instruction:
In this task, you are given news articles and you need to generate a highlight, i.e., a short summary, with a maximum length of 10 lines.
question:
BANGKOK, Thailand (CNN) -- An Australian author was sentenced Monday to three years in prison in Thailand after falling foul of a Thai law that makes it a crime to insult the country's royal family. Harry Nicolaides behind the bars of a Thai holding cell on Monday. Harry Nicolaides was arrested last August over a 2005 book called "Verisimilitude," which includes a paragraph about the king and crown prince that the authorities deemed a violation of the Lese Majeste law. Nicolaides, 41, was bombarded with questions from foreign journalists as he arrived at the court Monday, wearing shackles as he stepped from a prison bus. In tears, he said he would plead guilty. "Truth is stranger than fiction," he said. "It's been an ordeal for months. It feels like a bad dream."  Watch shackled Nicolaides at court » . The Thai Criminal Court originally sentenced Nicolaides to six years in jail but cut the punishment in half because of the guilty plea. He listened calmly as the verdict was translated to him. After hearing his verdict Nicolaides said: "I wish my family the best."  Watch Nicolaides' brother's reaction » . One of his lawyers said no decision had been made about whether to appeal or seek a royal pardon. King Bhumibol Adulydej has pardoned foreigners in other similar cases in the past. CNN has chosen not to repeat the allegations made by Nicolaides because it could result in CNN staff being prosecuted in Thailand. Nicolaides had been living in Thailand since 2003, lecturing at two universities about tourism. He was about to leave Thailand when he was arrested on August 31 last year. It is not clear why the authorities waited three years after the publication of his book to bring charges against him. "I think there are individuals who have exploited an obscure law for their own self-interest," he said. Only 50 copies of the book were published, and only seven were sold. The law Nicolaides was convicted of breaking is section 112, known as the Lese Majeste law. It says: "Whoever defames, insults or threatens the King, the Queen, the Heir-apparent or the Regent, shall be punished with imprisonment of three to fifteen years." Thailand's king is highly revered in this Buddhist nation, but even he has said in the past that he can be criticized. Thailand's new prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, also told CNN he is concerned about the misuse of the Lese Majeste law. "There are cases in the past where this law has been abused for political purposes, and I agree this has to stop," he said. Despite the rhetoric there's little sign the prime minister will change the law. Other cases are pending against both foreigners and Thais. CNN's Dan Rivers and Kocha Olarn in Bangkok contributed to this report .
answer:
Australian author jailed for insulting Thai king in a book .
Harry Nicolaides jailed for three years; cut from six for his guilty plea .
He was arrested last year, three years after the book was first published .
Defense lawyers deciding whether to appeal or ask for a royal pardon .


question:
(CNN) -- The first clue was a boat floating in the ocean with no one on board. So teams of rescuers took off, unsure of they were looking for when one crew saw the unmistakeable second clue. There on a sandbar were three huge letters -- S.O.S. And there on a nearby rocky island were five people on a rocky outcrop off the northeastern coast of Australia, happy to see a helicopter after eight hours of waiting. The incident occurred Monday when five people were snorkeling in the Pacific Ocean. They anchored their boat near the sandbar, the Courier-Mail newspaper of Brisbane reported, but the boat drifted away after its anchor broke. They stamped out a large distress signal in the sand, but they knew it was only a matter of time before the tide claimed the signal. The rocks were high enough, but the group had no phones or food, which floated away with the boat. "We were a bit (sun)burned and it would have been fairly cold (if they had to stay out through the night)," Lyn Forbes-Smith told The Courier-Mail. She said they had gone diving at 8 a.m. and were picked up about 4 p.m. A helicopter rescue crew from Central Queensland took off and after an hour spotted the SOS. "We did two sweeps and then when we came across some guys on the rocks and we saw SOS written in the sand so we knew it was them straight away," crew member Damien Kross told Seven Network. "It was actually quite good because we knew we found them." By the time the helicopter got there, the water level had made it impossible to send a boat in for a rescue attempt. The crew used a winch and basket to bring the three men and two women into the helicopter. Kross said the five were in good spirits despite being a little dehydrated.
answer:
Five people were snorkeling off northeastern coast of Australia when boat got away .
They made a giant SOS on a sandbar and retreated to a rocky outcrop .
Worried tide would wash away their message, helicopter crew finds them .
They were lifted up to the helicopter in a basket rescue .


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(CNN) -- A German tourist was in critical condition after a shark severed her right arm while she snorkeled in Hawaii on Wednesday, authorities said. The approximately 20-year-old woman, who was unconscious when first responders arrived, was taken to Maui Medical Center for treatment, according Lee Mainaga with the Maui Fire Department. Shark found on New York subway car . The attack took place about 50 yards offshore at White Rock beach in Maui. The beach has been closed one mile on either side of where the attack happened. Officials will assess on Thursday morning whether the beach can be reopened. Shark attack claims Brazilian teen's life . This shark attack is the fourth in Maui this year, with two happening on the same day in February, and the other in late July. While shark attacks have been on the uptick in recent years, according to the University of Florida, the fatality rate in the United States is just 2%. Discovery Channel defends dramatized shark special . Best places to swim with sharks .
answer:

This is the fourth shark attack in Maui this year .
It took place about 50 yards offshore .
Officials will decide Thursday if the beach can reopen .


