Sydney Morning Herald
Storm smashes Sydney tea party
December 9, 2007 - 8:35PM
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Thirty people were treated for injuries caused by the latest in a string of thunderstorms to lash Sydney this summer.
Hailstones up to seven centimetres in diameter and damaging winds tore through an outdoor tea party at Kemps Creek on Sydney's western outskirts injuring 30 women, who were treated by ambulance officers, at about 4.30pm (AEDT) today, the Seven Network has reported.
"It looked like the end of the world. I've never seen anything like it," one woman told Seven.
Another woman told Seven that the winds lifted slabs of concrete.
Residents in Sydney's west and north made more than 100 calls to the State Emergency Service for help with flash flooding and fallen trees.
Electricity was cut to about 10,000 homes.
Flights at Sydney airport were disrupted by the storm and further delays were expected.
A Bureau of Meteorology spokesman said: "We've had lots of reports of hail of golf-ball size and we've had a few reports of hail up to seven centimetres in a couple of places."
Sydney has been lashed by a fierce afternoon thunderstorm almost every day during this summer's hot and humid weather.
Meanwhile, police today released the name and an image of a man killed by a shop awning collapse during a storm at Balgowlah on Sydney's northern beaches on Friday afternoon.
Craig Taylor, 53, was crushed by the awning and bricks that fell from the shop's facade.
He died at the scene.
Mr Taylor's family thanked the community for its support following the accident.
"Craig was deeply loved by everyone who knew him, especially by his wife and children. He was tirelessly devoted to his family," the family said in a statement.
AAP
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/storm-smashes-sydney-tea-party/2007/12/09/1197135277464.html
Shark sightings force beach closures
December 9, 2007 - 4:41PM
Sightings of four hammerhead sharks forced the closure of two beaches in Sydney's south today.
The sharks were spotted by an aerial patrol about 30 metres from shore between Wanda and Cronulla beaches this morning.
One shark, estimated to be 2.5 metres long, was seen just five metres from surfers.
Lifeguards were alerted and used an inflatable rescue boat to drive the sharks out to sea.
Aerial Patrol general manager Harry Mitchell said sharks were sighted in a similar area last weekend.
"Water temperatures are up and sharks are doing what they often do, come in closer in search of food," he said.
"Beachgoers are urged to heed warnings from the aircraft and beach safety providers with shark sightings anticipated until at least March of next year."
The beaches were closed while surfers and swimmers were called out of the water and the sharks driven off.
Both beaches were reopened a short time later.
AAP
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/shark-sightings-force-beach-closures/2007/12/09/1197135274654.html
Golfer hospitalised after snake attack
December 9, 2007 - 4:42PM
A golfer has been hospitalised after being bitten by a snake when he went to retrieve a wayward golf ball on a course in Melbourne's southeast.
The man, in his 30s, was playing with friends on the 7th hole at the Centenary Park Golf Club, near Frankston, when he was bitten, around 1.30pm today.
A Metropolitan Ambulance Service (MAS) spokesman said the golfer was walking down towards a creek in search of his ball when the snake - possibly a brown snake - lashed out, biting him on the lower left leg.
"The guy said he saw the creature but couldn't say for sure that it was a brown snake," MAS spokesman Ray Rowe said.
"In terms of treating the wound, they did everything right. They kept him still and calm while another went up to the clubhouse to get help."
Staff then drove a golf buggy down to the hole to pick the injured golfer up before taking him back to the clubhouse where his wound was bandaged.
Paramedics then took him to Frankston Hospital, where he was said to be in a satisfactory condition this afternoon.
"Apparently, the gentleman's only recently taken up golf again after a long break but I don't expect him to be playing again for a while," Mr Rowe said.
"With the hot weather meaning snakes are out and about, we'd urge people to be extra careful when outdoors and observe the correct first aid steps: keep the patient still and calm, don't wash the wound with water but bandage the affected limb from top to bottom.
"It's also a help if people can try to identify the snake so hospital staff know exactly how to treat the patient."
AAP
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/golfer-hospitalised-after-snake-attack/2007/12/09/1197135274733.html
Inspections urged as six hurt in balcony collapse
Harriet Alexander
December 10, 2007
Killed … Craig Taylor, 53, was crushed under an awning.
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OLD-STYLE terraces in Sydney should be inspected, local authorities and planning experts have warned, after a spate of crumbling buildings killed one person and injured six at the weekend.
Six people were hurt on Saturday night when a balcony on a Surry Hills terrace collapsed, and a man died in Balgowlah on Friday when an awning fell on him during a storm.
The incidents follow the demolition of an Indian takeaway restaurant on Crown Street, Surry Hills after the building began
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/six-hurt-in-surry-hills-balcony-collapse/2007/12/09/1197135289397.html
Millions lost in fierce legal war on the poor
Debra Jopson and Adele Horin
December 10, 2007
AUSTRALIA'S poorest people have been pursued in an unprecedented and aggressive legal campaign over welfare payments - and the workplace relations department is under fire for running up lawyers' bills chasing small amounts of money or cases so weak they never reach court.
The number of cases pushed through the courts by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations has soared almost 20-fold over three years in one court alone, as pension payments are challenged and moves made to recover amounts as low $1300.
In a campaign welfare advocates describe as harsh and punitive, the department has spent millions of dollars taking its social security "customers" to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and then, in some cases, the Federal Court. The department pursues such legal action at a far higher rate than other departments overseeing government pensions.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/millions-lost-in-war-on-the-poor/2007/12/09/1197135289361.html
Earthquake rocks Brazil
December 10, 2007 - 6:06AM
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An earthquake shook two small towns in south-eastern Brazil early on Sunday, killing a child and injuring six other people, civil defence said.
The quake, which hit shortly after midnight local time, had a magnitude of 4.9, according to the US Geological Survey.
About 60 people were evacuated from their homes because of fear that the quake may have caused structural damage, Minas Gerais State Civil Defence Sub-Lieutenant Israel Cabral said by telephone from the state capital of Belo Horizonte.
Five-year-old Jeissiane Oliveira da Silva died when a wall collapsed in the room where she was sleeping with her twin sister, who was hospitalised. Their seven-year-old brother escaped unharmed, Cabral said.
In all, about six house collapsed as a result of the quake, Cabral said.
The region where the quake hit is a poor one and the houses are often precarious structures, Cabral said. Residents in the region have been reporting small tremors over the past two months, local media reported.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/earthquake-rocks-brazil/2007/12/10/1197135315140.html
Shooter opens fire in Christian missionary massacre
December 10, 2007 - 6:06AM
A gunman walked into a dormitory for young Christian missionaries in training in the US state of Colorado early on Sunday and opened fire, killing two people and wounding two others.
The gunman is still missing.
The shooting occurred just after midnight at the Youth With a Mission centre, police spokeswoman Susan Medina said. About 45 people were evacuated from the dormitory in this Denver suburb.
Medina said a man and a woman in their mid-20s died, and two men aged 22 and 23 were wounded.
Paul Filidis, a spokesman for Youth With a Mission, said all four of the victims were staff members. One of the injured men was in critical condition, he said.
Witnesses told police the gunman was a 20-year-old white male, wearing a dark jacket and skull cap. He may have glasses or a beard.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/two-gunned-down-at-christian-mission/2007/12/10/1197135315137.html
US bipartisan group knew of torture
Joby Warrick and Dan Eggen in Washington
December 10, 2007
IN SEPTEMBER 2002, four members of the US Congress met in secret for a first look at a unique CIA program designed to wring vital information from reticent terrorism suspects.
For more than an hour, the bipartisan group, which included the future Democratic House of Representatives Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, was given a virtual tour of the CIA's overseas "detention" sites and the harsh techniques interrogators had devised to try to make their prisoners talk.
Among the techniques described, said two officials present, was waterboarding, a form of simulated drowning that is an extreme and widely condemned practice that a few years later would be condemned as torture by Democrats and some Republicans on Capitol Hill. But on that day, no objections were raised. Instead, at least two politicians in the room asked the CIA to push harder, two officials said.
"The briefer was specifically asked if the methods were tough enough," said a US official who witnessed the exchange.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/us-bipartisan-group-knew-of-torture/2007/12/09/1197135287734.html
New Zealand Herald
Lively bidding at New York rare spirit auction
2:00PM Sunday December 09, 2007
NEW YORK - Rare spirits went for record high prices at Christie's New York auction house on Saturday with one bottle of 1926 Macallan Scotch selling for US$54,000 ($70,486).
It became the most expensive bottle of Scotch whiskey ever sold by the auction house, said Christie's, which has been holding similar sales in Europe for a decade.
Bought by a private New York investor, the Macallan was bottled in 1986 after spending 60 years in a wooden barrel. It had originally been expected to sell from between $20,000 and $30,000.
Richard Brierley, head of wine and spirits sales for Christie's America, was asked at an earlier press briefing if anyone would actually drink such a Scotch.
"Absolutely. Something like this is bullet-proof," he said. "Unlike fine wines, which really after being opened are really something that should be consumed that night."
"These whiskeys can be enjoyed for years. You can open it up, have some, close the bottle and enjoy it again at your leisure. It's not going to spoil," he said.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10481303
Rescuers killed in mine tragedy
5:00AM Sunday December 09, 2007
About 50 people with no rescue training rushed to save colleagues trapped in an underground mine in north China but never resurfaced, resulting in a death toll of more than 100, state media said yesterday.
The bodies of at least 105 people have so far been recovered from the Xinyao mine in Hongtong county in coal-rich Shanxi province, which was hit by an explosion on Wednesday.
Police have detained 33 coal mine managers and officials after they delayed reporting the blast until five hours later. Authorities have also suspended the mine's licence and frozen its bank accounts.
Mine owners tried to launch their own rescue operation, which newspapers said probably increased casualties. Miner Yang Yingcai accused the authorities of attempting to cover up the accident. About 50 young miners and security guards "blindly" rushed to the rescue of their trapped colleagues, but never returned, the Beijing News said.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10481241
Torture videotapes destroyed by CIA
5:00AM Sunday December 09, 2007
American senators and congressmen are pressing for a criminal investigation of the CIA after it admitted destroying two videotapes showing apparently abusive interrogations of al Qaeda suspects in 2005.
The digital recordings apparently show a team of CIA agents subjecting Abu Zubayadh, the agency's first detainee, and another suspect to abusive interrogation. The tapes were apparently destroyed because CIA officers feared prosecution for torture, which is a felony under US law.
"We haven't seen anything like this since the 18-minute gap on the tapes of Richard Nixon," said Senator Edward Kennedy who accused the CIA of "a cover-up". A US expert on torture said he believed the digital recordings show CIA interrogation teams carrying out torture - including waterboarding or partial drowning of al Qaeda suspects, in detention centres not on American soil.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10481217
Window washer clings to life after plummeting off skyscraper
1:20PM Sunday December 09, 2007
NEW YORK - A window washer clung to life Saturday after plummeting more than 40 stories from a skyscraper in a fall that killed his brother.
A scaffold broke free from the top of a Manhattan apartment tower Friday morning, sending Alcides Moreno, 37, and Edgar Moreno, 30, on a plunge to a plaza below.
Edgar was killed. Alcides remained hospitalised at New York Weill Cornell Medical Centre. A spokeswoman Saturday declined to release details on his condition, at the family's request.
The brothers were not wearing their safety harnesses when they fell from the swing scaffold, which was a permanent fixture on the 47-story building's roof.
The city Department of Buildings was investigating several issues in the accident, including whether the men were on the scaffold when it fell or trying to fasten cables to it when the hoist fell off the building.
A call to the City Wide Window Cleaning, which employed the brothers, was not returned Saturday.
- AP
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10481301
Chilling surveillance images show Omaha guman's final minutes
3:46PM Saturday December 08, 2007
'Just think I'm gonna be ... famous,' Robert Hawkins wrote in a note to his parents, before gunning down eight shoppers in cold blood. Photo / AP Images
OMAHA, NEBRASKA - Chilling surveillance images of the gunman who killed eight people in an Omaha department store show a shaggy-haired, bespectacled Robert Hawkins taking aim at holiday shoppers.
His hand-scrawled suicide note, also released Friday, offers compassion for his friends and only contempt for his victims.
"I know everyone will remember me as some sort of monster, but please understand that I just don't want to be a burden on the ones that I care for my entire life," he wrote. "I just want to take a few pieces of (expletive) with me."
The 19-year-old gunman left the note at the suburban house where he lived Wednesday before going to Westroads Mall with an AK-47 and opening fire on the midday holiday shopping crowd, fatally shooting eight people at the Von Maur store before turning the gun on himself.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10481187
Corby associates named as part of drug-ring: report
9:12AM Saturday December 08, 2007
SYDNEY - It's been revealed that four associates of convicted drug smuggler Schapelle Corby were named in a police intelligence report as being part of a ring that transported drugs between Brisbane and Bali - three weeks before she was arrested at Denpasar Airport with cannabis in her boogie board bag.
Fairfax newspapers say a 2004 police intelligence report quotes a witness, Kim Moore, alleging the four people were involved in manufacturing amphetamines in Brisbane that were then transported in powder and tablet form to Bali in a "dark coloured suitcase surrounded by oily paper within a false bottom".
Corby, now 30, and her family have long claimed she was a victim and that her bag was used by drug smugglers. She is serving a 20-year sentence at Kerobokan prison in Bali.
Ms Moore, now 52, made her report to police on September 16, 2004, 22 days before Corby was arrested with cannabis in Bali on October 8.
The report has been obtained by the ABC radio programme PM, Fairfax says.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10481173
Tiger's wife wins payout over fake porn pictures
9:02AM Saturday December 08, 2007
DUBLIN - The wife of the world's number one golfer, Tiger Woods, has won $239,700 in damages against an Irish magazine which published fake porn photos of her during the Ryder Cup.
The Dubliner magazine was forced to make a humble apology to Elin Nordegren Woods for superimposing the Swedish model's face on a picture of a semi-naked woman.
Ms Nordegren Woods is donating all the money to cancer support charities in memory of Irish golfer Darren Clarke's late wife, Heather.
The explicit photographs and article, which was titled Ryder Filth for Dublin, overshadowed the launch of the prestigious tournament at the K Club, Co Kildare, in September 2006.
At Dublin's Circuit Civil Court publisher Trevor White admitted the story was cheap, tasteless and deliberately offensive, and completely untrue.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10481172
Child cancer risk higher near nuclear plants - study
9:29AM Sunday December 09, 2007
BERLIN - A German study has found that young children living near nuclear power plants have a significantly higher risk of developing leukaemia and other forms of cancer, a German newspaper reported on Saturday.
"Our study confirmed that in Germany a connection has been observed between the distance of a domicile to the nearest nuclear power plant .... and the risk of developing cancer, such as leukaemia, before the fifth birthday," Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper quoted the report as saying.
The newspaper said the study was done by the University of Mainz for Germany's Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BFS). A copy of the report was not immediately available.
The researchers found that 37 children within a 5-kilometre radius of nuclear power plants had developed leukaemia between 1980 and 2003, while the statistical average during this time period was 17, the paper said.
The newspaper cited an unnamed radiation protection expert familiar with the study who said its conclusions understated the problem. He said the data showed there was an increased cancer risk for children living within 50km of a reactor.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10481290
Arrest warrant issued for actor Baldwin
8:26AM Sunday December 09, 2007
LOS ANGELES - A judge has revoked probation and issued an arrest warrant for actor Daniel Baldwin after he failed to appear in court for a progress report on his drug rehabilitation stemming from an arrest last year.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Scott Millington issued the warrant after the actor failed to show up in court as scheduled yesterday, according to court papers.
Baldwin, 47, is the brother of actors Alec, William and Stephen Baldwin and has starred on numerous television shows, including Homicide: Life on the Street, and in movies.
He ran afoul of authorities in April 2006 when he was arrested in a Los Angeles-area motel for possessing cocaine and drug paraphernalia.
Baldwin entered a drug rehabilitation programme in hopes of having the two charges dismissed. In February at a hearing on his progress, his attorney said the actor had completed various programmes and was continuing treatment.
Published reports said Baldwin was in Toronto shooting a movie, but that could not be confirmed. His attorney was unable to be reached for comment on Saturday.
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- REUTERS
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10481285
Hollywood screenwriters negotiations breakdown
5:15PM Saturday December 08, 2007
LOS ANGELES - Hollywood producers said negotiations with striking writers broke down after four consecutive days of talks.
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers' announcement Friday came after both sides traded barbs over the five-week strike that has sidelined many prime-time and late-night shows.
The alliance blamed the breakdown on what it called an ongoing union strategy to delay or derail talks.
The Writers Guild of America had no immediate comment.
Earlier in the day, the guild accused the alliance of dragging its heels in putting new proposals on the table and cited possible schemes to sink the talks.
The alliance denied the allegations and claimed the union had failed to respond to proposals regarding key issues of new-media compensation.
- AP
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10481189
Michelangelo find
5:15AM Saturday December 08, 2007
The Vatican said it had discovered a lost drawing by Renaissance master Michelangelo of a design for the dome of St Peter's Basilica.
The Vatican newspaper l'Osservatore Romano said the drawing, done in the spring of 1563 when Michelangelo was 88, was believed to be his last sketch before he died in 1564.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10481081
Peace deal realistic says Blair
5:00AM Saturday December 08, 2007
By Tony Blair
Middle East envoy Tony Blair said yesterday a deal on Palestinian statehood by the end of next year is realistic as life on the Gaza Strip gets more desperate under Israeli sanctions.
Gas stations across Gaza have shut their pumps. Tens of thousands of people have no fresh water.
Hospitals have grounded ambulances, and bicycles are the favoured form of transport a month after Israel restricted fuel shipments to Gaza.
However, former British Prime Minister Blair said in an interview with France24 television: "I think a negotiated settlement is possible in 2008." But "it will take some time for that negotiated settlement to be put in place fully".
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas agreed in Annapolis, Maryland, last week to try to reach a peace treaty creating a Palestinian state by the end of next year, although doubts remain over the plan's viability.
Gaza, though, is a problem for negotiators and under the rule of Hamas, which Israel considers a terrorist group.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10481088
Don't shake hands, Museveni tells Ebola-hit Uganda
9:18AM Sunday December 09, 2007
KAMPALA - Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has urged his people to stop shaking hands to try halt a deadly epidemic of Ebola fever that has infected 101 people and caused 22 deaths, state media reported on Saturday.
"Ebola spreads through contact. For the time being, people should resort to jambo (waving)," Museveni was quoted in the state-owned newspaper New Vision as saying. "If I don't shake your hand, it doesn't mean I don't like you."
On Friday, the government said suspected cases of Ebola - most of them in western Bundibugyo district bordering Democratic Republic of the Congo - had risen to 101. They included two in Kampala, one of them a doctor who died.
Another 338 people were being monitored because they came into contact with those infected by the virulent haemorrhagic fever.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10481289
At least 3 dead in Egypt university stampede
8:36AM Sunday December 09, 2007
CAIRO - At least three people were killed and more than 100 were injured in a stampede caused by an electrical fire in a university in Egypt's Nile Delta town of Zagazig on Saturday, security sources said.
The governor of Sharkia province Yehia Abdel Meguid told Egyptian television three people were killed, but security sources said the death toll could be as high as five.
The sources said students in the local branch of al-Azhar University's women's college panicked after a fire broke out in a packed lecture hall, and a stampede started with hundreds of students trying to exit the hall.
While the fire did not spread, the commotion led to a general panic throughout the college, and security sources said some of the students leapt from second floor windows to escape the building.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10481288
continued...
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Cool for cats - The Masai. The beauty of their land brings people from all over Earth to speculate at a return to Earth's intended biotic nature.
Animal instinct ... the Masai Mara is home to the "big five" and the big cats, including cheetahs.Photo: Lonely Planet Images
...The cheetahs are the cubs of Honey, a female cheetah that shot to fame in the BBC's popular television documentary Big Cat Week. "Honey was a real poser," says Julius, who worked as a wildlife spotter for naturalist Jonathan Scott and the BBC team. "She used to jump onto the bonnets of vehicles and stare into the camera lenses."
The boys were only 10 months old when Honey died, in February this year, in an accident. A vet had been called to treat one of her cubs. The common practice is to dart the mother with a tranquilliser before treating the cub. Unfortunately the dart hit Honey too close to the kidneys. She was revived but died about an hour later.
Mara Conservancy rangers were anxious the cubs might have been too young to survive in the wilderness on their own. Rather than send them to one of the nation's cheetah orphanages, a unit known as Cheetah One, comprising a ranger and vehicle dedicated to looking after the cubs, was given the task of checking on them each day. When they were unsuccessful at hunting, the ranger would shoot a gazelle to keep them going.
A few months down the track, these cheetahs have grown faster and stronger and have taught themselves to hunt successfully. But without the gazelle, they're likely to go hungry today....
Citing virus, groups say zoo should not breed elephants
Hansa plays with her mother, Chai, at Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo in 2001.
Zoos don't have a treatment for herpes when about to give birth? Why not?
Elephant herpes is so pervasive and fatal that it's irresponsible and "ill-conceived" for Woodland Park Zoo keepers to breed once again an elephant who already lost one daughter to the disease, according to several animal-rights groups.
Statistics on the prevalence of the herpes virus in zoo elephants were released Tuesday by In Defense of Animals (IDA) and two local animal-rights groups who called for an immediate end to the breeding of Woodland Park Zoo elephants.
Woodland Park Zoo deputy director Bruce Bohmke said Tuesday that the zoo is committed to its breeding program and could attempt to inseminate Chai as early as January.
He said he believes breeding elephants in captivity increases the species' chances of long-term survival.
Chai, a longtime resident of the Seattle zoo, gave birth to Hansa more than six years ago after several unsuccessful insemination attempts....
Elephant Dies Of Herpes Virus
POSTED: 10:58 am CST December 2, 2007
UPDATED: 11:20 am CST December 2, 2007
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A young elephant died Saturday after being treated for a herpes virus at Springfield's Dickerson Park Zoo.
Elephant keepers Thursday noticed early symptoms of the elephant herpes virus on the calf, Nisha, a 16-month-old Asian elephant. The symptoms included a lesion on the roof of Nisha's mouth and discoloration of her tongue.
Nisha received an aggressive treatment of an anti-viral drug in combination with antibiotics and a drug to reduce swelling.
http://www.kmbc.com/news/14751818/detail.html
Spotlight on Zoo Science
April 1, 2005
Tracking an Elephant Killer
National Zoo scientists are trying to solve the case of a virus that kills elephants.
In 1995, the National Zoo community was devastated by the sudden death of Kumari, the 16-month-old baby Asian elephant, from a previously unidentified disease. National Zoo pathologists Laura Richman and Richard Montali found evidence of a herpesvirus infection. After further investigation, they discovered it was a novel herpes virus that causes a hemorrhagic (bleeding) disease in elephants.
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/ConservationAndScience/SpotlightOnScience/elephantvirus.cfm
Morning Papers - continued...
Zoos
Out of the jungle and into the zoo
Anna is set to buy a Pembrokeshire pad
After spending 16 days in the Australian jungle, Anna Ryder Richardson is set to move into her own zoo in St Florence, Tenby.
The I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! star is reported to be buying The Manor House wild animal park, which is home to a range of exotic animals and a historic 18th century house.
The 45-acre zoo is one of the oldest tourist attractions in the county, and was run by Jo and Clive Williams for 26 years.
Following the death of her husband two years ago, Jo decided to retire from the business.
Great-grandmother Jo said: "I will be sad to leave, and I will miss all the animals. It will be a big change, it's been my life for the past 26 years."
"I have nine grandchildren who all adored it there, and Clive and I were there every day."
http://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/latest/display.var.1890232.0.out_of_the_jungle_and_into_the_zoo.php
FOR LEOPARD LOVERS New York business can be a jungle. Now one of its denizens, the billionaire developer Leonard N. Stern, is helping to create a real animal habitat in the heart of Manhattan.
Mr. Stern, the chairman and chief executive of the Hartz Group, a company with roots in the pet food industry, and his wife have ponied up $7 million to the Wildlife Conservation Society. Some of the gift will go toward a $10.8 million snow leopard exhibit at the Central Park Zoo, which is operated by the conservation society. The exhibit, expected to open in 2009, will showcase the endangered cats and the role of the conservation society in protecting them from extinction.
Mr. Stern's wife, Allison Maher Stern, is a longtime trustee of the Wildlife Conservation Society and is its vice chairman. When it came time to name the exhibit, Mr. Stern, whose name has already been used on the business school at New York University, decided that this was an occasion to honor his cat-loving wife.
''I've never had anything named after me, so yea,'' Mrs. Stern said at a groundbreaking ceremony late last month for the Allison Maher Stern Snow Leopard Exhibit.LOUISE KRAMER
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D03EFDC1E30F937A35752C1A9619C8B63
3 baby flamingos get tender loving care at Detroit Zoo
Toys and piped-in chirps to help chicks survive
December 9, 2007
BY FRANK WITSIL
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
Twice before, Bonnie Van Dam has hoped that flamingo hatchings would save the Detroit Zoo's aging -- and thinning -- flock.
This time, the third, may just work.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071209/NEWS05/712090603/1039/ENT04
Breakfast at zoo offers Santa, snakes
By Peter Harriman
pharrima@argusleader.com
PUBLISHED: December 9, 2007
Nothing said Christmas like a Burmese python and Mrs. South Dakota doing reindeer crafts - at the Great Plains Zoo and Delbridge Museum of Natural History, at any rate.
The snake and Jill TenHaken were popular attractions at the zoo's annual Breakfast with Santa, rivaled only by Santa Claus himself.
By midmorning Saturday, more than 400 people had taken advantage of the chance to have breakfast in the museum's Great Room, to listen to strolling Victorian carolers, to pet hands-on zoo exhibits such as the snake, do crafts, visit Santa, tour the museum and brave single-digit cold for a wagon ride around the zoo grounds.
Most of the zoo animals waited out the morning cold in their quarters, although a pronghorn antelope stood stolidly in its enclosure, looking like it was trying to organize its thoughts in the frigid weather, and badly in need of a hot cup of coffee.
Jennifer Dolan, the zoo's special events coordinator, and Trevor Guthmiller, marketing director, were presiding over their first Breakfast with Santa. So while the number of visitors impressed them, they had nothing to compare it to.
http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071209/NEWS/712090332/1001
Electrical problem starts fire at Nay Aug Park zoo
ERIN NISSLEY
STAFF WRITER
12/09/2007
Scranton firefighters responded to the Genesis Wildlife Center at Nay Aug Park Saturday afternoon and put out a small fire caused by an electrical problem, according to Acting Assistant Fire Chief Larry Mulrine.
Electrical wires near a utility pole caught fire just above the roof of the zoo’s building at about 4:50 p.m., Assistant Chief Mulrine said. PPL Electric had been working on the lines Friday in an attempt to correct an unknown problem in the same spot.
Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze using dry chemicals. There was no damage to the building and none of the animals were harmed, Assistant Chief Mulrine said.
Contact the writer: enissley@timesshamrock.com
http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19098956&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=415898&rfi=6
San Diego Zoo Coordinates Antelope Repatriation
Written by Imperial Valley News
Saturday, 08 December 2007
San Diego, California - Two of Africa's largest antelope species, the addax and the scimitar-horned oryx, face a silent extinction as catastrophic declines due to unsustainable hunting, habitat loss and competition with livestock have wiped out these North African species, but a coalition of zoos is fighting back. This week the San Diego Zoo and European zoos moved 22 zoo-born animals for repatriation in Tunisia, arriving safely Friday (Dec. 7).
With approximately 1,400 scimitar horned oryx and more than 600 addax in zoological institutions globally, the Saharan Conservation Fund, formed by a group of international zoos and conservation-minded organizations, joined forces with the Tunisian government to reestablish the scimitar-horned oryx and the addax to a portion of their former home range.
"North Africa has been badly ignored from a conservation stand point for some time," said Carmi Penny, San Diego Zoo curator of mammals. "Wildlife has quietly and steadily deteriorated towards extinction. This effort closes the circle from when animals were brought to zoos in order to educate the public about conservation to the present when animals need our help in restoring them to their native lands."
Nine scimitar-horned oryx, five males and four females, will be sent to the Dghoumes National Park while 13 addax, four males and nine females, from U.S. and European zoos will be sent to the Djebil National Park. In 2006, the animals were moved to the San Diego Zoo as a staging location for United States wildlife parks including the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park, St. Louis Zoo, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, The Living Desert, Iron Mountain Ranch Reserve, The Wilds, the Kansas City Zoo, Bamberger Ranch Reserve and the Smithsonian National Zoological Park Conservation and Research Center.
http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=451&Itemid=1
Camel Deaths Alarm Yanbu Livestock Owners
Muhammad Al-Homaid, Arab News
Nearly 20 camels have perished in Yanbu after eating contaminated fodder. (AN photo)
YANBU, 9 December 2007 — Over 20 camels have died in Yanbu recently after eating contaminated fodder, said livestock owners. They complained that the Ministry of Agriculture has failed to deploy vets to deal with the problem.
“Five of my camels died after eating fodder I purchased last Sunday from the Yanbu fodder market. The fodder was sold at a comparatively low price,” said Nayer Al-Refaie, a livestock owner.
He added that 20 of his camels were fed with the contaminated fodder and that after their health worsened, he began feeding them other stuff. “However, it didn’t make a difference. The camels’ health worsened,” he said.
“So I went to the Ministry of Agriculture and tried to get a vet to check on my herd. However, I was told that there was no veterinary doctor,” he added.
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=104434&d=9&m=12&y=2007
Zoo runs wild with expansion plans
By Zachary K. Johnson
Record Staff Writer
November 26, 2007 6:00 AM
LODI - Families have gawked at the wild and unfamiliar at Micke Grove Zoo for more than 50 years.
The decades took their toll on the zoo's older facilities, but officials say existing plans are moving forward and even more plans are on the way to map out the future as the zoo grows to five times its current size.
The map for the zoo's long-term future is about to be drawn. Last month, the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors approved a $150,000 contract with WDM Architects, based in Wichita, Kan., to manage the project.
Currently on 2.5 acres, the zoo is planned to grow to 15 acres, said Ken Nieland, the zoo's director. The long-term plan will determine what is going to fill that new space, based on what the community wants and what it can support, he said.
"We want to have lots and lots of public input," he said. The first meeting to set the process to create the plan will be in December.
By March, the zoo's general plan should be complete, Nieland said.
Much is about to happen on the existing 2.5 acres, too, he said.
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071126/A_NEWS/711260315&emailAFriend=1
Oil spill in Yellow Sea
8:31AM Sunday December 09, 2007
A tanker holed by a barge has spilled more than 10,000 tonnes of crude oil into the Yellow Sea in what officials say is South Korea's worst oil spill.
Authorities are battling to contain the oil inside a boom eight kilometres long, to prevent it damaging the coastline, as a fleet of 28 ships scatters dispersant chemicals. Officials are worried about a huge ecological disaster.
The Hong Kong registered tanker, carrying about 15,000 tonnes of oil, was berthed off the coast near Seoul when it was pierced in three places.
- NEWSTALK ZB
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10481287
Asses at a premium
5:00AM Sunday December 09, 2007
Prices for working donkeys in Gaza have risen by up to 60 per cent to as much as 600 dinars since Israel closed off the enclave after Hamas's enforced takeover of the strip almost six months ago.
Donkey feed has also gone up, from five to 15 shekels ($5), a day since June.
Saber Dabour is among those who intend to sell their cars and buy a donkey instead. He intends to use a donkey and cart to sell cucumbers, onions and other vegetables door to door.
"There are no jobs here, so I am going to create my own work," he said. Pointing out that vehicle spare parts have dried up since the closure, Dabour added: "A donkey doesn't need tyres, it doesn't need spare parts, and it doesn't need petrol."
A reduction in fuel supplies from Israel into Gaza - declared a "hostile entity" by the Israeli cabinet in September in response to continued Qassam rocket fire - has quickened demand for donkeys, as has the closure of petrol stations for several days.
- Independent
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10481234
Two teenagers arrested over police dog stabbing
December 9, 2007 - 3:13PM
Carts, a police dog named after a constable who was killed in an off-duty attack, has been stabbed to death following a break-in at a NSW Surf Club.
Two 18-year-old men have been charged with aggravated break and enter and theft following a break-in at the Corrimal Surf Club about 3am today, and one of them is being questioned about the death of Carts.
When police were called to the club because of intruders they saw two men with a surf club motorcycle. The men ran when they were spotted, police said.
One offender stopped after police called out and the police dog, Carts, chased the second man into nearby bushes. The dog was stabbed with a sharp implement, police said.
He died from his wounds in a veterinary hospital.
The German Shepherd dog, was named Carts after police officer David Carty.
The 25-year-old constable was bashed and stabbed to death in an off-duty incident in Sydney's southwest in 1997.
Today one of teenagers charged over the surf club break-in was granted conditional bail and will appear in Wollongong Local Court on January 16.
The second man remains in custody and is being interviewed in connection to the death of Carts.
AAP
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/two-teenagers-arrested-over-police-dog-stabbing/2007/12/09/1197135270551.html
Dated:
Wgtn Zoo defends cheetah experience
Oct 26, 2006 3:27 PM
Wellington Zoo officials are dismissing claims their programme allowing cheetahs out to attend public functions is dangerous.
For $2,500 people can have the zoo's two adult cheetahs, with trainers, at their function for around 40 minutes.
The zoo's copped criticism from animal rights groups, and now two Dutch zoos have condemned the programme, calling it dangerous and uneducational.
Wellington Zoo's acting CEO Mauritz Basson says cheetahs are timid animals, posing little threat to humans.
He says several other top zoos around the world allow their cheetahs out, including San Diego, Taronga Zoo in Sydney and Melbourne Zoo.
Basson says getting people involved with the animals first-hand is the best way to teach them about conservation.
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/488120/871003
Bill to Better Regulate "Roadside" Zoos
Oct, 23 2006 - 7:40 PM
A Ontario Liberal backbencher wants the province's small zoos to be better regulated and is introducing a private member's bill to make that a reality.
Toronto MPP David Zimmer is introducing the bill to bring in minimum standards for the estimated 50 small ``roadside' zoos in Ontario.
Melissa Tkachyk of the World Society for the Protection of Animals, says investigations have found animals living in filthy conditions in Ontario's zoos.
While some groups say regulation is long overdue, some small zoo owners say the legislation is unnecessary and fuelled by fear-mongering animal-rights activists.
- AM 640 Toronto 24 Hour Newscentre
http://www.640toronto.com/news/metro.cfm?cat=7428109912&rem=50493&red=80110923aPBIny&wids=410&gi=1&gm=metro.cfm
Thu, 26 Oct 2006
Edinburgh on a low (carbon) budget
We had another trip up to the Scottish capital to visit my sister this month. We chose to go by train because it's not too expensive, quick and not too stressful. It's also the greenest option. You have to know what you are doing when buying tickets as there are various options. Having a Family Railcard saves a lot for us. We used the GNER Mallard service. The new trains are comfortable and have mains power plus wifi. I didn't use either of those this time. Our audio players managed on battery and I still don't have wifi capability. Even if I did I would really have to need it. Considering that you have to pay a fair bit just to be sitting on the train I would think they could make the wifi cheaper. You have to pay a minimum of �3 for a half hour. Of course, first class passengers get it 'free'.
For most of our stay in Edinburgh we used the buses. It cost around �6 for a day ticket for 2 adults and a child, but we only made a couple of trips each time. It can be confusing to work out what tickets to get and which routes to use, but that applies in most cities. We were lucky to have someone with local knowledge.
We visited the zoo. It's generally a good one, but some of the larger animals, e.g. polar bear and tiger, could do with a lot more space. The tiger was pacing at the back of it's cage, others were just sleeping. I have mixed feelings about zoos, but most of the big ones are pretty active in breeding programmes. We can hope that seeing the animals will encourage people to think more about what we are doing to the planet, but I expect some just go to see something new. They had some good activities to keep the kids amused.
http://www.bagofspoons.net/cgi-bin/pyblosxom.cgi/Travel/20061026edinburgh.html
Friday, October 27, 2006
Ocelot born at Oregon Zoo
Oregon Zoo - The "darling little guy" is healthy, and mom, though she killed her first offspring, is "doing a great job"
RICHARD L. HILL
The Oregonian
Friday, October 27, 2006
An ocelot couple named Ralph and Alice apparently felt right at home after arriving at the Oregon Zoo last April. Within weeks, Alice was pregnant.
On Thursday, officials announced that Alice had delivered the zoo's first ocelot kitten six weeks ago.
They only had glimpses of the baby, a male, and didn't want to announce the birth until they could determine it was healthy. The protective mother kept the baby partially hidden in her den until last week, when veterinarians were able to do an exam.
After a series of vaccinations, the kitten, now two pounds and healthy, will make his first public appearance in January.
http://bigcatnews.blogspot.com/2006/10/ocelot-born-at-oregon-zoo.html
Chiquita reaches banana deal with Panama producers
Saturday, December 08 2007 @ 05:13 PM EST
Contributed by: Don Winner
Views: 18
PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - Chiquita Brands International Inc has reached a deal with Panamanian farmers after a protracted dispute that will ensure banana supply until 2008, Panama said on Thursday. The agriculture ministry said Panama's main banana producing cooperative, Coosemupar, had agreed to sell Chiquita a 19.2 kg box for $6.50, a one dollar increase on the current contract. Chiquita sold Puerto Armuelles Fruit Co to Coosemupar in 2003 and since then has had tempestuous relations with the cooperative. The bananas Chiquita buys from Panama account for about 5 percent of its total in Latin America. (more).
Coosemupar had suspended deliveries to the company during the negotiations and in November gave away about 20,000 bananas in Panama City in protest against the price Chiquita was offering.
Panama produced 440,000 tonnes of bananas in 2006, according to United Nations figures. (Reporting by Andrew Beatty; Editing by Toni Reinhold)
http://www.panama-guide.com/article.php/20071208171334993
Saturday, October 28, 2006
The yellowing of cottonwood, willows, and salt cedar along the Rio Grande signals the advance of fall here on the Armendaris ranch. We have recently been joined by Michelle Schireman, the AZA (American Association of Zoos and Aquariums) puma population manager and full time zoo keeper at the Oregon Zoo. Michelle and I co-authored a successful grant proposal to the Oregon Zoo Future for Wildlife Fund. The resulting funding has purchased a GPS collar for the project as well as provided time for Michelle to assist in the work here on the Armendaris. In the photo above Michelle is looking for one of our radio collared ewes. A link to the Oregon Zoo has been added to the sidebar.
http://furmancougar.blogspot.com/2006/10/yellowing-of-cottonwood-willows-and_28.html
Halloween Hoot more about learning
By LORI INGHAM
Staff Writer
lingham@citizen.com
Article Date: Monday, October 30, 2006
Kevin Sperl/Staff Photo THE SQUAM LAKES Science Center held its annual Halloween Hoot 'N Howl event over the weekend, promising an 'eerily entertaining and educational evening'.
HOLDERNESS — At the Squam Lakes Science Center annual Hoot 'N Howl, the bumps in the night were more likely to be those of the surrounding animals than of ghosts and goblins. But the goal wasn't to scare, but to educate those who came through about nature in an entertaining way.
In its 40th year, the center has recently been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, of which there are only 200 in the U.S. to have the credentials, according to marketing manager Tiffany Teaford.
http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061030/CITIZEN_01/110300126/-1/CITIZEN
Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act
Back from vacation and just as outraged as before. The IFAW sent this email, emphasis mine:
Your First Amendment rights to speak out to protect animals are under attack. When the House of Representatives returns to Washington in two weeks they will be debating an extremely dangerous bill that will give jail time and fines for any action that can be linked to a loss of profit to any company classified as an "animal enterprise". This includes anyone who produces or distributes animals or products from animals, animal entertainment (including rodeos, circuses, zoos or aquariums), research facilities, pet stores and even animal fighting.
Under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA), legal activities such as peaceful protests, consumer boycotts, media campaigns, legislative proposals, or even telling the public what happens in puppy mills, factory farms, or canned hunting facilities, could be classified as acts of terrorism.
http://bigfatliberal.blogspot.com/2006/10/animal-enterprise-terrorism-act.html
October 31, 2006
A trip to Salzburg's zoo
On Saturday we made our way to Hellbrun to visit Salzburg's zoo. It is around a 3km walk from Neideralm to the zoo, and annoyingly enough for us as soon as we set out the light drizzle turned into a pretty persistent rain. That meant we arrived pretty bedraggled.
The zoo is huddled under a rocky outcrop, and our first impression from the outside was that it wasn't very big. We piad €8 each to get in, and then rushed straight past the animals to get to the restaurant so we could dry off a bit and have a cup of coffee. Fortunately the rain eased off a bit after a while, and so we then ventured out.
The first animals to really catch our eye were some ridiculous llama type creatures. They had these long fringes that looked like they had been cut to imitate a 60s Beatles bowl cut, which seemed to completely obscure their vision. They also had incredibly bucked teeth. The overall impression made them look really stupid, and we watched them, laughing, for ages.
http://lemontree.typepad.com/a_lemon_tree_of_our_own/2006/10/a_trip_to_salzb.html
Animal Planet Wants You To ROAR
Written by Joan Hunt
Published October 31, 2006
I caught the new Animal Planet commercial the other night. You know, the one asking viewers to ROAR — "Reach Out. Act. Respond."
Stars from many of the channel's hit shows pitch the difference one person can make when it comes to helping animals and saving habitat.
Almost two months after the death of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, the man who launched Animal Planet to unimagined heights, it's as if his words, his mission are now part of a massive campaign to improve the lives of animals and, ultimately, ourselves. Were he still with us, he'd have led the pack on the commercial.
Animal Planet is partnering with leading animal organizations to inspire people like you to make the world a better place for animals. Together, we have the power to improve the lives of animals in our communities and in the wild. Simple things like volunteering at a local shelter, spreading the word about conservation, supporting a favorite animal cause or walking an elderly person's dog can make a difference. Even the smallest act has an impact. Join us in our passion to help animals.
While this new endeavor may well have been in the works long before Irwin's death, the actual commercial seems to echo his philosophy with stunning clarity. Not that this is a bad thing, mind you. Efforts to protect our natural world benefit us as much as they do the animals.
http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/10/31/135041.php
Aquarium Admissions Are Free on Veterans Day
Raleigh – The North Carolina Aquariums will waive their usual admission fees for all visitors on Veterans Day, Saturday, Nov. 11, 2006.
Veterans Day is one of two days reserved each year for the public to visit the aquariums without an admission charge. The other "free day" is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The no-charge tradition began in 1994.
"Setting these days aside as free days guarantees that everyone, regardless of financial ability, can enjoy the aquariums," said David Griffin, director of the North Carolina Aquariums Division. "We include Veterans Day to show appreciation for the contributions of our military service veterans."
Usual admission fees at the aquariums are $8 for adults, $7 seniors (62 and over); $6 for ages 6-17. Admission is free to children under six and to all North Carolina schoolchildren who visit in pre-registered groups.
http://www.topsail-island.info/wordpress/index.php/aquarium-admissions-are-free-on-veterans-day/
Elephants go on show at Taronga Zoo
November 2, 2006 - 5:44PM
Four Asian elephants will go on show at Sydney's Taronga Zoo for the first time on Friday after a two-year battle with animal rights activists.
Campaigners launched a series of protests and legal challenges in a bid to stop the elephants coming from Thailand to Australia, arguing it was cruel to keep them in zoos.
But, after months of delays, the four female elephants were flown into Sydney Airport on Thursday morning from Cocos Islands, in the Indian Ocean, where they had been quarantined.
The zoo's director, Guy Cooper, said the animals had coped with their 14-hour flight and road trip extremely well and already were settling in.
Another four elephants - a male also destined for Taronga and three females bound for Melbourne Zoo - will arrive in Australia this weekend.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Elephants-go-on-show-at-Taronga-Zoo/2006/11/02/1162339978470.html
continued...
Out of the jungle and into the zoo
Anna is set to buy a Pembrokeshire pad
After spending 16 days in the Australian jungle, Anna Ryder Richardson is set to move into her own zoo in St Florence, Tenby.
The I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! star is reported to be buying The Manor House wild animal park, which is home to a range of exotic animals and a historic 18th century house.
The 45-acre zoo is one of the oldest tourist attractions in the county, and was run by Jo and Clive Williams for 26 years.
Following the death of her husband two years ago, Jo decided to retire from the business.
Great-grandmother Jo said: "I will be sad to leave, and I will miss all the animals. It will be a big change, it's been my life for the past 26 years."
"I have nine grandchildren who all adored it there, and Clive and I were there every day."
http://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/latest/display.var.1890232.0.out_of_the_jungle_and_into_the_zoo.php
FOR LEOPARD LOVERS New York business can be a jungle. Now one of its denizens, the billionaire developer Leonard N. Stern, is helping to create a real animal habitat in the heart of Manhattan.
Mr. Stern, the chairman and chief executive of the Hartz Group, a company with roots in the pet food industry, and his wife have ponied up $7 million to the Wildlife Conservation Society. Some of the gift will go toward a $10.8 million snow leopard exhibit at the Central Park Zoo, which is operated by the conservation society. The exhibit, expected to open in 2009, will showcase the endangered cats and the role of the conservation society in protecting them from extinction.
Mr. Stern's wife, Allison Maher Stern, is a longtime trustee of the Wildlife Conservation Society and is its vice chairman. When it came time to name the exhibit, Mr. Stern, whose name has already been used on the business school at New York University, decided that this was an occasion to honor his cat-loving wife.
''I've never had anything named after me, so yea,'' Mrs. Stern said at a groundbreaking ceremony late last month for the Allison Maher Stern Snow Leopard Exhibit.LOUISE KRAMER
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D03EFDC1E30F937A35752C1A9619C8B63
3 baby flamingos get tender loving care at Detroit Zoo
Toys and piped-in chirps to help chicks survive
December 9, 2007
BY FRANK WITSIL
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
Twice before, Bonnie Van Dam has hoped that flamingo hatchings would save the Detroit Zoo's aging -- and thinning -- flock.
This time, the third, may just work.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071209/NEWS05/712090603/1039/ENT04
Breakfast at zoo offers Santa, snakes
By Peter Harriman
pharrima@argusleader.com
PUBLISHED: December 9, 2007
Nothing said Christmas like a Burmese python and Mrs. South Dakota doing reindeer crafts - at the Great Plains Zoo and Delbridge Museum of Natural History, at any rate.
The snake and Jill TenHaken were popular attractions at the zoo's annual Breakfast with Santa, rivaled only by Santa Claus himself.
By midmorning Saturday, more than 400 people had taken advantage of the chance to have breakfast in the museum's Great Room, to listen to strolling Victorian carolers, to pet hands-on zoo exhibits such as the snake, do crafts, visit Santa, tour the museum and brave single-digit cold for a wagon ride around the zoo grounds.
Most of the zoo animals waited out the morning cold in their quarters, although a pronghorn antelope stood stolidly in its enclosure, looking like it was trying to organize its thoughts in the frigid weather, and badly in need of a hot cup of coffee.
Jennifer Dolan, the zoo's special events coordinator, and Trevor Guthmiller, marketing director, were presiding over their first Breakfast with Santa. So while the number of visitors impressed them, they had nothing to compare it to.
http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071209/NEWS/712090332/1001
Electrical problem starts fire at Nay Aug Park zoo
ERIN NISSLEY
STAFF WRITER
12/09/2007
Scranton firefighters responded to the Genesis Wildlife Center at Nay Aug Park Saturday afternoon and put out a small fire caused by an electrical problem, according to Acting Assistant Fire Chief Larry Mulrine.
Electrical wires near a utility pole caught fire just above the roof of the zoo’s building at about 4:50 p.m., Assistant Chief Mulrine said. PPL Electric had been working on the lines Friday in an attempt to correct an unknown problem in the same spot.
Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze using dry chemicals. There was no damage to the building and none of the animals were harmed, Assistant Chief Mulrine said.
Contact the writer: enissley@timesshamrock.com
http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19098956&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=415898&rfi=6
San Diego Zoo Coordinates Antelope Repatriation
Written by Imperial Valley News
Saturday, 08 December 2007
San Diego, California - Two of Africa's largest antelope species, the addax and the scimitar-horned oryx, face a silent extinction as catastrophic declines due to unsustainable hunting, habitat loss and competition with livestock have wiped out these North African species, but a coalition of zoos is fighting back. This week the San Diego Zoo and European zoos moved 22 zoo-born animals for repatriation in Tunisia, arriving safely Friday (Dec. 7).
With approximately 1,400 scimitar horned oryx and more than 600 addax in zoological institutions globally, the Saharan Conservation Fund, formed by a group of international zoos and conservation-minded organizations, joined forces with the Tunisian government to reestablish the scimitar-horned oryx and the addax to a portion of their former home range.
"North Africa has been badly ignored from a conservation stand point for some time," said Carmi Penny, San Diego Zoo curator of mammals. "Wildlife has quietly and steadily deteriorated towards extinction. This effort closes the circle from when animals were brought to zoos in order to educate the public about conservation to the present when animals need our help in restoring them to their native lands."
Nine scimitar-horned oryx, five males and four females, will be sent to the Dghoumes National Park while 13 addax, four males and nine females, from U.S. and European zoos will be sent to the Djebil National Park. In 2006, the animals were moved to the San Diego Zoo as a staging location for United States wildlife parks including the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park, St. Louis Zoo, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, The Living Desert, Iron Mountain Ranch Reserve, The Wilds, the Kansas City Zoo, Bamberger Ranch Reserve and the Smithsonian National Zoological Park Conservation and Research Center.
http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=451&Itemid=1
Camel Deaths Alarm Yanbu Livestock Owners
Muhammad Al-Homaid, Arab News
Nearly 20 camels have perished in Yanbu after eating contaminated fodder. (AN photo)
YANBU, 9 December 2007 — Over 20 camels have died in Yanbu recently after eating contaminated fodder, said livestock owners. They complained that the Ministry of Agriculture has failed to deploy vets to deal with the problem.
“Five of my camels died after eating fodder I purchased last Sunday from the Yanbu fodder market. The fodder was sold at a comparatively low price,” said Nayer Al-Refaie, a livestock owner.
He added that 20 of his camels were fed with the contaminated fodder and that after their health worsened, he began feeding them other stuff. “However, it didn’t make a difference. The camels’ health worsened,” he said.
“So I went to the Ministry of Agriculture and tried to get a vet to check on my herd. However, I was told that there was no veterinary doctor,” he added.
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=104434&d=9&m=12&y=2007
Zoo runs wild with expansion plans
By Zachary K. Johnson
Record Staff Writer
November 26, 2007 6:00 AM
LODI - Families have gawked at the wild and unfamiliar at Micke Grove Zoo for more than 50 years.
The decades took their toll on the zoo's older facilities, but officials say existing plans are moving forward and even more plans are on the way to map out the future as the zoo grows to five times its current size.
The map for the zoo's long-term future is about to be drawn. Last month, the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors approved a $150,000 contract with WDM Architects, based in Wichita, Kan., to manage the project.
Currently on 2.5 acres, the zoo is planned to grow to 15 acres, said Ken Nieland, the zoo's director. The long-term plan will determine what is going to fill that new space, based on what the community wants and what it can support, he said.
"We want to have lots and lots of public input," he said. The first meeting to set the process to create the plan will be in December.
By March, the zoo's general plan should be complete, Nieland said.
Much is about to happen on the existing 2.5 acres, too, he said.
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071126/A_NEWS/711260315&emailAFriend=1
Oil spill in Yellow Sea
8:31AM Sunday December 09, 2007
A tanker holed by a barge has spilled more than 10,000 tonnes of crude oil into the Yellow Sea in what officials say is South Korea's worst oil spill.
Authorities are battling to contain the oil inside a boom eight kilometres long, to prevent it damaging the coastline, as a fleet of 28 ships scatters dispersant chemicals. Officials are worried about a huge ecological disaster.
The Hong Kong registered tanker, carrying about 15,000 tonnes of oil, was berthed off the coast near Seoul when it was pierced in three places.
- NEWSTALK ZB
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10481287
Asses at a premium
5:00AM Sunday December 09, 2007
Prices for working donkeys in Gaza have risen by up to 60 per cent to as much as 600 dinars since Israel closed off the enclave after Hamas's enforced takeover of the strip almost six months ago.
Donkey feed has also gone up, from five to 15 shekels ($5), a day since June.
Saber Dabour is among those who intend to sell their cars and buy a donkey instead. He intends to use a donkey and cart to sell cucumbers, onions and other vegetables door to door.
"There are no jobs here, so I am going to create my own work," he said. Pointing out that vehicle spare parts have dried up since the closure, Dabour added: "A donkey doesn't need tyres, it doesn't need spare parts, and it doesn't need petrol."
A reduction in fuel supplies from Israel into Gaza - declared a "hostile entity" by the Israeli cabinet in September in response to continued Qassam rocket fire - has quickened demand for donkeys, as has the closure of petrol stations for several days.
- Independent
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10481234
Two teenagers arrested over police dog stabbing
December 9, 2007 - 3:13PM
Carts, a police dog named after a constable who was killed in an off-duty attack, has been stabbed to death following a break-in at a NSW Surf Club.
Two 18-year-old men have been charged with aggravated break and enter and theft following a break-in at the Corrimal Surf Club about 3am today, and one of them is being questioned about the death of Carts.
When police were called to the club because of intruders they saw two men with a surf club motorcycle. The men ran when they were spotted, police said.
One offender stopped after police called out and the police dog, Carts, chased the second man into nearby bushes. The dog was stabbed with a sharp implement, police said.
He died from his wounds in a veterinary hospital.
The German Shepherd dog, was named Carts after police officer David Carty.
The 25-year-old constable was bashed and stabbed to death in an off-duty incident in Sydney's southwest in 1997.
Today one of teenagers charged over the surf club break-in was granted conditional bail and will appear in Wollongong Local Court on January 16.
The second man remains in custody and is being interviewed in connection to the death of Carts.
AAP
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/two-teenagers-arrested-over-police-dog-stabbing/2007/12/09/1197135270551.html
Dated:
Wgtn Zoo defends cheetah experience
Oct 26, 2006 3:27 PM
Wellington Zoo officials are dismissing claims their programme allowing cheetahs out to attend public functions is dangerous.
For $2,500 people can have the zoo's two adult cheetahs, with trainers, at their function for around 40 minutes.
The zoo's copped criticism from animal rights groups, and now two Dutch zoos have condemned the programme, calling it dangerous and uneducational.
Wellington Zoo's acting CEO Mauritz Basson says cheetahs are timid animals, posing little threat to humans.
He says several other top zoos around the world allow their cheetahs out, including San Diego, Taronga Zoo in Sydney and Melbourne Zoo.
Basson says getting people involved with the animals first-hand is the best way to teach them about conservation.
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/488120/871003
Bill to Better Regulate "Roadside" Zoos
Oct, 23 2006 - 7:40 PM
A Ontario Liberal backbencher wants the province's small zoos to be better regulated and is introducing a private member's bill to make that a reality.
Toronto MPP David Zimmer is introducing the bill to bring in minimum standards for the estimated 50 small ``roadside' zoos in Ontario.
Melissa Tkachyk of the World Society for the Protection of Animals, says investigations have found animals living in filthy conditions in Ontario's zoos.
While some groups say regulation is long overdue, some small zoo owners say the legislation is unnecessary and fuelled by fear-mongering animal-rights activists.
- AM 640 Toronto 24 Hour Newscentre
http://www.640toronto.com/news/metro.cfm?cat=7428109912&rem=50493&red=80110923aPBIny&wids=410&gi=1&gm=metro.cfm
Thu, 26 Oct 2006
Edinburgh on a low (carbon) budget
We had another trip up to the Scottish capital to visit my sister this month. We chose to go by train because it's not too expensive, quick and not too stressful. It's also the greenest option. You have to know what you are doing when buying tickets as there are various options. Having a Family Railcard saves a lot for us. We used the GNER Mallard service. The new trains are comfortable and have mains power plus wifi. I didn't use either of those this time. Our audio players managed on battery and I still don't have wifi capability. Even if I did I would really have to need it. Considering that you have to pay a fair bit just to be sitting on the train I would think they could make the wifi cheaper. You have to pay a minimum of �3 for a half hour. Of course, first class passengers get it 'free'.
For most of our stay in Edinburgh we used the buses. It cost around �6 for a day ticket for 2 adults and a child, but we only made a couple of trips each time. It can be confusing to work out what tickets to get and which routes to use, but that applies in most cities. We were lucky to have someone with local knowledge.
We visited the zoo. It's generally a good one, but some of the larger animals, e.g. polar bear and tiger, could do with a lot more space. The tiger was pacing at the back of it's cage, others were just sleeping. I have mixed feelings about zoos, but most of the big ones are pretty active in breeding programmes. We can hope that seeing the animals will encourage people to think more about what we are doing to the planet, but I expect some just go to see something new. They had some good activities to keep the kids amused.
http://www.bagofspoons.net/cgi-bin/pyblosxom.cgi/Travel/20061026edinburgh.html
Friday, October 27, 2006
Ocelot born at Oregon Zoo
Oregon Zoo - The "darling little guy" is healthy, and mom, though she killed her first offspring, is "doing a great job"
RICHARD L. HILL
The Oregonian
Friday, October 27, 2006
An ocelot couple named Ralph and Alice apparently felt right at home after arriving at the Oregon Zoo last April. Within weeks, Alice was pregnant.
On Thursday, officials announced that Alice had delivered the zoo's first ocelot kitten six weeks ago.
They only had glimpses of the baby, a male, and didn't want to announce the birth until they could determine it was healthy. The protective mother kept the baby partially hidden in her den until last week, when veterinarians were able to do an exam.
After a series of vaccinations, the kitten, now two pounds and healthy, will make his first public appearance in January.
http://bigcatnews.blogspot.com/2006/10/ocelot-born-at-oregon-zoo.html
Chiquita reaches banana deal with Panama producers
Saturday, December 08 2007 @ 05:13 PM EST
Contributed by: Don Winner
Views: 18
PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - Chiquita Brands International Inc has reached a deal with Panamanian farmers after a protracted dispute that will ensure banana supply until 2008, Panama said on Thursday. The agriculture ministry said Panama's main banana producing cooperative, Coosemupar, had agreed to sell Chiquita a 19.2 kg box for $6.50, a one dollar increase on the current contract. Chiquita sold Puerto Armuelles Fruit Co to Coosemupar in 2003 and since then has had tempestuous relations with the cooperative. The bananas Chiquita buys from Panama account for about 5 percent of its total in Latin America. (more).
Coosemupar had suspended deliveries to the company during the negotiations and in November gave away about 20,000 bananas in Panama City in protest against the price Chiquita was offering.
Panama produced 440,000 tonnes of bananas in 2006, according to United Nations figures. (Reporting by Andrew Beatty; Editing by Toni Reinhold)
http://www.panama-guide.com/article.php/20071208171334993
Saturday, October 28, 2006
The yellowing of cottonwood, willows, and salt cedar along the Rio Grande signals the advance of fall here on the Armendaris ranch. We have recently been joined by Michelle Schireman, the AZA (American Association of Zoos and Aquariums) puma population manager and full time zoo keeper at the Oregon Zoo. Michelle and I co-authored a successful grant proposal to the Oregon Zoo Future for Wildlife Fund. The resulting funding has purchased a GPS collar for the project as well as provided time for Michelle to assist in the work here on the Armendaris. In the photo above Michelle is looking for one of our radio collared ewes. A link to the Oregon Zoo has been added to the sidebar.
http://furmancougar.blogspot.com/2006/10/yellowing-of-cottonwood-willows-and_28.html
Halloween Hoot more about learning
By LORI INGHAM
Staff Writer
lingham@citizen.com
Article Date: Monday, October 30, 2006
Kevin Sperl/Staff Photo THE SQUAM LAKES Science Center held its annual Halloween Hoot 'N Howl event over the weekend, promising an 'eerily entertaining and educational evening'.
HOLDERNESS — At the Squam Lakes Science Center annual Hoot 'N Howl, the bumps in the night were more likely to be those of the surrounding animals than of ghosts and goblins. But the goal wasn't to scare, but to educate those who came through about nature in an entertaining way.
In its 40th year, the center has recently been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, of which there are only 200 in the U.S. to have the credentials, according to marketing manager Tiffany Teaford.
http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061030/CITIZEN_01/110300126/-1/CITIZEN
Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act
Back from vacation and just as outraged as before. The IFAW sent this email, emphasis mine:
Your First Amendment rights to speak out to protect animals are under attack. When the House of Representatives returns to Washington in two weeks they will be debating an extremely dangerous bill that will give jail time and fines for any action that can be linked to a loss of profit to any company classified as an "animal enterprise". This includes anyone who produces or distributes animals or products from animals, animal entertainment (including rodeos, circuses, zoos or aquariums), research facilities, pet stores and even animal fighting.
Under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA), legal activities such as peaceful protests, consumer boycotts, media campaigns, legislative proposals, or even telling the public what happens in puppy mills, factory farms, or canned hunting facilities, could be classified as acts of terrorism.
http://bigfatliberal.blogspot.com/2006/10/animal-enterprise-terrorism-act.html
October 31, 2006
A trip to Salzburg's zoo
On Saturday we made our way to Hellbrun to visit Salzburg's zoo. It is around a 3km walk from Neideralm to the zoo, and annoyingly enough for us as soon as we set out the light drizzle turned into a pretty persistent rain. That meant we arrived pretty bedraggled.
The zoo is huddled under a rocky outcrop, and our first impression from the outside was that it wasn't very big. We piad €8 each to get in, and then rushed straight past the animals to get to the restaurant so we could dry off a bit and have a cup of coffee. Fortunately the rain eased off a bit after a while, and so we then ventured out.
The first animals to really catch our eye were some ridiculous llama type creatures. They had these long fringes that looked like they had been cut to imitate a 60s Beatles bowl cut, which seemed to completely obscure their vision. They also had incredibly bucked teeth. The overall impression made them look really stupid, and we watched them, laughing, for ages.
http://lemontree.typepad.com/a_lemon_tree_of_our_own/2006/10/a_trip_to_salzb.html
Animal Planet Wants You To ROAR
Written by Joan Hunt
Published October 31, 2006
I caught the new Animal Planet commercial the other night. You know, the one asking viewers to ROAR — "Reach Out. Act. Respond."
Stars from many of the channel's hit shows pitch the difference one person can make when it comes to helping animals and saving habitat.
Almost two months after the death of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, the man who launched Animal Planet to unimagined heights, it's as if his words, his mission are now part of a massive campaign to improve the lives of animals and, ultimately, ourselves. Were he still with us, he'd have led the pack on the commercial.
Animal Planet is partnering with leading animal organizations to inspire people like you to make the world a better place for animals. Together, we have the power to improve the lives of animals in our communities and in the wild. Simple things like volunteering at a local shelter, spreading the word about conservation, supporting a favorite animal cause or walking an elderly person's dog can make a difference. Even the smallest act has an impact. Join us in our passion to help animals.
While this new endeavor may well have been in the works long before Irwin's death, the actual commercial seems to echo his philosophy with stunning clarity. Not that this is a bad thing, mind you. Efforts to protect our natural world benefit us as much as they do the animals.
http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/10/31/135041.php
Aquarium Admissions Are Free on Veterans Day
Raleigh – The North Carolina Aquariums will waive their usual admission fees for all visitors on Veterans Day, Saturday, Nov. 11, 2006.
Veterans Day is one of two days reserved each year for the public to visit the aquariums without an admission charge. The other "free day" is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The no-charge tradition began in 1994.
"Setting these days aside as free days guarantees that everyone, regardless of financial ability, can enjoy the aquariums," said David Griffin, director of the North Carolina Aquariums Division. "We include Veterans Day to show appreciation for the contributions of our military service veterans."
Usual admission fees at the aquariums are $8 for adults, $7 seniors (62 and over); $6 for ages 6-17. Admission is free to children under six and to all North Carolina schoolchildren who visit in pre-registered groups.
http://www.topsail-island.info/wordpress/index.php/aquarium-admissions-are-free-on-veterans-day/
Elephants go on show at Taronga Zoo
November 2, 2006 - 5:44PM
Four Asian elephants will go on show at Sydney's Taronga Zoo for the first time on Friday after a two-year battle with animal rights activists.
Campaigners launched a series of protests and legal challenges in a bid to stop the elephants coming from Thailand to Australia, arguing it was cruel to keep them in zoos.
But, after months of delays, the four female elephants were flown into Sydney Airport on Thursday morning from Cocos Islands, in the Indian Ocean, where they had been quarantined.
The zoo's director, Guy Cooper, said the animals had coped with their 14-hour flight and road trip extremely well and already were settling in.
Another four elephants - a male also destined for Taronga and three females bound for Melbourne Zoo - will arrive in Australia this weekend.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Elephants-go-on-show-at-Taronga-Zoo/2006/11/02/1162339978470.html
continued...
Employ novel methods to up cloning success rate: Biologists
Visitors to the Changsha Zoo in China's southern Hunan Province observe the endangered Yangtze soft-shell turtle.
It would be possible to clone the last known of a species as well as harvest her eggs to introduce another species fertilization very near in the genetic tree. Quite possibly, an introduction of a genetic alle only masculine into a harvested egg could result in a fertile 'pair' of turtles rather than one lone female destined for extinction. At no cost to this female's longevity should an approach result in potential offspring, but, the efforts need to go forward and soon.
China has been more than successful with Pandas and I don't understand why even the River Dolphin was allowed to become extinct. While China grapples with widespread pollution due to it's population and burgeoning wealth and economy there is no reason for any species to become extinct in China. It has the scientific expertise to do otherwise with eventual reintroduction when it's rivers are rescued from the pollution and it's air quality valued to breath again. I honestly don't understand why China does not have a vast and vigorous Environmental Protection Agency. It's a communist nation with enough will to harness talent to pursue those most honorable goals. China needs to proceed on a path of environmental stewardship and dignity to out class that of the USA. Under Bush? That's easy !!!
China’s Turtles, Emblems of a Crisis (click here)
CHANGSHA, China — Unnoticed and unappreciated for five decades, a large female turtle with a stained, leathery shell is now a precious commodity in this city’s decaying zoo. She is fed a special diet of raw meat. Her small pool has been encased with bulletproof glass. A surveillance camera monitors her movements. A guard is posted at night.
China turns turtle in race to save species Global crisis (click here)
JIM YARDLEY IN CHANGSHA, CHINA
SHE is fed a special diet of raw meat. Her small pool has been encased with bulletproof glass. A surveillance camera monitors her movements. A guard is posted at night.
The agenda is simple: the turtle must not die.
Unnoticed and unappreciated for decades, a large female turtle with a stained, leathery shell is now a precious commodity in the decaying Changsha Zoo in China.
Earlier this year, scientists concluded that she is the world's last known female giant Yangtze soft-shell turtle. She is about 80 years old and weighs almost 100lbs.
The world's one undisputed, known male lives 500 miles away at a zoo in the city of Suzhou. He is 100 years old and weighs about 200lbs. They are the last hope of saving a species believed to be the largest freshwater turtles in the world.
"It's a very dire situation," said Peter Pritchard, a prominent turtle expert in the US who has been involved in efforts to save the species....
Energy - You are the 'end user.'
An activist carrying black balloons representing CO2 emission in Bali. Photo: Reuters
Saturday, December 08, 2007
I'm going to call it a day
THINK
BALI !!!!
I'll be back tomorrow with brief reviews for the week.
...until then... peace...
BALI !!!!
I'll be back tomorrow with brief reviews for the week.
...until then... peace...
The deep freeze isn't a part of Antarctica's balance. Loop for 24 hours here. Missing 9 PM and 12 AM
December 8, 2007
0600 PM
Antarctica Wind Satellite (click here)
The winds are high across most of the ice continent. Starting as 12 mph / 18 km/h for about one third and still another third starting at 20 mph / 32 km/h with a maximum of 52 mph / 83 km/h. The 'on shore' heat is coming over East Antarctica, circulating and exiting over WAIS.
December 8, 2007
0600 gmt
Those are all arriving vortices.
December 8, 2007
0600 PM
Antarctica Temperature Satellite
December 8, 2008
0300 AM
Antarctica Temperature Satellite
December 8, 2007
0103 gmt
Antarctica/South Pole Satellite
The warmest reporting stations of Antarctica:
University Wi Id 8984
Possession Island, Antarctica
1:20 AM GMT (12.07.07)
Elevation :: 98 ft / 30 m
Temperature :: 37 °F / 3 °C
Wind :: 4 mph / 6 km/h from the North
Wind Gust :: -
Pressure :: 28.71 in / 972 hPa
Palmer Station, Antarctica
3:00 PM CLST (12.08.07)
Elevation :: 26 ft / 8 m
Temperature :: 36 °F / 2 °C
Humidity :: 50%
Dew Point :: 24 °F / -4 °C
Wind :: 4 mph / 7 km/h from the South
Wind Gust :: -
Pressure :: 28.57 in / 967 hPa (Rising)
Visibility :: 9.0 miles / 14.0 kilometers
Base Orcadas, Antarctica
4:00 PM GST
Elevation :: 20 ft / 6 m
Temperature :: 36 °F / 2 °C
Conditions :: Partly Cloudy
Humidity :: 70%
Dew Point :: 30 °F / -1 °C
Wind :: 23 mph / 37 km/h from the North
Wind Gust :: -
Pressure :: 28.84 in / 977 hPa (Rising)
Visibility ::
6.0 miles / 10.0 kilometers
Clouds:
Scattered Clouds 984 ft / 300 m
Scattered Clouds 9843 ft / 3000 m
(Above Ground Level)
Base Esperanza, Antarctica
3:00 AM GMT (12.0.07)
Elevation :: 43 ft / 13 m
Temperature :: 33 °F / 0 °C
Conditions :: Overcast
Humidity :: 73%
Dew Point: :: 28 °F / -2 °C
Wind :: 38 mph / 61 km/h from the SW
Wind Gust: :: -
Pressure :: 28.47 in / 964 hPa (Rising)
Visibility :: 3.0 miles / 5.0 kilometers
UV :: 0 out of 16
Clouds:
Mostly Cloudy 984 ft / 300 m
(Above Ground Level)
The coldest reporting stations of Antarctica ain't that cold:
Vostok, Antarctica
6:00 AM VOST (12.7.07)
Elevation :: 11220 ft / 3420 m
Temperature :: -34 °F / -37 °C
Humidity :: 50%
Dew Point: :: -41 °F / -41 °C
Wind :: 21 mph / 33 km/h from the SSW
Wind Gust: :: -
Pressure :: in / hPa (Rising)
Visibility :: 12.0 miles / 20.0 kilometers
Vostok, Antarctica
12:00 AM VOST (12.8.07)
Elevation :: 11220 ft / 3420 m
Temperature :: -33 °F / -36 °C
Humidity :: 51%
Dew Point :: -40 °F / -40 °C
Wind :: 18 mph / 30 km/h from the SSW
Wind Gust :: -
Pressure:
in / hPa (Falling)
Visibility:
1.0 miles / 2.0 kilometers
University Wi Id 8924 Nico, Antarctica
1:20 AM GMT (12.7.07)
Elevation :: 9629 ft / 2935 m
Temperature :: -25 °F / -32 °C
Wind :: 10 mph / 17 km/h from the West
Wind Gust: :: -
Pressure :: in / hPa
University Wi Id 8904, Antarctica
5:50 PM GMT (12.8.07)
Elevation :: 10761 ft / 3280 m
Temperature :: -36 °F / -38 °C
Wind :: 12 mph / 18 km/h from the SSW
Wind Gust :: -
Pressure :: in / hPa (Falling)
Bali: Lack of progress worries top UN official
With less than 5% of the Earth's population, the USA uses 25% of it's energy resources.
Press Trust of India
Saturday, December 8, 2007 (Bali)
A top UN official on Saturday expressed his worry that differences among the 187 countries gathered for the climate change summit had not been narrowed down sufficiently, and ''too many issues will slip into the high-level segment'' that starts December 12 with the arrival of ministers from these countries.
On the main point of difference, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer said, ''Some countries are calling for legally binding targets'' for developing countries after 2012 for reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) that are leading to climate change, while ''some other countries are asking for reductions by developing countries if they were helped with technological and financial resources''.
Asked to name the countries that had called for legally binding targets for developing countries, de Boer replied: ''Canada and Japan''.
He hoped the debate on this issue would come at 2009 - when the negotiations for a post-2012 agreement were supposed to end and not now, when the negotiations were supposed to start.
Asked to indicate the response of developing countries to this development, de Boer referred to the commitments already made by China in its national action plan and said: ''China has indicated that it could move further with international cooperation....
Bali draft says all nations must join climate fight
Artifical Snow Makers might not save Resorts (click at title)
...Many lower and medium-altitude Swiss ski resorts are already using snowmaking machines to boost the snow cover. But the institute warns that there is a downside to the practice.
It says that if temperatures continue to rise because of global warming, snow at below 1,500 metres will melt rapidly, threatening the livelihood of lower and medium-altitude resorts.
But rising temperatures also make it harder to compensate for the lack of natural snowfall. Snow cannon can only work effectively at low temperatures.
By 2050, temperatures in the Alps are expected to be 1.8 degrees Celsius higher than in 1990.
This means the snowline will not only climb higher, but the use of artificial snow facilities will also be limited....
Bali draft says all nations must join climate fight (click here)
By Alister Doyle and Gerard Wynn
NUSA DUA, Indonesia (Reuters) - All nations must do more to fight climate change, and rich countries must make deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions to avoid the worst impacts, a draft proposal at United Nations talks said on Saturday.
The four-page draft, written by delegates from Indonesia, Australia and South Africa as an unofficial guide for delegates from 190 nations at the December 3-14 talks, said developing nations should at least brake rising emissions as part of a new pact.
It said there was "unequivocal scientific evidence" that "preventing the worst impacts of climate change will require (developed nations) to reduce emissions in a range of 25-40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020."
The draft is the first outline of the possible goals of talks on a new global deal to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which binds just 36 developed nations to cut emissions of greenhouse gases by 5 percent below 1990 levels by 2008-12.
"Current efforts ... will not deliver the required emissions reductions," according to the text, obtained by Reuters, that lays out a plan for averting ever more droughts, floods, heatwaves and rising seas.
"The challenge of climate change calls for effective participation by all countries," it said. The United States is outside the Kyoto pact and developing nations led by China and India have no 2012 goals for limiting emissions.
Echoing conclusions this year by the U.N. climate panel, it said global emissions of greenhouse gases would have to "peak in the next 10 to 15 years and be reduced to very low levels, well below half of levels in 2000 by 2050."...
Storm not done yet, officials warn
December 8, 2007
Chowchilla, California
Mandatory evacuations are lifted in Orange County as mudslide fears ease, but more rain is expected. Power outages affect more than 15,000 residents.
By Susannah Rosenblatt, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer December 8, 2007
More showers for the region were forecast for this afternoon, with the possibility of thunderstorms and small hail over the weekend, meteorologists said today."We're not completely out of the woods," said Steve Vanderburg of the National Weather Service in San Diego. "Don't let the breaks in the weather fool you."...
By Susannah Rosenblatt, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer December 8, 2007
More showers for the region were forecast for this afternoon, with the possibility of thunderstorms and small hail over the weekend, meteorologists said today."We're not completely out of the woods," said Steve Vanderburg of the National Weather Service in San Diego. "Don't let the breaks in the weather fool you."...
Iran is NOT a threat to regional security. This is still ANOTHER lead up to expansionist warring by the Bush White House
Gates has been 'stumping' for a power base to insure oil contracts. He literally has told Afghanistan they are on their own and Iraq continues to be occupied for the reasons of USA oppression of Iraqi will. The revolt by the Iraqi legislature is against the continued interference of their free will by the USA and the only way it will be releaved is to have the USA leave. Literally, other countries have to be allowed into Iraq to assess the USA genocide and the sooner the better.
The last week is clearly a 'campaign' to continue a lead up to a pre-emptive strike against Iran. Someone has to stop them, they are killers, just that simple. Someone needs to move against the USA at the United Nations. This is hideous. Iran and Iraq are no more a threat to the USA or the region than the man in the moon. Any escalation of war outside Iraq's borders will cause complete collapse of civilizations and the entire region will become unstable. If Bush is stating Iran is a threat to the region, shouldn't that come from the leaders of the region to the United Nations for a plan to stop Iran? I don't hear an outcry by any King or Prince or President. I find the entire approach of the issue an insult by the Bush White House to the integrity of the international community and an afront to the National Intelligence Estimate of the USA intelligence service.
Iraq
Female suicide bomber kills 16 in Iraq
1 hour ago
BAQUBA, Iraq (AFP) — A female suicide bomber attacked the office of a local front against Al-Qaeda in Iraq's restive Diyala province on Friday, killing at least 16 people and wounding 27, security officials said.
The powerful explosion shook the town of Muqdadiyah, 100 kilometres (60 mile) north of Baghdad, near the provincial capital Baquba at around 10 am (0700 GMT), they said.
"The explosion was caused when a female suicide bomber detonated her vest in the office of the local Awakening group," said Baquba police official Lieutenant Colonen Najim al-Soumaidaie, referring to a group of local Sunni Arabs who have taken up arms against Al-Qaeda in central Diyala province.
Dr Hussein Abdullah of the Baquba hospital said 16 bodies and 27 wounded people had been brought to the facility.
"Of those killed 10 were from this (Awakening) group and five others were civilians," a security official in Baghdad said.
The wounded included 15 from the Awakening group, he added.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5g5E-BOscLE3ufG3agVbFH33RDRuA
Nine killed in attack on Iraq checkpoint-police
Thu Dec 6, 2007 11:14am EST
BAGHDAD, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Nine policemen were killed in an attack by suspected al Qaeda gunmen on a checkpoint outside a town in Iraq's volatile Diyala province on Thursday, police said.
Another seven were wounded in the attack outside Qarah Tappah, 130 km (80 miles) north of the capital Baghdad. The gunmen attacked the checkpoint using two vehicles but few other details were immediately available.
Al Qaeda and other Sunni Islamist insurgents have moved into Diyala and other areas north of Baghdad after being driven out of western Anbar province and many areas of the capital during a security crackdown this year. (Baghdad newsroom; editing by Sami Aboudi)
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSL06388124
U.S. toll in Iraq
Friday, December 7, 2007
PrAs of Thursday, at least 3,886 members of the U.S. military had died in Iraq since the beginning of the war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The latest deaths reported by the military:
Hernandez, Eric J., 26, Army Sgt., Waldwick, N.J.
White, Dewayne L., 27, Army Pvt., Country Club Hills, Ill.
Snyder, Adam P., 26, Army Capt., Fort Pierce, Fla.
For a list of all U.S. troops who have died in Iraq, see sfgate.com/ZCQ.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/12/07/MNGI5TQ5PC.DTL
New rules for Iraq security firms
Private security firms have been the subject of complaints from Iraqis
The US Pentagon and state department have agreed on procedures which they say will improve oversight of private security contractors operating in Iraq.
The move gives US military commanders a greater role in co-ordinating the movements of private security staff guarding US diplomats and the military.
The deal also sets new standards for inquiries into alleged rule breaches.
It comes in response to an incident in September involving the Blackwater firm in which 17 Iraqis were killed.
Contractors will still have the right to use deadly force to defend themselves and others if they believe they face serious harm.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7130147.stm
Iraqi bombing kills at least 12 in revenge attack
By LEILA FADEL
McClatchy Newspapers
A woman bent on avenging the deaths of her sons strapped explosives to her chest Friday and blew herself up outside a meeting of Sunni Muslims who'd turned against the militant group al-Qaida in Iraq, killing at least 12 and wounding at least 17.
The explosion in Muqdadiyah was one of three violent acts Friday in Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad, that left at least 24 people dead and 21 wounded. The attack came days before the U.S. military is scheduled to withdraw one of the five combat brigades that were ordered to Iraq as part of the American troop buildup. The withdrawal will lower the number of U.S. troops in Iraq by 5,000.
U.S. and Iraqi officials differed on the number of dead and injured in Muqdadiyah. Iraqi police said 16 people died and 28 were wounded. The American military put the number at 12 and 17, respectively.
A second attack occurred just north of Muqdadiyah, killing six Iraqi soldiers and five members of another Sunni group that had turned against the Islamic extremists. Again, American and Iraqi accounts differed, with the U.S. saying the deaths were caused by men armed with AK-47 rifles and rocket-propelled grenades. Iraqi police said the fatalities were due to a car bomb that targeted a checkpoint manned by the Sunni group and the Iraqi army.
The third attack came in the village of Mansuriyah, west of Muqdadiyah, where a homemade bomb killed a police officer and wounded four other people.
http://www.kansascity.com/451/story/394476.html
Murdochracy, Rudd Labor And Australian complicity In Iraqi Genocide
By Dr Gideon Polya
08 December, 2007
Countercurrents.org
Permitted by king-maker media mogul Rupert Murdoch but not supported by his newspapers in Australia, the new Rudd Labor Australian Government (sworn in on Monday 3 December 2007) will only PARTLY remove Australian forces from Iraq, making Rudd Labor clearly and unequivocally complicit in the continuing Iraqi Genocide (post-invasion excess deaths 1.5-2 million). Rudd Labor is thus renewing Australian complicity in the Iraqi Genocide and going against the wishes of an overwhelming majority of Australians who oppose Australia’s participation in the Iraq War.
As reported by the UK Guardian newspaper (1 December, 2007: http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,2220119,00.html ), even before he was sworn in as PM, Australia’s new leader Kevin Rudd had stated “"The combat force in Iraq we would have home by around about the middle of next year". However that means committing Australian forces to over 6 months more in Occupied Iraq and will leave hundreds of Australian defence personnel indefinitely in Occupied Iraq and the Gulf.
http://www.countercurrents.org/polya081207.htm
IRAQ REPORT At a glance
The latest news in the Iraq war:
Bombing: A woman bent on avenging the deaths of her sons strapped explosives to her chest Friday and blew herself up outside a meeting of Sunni Muslims in Muqdadiyah, killing at least 12 and wounding at least 17. It was one of three violent events in Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad.
Blackwater prosecutions: U.S. prosecutors investigating the Sept. 16 shooting deaths of 17 Iraqi civilians have narrowed their focus to as few as three Blackwater Worldwide bodyguards and have given others immunity for cooperating, The Associated Press reported.
Audit: Pentagon auditors said they could not account for millions of dollars worth of rocket-propelled grenades, armored vehicles, ammunition, and other supplies and equipment that were to be used to train and equip Iraqi security forces.
Resignation: State Department Inspector General Howard Krongard, who has been accused of improperly interfering with investigations of private security contractor Blackwater USA and with other investigations, resigned Friday.
http://www.star-telegram.com/279/story/348720.html
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