January 3, 2006.
Flash Floods in East Java kills over 34 residents.
Last count I believe it is 60 including children.
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Morning Papers - continued
The Australian
Talk about gutting the allies ! Jeeze !
Costs hit fighter jet order
John Kerin
January 04, 2006
AUSTRALIA may halve its order for US F-35 joint strike fighter jets to 50 planes because of continuing cost blowouts on the $256billion project, a move that could threaten regional air superiority.
Australia had pledged to buy 100 of the radar-evading stealth aircraft to replace an ageing air wing of 71 F/A-18 attack aircraft and 26 F-111 tactical fighter bombers.
The first of the US-built Lockheed Martin joint strike fighter aircraft are due to be delivered to Australia in 2014.
Australia has joined its allies in the project to build the planes, which has enabled the order to be purchased for a reduced total of $16billion, including maintenance, spare-parts and other costs.
But a senior Defence official has warned a parliamentary inquiry in Canberra that Australia could be forced to reduce its target order if the US slashes the number of planes it plans to build, because this would further drive up costs of the troubled F-35 project.
The price of the aircraft has reportedly already blown out from $45million to $60million per plane, but this could rise further if the US slashes its order of 2500 aircraft by one-fifth, as some US reports have suggested.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17725359%255E601,00.html
US out of cash for Iraqi projects
Stephen Farrell, Baghdad
January 04, 2006
THE US is nearing the end of its $US18.4 billion fund for Iraqi reconstruction, with little prospect of further multi-billion-dollar injections.
In language mirroring the announcement of a planned reduction of troops, US officials in Baghdad have begun talking of "drawdown", "transition" and the "wind-down" of US reconstruction projects.
Instead, they will focus on the Iraqi Government's capacity to manage its own affairs.
Outlining the "drawdown", one US official said: "US reconstruction is basically aiming for completion (this) year. No one ever intended for outside assistance to continue indefinitely, but rather to create conditions where the Iraqi economy can use reconstruction of essential services to get going on its own."
The realisation that the last of the US money will be allocated by mid-year, but with work due to continue well into next year, will dismay the Iraqis.
Millions are frustrated at the lack of large-scale projects such as power stations. They expect the US coalition to rebuild the shattered country's electricity network and essential services.
In the capital's Baladiyat district, amid heaps of sewage and rubbish, casual labourer Hamza Abbas said: "There isn't any construction. The only construction is piles of trash. Even if anything is rebuilt, it will be sabotaged and the money will be in vain."
In the slum of Sadr City, traffic policeman Jassem Zawaed conceded that international and Iraqi efforts had begun paving roads and treating sewage, but said: "It's only the beginning."
Brigadier-General William McCoy, commander of the US Army Corps of Engineers in the Gulf, said contracts for 80 per cent of the $US18.4billion ($24.9billion) had been issued. Those for the remaining funds will be issued by mid-year.
Asked if more congressional money was expected, he replied: "No. Our intent always was that as (the Iraqis) began to generate their own revenue and stabilise their own economy and stabilise the security situation, they would take this over."
Brigadier-General McCoy insisted the Iraqis' ability to rebuild had "developed quite well".
While 60 per cent of reconstruction contracts were once carried out from design to completion by international firms, almost 77per cent now went to Iraqi contractors, he said.
US officials say experts will remain to train Iraqi ministerial staff to manage their budgets. The aim is to decentralise and free up the sclerotic Iraqi economy through privatisation and subsidy reductions, and to improve the business climate.
Washington also aims to replace the poorly targeted ration system with a welfare network designed for the "poorest of the poor" - the 25 per cent of Iraqis living on less than $US1 a day.
But Iraqis complain that, almost three years after the war, Iraq still produces just 4800 megawatts of power, little more than the 4000MW before the war, and far short of its needs.
Baghdad remains a special problem, receiving just three hours of electricity a day because of sabotage to the oil and electricity lines.
Insurgents have exploited the public anger, timing a series of attacks on the vulnerable electricity and oil lines to coincide with the Shia-led Government's recent decision to increase petrol prices five-fold.
The price rises caused riots and tyre-burning protests among Iraqis accustomed to having the world's cheapest petrol.
Although Brigadier-General McCoy insisted the trend of attacks was down, he confirmed that last week was the worst so far for the US-led reconstruction team, with six personnel killed in attacks or accidents, four wounded and two kidnapped.
But he said his team, especially its Iraqi members, remained "resilient".
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17725491%255E601,00.html
HOW MANY Journalists were wiretapped as well with incoming messages into their companies in the USA? These wiretapes were exclusively of average citizens. Company executives, you name it, if it was speech or messages of internet coming in or our of the USA it was tapped. That includes nearly every American.
Andrew Sullivan: Restoration of the imperial presidency
January 04, 2006
"NOW, by the way, any time you hear the United States Government talking about wire-tap, it requires - a wire-tap requires a court order. Nothing has changed." Those are the words of President George W. Bush on April 20, 2004.
He reiterated them at a press conference the following July: "The Government can't move on wire-taps or roving wire-taps without getting a court order."
In both cases he was referring to the Patriot Act, which expanded the federal Government's powers for surveillance in the war on terror. But his statements were broad ones, designed to reassure Americans that their constitutional rights were protected, and we now know the President was not telling the truth.
It turns out the President has authorised thousands of wire-taps of American citizens' phones without any court order for the past four years, clearly violating a 1978 law that set up a special court to monitor and approve such taps.
The wire-taps were restricted - or at least so we are told - to domestic recipients of foreign phone calls, and so could be viewed as falling within the remit of the President's foreign policy rather than his domestic one. They are also unobjectionable to most Americans. A recent poll showed 64 per cent were fine with wire-tapping Americans if they might have contacts with terrorists abroad.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17722595%255E7583,00.html
Sudanese refugees face new hurdles
IT is 2pm on a Tuesday afternoon in Toowoomba, west of Brisbane, and Thomas Thiik, 21, has just been released from prison.
"I've been free for two hours," he said, dipping into a pizza box. "So I'm having a celebration."
Thiik (pronounced "Tik") went to jail for three months for driving without a licence, a crime that he, as a newly arrived refugee from Sudan, says he could not comprehend.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17725357%255E2702,00.html
Villages cut off as flood toll rises to 63
January 04, 2006
JAKARTA: Rescuers struggled to reach cut-off villages and recovered dozens more corpses yesterday as the death toll from flash flooding in central Indonesia reached 63.
Several villages were inundated when heavy weekend rains triggered a landslide on a hill in Panti, a district of East Java province, and forced a river to break its banks early on Monday.
Television footage showed a crying survivor carrying a dead baby wrapped in a blanket and policemen hauling injured people on stretchers from destroyed villages in the district of Jember, about 900km east of Jakarta.
The local government scrambled to provide food, shelter and medicine to more than 5400 people made homeless by the flooding. Heavy rains sent mud, water and logs crashing into villages, destroying hundreds of buildings.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17725155%255E2703,00.html
Plight of Katrina's forgotten victims
David Nason, New Orleans
January 04, 2006
IF Renita Miller ever chose to be resentful about the aid money now pouring into New Orleans for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, many would say she had every right.
The Florida-based mother of eight, who has two dependent grandchildren, is a Katrina victim too, but in the political uproar that followed last year's hopelessly inadequate New Orleans relief effort, people like her were put to one side.
Ms Miller lives in a low-income housing project at Homestead in southern Florida.
The community was battered by storms on August 25 last year as Katrina made her way east into the Gulf of Mexico. Flooding ruined most of Ms Miller's family's meagre possessions.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17725161%255E2703,00.html
US warns Iran off nuclear plan
From correspondents in Washington
January 04, 2006
THE US threatened to seek international action against Iran if it resumes nuclear fuel research, suggesting the world's patience with Tehran could be wearing thin.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack accused the Iranians of doing a "bob and weave" in negotiations to persuade them to halt uranium-enrichment activities that could lead to a nuclear bomb.
"Our view is that if Iran takes an further enrichment-related steps, the international community will have to consider additional measures to constrain Iran's nuclear ambitions," McCormack said.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17727072%255E23109,00.html
Corpses dragged from Iraqi home
By Dhia Hamid in Baiji, Iraq
January 04, 2006
EIGHT corpses, including those of two children, were pulled overnight from the rubble of a house in northern Iraq after it was bombed the previous night by US aircraft.
The air strike came as a team of international monitors started to review contested results from Iraq's December general elections following accusations of fraud by Sunni-based and secular parties.
The US military confirmed it attacked a house in Baiji, 200km north of Baghdad, yesterday after an unmanned drone spotted three men planting a roadside bomb and then fleeing into the building.
"The individuals were assessed as posing a threat to Iraqi civilians and coalition forces, and the location of the three men was relayed to close air support pilots," said US military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Barry Johnson.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17727016%255E23109,00.html
Bali tourists numbers plunging
From correspondents in Jakarta
January 03, 2006
FOREIGN tourist arrivals to Indonesia's resort island of Bali fell 22 per cent in November compared to a month earlier, figures showed today as the October suicide bombings still kept visitors away.
Some 67,700 foreign visitors travelled to Bali in November, down from October's 86,800.
The figure was down 59.8 per cent on September's 168,200 arrivals, according to figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics.
"The fall remains attributable to the effects of the Bali bombing II," the bureau said in a release posted on its website, referring to triple suicide bombings which targetted popular eateries in Bali on October 1.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17723430%255E23109,00.html
Big quake hits in Pacific
From correspondents in Washington
January 03, 2006
A BIG earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale hadhit the Fiji region of the south Pacific, the US Geological Survey reported today.
It said the tremor occurred at 10.13am (0913 AEDT), 335km north west of Tonga's Nuku'Alofa.
There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said it did not expect the quake, which happened 579km below the earth's surface, to trigger a damaging Pacific-wide tsunami.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17719251%255E23109,00.html
Nazi hunters decry trial 'whitewash'
From correspondents in Tallinn
January 03, 2006
A JEWISH organisation that tracks down Nazi war criminals overnight slammed Estonia's judiciary as inept and corrupt after the Baltic state's prosecutor dropped a case against an Estonian businessman accused of murdering Jews in World War II.
"The conclusions of the Estonian investigation of suspected Nazi war criminal Harry Mannil are a pathetic political whitewash and we categorically reject the prosecutors assessments of the case," Efraim Zuroff, the Israeli director of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, said .
"Mannil should be held accountable for his role in the fate of Estonian civilians persecuted and murdered by the Nazis and their Estonian collaborators," Zuroff said.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17718989%255E23109,00.html
Yemeni landslide toll hits 63
From correspondents in San'a Yemen
January 02, 2006
THE number of people killed in last week's landslide in Yemen rose to 63 today after search teams pulled out seven more bodies, said a council official in the north Yemeni village.
Six of the corpses recovered belonged to children aged seven to 16 years old, councillor Bakeel al-Thufeiri said.
The seventh body was that of a 20-year-old woman who was due to get married next week.
The village of Dhafeer, about 100km north of the Yemeni capital of San'a, was half buried last week when part of an adjacent mountain broke loose and flattened 23 houses.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17717566%255E23109,00.html
Bomber kills Iraqi police
January 02, 2006
AT least five policemen have been killed after a suicide car bomber struck their bus in Baquba north of Baghdad today, a medical source said.
The bus was taking policemen to a Kurdish city in the north for training.
Another five policemen were wounded in the attack, the source said.
The area around Baquba, 65km northeast of Baghdad, was scene to several attacks against Iraqi security forces and civilians lately.
Insurgents stormed a police checkpoint with rocket-propelled grenades and mortars in a small town near Baquba a week ago, killing five policemen and wounding four.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17715142%255E23109,00.html
Buddhists shot dead
From correspondents in Yala
January 02, 2006
TWO Thai Buddhists including an army officer have been shot dead in separate attacks by suspected Islamic militants in southern Thailand, police said today.
Sergeant Major Chan Thanyod, 32, was shot dead and two other soldiers wounded while patrolling a village in Yala province's Ban Nang Sata district early today during an ambush by an unknown number of gunmen, they said.
Thai Buddhist Viroj Plienjai, 69, was shot dead in Pattani province's Muang district late on Sunday afternoon as he guarded a private house.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17713468%255E23109,00.html
Christian priest murdered in Laos
From correspondents in Hanoi
January 02, 2006
AN evangelical Protestant pastor was killed in Laos late last month, an official spokesman in Vientiane said Monday, confirming an exiled group's report.
Aroun Voraphom led a religious service at Pakading town in central Bolikhamsai province on December 22 and never made it back home.
"The motive for the murder seems to be clear - it was to steal money," Laotian foreign ministry spokesman Yong Chanthalangsy said, adding that provincial authorities were still investigating.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17713196%255E23109,00.html
China prepares for big freeze
From correspondents in Beijing
January 02, 2006
CHINA, already enduring its coldest winter in 20 years, is preparing for a cold snap that will see temperatures drop by as much as 16C, state press said today.
Northern China, where temperatures are already as low as minus 15-20C, will feel the strongest effects of the cold front, which is sweeping in from Mongolia and western Siberia, the China Daily reported.
In the capital of Beijing, which enjoyed a relatively warm start to the New Year with temperatures just above freezing, the thermometer is expected to plunge 10C tonight, according to the paper.
The Beijing News advised the city's residents to return home from New Year holidays early today to avoid expected overnight snowfalls.
Even in the warmer southern regions, the temperatures are expected to drop sharply.
"Upon the heels of the cold front ... more snowfall can be expected in the north with rain or snow flurries possible in the south," the paper quoted Yang Guiming, a senior official with the Central Meteorological Office, as saying.
Wang Bangzhong, a deputy director with the China Meteorological Administration, said temperatures across China had already been 1.5C lower than the historical average throughout December.
"China is experiencing the coldest winter in 20 years," Mr Wang told the paper.
He said three more successive "winter freezes" were expected to affect China during January, usually the coldest month of the year.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17713048%255E23109,00.html
Troops kill 12 crude oil thieves
January 02, 2006
NIGERIAN troops killed 12 men caught stealing crude oil from a pipeline in the southern state of Delta, the head of a government task force on pipelines said overnight.
Siphoning oil from pipelines, a practise known locally as bunkering, is common in the Niger Delta, a vast region of mangrove creeks and swamps that accounts for almost all of Nigeria's 2.4 million barrels per day (bpd) production of crude.
Government official Isiaka Pachiko said troops on patrol in remote Oghara community stumbled on a group of bunkerers on Saturday who had heavy drilling equipment and four trucks ready to be loaded with oil.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17711556%255E23109,00.html
Iraq coalition numbers decreasing
By Will Dunham in Washington
January 02, 2006
THE number of countries with troops in Iraq as part of the American-led coalition is declining, with some key US allies planning to keep forces there only at reduced levels.
These developments come as the United States plans to roll back the size of its own 155,000 strong force that was in place for December 15 Iraqi parliamentary election and considers deeper troop cuts later in 2006.
Meanwhile, the number of US-trained Iraqi security personnel has been steadily growing and stands at 223,000, according to Pentagon figures.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17711528%255E23109,00.html
Storm Zeta lingers over Atlantic
From correspondents in Miami
January 02, 2006
A SLIGHTLY weakened Tropical Storm Zeta lingered over the open Atlantic overnight, a month after the end of the official Atlantic and Caribbean hurricane season.
The 27th named storm of a season that broke a whole catalogue of weather records, Zeta's centre was about 1795 km southwest of Portugal's Azores islands, the US National Hurricane Centre said.
The storm's maximum sustained winds were near 85km/h, and a further weakening trend was forecast to begin during the next 24 hours, the Miami-based centre said.
Zeta caps a record hurricane season that forced forecasters to choose storm names from the Greek alphabet after exhausting their annual list of 21 names.
The previous record for most tropical storms was 21, set in 1933. Fourteen of last year's storms strengthened into hurricanes, breaking the old record of 12 set in 1969.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17711524%255E23109,00.html
Syria expels former vice president
By Roueida Mabardi in Damascus
January 02, 2006
SYRIA'S ruling Baath party has expelled former vice president Abdel Halim Khaddam, who has implicated the regime in the murder of Lebanese ex-premier Rafiq Hariri.
The party, which has ruled Syria with an iron grip since 1963, said Mr Khaddam's comments to Dubai-based satellite channel Al-Arabiya from his base in exile in Paris were a "slander which violates the principles of the nation".
"The national leadership has decided to throw Khaddam out of the party. It considers him a traitor. Khaddam has betrayed the party, the homeland and the (Arab) nation," the party leadership said.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17711523%255E23109,00.html
Tourists' skydiving adventure ends with five dead in dam
Sean Parnell and Steve Creedy
January 03, 2006
A PLANE that crashed shortly after take-off yesterday - killing three foreign tourists learning to skydive, an instructor and their pilot - had been modified to use an engine similar to the one that failed in the Whyalla crash that claimed eight lives in 2000.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17717357%255E23349,00.html
Bird flu outbreak confirmed
From correspondents in Beijing
January 04, 2006
CHINA'S Agriculture Ministry had confirmed an outbreak of bird flu in the southwestern province of Sichuan, the China Daily newspaper reported today.
More than 1800 poultry were found dead on December 22 on a farm in Sichuan's Dazhu county and Agriculture Ministry officials sent to the area confirmed the birds had the H5N1 strain of the virus, the report said.
Since then, 12,900 poultry in the area had been culled to try to contain the virus, which is found mostly in birds but which scientists fear could mutate into a form that can pass easily between people, leading to a pandemic.
Scientists are worried because the virus, although hard for humans to catch, has killed more than half the people reported to have been infected.
Since late 2003, more than 70 people have died in Asia from bird flu and the virus is endemic in poultry flocks in parts of the region, highlighting the urgency in trying to control the disease and prevent more human infections.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17727304%255E1702,00.html
Bail over 11,000 ecstasy tabs
January 04, 2006
A MAN allegedly caught in a car with thousands of ecstasy tablets and $24,000 cash would plead not guilty to drug offences, an Adelaide court has been told.
Salvatore Lupoi, 30, was granted bail today in Adelaide Magistrates Court after his lawyer, Tim Moffat, said his client would plead not guilty.
Police allegedly stopped Mr Lupoi on December 22 in a car in which were found 11,000 ecstasy tablets and $24,000 in cash.
Further police property searches yielded 5000 more ecstasy tablets, amphetamines and cannabis.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17727192%255E1702,00.html
The Intelligencer/Wheeling News Register
Arrest Those Who Sell Votes, Too
The Intelligencer
As recently as 1990, a pint of cheap whiskey was all it took to buy a vote in West Virginia. That ought to make thoughtful, ethical Mountain State residents want to throw up.
Federal prosecutors are continuing their campaign against vote fraud in southern West Virginia. During the past several months they have uncovered plenty of it in both Lincoln and Logan counties. One former state Division of Highways worker has admitted that, during 1988 or 1990, he bribed some Lincoln County voters with pints of whiskey and, sometimes, cash payments of $10 to $15. In another case, Logan County Clerk Glen D. Adkins admitted that he sold his vote for $500 in 1996.
Southern West Virginia at one time was infamous for vote fraud. Clearly, attempts to influence elections illegally are far from a matter for the history books.
We're pleased that federal prosecutors are attacking the problem - but we have a suggestion for them. Nothing that the authorities do seems to eliminate the problem. Down through the years, dozens of public officials have been charged with election fraud-related offenses.
Perhaps it's time to begin arresting those who sell their votes - as many of them as possible. The message being sent to voters thus far is that those who buy votes will be prosecuted, but most of those who sell them will get off with merely a bad scare.
Why not prosecute West Virginians who are willing to trade honest elections for pints of rot-gut? That may be the only way to eliminate election fraud in the Mountain State, by letting dishonest voters know that they may not take elections seriously - but the rest of us do.
http://theintelligencer.net/edit/story/014202006_edt01.asp
Mexican Regime Insincere on Illegals
The Intelligencer
The debate over illegal immigration from Mexico naturally tends to focus on what U.S. policymakers ought to do - for instance, actually dedicate resources to border and employment law enforcement. But what about Mexico's role in the creation of an illegal Diaspora that now numbers at least 10 million?
Illegal immigration from Mexico to the United States principally consists of poor, uneducated Mexicans looking for a better life north of the border. Victor Davis Hanson, a fellow at the Hoover Institution, points out in a Wall Street Journal essay that these illegal immigrants represent Mexico's "abjectly immoral export of its own dispossessed." Mexico's impoverished show by their actions that they see more hope working illegally in the United States than in a change in their own government and its policies.
The Mexican government clearly likes things the way they are. It exports its poor to the United States, whose law-abiding taxpayers then pay for health care, prison space, education and other costs associated with illegal immigration. Meanwhile, those who escape the reach of U.S. law send home some $10 billion to $15 billion a year in cash "remittances." No wonder the Mexican government openly agitates in the United States on behalf of its exported citizens, while doing little to improve their lot at home.
The United States government's continuing de facto acquiescence to Mexico's export of its poor, Hanson says, enables Mexico to avoid reforms in its own government and economic policies. Mexico is not lacking for resources. It has vast tropical and semi-tropical coasts, fertile land and abundant mineral deposits. But corruption remains pervasive, and the government still leans toward socialism.
The North American Free Trade Agreement was supposed to boost Mexico's economy, and the election of Vicente Fox was supposed to be a harbinger of cleaner government. Neither has fully materialized. Hanson argues that a big reason is that by exporting millions of its poor, Mexico relieves itself of a political pressure point for reform.
Congress and the Bush administration should get serious about border and employment law enforcement. But they also should get serious about the true nature of the Mexican government, and hold the Fox government accountable for its actions - and inactions - when it comes to trade policy and foreign aid.
http://theintelligencer.net/edit/story/014202006_edt02.asp
The New Zealand Herald
Whales under threat again
03.01.06 1.00pm
By Michael McCarthy
Twenty years after the introduction of an international whaling moratorium the great whales face renewed and mortal dangers in 2006.
A double threat is looming for the world's largest mammals, many of them endangered species, in the coming year.
In the biggest whale slaughter for a generation, more than 2000 animals are likely to be directly hunted by the three countries continuing whaling in defiance of world opinion: Japan, Norway and Iceland. And in a crucial political move, this year the pro-whaling nations look likely to achieve their first majority of votes in whaling's regulatory body, the International Whaling Commission (IWC).
The first development will be brutal, bloody and shocking to many people who might be under the impression that whaling is a thing of the past. But the second may be even more significant for whale welfare in the long term, for it would pave the way for an eventual resumption of commercial whaling, which the 1986 moratorium put on indefinite hold.
Japan is leading the way on both counts. Its whalers are currently in the Southern Ocean where they plan to kill 935 minke whales, more than double the number they took last year, all of them under the guise of "scientific" whaling - killing the animals allegedly for research purposes. This label is a fiction which fools no one, as whale meat, popular with Japanese consumers, is sold on the open market.
It is also hunting 10 endangered fin whales - the second-largest animal on earth, after the blue whale - and over the next two years will seek to harpoon 40 more fin whales, and 50 humpbacks, the big whales whose spectacular "breaching" - leaping from the water - delights observers on whale-watching cruises.
Norway, which is pursuing commercial whaling openly by simply declining to adhere to the moratorium, is following close behind, with another leap in its planned kills in the coming year. Four days before Christmas, the Norwegian government announced it would increase its 2006 whale hunting quota by a further 250 animals to 1052, following a unanimous recommendation by the Storting (Norwegian parliament).
Iceland, which resumed whaling three years ago, also under the "scientific" label, killed 39 minkes last year and is expected to hunt a similar number in 2006.
That all adds up to by far the bloodiest bout of whale slaughter since the days of full-scale commercial whaling and has greatly angered environmental campaigners.
"People should wake up to the scale of what is happening this year," said the whaling campaigner for Greenpeace UK, Willie McKenzie. "Politicians who are supposed to be anti-whaling especially need to wake up to it, and press their governments to put as much effort into saving the world's whale populations as the whaling countries are doing to exploit them."
Greenpeace has sent two of its ships to the Southern Ocean to try to hinder whaling operations directly. In actions strongly reminiscent of those which first made the group famous in the 1970s, activists in small inflatable boats have been trying to block the harpooners' line of fire and, on a number if occasions, have succeeded.
Joining in the pursuit of the Japanese whalers is the US-based Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which says one of its ships, Farley Mowat, was nearly rammed by the Japanese whaler Nisshin Maru on Christmas Day.
What especially angers environmentalists is the fact the Japanese hunt is taking place in the Southern Ocean Whaling Sanctuary, an area encompassing 21 million sq miles of sea around Antarctica which the IWC declared off-limits for whaling in 1994. Japan ignores it.
Some campaigners are now calling for the anti-whaling countries - the so-called "like-minded" group, led by New Zealand, Australia, the US and Britain - to take legal action against Japan over the "scientific" whaling issue.
"Scientific whaling needs to be stopped, and legal action needs to be taken against Japan in the International Court," said Joth Singh, director of wildlife and habitats for the International Fund for Animal Welfare.
"We believe there is, in fact, an opportunity to do that, and we have contracted a lawyer in Australia who has done an evaluation of the possibilities of legal action. We think the like-minded countries should look at them.
"They need to take this issue to the International Court, because international pressure is required. Trade sanctions should certainly be a possibility." Mr Singh added: "I have been attending IWC meetings for years, and a number of resolutions which have been passed aimed at stopping scientific whaling have had no effect whatsoever. Diplomatic demarches, notes to Japan, have had no effect either.
"If there is any seriousness in terms of saving whales, this seems to be the way."
But time is pressing if the anti-whaling countries want to act, because in June, at the IWC meeting to be held in St Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean, the whaling nations seem likely to secure a voting majority for the first time.
It would be the result of an intense diplomatic campaign by Japan to get small developing countries to join the IWC and vote in its favour, by offering them substantial aid. Over the past six years, at least 14 nations have been recruited to the IWC as Japan's supporters, most of which have no whaling tradition. Some of the newcomers, such as Mongolia and Mali, do not even have a coastline.
Mark Simmonds, international director of science for the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, believes the Japanese already had their majority at last year's IWC meeting in South Korea but administrative hitches meant they were not able to exercise it. This year, he thinks, they will.
"This would be the most enormous setback for whale and dolphin conservation," he said. "People don't realise how significant it is and how close it is. The world needs to be alerted to it."
The whaling moratorium, voted through at the IWC meeting in Brighton in 1982 and brought in four years later, has been a rare environmental success story. It was intended originally, not as an outright and permanent ban on whaling, but as a pause to give whale stocks time to recover while their numbers were assessed comprehensively, and new ways of managing whale killing were introduced, based on the close study of whale population dynamics.
Most anti-whaling countries, including Britain, are now firmly of the view that commercial whaling should never resume. Britain's original position was to be "guided by the science" but that view has hardened over the years, and the UK now believes "that properly regulated whale watching is the only truly sustainable use of whales and other cetaceans [dolphins and porpoises]".
MAIN TARGETS
Common Minke Whale
Balaenoptera acutorostrata. The smallest of the great whales, usually about 10m long and weighing about nine tonnes. This is the main target of the summer whale hunt by Norway and Iceland.
Antarctic Minke Whale
Balaenoptera bonaerensis. Slightly larger version of the North Atlantic minke. Because it was the smallest, it was targeted last during the centuries of commercial whaling, so it is still relatively abundant. The main target of the Japanese whale hunt, for "scientific" reasons.
Fin Whale
Balaenoptera physalus. The second-largest of all the whales, exceeded only by the blue whale. Can be 22m long and weigh 75 tonnes. Despite its classification as an endangered species - the result of commercial whaling, especially in the southern hemisphere - it is now being hunted again by the Japanese.
Humpback Whale
Megaptera novaeangliae. Medium-sized whale, typically 13m long and weighing 30 tonnes, widely distributed from the Arctic to the Antarctic. This species is probably the best known, and most photographed, because of its habit of making spectacular leaps out of the water. Heavily exploited in the past, it is now recovering in many places thanks to the whaling moratorium, but it is again being targeted by the Japanese.
- INDEPENDENT
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10362282
Danger ahead from clean air and thin ozone
04.01.06 1.00pm
New Zealand's clean air and thin ozone layer means we are receiving about 40 per cent more dangerous cancer-causing ultraviolet radiation than North Americans at corresponding latitudes, a leading atmospheric researcher says.
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa) scientist Richard McKenzie said joint research by Niwa and North American scientists had found New Zealand's summer UV levels were as if the country was actually positioned 450km nearer the equator and 1000m higher in altitude, a Wellington daily newspaper reported.
The research findings, to be published in the international journal Photochemical and Photobiological Sciences, investigated the UV levels in New Zealand.
"It's no doubt an important factor in causing the high rates of skin cancer we have here," Dr McKenzie was reported as saying.
New Zealand has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world.
"UV radiation in New Zealand is only high for its latitude, which is important because most of the people who live here are lighter-skinned and therefore more at risk," Dr McKenzie told the newspaper.
The country's clean air and thinner ozone layer contributed to the risk and helped explain the much higher ultraviolet levels than in North America, where greater pollution blocks more of the rays.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10362387
Risk of cave-in suspends German ice rink rescue
04.01.06 8.00am
By Kerstin Doerr
German rescuers suspended efforts this morning (NZ time) to reach a woman and three youths still feared trapped under an ice rink roof that caved in and killed at least 11 others, saying it might give way completely.
Local officials said they hoped to resume the recovery operation later today, once heavy lifting gear had arrived and removed what remains of the massive building, whose roof fell in yesterday after heavy snowfall.
"Whenever it is possible, we will go in with the dogs and personnel to find those who are still in the wreckage," chief fire officer Rudi Zeif told a news conference.
He said there had been no signs of life from the woman and three youths, aged 12 to 16, that officials believe are still trapped under the rubble, roughly 24 hours after the roof collapsed.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10362375
Hopes dim for missing in ice rink disaster
04.01.06 1.00pm
Hopes of rescuing a woman and three youths feared trapped under the collapsed roof of a German ice rink began to fade today.
Chief fire officer Rudi Zeif said there had been no signs of life from the woman and three youths, aged 12 to 16, that officials believe are still trapped under the rubble some 30 hours after the roof collapsed on Monday night (NZ time), killing 11 people.
Cranes worked into the night to remove crushed sections of roof as hundreds of citizens of this Bavarian town near the Austrian border gathered in a central square to hold a candle-light vigil for the victims, mostly children.
"We remain hopeful that there are living people among the missing that we can rescue," Zeif said. "As we clear the beams we'll send dogs into the rubble to search for them."
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10362385
Pair return to stricken yacht as salvage fails
04.01.06 1.00pm
An attempt to salvage a damaged yacht off the Taranaki coast has failed and its owners have re-boarded the stricken vessel, despite coast guard warnings that it may be perilous to stay on board.
On Monday, a New Caledonian father and daughter had been forced to abandon the Xiphos to salvagers. But with conditions treacherous, the line between the salvage boat and the yacht broke twice, frustrating attempts to tow the damaged yacht back to New Plymouth.
Coastguard Taranaki were forced to abort the salvage attempt and return to shore.
Sailors Daniel Le Meur, 54, and Morgane Le Meur, 19, had earlier been rescued by the TET rescue helicopter after scrambling from the yacht about 90km offshore on Monday.
When the salvage option became fruitless this morning, Le Meur insisted on returning to his vessel, rather than abandoning it to the high seas.
The $300,000 yacht was reportedly insured.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10362390
TV coming to a cellphone near you
04.01.06 1.00pm
By Chris Marlowe
LOS ANGELES - A tech firm is expected to announce today that consumers can use a wide range of mobile devices to watch their home television from anywhere in the world.
Sling Media is set to unveil new software that adds this capability to its Slingbox hardware product this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Jason Krikorian, co-founder of the company and head of business development, said support for mobile devices always has been part of the company's vision but that the initial focus was on the PC because of the broadband connection.
"There are solutions for live and recorded TV on mobile phones, but now for the first time you can have full access to every single channel you've got at your house," he said. "It's not just a TV experience on your phone, it's your TV experience, like you have at home when you're on your couch."
The new mobile client, as the software is known, works with any device that uses Microsoft's Windows Mobile Platform versions 4.0 or 5.0.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/6/story.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10362378
Natural disasters declared in Australian bushfire areas
04.01.06 1.00pm
Natural disaster zones have been declared for bushfire-ravaged areas of NSW's central coast and south west.
Fires swept through parts of Junee and the Brisbane Water National Park on the central coast at the weekend, gutting eight homes and destroying 38,000ha of bush and farmland.
The declaration means the local government areas of Gosford, Junee and Upper Lachlan are eligible for extra assistance under the Natural Disaster Relief Arrangements.
Acting NSW Premier John Watkins, Emergency Services Minister Tony Kelly and Rural Fire Service Commissioner Phil Koperberg will today join Acting Prime Minister Mark Vaile on a visit to devastated areas around Junee.
Mr Watkins will thank local volunteers and inspect relief efforts available to residents, farmers and businesses.
"People across NSW want to offer a big thank you to everyone who's been involved in the battle against these fires," Mr Watkins said in a statement.
"These men and women give up their time to protect lives and property and we all owe them a huge debt of gratitude."
A 21-year-old volunteer firefighter remains in a serious condition in hospital after suffering third-degree burns to 60 per cent of his body as he battled a blaze on his property near Junee.
Five homes were lost to the flames, which killed around 15,000 sheep and 88 cattle.
Mr Watkins said the Department of Community Services would work with families whose homes were destroyed and could be eligible for an immediate A$10,000 ($10,938.52) grant.
Mr Kelly said 400 firefighters were strengthening containment lines outside the township of Ilabo.
"While the fire is now contained, the weather forecast is for hot and windy conditions again this weekend," he said.
"That's why it's important people adhere to all safety messages from the Rural Fire Service to try and prevent further outbreaks."
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10362400
Bashing victim suffers 'loathsome' theft
04.01.06 1.00pm
SYDNEY - NSW Police Commissioner Ken Moroney has described a robbery at the home of Sydney bashing victim Lauren Huxley as a "loathsome act".
Among the items stolen were unopened Christmas gifts given to the 19-year-old, who is still recovering in hospital after being bashed, bound and doused with petrol at her Northmead home in November.
Part of the home was destroyed by fire, and the Huxley family had moved to a block of units at Northmead while their daughter fought for her life in Westmead Hospital.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10362383
West Virginia mine rescue makes slow progress
04.01.06 1.00pm
Treacherous conditions, including the presence of poisonous gas, slowed the effort to rescue 13 trapped coal miners this morning, but rescuers still held out hope for a miracle to save the men.
"We still pray for miracles in West Virginia. We still believe in miracles," state Governor Joe Manchin told reporters at the coal mine.
"We are hoping for that miracle." There still had not been any communication with the miners, trapped since around midnight (NZ time) on Monday.
At the White House, President George W Bush said he had spoken to Manchin about the trapped miners. "I told him that Americans all across our country were praying for the miners who are trapped in the mine there in West Virginia," he said.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10362381
Russia, Ukraine trade insults in gas dispute
04.01.06 1.00pm
By Christian Lowe
MOSCOW - Russia's gas deliveries to European customers returned to normal overnight (NZ time), as it traded insults with former ally Ukraine over who was to blame for supply disruptions across the continent.
Russian energy officials were set to meet counterparts from Ukraine earlier today to discuss the dispute, but there was no sign of a softening of tone on either side in a dispute with clear political overtones.
Russia switched off Ukraine's gas when Kiev rejected a big hike in prices. It was forced to turn the taps back on after key European partners complained their supplies had been hit too and chided Moscow for using energy as a political tool.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10362377
continued …
Talk about gutting the allies ! Jeeze !
Costs hit fighter jet order
John Kerin
January 04, 2006
AUSTRALIA may halve its order for US F-35 joint strike fighter jets to 50 planes because of continuing cost blowouts on the $256billion project, a move that could threaten regional air superiority.
Australia had pledged to buy 100 of the radar-evading stealth aircraft to replace an ageing air wing of 71 F/A-18 attack aircraft and 26 F-111 tactical fighter bombers.
The first of the US-built Lockheed Martin joint strike fighter aircraft are due to be delivered to Australia in 2014.
Australia has joined its allies in the project to build the planes, which has enabled the order to be purchased for a reduced total of $16billion, including maintenance, spare-parts and other costs.
But a senior Defence official has warned a parliamentary inquiry in Canberra that Australia could be forced to reduce its target order if the US slashes the number of planes it plans to build, because this would further drive up costs of the troubled F-35 project.
The price of the aircraft has reportedly already blown out from $45million to $60million per plane, but this could rise further if the US slashes its order of 2500 aircraft by one-fifth, as some US reports have suggested.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17725359%255E601,00.html
US out of cash for Iraqi projects
Stephen Farrell, Baghdad
January 04, 2006
THE US is nearing the end of its $US18.4 billion fund for Iraqi reconstruction, with little prospect of further multi-billion-dollar injections.
In language mirroring the announcement of a planned reduction of troops, US officials in Baghdad have begun talking of "drawdown", "transition" and the "wind-down" of US reconstruction projects.
Instead, they will focus on the Iraqi Government's capacity to manage its own affairs.
Outlining the "drawdown", one US official said: "US reconstruction is basically aiming for completion (this) year. No one ever intended for outside assistance to continue indefinitely, but rather to create conditions where the Iraqi economy can use reconstruction of essential services to get going on its own."
The realisation that the last of the US money will be allocated by mid-year, but with work due to continue well into next year, will dismay the Iraqis.
Millions are frustrated at the lack of large-scale projects such as power stations. They expect the US coalition to rebuild the shattered country's electricity network and essential services.
In the capital's Baladiyat district, amid heaps of sewage and rubbish, casual labourer Hamza Abbas said: "There isn't any construction. The only construction is piles of trash. Even if anything is rebuilt, it will be sabotaged and the money will be in vain."
In the slum of Sadr City, traffic policeman Jassem Zawaed conceded that international and Iraqi efforts had begun paving roads and treating sewage, but said: "It's only the beginning."
Brigadier-General William McCoy, commander of the US Army Corps of Engineers in the Gulf, said contracts for 80 per cent of the $US18.4billion ($24.9billion) had been issued. Those for the remaining funds will be issued by mid-year.
Asked if more congressional money was expected, he replied: "No. Our intent always was that as (the Iraqis) began to generate their own revenue and stabilise their own economy and stabilise the security situation, they would take this over."
Brigadier-General McCoy insisted the Iraqis' ability to rebuild had "developed quite well".
While 60 per cent of reconstruction contracts were once carried out from design to completion by international firms, almost 77per cent now went to Iraqi contractors, he said.
US officials say experts will remain to train Iraqi ministerial staff to manage their budgets. The aim is to decentralise and free up the sclerotic Iraqi economy through privatisation and subsidy reductions, and to improve the business climate.
Washington also aims to replace the poorly targeted ration system with a welfare network designed for the "poorest of the poor" - the 25 per cent of Iraqis living on less than $US1 a day.
But Iraqis complain that, almost three years after the war, Iraq still produces just 4800 megawatts of power, little more than the 4000MW before the war, and far short of its needs.
Baghdad remains a special problem, receiving just three hours of electricity a day because of sabotage to the oil and electricity lines.
Insurgents have exploited the public anger, timing a series of attacks on the vulnerable electricity and oil lines to coincide with the Shia-led Government's recent decision to increase petrol prices five-fold.
The price rises caused riots and tyre-burning protests among Iraqis accustomed to having the world's cheapest petrol.
Although Brigadier-General McCoy insisted the trend of attacks was down, he confirmed that last week was the worst so far for the US-led reconstruction team, with six personnel killed in attacks or accidents, four wounded and two kidnapped.
But he said his team, especially its Iraqi members, remained "resilient".
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17725491%255E601,00.html
HOW MANY Journalists were wiretapped as well with incoming messages into their companies in the USA? These wiretapes were exclusively of average citizens. Company executives, you name it, if it was speech or messages of internet coming in or our of the USA it was tapped. That includes nearly every American.
Andrew Sullivan: Restoration of the imperial presidency
January 04, 2006
"NOW, by the way, any time you hear the United States Government talking about wire-tap, it requires - a wire-tap requires a court order. Nothing has changed." Those are the words of President George W. Bush on April 20, 2004.
He reiterated them at a press conference the following July: "The Government can't move on wire-taps or roving wire-taps without getting a court order."
In both cases he was referring to the Patriot Act, which expanded the federal Government's powers for surveillance in the war on terror. But his statements were broad ones, designed to reassure Americans that their constitutional rights were protected, and we now know the President was not telling the truth.
It turns out the President has authorised thousands of wire-taps of American citizens' phones without any court order for the past four years, clearly violating a 1978 law that set up a special court to monitor and approve such taps.
The wire-taps were restricted - or at least so we are told - to domestic recipients of foreign phone calls, and so could be viewed as falling within the remit of the President's foreign policy rather than his domestic one. They are also unobjectionable to most Americans. A recent poll showed 64 per cent were fine with wire-tapping Americans if they might have contacts with terrorists abroad.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17722595%255E7583,00.html
Sudanese refugees face new hurdles
IT is 2pm on a Tuesday afternoon in Toowoomba, west of Brisbane, and Thomas Thiik, 21, has just been released from prison.
"I've been free for two hours," he said, dipping into a pizza box. "So I'm having a celebration."
Thiik (pronounced "Tik") went to jail for three months for driving without a licence, a crime that he, as a newly arrived refugee from Sudan, says he could not comprehend.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17725357%255E2702,00.html
Villages cut off as flood toll rises to 63
January 04, 2006
JAKARTA: Rescuers struggled to reach cut-off villages and recovered dozens more corpses yesterday as the death toll from flash flooding in central Indonesia reached 63.
Several villages were inundated when heavy weekend rains triggered a landslide on a hill in Panti, a district of East Java province, and forced a river to break its banks early on Monday.
Television footage showed a crying survivor carrying a dead baby wrapped in a blanket and policemen hauling injured people on stretchers from destroyed villages in the district of Jember, about 900km east of Jakarta.
The local government scrambled to provide food, shelter and medicine to more than 5400 people made homeless by the flooding. Heavy rains sent mud, water and logs crashing into villages, destroying hundreds of buildings.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17725155%255E2703,00.html
Plight of Katrina's forgotten victims
David Nason, New Orleans
January 04, 2006
IF Renita Miller ever chose to be resentful about the aid money now pouring into New Orleans for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, many would say she had every right.
The Florida-based mother of eight, who has two dependent grandchildren, is a Katrina victim too, but in the political uproar that followed last year's hopelessly inadequate New Orleans relief effort, people like her were put to one side.
Ms Miller lives in a low-income housing project at Homestead in southern Florida.
The community was battered by storms on August 25 last year as Katrina made her way east into the Gulf of Mexico. Flooding ruined most of Ms Miller's family's meagre possessions.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17725161%255E2703,00.html
US warns Iran off nuclear plan
From correspondents in Washington
January 04, 2006
THE US threatened to seek international action against Iran if it resumes nuclear fuel research, suggesting the world's patience with Tehran could be wearing thin.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack accused the Iranians of doing a "bob and weave" in negotiations to persuade them to halt uranium-enrichment activities that could lead to a nuclear bomb.
"Our view is that if Iran takes an further enrichment-related steps, the international community will have to consider additional measures to constrain Iran's nuclear ambitions," McCormack said.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17727072%255E23109,00.html
Corpses dragged from Iraqi home
By Dhia Hamid in Baiji, Iraq
January 04, 2006
EIGHT corpses, including those of two children, were pulled overnight from the rubble of a house in northern Iraq after it was bombed the previous night by US aircraft.
The air strike came as a team of international monitors started to review contested results from Iraq's December general elections following accusations of fraud by Sunni-based and secular parties.
The US military confirmed it attacked a house in Baiji, 200km north of Baghdad, yesterday after an unmanned drone spotted three men planting a roadside bomb and then fleeing into the building.
"The individuals were assessed as posing a threat to Iraqi civilians and coalition forces, and the location of the three men was relayed to close air support pilots," said US military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Barry Johnson.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17727016%255E23109,00.html
Bali tourists numbers plunging
From correspondents in Jakarta
January 03, 2006
FOREIGN tourist arrivals to Indonesia's resort island of Bali fell 22 per cent in November compared to a month earlier, figures showed today as the October suicide bombings still kept visitors away.
Some 67,700 foreign visitors travelled to Bali in November, down from October's 86,800.
The figure was down 59.8 per cent on September's 168,200 arrivals, according to figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics.
"The fall remains attributable to the effects of the Bali bombing II," the bureau said in a release posted on its website, referring to triple suicide bombings which targetted popular eateries in Bali on October 1.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17723430%255E23109,00.html
Big quake hits in Pacific
From correspondents in Washington
January 03, 2006
A BIG earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale hadhit the Fiji region of the south Pacific, the US Geological Survey reported today.
It said the tremor occurred at 10.13am (0913 AEDT), 335km north west of Tonga's Nuku'Alofa.
There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said it did not expect the quake, which happened 579km below the earth's surface, to trigger a damaging Pacific-wide tsunami.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17719251%255E23109,00.html
Nazi hunters decry trial 'whitewash'
From correspondents in Tallinn
January 03, 2006
A JEWISH organisation that tracks down Nazi war criminals overnight slammed Estonia's judiciary as inept and corrupt after the Baltic state's prosecutor dropped a case against an Estonian businessman accused of murdering Jews in World War II.
"The conclusions of the Estonian investigation of suspected Nazi war criminal Harry Mannil are a pathetic political whitewash and we categorically reject the prosecutors assessments of the case," Efraim Zuroff, the Israeli director of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, said .
"Mannil should be held accountable for his role in the fate of Estonian civilians persecuted and murdered by the Nazis and their Estonian collaborators," Zuroff said.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17718989%255E23109,00.html
Yemeni landslide toll hits 63
From correspondents in San'a Yemen
January 02, 2006
THE number of people killed in last week's landslide in Yemen rose to 63 today after search teams pulled out seven more bodies, said a council official in the north Yemeni village.
Six of the corpses recovered belonged to children aged seven to 16 years old, councillor Bakeel al-Thufeiri said.
The seventh body was that of a 20-year-old woman who was due to get married next week.
The village of Dhafeer, about 100km north of the Yemeni capital of San'a, was half buried last week when part of an adjacent mountain broke loose and flattened 23 houses.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17717566%255E23109,00.html
Bomber kills Iraqi police
January 02, 2006
AT least five policemen have been killed after a suicide car bomber struck their bus in Baquba north of Baghdad today, a medical source said.
The bus was taking policemen to a Kurdish city in the north for training.
Another five policemen were wounded in the attack, the source said.
The area around Baquba, 65km northeast of Baghdad, was scene to several attacks against Iraqi security forces and civilians lately.
Insurgents stormed a police checkpoint with rocket-propelled grenades and mortars in a small town near Baquba a week ago, killing five policemen and wounding four.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17715142%255E23109,00.html
Buddhists shot dead
From correspondents in Yala
January 02, 2006
TWO Thai Buddhists including an army officer have been shot dead in separate attacks by suspected Islamic militants in southern Thailand, police said today.
Sergeant Major Chan Thanyod, 32, was shot dead and two other soldiers wounded while patrolling a village in Yala province's Ban Nang Sata district early today during an ambush by an unknown number of gunmen, they said.
Thai Buddhist Viroj Plienjai, 69, was shot dead in Pattani province's Muang district late on Sunday afternoon as he guarded a private house.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17713468%255E23109,00.html
Christian priest murdered in Laos
From correspondents in Hanoi
January 02, 2006
AN evangelical Protestant pastor was killed in Laos late last month, an official spokesman in Vientiane said Monday, confirming an exiled group's report.
Aroun Voraphom led a religious service at Pakading town in central Bolikhamsai province on December 22 and never made it back home.
"The motive for the murder seems to be clear - it was to steal money," Laotian foreign ministry spokesman Yong Chanthalangsy said, adding that provincial authorities were still investigating.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17713196%255E23109,00.html
China prepares for big freeze
From correspondents in Beijing
January 02, 2006
CHINA, already enduring its coldest winter in 20 years, is preparing for a cold snap that will see temperatures drop by as much as 16C, state press said today.
Northern China, where temperatures are already as low as minus 15-20C, will feel the strongest effects of the cold front, which is sweeping in from Mongolia and western Siberia, the China Daily reported.
In the capital of Beijing, which enjoyed a relatively warm start to the New Year with temperatures just above freezing, the thermometer is expected to plunge 10C tonight, according to the paper.
The Beijing News advised the city's residents to return home from New Year holidays early today to avoid expected overnight snowfalls.
Even in the warmer southern regions, the temperatures are expected to drop sharply.
"Upon the heels of the cold front ... more snowfall can be expected in the north with rain or snow flurries possible in the south," the paper quoted Yang Guiming, a senior official with the Central Meteorological Office, as saying.
Wang Bangzhong, a deputy director with the China Meteorological Administration, said temperatures across China had already been 1.5C lower than the historical average throughout December.
"China is experiencing the coldest winter in 20 years," Mr Wang told the paper.
He said three more successive "winter freezes" were expected to affect China during January, usually the coldest month of the year.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17713048%255E23109,00.html
Troops kill 12 crude oil thieves
January 02, 2006
NIGERIAN troops killed 12 men caught stealing crude oil from a pipeline in the southern state of Delta, the head of a government task force on pipelines said overnight.
Siphoning oil from pipelines, a practise known locally as bunkering, is common in the Niger Delta, a vast region of mangrove creeks and swamps that accounts for almost all of Nigeria's 2.4 million barrels per day (bpd) production of crude.
Government official Isiaka Pachiko said troops on patrol in remote Oghara community stumbled on a group of bunkerers on Saturday who had heavy drilling equipment and four trucks ready to be loaded with oil.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17711556%255E23109,00.html
Iraq coalition numbers decreasing
By Will Dunham in Washington
January 02, 2006
THE number of countries with troops in Iraq as part of the American-led coalition is declining, with some key US allies planning to keep forces there only at reduced levels.
These developments come as the United States plans to roll back the size of its own 155,000 strong force that was in place for December 15 Iraqi parliamentary election and considers deeper troop cuts later in 2006.
Meanwhile, the number of US-trained Iraqi security personnel has been steadily growing and stands at 223,000, according to Pentagon figures.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17711528%255E23109,00.html
Storm Zeta lingers over Atlantic
From correspondents in Miami
January 02, 2006
A SLIGHTLY weakened Tropical Storm Zeta lingered over the open Atlantic overnight, a month after the end of the official Atlantic and Caribbean hurricane season.
The 27th named storm of a season that broke a whole catalogue of weather records, Zeta's centre was about 1795 km southwest of Portugal's Azores islands, the US National Hurricane Centre said.
The storm's maximum sustained winds were near 85km/h, and a further weakening trend was forecast to begin during the next 24 hours, the Miami-based centre said.
Zeta caps a record hurricane season that forced forecasters to choose storm names from the Greek alphabet after exhausting their annual list of 21 names.
The previous record for most tropical storms was 21, set in 1933. Fourteen of last year's storms strengthened into hurricanes, breaking the old record of 12 set in 1969.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17711524%255E23109,00.html
Syria expels former vice president
By Roueida Mabardi in Damascus
January 02, 2006
SYRIA'S ruling Baath party has expelled former vice president Abdel Halim Khaddam, who has implicated the regime in the murder of Lebanese ex-premier Rafiq Hariri.
The party, which has ruled Syria with an iron grip since 1963, said Mr Khaddam's comments to Dubai-based satellite channel Al-Arabiya from his base in exile in Paris were a "slander which violates the principles of the nation".
"The national leadership has decided to throw Khaddam out of the party. It considers him a traitor. Khaddam has betrayed the party, the homeland and the (Arab) nation," the party leadership said.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17711523%255E23109,00.html
Tourists' skydiving adventure ends with five dead in dam
Sean Parnell and Steve Creedy
January 03, 2006
A PLANE that crashed shortly after take-off yesterday - killing three foreign tourists learning to skydive, an instructor and their pilot - had been modified to use an engine similar to the one that failed in the Whyalla crash that claimed eight lives in 2000.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17717357%255E23349,00.html
Bird flu outbreak confirmed
From correspondents in Beijing
January 04, 2006
CHINA'S Agriculture Ministry had confirmed an outbreak of bird flu in the southwestern province of Sichuan, the China Daily newspaper reported today.
More than 1800 poultry were found dead on December 22 on a farm in Sichuan's Dazhu county and Agriculture Ministry officials sent to the area confirmed the birds had the H5N1 strain of the virus, the report said.
Since then, 12,900 poultry in the area had been culled to try to contain the virus, which is found mostly in birds but which scientists fear could mutate into a form that can pass easily between people, leading to a pandemic.
Scientists are worried because the virus, although hard for humans to catch, has killed more than half the people reported to have been infected.
Since late 2003, more than 70 people have died in Asia from bird flu and the virus is endemic in poultry flocks in parts of the region, highlighting the urgency in trying to control the disease and prevent more human infections.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17727304%255E1702,00.html
Bail over 11,000 ecstasy tabs
January 04, 2006
A MAN allegedly caught in a car with thousands of ecstasy tablets and $24,000 cash would plead not guilty to drug offences, an Adelaide court has been told.
Salvatore Lupoi, 30, was granted bail today in Adelaide Magistrates Court after his lawyer, Tim Moffat, said his client would plead not guilty.
Police allegedly stopped Mr Lupoi on December 22 in a car in which were found 11,000 ecstasy tablets and $24,000 in cash.
Further police property searches yielded 5000 more ecstasy tablets, amphetamines and cannabis.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17727192%255E1702,00.html
The Intelligencer/Wheeling News Register
Arrest Those Who Sell Votes, Too
The Intelligencer
As recently as 1990, a pint of cheap whiskey was all it took to buy a vote in West Virginia. That ought to make thoughtful, ethical Mountain State residents want to throw up.
Federal prosecutors are continuing their campaign against vote fraud in southern West Virginia. During the past several months they have uncovered plenty of it in both Lincoln and Logan counties. One former state Division of Highways worker has admitted that, during 1988 or 1990, he bribed some Lincoln County voters with pints of whiskey and, sometimes, cash payments of $10 to $15. In another case, Logan County Clerk Glen D. Adkins admitted that he sold his vote for $500 in 1996.
Southern West Virginia at one time was infamous for vote fraud. Clearly, attempts to influence elections illegally are far from a matter for the history books.
We're pleased that federal prosecutors are attacking the problem - but we have a suggestion for them. Nothing that the authorities do seems to eliminate the problem. Down through the years, dozens of public officials have been charged with election fraud-related offenses.
Perhaps it's time to begin arresting those who sell their votes - as many of them as possible. The message being sent to voters thus far is that those who buy votes will be prosecuted, but most of those who sell them will get off with merely a bad scare.
Why not prosecute West Virginians who are willing to trade honest elections for pints of rot-gut? That may be the only way to eliminate election fraud in the Mountain State, by letting dishonest voters know that they may not take elections seriously - but the rest of us do.
http://theintelligencer.net/edit/story/014202006_edt01.asp
Mexican Regime Insincere on Illegals
The Intelligencer
The debate over illegal immigration from Mexico naturally tends to focus on what U.S. policymakers ought to do - for instance, actually dedicate resources to border and employment law enforcement. But what about Mexico's role in the creation of an illegal Diaspora that now numbers at least 10 million?
Illegal immigration from Mexico to the United States principally consists of poor, uneducated Mexicans looking for a better life north of the border. Victor Davis Hanson, a fellow at the Hoover Institution, points out in a Wall Street Journal essay that these illegal immigrants represent Mexico's "abjectly immoral export of its own dispossessed." Mexico's impoverished show by their actions that they see more hope working illegally in the United States than in a change in their own government and its policies.
The Mexican government clearly likes things the way they are. It exports its poor to the United States, whose law-abiding taxpayers then pay for health care, prison space, education and other costs associated with illegal immigration. Meanwhile, those who escape the reach of U.S. law send home some $10 billion to $15 billion a year in cash "remittances." No wonder the Mexican government openly agitates in the United States on behalf of its exported citizens, while doing little to improve their lot at home.
The United States government's continuing de facto acquiescence to Mexico's export of its poor, Hanson says, enables Mexico to avoid reforms in its own government and economic policies. Mexico is not lacking for resources. It has vast tropical and semi-tropical coasts, fertile land and abundant mineral deposits. But corruption remains pervasive, and the government still leans toward socialism.
The North American Free Trade Agreement was supposed to boost Mexico's economy, and the election of Vicente Fox was supposed to be a harbinger of cleaner government. Neither has fully materialized. Hanson argues that a big reason is that by exporting millions of its poor, Mexico relieves itself of a political pressure point for reform.
Congress and the Bush administration should get serious about border and employment law enforcement. But they also should get serious about the true nature of the Mexican government, and hold the Fox government accountable for its actions - and inactions - when it comes to trade policy and foreign aid.
http://theintelligencer.net/edit/story/014202006_edt02.asp
The New Zealand Herald
Whales under threat again
03.01.06 1.00pm
By Michael McCarthy
Twenty years after the introduction of an international whaling moratorium the great whales face renewed and mortal dangers in 2006.
A double threat is looming for the world's largest mammals, many of them endangered species, in the coming year.
In the biggest whale slaughter for a generation, more than 2000 animals are likely to be directly hunted by the three countries continuing whaling in defiance of world opinion: Japan, Norway and Iceland. And in a crucial political move, this year the pro-whaling nations look likely to achieve their first majority of votes in whaling's regulatory body, the International Whaling Commission (IWC).
The first development will be brutal, bloody and shocking to many people who might be under the impression that whaling is a thing of the past. But the second may be even more significant for whale welfare in the long term, for it would pave the way for an eventual resumption of commercial whaling, which the 1986 moratorium put on indefinite hold.
Japan is leading the way on both counts. Its whalers are currently in the Southern Ocean where they plan to kill 935 minke whales, more than double the number they took last year, all of them under the guise of "scientific" whaling - killing the animals allegedly for research purposes. This label is a fiction which fools no one, as whale meat, popular with Japanese consumers, is sold on the open market.
It is also hunting 10 endangered fin whales - the second-largest animal on earth, after the blue whale - and over the next two years will seek to harpoon 40 more fin whales, and 50 humpbacks, the big whales whose spectacular "breaching" - leaping from the water - delights observers on whale-watching cruises.
Norway, which is pursuing commercial whaling openly by simply declining to adhere to the moratorium, is following close behind, with another leap in its planned kills in the coming year. Four days before Christmas, the Norwegian government announced it would increase its 2006 whale hunting quota by a further 250 animals to 1052, following a unanimous recommendation by the Storting (Norwegian parliament).
Iceland, which resumed whaling three years ago, also under the "scientific" label, killed 39 minkes last year and is expected to hunt a similar number in 2006.
That all adds up to by far the bloodiest bout of whale slaughter since the days of full-scale commercial whaling and has greatly angered environmental campaigners.
"People should wake up to the scale of what is happening this year," said the whaling campaigner for Greenpeace UK, Willie McKenzie. "Politicians who are supposed to be anti-whaling especially need to wake up to it, and press their governments to put as much effort into saving the world's whale populations as the whaling countries are doing to exploit them."
Greenpeace has sent two of its ships to the Southern Ocean to try to hinder whaling operations directly. In actions strongly reminiscent of those which first made the group famous in the 1970s, activists in small inflatable boats have been trying to block the harpooners' line of fire and, on a number if occasions, have succeeded.
Joining in the pursuit of the Japanese whalers is the US-based Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which says one of its ships, Farley Mowat, was nearly rammed by the Japanese whaler Nisshin Maru on Christmas Day.
What especially angers environmentalists is the fact the Japanese hunt is taking place in the Southern Ocean Whaling Sanctuary, an area encompassing 21 million sq miles of sea around Antarctica which the IWC declared off-limits for whaling in 1994. Japan ignores it.
Some campaigners are now calling for the anti-whaling countries - the so-called "like-minded" group, led by New Zealand, Australia, the US and Britain - to take legal action against Japan over the "scientific" whaling issue.
"Scientific whaling needs to be stopped, and legal action needs to be taken against Japan in the International Court," said Joth Singh, director of wildlife and habitats for the International Fund for Animal Welfare.
"We believe there is, in fact, an opportunity to do that, and we have contracted a lawyer in Australia who has done an evaluation of the possibilities of legal action. We think the like-minded countries should look at them.
"They need to take this issue to the International Court, because international pressure is required. Trade sanctions should certainly be a possibility." Mr Singh added: "I have been attending IWC meetings for years, and a number of resolutions which have been passed aimed at stopping scientific whaling have had no effect whatsoever. Diplomatic demarches, notes to Japan, have had no effect either.
"If there is any seriousness in terms of saving whales, this seems to be the way."
But time is pressing if the anti-whaling countries want to act, because in June, at the IWC meeting to be held in St Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean, the whaling nations seem likely to secure a voting majority for the first time.
It would be the result of an intense diplomatic campaign by Japan to get small developing countries to join the IWC and vote in its favour, by offering them substantial aid. Over the past six years, at least 14 nations have been recruited to the IWC as Japan's supporters, most of which have no whaling tradition. Some of the newcomers, such as Mongolia and Mali, do not even have a coastline.
Mark Simmonds, international director of science for the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, believes the Japanese already had their majority at last year's IWC meeting in South Korea but administrative hitches meant they were not able to exercise it. This year, he thinks, they will.
"This would be the most enormous setback for whale and dolphin conservation," he said. "People don't realise how significant it is and how close it is. The world needs to be alerted to it."
The whaling moratorium, voted through at the IWC meeting in Brighton in 1982 and brought in four years later, has been a rare environmental success story. It was intended originally, not as an outright and permanent ban on whaling, but as a pause to give whale stocks time to recover while their numbers were assessed comprehensively, and new ways of managing whale killing were introduced, based on the close study of whale population dynamics.
Most anti-whaling countries, including Britain, are now firmly of the view that commercial whaling should never resume. Britain's original position was to be "guided by the science" but that view has hardened over the years, and the UK now believes "that properly regulated whale watching is the only truly sustainable use of whales and other cetaceans [dolphins and porpoises]".
MAIN TARGETS
Common Minke Whale
Balaenoptera acutorostrata. The smallest of the great whales, usually about 10m long and weighing about nine tonnes. This is the main target of the summer whale hunt by Norway and Iceland.
Antarctic Minke Whale
Balaenoptera bonaerensis. Slightly larger version of the North Atlantic minke. Because it was the smallest, it was targeted last during the centuries of commercial whaling, so it is still relatively abundant. The main target of the Japanese whale hunt, for "scientific" reasons.
Fin Whale
Balaenoptera physalus. The second-largest of all the whales, exceeded only by the blue whale. Can be 22m long and weigh 75 tonnes. Despite its classification as an endangered species - the result of commercial whaling, especially in the southern hemisphere - it is now being hunted again by the Japanese.
Humpback Whale
Megaptera novaeangliae. Medium-sized whale, typically 13m long and weighing 30 tonnes, widely distributed from the Arctic to the Antarctic. This species is probably the best known, and most photographed, because of its habit of making spectacular leaps out of the water. Heavily exploited in the past, it is now recovering in many places thanks to the whaling moratorium, but it is again being targeted by the Japanese.
- INDEPENDENT
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10362282
Danger ahead from clean air and thin ozone
04.01.06 1.00pm
New Zealand's clean air and thin ozone layer means we are receiving about 40 per cent more dangerous cancer-causing ultraviolet radiation than North Americans at corresponding latitudes, a leading atmospheric researcher says.
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa) scientist Richard McKenzie said joint research by Niwa and North American scientists had found New Zealand's summer UV levels were as if the country was actually positioned 450km nearer the equator and 1000m higher in altitude, a Wellington daily newspaper reported.
The research findings, to be published in the international journal Photochemical and Photobiological Sciences, investigated the UV levels in New Zealand.
"It's no doubt an important factor in causing the high rates of skin cancer we have here," Dr McKenzie was reported as saying.
New Zealand has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world.
"UV radiation in New Zealand is only high for its latitude, which is important because most of the people who live here are lighter-skinned and therefore more at risk," Dr McKenzie told the newspaper.
The country's clean air and thinner ozone layer contributed to the risk and helped explain the much higher ultraviolet levels than in North America, where greater pollution blocks more of the rays.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10362387
Risk of cave-in suspends German ice rink rescue
04.01.06 8.00am
By Kerstin Doerr
German rescuers suspended efforts this morning (NZ time) to reach a woman and three youths still feared trapped under an ice rink roof that caved in and killed at least 11 others, saying it might give way completely.
Local officials said they hoped to resume the recovery operation later today, once heavy lifting gear had arrived and removed what remains of the massive building, whose roof fell in yesterday after heavy snowfall.
"Whenever it is possible, we will go in with the dogs and personnel to find those who are still in the wreckage," chief fire officer Rudi Zeif told a news conference.
He said there had been no signs of life from the woman and three youths, aged 12 to 16, that officials believe are still trapped under the rubble, roughly 24 hours after the roof collapsed.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10362375
Hopes dim for missing in ice rink disaster
04.01.06 1.00pm
Hopes of rescuing a woman and three youths feared trapped under the collapsed roof of a German ice rink began to fade today.
Chief fire officer Rudi Zeif said there had been no signs of life from the woman and three youths, aged 12 to 16, that officials believe are still trapped under the rubble some 30 hours after the roof collapsed on Monday night (NZ time), killing 11 people.
Cranes worked into the night to remove crushed sections of roof as hundreds of citizens of this Bavarian town near the Austrian border gathered in a central square to hold a candle-light vigil for the victims, mostly children.
"We remain hopeful that there are living people among the missing that we can rescue," Zeif said. "As we clear the beams we'll send dogs into the rubble to search for them."
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10362385
Pair return to stricken yacht as salvage fails
04.01.06 1.00pm
An attempt to salvage a damaged yacht off the Taranaki coast has failed and its owners have re-boarded the stricken vessel, despite coast guard warnings that it may be perilous to stay on board.
On Monday, a New Caledonian father and daughter had been forced to abandon the Xiphos to salvagers. But with conditions treacherous, the line between the salvage boat and the yacht broke twice, frustrating attempts to tow the damaged yacht back to New Plymouth.
Coastguard Taranaki were forced to abort the salvage attempt and return to shore.
Sailors Daniel Le Meur, 54, and Morgane Le Meur, 19, had earlier been rescued by the TET rescue helicopter after scrambling from the yacht about 90km offshore on Monday.
When the salvage option became fruitless this morning, Le Meur insisted on returning to his vessel, rather than abandoning it to the high seas.
The $300,000 yacht was reportedly insured.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10362390
TV coming to a cellphone near you
04.01.06 1.00pm
By Chris Marlowe
LOS ANGELES - A tech firm is expected to announce today that consumers can use a wide range of mobile devices to watch their home television from anywhere in the world.
Sling Media is set to unveil new software that adds this capability to its Slingbox hardware product this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Jason Krikorian, co-founder of the company and head of business development, said support for mobile devices always has been part of the company's vision but that the initial focus was on the PC because of the broadband connection.
"There are solutions for live and recorded TV on mobile phones, but now for the first time you can have full access to every single channel you've got at your house," he said. "It's not just a TV experience on your phone, it's your TV experience, like you have at home when you're on your couch."
The new mobile client, as the software is known, works with any device that uses Microsoft's Windows Mobile Platform versions 4.0 or 5.0.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/6/story.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10362378
Natural disasters declared in Australian bushfire areas
04.01.06 1.00pm
Natural disaster zones have been declared for bushfire-ravaged areas of NSW's central coast and south west.
Fires swept through parts of Junee and the Brisbane Water National Park on the central coast at the weekend, gutting eight homes and destroying 38,000ha of bush and farmland.
The declaration means the local government areas of Gosford, Junee and Upper Lachlan are eligible for extra assistance under the Natural Disaster Relief Arrangements.
Acting NSW Premier John Watkins, Emergency Services Minister Tony Kelly and Rural Fire Service Commissioner Phil Koperberg will today join Acting Prime Minister Mark Vaile on a visit to devastated areas around Junee.
Mr Watkins will thank local volunteers and inspect relief efforts available to residents, farmers and businesses.
"People across NSW want to offer a big thank you to everyone who's been involved in the battle against these fires," Mr Watkins said in a statement.
"These men and women give up their time to protect lives and property and we all owe them a huge debt of gratitude."
A 21-year-old volunteer firefighter remains in a serious condition in hospital after suffering third-degree burns to 60 per cent of his body as he battled a blaze on his property near Junee.
Five homes were lost to the flames, which killed around 15,000 sheep and 88 cattle.
Mr Watkins said the Department of Community Services would work with families whose homes were destroyed and could be eligible for an immediate A$10,000 ($10,938.52) grant.
Mr Kelly said 400 firefighters were strengthening containment lines outside the township of Ilabo.
"While the fire is now contained, the weather forecast is for hot and windy conditions again this weekend," he said.
"That's why it's important people adhere to all safety messages from the Rural Fire Service to try and prevent further outbreaks."
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10362400
Bashing victim suffers 'loathsome' theft
04.01.06 1.00pm
SYDNEY - NSW Police Commissioner Ken Moroney has described a robbery at the home of Sydney bashing victim Lauren Huxley as a "loathsome act".
Among the items stolen were unopened Christmas gifts given to the 19-year-old, who is still recovering in hospital after being bashed, bound and doused with petrol at her Northmead home in November.
Part of the home was destroyed by fire, and the Huxley family had moved to a block of units at Northmead while their daughter fought for her life in Westmead Hospital.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10362383
West Virginia mine rescue makes slow progress
04.01.06 1.00pm
Treacherous conditions, including the presence of poisonous gas, slowed the effort to rescue 13 trapped coal miners this morning, but rescuers still held out hope for a miracle to save the men.
"We still pray for miracles in West Virginia. We still believe in miracles," state Governor Joe Manchin told reporters at the coal mine.
"We are hoping for that miracle." There still had not been any communication with the miners, trapped since around midnight (NZ time) on Monday.
At the White House, President George W Bush said he had spoken to Manchin about the trapped miners. "I told him that Americans all across our country were praying for the miners who are trapped in the mine there in West Virginia," he said.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10362381
Russia, Ukraine trade insults in gas dispute
04.01.06 1.00pm
By Christian Lowe
MOSCOW - Russia's gas deliveries to European customers returned to normal overnight (NZ time), as it traded insults with former ally Ukraine over who was to blame for supply disruptions across the continent.
Russian energy officials were set to meet counterparts from Ukraine earlier today to discuss the dispute, but there was no sign of a softening of tone on either side in a dispute with clear political overtones.
Russia switched off Ukraine's gas when Kiev rejected a big hike in prices. It was forced to turn the taps back on after key European partners complained their supplies had been hit too and chided Moscow for using energy as a political tool.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10362377
continued …
The Big Cat that actually looks like a house cat.
Species Felis temmincki
The Asian Golden Cat. The "click on" above takes you to a page with both African (at the top of the page) and Asian (at the bottom of the page). This is an endangered species.
December 25, 2005.
Kwannza the Lion had a Birthday Party.
Caption read :: Kwanzaa, a juvenile South African lion, gets a taste of his birthday cake made from 10 pounds of horse meat, whipped cream and a carrot during his birthday celebration at the Cameron Park Zoo in Waco on Saturday. Kwanzaa was born at the Cameron Park Zoo but will soon have a new home at the Birmingham Zoo in Alabama."The seven days of this celebration emphasize the seven principles of Nguzo Saba - unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.
Morning Papers - concluding
Zoos
Mysore zoo on a mission to save abandoned jumbo calf
By Shankar Bennur DH News Service Mysore:
The century-old Mysore Zoo is facing a challenge to save a 60-day-old female elephant calf which was rescued from Bandipur National Park. The calf, which is in a severe dehydrated state, is on a ‘round-the-clock’ observation under the watchful eyes of zoo vets.
But the chances of its survival are remote as its condition is serious. Yet, the zoo vets are not giving up. Zoo Director Manoj Kumar is accessing information from the zoos across India and the world, to find out any other new method that could save this young calf.
“It is very difficult to save jumbo calves in the age group of two months. They should have had mother’s milk for at least 2.5 to 3 months so that its immune system will be strong enough to withstand problems. Nevertheless we have taken this case as a challenge and are consulting experts to help save it,” Kumar told Deccan Herald.
http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/jan12006/state17515220051231.asp
DUSIT ZOO WILL REOPEN SOON, WITH RED PANDAS AND PENGUINS AS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE ZOO
Dusit Zoo prepares to reopen its service, with red pandas and penguins as their main selling points this year.
Director of the zoo, Wisit Wichasil (วิศิษฏ์ วิชาศิลป์) said that last year, about 1.8-2 million people visited the zoo, an increase of 10-15% from the 2004 figures, because the zoo has brought in new animals and organized special activities all year. He said that for this year, the zoo, which has closed down for renovation, will reopen soon, adding that modern technology will be used to educate people about the animals. In addition, red pandas from China and penguins from Antarctica will be featured at the zoo this year.
Mr. Wichai added that the zoo will extend their operating hours from 8AM -6PM to 8AM-9PM, so that the zoo can serve as another natural tourist spot at night in Bangkok. He said that the renovation is 80% completed, expecting the zoo can reopen after Chinese New year this year. He said that tourists will increase by 10%, adding that the zoo still has no policy to raise its entry free, as the government has no plan to privatize the zoo at the moment.
http://www.thaisnews.com/news_detail.php?newsid=157031
DUSIT ZOO HOLDING ANIMAL PARADES AND INTRODUCING NEW HYENA PAIR AS SPECIAL NEW YEAR ARRANGEMENTS
Iintroducing its new hyena, as special arrangements for this New Year.
Visitors to the zoo can closely observe the animals that are being paraded through the zoo. A new pair of hyenas, a male and a female, will be displayed at the zoo for 1 year before they are returned to the Nakhon Ratchasima zoo for mating. The hyena pair has so far drawn significant attention from the public.
The zoo opens from 8 am in the morning to 6 pm in the evening, and the special New Year activities at the zoo will take place until January 3rd. Adults are charged 40 baht entrance fees and children only 10 baht.
http://www.thaisnews.com/news_detail.php?newsid=156779
Elephant's popularity raising hopes at zoo
OAKLAND FORGING AHEAD WITH BREEDING PROGRAM DESPITE CRITICISM
By Guy Ashley
Knight Ridder
Osh, the massive bull elephant who recently completed his first year at the Oakland Zoo, is making friends.
And that's downright thrilling news for zookeepers looking to the hulking adolescent to jump-start Oakland's elephant breeding program and rebuff critics who say spotty success shown by zoos worldwide in spawning new generations of the massive pachyderms is but one signal that elephants don't belong in captivity.
``It can be done,'' said Joel Parrott, the zoo's executive director. ``The key is keeping the elephants active and involved in the social groups that they're accustomed to in the wild.''
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/13538049.htm
Zoo Releases $2.7 Million 2006 Budget
Tuesday night, the Sioux Falls City Council voted unanimously to renew the Zoological Society's partnership with the City to manage the Great Plains Zoo and Delbridge Museum for 5 years. Earlier today, Zoo President Elizabeth Whealy presented a $2.7 million budget for 2006.
$1.3 million of that will come from the City. That's about $500,000 than the City gave last year. The money will pay for increased employee salaries, including five new positions. More than $200,000 of the total budget will be spent on marketing the zoo to attract visitors, and another $200,000 will pay for renovations and maintenance put off during previous years.
"We have a number of items we need to work on that haven't been cared for in the past in the way we'd like them to be cared for now, so we're working on making that deferred maintenance, getting at it and moving on," said Zoo President Elizabeth Whealy.
The Zoo's President says changes around the zoo may not be noticeable to the average visitor. But Whealy says even things like fixing fences, adding benches and buying new uniforms will help improve the zoo overall.
http://www.keloland.com/News/NewsDetail5440.cfm?Id=0,44970
Amur leopard at the Oregon Zoo diagnosed with cancer
PORTLAND, Ore.- Andrea, Oregon Zoo's female Amur leopard, has been diagnosed with cancer. According to the zoo's lead veterinarian Dr. Mitch Finnegan, her keepers noticed mild intermittent lethargy and a slightly decreased appetite in mid-November. An ultrasound in early December showed a uterine mass and fluid in the abdomen.
Exploratory surgery on the 14-year-old revealed a uterine tumor that had apparently eroded through the wall of the uterus and seeded her abdominal cavity with tumor cells. Because the tumor shed millions of cells into her abdominal cavity, she has a carpet of tumor cells growing on all of the surfaces in her abdomen, including her intestines, liver, spleen; a condition known as peritoneal carcinomatosis. Examination of her uterus and ovaries after they were removed showed that she also had ovarian cancer involving one ovary.
http://www.katu.com/news/story.asp?ID=82245
Petting Zoo
On the morning of Thanksgiving, a time for giving and sharing, John Washington, the owner of Washington Farms says it's the morning the attacks all began.
"My son and I got up to go feed the animals at our Petting Zoo Farm and when we came down to the pen there were three large dogs in the pen attacking the animals and killing them," says Washington.
Washington says several of his animals were already dead and several he had to shot because of the severity of their injuries, but the attacks were all but over
http://www.wneg32.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WNEG/MGArticle/NEG_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1128769083191&path=
Zoos and wildlife conservation
By John Linehan/ Special To The Tab
Wednesday, January 4, 2006
It never ceases to amaze me when people appear surprised to learn how much zoos in general, and Zoo New England in particular, are doing in the conservation arena. Perhaps some people hold to the outdated perspective of zoos as purely recreational facilities. The role and function of zoos has evolved dramatically in recent years. In the past, we were animal exhibitors and wildlife consumers. Today we are net wildlife producers as well as interpreters for, and advocates of, a natural world under siege.
http://www2.townonline.com/newton/artsLifestyle/view.bg?articleid=400712
2005 a prolific year for captive pandas
Items compiled from Tribune news services
Published January 3, 2006
BEIJING, CHINA -- A record 21 surviving baby pandas were born in China's zoos and breeding centers in 2005, state media reported Monday.
Sixteen were born at Wolong Giant Panda Research Center in the southwestern province of Sichuan, the rare animal's biggest natural habitat, the China Daily newspaper said. The others were born in research centers in the Sichuan provincial capital, Chengdu, in the northwestern Chinese province of Shaanxi and at the Beijing Zoo.
China has 183 pandas in captivity, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. It said 24 others live in nine zoos in five other countries.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0601030236jan03,1,6578828.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed
Panda cub on show at US zoo
Su Lin, a four-month-old giant panda cub, plays on a tree branch in the enclosure she shares with her mother Bai Yun at the San Diego Zoo December 30, 2005. Su Lin, whose name means "A little bit of something very cute" in Chinese went on public display December 29.
The 21-week-old panda cub appeared Thursday before a throng of tourists in town for the Holiday Bowl.
Zookeeper Lisa Bryant said Su Lin is precocious and very curious. She's climbing and trying to stand on her head, a common activity for panda cubs.
Su Lin, which means "A Little Bit of Something Very Cute," will be on display from 9 a.m. to noon daily. She and her mother, Bai Yun, will be allowed in the den in the afternoon, away from public view. They can either go indoors or remain outside on display.
Giant pandas are an endangered species. There are only about 1,600 of the animals in captivity and in the wild. The pandas at the San Diego Zoo are on loan from China as part of a captive breeding program. Su Lin will be sent to that country when she is older.
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/family/5731050/detail.html
Zoo's Baby Panda Makes Public Debut
POSTED: 6:43 am PST December 30, 2005
UPDATED: 6:53 am PST December 30, 2005
SAN DIEGO -- Su Lin returns to public view at the San Diego Zoo Friday, one day after her debut.
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/family/5731050/detail.html
Caviar Exports Canceled in Move to Stop Sturgeon Extinction
By C. J. CHIVERS
Published: January 3, 2006
MOSCOW, Jan. 3 - The global export trade in caviar, the briny eggs of sturgeon that for decades have been one of the world's most exotic and lucrative wildlife products, was abruptly ordered shut down today by the international convention that helps nations manage threatened species.
The export suspension, called for by the secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or C.I.T.E.S., was described as a temporary measure to compel nations that still export caviar and other sturgeon products to demonstrate that their fishing practices are not driving the remaining fish populations toward extinction.
Exporting nations must "ensure that the exploitation of sturgeon stocks is commercially and environmentally sustainable over the long term," the convention's secretary general, Willem Wijnstekers, said in a statement.
Sturgeon products, legal and illegal, are thought to be worth at least several hundred million dollars each year. But scientists and managers have said for decades that the caviar industry, and the species that drive it, are in jeopardy.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/03/international/03cnd-sturgeon.html?emc=eta1
Hairs tell story of African elephants: scientists
www.chinaview.cn 2006-01-03 11:51:22
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 2 (Xinhuanet)-- The chemicals in tail hair discloses the secret of the African elephants' diet and movement, U.S. scientists reported on Monday.
Analyzing specific tail hair chemicals, and tracking the subject elephants with radio collars, can help reduce human-elephant conflicts and determine where to establish sanctuaries to protect the endangered creatures, claimed the researchers.
Their findings were published in the Jan. 3 online issue of thejournal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"This is a new method to understand elephant behavior and help ensure their survival," said Thure Cerling, the study's lead author at the University of Utah.
The study involved analysis of "stable isotopes" of carbon and nitrogen in African elephants' tail hair to determine what and where they ate while they were also tracked with Global Positioning System (GPS) collars.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-01/03/content_4002839.htm
Zoo's lynx one contented cat
By ALEX LAPUT
SPECIAL TO THE CHIEFTAIN
Our featured Pueblo Zoo resident this month, a beautiful lynx named Kaya, has only been in town for a few months.
She came to us from Canada, and is about 4 years old. You may see her in the Woods area that starts across from the education building near the zoo's entrance. Her enclosure is the first one after you cross the footbridge.
Kaya is very attractive and attentive. Her keeper, Ashley Byers, says that Kaya likes to sit and watch the bobcats in the exhibit next to hers. We can't say for sure if she is having friendly thoughts about the bobcats or not.
http://www.chieftain.com/life/1136187203/3
Little Rock Zoo sends Siberian tigers north to cooler climate
Associated Press
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - In a swap, the Little Rock Zoo is sending a pair of Siberian tigers to the Minnesota Zoo, with the first leaving Tuesday, because the steamy Arkansas summers have been deemed uncomfortable for the breed.
The American Zoo and Aquarium Association recommended that Siberian tigers kept in warmer climates be shipped north and swapped with zoo tigers in cooler climates.
"The long, hot summers just aren't too comfortable for tigers that are predisposed to like cooler climates," said Debbie Thompson, the Little Rock Zoo's carnivore curator.
The Little Rock Zoo is to receive a pair of 2-year-old Indo-Chinese tigers from the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Neb., in exchange for Siberian brothers Serge and Dmitri, who have lived in Arkansas since 1996.
Brent Day, the Little Rock Zoo's large cat animal keeper, said Monday the Siberian tigers are also being sent to Minnesota to mate with female tigers. He said Serge and Dmitri's genetics are highly ranked nationally for mating.
"They're going ultimately to be dads," Day said.
The Indo-Chinese tigers should arrive by the end of the spring and will have to go through a 30-day quarantine and reintroduction period before they are on display at the beginning of the summer, zoo officials said.
The zoo plans to bring in female tigers to mate with the new Indo-Chinese tigers as well, Day said.
Serge will be the first Little Rock tiger moved to Minnesota. Dmitri should follow in March or April, Day said. Siberian tigers are native to eastern Asia and northern China where snow covers the ground for most of the year. The pair came to Little Rock from the Denver Zoo when they were 2-years-old.
Serge and Dmitri never seemed very bothered by the Arkansas heat, Day said. They often spent their summers lounging in waterfalls and pools in the zoo's big cat habitat or in their attached, air-conditioned building.
"They did well here," Day said. "They'll just do better there. They just prefer to be cold for six, eight, nine months as opposed to Arkansas weather being warm for six, eight, nine months."
http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/news/state/13534810.htm
The Cute Factor
By NATALIE ANGIER
Published: January 3, 2006
WASHINGTON, Jan. 2 - If the mere sight of Tai Shan, the roly-poly, goofily gamboling masked bandit of a panda cub now on view at the National Zoo isn't enough to make you melt, then maybe the crush of his human onlookers, the furious flashing of their cameras and the heated gasps of their mass rapture will do the trick.
"Omigosh, look at him! He is too cute!"
"How adorable! I wish I could just reach in there and give him a big squeeze!"
"He's so fuzzy! I've never seen anything so cute in my life!"
A guard's sonorous voice rises above the burble. "OK, folks, five oohs and aahs per person, then it's time to let someone else step up front."
The 6-month-old, 25-pound Tai Shan - whose name is pronounced tie-SHON and means, for no obvious reason, "peaceful mountain" - is the first surviving giant panda cub ever born at the Smithsonian's zoo. And though the zoo's adult pandas have long been among Washington's top tourist attractions, the public debut of the baby in December has unleashed an almost bestial frenzy here. Some 13,000 timed tickets to see the cub were snapped up within two hours of being released, and almost immediately began trading on eBay for up to $200 a pair.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/03/science/03cute.html?hp
Rain washes away Lahore Zoo’s hopes again
LAHORE: The long-awaited inauguration of Lahore Zoo’s master plan by Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi was delayed because of rain on Monday. The ceremony had earlier been called off because of the October 8 earthquake.
The recent version of the zoo’s two-year master plan was formulated a year and a half ago after much contemplation. Debates, discussions and meetings about the plan had been taking place since 1998 and several changes were made to the plan on zoo experts’ suggestions.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006%5C01%5C03%5Cstory_3-1-2006_pg7_20
It's a zoo out there, or so we are told
Animals have important lessons to teach us about nature and the simple joys of life.
Or do they?
If they were afforded the social mobility, credit and literary aspirations of humans, perhaps they would try their paws at Internet dating, too -- or worse, follow the path of Sammy the Duck, a bitter alcoholic poet teaching at a New England College and trying desperately to finish his second book of verse.
Like Aesop for a multicultural age, Scott Bradfield plumbs these muddled anthropomorphic depths in Hot Animal Love.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/lifestyle/orl-love0106jan01,0,1884639.story?coll=orl-home-lifestyle\
Nashville Zoo kicking butts
By Associated Press
December 31, 2005
NASHVILLE - For its New Year's resolution, the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere will be giving up smoking.
Starting Sunday, the zoo will no longer allow smoking anywhere in its 70-acre facility, a benefit for both children and animals, officials said.
The zoo previously had designated outdoor smoking areas in the park, but the zoo's governing board heard too many complaints.
"Moms with kids would tell us: 'We don't want to sit outside and, even though the smoking area was far enough away, if the wind direction was right, get the smoke,' " said Rick Schwartz, Nashville Zoo's president.
All of the board members agreed and voted to remove the smoking areas permanently, making it the first Tennessee zoo to stamp out smoking completely.
"The decision at the board meeting was unanimous, and we feel comfortable with it," Schwartz said. "This is an environment primarily for children."
The Memphis Zoo, home of the Chinese giant pandas, allows smoking on zoo grounds except in indoor facilities. The Knoxville Zoo allows smoking only on the main pathways in the park and not within animal exhibits.
By banning smoking completely, the Nashville Zoo is following the trend of several large zoos in New York City, Denver, Detroit, Houston and Los Angeles, according to a survey by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association.
Spring Hill resident Sarah Rhodes brings her 2-year-old daughter to the zoo at least twice a month and says she is pleased with the smoking ban.
"I grew up in California, where you can't smoke in public places, so when we moved here, I was appalled that everywhere you go, you get blasted with smoke," Rhodes said.
Zoo spokesman Jim Bartoo said the smoking areas were hard to enforce and cigarette butts were found inside animal cages.
"Health of the animals is always a concern, but this is a child-friendly environment, and we want to reflect that by being smoke-free," he said.
Not everyone is happy with the zoo's decision.
"I don't think it's fair," said smoker and regular zoo visitor Randy Hart. "As long as they have those designated areas away from others, then why not? It's a hard habit to break."
http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/state/article/0,1406,KNS_348_4353733,00.html
Indian zoos provide specialised care for rare species
By Channel NewsAsia's India Correspondent Vaibhav Varma
India may be home to some 800 rare animal species, but 94 of them are endangered.
Our correspondent looks at efforts to keep them from extinction.
At the Botanical Gardens in East India's Kolkata city, one can spot some treasures of the animal kingdom.
One turtle, believed to be the world's oldest at 114 years old, lives in the park and its care and upkeep recognised as a major achievement.
Or perhaps you want to spot the rare Indian zebra.
Over at the Arinagar Anna Zoo in Chennai city, the race is on to save the animal with the zoo developing specialised facilities to ensure its survival.
The giant Indian squirrel and the reticulated python are also among 17 rare animal species that are provided with special care there.
These long-term programmes aim to enhance the wildlife habitat, and assist in animal reproduction problems.
Behavioural patterns are also studied in order to try out safer breeding techniques to increase their population.
P C Tyagi, Director, Arinagar Anna Zoological Park, Chennai, said: "As a part of the annual collection and breeding plan we are concentrating on breeding of endangered species. We are not concentrating on the least concerned species being bred in every zoo. These species are important to us, so most of the endangered species collection that we have, the animals are breeding. And when they breed over here and their numbers increase, we give them to other zoos."
Science is also increasingly being employed to prop up birth rates of exotic species of pheasants and other bird species.
Although the move is towards using artificial incubation, officials say they still try to stick to natural processes as much as possible.
Neeti Vashisht, Officer, Lucknow Zoological Gardens, said: "The incubator follows the same system as natural breeding - for example in the tilting and balancing of temperature and humidity. It is a modernised method of hatching but it is not going to harm the foetuses. The pheasants will be as healthy as if they were born normally."
India's Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 safeguards several species.
However weakness in enforcement infrastructure, and lack of awareness has been a huge hurdle to the well-being of these treasures.
Besides initiatives by zoological parks, education is the other required thrust area. - CNA/ch
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/southasia/view/186045/1/.html
National Zoo tiger cubs head for Denver
By DERRILL HOLLY
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
WASHINGTON -- Three little brothers whose antics have drawn crowds at the National Zoo for more than a year are all grown up now and getting kicked out of the house.
Marah, Jalan and Besar - Sumatran tiger cubs - are approaching 200 pounds apiece, an adult's size. Their mother is pushing them away, another sign that they are no longer little kittens even though they still play that way.
Next week, the 19-month-old males are being shipped to Landry's Downtown Aquarium in Denver to become part of a worldwide captive-breeding program. The Denver facility already has two 7-year-old males and a 5-year-old female.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1501AP_Big_Cats.html
Mill Mt. Zoo prairie dog town not in danger
Animal experts in Norfolk have ended their search for missing prairie dogs at the Virginia Zoo. The dirt filled exhibit collapsed last week. Four dogs were found dead, but experts don't believe their deaths are related to the collapse.
The prairie dog exhibit at Mill Mountain Zoo has been a staple for several decades. Tunnels there are well established which limit the chances of a collapse. Prairie dogs design mounds around their tunnel entrances to keep water out of their elaborate towns. Dogs often move hay over their entrances when they sense heavy rain or extreme cold is on the way.
http://www.wdbj7.com/Global/story.asp?S=4303076&nav=S6aK
Petting Zoo Attack Blamed On Vicious Dogs
POSTED: 11:18 am EST December 30, 2005
WATKINSVILLE -- A vicious pack of dogs is being blamed for killing all but three animals in an Oconee County petting zoo and other attacks over the past month in rural northeast Georgia.
The dog owners have been cited by Oconee County Animal Control for dozens of attacks on livestock and pets during the frenzy. The attacks ended Monday when the leader of the dog pack was caught and another of the dogs was shot and wounded by farmer John Washington.
Washington said the only animals remaining alive at his petting zoo are a peacock, a turkey and a mule. Some of the killed animals -- including a large porker named "Miss Piggy" -- had been attractions at the zoo since it opened nearly 12 years ago.
Officers said a 7-year-old girl's pet goat also fell victim to the dogs as they rampaged through the county.
A large mastiff named "Nub" is believed responsible for most of the recent slaughter. He was trapped by animal control officers at Washington's farm and will be euthanized.
Animal Control officials would not release the names of the owner of the mastiff and other dogs. The owners must appear in court February 10 to answer to the alleged violations.
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/5732772/detail.html
Zoo bans smoking
Starting Sunday, Nashville zoo officials are banning smoking on the 70-acre campus following visitor complaints and sightings of cigarette butts in animal cages.
The zoo joins a few of the country's largest zoos in banning smoking altogether, according to a survey that American Zoo and Aquarium Association did for the Nashville Zoo.
Zoo spokesman Jim Bartoo said officials have struggled with the issue for years. The zoo had designated smoking areas, but the rule was difficult to enforce, he said.
Bartoo says people spotted smoking will be asked to stop or leave the zoo.
http://www.wbir.com/news/news.aspx?storyid=31066
Zoos: when did your kid start enjoying them?
Let it be known: I hate the zoo. Seriously, I loathe it. Of course, the concept of the zoo isn't what bothers me -- I like the idea of having a place where you can see all the world's animals, where reseach can be conducted to help save endangered species -- it's the application of the concept which bugs me. It breaks my heart to see these animals in tiny cages, rather than roaming free in their homelands.
But now, I'm a mother. And since my 21-month-old can now identify a kangaroo, and tell the difference between a wombat and a caribou (thank you Baby Einstein), my husband and I decided we'd swallow our own zoo-biases and take her to see the animals. So this morning, off we went.
http://www.bloggingbaby.com/2005/12/30/zoos-when-did-your-kid-start-enjoying-them/
Orangutan attempts to find beloved via blog
Hongshan Forest Zoo in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, is planning to matchmake worldwide for Leshen, the only one orangutan in the zoo. Manager with the Primate Management Section under the zoo noted that they have launched a Chinese-English bilingual blog, leshen2005.blog.tom.com, for it.
The Orangutan, originating in Indonesia, is one of the world's most endangered species, with only 6,000 survivals globally and some 200 at home. Leshen, in that sense, is regarded as the treasure of Hongshan Forest Zoo. Born in 1999, Leshan is the first and the only orangutan nurtured in China and the six-year-old has reached its adulthood now. "We have had contacts with zoos in Shanghai, Hangzhou and Qinhuangdao, but failed to find an appropriate mate for him. Therefore we have to send out invitation of marriage worldwide."
It is said that all the relevant information about Leshan and his image can be found at the blog. Meanwhile, Hongshan Forest Zoo is contacting two zoos in Japan.
By People's Daily Online
http://english.people.com.cn/200512/30/eng20051230_231907.html
Zoo games: Let them eat meat
Cyclones, TCU set to tackle each other after contest with the tigers.
By RANDY PETERSON
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
December 29, 2005
Houston, Texas — Jason Berryman was acting a bit cocky, telling anyone who would listen that "I'd love to wrestle a tiger sometime," when suddenly the tiger with whom he wanted to go mano a tigro roared loudly in the background.
"Uh," Berryman uttered, "maybe not."
Welcome to Iowa State's 30-minute stint at the Houston Zoo, where five Cyclone players and five players from Texas Christian University hurled large chunks of raw red meat to hungry tigers 30 feet away.
Welcome to a little zany fun as the players took a respite from preparing for Saturday's 1:30 p.m. Houston Bowl at Reliant Stadium.
This was one of the sidelights of the bowl, where players from both sides performed for the cameras.
http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051229/SPORTS020602/512290362/1017/SPORTS06
Meerkats family statue wins over zoo youngsters
Dec 29 2005
Daily Post
A NEW family has arrived in Chester Zoo and is already proving popular with visitors.
The latest additions are a family of bronze meerkats who have taken their place in the Tsavo area of the zoo, close to the real meerkats and the rhinos, near to the main entrance.
Sculptor Annette Yarrow, from Hampshire, who also produced the zoo's baby elephant bronze, designed the new life-size models to show how a meerkat family live as a group.
Taking centre stage is one meerkat "on guard", with one sitting, one feeding, one pregnant and youngsters playing.
Zoo education officer Gill Wells said: "The bronzes are particularly popular with young children as they are great for photographs and help them learn about the animals. Visitors can touch them and get a real sense of their size and features, as well as them being great fun.
"We have been looking to increase the number of artwork pieces in the zoo and this sculpture is practical too as it doubles as a seating area.
"Bronze is a nice medium to work with as it improves with age. We are all really pleased with the design."
http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/tm_objectid=16529072&method=full&siteid=50061&headline=meerkats-family-statue-wins-over-zoo-youngsters--name_page.html
Crowds unfazed by zoo manhunt
NATALIE KENT
Friday, 30 December 2005
Tourists have remained faithful to Dubbo's Western Plains Zoo despite the pre-Christmas manhunt for fugitive Malcolm Naden. As Dubbo police conducted internal and external searches of the premises hundreds of holiday- goers braved the sweltering heat yesterday to enjoy the zoo's unique wildlife experience. Many were unaware of the manhunt that took place on December 23 while others consciously decided not to let the suspected presence of the alleged murderer affect their holiday plans. First-time visitors the Hirayama family from Melbourne were having a wonderful time cycling around the zoo. Admitting to not seeing any national news coverage about the situation at the zoo in the lead up to Christmas, Tomoji Hirayama said his wife Yachiyo and two children eight-year-old Ryo and four-year-old Chisatho were very excited to be in Dubbo and seeing the animals. "We are having a great time," he said. More informed Sydney couple Alison and Mike Dilley were told "a little about it " prior to their first visit but decided not to let the recent event prevent their visit.
http://dubbo.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=news&subclass=local&story_id=448727&category=General%20News&m=12&y=2005
continued ...
Mysore zoo on a mission to save abandoned jumbo calf
By Shankar Bennur DH News Service Mysore:
The century-old Mysore Zoo is facing a challenge to save a 60-day-old female elephant calf which was rescued from Bandipur National Park. The calf, which is in a severe dehydrated state, is on a ‘round-the-clock’ observation under the watchful eyes of zoo vets.
But the chances of its survival are remote as its condition is serious. Yet, the zoo vets are not giving up. Zoo Director Manoj Kumar is accessing information from the zoos across India and the world, to find out any other new method that could save this young calf.
“It is very difficult to save jumbo calves in the age group of two months. They should have had mother’s milk for at least 2.5 to 3 months so that its immune system will be strong enough to withstand problems. Nevertheless we have taken this case as a challenge and are consulting experts to help save it,” Kumar told Deccan Herald.
http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/jan12006/state17515220051231.asp
DUSIT ZOO WILL REOPEN SOON, WITH RED PANDAS AND PENGUINS AS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE ZOO
Dusit Zoo prepares to reopen its service, with red pandas and penguins as their main selling points this year.
Director of the zoo, Wisit Wichasil (วิศิษฏ์ วิชาศิลป์) said that last year, about 1.8-2 million people visited the zoo, an increase of 10-15% from the 2004 figures, because the zoo has brought in new animals and organized special activities all year. He said that for this year, the zoo, which has closed down for renovation, will reopen soon, adding that modern technology will be used to educate people about the animals. In addition, red pandas from China and penguins from Antarctica will be featured at the zoo this year.
Mr. Wichai added that the zoo will extend their operating hours from 8AM -6PM to 8AM-9PM, so that the zoo can serve as another natural tourist spot at night in Bangkok. He said that the renovation is 80% completed, expecting the zoo can reopen after Chinese New year this year. He said that tourists will increase by 10%, adding that the zoo still has no policy to raise its entry free, as the government has no plan to privatize the zoo at the moment.
http://www.thaisnews.com/news_detail.php?newsid=157031
DUSIT ZOO HOLDING ANIMAL PARADES AND INTRODUCING NEW HYENA PAIR AS SPECIAL NEW YEAR ARRANGEMENTS
Iintroducing its new hyena, as special arrangements for this New Year.
Visitors to the zoo can closely observe the animals that are being paraded through the zoo. A new pair of hyenas, a male and a female, will be displayed at the zoo for 1 year before they are returned to the Nakhon Ratchasima zoo for mating. The hyena pair has so far drawn significant attention from the public.
The zoo opens from 8 am in the morning to 6 pm in the evening, and the special New Year activities at the zoo will take place until January 3rd. Adults are charged 40 baht entrance fees and children only 10 baht.
http://www.thaisnews.com/news_detail.php?newsid=156779
Elephant's popularity raising hopes at zoo
OAKLAND FORGING AHEAD WITH BREEDING PROGRAM DESPITE CRITICISM
By Guy Ashley
Knight Ridder
Osh, the massive bull elephant who recently completed his first year at the Oakland Zoo, is making friends.
And that's downright thrilling news for zookeepers looking to the hulking adolescent to jump-start Oakland's elephant breeding program and rebuff critics who say spotty success shown by zoos worldwide in spawning new generations of the massive pachyderms is but one signal that elephants don't belong in captivity.
``It can be done,'' said Joel Parrott, the zoo's executive director. ``The key is keeping the elephants active and involved in the social groups that they're accustomed to in the wild.''
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/13538049.htm
Zoo Releases $2.7 Million 2006 Budget
Tuesday night, the Sioux Falls City Council voted unanimously to renew the Zoological Society's partnership with the City to manage the Great Plains Zoo and Delbridge Museum for 5 years. Earlier today, Zoo President Elizabeth Whealy presented a $2.7 million budget for 2006.
$1.3 million of that will come from the City. That's about $500,000 than the City gave last year. The money will pay for increased employee salaries, including five new positions. More than $200,000 of the total budget will be spent on marketing the zoo to attract visitors, and another $200,000 will pay for renovations and maintenance put off during previous years.
"We have a number of items we need to work on that haven't been cared for in the past in the way we'd like them to be cared for now, so we're working on making that deferred maintenance, getting at it and moving on," said Zoo President Elizabeth Whealy.
The Zoo's President says changes around the zoo may not be noticeable to the average visitor. But Whealy says even things like fixing fences, adding benches and buying new uniforms will help improve the zoo overall.
http://www.keloland.com/News/NewsDetail5440.cfm?Id=0,44970
Amur leopard at the Oregon Zoo diagnosed with cancer
PORTLAND, Ore.- Andrea, Oregon Zoo's female Amur leopard, has been diagnosed with cancer. According to the zoo's lead veterinarian Dr. Mitch Finnegan, her keepers noticed mild intermittent lethargy and a slightly decreased appetite in mid-November. An ultrasound in early December showed a uterine mass and fluid in the abdomen.
Exploratory surgery on the 14-year-old revealed a uterine tumor that had apparently eroded through the wall of the uterus and seeded her abdominal cavity with tumor cells. Because the tumor shed millions of cells into her abdominal cavity, she has a carpet of tumor cells growing on all of the surfaces in her abdomen, including her intestines, liver, spleen; a condition known as peritoneal carcinomatosis. Examination of her uterus and ovaries after they were removed showed that she also had ovarian cancer involving one ovary.
http://www.katu.com/news/story.asp?ID=82245
Petting Zoo
On the morning of Thanksgiving, a time for giving and sharing, John Washington, the owner of Washington Farms says it's the morning the attacks all began.
"My son and I got up to go feed the animals at our Petting Zoo Farm and when we came down to the pen there were three large dogs in the pen attacking the animals and killing them," says Washington.
Washington says several of his animals were already dead and several he had to shot because of the severity of their injuries, but the attacks were all but over
http://www.wneg32.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WNEG/MGArticle/NEG_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1128769083191&path=
Zoos and wildlife conservation
By John Linehan/ Special To The Tab
Wednesday, January 4, 2006
It never ceases to amaze me when people appear surprised to learn how much zoos in general, and Zoo New England in particular, are doing in the conservation arena. Perhaps some people hold to the outdated perspective of zoos as purely recreational facilities. The role and function of zoos has evolved dramatically in recent years. In the past, we were animal exhibitors and wildlife consumers. Today we are net wildlife producers as well as interpreters for, and advocates of, a natural world under siege.
http://www2.townonline.com/newton/artsLifestyle/view.bg?articleid=400712
2005 a prolific year for captive pandas
Items compiled from Tribune news services
Published January 3, 2006
BEIJING, CHINA -- A record 21 surviving baby pandas were born in China's zoos and breeding centers in 2005, state media reported Monday.
Sixteen were born at Wolong Giant Panda Research Center in the southwestern province of Sichuan, the rare animal's biggest natural habitat, the China Daily newspaper said. The others were born in research centers in the Sichuan provincial capital, Chengdu, in the northwestern Chinese province of Shaanxi and at the Beijing Zoo.
China has 183 pandas in captivity, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. It said 24 others live in nine zoos in five other countries.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0601030236jan03,1,6578828.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed
Panda cub on show at US zoo
Su Lin, a four-month-old giant panda cub, plays on a tree branch in the enclosure she shares with her mother Bai Yun at the San Diego Zoo December 30, 2005. Su Lin, whose name means "A little bit of something very cute" in Chinese went on public display December 29.
The 21-week-old panda cub appeared Thursday before a throng of tourists in town for the Holiday Bowl.
Zookeeper Lisa Bryant said Su Lin is precocious and very curious. She's climbing and trying to stand on her head, a common activity for panda cubs.
Su Lin, which means "A Little Bit of Something Very Cute," will be on display from 9 a.m. to noon daily. She and her mother, Bai Yun, will be allowed in the den in the afternoon, away from public view. They can either go indoors or remain outside on display.
Giant pandas are an endangered species. There are only about 1,600 of the animals in captivity and in the wild. The pandas at the San Diego Zoo are on loan from China as part of a captive breeding program. Su Lin will be sent to that country when she is older.
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/family/5731050/detail.html
Zoo's Baby Panda Makes Public Debut
POSTED: 6:43 am PST December 30, 2005
UPDATED: 6:53 am PST December 30, 2005
SAN DIEGO -- Su Lin returns to public view at the San Diego Zoo Friday, one day after her debut.
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/family/5731050/detail.html
Caviar Exports Canceled in Move to Stop Sturgeon Extinction
By C. J. CHIVERS
Published: January 3, 2006
MOSCOW, Jan. 3 - The global export trade in caviar, the briny eggs of sturgeon that for decades have been one of the world's most exotic and lucrative wildlife products, was abruptly ordered shut down today by the international convention that helps nations manage threatened species.
The export suspension, called for by the secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or C.I.T.E.S., was described as a temporary measure to compel nations that still export caviar and other sturgeon products to demonstrate that their fishing practices are not driving the remaining fish populations toward extinction.
Exporting nations must "ensure that the exploitation of sturgeon stocks is commercially and environmentally sustainable over the long term," the convention's secretary general, Willem Wijnstekers, said in a statement.
Sturgeon products, legal and illegal, are thought to be worth at least several hundred million dollars each year. But scientists and managers have said for decades that the caviar industry, and the species that drive it, are in jeopardy.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/03/international/03cnd-sturgeon.html?emc=eta1
Hairs tell story of African elephants: scientists
www.chinaview.cn 2006-01-03 11:51:22
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 2 (Xinhuanet)-- The chemicals in tail hair discloses the secret of the African elephants' diet and movement, U.S. scientists reported on Monday.
Analyzing specific tail hair chemicals, and tracking the subject elephants with radio collars, can help reduce human-elephant conflicts and determine where to establish sanctuaries to protect the endangered creatures, claimed the researchers.
Their findings were published in the Jan. 3 online issue of thejournal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"This is a new method to understand elephant behavior and help ensure their survival," said Thure Cerling, the study's lead author at the University of Utah.
The study involved analysis of "stable isotopes" of carbon and nitrogen in African elephants' tail hair to determine what and where they ate while they were also tracked with Global Positioning System (GPS) collars.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-01/03/content_4002839.htm
Zoo's lynx one contented cat
By ALEX LAPUT
SPECIAL TO THE CHIEFTAIN
Our featured Pueblo Zoo resident this month, a beautiful lynx named Kaya, has only been in town for a few months.
She came to us from Canada, and is about 4 years old. You may see her in the Woods area that starts across from the education building near the zoo's entrance. Her enclosure is the first one after you cross the footbridge.
Kaya is very attractive and attentive. Her keeper, Ashley Byers, says that Kaya likes to sit and watch the bobcats in the exhibit next to hers. We can't say for sure if she is having friendly thoughts about the bobcats or not.
http://www.chieftain.com/life/1136187203/3
Little Rock Zoo sends Siberian tigers north to cooler climate
Associated Press
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - In a swap, the Little Rock Zoo is sending a pair of Siberian tigers to the Minnesota Zoo, with the first leaving Tuesday, because the steamy Arkansas summers have been deemed uncomfortable for the breed.
The American Zoo and Aquarium Association recommended that Siberian tigers kept in warmer climates be shipped north and swapped with zoo tigers in cooler climates.
"The long, hot summers just aren't too comfortable for tigers that are predisposed to like cooler climates," said Debbie Thompson, the Little Rock Zoo's carnivore curator.
The Little Rock Zoo is to receive a pair of 2-year-old Indo-Chinese tigers from the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Neb., in exchange for Siberian brothers Serge and Dmitri, who have lived in Arkansas since 1996.
Brent Day, the Little Rock Zoo's large cat animal keeper, said Monday the Siberian tigers are also being sent to Minnesota to mate with female tigers. He said Serge and Dmitri's genetics are highly ranked nationally for mating.
"They're going ultimately to be dads," Day said.
The Indo-Chinese tigers should arrive by the end of the spring and will have to go through a 30-day quarantine and reintroduction period before they are on display at the beginning of the summer, zoo officials said.
The zoo plans to bring in female tigers to mate with the new Indo-Chinese tigers as well, Day said.
Serge will be the first Little Rock tiger moved to Minnesota. Dmitri should follow in March or April, Day said. Siberian tigers are native to eastern Asia and northern China where snow covers the ground for most of the year. The pair came to Little Rock from the Denver Zoo when they were 2-years-old.
Serge and Dmitri never seemed very bothered by the Arkansas heat, Day said. They often spent their summers lounging in waterfalls and pools in the zoo's big cat habitat or in their attached, air-conditioned building.
"They did well here," Day said. "They'll just do better there. They just prefer to be cold for six, eight, nine months as opposed to Arkansas weather being warm for six, eight, nine months."
http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/news/state/13534810.htm
The Cute Factor
By NATALIE ANGIER
Published: January 3, 2006
WASHINGTON, Jan. 2 - If the mere sight of Tai Shan, the roly-poly, goofily gamboling masked bandit of a panda cub now on view at the National Zoo isn't enough to make you melt, then maybe the crush of his human onlookers, the furious flashing of their cameras and the heated gasps of their mass rapture will do the trick.
"Omigosh, look at him! He is too cute!"
"How adorable! I wish I could just reach in there and give him a big squeeze!"
"He's so fuzzy! I've never seen anything so cute in my life!"
A guard's sonorous voice rises above the burble. "OK, folks, five oohs and aahs per person, then it's time to let someone else step up front."
The 6-month-old, 25-pound Tai Shan - whose name is pronounced tie-SHON and means, for no obvious reason, "peaceful mountain" - is the first surviving giant panda cub ever born at the Smithsonian's zoo. And though the zoo's adult pandas have long been among Washington's top tourist attractions, the public debut of the baby in December has unleashed an almost bestial frenzy here. Some 13,000 timed tickets to see the cub were snapped up within two hours of being released, and almost immediately began trading on eBay for up to $200 a pair.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/03/science/03cute.html?hp
Rain washes away Lahore Zoo’s hopes again
LAHORE: The long-awaited inauguration of Lahore Zoo’s master plan by Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi was delayed because of rain on Monday. The ceremony had earlier been called off because of the October 8 earthquake.
The recent version of the zoo’s two-year master plan was formulated a year and a half ago after much contemplation. Debates, discussions and meetings about the plan had been taking place since 1998 and several changes were made to the plan on zoo experts’ suggestions.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006%5C01%5C03%5Cstory_3-1-2006_pg7_20
It's a zoo out there, or so we are told
Animals have important lessons to teach us about nature and the simple joys of life.
Or do they?
If they were afforded the social mobility, credit and literary aspirations of humans, perhaps they would try their paws at Internet dating, too -- or worse, follow the path of Sammy the Duck, a bitter alcoholic poet teaching at a New England College and trying desperately to finish his second book of verse.
Like Aesop for a multicultural age, Scott Bradfield plumbs these muddled anthropomorphic depths in Hot Animal Love.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/lifestyle/orl-love0106jan01,0,1884639.story?coll=orl-home-lifestyle\
Nashville Zoo kicking butts
By Associated Press
December 31, 2005
NASHVILLE - For its New Year's resolution, the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere will be giving up smoking.
Starting Sunday, the zoo will no longer allow smoking anywhere in its 70-acre facility, a benefit for both children and animals, officials said.
The zoo previously had designated outdoor smoking areas in the park, but the zoo's governing board heard too many complaints.
"Moms with kids would tell us: 'We don't want to sit outside and, even though the smoking area was far enough away, if the wind direction was right, get the smoke,' " said Rick Schwartz, Nashville Zoo's president.
All of the board members agreed and voted to remove the smoking areas permanently, making it the first Tennessee zoo to stamp out smoking completely.
"The decision at the board meeting was unanimous, and we feel comfortable with it," Schwartz said. "This is an environment primarily for children."
The Memphis Zoo, home of the Chinese giant pandas, allows smoking on zoo grounds except in indoor facilities. The Knoxville Zoo allows smoking only on the main pathways in the park and not within animal exhibits.
By banning smoking completely, the Nashville Zoo is following the trend of several large zoos in New York City, Denver, Detroit, Houston and Los Angeles, according to a survey by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association.
Spring Hill resident Sarah Rhodes brings her 2-year-old daughter to the zoo at least twice a month and says she is pleased with the smoking ban.
"I grew up in California, where you can't smoke in public places, so when we moved here, I was appalled that everywhere you go, you get blasted with smoke," Rhodes said.
Zoo spokesman Jim Bartoo said the smoking areas were hard to enforce and cigarette butts were found inside animal cages.
"Health of the animals is always a concern, but this is a child-friendly environment, and we want to reflect that by being smoke-free," he said.
Not everyone is happy with the zoo's decision.
"I don't think it's fair," said smoker and regular zoo visitor Randy Hart. "As long as they have those designated areas away from others, then why not? It's a hard habit to break."
http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/state/article/0,1406,KNS_348_4353733,00.html
Indian zoos provide specialised care for rare species
By Channel NewsAsia's India Correspondent Vaibhav Varma
India may be home to some 800 rare animal species, but 94 of them are endangered.
Our correspondent looks at efforts to keep them from extinction.
At the Botanical Gardens in East India's Kolkata city, one can spot some treasures of the animal kingdom.
One turtle, believed to be the world's oldest at 114 years old, lives in the park and its care and upkeep recognised as a major achievement.
Or perhaps you want to spot the rare Indian zebra.
Over at the Arinagar Anna Zoo in Chennai city, the race is on to save the animal with the zoo developing specialised facilities to ensure its survival.
The giant Indian squirrel and the reticulated python are also among 17 rare animal species that are provided with special care there.
These long-term programmes aim to enhance the wildlife habitat, and assist in animal reproduction problems.
Behavioural patterns are also studied in order to try out safer breeding techniques to increase their population.
P C Tyagi, Director, Arinagar Anna Zoological Park, Chennai, said: "As a part of the annual collection and breeding plan we are concentrating on breeding of endangered species. We are not concentrating on the least concerned species being bred in every zoo. These species are important to us, so most of the endangered species collection that we have, the animals are breeding. And when they breed over here and their numbers increase, we give them to other zoos."
Science is also increasingly being employed to prop up birth rates of exotic species of pheasants and other bird species.
Although the move is towards using artificial incubation, officials say they still try to stick to natural processes as much as possible.
Neeti Vashisht, Officer, Lucknow Zoological Gardens, said: "The incubator follows the same system as natural breeding - for example in the tilting and balancing of temperature and humidity. It is a modernised method of hatching but it is not going to harm the foetuses. The pheasants will be as healthy as if they were born normally."
India's Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 safeguards several species.
However weakness in enforcement infrastructure, and lack of awareness has been a huge hurdle to the well-being of these treasures.
Besides initiatives by zoological parks, education is the other required thrust area. - CNA/ch
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/southasia/view/186045/1/.html
National Zoo tiger cubs head for Denver
By DERRILL HOLLY
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
WASHINGTON -- Three little brothers whose antics have drawn crowds at the National Zoo for more than a year are all grown up now and getting kicked out of the house.
Marah, Jalan and Besar - Sumatran tiger cubs - are approaching 200 pounds apiece, an adult's size. Their mother is pushing them away, another sign that they are no longer little kittens even though they still play that way.
Next week, the 19-month-old males are being shipped to Landry's Downtown Aquarium in Denver to become part of a worldwide captive-breeding program. The Denver facility already has two 7-year-old males and a 5-year-old female.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1501AP_Big_Cats.html
Mill Mt. Zoo prairie dog town not in danger
Animal experts in Norfolk have ended their search for missing prairie dogs at the Virginia Zoo. The dirt filled exhibit collapsed last week. Four dogs were found dead, but experts don't believe their deaths are related to the collapse.
The prairie dog exhibit at Mill Mountain Zoo has been a staple for several decades. Tunnels there are well established which limit the chances of a collapse. Prairie dogs design mounds around their tunnel entrances to keep water out of their elaborate towns. Dogs often move hay over their entrances when they sense heavy rain or extreme cold is on the way.
http://www.wdbj7.com/Global/story.asp?S=4303076&nav=S6aK
Petting Zoo Attack Blamed On Vicious Dogs
POSTED: 11:18 am EST December 30, 2005
WATKINSVILLE -- A vicious pack of dogs is being blamed for killing all but three animals in an Oconee County petting zoo and other attacks over the past month in rural northeast Georgia.
The dog owners have been cited by Oconee County Animal Control for dozens of attacks on livestock and pets during the frenzy. The attacks ended Monday when the leader of the dog pack was caught and another of the dogs was shot and wounded by farmer John Washington.
Washington said the only animals remaining alive at his petting zoo are a peacock, a turkey and a mule. Some of the killed animals -- including a large porker named "Miss Piggy" -- had been attractions at the zoo since it opened nearly 12 years ago.
Officers said a 7-year-old girl's pet goat also fell victim to the dogs as they rampaged through the county.
A large mastiff named "Nub" is believed responsible for most of the recent slaughter. He was trapped by animal control officers at Washington's farm and will be euthanized.
Animal Control officials would not release the names of the owner of the mastiff and other dogs. The owners must appear in court February 10 to answer to the alleged violations.
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/5732772/detail.html
Zoo bans smoking
Starting Sunday, Nashville zoo officials are banning smoking on the 70-acre campus following visitor complaints and sightings of cigarette butts in animal cages.
The zoo joins a few of the country's largest zoos in banning smoking altogether, according to a survey that American Zoo and Aquarium Association did for the Nashville Zoo.
Zoo spokesman Jim Bartoo said officials have struggled with the issue for years. The zoo had designated smoking areas, but the rule was difficult to enforce, he said.
Bartoo says people spotted smoking will be asked to stop or leave the zoo.
http://www.wbir.com/news/news.aspx?storyid=31066
Zoos: when did your kid start enjoying them?
Let it be known: I hate the zoo. Seriously, I loathe it. Of course, the concept of the zoo isn't what bothers me -- I like the idea of having a place where you can see all the world's animals, where reseach can be conducted to help save endangered species -- it's the application of the concept which bugs me. It breaks my heart to see these animals in tiny cages, rather than roaming free in their homelands.
But now, I'm a mother. And since my 21-month-old can now identify a kangaroo, and tell the difference between a wombat and a caribou (thank you Baby Einstein), my husband and I decided we'd swallow our own zoo-biases and take her to see the animals. So this morning, off we went.
http://www.bloggingbaby.com/2005/12/30/zoos-when-did-your-kid-start-enjoying-them/
Orangutan attempts to find beloved via blog
Hongshan Forest Zoo in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, is planning to matchmake worldwide for Leshen, the only one orangutan in the zoo. Manager with the Primate Management Section under the zoo noted that they have launched a Chinese-English bilingual blog, leshen2005.blog.tom.com, for it.
The Orangutan, originating in Indonesia, is one of the world's most endangered species, with only 6,000 survivals globally and some 200 at home. Leshen, in that sense, is regarded as the treasure of Hongshan Forest Zoo. Born in 1999, Leshan is the first and the only orangutan nurtured in China and the six-year-old has reached its adulthood now. "We have had contacts with zoos in Shanghai, Hangzhou and Qinhuangdao, but failed to find an appropriate mate for him. Therefore we have to send out invitation of marriage worldwide."
It is said that all the relevant information about Leshan and his image can be found at the blog. Meanwhile, Hongshan Forest Zoo is contacting two zoos in Japan.
By People's Daily Online
http://english.people.com.cn/200512/30/eng20051230_231907.html
Zoo games: Let them eat meat
Cyclones, TCU set to tackle each other after contest with the tigers.
By RANDY PETERSON
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
December 29, 2005
Houston, Texas — Jason Berryman was acting a bit cocky, telling anyone who would listen that "I'd love to wrestle a tiger sometime," when suddenly the tiger with whom he wanted to go mano a tigro roared loudly in the background.
"Uh," Berryman uttered, "maybe not."
Welcome to Iowa State's 30-minute stint at the Houston Zoo, where five Cyclone players and five players from Texas Christian University hurled large chunks of raw red meat to hungry tigers 30 feet away.
Welcome to a little zany fun as the players took a respite from preparing for Saturday's 1:30 p.m. Houston Bowl at Reliant Stadium.
This was one of the sidelights of the bowl, where players from both sides performed for the cameras.
http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051229/SPORTS020602/512290362/1017/SPORTS06
Meerkats family statue wins over zoo youngsters
Dec 29 2005
Daily Post
A NEW family has arrived in Chester Zoo and is already proving popular with visitors.
The latest additions are a family of bronze meerkats who have taken their place in the Tsavo area of the zoo, close to the real meerkats and the rhinos, near to the main entrance.
Sculptor Annette Yarrow, from Hampshire, who also produced the zoo's baby elephant bronze, designed the new life-size models to show how a meerkat family live as a group.
Taking centre stage is one meerkat "on guard", with one sitting, one feeding, one pregnant and youngsters playing.
Zoo education officer Gill Wells said: "The bronzes are particularly popular with young children as they are great for photographs and help them learn about the animals. Visitors can touch them and get a real sense of their size and features, as well as them being great fun.
"We have been looking to increase the number of artwork pieces in the zoo and this sculpture is practical too as it doubles as a seating area.
"Bronze is a nice medium to work with as it improves with age. We are all really pleased with the design."
http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/tm_objectid=16529072&method=full&siteid=50061&headline=meerkats-family-statue-wins-over-zoo-youngsters--name_page.html
Crowds unfazed by zoo manhunt
NATALIE KENT
Friday, 30 December 2005
Tourists have remained faithful to Dubbo's Western Plains Zoo despite the pre-Christmas manhunt for fugitive Malcolm Naden. As Dubbo police conducted internal and external searches of the premises hundreds of holiday- goers braved the sweltering heat yesterday to enjoy the zoo's unique wildlife experience. Many were unaware of the manhunt that took place on December 23 while others consciously decided not to let the suspected presence of the alleged murderer affect their holiday plans. First-time visitors the Hirayama family from Melbourne were having a wonderful time cycling around the zoo. Admitting to not seeing any national news coverage about the situation at the zoo in the lead up to Christmas, Tomoji Hirayama said his wife Yachiyo and two children eight-year-old Ryo and four-year-old Chisatho were very excited to be in Dubbo and seeing the animals. "We are having a great time," he said. More informed Sydney couple Alison and Mike Dilley were told "a little about it " prior to their first visit but decided not to let the recent event prevent their visit.
http://dubbo.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=news&subclass=local&story_id=448727&category=General%20News&m=12&y=2005
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