Morning Papers - continued ...

RIA Novosti

Echoes of Virginia tragedy

MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti political commentator Boris Kaimakov) - The Virginia Tech massacre shocked Russia. Not that violence is new to this country, but the number of the cold-blooded killer's victims strikes the most uncaring mind.
No one doubts the killer's madness. But then, it would be too simple to explain the tragedy by insanity alone. Russian online discussions also point to the American way of life and youth mentality.
In their coverage of the university bloodshed, Russian media outlets focus on almost unlimited arms trade in the United States, so the majority of the public is sure that is the root of the evil. True, when just anyone can get a weapon, we Russians have ample reasons to cite an old sinister joke: "He who shoots first laughs best."
The more advanced Russian Internet users, however, take a broader view, blaming tremendous psychological pressure in the U.S. - and in all developed countries, for that matter. Russia is no exception here, though political correctness has not penetrated it that far yet, and social rules are not so stringent.

http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20070418/63905684.html



530 seals die in Kazakh Caspian, weather or oil possible cause

ASTANA, April 19 (RIA Novosti) - The death toll of seals washed ashore on the Caspian in Kazakhstan has risen from 330 to 530, with oil intoxication and the weather considered as possible causes, the emergencies services said.
From March 31 through April 18, a total of 530 dead seals have been found washed up along the seashore between two major oil fields in western Kazakhstan, with 461 of them being baby seals. Officials in Kazakhstan cited weather conditions as a possible reason.
"Until February 20, most of the northeastern Caspian did not freeze..., and on February 21-22 the northern Caspian had a covering of thin ice, ...which melted by March 20, ... and it could have had a negative affect on the baby seals," the Ministry of Environmental Protection said in a news release.
As for pollution, the ministry said examination of the seal's bodies had not revealed any heavy metals or pesticides. "Seawater tests carried out in the area did not reveal any oil products," the news release said.

http://en.rian.ru/world/20070419/63968001.html



BUILDING a nuclear power plant in the middle of a body of water is just plain odd. Higher cooling capacity maybe, but, very odd.


Floating NPP will be safer
MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti commentator Tatyana Sinitsyna) - "This plant has several layers of protection, which means that it will be much safer than its land equivalents," said Sergei Kiriyenko, head of the Federal Agency for Nuclear Power, speaking at a ceremony of laying down the world's first floating nuclear power plant (FNPP).
The plant will be built at the Sevmash shipyard, the core of the Russian Center for Nuclear Shipbuilding, in Severodvinsk, Arkhangelsk Region.
To add weight to his words, the head of the agency cited the sad tragedy of the nuclear submarine "Kursk," which sank in the Barents Sea in 2000. A powerful explosion de-energized the ship and filled it with water. But the nuclear reactor withstood the shock and shut down automatically, obeying the command of its safety system. After the submarine was raised, specialists found an intact nuclear reactor ready to operate.
There is really hardly a test more devastating and convincing than exposure to an extreme situation. Such power units, which have years of service on warships and ice-breakers, will be used on floating nuclear power plants.

http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20070417/63813162.html



Russian first deputy PM hopes air strike on Iran will be averted
MOSCOW, April 19 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's first deputy prime minister said Thursday he hopes the United States will not launch air strikes against Iran and called for unity within the UN Security Council.
The Islamic Republic is under UN sanctions over its failure to halt uranium enrichment, and Washington has refused to rule out a military operation against it as a way of forcing its compliance with the demands of the global community, which fears Tehran is seeking nuclear weapons.
"So far the situation remains within the diplomatic framework and Russia has twice voted. Unity of the UN Security Council exists. The last two resolutions were passed by the Security Council unanimously. And the main thing is to preserve the unity of the Security Council," Sergei Ivanov said in an interview with The Financial Times.
He warned that otherwise Iran could suffer the fate of Iraq, which has been brought to the brink of civil war by a U.S. campaign against the Saddam Hussein regime and subsequent attempts to foster democracy in the country.

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20070419/63955209.html



Iran will not discuss its uranium enrichment program - diplomat

MOSCOW, April 18 (RIA Novosti) - Iran will not discuss shutting down its uranium enrichment program even if appropriate discussions with six international negotiators are resumed, a high-ranking Iranian diplomat said Wednesday.
The UN Security Council passed a new resolution on Iran March 24 over its refusal to abandon its nuclear program, toughening economic sanctions against the country and accepting the possibility of a military solution to the crisis.
"There is no shutting it down [uranium enrichment]. We believe it is Iran's legitimate right," Gholam Reza Ansari said. "The time has passed."
Earlier, Iranian diplomats said they were ready to consider stopping uranium enrichment if negotiations with five members of the UN Security Council and Germany were resumed.
Ansari also said: "Iran opposes international terrorism and military solutions to current problems."

http://en.rian.ru/world/20070418/63903357.html



Iran says it develops advanced weapons despite sanctions

TEHRAN, April 18 (RIA Novosti) - Iran has mastered the most advanced armaments and military technologies despite sanctions by the West banning arm imports to the Islamic Republic, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said at an annual military parade.
Iran has been at the center of international concerns over its nuclear program, which some countries, particularly the United States, suspect is geared toward nuclear weapons development. Tehran has consistently denied the claims, saying it needs nuclear power for civilian purposes.
"Some highbrow powers believed that by imposing sanctions banning armament deliveries to Iran our army would be weakened. But young Iranian scientists have been able to meet the military needs of our armed forces in all areas," Ahmadinejad said on the occasion of Iran's National Army Day.
Ahmadinejad also said Iran stood for peace and stability in the region and in the world, adding that the Islamic Republic's armed forces could repel any external act of aggression.

http://en.rian.ru/world/20070418/63859604.html



Strike on Iran: will it harm the environment?
MOSCOW. (Yury Israel and Alexei Ryaboshapko for RIA Novosti) - A potential bombing of Iran might destroy two groups of installations that could cause problems for the regional environment: radioactive depots and other nuclear facilities, and oil industry infrastructure, including wells, refineries and huge tanks.
To start with, we should try to figure out how many nuclear plants Iran has. Judging by publicly available information, it has none. Russian engineers are building the first unit of a nuclear pant in Bushehr on the Persian Gulf coast, but it is still empty because Russia has not supplied it with fissionable materials.
Iran has at least one operating light water pool-type five-megawatt reactor, the Tehran Research Reactor (TRR), which was build by the United States in Tehran in 1967. The TRR used U.S.-supplied highly-enriched (93%) weapons-grade uranium. In 1992, the TRR was modernized to be able to use 20%-enriched uranium. The uranium mass in its core is 5.7 kg.
Argentina supplied Iran with 100 kg of 20%-enriched uranium for the TRR. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) monitored the reactor's modernization and the transfer of the uranium. Incidentally, if this quantity of uranium is enriched to weapons-grade, it will be more than enough to produce one tiny bomb.

http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20070417/63796133.html


UN Security Council mission could leave for Kosovo, Belgrade next week

MOSCOW, April 18 (RIA Novosti) - A UN Security Council mission could leave for Kosovo and Belgrade next week, Russia's envoy to the UN said during a New York-Moscow TV link at RIA Novosti Wednesday.
The UN Security Council backed Russia's initiative April 13 to send a mission to Kosovo and Belgrade before continuing talks on Kosovo's status.
Kosovo, which has a population of two million, has been a UN protectorate since NATO's 78-day bombing campaign against the former Yugoslavia ended a war between Serb forces and Albanian separatists in 1999.
Vitaly Churkin said: "Members of the UN Security Council are supposed to visit Brussels, and later to hold meetings with top Serbian officials before going on to Pristina, where meetings with the Kosovo leadership will be held."
He said it would be a brief trip and that work on its agenda was underway. He added that it was important to visit Serbian enclaves in Kosovo to verify compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244.

http://en.rian.ru/world/20070418/63899661.html



UN administration could quit Kosovo in 120 days - UN mission
BELGRADE, April 11 (RIA Novosti) - The UN administration could leave Kosovo in 120 days, once the UN Security Council adopts a resolution on the Serbian Province, the head of the UN mission said Wednesday.
Joachim Rucker said in an interview with Kontakt Plus radio station in Pristina that UN special envoy Martti Ahtisaari's plan, submitted March 26, set out a transition period during which the UN would handover a significant part of their function to a future Kosovo-run administration.
He also said that he personally expected the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution on Kosovo this May.
The problem surrounding the transition period in Kosovo will be discussed Thursday at a special conference in New York, organized by the Rockefeller Foundation and attended by former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

http://en.rian.ru/world/20070411/63497250.html



Serbia govt. irked by U.S. stance on Kosovo independence

BELGRADE, April 17 (RIA Novosti) - The Serbian government has reacted strongly to recent comments by a U.S. administration official concerning independence for Kosovo.
Nicholas Burns, undersecretary of state for political affairs, said Monday that if the UN Security Council does not adopt a new resolution on Kosovo granting the province independence, the U.S. would unilaterally support a declaration by Kosovo's Albanian authorities on separation from Serbia.
"The U.S. position, in favor of full independence for Kosovo, which was enunciated by Nicholas Burns, runs counter to UN Security Council Resolution 1244, enshrining Serbia's territorial integrity," the Serbian government said in a statement.
It said any unilateral recognition of Kosovo's independence is a gross violation of the UN Charter.
Serbia is strongly opposed to independence for the province, which is dominated by ethnic Albanians, but the United States and the European Union have expressed support for sovereignty.

http://en.rian.ru/world/20070417/63824373.html



Unilateral decision on Kosovo status unacceptable - FM Lavrov
BELGRADE, April 19 (RIA Novosti) - Imposing a unilateral decision on the status of Serbia's breakaway province of Kosovo is unacceptable and talks on the issue should be continued, the Russian foreign minister said Thursday.
Sergei Lavrov is currently on an April 18-19 visit to Serbia, Russia's traditional ally, to discuss a plan proposed by Martti Ahtisaari, the UN envoy for Kosovo who is advocating internationally supervised sovereignty for the province.
"We speak for the continuation of the negotiating process to find a mutually acceptable decision," Sergei Lavrov said following his meeting with Serbian President Boris Tadic.
Lavrov said Moscow completely backs Belgrade's position on the need to observe UN Security Council Resolution 1244.

http://en.rian.ru/world/20070419/63957563.html



No Yushchenko impeachment talk after court ruling - Rada speaker

STRASBOURG, April 19 (RIA Novosti) - The Ukrainian parliament will not consider the impeachment of President Viktor Yushchenko if the Constitutional Court rules his decision on parliament's dissolution illegal, the Supreme Rada speaker said Thursday.
"If the Constitutional Court decides that the decree [on parliament's dissolution] is unconstitutional, I think the president will abide by this decision, and I believe the parliament will not consider this [the impeachment] issue," Oleksandr Moroz told a news conference in Strasbourg.
Judges said Wednesday it would take about 10 days to assess the legitimacy of the presidential order contested by the legislature, which has continued work since the April 2 presidential decree.
Both Yushchenko and Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, locked in a long-running power struggle, have pledged to obey any court decision and have not ruled out a compromise on an election date.
But the opposition led by former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, Yushchenko's fierce ally in the 2004 protests that swept him to power, urged a non-stop rally Wednesday to demand early polls without waiting for a decision by the court, which she accused of political bias and corruption.

http://en.rian.ru/world/20070419/63990192.html



Ukraine's opposition lawmakers threaten to resign

KIEV, April 18 (RIA Novosti) - Members of the opposition Yulia Tymoshenko and pro-presidential Our Ukraine factions tendered their resignations Wednesday, pushing for the dissolution of parliament amid an escalating conflict with the premier-led forces.
"We have just held a faction session, when all those present signed their resignations," said Andriy Shevchenko from Tymoshenko's faction. "This is a political signal so far that there are 150 members of the Supreme Rada who are ready to give up their mandates if need be and thereby give the president additional grounds to dissolve parliament."
The lawmaker added the procedure to finalize the resignations had not been launched so far.
The Constitution says 150 lawmakers have to resign for proceedings to disband the legislature to be launched. The faction led by former Premier Tymoshenko comprises 125 members, and Our Ukraine has 77 seats in the 450-seat Supreme Rada. Eleven members from both factions defected to the majority coalition in late March, triggering a new wave of tensions in the ex-Soviet state.

http://en.rian.ru/world/20070418/63902806.html



Rallies at Ukraine Constitutional Court pending poll ruling

KIEV, April 19 (RIA Novosti) - Several thousand protesters gathered near Ukraine's Constitutional Court Thursday on the third day of hearings into the presidential order to disband parliament and call snap elections, which triggered a fresh crisis in the country.
About 4,000 backers of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, whose allies dominate the Supreme Rada, are facing off with some 6,000 supporters of President Viktor Yushchenko, who are demanding the dissolution of the legislature.
The camps are separated by a police cordon and metal fence. No clashes have been reported so far. The court building is also cordoned off by police following pro-presidential protesters blocked the court entrance Wednesday delaying the court session for an hour, and clashes with pro-premier forces.
Judges said Wednesday it would take about 10 days to assess the legitimacy of the presidential order contested by the legislature, which has continued work since the April 2 presidential decree.

http://en.rian.ru/world/20070419/63977841.html



Gas cartel looking more attractive
MOSCOW. (Dr. Sergei Kolchin for RIA Novosti) - The sixth Gas Exporting Countries' Forum, which recently ended in Doha, the capital of Qatar, attracted much more attention than previous meetings.
Before it started, there had been numerous signals that a gas analog of OPEC might be set up.
Contrary to expectations, such an organization did not emerge. But the meeting has nevertheless shown that gas exporting countries are gradually realizing the need for coordinated action instead of mere declarations of cooperation.
Iran was the first to stir up trouble, announcing a proposal for "a gas OPEC" at the end of last year. As with any initiative coming from this most eccentric player on the international stage, it naturally caused a nervous response from the United States and the European Union, which saw the future cartel as an attempt to pressure and blackmail gas consuming countries.

http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20070413/63609379.html



OPEC chief expects gas prices to grow, says cheap gas history
ABU-DHABI, April 10 (RIA Novosti) - The current chairman of the international oil cartel, OPEC, further heightened gas consumer concerns Tuesday by saying natural gas prices might rise in the future.
The statement follows a forum of the world's leading gas exporters in Doha Monday, which decided to set up a committee for coordinating gas prices. Experts saw the move as the first step toward an OPEC-style gas cartel.
"The time of cheap gas is a matter of the past," Mohamed Bin Dhaen Al Hamli, also energy minister of the United Arab Emirates, told Qatar's Ash-Sharq newspaper. "Gas prices are approaching oil prices, and are based on ... market demand and supply."
The OPEC president said the forum of gas producers, established in 2001, was a good idea because it helped effective planning in the gas sector. He also said gas consumers' concerns about a possible gas cartel, which some Western officials have called a conspiracy, were understandable. The minister said it posed no threat to importers and called for dialogue between consumers and suppliers.

http://en.rian.ru/world/20070410/63401305.html



Russia, Qatar agree on energy cooperation
ABU-DHABI, April 10 (RIA Novosti) - Russia and Qatar, the world's leading gas producers, agreed to form an energy development committee at the forum of gas exporters in Doha, a local paper said Tuesday.
The agreement was reached at a forum of 14 leading gas exporters in Doha Monday. The committee will be based on Russia's natural gas giant Gazprom [RTS: GAZP] and Qatar's oil company, the Doha-based Ar-Raya newspaper said.
The Qatari energy minister, Abdallah al-Atiyah, said Russia and Qatar "have vast opportunities for cooperation as the world's largest producers of both natural gas and liquefied gas."
Al-Atiyah said he would visit Moscow in June to discuss further cooperation. "We will consider possible joint investment in the development [of energy resources] and the petrochemical industry," he told Ar-Raya.
Qatar's natural gas reserves total 25.9 trillion cubic meters, and Russia's 47.8 trillion.

http://en.rian.ru/business/20070410/63400562.html


Police use tear gas against protesters in Kyrgyz capital - 1

BISHKEK, April 19 (RIA Novosti) - Police have used tear gas and stun grenades against protesters gathered in front of the government building in Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, a RIA Novosti correspondent said Thursday.
Opposition leaders denied responsibility for events taking place on the central square in the capital saying the crowd had refused to obey their orders.
Additional police units arrived at Bishkek's central square as protesters were reported to have thrown stones at the police.
By now, police have cleared Bishkek's central square of protesters, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported.
No victims were reported.

http://en.rian.ru/world/20070419/63992889.html



Ivanov accuses U.S. of meddling, defends Russia's record

MOSCOW, April 19 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's first deputy PM has accused the U.S. of meddling in Moscow's internal affairs, and has defended Russian democracy against attempts by Washington to promote President Bush's freedom agenda.
In an interview with The Financial Times, published Thursday, Sergei Ivanov, one of the Russian government's most senior officials, also defended Russia's democratic credentials and using emotional language described the examples presented to the Russian people as democratic success stories.
"When the State Department publicly says, 'We will disburse money to NGOs,' this is clear interference in our internal affairs," Ivanov said.
In a clear reference to the recent U.S. State Department report "Supporting Human Rights and Democracy: The U.S. Record 2006", published last Thursday, which blasted democratic processes in Russia and the current situation with NGOs and rights protection, and was in turn severely criticized by the Russian Foreign Ministry, Ivanov said the developed democracies had even more stringent rules for foreign NGOs than Russia.

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20070419/63969729.html



Legalizing euthanasia?

MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti political commentator Dmitri Shusharin) - Head of the Federation Council (the upper house of Russian parliament) Committee on Social Policies Valentina Petrenko has reported on the drafting of a bill legalizing euthanasia in Russia.
The column "Opinion and analysis" does not imply much emotion but I don't think I can be totally neutral. Nor can I remain politically correct although I'm supposed to avoid any judgmental reasoning based on my religion. But when I write about euthanasia I cannot forget that I'm a Christian.
Petrenko explained who exactly will make a decision on murder and how this will be done: a patient's application will be reviewed by a special council at a body of executive authority, consisting of doctors, prosecutors, public figures and lawyers. They will study the case for two months and check to make sure the patient is not under any pressure. During this time he or she can change the decision. If not, the patient will be killed.
They have even specified that the patient will die from an overdose of painkillers.

http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20070418/63899823.html



Russia and the IMF: trading places

MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti economic commentator Mikhail Khmelev) - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank no longer interest Russia as sources of loans.
It stopped listening to their advice long ago. The only thing that still attracts Moscow to these financial institutions is their possible assistance in recovering multibillion-dollar debts from other countries. It was with this purpose that a Russian delegation went to Washington to attend the spring session of the IMF and the World Bank.
There are few people in Russia today who can recall the situation of the mid-1990s, when loans from the IMF and the World Bank were the government's only hope to close the budget gap. At the end of the last decade, after the financial crisis of 1998, Russia's overdue foreign debt was 1.1 times its GDP. At that time, Russian negotiators visited the IMF headquarters with only one goal: to have the country's foreign debt restructured.

http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20070418/63871808.html



Russia tightens food import regulations

MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti economic commentator Vasily Zubkov) - Russian veterinary services have recently imposed a number of bans on imported meat, poultry and fish, causing all kinds of accusations - from protectionism to the use of trade for political ends.
But in reality, Russia is merely trying to protect itself against a flow of products unfit for consumption. Exporters of food to Russia have realized that it is no longer a refuse pit for inedible meat from all over the world.
A French colleague who writes on agricultural issues, in particular, on food exports from the European Union to Russia, has asked me recently about the reason behind numerous import bans. Are European foods so bad or are the Russian vets and customs being difficult? The answer is somewhere in between.
First, the EU eastward expansion has lowered quality standards and compliance with veterinary and sanitary standards. There is a huge gap in the agricultural level of the old and young members of the EU. Many agricultural producers are still below European standards. Nobody is saying that the EU's expansion has reduced the quality of food. The problem is that the farmers cannot sell poor quality foods in the competitive European market, and the produce that does not comply with rigid European standards is exported.

http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20070417/63780982.html



Russian Olympic body to spend $5.4 million on team at 2008 Olympics
MOSCOW, April 12 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) plans to spend some $5.4 million on the Russian Olympic team's participation in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, a ROC official said Thursday.
The number of athletes going to the Olympics in China has yet to be finalized as some qualifying events have still not taken place, but at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens the Russian delegation consisted of 1,200 people, including 476 athletes.
Inna Shevelkova, a deputy head of the ROC department for economic policy and finances, said the funds are intended for lodging, transport services, flights, insurance, and other expenses.
"Every [Russian] Olympic athlete will have insurance worth $100,000," Shevelkova said.
She added that about $6 million will come from other sources rather the ROC budget, i.e. through voluntary contributions and contractual payments.
All these figures, Shevelkova said, will be soon sent to the Russian Federal Agency for Physical Culture and Sport for the agency to include them in its budget of expenditures.



Russia listed 16th in FIFA World Ranking; up 7 places
MOSCOW, April 18 (RIA Novosti) - In an April edition of the FIFA World Ranking's list, published Wednesday, Russia occupied 16th position, which is a seven places higher than last month.
The Russian national soccer team, coached by Dutchman Guus Hiddink, gained 47 points against March and now has 901 points, although it only played one game in the given period, when the team defeated Estonia 2-0 as part of the 2008 Euro Cup qualifiers.
The last time, the Russian team entered the top 20 of the FIFA World Rankings, was in August, 2001, and the team also occupied the same position in May, 1998. Russia's top placing in the ranking list was in April and May of 1996, when Russia was in third position.
The new ranking list also saw a change in the number one spot as Italy reclaimed the top spot replacing Argentina who moved into second place.
The top ten ranking of national teams: 1. Italy (1,604 points); 2. Argentina (1,594); 3. Brazil (1,520); 4. France (1,496); 5. Germany (1,493); 6. the Netherlands (1,302); 7. Portugal (1,292); 8. England (1,278); 9. Spain (1,237); 10. Czech Republic (1,169).



Ukraine, Poland to jointly host 2012 European Cup
MOSCOW, April 18 (RIA Novosti) - Ukraine and Poland have been chosen as joint hosts for the 2012 European Cup final, UEFA President Michel Platini said Wednesday.
UEFA considered three bids in total Wednesday, and joint bid from Ukraine and Poland won ahead of Italy and another joint bid from Croatia and Hungary.
The selected venues for the final round in Poland are Gdansk, Poznan, Warsaw, Wroclaw and Chorzow, while Ukraine has proposed stadiums in Dnepropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kiev and Lvov.
Ukrainian president's press service said Viktor Yushchenko was delighted with the decision made by the Union of European Football Associations and added that Ukraine and Poland will be able to host this important sports event at a high level.
"[President] Yushchenko is confident that Euro 2012 will be a wonderful opportunity for Ukrainians and Poles to welcome the best representatives of the European soccer family and to present international fans with an unforgettable sports event," the press service said.
Ukraine and Poland have never hosted soccer events on such a scale.
"Thanks to UEFA, Ukraine and Poland will show millions of fans the beauty and uniqueness of their cities, which have preserved their historic attractiveness, and will confirm Slavic hospitality and high culture," the press service added.



Moscow court bans National Bolsheviks as extremist organization
MOSCOW, April 19 (RIA Novosti) -- The Moscow City Court has declared the controversial National Bolshevik Party (NBP) an extremist organization and banned its activities following a request from prosecutors.
The NBP took part in unsanctioned opposition protests - March of Dissent - at the weekend, demanding the president's resignation and free and fair elections. Police detained 250 and 170 people in Moscow and St. Petersburg respectively.
"The court has ruled to grant the request by the Moscow prosecutor's office and declare extremist the interregional public organization NBP and ban its activity," the court ruling said. NBP has already been banned as a party in June 2005 for failing to get registered.

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20070419/63990809.html



Abramovich confidently heads Forbes list of richest Russians
MOSCOW, April 19 (RIA Novosti) - A new list of Russia's 100 richest people published by the Forbes Russia magazine placed Roman Abramovich firmly at the top and featured several newcomers, mostly bankers, a respected business daily said Thursday.
Abramovich, 40, who is best known outside Russia as the owner of the Chelsea soccer club, topped the list for a third time with a fortune that increased $0.9 billion to $19.2 billion over the past year, Vedomosti said. The London-based "oligarch" divorced his second wife this year after 16 years of marriage that produced five children. The businessman left his former wife with $300 million and financial support for the children.
Next in line was Oleg Deripaska, owner of the Russky Aluminii (RusAl) aluminum giant and the Basic Element (BasEl) industrial holding. His fortune grew faster than Abramovich's by $7.8 billion to $16.8 billion, pushing him four points higher. "Deripaska is advancing steadily like a tank, launching new projects in the construction and other sectors," said Kirill Vishnepolsky, first deputy editor of Forbes Russia.

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20070419/63957499.html



U.S. Administration says Russian opposition must have freedom

WASHINGTON, April 16 (RIA Novosti) - The U.S. Administration said the opposition demonstrations held in Moscow and St. Petersburg at the weekend were peaceful protests and urged Russian authorities to provide freedom of expression.
Opposition protests, March of Dissent, were held in Russia's two largest cities over the weekend. Rights groups, oppositionists and journalists have accused Russian police of abusing their power in dispersing the unsanctioned opposition demonstrations. A total of 250 and 170 people were detained respectively.
"It was clearly a peaceful protest," the U.S. State Department spokesman, Sean McCormack, said. "It raises questions about whether or not those opposition figures are able to freely express their opinions."
He said the Bush Administration was closely following the situation with the "marches" in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
"In any state where you are having elections, it is imperative that all participants and everybody who has a voice in the political spectrum be able to freely express their point of view without threat of harassment or intimidation," McCormack said.
Russian law enforcement bodies said riot police had reacted adequately and within the law.

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20070416/63747254.html


Heat efficiency, hydrogen win energy prize in Russia

MOSCOW, April 18 (RIA Novosti) - A Russian, a Briton, and an Icelander have won Russia's main energy science award this year for heat efficiency and hydrogen energy research, the award commission told RIA Novosti Wednesday.
Global Energy has been awarded on an annual basis since 2003 for theoretical as well as experimental and applied research in energy science. It is focused on energy efficiency, heat saving, alternative energy sources and new power generation technology.
Fedor Mitenkov, the award commission chairman, highlighted the practical focus of Icelandic winner Thorstein Sigfusson's research into hydrogen-powered vehicles.
"Iceland already uses hydrogen energy in the transport sector and plans to switch its fishing fleet to hydrogen propulsion as well," he said.

http://en.rian.ru/science/20070418/63876567.html



Putin vows to bankroll nanotechnology, stresses payoff

MOSCOW, April 18 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian president said Wednesday the state will spare no effort to provide financial support to nanotechnology research programs, but their results should be put to effective use.
"It is an area of activity in which the state is ready to invest on a grand scale. The only question is that this work should be well organized and effective, yielding practical results," Vladimir Putin told a meeting at the Kurchatov Nuclear Research Institute in Moscow.
He said nanotechnology will lay the groundwork for new weapon systems, both offensive and defensive, adding that nanotechnology is already being used in high-tech sectors of industry, medicine, transport, space research, and telecommunications.
Science and Education Minister Andrei Fursenko said his ministry has drafted a nanotechnology development program through 2015 and that it is currently being studied by the Finance Ministry.
He said 1.66 billion rubles [$63.8 million] has already been earmarked for nanotechnology research in 2007 alone.
Fursenko said the Kurchatov institute has been assigned to spearhead the research effort.



Japan develops technology to make human blood vessels from fish

TOKYO, April 11 (RIA Novosti) - A group of researchers on Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido have broken new medical ground by developing a way to make human blood vessels using fish as a raw material, a leading Japanese newspaper said Wednesday.
According to the daily Mainichi Shimbun, the scientists devised a technology to produce artificial blood vessels with collagen obtained from salmon skin.
Until now, cows and pigs have mainly been used as donors, but that option carries with it the risk of transmitting mad cow disease and other infections to humans.
The main challenge with fish-sourced collagen has been to raise its heat resistance threshold, initially at plus 15 °C (59 °F), so that it could be used in transplant surgery, specifically to replace damaged vessels in patients with cardiovascular diseases.
Now the top limit has been extended to 55 °C (131 °F), well above the human body's average temperature of 36.6 °C (97.9 °F), Mainichi said.

http://en.rian.ru/world/20070411/63460324.html



U.S., Russia sign $719 mln addendum to current ISS agreement

WASHINGTON, April 10 (RIA Novosti) - The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration has signed with Russia a $719 million addendum to the current International Space Station (ISS) agreement, a release from NASA said.
The modification to the agreement was signed Monday in Moscow with the Russian Space Agency and contains provisions for crew and cargo services through 2011.
Under the addendum Russia will deliver to the ISS 15 American astronauts and 5.6 metric tons of cargo.
"The firm-fixed price extension covers crew rotations for 15 [U.S.] crew members, six in 2009, six in 2010 and three in 2011, delivery and the removal of 5.6 metric tons of cargo," the release said.
NASA earlier announced its intentions to gradually reduce U.S. shuttle flights to the ISS as problems with the spacecraft had emerged with the latest launch, involving the shuttle Discovery, taking place last December.

http://en.rian.ru/world/20070410/63398249.html



Teenager dies of bird flu in Egypt, bringing nation's toll to 14

CAIRO, April 11 (RIA Novosti) - A 15-year-old girl has died of bird flu in Egypt, bringing the Arab country's death toll to 14, the Egyptian Health Ministry said Wednesday.
The girl, identified as Marianna Kameel Mikhail, died Tuesday night at a hospital in the capital, Cairo. She was admitted with fever last week, and tested positive for the H5N1 strain of bird flu.
Doctors say the girl had direct contact with farm poultry before being hospitalized.
Egypt is among the countries worst affected by bird flu, with 34 human cases detected there in the past year alone. Fourteen of those infected have died, with twenty others surviving.


The Billings Gazette
(Billings, Montana) - currently snowing

Cho Seung-Hui: The Search For Details
More than a year before the Virginia Tech massacre, Cho Seung-Hui was accused of stalking two female students and was taken to a psychiatric hospital because of fears he was suicidal, authorities said. The disclosure added to the rapidly growing list of warning signs that appeared well before the 23-year-old student shot 32 people to death and committed suicide. Among other things, Cho's twisted, violence-filled writings and sullen, vacant-eyed demeanor had disturbed professors and students so much that he was removed from one English class and was repeatedly urged to get counseling.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/specials/interactives/_national/vtech_gunman/index.html?SITE=MTBIL&SECTION=US


Massacre at Virginia Tech Map and Timeline

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/specials/interactives/_national/vtech_map/index.html?SITE=MTBIL&SECTION=US


Governor signs bill defying U.S. ID law

By The Associated Press
HELENA - Gov. Brian Schweitzer said "no, nope, no way, hell no" Tuesday to national driver's licenses, signing into law a bill supporters say is one of the strongest rejections to the federal plan.The move means the state won't comply with the Real ID Act, a federal law that sets a national standard for driver's licenses and requires states to link their record-keeping systems to national databases.Though several states have either passed or are considering resolutions or bills against the act, Montana is the first state to outright deny its implementation, according to the American Civil Liberties Union."This is the first one saying, 'We're not doing it,' " said Scott Crichton of the Montana ACLU.

http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/04/18/news/state/54-legiid.txt


The Democrats have a name for their new tax plan. The pay as you go system, called "Pay-Go."

GOP fuming as Senate pushes through tax plan
By CHARLES S. JOHNSON
HELENA - With Republicans fuming, Senate Democrats rammed through a massive tax bill Tuesday to give one-time tax relief to Montanans and pay for ongoing tax breaks by cracking down on out-of-state tax evaders.Senators approved House Bill 833 by a 26-24 vote following a bitter debate that included flashes of anger before the usually genteel Senate. It was a straight party-line vote, except that Republican Sen. John Cobb of Augusta joined Democrats in voting for the bill, while Democratic Sen. Frank Smith of Poplar voted no with Republicans.HB833 faces a final Senate vote today. The much-amended bill then goes back to the Republican-led House, which is expected to reject the Senate changes and send the bill to a joint Senate-House conference committee to work out a final bill.The bill includes Gov. Brian Schweitzer's one-time $400-per-household tax rebate for Montana homeowners and a temporary tax credit for renters. It also would give permanent tax relief of up to $400 a year to households with annual incomes of less than $45,000 a year and permanently exempt from property taxes the first $80,000 worth of business equipment owned by companies.

http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/04/18/news/state/25-gop.txt



Governor goes to California for fundraiser, TV show
By The Associated Press
HELENA - Gov. Brian Schweitzer flew to California Wednesday to attend a fundraiser and film a television show while lawmakers here continued last-minute negotiations over the session's most important bills.Schweitzer, a Democrat, said he was also going to meet with venture capitalists to promote investment opportunities in the state. He added that no state money is funding the trip and HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher," which has scheduled him as a guest for a Friday show, is picking up part of the tab."The state's getting a free ambassador out of the Bill Maher show," Schweitzer said in a telephone interview.At cocktail party at an aquarium on the San Francisco Bay scheduled for Wednesday evening, contributors were suggested to pony up $1,000 to become "rodeo stars" for Schweitzer's re-election campaign, with a "wrangler" designation costing $500 and "cowboy/cowgirl" title set at $100.

http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/04/18/news/state/28-gov.txt



Masks show students' artistic talents
By BECKY SHAY Of The Gazette Staff
A new exhibit in the Young Artists' Gallery at the Yellowstone Art Museum features fearsome and fun masks created by students from Crow Agency.The exhibit showcases the work of fourth- and fifth-graders who worked with Carol Welch, YAM art instructor and outreach coordinator. They include such works as "King Tut," shaped like the ancient sarcophagus of the Egyptian ruler's face and painted in regal gold and brilliant blue, and "Crow Chief," with feathers and traditional face paint.Each mask is mounted on a black background that brings out the brilliant colors used on the masks, which are listed as clay and mixed media. The art is embellished with such items as feathers, beads, ric rac and black yarn twisted into braids.

http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/04/19/news/local/20-masks.txt



Utility 're-regulation' bill expected to go to Schweitzer
By MIKE DENNISON Gazette State Bureau
HELENA - The utility "re-regulation" bill, which allows NorthWestern Energy to own electric power plants again and dedicate the power to its Montana customers, cleared another legislative hurdle Wednesday and appears on its way to the governor's desk for his signature.Whether that signature is forthcoming, however, isn't yet known.Gov. Brian Schweitzer said Wednesday he hasn't decided on the issue and wants to see what other energy bills may pass the Legislature before deciding."I'm going to let (these bills) stack up for a few days and decide if they're good public policy, based on other bills that come to me."

http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/04/19/news/state/50-legiutility.txt



Water bill headed back to House
By JIM GRANSBERY Of The Gazette Staff
A bill allowing for new water wells in areas of the state that are closed to further claims for surface water rights passed the Senate Wednesday afternoon by a vote of 34-16.House Bill 831 applies to anyone - rancher, farmer, homebuilder - wanting a groundwater permit in the "closed basins."Closed basins are five river basins the Legislature declared closed in 1993 to further surface water rights applications because those streams are already considered over appropriated. That means current water rights claim more water from the rivers than their flow. Until the decadeslong water adjudication process is completed, no one will know whose junior water rights are valid.The basins are the Jefferson, Madison, Upper Gallatin, Upper Clark Fork and the Bitterroot. The Jefferson, Madison and Gallatin rivers form the Missouri River at Three Forks.

http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/04/19/news/state/52-water.txt



Sheriff's wife denies felony charges
By The Gazette Staff
The wife of a county sheriff has pleaded not guilty to felony charges stemming from an alleged scheme that bilked the state of more than $100,000 in public assistance funds.Lynn Rosenberg, the wife of Wheatland County Sheriff Jim Rosenberg, appeared for arraignment Tuesday in Wheatland County District Court. Rosenberg pleaded not guilty to 14 charges, including nine counts of identity theft, two counts of theft, and one count each of forgery, unauthorized transfer of food stamps and tampering with public records.Judge Randall Spaulding will schedule a trial at a later date. Rosenberg was released pending trial without bond.State authorities allege Rosenberg stole state funds while employed with the state Office of Public Assistance in Harlowton. Rosenberg is accused of setting up phony clients by using the names of former recipients of state assistance.

http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/04/19/news/state/40-wife.txt



SD2 anticipating increase in state funding
Firm numbers await completion of budget by Legislature
By LAURA TODE Of The Gazette Staff
State school funding projections from the 2007 Legislature are a moving target, with just eight days left in the session. But Billings School District 2 officials are already crunching the numbers on what funding might be coming to the district.House Bill 417 is the primary funding bill that seems to have generated the most support from lawmakers. It would provide a funding increase of about 5.8 percent for Montana schools, a $900 million base increase.If it passes, the bill would be good news in Billings for next year. But the bill's proposed 1.4 percent increase in the second year of the biennium could be a heavy blow.Next year, the high school district is expected to receive a 3.2 percent increase, which pencils out to about $33.3 million. In SD2, the estimated cost of providing coverage for inflation and restoring funding in the high school district is about $34.8 million. State funding will come up short by about $1.5 million.

http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/04/19/news/local/30-sd2.txt



Holocaust Survivor's Final Act of Heroism
Liviu Librescu, an Israeli engineering and math lecturer at Virginia Tech, was said to have protected his students' lives by blocking the doorway of his classroom from the approaching gunman. Librescu was a Holocaust survivor who taught at the university for 20 years and had an international reputation for his work in aeronautical engineering.

http://hosted.ap.org/specials/interactives/_national/vtech_librescu/index.html?SITE=MTBIL&SECTION=US&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT



Rock slide near Belfry closes part of highway
Commercial traffic detoured at Cody, Wyo., and Bridger
By RUFFIN PREVOSTGazette Wyoming Bureau
BELFRY - Large boulders falling from an unstable hillside at the site of road construction on Highway 72 will mean a two-month closure, requiring a detour around the site for passenger cars and an alternative route for commercial traffic.The closure will mean less traffic for Belfry businesses that cater to customers coming from Wyoming, and a longer trip for truckers and commercial traffic.The Montana Department of Transportation has already begun diverting commercial traffic at Cody, Wyo., using Highway 14-A, and at Bridger using Highway 310.Passenger vehicles were being directed through the half-mile slide zone Wednesday by flaggers and spotters controlling a single lane of traffic.

http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/04/19/news/wyoming/20-belfry.txt



Environmental agencies ask BLM to protect Pinedale area
DEQ, EPA say natural gas development poses threats
By The Associated Press
JACKSON - State and federal environmental agencies are asking the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to protect natural resources around Pinedale in the face of increasing natural gas development.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality both have filed comments asking the BLM to tighten oversight of proposed natural gas development on the Pinedale Anticline.The agencies are commenting on a BLM environmental study that considers different alternatives for natural gas production from the Pinedale area in southwestern Wyoming.The study, released in December, analyzes a proposal from energy companies to update a 2000 document that established limits for gas development on the Pinedale Anticline. The original study authorized 700 wells in the area while the new document considers allowing up to 4,399 more wells on more than 12,000 acres. The new document also considers a "no action" alternative.

http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/04/19/news/wyoming/35-pinedale.txt



Donkey becomes witness in Dallas dispute
AP Photo/RICK GERSHON
DALLAS (AP) -- The first witness in a lawsuit Wednesday between two neighbors was Buddy the donkey, who walked to the bench and stared at the jury, the picture of a gentle, well-mannered creature and not the loud, aggressive animal he had been accused of being.
The donkey was at the center of a dispute between oilman John Cantrell and attorney Gregory Shamoun that began after Cantrell complained about a storage shed Shamoun was building in his backyard in Dallas.
He said Shamoun retaliated by bringing Buddy from his ranch in Midlothian and putting him in the backyard.
Cantrell complained of donkey noise and manure piles.
"They bray a lot any time day or night. You never know when they're going to cut loose," he testified.
Shamoun said Buddy was there to serve as a surrogate mother for a calf named Lucy that needed to be bottle-fed.
Neither jurors nor Buddy had the last say.
The neighbors settled their dispute while jurors deliberated.
Shamoun agreed to buy some of Cantrell's land and Cantrell agreed to withdraw his complaint with the city.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/D/DONKEY_WITNESS?SITE=MTBIL&SECTION=STRANGE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT



Montana Outdoors: Poacher takes heavy, senseless toll
15 antelope shot northwest of Forsyth
By MARK HENCKELMontana Outdoors
Someone went on an illegal shooting spree on Highway 12 between Forsyth and Ingomar last week. In his or her wake, they left 15 dead and dying antelope.The incident likely took place on April 8, Easter Sunday, according to Jack Austin, warden sergeant for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks at Miles City. He'd like to find the poacher."There's a chance it could have happened either late Saturday or early Monday, but we feel it was probably on Easter Sunday," Austin said. "The call came in that there was a bunch of dead antelope. When game warden Todd Anderson got there, a couple of them were still struggling so he had to euthanize them."

http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/04/19/features/outdoors/25-mont-outdoors.txt



Gazette Opinion: Keep kids safe, keep families drug-free
Preventing drug abuse prevents child abuse and neglect.Yellowstone County statistics reconfirm the connection between parental drug addiction and harm to their children. Among 109 civil abuse and neglect cases filed by the Yellowstone County Attorney's Office in a year, 60 percent involved neglect because of parental methamphetamine use. Another 10 percent of all cases primarily involved parental alcohol abuse. Parental drug addiction also is a factor in some abuse cases.Julie Pierce, a deputy county attorney who works with the Yellowstone County Family Drug Treatment Court, said the majority of parents in that court are addicted to meth; the rest are addicted to alcohol. This week, the court was working with about 10 families and 20 children. All of the families landed in the treatment court because parents' addictions contributed to child abuse or neglect.

http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/04/19/opinion/gazette/50-gazetteopinion.txt



Letter: Wolves draw tourists to Wyoming
Wolf recovery in our area has been a howling success! As an old timer (both in terms of longevity and number of years residing in Wyoming) I say, "Great!"Although I ride horses back into the mountains all summer outside my hometown, Dubois, I have yet to encounter a wolf. But I know they are there and it is exciting that the wildness that first drew me to make Wyoming my permanent home over 50 years ago still exists. I regularly go to Yellowstone in late spring to see wolves. So it was not surprising to learn that the economic boon to the states bordering Yellowstone fostered by wolf watchers, like myself, has been significant - a $35 million dollar annual contribution, according to researcher Dr. John Duffield of the University of Montana. I would like to see Dubois tap into this lucrative revenue stream, which would flow mainly during the off-season for other tourist activities. Wolves are more visible in the spring and winter.It saddens me that so much misinformation has been put forth about wolves decimating Wyoming's elk population when the state is currently trying to reduce its elk population by 8,910 from a current estimate of 91,555 animals.

http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/04/19/opinion/letters/50-wolves.txt



McCain says he backs no gun control
By CALVIN WOODWARD Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republican presidential candidate John McCain declared Wednesday he believes in "no gun control," making the strongest affirmation of support for gun rights in the GOP field since the Virginia Tech massacre.
The Arizona senator said in Summerville, S.C., that the country needs better ways to identify dangerous people like the gunman who killed 32 people and himself in the Blacksburg, Va., rampage. But he opposed weakening gun rights and, when asked whether ammunition clips sold to the public should be limited in size, said, "I don't think that's necessary at all."
GOP rival Rudy Giuliani, too, voiced his support for the Second Amendment on Wednesday, but not in such absolute terms. Once an advocate of strong federal gun controls, the former New York mayor said "this tragedy does not alter the Second Amendment" while indicating he favors the right of states to pass their own restrictions.
Other candidates in both parties have stayed largely silent on the issue in the immediate aftermath of the killings, except to express their sorrow.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/V/VIRGINIA_TECH_GUN_CONTROL_2008?SITE=MTBIL&SECTION=NATIONAL&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT



New Zealand Herald

Photos: Students shocked by gunman's video
BLACKSBURG, Virginia - Students expressed disgust and disbelief at photos and a rage-filled video diatribe sent to a television network by the gunman who massacred 32 people at Virginia Tech university.
Cho Seung-Hui paused during the bloodbath to post a package with photos of himself brandishing weapons and a video of a hateful, rambling manifesto.
"You forced me into a corner and gave me only one option," Cho said in the video portion of the package that broadcaster NBC News received and turned over to the FBI.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10435003


A look at some of the victims of the Virginia Tech shootings

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10434997



Gun shop owner: 'I just sold him the gun'
If Cho Seung-Hui wanted to start a war, he could not have gone to a better place than Roanoke Firearms.
Five weeks ago, the 23-year-old foreign student entered the shop and paid US$571 ($782) with a credit card for a Glock 19 semi-automatic pistol and a box of 50 cartridges.
He provided three different forms of identification and passed an additional security check carried out by the state police. The checks threw up no red flags. The entire transaction took no more than 20 minutes.
"I don't know anything about him. I just sold him the gun," said the store's owner, John Markell, standing behind one of the store's glass display cases full of matt-black weapons. "He had a Virginia driving licence, a chequebook and a Green Card. Everything was legit - he checked out ."

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10434961



Buying firearms in Virginia - a simple venture?
Just how easy is it to purchase a weapon in Virginia? Gun laws are relatively lax in the southern states.
Cho Seung-Hui had no trouble obtaining a pistol and cartridges five weeks before his rampage.
We take a look at the Virginian state laws on guns:
1) Any state resident over 18 may buy a firearm if they pass a criminal check against state and federal databases.
2) No more than one handgun may be purchased by a person within a 30-day period. Those with licences can buy more than one gun during this time.
3) The law is broad enough to allow people to buy assault guns and magazines without limit. There is no state restriction on the sale or possession of semiautomatic weapons such as the AK47 and Uzi.
4) In Virginia, and many other states, no permit is required to simply wield a gun in the open. In addition, police chiefs and state sheriffs can give concealed carry permits to anyone with a handgun, allowing them to carry their loaded, concealed gun in public.
5) State law restricts selling or giving handguns to juveniles under 18 but there are no limits on providing rifles, shotguns or even assault weapons - without parental permission - to anyone 12 and over.
6) Buyers are not required to obtain a license, register their weapon or undergo any safety training. Handguns are not required to meet any basic safety standards.
(Source: Virginia State Laws)
- NZHERALD STAFF

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10435017



Bomb threat at University of Minnesota
CHICAGO - Eight buildings at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis were evacuated after a bomb threat, the school's student newspaper reported today.
The Minnesota Daily said on its website that a bomb threat note was found in one building in the early afternoon and that it and other classroom buildings in the vicinity were ordered emptied as a precaution.
It said students were told not to congregate in the area but to return to their residence halls.
- REUTERS



UK and US threaten Sudan with sanctions
LONDON - Britain and the US have threatened the Sudanese government with tough new sanctions over continuing human rights abuse and breaches of United Nations arms embargos in Darfur.
The proposed measures include the imposition of the "no fly" zones, targeted action against the country's leadership and the extension of a weapons ban throughout Sudan.
The announcement by George W Bush and Tony Blair came on the same day that a confidential UN report charged the Sudanese government with supplying weapons into Darfur - violating UN resolutions - on aircrafts disguised with UN logos.
The arms are said to be destined for Janjaweed militia and government troops blamed for an ethnic cleansing campaign which has claimed 200,000 lives and left 2.5million people homeless.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10435032



Suspected Qaeda bombs kill nearly 200 in Baghdad
BAGHDAD - Suspected al Qaeda militants killed nearly 200 people in a wave of car bombings in Baghdad yesterday, including one that was the single deadliest attack in the Iraqi capital since the 2003 US-led invasion.
The bombings were by far the bloodiest in Baghdad since US and Iraqi forces launched a security crackdown two months ago in an attempt to halt the country's slide into sectarian civil war.
One car bomb near a market in the mainly Shi'ite Muslim Sadriya district killed 140 people and wounded 150, police said.
"The street was transformed into a swimming pool of blood," said Ahmed Hameed, a shopkeeper in Sadriya. The bombing was the worst insurgent attack in Baghdad since US forces swept into the city and toppled Saddam Hussein four years ago.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10434990


Teenager admits manslaughter of brother
A teenage boy has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of his brother.
The teenager, who was 15-years-old at the time, stabbed his 17-year-old brother in the chest during an alcohol fuelled fight last year.
The teenager pleaded guilty to manslaughter during a scheduled callover at the High Court in Rotorua.
He was remanded on bail into the care of Child Youth and Family until sentencing on June 15.
Justice John Priestley said the case will be difficult to sentence.
- NEWSTALK ZB

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10435033


US, Aussie refugee swap scheme on the high seas
AUSTRALIA: Prime Minister John Howard's agreement with the United States to exchange asylum seekers as part of his "Pacific solution" was met with outrage. The exchange is expected to begin by sending 82 Sri Lankans and eight Burmese - currently detained on Nauru - to the US in return for Cuban refugees interned at Guantanamo Bay.
Their departure would circumvent a likely row with an increasingly impatient Nauru, which said the detainees' claims for refugee status must be settled within six to 12 months - a potential time-bomb for an Australian Government facing election later this year.
The "Pacific solution" was implemented to prevent asylum seekers reaching mainland Australia, and has become increasingly unpopular, adding to a huge swing in voter sentiment against the Government. Recent polls have consistently placed Opposition leader Kevin Rudd comfortably ahead of Howard.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10435055


Bush’s Motto :: If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again.

New equipment to be used to foil Baghdad car bombs
11:15AM
Thursday April 19, 2007
NUMANIYA, Iraq - US and Iraqi forces will start using special equipment to foil car bombs in Baghdad, one of the deadliest weapons insurgents are using to carry out sectarian attacks, a top Iraqi commander said yesterday.
Speaking before a wave of car bombs in mainly Shi'ite districts of Baghdad killed 170 people and wounded more than 200, Lieutenant General Abboud Qanbar, the Iraqi commander of a US-backed security crackdown in Baghdad, said:
"The technical apparatus has arrived in Baghdad... They are the means to uncover those explosives ... and will be used shortly in the combat arena." Qanbar did not elaborate on what was the equipment or its specific capabilities.
Yesterday's car bomb attacks were the deadliest in the city since US and Iraqi forces launched a security plan in February aimed at halting the country's slide into all-out civil war.
While the crackdown has reduced murder rates, US commanders say they have had less success in curbing car and suicide bombings, despite discovering several car bomb factories.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10435005


NZ's tsunami warning system 'inconsistent'
Warning systems about possible tsunami heading to New Zealand are not consistent among the country's coastal communities, a natural disasters conference heard yesterday.
Mike O'Leary, operations manager for the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management, told the conference that getting warning information down to community level was patchy.
Mr O'Leary was specifically referring to the civil defence emergency management groups which were responsible for disseminating national warnings to local communities.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=68&objectid=10434918


Thai flash floods sweep 35 to death
8:15AM
Monday April 16, 2007
The death toll in flash floods which swept scores of Thai New Year holidaymakers over three waterfalls in the southern province of Trang rose to 35 yesterday, disaster officials said.
Another 30 people are thought to be missing and rescue teams began a second day of searching the area.
The flash floods, triggered by heavy rains, swept over the waterfalls 10km apart in the Bantad Hill Range, the Health Ministry's Relief Centre said.
Most of the victims were swimming below the Sai Roong (Rainbow) and Prai Sawan (Heavenly Forest) falls during a long weekend holiday for the new year Songkran festival, Trang Governor Arnon Manasvanich said.
"The search is continuing but my belief is we might find more bodies of women and children as they couldn't escape in time," he said.
The dead included 13 children - 10 boys and three girls. The waterfalls are a popular holiday destination for local families.
- REUTERS


NZ'ers give $50,000 to Solomon's - World Vision
4:30PM
Tuesday April 17, 2007
Aid agency World Vision has raised $50,000 in public donations following the recent Solomon Islands earthquake and tsunami.
"It's such an awesome response and typical of Kiwis' willingness to give in times of need. Over the weekend, our donations absolutely skyrocketed, and we expect this surge of generosity to continue," Lisa Cescon, World Vision CEO, said.
She said the donations would go toward establishing health and sanitation facilities, rebuilding homes and providing emergency supplies such as blankets, soap, basic cooking utensils and buckets.
An 8.1-magnitude earthquake hit the northwest Solomons on April 2, triggering a tsunami that killed upwards of 40 people and left thousands homeless.
- NZPA


12-year-old survived hours buried under Solomons landslide
5:00AM
Wednesday April 11, 2007
Epakaera Neubery, 12, pictured with his grandmother, says he thought he was going to die in the landslide. Photo / AAP
A 12-year-old boy survived being buried in a landslide on the Solomons island of Ranongga for three hours before being dug out by villagers.
Epakaera Neubery was playing football on a cliff above the shoreline at his village of Mundo when last Monday's earthquake struck causing landslides all around the settlement of 600 people.
The village green slipped away taking Epakaera tens of metres down to the beach, where he was trapped with only his feet showing.
His mother, Lovelyn Neubery, and other villagers searched for three hours before he was found.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=68&objectid=10433522


Logistics biggest challenge for Solomons relief workers
The biggest challenge facing relief workers in the Solomon Island's after last week's earthquake and tsunami is the logistics of transporting aid, Red Cross says.
Speaking from Gizo, the island at the centre of the disaster, international Red Cross field coordinator Andrew MacAlister said, that people lived in scattered villages around the coast on many islands.
The area comprises a large group of islands that are quite spread out. There are very few roads, poor communication and not a lot of large boats, Mr MacAlister said.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=68&objectid=10433471


Greek shipwreck fuel could take weeks to pump
ATHENS - The Greek government said today it could take weeks to pump hundreds of tonnes of oil trapped in the tanks of a sunken cruise ship near a Greek island.
Environmentalists have warned of a huge oil slick unless fuel is immediately removed from the tanks of the Sea Diamond, owned by Louis Cruise Lines, which sank on April 6, a day after running aground off the idyllic island of Santorini.
"We are pushing so that the fuel pumping procedure is completed as soon as possible," Merchant Marine Minister Manolis Kefaloyannis said in parliament. "It is the company that will collect the insurance that is responsible for the pumping out."
More than 1500 passengers and crew were evacuated from the Sea Diamond after it hit a reef just metres from the port of Santorini and listed. A French tourist and his daughter are missing and feared drowned. For almost two weeks, vessels have been battling a limited oil spill but fears of a much bigger disaster are growing as about 400 tonnes of fuel oil remain inside the ship.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10434994


Contamination inquiry
7:15AM
Thursday April 19, 2007
Lord Peter Archer heads an inquiry starting today into the deaths of hundreds of Britons infected by tainted blood in the 1970s and 1980s.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10434966


Molten steel bursts through windows in China tragedy
BEIJING - China has detained four people after a horrific accident in which more than 25 tonnes of molten steel engulfed a room where workers were changing shift, killing at least 32, state media said on Thursday.
An industrial ladle was moving into the pouring position at the plant in the northeastern province of Liaoning when it sheared off an iron rail, spewing out its 1500degC contents.
"The liquid metal engulfed the room, bursting through the door and windows and burying the workers," the China Daily said of Wednesday's tragedy at a plant belonging to the Qinghe Special Steel Co Ltd.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10435061


House prices hit new record high
New Zealand house prices hit a new record high last month, ignoring central bank attempts to take some heat out of the market, according to the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ).
On the back of rising house prices in Auckland, the national median price rose 2.5 per cent in March to $343,500, to be 13.7 per cent above a year ago.
The median price in Auckland rose 3 per cent for the month, to $443,000.
National sales rose 17.4 per cent from February to 10,989 houses sold, while days to sell fell to 27 days from 32 days.
Last month, the Reserve Bank raised its benchmark Official Cash Rate (OCR) by 25 basis points to 7.50 per cent, to help put the brakes on inflationary pressures which have been driven in part by surging house prices.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10435040



Three dead in Fiji disease outbreak
Three people have died and scores have become ill in outbreaks of typhoid and leptospirosis in Fiji.
Acting director of Public Health in Fiji, Dr Josaia Samuela, said one person had died and 77 people had been confirmed with typhoid since the beginning of the year, most in recent weeks.
There has also been reports of two deaths and 22 confirmed cases of leptospirosis, a bacterial disease.
Samuela said no tourists had been reported ill with typhoid or leptospirosis, and the outbreaks appeared confined to rural areas where visitors were unlikely to go.
Samuela said a 32-year-old school teacher had died over the Easter weekend and several students had come down with typhoid, probably after a carrier contaminated food at a feast.
"There was probably a gathering, a feast, where food and water is shared. It was all of a sudden, when a group of people fell ill," Samuela said.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10435035



Faster ACC support for rape victims on its way
Rape victims could soon get quicker support from ACC under a plan to set up a series of one-stop shops for women who've been sexually attacked.
Police and rape survivor groups have criticised the low number of clinics available to perform forensic examinations on victims, meaning they often have to travel a long way to be seen.
They have also criticised the length of time it can take ACC to process claims for financial and other support.
But ACC chief executive Jan White today told a parliamentary inquiry into victims' rights that ACC, in conjunction with police and the Health Ministry, was drawing up a plan that would see about 18 clinics around the country provide a co-ordinated service for sexual attack victims.
At the clinics victims would be able to undergo a forensic examination, receive help from Victim Support and undergo an ACC assessment all at the same time.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10435070



TV producers get bigger slice
Independent producers of television programmes will receive a much bigger share of the proceeds of programme sales under a policy announced by the Government last night.
NZ on Air will retain 25 per cent of programme sales income and the producer will retain 75 per cent until recoupment.
Until now, the income split has been roughly the other way round.
And producers will receive 100 per cent income from any programme receiving less than $200,000 NZ on Air funding, provided the broadcaster contribution takes the full form of a licence fee.
- Staff Reporter, NZPA

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10434978



Huge increase in teens leaving school before 16
Nearly 4000 teenagers have been granted exemptions to leave school before they turn 16, new figures show.
National today revealed a 42 per cent increase in the numbers since 1999 and says it is a worrying trend.
National's education spokesman Katherine Rich said today answers to parliamentary questions showed that 2802 students were granted exemptions in 1999 and this had risen to 3957 in 2006.
"It is worrying that the rate is so high, because leaving school early is linked to poor outcomes later in life," Ms Rich said.
"There are some successful exceptions to the rule, but most students leaving this early will have limited opportunities due to their lack of education."
Ms Rich said Labour when in opposition expressed outrage at 1771 exemptions being granted, saying it was mainly truants who were being exempted to leave school before turning 16.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=35&objectid=10434845



Father denied justice by NZ courts, says UN
The United Nations has slammed the New Zealand legal system for denying justice to a man accused of abusing his children.
The Government now has three months to explain itself to the international body and offer a solution to the man.
Human rights lawyer Tony Ellis took the man's case to the UN's Human Rights Committee saying his client's right to a fair trial had been ignored by the Family and then the Appeal Courts.
The man, who cannot be named due to the ongoing custody dispute, was accused in 2001 by his estranged wife of abusing his two daughters and then, later, abusing his son.
Police investigated for nearly two years, but decided not to prosecute.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10435016



Coke goes after the real, real thing – alcohol
Soft drinks giant Coca-Cola plans to sell an alcoholic range of drinks in New Zealand.
The announcement is worrying alcohol watchdogs, particularly when Coke already has such a huge appeal for the youth market.
Coca-Cola Amatil announced yesterday it wanted to broaden its range into the profitable alcoholic beverages market. It has big ideas, having set its sights on being the third biggest beer maker in Australia in the next five years.
Spirits and alcoholic "ready-to-drinks" were also tipped as probable additions to the range.
The market is currently dominated by Lion Nathan, DB Breweries and Independent Liquor, the "alcopop" specialist founded by the late Michael Erceg that sold for $1.26 billion in December. The sector is highly lucrative, with take-home liquor market worth more than $1 billion.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10434973



DHB investigating leaked 'greedy' doctors letter
9:05AM
Wednesday April 18, 2007
The source of an anonymous letter leaking sensitive details of doctors' pay and accusing them of being greedy is being investigated by Canterbury District Health Board.
The letter claims Canterbury's highest-paid hospital doctor earned more than $300,000 a year.
The author said that while senior doctors received large pay increases over recent years, increases for other health professionals had lagged behind.
The letter was headed "The silent ones have had enough" and was delivered to The Press newspaper last week.
The board yesterday confirmed it was trying to identify who wrote the letter and leaked the accompanying report on hospital doctors' pay scales.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=204&objectid=10434812



Why sunbathing (in moderation) is good for you
Twenty minutes' lying in the sun could provide your best chance of avoiding colds and flu, according to new research which demonstrates that vitamin D, not vitamin C, provides the most efficient protection against cold viruses.
Vitamin D is created by the action of sunlight on the skin. The malign consequences have been revealed in a study from the United States which shows that boosting vitamin D may be the most effective way of warding off infections that cause winter colds.
The authors, from Winthrop University Hospital, Mineola, New York, who publish their findings in the journal Epidemiology and Infection, say vitamin D stimulates "innate immunity" by activating peptides in the body that attack bacteria, fungi and viruses. "Vitamin D supplementation, particularly with higher doses, may protect against the typical winter cold and flu ... Since there is an epidemic of vitamin D insufficiency in the US, the public health impact of this observation could be great," they write.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=204&objectid=10434709

continued ...

The incompetency of the Roberts' Court

The incompetency of the Supreme Court majority is obvious and based completely in political ideology. Yesterday, the Supreme Court carried forth incompetent legislation written by ideologues that masterminded an illegal war and no longer sit in their seats of leadership of the House and Senate. Two of which had either committed fraud and ethical violations or caused undue fiscal demands of constituencies.

To begin, infanticide is illegal in the USA. It always has been and I don't see that changing. The conflict between the definition of infanticide and abortion is not an issue. Infanticide is the death of a child born into life outside the uterus.

The issue of women's health falls into many categories of which included in that is abortion. When women don't want to be expecting a child they will terminate that pregnancy and it is a known fact. Those women have every right to safely terminate an unwanted pregnancy. In a court primarily of men and where Samuel Alito was the replacement of a female jurist, this court has neither the insight or right to be determining the outcome of women's health.

I have always found it helpful to understand issues before making judgement of my own by listening to others and understanding their perspective. I have been fortunate to work in professions whereby I meet many people; men, women and children nearly everyday of my life in ways that their lives, occupations and personal ventures are revealed in America.

There are two stark examples of women that come to mind which this law would directly impact negatively in that they would seek abortions regardless the laws within the USA.

One is a young twenty year old, whom was engaged in a relationship with a man for several years practicing birth control. When the relationship hit a lull, she left it to live alone.

After a time, the young man called and stated he was being deployed to Iraq and wanted to be married before he left. He asked to see her, asked her to marry. They were married in time for his deployement.

She is not pregnant and nor does she want to be with that understanding before the marriage. Her rational was that while living with her then husband there was some question in her mind as to whether the relationship could stand the test of time. She didn't want to have children in a relationship that would result in divorce. When she was asked did she think she would ever have children, she stated simply, "No." She didn't feel the relationship is capable of being that stable and I am not interested in having children.

Whether or not she ever changes her mind is for the future to reveal, but, when she was asked if she would ever terminate a pregnancy within the marriage, her statement was, 'absolutely.' That 'absoluteness' would result whether or not she fell under current consenting laws.

To many Pro-Lifers a woman like this should have their 'tubes tied' or consider a 'hysterectomy.' That is an outrageosly extreme statement garnering the concept of totalitarianism for the sake of sparing a woman's life to insure all other conceptions would go forward. It is an undue burden on any woman whom might later decide otherwise and should have that freedom to do so.

The other instance hits far closer to home. It is my sister whom's issues have appeared here many times.

She grew up with love and promise believing she would have the same experience as a woman when she married and started a family. Along the path of life she was thrown a curve. A tumor. A brain tumor. Her life was saved, much to the gratitude of a loving husband, by some of the best physician/surgeons in the USA if not the world; through many treatments of radiation. As a result the way she felt about her body changed, in that she didn't feel her reproductive organs would produce a child that was healthy.

Here was a woman so violated by a tumor that it transended her experience as a woman and the concept of motherhood. Prior to the diagnosis, she had left a prestigious career, with a great deal of promise, to move to the Midwest whereby she and her spouse would purchase 17 acres of land to build their 'Dream Home' and start a family. All that changed when she was exposed to thirty days of life saving radiation. She continued to use birth control and never looked for a tubal ligation or hysterectomy. Neither procedures were discussed with her spouse or even entered the rhelm of that marriage. To her husband, neither she or he could ever consider such a thing and the 'idea' of another surgery no matter it's manifestation was like 'water torture.'

Eventually, she would consent out of love of her spouse, to consider an adoption. They listed with four agencies and within five months were notified they would be receiving a baby within the next nine months. Her spouse was elated and didn't care what the future burdens would be for them considering any challenges to her health, all was possible and that was all he cared about. To my sister, it was a time to reflect and define motherhood and she didn't like the picture that unfolded before her. She didn't like the idea of ever having a child raised by a nanny or caregiver while she was helpless at some future date to carry out that roll. Realizing her husband's elation, she decided to leave the marriage and live alone.

Her tumor was never resolved as it is cystic and malignant but only thwarted by radiation. No matter her ability to function at the time that was never guaranteed to her in the future. When I once asked her had she ever by chance gotten pregnant because of failed birth control would she have an abortion, her response was, 'absolutely.'

Neither the USA Congress, Senate or House, or Justice Kennedy have the right to determine the happiness of either of these women.

What occurred yesterday was wrongly preceived by religious organizations as outlawing infanticide. That is not the case. What did occur yesterday was the allowance of doctors to perform any type of procedure that is necessary to save a woman's life and the 'idea' that women can autonomously live a life whereby they have control over their reproductive capacity. It is an outrage and every woman now is presented with danger to herself and her family as did not exist before this ruling of a bill marred with ideology without the common sense of a twit.

Judge Ginsburg is right. It's a direct attack on women's health and happiness. Not all women find pregnancy and children a joy. That is their right

The decision is going to throw the matter to the legislature. There are a lot of implications regarding women and their best outcome when they find they have an unwanted pregnancy. This decision is going to open back street abortion clinics all over again.

My initial reaction was wrong. I thought banning Partial Birth Abortion was correct in that it was a late term issue and one that was mostly cruel. But, this decision mixes the entire matter with Abortion Rights of all kind and quite frankly I am a bit astounded.

-- It bans safe and effective abortions as early as 12-15 weeks, which impermissibly burdens the right to obtain an abortion before viability.

-- It fails to make any exception to the ban when a woman's health is atstake, which violates established constitutional protections that havebeen in place for 30 years.

-- It uses broad language subject to wildly different interpretations that cover steps doctors routinely take in performing abortions in the second trimester, thus making it impossible for doctors to understand exactly what is prohibited.

I believe the states are going to have to legislate to protect women. Perhaps in a way that will challenge this decision all over again. I don't want to wait to find statistics of dead women are escalating while we are waiting for effective law to regain it's balance.

The Court has done an injustice to women and quite frankly they have lost my support when I actually thought I could find solice in having late term pregnancy protected while still protecting women. I am quite taken back by this blatant disregard for women, the practice of medicine, and confidentiality.

Women will be traveling outside the country again. This is a political Supreme Court and not one interested in the well being of the women of this nation.

Wow, didn't expect this mess. For as much as I wanted to see late term abortion stopped, I cannot stand behind this decision. It's a darn shame. This is treating women as chattel all over again.

...also not out of sight is the blind eye of Bush turns to his illegal war...

Bush, Democrats give no ground on Iraq

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush sparred across the table with Democratic congressional leaders opposed to the Iraq war on Wednesday in a prelude to a veto showdown over a conflict that has claimed the lives of more than 3,200 U.S. troops.
During an hourlong meeting at the White House, the president told lawmakers directly he will not sign any bill that includes a timetable for a troop withdrawal, and they made it clear Congress will send him one anyway.
"We believe he must search his soul, his conscience and find out what is the right thing for the American people," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, told reporters after the session. "I believe signing this bill will do that."
But Dana Perino, White House spokeswoman, said, "It appears that they are determined to send a bill to the president that he won't accept. They fundamentally disagree."


Bush Makes Saddam Look Good
The Nation: Devastating Poll Confirms Iraqi Disapproval Of American Occupation

Yep, you did it, George — mission impossible accomplished. Unbelievably, four years of a bungled occupation have managed to make Saddam Hussein's tyranny look good in comparison with "liberated Iraq." At least, that is the view of the Iraqi weightlifter made famous through a video of him taking a sledgehammer to Saddam Hussein's statue. "I really regret bringing down the statue," Kadhim al-Jubouri said on British television this week. "The Americans are worse than the dictatorship. Every day is worse than the previous day."

Oh, I am not finished discussing these murders.

Not by a long shot. The Conservative Party in the USA, along with the NRA think they have a strategy to shut down any other point of view.

This IS the statement that appears on the NRA webstite:

The National Rifle Association joins the entire country in expressing our deepest condolences to the families of Virginia Tech University and everyone else affected by this horrible tragedy.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the families.

We will not have further comment until all the facts are known.

Andrew Arulanandam
Director of Public Affairs
National Rifle Association

They might very well join the country in moarning this tragedy, but, that doesn't preclude them from taking a stand to promote gun regulation. There are currently court cases that indicate gun manufacturers have a right to perform a vital service to this country but not to escalate the harm of average citizens in that process.

Also what came across the radar today is also the issue of partial birth abortion. Women have a right to their bodies and their health. They have a right to have a life they have set for themselves without the ideology of government. Government does not belong in the moral business. I want to explore the issue of abortion from the standpoint that Judge Gingsburgh understands it and that is from the safety of women within our society.

By the way, this decision about this law does not stop Partial Birth Abortions. They are still legal when a woman's life is in danger. Everyone needs to keep that perspective as any 'social' tilt that would lend itself to misunderstanding in the country is dangerous. I am sure everyone respects a woman's health at least that much and I would hate for any political commentator finding themselves facing a lawsuit for the peril they caused.

These issues deserve more than a simply 'banged out' emotional reply. So, therefore, later.

SLIDESHOW: Endangered penguin hatches at Ore. Zoo

The endangered Humboldt penguin parents, Pico and Bonita, are raising it. Bonita, the mother, was featured three years ago on the Animal Planet show “Growing Up Penguin.” The hour-long documentary followed her life from hatching to first swim to leaving the nest for good.

Because penguins do not have external sex organs, the chick's gender is not yet known.

SLIDESHOW: Pictures of the baby penguin

"We won't know its sex until we do a blood test, or it lays an egg or it doesn't lay an egg," said penguin keeper Rick Yazzolino.

The chick's hatch weight was 2.8 ounces, and by April 4 it was already up to 10.4 ounces. The chick has been eating well and overall is "doing fantastic," according to Yazzolino.
Humboldt penguins are native to the warm coastal waters of Peru. Of the 17 penguin species, Humboldt penguins are among the most threatened.

Chester Zoo Increases Monkey Living Welfare

A team of researchers has found a simple and unique way to significantly reduce stress levels, and increase the welfare of monkeys living in a popular zoo. The study, carried out by Durham University with Chester Zoo, found that planting a meter-wide barrier of tropical shrubs between the monkeys’ glass-fronted enclosures and the visitors’ viewing platforms reduced the animals’ stress-related behavior by more than half.

The techniques developed in the study have now won the praise of animal welfare scientists, who have awarded the research team with the prestigious Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) Wild Animal Welfare Award for their work.

The study investigated the stress levels of a type of monkey known as a mandrill, which is one of the exotic animals bred at Chester Zoo, in North West England. Seven mandrills – which are the world’s largest monkey species and whose native habitat is the tropical rainforests of Central and Western Africa, are kept at the 110-acre Zoo. In the wild, mandrills have been classed as vulnerable (World Conservation Union Red List of Threatened Species 2006) meaning that they face a high risk of extinction in the medium-term future.

article continues at link above

Zoos

Visitors At Belgium Zoo Banned From Making Eye Contact With Apes
In an attempt to maintain their social behavior, the officials at the Antwerp Zoo in Belgium have ordered visitors not to make eye contact with the apes. They have also placed signs at various places in the zoo that advise visitors that if one of the apes makes eye contact then they should look away.
The Daily Telegraph reported Monday that zoo officials feel the apes lose their sociability if they see into eyes of visitors. A spokesman for the Antwerp Zoo told the newspaper, "We are saying to visitors that, if our apes hold eye contact with them, then they should look away for a bit or take a step back."

http://www.wayodd.com/visitors-at-belgium-zoo-banned-from-making-eye-contact-with-apes/v/7011/



Orangutans Play Video Games at Ga. Zoo
By DORIE TURNER Associated Press Writer
ATLANTA (AP) - Four-year-old Bernas isn't the computer wizard his mom is, but he's learning. Just the other day he used his lips and feet to play a game on the touch-screen monitor as his mom, Madu, swung from vines and climbed trees. The two Sumatran orangutans at Zoo Atlanta are playing computer games while researchers study the cognitive skills of the orange and brown primates.
The best part? Zoo visitors get to watch their every move.
The orangutans use a touch screen built into a tree-like structure that blend in with their zoo habitat. Visitors watch from a video monitor in front of the exhibit.

http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=456&sid=1113407



Rare Baby Lemurs Born at Santa Barbara Zoo (video)
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Reported by: Colin Seiler
SANTA BARBARA
Two new members of a very rare population are now part of the Santa Barbara Zoo.
Two black and white ruffled lemurs were born on April 1. Both lemurs weighed in at about five ounces, and they are now living with their mother in the holding area.
Lemurs are an endangered species.
This is the second black and white ruffled lemur birth at the Santa Barbara Zoo, as twin males were born in may of 2005.

http://www.ksby.com/Global/story.asp?S=6382052



Honolulu Zoo to celebrate Earth Day this weekend
Advertiser Staff
The Honolulu Zoo will celebrate Earth Day this weekend with with activities, talks and ice cream for kids.
· Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. — hands-on recycling in a volunteer garden, zoo animal talks, and animal biofacts
· Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. — demonstration stations on worm composting by Waikiki Worm Company, educational games and crafts from the Hawaii Coral Reef Initiative, activities by Oahu Invasive Species Committee, and the Honolulu Zoo Society. Juice and ice cream for the kids complements of Meadow Gold Ice Cream.
For additional information on Earth Day, call the Honolulu Zoo Society, 926-3191.

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Apr/17/br/br0635182749.html



Aboriginal dancers descend on Auckland Zoo this Sunday
MEDIA RELEASE 18 April 2007 Aboriginal dancers descend on Auckland Zoo this Sunday
Round up the family and all your Aussie mates to come and see internationally renowned Aboriginal dance troupe, Descendance, perform at Auckland Zoo this Sunday 22 April (midday) as part of G'Day NZ Australia Week.
Descendance was formed in 1999 from the Ngaru Aboriginal Dance Company, Sydney’s first independent traditional indigenous troupe, and is made up of performers representing Aboriginal and Torres-Strait Islanders from many diverse tribes. The troupe's one-hour lunchtime performance at the band rotunda, located near the zoo's Aussie Walkabout exhibit, will feature dancers, singers, storytellers and musicians.
Visitors will be treated to an exciting and eclectic show with the timeless sounds of the didgeridoo, and songs and spectacular renditions in traditional regalia of animal, hunting and spirit dances.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0704/S00160.htm



Dickerson Park Zoo celebrates Earth Day on Sunday
Dickerson Park Zoo will celebrate Earth Day from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday with a ?Party for the Planet.?The zoo said the public will learn about simple conservation techniques and backyard animals such as squirrels, rabbits, robins and snakes.Activities include Disney animal face masks, animal origami, animal tattoos and seed packets.There will be presentations about birds of prey and snakes. The Fishin? Magicians will entertain at the Junior League Amphitheatre.Zoo admission is $4 for children ages 3 to 12 and $6 for adults. ?Party for the Planet? activities are free with admission.Visit www.dickersonparkzoo.org for more information.

http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070418/BREAKING07/70418010



Rare warty pigs set to hog the limelight
ADRIAN MATHER
THEY are more often found in the forests of the Philippines, fighting for survival against local tree-cutters and hunters.
Now two critically-endangered Visayan warty pigs have been brought to Edinburgh Zoo as part of an international breeding programme.
Over the past 50 years, their numbers in the wild have been decimated to such an extent that they are now among the world's most threatened animals.
The pair - which have been named Alice and Cooper - were transferred from Poznan Zoo in Poland at the end of last month and are the first to ever be housed in any of Scotland's zoos or wildlife facilities. They have joined other new arrivals from the world's endangered species list at the Corstorphine attraction, including Britain's only Tibetan white-lipped deer.

http://news.scotsman.com/scitech.cfm?id=597252007



The Captive Monkeys Suffering 'Zoo Stress'
Captive monkeys suffer zoo stress, reveals new research. Scientists studying rainforest mandrills, the world's largest species, found visitors peering at them through the glass window caused them to snarl, pace and behave abnormally.But they soothed their anxiety levels by more than half simply by planting a three feet wide barrier of tropical shrubs between their enclosures at Chester Zoo and the viewing platforms.

http://www.lse.co.uk/ShowStory.asp?story=OZ1736318F&news_headline=the_captive_monkeys_suffering_zoo_stress



San Diego Zoo names month-old elephant 'Impunga'
The Associated Press
Article Launched: 04/17/2007 06:33:20 PM PDT
ESCONDIDO, Calif.- An African elephant born last month at the San Diego Zoo has been named Impunga, zoo officials said Tuesday.
His name (pronounced im-POON-gah) means "experienced adviser" in Swati, the official language of Swaziland.
Impunga was born March 11, marking the third birth for a herd of seven African elephants rescued from culling in Swaziland and brought to the zoo's Wild Animal Park in 2003.
Two other elephants are pregnant and due later this year, zoo officials said.

————

On the Net:

http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wap/ex—elephants.html

http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_5689919?nclick_check=1



Zoo welcomes new director (video)
The new Executive Director of the New York State Zoo at Thompson Park in Watertown starts his job this week.
Dr. John Scott Foster comes to the zoo from Indianapolis. Foster previously worked at the Chicago Zoological Society, Indianapolis Zoo, White River Botanical Garden, and the Seneca Park Zoo in RochesterFoster says he's excited to start his new job and plans on making the zoo more interactive for its visitors.
"So that they'll be opportunities to interact with the keeper staff, they'll be opportunities to interact with the volunteer and education staff and really have a more hands on experience and have a chance to ask some of those questions that you always wondered about," said Foster.
As for the zoo losing its AZA accreditation, Foster said the board is still looking into its options to appeal the decision.

http://news10now.com/content/all_news/?ArID=102325&SecID=83



FDA Approves the First Bird Flu Vaccine H5N1 in the United States

US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Tuesday it has granted the first approval in the United States of a vaccine for humans against the H5N1 influenza virus, commonly known as avian or bird flu. The vaccine could be used in the event the current H5N1 avian virus were to develop the capability to efficiently spread from human to human, resulting in the rapid spread of the disease across the globe. Should such an influenza pandemic emerge, the vaccine may provide early limited protection in the months before a vaccine tailored to the pandemic strain of the virus could be developed and produced.
“The threat of an influenza pandemic is, at present, one of the most significant public health issues our nation and world faces,” said Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D., Commissioner of Food and Drugs. “The approval of this vaccine is an important step forward in our protection against a pandemic.”

http://caribjournal.com/2007/04/17/fda-approves-the-first-bird-flu-vaccine-h5n1-in-the-united-states/#more-1752




Pet Food Recall UPDATE: Memorial March Planned

A nationwide march is planned in response to the pet food recall tragedy that seems to grow by the day.
The website for Pets Need a Voice Too, or PNV2 reports that the march will take place on April 28th, and states that “We are marching in memory of our pets…as pet owners, dog lovers, cat lovers and average citizens.”
The April 28 march is set for the following cities, with others possibly added in the days ahead: Boston, Massachusetts; Reno, Nevada; Kitchener, Canada; Ottawa, Canada; Jacksonville, Oregon; Uniontown, Pennsylvania; Portland, Maine; San Diego, California; Orange County, California; and Austin, Texas.
The website can be found here: www.pnv2.com

http://caribjournal.com/2007/04/15/pet-food-recall-update-memorial-march-planned/




UPDATE: Pet Food Recall Controversy Headed to U. S. Senate

The pet food recall controversy moves to the U. S. Senate this week, where the FDA is expected to be in the hot seat. While no specific day has been mentioned for the enquiry, sources say it could take place sometime Thursday.
U. S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced last week that the U.S. Senate will hold an oversight hearing on the ongoing investigation and the regulatory mechanisms that govern the pet food industry as the widespread recall of contaminated pet food continues.
“Many cats, dogs and other pets, considered members of the family are now suffering as a result of a deeply flawed pet food inspection system,” said Durbin. “The FDA’s response to this situation has been tragically slow. Pet owners deserve answers. The uncertainty about what is safe to feed their pets has gone on far too long. I want to learn exactly when the FDA knew about the contamination, who is inspecting pet food manufacturing plants, and whether we need to force the FDA to update their regulations to protect our pets. Most importantly, I want to hear how the FDA is going to work to resolve the current crisis and ensure this doesn’t happen again."

http://caribjournal.com/2007/04/09/update-pet-food-recall-controversy-headed-to-u-s-senate/



The Bears are getting hot at the Kow Keow Zoo.
We take you now to the Kow Keow Zoo, some 45kms outside of Pattaya where some of the residents are finding it hard to cope with the hot weather which is being experienced here in Chonburi Province. The bear enclosure is receiving the most attention at this time as the hot weather is starting to take its toll and some of the bears are becoming agitated which represents a danger to the zoo keepers who look after these strong and potentially dangerous animals. Sweet flavored iced water and fruits are being given to the bears four times a day and vets are on standby around the Zoo as the hot temperatures are set to continue for at least the next 7 days.

http://www.pattayacitynews.net/news_18_04_50.htm


Rahul Khanna campaigns to save elephants
Posted April 17th, 2007 by Tarique
New Delhi, April 17 (IANS) Actor Rahul Khanna has joined the 'save the elephant' campaign and stars in the new anti-zoo ad made by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
Shot by photographer Colston Julian, the ad is titled "Actor Wants Fans to Know That Elephants Don't Belong in Zoos and Cities" and Rahul is shown shackled in chains, with bruises painted on his body.
"Zoos cannot provide for the complex needs of the animals who they hold captive," said Rahul in a press statement.
PETA has pulled up its socks after Mumbai saw the death of an elephant named Laxmi, who was hit by a speeding tanker. In the absence of proper medical attention, Laxmi suffered a broken leg and spinal injuries before dying a day later.

http://www.indianmuslims.info/news/2007/april/17/india_news/rahul_khanna_campaigns_to_save_elephants.html



Penguin turns up in South Africa

CAPE ST. FRANCIS, South Africa, April 17 Animal rehabilitation officials are trying to find a home for a king penguin that turned up in Cape St. Francis, South Africa.The penguin, named Elvis, washed ashore thousands of miles from its Antarctic home and is in the care of the Ajubatus Marine Rehabilitation Center in St. Francis, the Cape Times reported Tuesday."I can't believe how well he's looking now. He is beautiful," said the center ' s Trudi Malan. "My wish is to release him back home, possibly to Marion Island, but the scientists say we can't because of the risk that he will carry back diseases." Malan said there has been some interest in the penguin from European zoos but no concrete plans have been made.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/52984.html



Plight of Polar Bears Affects Us All

Polar bears, like the one pictured here, have now been put upon the endangered species list due to global warming. In fact, fears for their survival have become so real by prominent environmentalists, that it has now been predicted that these Arctic carnivores may become extinct in the wild by the year 2050. The Arctic ice shelf, the bear’s hunting grounds, has been receding steadily for the past 30 years. The bears depend on large ice floes for both hunting and to bare their young, which occur in the spring. It has now been estimated that since the late 1970’s the total area of summer polar ice has declined more than 20 per cent and is accelerating each year at a much faster rate.
Polar bears depend on a steady diet of Arctic ringed seals, walruses and fish, all of which are declining or moving to other locations further north. With a decline in these food sources, polar bears will have no choice other than either to adapt to their new environmental reality – or die. And that ‘adaptation’ may force the bears to add another possible food source to their hunting forays – Man. Eskimos and other indigenous people who also live in the arctic regions, and depend on the same food sources as the polar bears may find themselves on ursus maritumus’ shopping list, as the bears loose their natural fear and apprehension and begin to approach villages and other places of human habitation to find food. People working in the far north, including oil well drillers, scientists, and other people may also be at risk, especially if they are out alone and far away from others.

http://www.naturalbuy.com/plight-of-polar-bears-affects-us-all/



Honolulu Zoo to celebrate Earth Day this weekend
Advertiser Staff
The Honolulu Zoo will celebrate Earth Day this weekend with with activities, talks and ice cream for kids.
· Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. — hands-on recycling in a volunteer garden, zoo animal talks, and animal biofacts
· Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. — demonstration stations on worm composting by Waikiki Worm Company, educational games and crafts from the Hawaii Coral Reef Initiative, activities by Oahu Invasive Species Committee, and the Honolulu Zoo Society. Juice and ice cream for the kids complements of Meadow Gold Ice Cream.
For additional information on Earth Day, call the Honolulu Zoo Society, 926-3191.

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Apr/17/br/br0635182749.html



New plan tried to keep impala safe, zoo says
By JENNI LAIDMANBLADE STAFF WRITER
Toledo Zoo officials were trying to prevent a repeat of an accident that killed an impala a year ago when they chose a completely new method of preparing the flighty animals for shipping.
But the new travel plan proved no protection for 21-month-old Hurley, who died last week while being prepared for shipment to the Milwaukee County Zoo, zoo officials told the zoo board's animal care committee yesterday.
A year earlier, Hurley was with another impala that died as they were being prepared for transport to a zoo in Battle Creek, Mich.
Hurley and Jack were tranquilized and put into a crate together for their trip to Michigan. As soon as the crate doors were closed, the 110-pound animals panicked.
"They just ricochetted,'' Zoo Director Anne Baker said.

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070412/NEWS38/704120413/-1/NEWS



Taiwanese zoo worker has arm reattached after crocodile attack
ASSOCIATED PRESS
4:49 a.m. April 12, 2007
TAIPEI, Taiwan – A zoo worker had his forearm reattached Thursday after his colleagues recovered the severed limb from the mouth of a 440-pound Nile crocodile, an official said.
The crocodile severed Chang Po-yu's forearm on Wednesday at the Shaoshan Zoo in the southern city of Kaohsiung when the veterinarian tried to retrieve a tranquilizer dart from the reptile's hide, zoo officials said.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20070412-0449-taiwan-crocodileattack.html


Providence zoo welcomes emu chicks for the first time
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Some baby birds are flaunting their feathers for the first time in public.
These are three emu chicks, born last month at The Roger Williams Zoo in Providence.
They made their debut Wednesday.
The birds, native to Australia, can't fly.
But once they're grown up, they'll be able to run as fast as 30 miles an hour.
(Copyright 2007 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO48803/



San Francisco zoo workers rear tiny ape (10:14 a.m.)
By The Associated Press
Article Launched: 04/12/2007 10:13:53 AM MDT
ALBUQUERQUE — Zoo keepers in San Francisco are hoping the third time will be a charm for an Albuquerque-born ape.
Sungai, a siamang born last August at the Rio Grande Zoo, was rejected by her first-time mother despite the zoo staff's efforts to encourage motherly instincts.
Sungai was rejected again by adult siamangs at the Houston Zoo.
Now, keepers in San Francisco are hand-rearing Sungai, and they have introduced her to an adult pair of siamangs in hopes they will adopt her as their own.

http://www.lcsun-news.com/latest/ci_5650815



New butterfly exhibit to open at zoo
Posted by Birmingham News staff April 12, 2007 13:14PM
A new butterfly exhibit will open Saturday at the Birmingham Zoo.
Butterfly Encounter will have more than 600 butterflies from 20 commonly-found Alabama species. Inside the 3,000-square-foot greenhouse facility will be monarchs, emperors, zebra longwings and tiger swallowtails. A double set of doors will keep them from escaping as visitors enter and exit the building.
Visitors can watch butterflies emerge from chrysalises and their wings unfold for the first time to learn more about their life cycle from tiny egg to caterpillar to butterfly.
First American Bank is sponsoring the exhibit that will remain at the zoo until Sept. 3. It is located near the Wildlife Stage and the Predator Building.
Near the new exhibit is a new rabbit sculpture created by sculptor Frank Fleming. It is a gift from the Birmingham-based Nall-Whatley Foundation.Walter Bryant

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2007/04/new_butterfly_exhibit_to_open.html



Orphaned Elephant Seal Pups Rehab at the San Francisco Zoo
The researchers first spotted the elephant seal pup named Tamara on the Farallon Islands, 27 miles off the coast of San Francisco. When she showed up in Santa Cruz after swimming for more than a week from the Farallon Islands to Santa Cruz, the pup was in such tragic condition, significantly emaciated and covered with oil that her rescuers thought she wouldn't survive.
Tamara was the first elephant seal pup to be rescued during the pupping season which generally runs from early March through late June, according to Jessica Hsu from the Marine Mammal Center.

http://en.epochtimes.com/news/7-4-12/54034.html


Chessington Zoo defends its gorillas' home
By Dan Menhinnitt
Bosses at Chessington Zoo yesterday blasted newspaper reports saying they have not been properly caring for their 10 gorillas.
According to reports in national newspapers the zoo risked seeing its gorilla enclosure closed down if conditions there did not improve.
The information came to light after a Freedom of Information Act request from The Independent.
The newspaper managed to get hold of two unpublished reports one from 2005 and a second from December 2006 expressing grave concern over the condition of the zoo's western lowlands gorillas.

http://www.wimbledonguardian.co.uk/news/topstories/display.var.1326270.0.chessington_zoo_defends_its_gorillas_home.php



Photos of rescued seal pup at the Central Park Zoo
Photos in the newsmongabay.comApril 13, 2007 Baby seal introduced to new home
A seal pup rescued in Maine last year is now settling in at its new home in the Central Park Zoo. The pup, named Seven, was rescued last September by Marine Animal Lifeline, a group based in Maine that rehabilitates stranded animals and aims to release them back into the wild. They determined that Seven wouldn't be able to survive in the wild due to an impairment in her hind flipper, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), which runs Central Park Zoo.

http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0413-wcs.html



125 years on, zoo set for a makeover
By Pamela Raghunath, Correspondent
Mumbai: The 125-year-old Byculla Zoo and Botanical Gardens is poised for renaissance. The reinvented look will be complete with a theme park comparable with the best in the world.
"The zoo will be redeveloped in two phases - we are still in the first phase of planning and design, which will be followed by the actual execution of the master plan," R.A. Rajiv, additional municipal commissioner, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) told Gulf News.
"I hope that, by the year-end, the actual work will take off," he says.
The Jijamata Udyan Zoo, formerly known as the Victoria Gardens, in south-central Mumbai's Byculla, is managed by the BMC, which had been asked by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) to prepare a master plan this year or face derecognition.

http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/04/14/10118147.html



Rare white alligator comes to Knoxville Zoo (video)

Just a couple of days after arriving from Florida, Knoxville's newest resident, a rare white alligator, sits so still that many think she may be fake
Knoxville Zoo curator Phil Colclough assures us she is alive and well. "They're just kind of calm animals by nature," says Colclough. "They're pretty docile animals, believe it or not. She's just sitting up their basking in her heat."There are only around 30 to 35 white alligators in the world. That rarity has lead to mystery surrounding the reptiles, and the mystery has lead to legend. According to modern folklore, it is good luck to gaze into the pink eyes of one such gator. "Yeah, we spent a whole two days with her and we've been lucky every since," jokes Colclough. If you'd like to see this gator, she will be visiting the zoo from now until Labor Day. Then she will head back home to Saint Augustine, Florida.

http://www.wbir.com/life/programming/local/liveatfive/story.aspx?storyid=44210



Detroit Zoo offers Earth Day events

ROYAL OAK -- The Detroit Zoo will host its annual Earth Day celebration from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. April 21. Earth Day at the zoo is designed to be an educational experience dedicated to celebrating wildlife and teaching visitors about environmental conservation.
The day will include earth-friendly crafts, animal enrichment activities, an endangered-species scavenger hunt, games, zookeeper talks, and local conservation groups. Live performances by Marc Thomas and Max the Moose will be held at the Ford Education Center Theater at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

http://www.dailytribune.com/stories/041507/loc_zoo001.shtml



Party time planned at local zoo for Earth Day
OUTINGSKAREN RALLOTribune Staff WriterSOUTH BEND -- The Potawatomi Zoological Society will honor Earth Day with an Association of Zoos and Aquarium event from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the zoo, 500 S. Greenlawn Ave.It's part of a national celebration. Locally, there will be activities and educational programs for the entire family including a scavenger hunt, recycling and a program about the wonders of water and how to calculate water use.Regular admission applies: $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and ages 3-14, and free for age 2 and younger. For details, call the zoo at (574) 235-9800 or visit www.potawatomizoo.org.

http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070415/Lives01/704150473/-1/LIVES/CAT=Lives01



Pittsburgh Aquarium Fun Facts
At 42,000 sq. ft. (64% larger than its forerunner the AquaZoo) the new Aquarium is the largest aquarium in Pennsylvania, and one of the largest aquarium facilities in the world. Not bad for an inland city!
Spiny lobster can live up to 100 years
The new Aquarium has one of five collections of King Penguins in the country.
A King penguin will incubate a single egg on top of its feet for 52 days.
The shark exhibit's acrylic window is 6 inches thick and 24 feet tall, and holds nearly 100,000 gallons of water. It can be viewed from two different floors and five different viewing angles (sharks scheduled to arrive in late summer).
The new Aquarium is the only aquarium or zoo in North America displaying a threatened river dolphin species. Chuckles, an Amazon River Dolphin, inhabits the Tropical Rainforest Habitat and holds the longevity record for its species.
The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium is home to the largest coral propagation facility in the continental United States.\
A life-size mural of a humpback whale allows visitors to compare their own size with the large marine mammal.
The world's first rotating aquarium and terrarium tanks are exhibited at the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.
Fish tanks have been scattered throughout the zoo since the former Pittsburgh AquaZoo closed its doors in 1998 to make way for the new Aquarium. Many zoo personnel have had fun getting up close and personal with the fish who have shared their offices while waiting for their new home.

http://pittsburgh.about.com/library/weekly/aa070500e.htm



Knut The Polar Bear Cub Removed From Zoo Display
(AP) BERLIN Knut, the Berlin Zoo's lovable polar bear cub, was taken off display Monday because of teething pains. "He is getting his right upper canine," zoo veterinarian Andre Schuele told The Associated Press.Earlier, the 4 1/2-month old cub's daily public appearance was cut short after only 30 minutes and he was put on antibiotics."At the moment he is resting on his blanket and sleeping," Schuele said, adding that despite his lethargy Knut did eat his regular meal in the morning.Thousands of people line up daily to see the cub, and his button-eyed face has been a fixture for newspapers, television and the Internet.

http://cbs4denver.com/topstories/topstories_story_107100719.html



Woodland Park Zoo (slide show)
We went to the Woodland Park Zoo which is a 92 acre area of amazing animals and exhibits. Some of our favorite animals we saw were the big brown Bears, Zebras, Elephants, hippopotamus, Komodo Dragons, balled eagles and the very funny gorillas. They also had an Australian section in the Zoo which had Wallaby’s, Emus, Kookaburras and even Magpies which we thought was pretty funny. Luckily for Grant it was pretty flat as he pushed the wheelchair around all day.

http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Washington/Seattle/blog-149430.html



Zoo garage may cost taxpayers additional $4 million
By Bob Young
Seattle Times staff reporter

Seattle taxpayers' tab for a new garage at Woodland Park Zoo could increase by almost $4 million, according to a revised city forecast.
The city's share of the cost for a controversial 710-stall garage was estimated at $8.2 million in 2005. But a new analysis by City Council staff puts the likely bill for taxpayers at $11.9 million.
The council is scheduled to vote Wednesday on selling bonds for garage construction. That step is expected to be the last council action on garage financing, which the council initially approved by a unanimous vote in 2004.
Councilman David Della, who chairs the council's parks committee, said he doesn't expect the new forecast to threaten council support for the garage. "It's not so troubling that I think we have to backtrack on our decision," Della said.
The four-story garage is projected to cost $28 million, including interest payments, over 20 years. Under an arrangement with the Woodland Park Zoological Society, a nonprofit that operates the zoo, the city would pay 75 percent of the garage cost that remains after parking revenues are used to pay down construction and operating expenses. The zoo society would pay the rest.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003669353_zoogarage17m.html



Koala has baby in pouch: Chiang Mai Zoo
Chiang Mai Zoo has welcomed a new-born koala bear, as one of the four marsupials - sent from Australia to Thailand to mark the 60th anniversary of His Majesty the King's accession to the throne - gave birth in January. However, the baby koala will remain in the mother's pouch for breastfeeding another five to six months before it is strong enough to venture into the outside world - probably in July, according to zoo veterinarian Somchai Chotapisitkul.The pregnancy came as a surprise. Somchai recalled that zoo staff had observed how one koala named Coco had something moving in her pouch near her abdomen so they kept her apart for safety.

http://nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30032052

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