Morning Papers - continued ...

New Zealand Herald

State-of-the-art centre will study ice for clues to climate change

It is only water, but New Zealand climate scientists expect to learn a lot about past weather patterns from ice samples they will study at a new state-of-the-art research centre opening in Wellington today.
The National Ice Core Facility is a $1.4 million project developed by the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences and Victoria University, with involvement from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research and Antarctica New Zealand.
It is predicted to push New Zealand to the forefront of worldwide ice research, and there have already been requests from 12 overseas scientists to use its facilities.
"It is really a jewel, it is the only one of its kind," Victoria University scientist Nancy Bertler said.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=82&objectid=10433801



Climate change set to erode house values

Some sought-after coastal properties could fall in value because insurers are refusing to cover them for extreme weather events linked to global warming.
The insurers' tough line against properties in flood and erosion-risk areas could make it impossible for buyers to get mortgages.
The move comes as climate change experts warn New Zealand will be hit by more severe storms, coastal erosion and flooding.
Already, insurers are refusing to cover some flood-prone Hawkes Bay and Coromandel Peninsula properties. Insurance Council chief executive Chris Ryan expects the refusals to increase during the next 20 years.
At worst thousands of properties could be affected, he said.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10433806



Meltdown for Franz Josef Glacier

One of New Zealand's outstanding tourist attractions is melting away, glaciologists say.
The tongue of the iconic Franz Josef Glacier on the West Coast will melt away in the next 100 years, a team of glaciologists from Canterbury and Victoria universities have found.
The researchers used a computer model to test the effect of the predictions from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on the glacier.
"Even with the minimum amount of likely warming over the next century, the glacier will shrink in length by 4km, and reduce in size to three-quarters of its current volume," Brian Anderson from Victoria University said.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10433805



Drums beating over impact of Live Earth
LONDON - It has been billed as the greenest gig of the summer, a star-studded, continent-crossing musical extravaganza aiming to galvanise support around the world for the fight against global warming and climate crisis.
But after the headline acts for Live Earth were announced to much fanfare on Tuesday, among them Madonna, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Smashing Pumpkins and James Blunt, critics were yesterday raising eyebrows at the US$2 million to US$3 million ($2.75 million to $4.13 million) that the monumental event is expected to cost in carbon offsetting.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10433778



UN panel issues climate warning
BRUSSELS - Climate experts issued their starkest warning yet about the impact of global warming, ranging from hunger in Africa to a fast thaw in the Himalayas, in a report today that increased pressure on governments to act.
More than 100 nations in the UN climate panel agreed a final text after all-night talks during which some scientists accused governments of watering down conclusions that climate change was already under way and damaging nature.
The report said warming, widely blamed on human emissions of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels, would cause desertification, droughts and rising seas and would hit hard in the tropics, from sub-Saharan Africa to Pacific islands.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=244&objectid=10433038



13 per cent of Americans not heard of global warming – survey

OSLO - Thirteen per cent of Americans have never heard of global warming even though their country is the world's top source of greenhouse gases, a 46-country survey showed today.
The report, by ACNielsen of more than 25,000 internet users, showed that 57 per cent of people around the world considered global warming a "very serious problem" and a further 34 per cent rated it a "serious problem".
"It has taken extreme and life-threatening weather patterns to finally drive the message home that global warming is happening and is here to stay unless a concerted, global effort is made to reverse it," said Patrick Dodd, the President of ACNielsen Europe.
People in Latin America were most worried while US citizens were least concerned with just 42 per cent rating global warming "very serious".

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=244&objectid=10421498



2007 set to be world's warmest year

LONDON - This year is set to be the hottest on record worldwide due to global warming and the El Nino weather phenomenon, Britain's Meteorological Office said today.
The Met Office said the combination of factors would likely push average temperatures this year above the record set in 1998. 2006 is set to be the sixth warmest on record globally.
"This new information represents another warning that climate change is happening around the world," said Met Office scientist Katie Hopkins.
The world's 10 warmest years have all occurred since 1994 in a temperature record dating back a century and a half, according to the United Nations' weather agency.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=244&objectid=10417752



Germany plans to tax cars based on emissions

BERLIN - Germany's government plans to tax cars based on emissions instead of engine size to help tackle climate change, Transport Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee said.
Tiefensee told a news conference early Sunday that German and other European carmakers had to do more to protect the environment, after the head of the UN Environment Programme had chided Europe for complacency over climate change.
"The government will be pursuing that aim and that's why we're going to reform the motor vehicle taxes. The size of the engine will no longer be the determining factor but rather the impact on the environment, not only CO2 but other pollutants," he said.
"Those who continue to drive stink-bombs will have to pay more. We want a system that both rewards and punishes. I'm sure that'll help boost technology for cars in Germany and Europe that pollute less and need less fuel."

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=244&objectid=10424684



Foresters united in opposition to proposed deforestation tax

The Government has detailed how its preferred option for dealing with the climate change consequences of deforestation might work.
But the document, Design Options for a Tradeable Deforestation Permits Regime doesn't give forest owners an indication of what costs they would likely face.
The forest owners say any cost is unfair if it only applies to one side of the equation when land use is changed - for example, the decision to get out of forestry but not the decision to get into dairying.
And they argue it is inefficient if it locks land into a use that made sense when trees were planted, perhaps 25 years ago, but might no longer be the best use of the resource.
"The general sentiment of 'polluter pays' is one we strongly support," Forest Owners Association chief executive David Rhodes said.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=244&objectid=10425811



Rapist tricked way into woman's home

4:35PM Friday April 13, 2007By Beck Vass
A man dressed in a suit and tie "tricked" his way into a woman's Papakura home before subjecting her to a sexual attack which police believe may have lasted more than two hours.
South Auckland police today expressed fears the man could reoffend and said they were treating yesterday's "despicable" attack as seriously as a homicide.
Detective Senior Sergeant Neil Grimstone told a media conference a Maori or Polynesian man in his 30s "tricked" his way into the 41-year-old victim's Duke St home, where she lived alone.
"Over the next substantial period of time she was stripped naked and sexually violated many times by this person.
"The man was armed and he threatened the woman's life saying that he would kill her if she went to the police.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10434066



Australian stocks: Shares end down after record week

7:00PM Friday April 13, 2007
MELBOURNE - After soaring to record highs this week, the Australian stock market closed lower today weighed down by weaker Asian markets, falling commodity prices and a stronger Australian dollar.
At the 1615 AEST close, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was down 22.5 points to 6135.7 while the all ordinaries lost 19 points to 6123.8.
On the Sydney Futures Exchange at 1622 AEST, the June share price index contract was down 40 points to 6167 on a volume of 18,387 contracts.
MFS Ltd chief investment officer Guy Hutchings said that after recent strong gains, investors thought it was time take profits, especially with a potentially volatile week ahead for US economic data and Asian markets uniformly lower.
"The market just seemed to run into a resistance on a kind of nothing day after reaching new all time highs earlier in the week and in anticipation of the release of inflation and trade related data in the US tonight," Mr Hutchings said.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/3/story.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10434133



I made a mistake, admits World Bank's Wolfowitz

1:00PM Friday April 13, 2007
Paul Wolfowitz
WASHINGTON - World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz said today he made "a mistake for which I am sorry" over his handling of the promotion and pay increase of his girlfriend and staffer Shaha Riza.
"I proposed to the board that they establish some mechanism to judge whether the agreement reached was a reasonable outcome," Wolfowitz said in a statement he read at a news conference, ahead of the upcoming meetings of finance ministers in Washington this weekend.
"I will accept any remedies they propose," he added.
Wolfowitz defended his actions to send Riza on an external assignment to the US State Department soon after he joined the bank in 2005, saying he was in "uncharted waters" in his new job.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/3/story.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10434031



Global free trade the target by year's end

NEW DELHI - Global trade powers today injected new urgency into sluggish negotiations for a new free trade treaty which they said they would aim to hammer out by the end of 2007.
Ministers from Brazil, the European Union, India, the United States, Australia and Japan, the so-called Group of Six (G6), promised to speed the search for understandings in the crucial areas of farm and industrial goods and services.
"We believe that by intensifying our work, we can reach convergence and thus contribute to concluding the round by the end of 2007," they said in a statement.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/3/story.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10434028



Yachting: Technology rules the waves at America's Cup

VALENCIA, Spain - They have been compared to Formula One cars, even the Starship Enterprise. One thing is for certain -- the yachts competing for the America's Cup are no normal sailboats.
The America's Cup has always been a technological playground for countries and egos battling to outdo each other and take home the world's oldest sporting trophy.
Back in 1887, boat builder George Lennox Watson was so keen to keep his innovations secret he sent out a false set of plans for Scottish challenger Thistle to throw their US rivals off the scent.
Fast forward 120 years and raw competition is pushing the boundaries beyond what Lennox Watson would have thought possible with computer modelling, carbon fibre, delicate sensors and even sunglasses that tell each sailor how the wind is blowing.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/4/story.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10434106



Women don't click with internet videos

NEW YORK - Women prefer the remote over the mouse when it comes to watching videos, even though they outnumber men in cyberspace.
About 97 million women in the United States will use the internet this year compared with 91 million men, according to a study by eMarketer.
But the report also says only 66 per cent of those women are watching videos online compared to 78 per cent of men.
"Men are more visual than women, who tend to communicate in writing and or in words," said Debra Aho Williamson, senior analyst with eMarketer and the author of the report.
She said at first she was shocked at the disparity between the sexes because women tend to watch more television. But she argues men are generally ahead of the technology trend.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10434036



Beatles look set to release tracks online

LONDON - The company representing The Beatles has settled a 30 million-pound royalty dispute with EMI Group, in a deal that could finally pave the way for the Liverpool band's music to go online.
Apple Corps, the company owned by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and the families of John Lennon and George Harrison, said in December 2005 it would sue the record company after negotiations broke down.
Apple Corps said an audit had determined EMI had not been fulfilling the terms of its contract.
"We have settled on mutually acceptable terms and there will be no further comment," a spokeswoman for EMI said. A spokeswoman for Apple Corps said the deal had been agreed last month but would not give any further details.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10434037



NZ's 100% Pure and Google Earth in world first

Tourism New Zealand's 100% Pure campaign has gone interstellar - or perhaps that's internetstellar - with a world first partnership with Google Earth.
The state-funded international tourism marketing body has provided data for a "layer" of information on visitor centres, points of interest and scenic highlights on Google Earth's photographic satellite map of the planet.
Links through to Tourism New Zealand's official consumer website can then provide greater information, including activities and accommodation.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10433895



Google Earth maps atrocities in Darfur

WASHINGTON - Search engine Google and the US Holocaust Memorial Museum launched an online mapping project today to provide what the museum said was evidence of atrocities committed in Sudan's western Darfur region.
More than 200,000 people have been killed in Darfur since 2003 and some of this carnage -- which the United States calls the first genocide of this century -- has been detailed by Google Earth, the search engine's mapping service Google Earth.
Using high-resolution imagery, users can zoom into Darfur to view more than 1,600 damaged or destroyed villages, providing what the Holocaust Museum says is evidence of the genocide. Sudan's government denies that genocide is taking place.
In addition, the remnants of more than 100,000 homes, schools, mosques and other structures destroyed by janjaweed militia in Darfur, Sudanese forces and others are visible.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10433653



There's money in 'vintage' computers

LIVERMORE, California - In the first purchase of his collection, Sellam Ismail loaded the trunk of his car with old computers he stumbled upon at a flea market for US$5 apiece. Soon he had filled his three-car garage with what others would consider obsolete junk.
Years later, his collection of early computers, printers, and related parts is piled high across shelves and in chaotic heaps in a 4,500-square-foot warehouse near Silicon Valley. And it is worth real money.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10433882



Microsoft warns of four 'critical' security holes

SAN FRANCISCO - Microsoft Corp. warned of four security flaws in its software that it categorised as "critical" that could allow attackers to gain control of a user's computer.
Microsoft, whose Windows operating system runs some 95 per cent of the world's computers, issued the patches as part of its monthly security bulletin.
The world's biggest software maker defines a flaw as "critical" when it could allow a damaging internet worm to replicate without the user's doing anything to the machine.
The company said the "critical" patches fixed three holes in its Windows operating system and another in its Content Management Server product. Microsoft also issued another security update for Windows it rated at the lower threat level of "important."
The fixes come a little more than a week after it released a patch outside of the regular monthly update to plug a security hole related to an animated cursor that hackers had used to launch attacks after users clicked on links to malicious websites.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10433879



Apple sells 100 millionth iPod

NEW YORK - Apple Inc. has sold its 100 millionth iPod in just over five years, boasting today that the digital device was "the fastest selling music player in history" that appeals to both young and old.
Since its November 2001 launch, the portable music player has become the must-have gadget worldwide, with Apple introducing more than 10 new models to incorporate changing technology such as the ability to record and play videos, hold photos, and with more varied, fashionable colours.
"iPod has helped millions of people around the world rekindle their passion for music, and we're thrilled to be a part of that," Apple's COE Steve Jobs said in a statement.
Apple said its iTunes online music store has sold more than 2.5 billion songs, 50 million television shows and more than 1.3 million movies.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10433433



Bomber breaches security at Iraq parliament to kill 8

BAGHDAD - A suicide bomber killed eight people in the Iraqi parliament overnight, slipping through multiple checkpoints in a brazen strike.
US military spokesman Major-General William Caldwell said initial reports showed eight had been killed and 20 wounded in the blast which tore through a cafe where lawmakers were having lunch. State television said three of the dead were lawmakers.
It was the most serious breach of security in the Green Zone, the sprawling, heavily protected area in central Baghdad that houses parliament, government offices and the US embassy.
US President George W Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who is on a trip to the Far East, condemned the attack, which Caldwell blamed on Sunni Islamist al Qaeda.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10434026



NZ not involved in Fiji 'mutiny bid' – Peters

New Zealand was not involved in alleged attempts to encourage senior members of Fiji's military to mutiny against their commander Commodore Frank Bainimarama, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has said.
Colonel Pita Driti, Fiji's land force commander, today said he had been approached by the high commissioners of Australia and Britain and a United States representative last year when Cdre Bainimara was in New Zealand.
The group said they did not like Cdre Bainimarama's approach and encouraged him to take over.
He said although New Zealand's high commissioner was not present he assumed New Zealand was involved in the approach.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10434045



US radio 'shock jock' fired for racist remarks

NEW YORK - Radio host Don Imus was dumped by CBS Radio today in an inglorious end to a 30-year career that erupted in controversy over racist and sexist comments about a women's college basketball team.
The decision by CBS to pull the plug on the popular Imus in the Morning Show, which blended locker-room humour with talk with A-list politicians and other leading lights.
The move came one day after he was jettisoned by MSNBC, which had broadcast his radio show on television and after several major advertisers backed out after he called the mostly black Rutgers University team "nappy-headed hos."

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10434043



London police raid 'Rastafarian temple', arrest 23
12:15PM Friday April 13, 2007
LONDON - British police arrested 23 people in an armed raid today on a Rastafarian temple in south London.
About 250 officers arrived at the 32-room property, situated in a street lined with Victorian terraced houses, in the early hours in an anti-drugs and firearms operation.
The Metropolitan Police said the premises, which included a Rastafarian temple once visited by reggae musician Bob Marley, are suspected of being used for "high level" criminality.
Up to 600 people of all ages and ethnic groups travelled to the house in Kennington from across south-east England, mostly to buy drugs.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10434047



Bodies of British soldiers arrive home

LONDON - The bodies of four British soldiers killed in Iraq last week were flown back home today.
The two men and two women, along with a civilian interpreter, died after a roadside bomb struck their Warrior armoured vehicle in Basra as they returned from a routine patrol.
The bomb blast left a crater several metres across and a metre deep in the road.
The victims were Second Lieutenant Joanna Yorke Dyer, a friend of Prince William; Corporal Kris O'Neill; Private Eleanor Dlugsoz and Kingsman Adam James Smith.
Their coffins, draped in Union Jack flags, were carried off a military aircraft during a sombre ceremony at RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire.
In total, six British soldiers were killed in Iraq last week, making it one of the deadliest for British forces since the US-led invasion in 2003.
Since the war began, 140 British soldiers have been killed.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10434042



Royal pardon for Swiss man in Thailand
9:15AM Friday April 13, 2007

Thailand's King has pardoned a Swiss man sentenced to 10 years for defacing his image.
Oliver Rudolf Jufer, 57, became the first foreigner convicted in a decade under laws protecting the King.

He is to be deported.



One-way beach mirrors hide female swimmers in Iran

TEHRAN - New uses of technology could this summer make the sexual segregation on Iran's Caspian Riviera a little less severe.
Under plans drawn up in Mazandaran Province, fibre glass barriers and water sprays will shield beach-going women from the intrusive eyes of male strangers.
The authorities will erect fibre-glass walls that act like one-way mirrors so that women can see out but nobody else can see in.
Where the barriers end, 60 or 70 metres into the sea, water sprays will foil seaborne peeping toms, said Mr Abbasnejad, a Mazandaran tourism official quoted in the daily Farhang-e Ashti.
Segregated swimming is nothing new in Iran.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10434068



US launches fresh accusations at Iran

BAGHDAD - The US military accused Iranian intelligence services today of providing weapons to militants in Iraq and said gunmen were being trained in Iran in the use of lethal roadside bombs.
US military spokesman Major-General William Caldwell showed journalists in Baghdad weapons that he said were made in Iran. They included mortar rounds and rocket-propelled grenades, which he said were found in Baghdad this week.
Iran tried to step up pressure on Iraq's government to secure the release of five Iranians being held by US forces. It threatened to pull out of an international conference on Iraq next month, an Iranian newspaper reported.
Tehran says the five, detained in a raid in northern Iraq in January, are diplomats, but Washington accuses them of having links to Iranian Revolutionary Guard networks that it says are training Iraqi militants.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10433892



Iran takes bold step towards US showdown
Iran's announcement yesterday that it has started enriching uranium on an industrial scale further raises the stakes in its confrontation with the United States and the United Nations Security Council and brings it closer to a possible military showdown with Washington.
In an initial reaction, the White House said it was "very concerned" at the latest development and accused Tehran of defying the international community instead of complying with UN demands to suspend enrichment - which the US and its allies suspect is part of a secret programme to develop a nuclear weapon.
Coming just two weeks after a UN resolution that increased sanctions, the move will be interpreted as a deliberate sign that Tehran is committed to accelerating its programme whatever the cost. The 12-day confrontation with Britain over its capture of sailors and Marines now looks deliberately calibrated to demonstrate this resolve.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=37&objectid=10433576



Iran announces 'industrial' nuclear fuel production

NATANZ, Iran - Iran announced today it had begun industrial-scale nuclear fuel production in a fresh snub to the UN Security Council, which has imposed two rounds of sanctions on it for refusing to halt such work.
The announcement marks a shift from experimental atomic fuel work involving a few hundred centrifuges used for enriching uranium to a process that will involve thousands of machines.
Western nations fear this will bring Tehran closer to what they say is its aim of building atomic bombs. Iran, the world's fourth largest oil exporter, insists it only wants the fuel for generating electricity so it can export more of its oil and gas.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=37&objectid=10433415



Anger at Indian civil servants' menstrual form

5:15AM Friday April 13, 2007
Female civil servants in India are furious with new government guidelines that force them to list intimate details, including their menstrual history, on appraisal forms.
Among questions about goals and skills, the latest appraisal form asks female civil servants questions such as "When was your last menstrual period?" or "Give details of your menstrual history".
All civil servants routinely undergo health checks, but details of the tests are not supposed to be part of their appraisals.
The form says "all female officers" must list details of their last maternity leave.
"This is insensitive. We feel strongly about this," said Seema Vyas, a civil servant in Maharashtra.
In Mumbai, women plan to complain to the Government, seeking the questions' removal.



Sydney businesses count cost of congestion

6:15AM Friday April 13, 2007

Increased traffic congestion in Sydney has cost businesses A$20,000 ($22,700) more in annual transport costs, while their staff also lose up to four hours each week stuck in jams, a survey by the National Roads and Motorists Association reveals.
Fuel consumption has skyrocketed 60 per cent and operating costs have jumped 47 per cent for Sydney businesses. Staff punctuality has plummeted 42 per cent and company productivity has dropped 33 per cent, the survey shows. The NRMA surveyed 175 of its business insurance members and found more than 80 per cent experienced an increase in traffic congestion over the past 12 months.
About 12 per cent of companies surveyed saw their annual operating costs increase by A$20,000 a year. More than a quarter stated they had been forced to change their daily operations to avoid traffic congestion.



Cosmonaut investigation fails to take off

The Kremlin has vetoed a move to launch a fresh investigation into the mysterious death of Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, angering aviation specialists who believe they have unravelled one of the twentieth century's greatest enigmas.
The rebuff came as Russians celebrated "Cosmonauts' Day" yesterday, the anniversary of Gagarin's historic flight around the Earth in 1961.
That foray into the Cosmos, that lasted a mere one hour and eight minutes, was a milestone in the then-fierce space race between the Soviet Union and Washington and turned Gagarin into a global icon.
But on March 27, 1968, Gagarin died in a mysterious plane crash while on a routine training mission in a MiG-15 with his flight instructor Vladimir Serugin just outside Moscow.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10433979



Fiji's council of chiefs sacked
Fiji coup leader Frank Bainimarama yesterday sacked the nation's Great Council of Chiefs, suspended all meetings and scrapped its state funding, dramatically increasing political tensions.
Commodore Bainimarama's move came after a continuing standoff with the traditional chiefs, who refused to endorse the commander's Government and his nominee for vice-president, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, after last year's coup.
Commodore Bainimarama accused the chiefs of meddling in politics and said they had made decisions that were not in the best interests of the people of Fiji.
"They now constitute a security threat in our efforts to lead the country forward," he said, adding that the Government no longer recognised the council's membership.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10434022



Tensions ease as China, Japan sit down to talk

Never mind that it's merely a photo op or that nothing substantive will come of it in the short run - this week's visit to Japan by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is an important step forward for Asia.
Wen's talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will signify a slight cooling in tensions between Asia's two biggest economies.
It's a reciprocal visit after Abe's in October and could not come at a better time for the region.
There's much to discuss, including increased trade, the repatriation of trillions of American dollars of Asian savings sitting in United States Treasuries and more co-operation among many of the world's most vibrant economies. None of that is remotely possible unless Asia's major nations are talking.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10433723



Warning as sex-related disease cases rise sharply

The number of people suffering from gonorrhoea has risen sharply, particularly among the young, a medical study has shown.
Antibiotic-resistant cases are increasing in Auckland as the sexually transmitted disease charts a steady increase in New Zealand.
A study conducted by two doctors at the Auckland Sexual Health Service found that a third of 204 gonorrhoea cases at its clinics were resistant to treatment with the antibiotic ciprofloxacin.
The study, which is published in the latest Medical Journal, also notes that New Zealand has relatively high rates of the disease compared with other developed countries, with surveillance data from the Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions showing a steady annual increase over the last five years.
In Auckland, the rate was 45 cases per 100,000 people in the first quarter of 2006, compared to around 27 cases per 100,000 over the same period in 2001.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=204&objectid=10434003



First signs of water seen on planet outside solar system

WASHINGTON - Evidence of water has been detected for the first time in a planet outside this solar system, an astronomer says.
The find is tantalising for scientists eager to know whether life exists beyond Earth.
Travis Barman, an astronomer at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, said water vapour had been found in the atmosphere of a large, Jupiter-like gaseous planet located 150 light years from Earth in the constellation Pegasus. The planet is known as HD 209458b.
Other scientists reported in February that they were unable to find evidence of water in this planet's atmosphere, as well as another Jupiter-like planet.
"I'm confident," Mr Barman said. "It's definitely good news because water has been predicted to be present in the atmosphere of this planet and many of the other ones for some time."

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=82&objectid=10433696



Hormone replacement therapy found safer than thought after new analysis

Younger women may be able to safely take hormone replacement therapy to treat menopause symptoms according to fresh analysis of a big US study that had raised alarm about health risks and driven down sales of treatment drugs.
A second look at the 2002 study, called the Women's Health Initiative, or WHI, suggests that women who begin hormone replacement therapy within 10 years of menopause may have less risk of heart attack than women who start hormone therapy later.
The results are "somewhat reassuring", said Dr Jacques Rossouw, lead author of the study, which appears in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association.
Dr Rossouw, in a telephone interview, said hormone replacement therapy, known as HRT, still increased the risk of breast cancer and stroke in younger women but the absolute risk for that age group was low.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=82&objectid=10432685



Thousands of giant steps for womankind

Thirty-eight years after Neil Armstrong took his "one small step for a man" on the Moon, Sunita Williams is getting ready to take several thousand much quicker steps for womankind while orbiting the Earth.
A week tomorrow, Williams, a 41-year-old US Navy commander and Nasa astronaut, will be running the 42km distance of a marathon aboard the International Space Station. She will be performing her remarkable feat 240km above the Earth and as competitor No 14,000 in the Boston Marathon.
When Williams is strapped on to the treadmill on the International Space Station, with her race number pinned to her vest, she will be taking sport to the outer limits.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=82&objectid=10433224



More oil for Iraq in the pipeline

Iraq is targeting oil production of more than 3 million barrels a day this year by repairing the northern pipeline to the Mediterranean, Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani says.
Baghdad is struggling in the face of sabotage and outdated infrastructure to produce 2 million bpd, down from nearly 3 million before the US-led invasion in 2003.



Heritage hopes for shift on uranium

Listed gold explorer Heritage Gold is going ahead with a uranium exploration venture in Australia despite the country's long-standing ban on new uranium mines.
The dual-listed company is banking on pressure from rising global demands for "clean" energy to force a policy change by the time it finds uranium. Uranium prices are rising because of plans to build nearly 200 nuclear power plants around the world in the next 10 to 15 years.
On last week's spot market, uranium was US$113 ($155) a pound up from around US$7 a pound in 2004.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=37&objectid=10433975



Oil price up as supplies stay down

The price of crude oil rose from a 12-day low in New York on speculation rising petrol demand and prolonged refinery maintenance may have cut US motor-fuel supplies for a ninth straight week.
A government report today will probably show US gasoline inventories fell 1.4 million barrels last week, based on a survey of 10 analysts. That would leave stockpiles 1.4 per cent below the average for the last five years, according to Bloomberg calculations. Refiners usually increase output this time of year to meet peak summer driving demand.
"I still think we're going higher," said Mark Waggoner, president of Excel Futures in Huntington Beach, California. "We're just at the beginning of the driving season" and refiners will be raising production in coming weeks, he said.
Crude oil for May delivery rose as much as US38c, or 0.6 per cent, to US$61.89 a barrel in after-hours electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
The contract tumbled US$2.77, or 4.3 per cent, to US$61.51 a barrel on Monday, the lowest close since March 21 and the biggest one-day decline since January 4.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=37&objectid=10433529

continued …

Bush and Cheney made their election stand based in Christian values with credibility in government. They broke their promises to many.

Shaha Ali Riza, an Arab feminist who is the acting manager for External Relations and Outreach for the Middle East and North Africa Region at the World Bank.

Shaha Ali Riza is a very attractive and intelligent Muslim whom brought quality of life to Paul Wolfowitz in his capacity as Presidential appointee by George Walker Bush. I always found that appointment a bit odd. One has to wonder how well Ms. ali Riza might also know Chalibi.

Iran used Chalabi to dupe U.S., report says

By Knut Royce
Newsday
WASHINGTON — The Defense Intelligence Agency has concluded that for years Iran has used a U.S.-funded arm of Ahmad Chalabi's Iraqi National Congress to funnel disinformation to the United States and to collect highly sensitive American secrets, according to intelligence sources.

"Iranian intelligence has been manipulating the United States through Chalabi by furnishing through his Information Collection Program (ICP) information to provoke the United Sates into getting rid of Saddam Hussein," said an intelligence source who was briefed on the conclusions of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA).

The ICP also "kept the Iranians informed about what we were doing" by passing classified U.S. documents and other sensitive information, he said. The ICP has received millions of dollars from the U.S. government over several years.

Quite a club. This 'type' of covert activity also lends credibility to the argument by so called incompetents like Bush and Cheney for invasion into Iran. See, the Iranians were 'leaked' secrets of highly classified information that no doubt would provide the ability to assemble nuclear weapons. This was a mistake by the administration, of course, but after all such trusted expatriots with high level security clearance were never expected to betray their USA president whom believed in them. So, therefore, to legitimately pursue Halliburton's Oil War into Iran there has to be a reason PROVIDED. Wallah. We already know Halliburton has been operating in Iran. It's illegal, but, with friends in high places who really cares. So, the new Halliburton offices are in Dubai. How appropriate. Terrorist headquarters to leak even more sensitive information for even more illegal oil wars.

Iraqi expatriots were paid lots and lots of money for their loyalty to Bush's administration while Bush and Cheney plotted a war for profit; only to find out there was a method to much of what they did including 'bedding' the Under Secretary of Defense to gain USA military secrets.

Not bad, Wolfy, not bad at all. I have to admit as a Muslim, feminist or not, Ms. ali Riza has hurt her cause in the Arab World. One has to wonder her sincerity.

When is Bush and Cheney going to be impeached? Perhaps sometime before the Taliban invade Manhattan. This 'relationship' is one sided for Mr. Wolfowitz but is multifaceted in the implications to the breech of National Security that accompanies it. Wolfowitz needs to be fired and sent home to his family to make amends to his wife and children.

Bank Staff Asks Wolfowitz to Resign

The Government Accountability Project, a watchdog group, estimated Riza's salary at $193,590 as a result of the job transfer and pay raises. The group says she was paid by the World Bank and remains on the bank's payroll. The World Bank would not comment on Riza's compensation, citing confidentiality concerns.

But Wolfowitz, a married father of three, is said to be so blinded by his relationship with Riza, that influential members of the World Bank believe she played a key role in influencing the Pentagon official to launch the 2003 Iraq war. As his trusted confident, she is said to be one of most influential Muslims in Washington.

What they are said to share is a passion to establish democracy in the Middle East.
Riza, in her mid-fifties, was born in Tunis and grew up in Saudi Arabia. Her childhood is said to have done much to shape her commitment to democracy, equal rights and civil liberties in the Arab world based on her first hand experiences.

She brought those beliefs with her when she joined the World Bank in 1997.

Riza studied at the London School of Economics in the 1970s before taking a master’s degree at St. Anthony’s College, Oxford, where she met her former husband, Turkish Cypriot Bulent Ali Riza, from whom she is now divorced.

After they moved to America, Riza worked for the Iraq Foundation, set up by expatriates to overthrow Saddam Hussein after the first Gulf War. She subsequently joined the National Endowment for Democracy, created by President Ronald Reagan to promote American ideals.
It was this time that Riza, a British citizen eight years younger than Wolfowitz’s wife — started to meet with Wolfowitz about reforming the Middle East. They allegedly began dating two years ago.

The World Bank will find itself under scrutiny in a way that might disable it's policies if Wolfowitz is allowed to stay while apologizing for placing a paramour in a position for his sexual convenience and love interest without using appropriate channels.

Typical.

Typical.

Typical.

The Neocons of Bush are always above the rules, except when they apply to you.

Wolfowitz acted without approval, World Bank says

The board of directors of the World Bank said today that it had found that Paul Wolfowitz, the President of the bank, had agreed his girlfriend Shaha Riza's promotion without a review by an ethics committee or the chairman of the board.

The revelation contradicts earlier statements from Mr Wolfowitz's own office. Ms Riza's promotion came soon after he joined the institution in 2005.

Adjourning its meeting, the board said: “The executive directors will move expeditiously to reach a conclusion on possible actions to take.

It added: “In their consideration of the matter the executive directors will focus on all relevant governance implications for the bank.”

But of course, Wolfy believes in sexual health on a global scale.

World Bank under fire over Aids policy

By Eoin Callan and Krishna Guha in Washington
Published: April 12 2007 21:24
Last updated: April 12 2007 21:24

The embattled leadership of the World Bank faced fresh questions on Thursday about the role of the executive in apparent changes to Bank policy on promoting contraception to combat the spread of Aids.

The Government Accountability Project accused Juan José Daboub, the bank’s managing director, of “attempting to radically alter a long-standing health strategy at the World Bank”.
Paul Wolfowitz, president of the Bank, ruled out any change to bank policy on reproductive health, as he faced calls for his resignation over his role in securing a large pay rise and promotion for a Bank official with whom he was romantically involved.

“I want to make it clear personally, I think reproductive health is absolutely crucial,” he said.
Staff contacted by the Financial Times said officials were ordered last month by Mr Daboub to remove all references to family planning from a proposal to fund efforts to combat the disease and fight poverty in Madagascar.

Mr Daboub instructed subordinates to strike the references from a funding package requested by the country, staff claimed in interviews and in an internal document obtained by the FT.
There was no explanation provided in the documents for the change and Mr Daboub’s office did not reply to requests for clarification.

The staff said there was a widespread perception within the bank that the emphasis on contraception in preventing disease was being altered following the appointment of the managing director, a former member of the ruling conservative party in El Salvador.

An internal bank email dated March 8 headed “MD clearance” said the managing director had made a request “to take out all references to family planning” from a country assistance proposal for Madagascar.

The email added that the request “creates a potential problem” because upcoming proposals would also include “family planning measures in response to the government’s strong request for help in this area”.

Three bank employees confirmed the authenticity of the document, while one recipient said they could not recall the details of the email, which was shared with the Government Accountability Project.

Beatrice Edwards, a member of the non-profit group, said: “José Daboub is attempting to radically alter a long standing health strategy at the World Bank with dangerous consequences for poor women who need family planning services.”

When the USA disarms it's war machine while returning to diplomatic channels to solve National Security issues, these 'incentives' to create war scenarios will be gone.

Bring the troops home now. There is a reason the Iraq Study Group stated "...we have days, weeks not months..."

The attacks within the Green Zone began long ago. They have progressed to the point whereby the 'Unity Government' is now vulnerable to their abilities. It's over in Iraq, it has been for a long time (click link above).

The circumstances in Iraq are taking on the 'infrastructure' that Bush surplanted to facilitate nation building as he wanted it. The attacks at the parliament were possible because they were allowed or conducted by the security forces that were supposed to stop such an assault. The Unity Government is a puppet of the Bush White House and the Iraqi people are stopping it's ability to meet and conduct business they see as adverse to their priorities.


Two MPs killed in Iraq

BAGHDAD -- A suicide bomber blew himself up in the Iraqi parliament canteen inside Baghdad's Green Zone Thursday, killing two MPs in a major breach of security in the country's most heavily guarded site.

The bombing, which wounded about 20 people including MPs, occurred despite a massive joint US-Iraqi security crackdown launched in the capital two months ago and came just hours after an attack on a Baghdad bridge that left 10 dead.

Attacks in the Green Zone are relatively rare although seven were people were killed in a bombing there in 2004 claimed by Al Qaeda in Iraq.

A security official said that Thursday's attack was carried out by a suicide bomber wearing an explosive belt, adding that blood and pieces of flesh were scattered across the cafeteria.

A security source named one of the dead MPs as Mohammed Awad, a member of the National Dialogue Front, a Sunni Arab party that has 11 seats in the 275-member parliament.

The second killed was a member of the Kurdish Alliance, the second biggest grouping in parliament after the main Shiite Muslim alliance, the source said.

About 10 security officials and 10 lawmakers were also wounded in the explosion that ripped through the canteen toward the end of lunch.

About seven hours earlier, a suicide bomber blew up a truck on a major bridge across the Tigris River in Baghdad, killing 10 people and sending cars plunging from the wrecked structure into the waters below.

Access to the Green Zone - also home to the Iraqi government and foreign embassies - is strictly controlled with access restricted to visitors carrying picture identity cards and required to pass through multiple checkpoints and metal detectors.

Insurgents have, however, managed to fire projectiles such as rockets and mortar rounds into the compound from outside its heavily guarded walls.

In October 2004, at least seven people were killed including two American civilians in bomb attacks in the Green Zone claimed by the then leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq Abu Mussab Al Zarqawi who was slain in June last year.

Although American and Iraqi officials have reported a reduction in execution-style killings since launching a huge security crackdown in Baghdad two months ago, they have admitted that car bombings remain a curse.

"Regardless of the numbers of those who have been unfortunately killed or injured, [the latest casualties] do reflect the gravity of the problems that Iraq is facing," former Iraqi prime minister Ayad Allawi told Al Jazeera television's international channel.

Another 10 people were killed and 26 wounded in Thursday's truck bombing on Sarafiyah bridge, one of the oldest in the Iraqi capital, which collapsed under the force of the blast, a security official said.

River police were seen racing to the scene on patrol boats and divers donned oxygen cylinders to search the murky waters for survivors.

Officials said that four cars tumbled off the bridge that connects the Shiite Atafiyah neighborhood on the western bank of the Tigris to the Sunni district of Waziriyah on the east.

A witness, who gave his name only as Jawad, said that he was on the bridge trying to fix a puncture to his vehicle loaded with cooking gas when he saw a man park a truck nearby and run off.

"I saw the man get out of the vehicle and run away toward Waziriyah. I was astonished and told an army patrol," he said.

The witness said that Iraqi soldiers sealed off the bridge before the truck exploded, perhaps explaining why the death toll was not higher. Security officials, however, said that it was a suicide truck bomb.

On Wednesday, US military spokesman Major General William Caldwell admitted that the overall Iraqi death toll had risen by 10 percent between February and March.

According to Iraqi security officials, more than 2,000 Iraqis were killed in March alone, 15 percent more than in February.

And in a sign that the American military is straining to meet its commitments, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that soldiers will see their tours of duty in Iraq extended by three months.

Gates acknowledged that US forces are stretched with the foreign deployments, however. "There's no question about that."

The new measure allows the army to maintain the surge in Iraq "probably at least" until April 2008, he said.

On Wednesday, the US military also charged that Shiite Iran was supporting Sunni extremist groups known to trigger high-profile vehicle bombs against civilians and security forces.

Washington has regularly charged that Shiite Iran was funding and training Iraq's Shiite militias but Wednesday's accusation that the former foe of Iraq was also aiding Sunni groups was a first.

continued below

The infrastructure in Iraq doesn't exist whereby a society can rebuild. Bush has no purpose to his endless war.

Emergency services look for survivors next to a collapsed bridge in Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, April 12, 2007. A suicide truck bomb exploded on a major al-Sarafiya bridge in Baghdad early Thursday, collapsing the steel structure and sending cars toppling into the Tigris river below, police and witnesses said.

The media is reporting the Defense Department is extending troop deployments by three months in Iraq. To begin there isn't enough money in the military budget for that, additionally, the military personnel are hopping mad. What I heard in Jacksonville, North Carolina is that the actual plan is for an 18 month deployment and not 15.

Bush isn't intersted in competent government, he is only interested in government spending to support the priorities of his party. So far, he states he will veto the measures passed in the House and Senate to bring the USA involvement to a close in Iraq as well as a bill that would liberate Stem Cell Research.

When are the Democrats going to learn, in order to do the country's business the way the country wants it done they first have to impeach a man and his vice president whom facilitated his party to use the White House Staff under Rove to advance party directives in firing US Attorneys?

What effect does genetic research have for women? Bush's priorities are mired in party rhetoric and electon strategies and not the best interest of the citizens of the USA.

Genes control chemotherapy impact

Scientists have identified key genes which appear to control the impact of chemotherapy on cancer cells.

Researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre systematically blocked the function of individual genes to test their effect.

The Nature study found in 87 cases blocking the gene seemed to boost the impact of chemotherapy.

This could be useful to allow lower chemotherapy doses to be used to reduce side effects for patients.

The researchers used small molecules, called small interfering RNAs, to block the activity of individual genes.

RNA plays a crucial role in converting the genetic DNA code into proteins - but interfering sabotages the process.

After each gene was blocked the researchers tested the survival rate of cancer cells cultured with the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel.

Genome-wide screen

The advantage of the technique is that huge numbers of genes can be tested quickly, as no prior knowledge of the genes involved is required.

3 o'clock and all is weeeelllll......

The North Carolina State Attorney General's office forgot one thing. The young lady involved in these circumstances was waltzed through charges she believed constituted at the very least 'bad behavior' at a Frat Party while a former prosecutor ran for office.

The young lady whom offered her services for entertainment and income to support herself through college never expected "The Duke Angels" to be verbally abusive or ridiculing of her and that is also a part of this issue.

While North Carolina doesn't see a 'stripper' as someone who should complain at 'bad behavior' or ethnic or gender slurs, the reality is there, and the women that strip for a living WHILE ENTERTAINING men such as these have their own right to self esteem and appreciation. I am confident at the center of this issue lies the question, "But will it hold up in court?" The answer was obviously, no.

But, what remains to be appreciated is that she was regarded as an object and not an entertainer. The Duke Angels may wash up well but they ain't angels by any stretch of the imagination.

When it comes to having women come forward to report mistreatment by others when it results in a sexual nature is nearly impossible and now that the victim of this fiasco is pushed aside to make way for the victory, once again, of the media that protects male virginity the thought that rape victims will come forward and be believed is getting more impossible. At least when it makes headlines.

In knowing women of rape that have seen their attacker found 'innocent' there is always this 'after effect' to that innocence. Left behind after the charges are dropped or by some chance it actually made it to court is the reality of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. For a lifetime after the rape, which actually did happen, is a victim that suffers with relived scenarios, sleeplessness, psychotic fears and a medical regime to chock a horse. On more than one occassion in life, I have meet women whom were sincerely raped, left with the permanent scars while their attackers were never charged or found innocent. There is something very wrong with the way evidence in rape cases are weighted to lead to conviction and something extremely wrong in the way the media vindicates the most guilty of men to exonerate the rest when charged 'as a big mistake.'

Women don't realize how compromised they are in a day to day basis when issues like this manifest. We are all sexual creatures and enjoy that aspect of our lives. When by some chance the 'innocense' of that sexuality is violated and exploited in what some might believe are subtle ways we all suffer at the hand of the truly innocent. The truly innocent are the women never recognized as the most damaged in our society. The truly raped, abused and assaulted whereby their attackers walk away laughing.

American society has among it the victims of rape that battle everyday with a syndrome that permanently affects their lives. That should be enough to realize even after decades of suffering they are carrying the 'real evidence' if only someone had listened.

The Endangered Florida Manatee faces Human Induced Global Warming

The link above takes you to a 'new' reality for the Florida Manatee.

There needs to be a new 'survival' profile for all species and not just the Manatee. The impacts of Human Induced Global Warming will impact species in ways not previously noted on Earth. I noted an editorial yesterday at The New York Times, so while the Florida Manatee has the attention of the nation, now is a good time to discuss the reality of species survival and the impacts of Human Induced Global Warming.

The Manatee and the Bureaucrats

Officials in the Fish and Wildlife Service of the Interior Department appear to believe that the time has come to reclassify the Florida manatee to “threatened” from “endangered.” That “downlisting” would give the manatee — the vulnerable, slow-moving sea cow, which is an environmental icon in Florida — a lower level of protection from its principal enemies, including boats and developers.

Senior Interior Department officials insist, however, that reclassification is far from a done deal. They say that a routine five-year review of the manatee’s status convinced some officials that this mammal was ready for downlisting. While those views were incorporated into an internal memorandum, they say, no formal proposal is on the table.

Let’s hope things stay that way. By all accounts, laws governing boat speed and waterfront development have led to manatee population increases in the last 30 years. But the creatures remain greatly at risk. Last year, the most dismal since recordkeeping began, 416 manatees died out of a total population of 3,200, many of them in propeller collisions.

Moreover, manatees now face one new and unexpected risk. In an unfortunate and ironic environmental twist, the laws that have closed coastal power plants have also deprived the manatees of the artificial refuges created by warm-water discharges from these plants.
This is just one more piece of evidence that the manatee’s future, however promising the short-term numbers, remains full of perils that should not be compounded by regulatory rollbacks.

Here is the latest reality of the Florida Manatee.

26 Manatee Deaths In Lee County Investigated

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Red tide may be to blame for 26 manatee deaths in Lee County in the past two weeks.

State wildlife officials are waiting for test results from toxin analyses to determine for certain whether red tide caused the deaths. But they said at least one sea cow died from exposure to red tide.

Red tide is formed when a microscopic algae reproduces at an explosive rate. The algae produces a neurotoxin that kills sea life and makes breathing difficult for humans.
Florida was hammered by a record red tide bloom in 2005 that expanded at one point to cover 25,000 square miles in the Gulf of Mexico.

THE THING IS THIS, no matter whom I speak to the concensus is the same. No species should be removed from any Endangered list and if anything the government agenices that monitor these issues should be putting a moratorium on removing any species from any Endangered or Threatened list with anticipation of adding many.

Why?

Because the paradigm we measured all species survival has shifted drastically. These are not extremist views and are shared by some of the best scientists in the USA, if not the world.

The Florida Manatee is very important in that it provides tourist dollars to the state. It's a known fact. Americans love to protect those among us less able to protect themselves. We are moral people and seek that morality at all levels within our country and beyond our borders. That statement excludes the illegal wars of leaders far less moral than the majority of the nation. At any rate, Florida waters are known to have algae blooms, many are benign. In this case, it is not. This is a harmful algal species that has manifested 'a new' along the east coast of the country.

Species Profile: West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus)

The Florida Manatee is unique and found primarily in the waters of the Gulf Coast. It is known to have a minor migration to Chesepeake Bay in recent years. The reason for this migration is more than likely an expanding range north due to hotter ocean waters.

The algae involved in this 'episode' of dead Manatee ususally is found in tropical waters and mostly latent. It has a cyst stage and can 'winter' over in waters that are colder at times or when adverse circumstances exist for it to thrive. The waters have gotten warmer and we are seeing blooms of species once believed to be harmful and troublesome but mostly an annoyance from time to time changing. Not only that but in the coming months of publication of "Phycologia" there will be grossly proven evidence of a new species of harmful algae discovered in the Chesepeake Bay that has a unique pigment. The species was discovered in response to a fish die off by a scientists whom is extremely well credentialed and highly respected by his piers.

Basically, Earth is not static anymore. The oceans are heating and with that reality comes entirely new challenges for understanding the world we live in. As we look at the Manatee of Florida to realize it's new range and challenge to survive in the face of harmful algae blooms; we realize all to clearly the challenge of the USA to reduce it's carbon footprint as ever more present and urgent.

The Florida Manatee cannot be removed from the Endangered List and in fact may be facing a threat no one has counted on before.

The East India Dugong

This is an article about the differences in species found in limited environments in the world. The Dugong or Manatee are found in only a few places in the world.

Zoos


Bear cub - apple of everyone's eye

A four-month-old polar bear cub walks unsteadily in the enclosure at a Berlin's zoo, April 8, 2007. As the only bear born of artifical breeding in 30 years in Germany's zoos, it becomes the apple of everyone's eye.(Xinhua/AFP Photo)


http://english.people.com.cn/200704/09/eng20070409_364919.html



Salton Sea Experiment Is for the Birds

The Press-Enterprise04 Apr 2007J BowlesArea: California USAFour seemingly innocuous ponds near the Salton Sea could ensure that California's largest but ailing lake remains a key stopover for millions of migrating birds and one of the nation's most biologically rich areas. State agency officials trying to prevent the saltwater lake from shrinking and becoming too salty for fish and birds are gambling that the test ponds will be a successful substitute and that larger-scale versions can be built into the seabed as the water recedes. California Resources Secretary Mike Chrisman is expected to recommend a roughly $6 billion restoration plan for the lake to the state Legislature by the end of this month. It's likely to call for the construction of 62,000 acres of shallow lakes that, like the test ponds, are dotted with islands and other features to attract birds. "This is my baby," said Doug Barnum, a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, as he gazed across the ponds. Built a little more than a year ago on the edge of Niland, a small farming town south of the Riverside County line, the ponds today are teeming with wildlife. Ruddy ducks thud across the surface, swarms of tiny brown swallows flit above, and sandpipers dance on the water's edge.


http://wdin.blogspot.com/2007/04/salton-sea-experiment-is-for-birds.html



Why keeping 2 elephants at Phila. Zoo makes sense
By Carolyn Davis
The Philadelphia Zoo should keep two of its elephants, even if they are bored, even if they cannot roam the savannas, woodlands and forests of Africa or Asia, even if captivity means a shortened life.
It's worth the trade-off if Kallie, Bette or Petal stay to fire the imagination of children and educate young and old about wildlife and the importance of conservation.
Zoo officials are closing one of the most popular attractions: the elephant exhibit. The space for these behemoths is too small - most zoos' space for elephants is too small, according to animal-rights activists.
The lone Asian elephant among her three zoo-mates, Dulary, is set to go to the Elephant Sanctuary in rural Tennessee.
The three others were supposed to move to the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, a reasonable day trip. But recently that zoo decided it didn't have enough money to expand its own elephant habitat.
So Philadelphia is looking for another home for Kallie, Bette and Petal. Bette is the baby of the four at 23 years old. Petal is the 50-year-old grande dame. But they are home right now - and two ought to stay.


http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20070410_Why_keeping_2_elephants_at_Phila__Zoo_makes_sense.html



Bollywood stars line-up to stop animal cruelty
By Nita Bhalla
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - From being chained or caged, to posing with cheetahs and being painted in stripes, Bollywood stars are increasingly lending their time and energy to highlight cruelty faced by India's animals.


http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=557492007



All uphill for rare wolves
2 pups debut at zoo as breeding program overcomes obstacle
By Tom Buckham NEWS STAFF REPORTER
Updated: 04/11/07 6:31 AM

When it comes to mothering, Olive, a maned wolf at the Buffalo Zoo, is a slow learner. Her first pup, Flint, born in 2005, was hand-raised by keepers after she showed little maternal interest.
It has been the same story with Olive’s second male offspring, Echo, who weighed just 14 ounces at birth Dec. 24. Mom again appeared clueless, so Echo was pulled from the maned wolf exhibit to be bottle-fed by keeper Chris Kieber.
This time Olive’s indifference will benefit zoo visitors, because Echo has a playmate to romp with — Kev, a male who arrived last week from the Louisville Zoo.


http://www.buffalonews.com/258/story/51232.html



Rethinking the zoo


The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is endangered.
Plagued by declining attendance, reduced funding, high ticket prices and facilities in disrepair, the zoo seems more a candidate for closure than expansion.
But some Baltimoreans are reluctant to give up on it, largely because of a sense of history and tradition that has endeared it to them.
"Every year we looked forward to going to the zoo," said Sarah David, a Johns Hopkins senior raised in Pikesville. "When I speak to other people who grew up in Baltimore, we remember the zoo as a part of growing up. It unites people, and in that respect, it's a very important aspect of the city."


http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/bal-ed.notebook07apr07,0,7708157.story?coll=bal-opinion-headlines



SF: ORPHANED SEAL PUPS ARRIVE AT SAN FRANCISCO ZOO
04/06/07 10:10 PDT


Rescued northern elephant seal pups will be arriving at the San Francisco Zoo to complete rehabilitation before they are returned to the wild.
The pups from the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito will start arriving at the zoo next week, according to Marine Mammal Center spokeswoman Jessica Hsu. The first four will arrive at 10:15 a.m. on April 9th, reported zoo spokesman Paul Garcia.
The seals will remain at the zoo for three to four weeks. During that time the seals will be fed lots of herring in order to gain enough weight to survive in the wild, Hsu reported. The extra weeks at the zoo pools will also allow the pups to continue their muscular development and motor coordination.
The Marine Mammal Center started a renovation project in 2006, which caused a shortage of pool and pen space for the rescued seals, Hsu reported. The center and the zoo collaborated to move rehabilitated seals to the zoo for an interim before they are returned to the ocean. This way the seals are given more time to prepare for the waters of the Pacific, and the center has more space to take care of seals that are in critical condition, according to Hsu.
Zoo goers can see the newcomers at the seal pool, which is located between the polar bear exhibit and the South American tropical forest building.


http://cbs5.com/localwire/localfsnews/bcn/2007/04/06/n/HeadlineNews/SEAL-PUPS/resources_bcn_html


Video:


http://www.nbc11.com/news/11592477/detail.html



Chilly weather greets Scovill Zoo on opening day


DECATUR - The zoo season opened with a shiver, not a roar.With a cold wind blowing in off the lake and temperatures in the 30s, just a few hardy souls trickled in Friday to visit the animals at Scovill Zoo.Sarah Reining, the zoo's education director, said this is the coldest opening day in decades. Last year, it was so warm on opening weekend that the chocolate eggs at the egg hunt were melting."This year, it will be more like 'Boo at the Zoo,' " Reining said, referring to the nighttime event during the Halloween season.


http://www.herald-review.com/articles/2007/04/07/news/local_news/1022539.txt


New Species of Leopard arrives at the Kow Keow Zoo.


Last Month, Scientists claimed that the clouded leopard found on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra is an entirely new species of cat. One such example of this new species is now on show at the Kow Keow Zoo, 45kms outside of Pattaya. This press conference presented the Leopard to the gathered media and it was announced that in association with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the cat has been renamed the ASEAN Leopard, to celebrate the 40th Year of ASEAN, the Association of South East Asian Nations. The Leopard will be on display at the Zoo accompanied by a small Exhibition of the history of ASEAN and its importance in this region of the World.


http://www.pattayacitynews.net/news_07_04_50_3.htm



Director wants zoo to appeal year-round


Steve Trebilcock just got a new pair of snowy owls for the David Traylor Zoo. They’re not easy to get these days and he’s glad to have them.
For a few months out of the year, Trebilcock also has a snowy zoo, or at least a cold one. And that needs a little work, he said, to keep the public’s interest year-round.
“If we’re going to have animals in the zoo and the public is paying to have a zoo, the public should be able to see the animals,” said Trebilcock, the zoo director. “And right now, there’s a lot of the year when the public can’t see the animals.”
What’s needed are indoor exhibit areas for some of the more temperature-sensitive animals. And that project may get moved to the front burner in the fairly near future, along with a few other new touches from the zoo’s master plan.


http://www.emporiagazette.com/news/2007/apr/07/director_wants_zoo_appeal_yearround/



Al Ain Zoo shines once again


After more than 30 years since its establishment, Al Ain Zoo is shining once again as an example in the Gulf region for animal management, conservation practices and visitor comfort.
Over the past year, Al Ain Zoo has been undergoing transformations into a 21st Century attraction that not only addresses wildlife conservation but also supports Abu Dhabi's environmental education efforts and its future tourism aspirations. Today, the Zoo has taken steps to promote an emotional bond between the visitor and the wildlife living in the Zoo by conjuring a memorable experience.


http://www.ameinfo.com/115975.html



Educational Talk on Mexican Wolves at the National Zoo


This Washington, DC National Zoo speaker gives an interesting talk on Mexican wolves and the zoo's attempt at breeding them for reintroduction into the wild. This presentation is geared towards children, but is interesting for adults, too.


http://www.dcguide.com/articles/attractions/educational-talk-on-mexican-wolves-at-the-national-zoo.html


Booming deer population crams
Dhaka zoo
Wahida Mitu
The Dhaka Zoo is facing problem in accommodating its deer population. At present the zoo has 150 deer against the accommodation capacity of 50.
The zoo has a scheme of selling deer but despite the regular sale the zoo authorities now find it difficult to accommodate the increasing number of the animals.
The sale of deer decreased this year as the Department of Forest raised the fee of possession certificate to Tk 10,000 for a pair of deer from Tk 1,000 earlier, said Ishtiaq Uddin Ahmed, Wildlife conservator of the DoF. The annual renewal fee of the certificate is Tk 5,000.
The zoo authorities started the deer selling scheme in 1986. They sell mainly spotted deer with the permission of the Department of Forest.
Since 1986 Dhaka Zoo has sold more than 300 deer. A deer usually gives birth to two cubs a year.


http://www.thedailystar.net/2007/04/08/d704082503116.htm



Orangutan born at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs is sending out baby announcements. Their ten year old Bornean Orangutan, Hadiah, gave birth to a boy on Wednesday. He doesn't have a name yet.

So far, Hadiah is not interested in caring for the baby, so zookeepers are doing bottle duty. They're hoping that Hadiah will change her mind. She, herself, was raised by humans at the zoo.

Animal area supervisor Dina Bredah may try introducing the baby to another female orangutan in hopes she can be a surrogate mother.

Just last year, Cheyenne Mountain zookeepers had to be surrogates to a gorilla named Umande. He was transferred to zoo in Cleveland last October, where he was adopted by another gorilla.


http://www.koaa.com/news/view.asp?ID=7288



Zoo Attracts Thousands of Egg-Collecting Children

NASHVILLE, Tenn.- Chilly weather Saturday afternoon didn't stop one of Nashville's biggest Easter traditions.
The Nashville Zoo at Grassmere hosted their ninth annual Easter celebration, Eggstravaganzoo.
An estimated 4,000 people came out to get their share of more than 30,000 plastic eggs.
The event features separate egg hunts for children ages 2 to 10.
Ten golden eggs were hidden throughout the zoo for a grand prize, but the zoo made sure that all children who attended walked away with some sort of prize.
To add to the excitement, many animals participated in egg hunts of their own.


http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=6340121



Pueblo Zoo ready to welcome visitors to Islands of Life
Ring-tailed lemurs will enjoy outdoor access to Monkey Island, which is adjacent to the Animal House at Pueblo Zoo. The island and the building have been restored over the last four years.
By AMY MATTHEWTHE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
Pistachio is eager to get a look at you. That's good, because a whole lot of eyes soon will be looking back at her.
Pistachio is one of five squirrel monkeys now residing at the Pueblo Zoo. They're part of the zoo's new Islands of Life exhibit that opens at 10 a.m. Saturday.


http://www.chieftain.com/life/1176033601/1


SAN FRANCISCO
Zoo's poster child for hand-rearing
3 staffers caring for baby ape -- a practice criticized by some animal lovers -- until adults of her own species found to accept her
Sungai is only 7 months old, but she's already had enough rejection to qualify for a lifetime of therapy. Born in Albuquerque, she was instantly cast aside by her mother. Sent to Houston, she fared no better. Now she's in San Francisco, clinging to three foster parents who tend to her needs 24 hours a day.
There's only one problem: They're human and Sungai is a siamang.
In the next few weeks, San Francisco Zoo officials will discover whether adult siamangs Mindy and Storm will accept the baby ape. If they do, Sungai will finally have a family. If not, she might have to hit the road again.
Her plight is not uncommon.
"It happens more often than not," said Gail Hedberg, a veterinary technician at the zoo who in 27 years has hand-reared many animals, including a snow leopard, black rhino and bobcat.


http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/04/09/SIAMANG.TMP


Zoo's treatment of python is cruel
Cramming a 24-foot-long snake into a 25-foot aquarium is cruel ("Columbus Zoo to display 24-foot python," March 20). Bragging that the new cage is "better" than the one she's normally in is reprehensible.
How does seeing a snake stuffed into a tiny cage promote respect or foster appreciation for animals? This python, Fluffy, is being marketed like she's on the old carny circuit, where people could fork over a buck to see the "world's largest rat" or a "cow with two heads." Visitors may walk away titillated, but they won't learn anything meaningful.
Pythons are normally docile and would rather flee than fight. They are nocturnal and prefer darkness for sleeping. Keeping pythons on display during daylight hours and using them as marketing props is cruel and unnatural. Doing so also encourages a susceptible public to go out and purchase these animals as pets - resulting in many being dumped like trash when the novelty wears off. Jack Hanna has been courting celebrity off the backs of animals for years but his shameless self-promotion has reached a new low.
Lisa WathneCaptive Exotic Animals SpecialistPeople for the Ethical Treatment of Animals


http://www.coshoctontribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070409/OPINION03/704090320/1014/OPINION



National Zoo Performs Artificial Inseminations On Its Female Giant Panda
Scientists and veterinarians at Smithsonian's National Zoo performed two artificial inseminations on female giant panda, Mei Xiang (may-SHONG). The first procedure took place yesterday early evening and lasted for one hour and the second this morning at 6:16 a.m. for 35 minutes. Under general anesthesia, she was inseminated with thawed semen from Gao Gao (GOW-GOW), a male giant panda residing at the San Diego Zoo.


http://newsblaze.com/story/20070409123550tsop.nb/newsblaze/TOPSTORY/Top-Stories.html


Orphaned pumas find new home at Chicago zoo
April 9, 2007 - Last year, in the wilds of Wyoming, two female pumas died unexpectedly. They left behind two small kittens that, fortunately, were discovered by Wyoming's Department of Fish and Wildlife. Those two kittens are now in Chicago at the Lincoln Park Zoo.
Next time you're wandering through the Lincoln Park Zoo, plan to stop by the lion house, where two young female pumas -- 6 and 10 months old -- are on exhibit. They were born in the wild in the mountains of Wyoming. Both lost their mothers.


http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=local&id=5192283



Join the zoo team by becoming a volunteer
Submitted by Binder Park Zoo
Binder Park Zoo's 2007 season is about to begin. Help be a vital part in preserving wildlife by offering donated time through volunteering. Zoo volunteers help with all aspects of the Zoo's operations and are key elements to the Zoo's success. Zoo volunteers enjoy flexible schedules, social interactions and a wonderful environment to be a part of. New volunteer orientation will take place on April 26 from 9am - 1pm. Call the Zoo at (269) 979-1351 for more information.
"I've enjoyed volunteering for Binder Park Zoo for 10 years," said Karen-Westlake-Chase. "Volunteering gives me a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in knowing that I am a part of conservation on a global level."


http://battlecreekenquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070410/LIFESTYLE08/704100309



Rare oryx born at Greater Vancouver Zoo
Matthew Claxton, Langley Advance
Published: Tuesday, April 10, 2007
LANGLEY - They're all but extinct in the wild, but a new member of the scimitar horned oryx species has been born at the Greater Vancouver Zoo in Aldergrove.
The male oryx was born on March 28, to Oasis, one of three adult female oryx living at the zoo, said keeper Jamie Dorgan.
A name for the new arrival hasn't been chosen yet.


http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=27b06592-a964-4e66-9de7-266faf8eb902



3 baby lions at N.C. Zoo need names
Submitted by WWAY on 10 April 2007 - 8:41pm.
Filed in: Story body
ASHEBORO -- Three baby lions at the North Carolina Zoo still don't have a name. So, zoo officials are holding a contest to give kids a chance to come up with names for the cubs. Participants must be 18 or younger and should submit two female names and one male name, along with a brief explanation for their choices. The entries should show creativity and originality and the winner gets some great prizes.
For details visit www.nczoo.org.


http://www.wwaytv3.com/node/1218



Zoo animals to taste test road salt
STOCKHOLM, April 10 (UPI) -- The elk and reindeer at a Swedish zoo are being used as taste-testers to determine whether animals prefer straight salt or salt mixed with sugar.
If the animals display a preference for one, the other will be used on icy roads in Sweden, The Local reports. That's because road officials are trying to figure out ways to reduce collisions between cars and wildlife.
Frida Hedin of the Swedish National Roads Administration said that five elk and five reindeer at the Skansen wildlife park in Stockholm will be the subjects of the experiment. Blocks of both straight salt and sweetened salt will be placed in their enclosure until June, and then weighed to determine if one has been licked more than the other.
Officials hope that animals prefer salt on its own because that would allow them to reduce the amount of salt
© Copyright 2007 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.United Press International, UPI, the UPI logo, and other trademarks and service marks, are registered or unregistered trademarks of United Press International, Inc. in the United States and in other countries.


http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Quirks/2007/04/10/zoo_animals_to_taste_test_road_salt/



Satisfying wild appetites at the zoo
Nutritionists plan healthy, tasty menus
10:23 PM CDT on Tuesday, April 10, 2007
By KATIE MENZER / The Dallas Morning News kmenzer@dallasnews.com
A monkey's biscuits aren't monkey business.
Kerri Slifka should know since she's had to taste-test the vitamin-fortified treats designed for primates.
"Yes, I have tried monkey biscuits," said the Dallas Zoo's first curator of nutrition. "Sometimes, we nutritionists do weird things. The apple ones, they have real apple in them, but they don't taste like apple – ugh.
"If they made a chocolate-flavored monkey biscuit, I would be good."
As one of only about 15 nutritionists at zoos nationwide, it's Ms. Slifka's job to make sure the carnivorous cats are eating low carb, Boris the lion has had his five-pound rabbit and the often-constipated spider monkeys are getting plenty of fiber.
Ms. Slifka and her staff are responsible for preparing 188 specialized diets for the thousands of animals at the zoo every day of the year, as no one wants to be around the day after the zoo animals aren't fed, they joke.


http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/041107dnmetzoogoodeats.3488dcb.html



Wallabies back at Detroit Zoo

First time in 20 years tasmanian natives on display

By Jerry Wolffe
Journal Register News Service

ROYAL OAK -- Three young wallabies are bouncing around with kangaroos at the Detroit Zoo's Australian Outback Adventure exhibit.
"People love it," said Scott Carter, director of conservation and animal welfare at the 125-acre zoo. "They love to be able to walk into the exhibit with the kangaroos and wallabies."
It's the first time in 20 years that wallabies have been on exhibit at the Detroit Zoo, he said.
The Bennett wallabies -- Rufus, a 4-year-old male, his sister, Scarlet, 2, and his half-sister, Ruby, 2 -- are natives of Tasmania, an island off the coast of Australia. They came to the facility in Royal Oak after the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro closed its exhibit.


http://www.dailytribune.com/stories/041107/loc_zoo001.shtml



Arnold Schwarzenegger Teams Up With Rapper Xzibit On An Earth Saving 'Pimp My Ride' Show

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger teamed up with rapper Xzibit to "pimp" a '65 Chevy Impala on an upcoming episode of MTV's hit show Pimp My Ride.
(PRLog.Org) – Schwarzenegger, Mad Mike and the crew of Pimp My Ride give the Impala an ecological make over on the show's season premiere, which takes place on Earth Day (Apr. 22)."I would like to thank MTV and the entire Pimp My Ride crew for shining the spotlight on the importance of alternative fuels and the fight against global warming," Governor Schwarzenegger said in a statement. "I am very encouraged by the great potential in converting vehicles to run on biodiesel as a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," said Governor Schwarzenegger. "I am pleased that the power of MTV's message will reach an audience throughout California and the nation to reinforce the benefits of alternative-fuel vehicles and protecting our environment."The special edition features the Impala getting an 800 horsepower Duramax diesel engine that will run on biodiesel fuel, educating viewers during the show about the benefits of ecological friendly cars.


http://www.prlog.org/10012918-arnold-schwarzenegger-teams-up-with-rapper-xzibit-on-an-earth-saving-pimp-my-ride-show.html



Earth Day celebrated with movie, panel discussion
Advertiser Staff
The final events in the Windward Community College Common Book speaker series will include two showings of Al Gore's Academy Award-winning "An Inconvenient Truth," a presentation on "The Climate Crisis and a panel discussion on "Global Warming and Globalization."
The events are being held in conjunction with Earth Day and are free and open to the public.
Today and tomorrow, Gore's independent, insightful movie will be shown from 12:30 p.m.-2 p.m. at the Hale Akoakoa, Room 105 on the Windward campus.


http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Apr/11/br/br8639725410.html


Earth Day celebrationWild needs protection
By MIRIAM MOELLER, Journal Staff Writer
MARQUETTE — Red rock canyons, buttes and plateaus dominate a wilderness area in Utah that activist and author Clayton Daughenbaugh has been trying to protect for many years.In celebration of Earth Day — coming up on April 22 — Daughenbaugh spoke on this topic to a small crowd of students and community members at Northern Michigan University Tuesday night.“It’s a very remote part of the country,” he said. “It’s important to protect those kind of places in a larger context.”Daughenbaugh is chairman of the Sierra Club National Wildlands Committee and is involved with the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance. He is an advocate of “America’s Redrock Wilderness Act,” which aims to protect more than 9 million acres of wilderness in Utah. He recruited Illinois Sen. Richard Durbin to be the lead sponsor of the act. The act will be reintroduced to Congress, and Daughenbaugh is looking for more support throughout the country.


http://www.miningjournal.net/stories/articles.asp?articleID=13545



Accor Showcases Its Sustainable Development Commitments for Earth Guest Day
PARIS, April 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Sunday, April 22 is Earth Day, and Accor employees across all its businesses, brands and divisions will take advantage of the week leading up to the event to showcase their commitment to the principles of sustainable development. The culmination of campaigns pursued by employees throughout the year, the day -- called Earth Guest day at Accor -- highlights the Earth Guest program introduced by the Group in 2006 to federate its social and environmental responsibility initiatives.
In nearly 60 countries around the world, Accor teams support sustainable development programs that are organized around both people ("EGO" projects to protect children, support local development, promote balanced nutrition and eliminate epidemics) and the environment ("ECO" projects to control energy use, limit water consumption, manage waste and preserve biodiversity).


http://sev.prnewswire.com/environmental-services/20070410/NYTU11210042007-1.html


continued …

Slave and Lion Sets Record High at HK Auction

Slave and Lion, a painting by famous Chinese artist Xu Beihong, was auctioned in Hong Kong Sunday at HK$53.9 million (US$6.9 million), a record high price compared with prices fetched by Chinese artists' paintings worldwide.

The price far exceeded the HK$32 million (US$4.1 million) estimate by Christie's Hong Kong in October.

According to the auction company, Slave and Lion is one of Xu's early works, painted with realistic technique combining a Western sense of form and a Chinese lines.

The painting depicts the story of a slave and a lion in the Roman Empire. The slave having brought succor to a lion with a thorn in its paw later meets the same lion in the bloody surrounds of a Roman amphitheater. The emperor was moved by the touching reunion and thus gave the slave his freedom.