handicapping" was afforded the weaker teams to keep the matches even. The transgender squad from the seaside Thai town of Pattaya had never played polo. Points were already on the scoreboard for them before the matches began. "This year we've had no runaway games and the play has been relatively exciting," said John Roberts, an event organizer. "We've also had allegations of cheating in the past. Each team thinks the other team has paid off the mahouts. But so far, everyone seems to be behaving." "You really have no control. Often it's just pure luck where the mahout and the elephant end up." - Robert Mullis, English player Elephant polo is a challenge even for seasoned horse-bound players. Connecting with the ball while barking directions in Thai to the mahout can be frustrating. "You really have no control," said Robert Mullis, an English financier who lives in Thailand. "Often it's just pure luck where the mahout and the elephant end up." Elephant rehab Some animal rights groups have raised concerns over the sport, including the steel hooks the mahouts use to steer the elephants. But event officials and veterinarians say the animals suffer no pain. Roberts said most of the elephants were rescued from the streets of major Thai cities. None have ever been harmed while playing polo, he says. "We have 40 animals for this event so they only have to play a few times each day. We have always worked hard to not stress the elephants, and to make sure they are well cared for by the players and the mahouts," he says. Since the event kicked off in Thailand in 2001, pachyderm polo has raised more than US$500,000 for various local and international charities dedicated to protecting Asian elephants, both in captivity and the few remaining wild herds across Thailand.  Funds also go for programs including elephants working with children with autism, therapy for those rescued from street life, and even an elephant ambulance.  "Much of the money raised has gone to a hospital in Krabi that treats elephants, as well as efforts to stop deforestation across the country," said William Heinecke, whose Anantara Hotel in Hua Hin is the primary sponsor of the event.

Iraqi official: 48 Syrians killed in attack in western Iraq

Baghdad  -- Some 48 Syrians, most of them soldiers, and nine Iraqi soldiers were killed Monday in an attack near the western Iraqi town of Ar Rutbah, an official said, raising concerns that Syria's civil war could spill over into Iraq.

The Syrian soldiers' convoy was ambushed by gunmen using roadside bombs and machine guns.

"From the beginning, we have warned that some militant groups want to move the conflict in Syria to Iraq," said Ali al-Mussawi,adviser to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

"Militant groups are very active on the border areas between Iraq and Syria. Some of these groups affiliate with al Qaeda in Iraq," he added.

Al-Mussawi said that many of the Syrians killed in the ambush had earlier received medical treatment in Iraq. They were wounded during a battle at the Yaarabiya-Rabia border crossing a few days ago. The point is called Rabia in Iraq; Yaarabiya in Syria.

According to security officials in Ramadi, Iraq, several Syrians were wounded in that battle between the Free Syrian Army and Syrian soldiers.

Dozens of Syrian soldiers and officials took refuge in Iraq by surrendering to that country's army on Friday after rebels took over the Yaarabiya post, the officials said.

They added that the convoy had been headed from Rabia to the al-Waleed border crossing in Iraq's Anbar province when it was attacked.

The United Nations has estimated that about 70,000 people have been killed in Syria's civil war, which began roughly two years ago.

Just on Monday, at least 149 people were killed, according to the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, an opposition group. The deaths include 40 in and around Damascus, 35 in Raqqa province and 25 in Aleppo.