Australian Adventurer Gets Icy Antarctic Reception
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian adventurer Jon Johanson has become the first person to fly solo over the South Pole in a fixed wing aircraft but has received an icy reception after an emergency landing in the Antarctic. Johanson had planned to fly from New Zealand, over the South Pole, and on to Argentina, but dangerous headwinds after he flew over the pole on Monday forced him to turn back and make an emergency landing at the U.S. McMurdo Antarctic base.
Now he doesn't have enough fuel to fly back to New Zealand and officials at the U.S. base and nearby New Zealand Scott base are refusing to give or sell him the fuel to fly out.
"All he wants is some fuel to fly back to New Zealand," said Australian adventurer Dick Smith, who in 1989 became the first person to fly a helicopter solo from the North Pole to the South Pole, on Wednesday. Johanson needs about 88 gallons of aviation fuel, which costs about 74 cents a liter in Australia.
"The Americans have said we don't want you here," Smith said, adding they had offered to fly Johanson out but not his plane.
Johanson is reluctant to leave his homemade RV-4 aircraft on the frozen continent because he has flown it around the world, including over the North Pole, three times.
New Zealand officials have been slightly more sympathetic, offering Johanson a military flight out. They have also offered to ship his aircraft to New Zealand in January at his expense, said Johanson's support staff in Australia.
They said the adventurer was being allowed to sleep in the McMurdo refueling shed and had been given some food by the Americans.
Smith said adventurers were not welcome in the Antarctic, remembering when he landed at McMurdo on Thanksgiving Day 1989.
"The Americans only offered me a cup of coffee. I ended up getting fuel from the Russians," he said.
Smith has contacted Australia's foreign minister to seek assistance for Johanson.
TWW'S CRAZY NEWS STORIES
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AussieMark
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Chateau Margaux to Go?
BORDEAUX, France (Reuters) - French restaurants have started offering diners a "doggy bag" for any leftover wine to stem a drop in sales as drunken-driving laws get tougher.
Wine sales in French restaurants have dropped by 10 percent to 15 percent in the past year as the conservative government cracks down on bad drivers, said Bordeaux wine council CIVB, which launched the initiative.
Some 500 restaurants across France are now offering to repackage any unfinished wine bottles by recorking the wine using a special pump to extract air, ensuring it keeps for several days, and slipping the bottle into a discrete bag.
French diners normally turn up their noses at the Anglo-Saxon tradition of pocketing leftovers, shunning the "doggy bag," which is common practice stateside.
"It's not in the French or Latin spirit, so this is a good way of taking away the guilt and guaranteeing a discrete exit," CIVB spokeswoman Valerie Descudet said Wednesday.
"It makes everybody happy -- the restaurant owner, who is selling the wine, and the client who does not feel forced to finish the bottle or to avoid drinking altogether because of the risks it entails," she said.
BORDEAUX, France (Reuters) - French restaurants have started offering diners a "doggy bag" for any leftover wine to stem a drop in sales as drunken-driving laws get tougher.
Wine sales in French restaurants have dropped by 10 percent to 15 percent in the past year as the conservative government cracks down on bad drivers, said Bordeaux wine council CIVB, which launched the initiative.
Some 500 restaurants across France are now offering to repackage any unfinished wine bottles by recorking the wine using a special pump to extract air, ensuring it keeps for several days, and slipping the bottle into a discrete bag.
French diners normally turn up their noses at the Anglo-Saxon tradition of pocketing leftovers, shunning the "doggy bag," which is common practice stateside.
"It's not in the French or Latin spirit, so this is a good way of taking away the guilt and guaranteeing a discrete exit," CIVB spokeswoman Valerie Descudet said Wednesday.
"It makes everybody happy -- the restaurant owner, who is selling the wine, and the client who does not feel forced to finish the bottle or to avoid drinking altogether because of the risks it entails," she said.
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Naples Christmas Artisans Cowed by Mob, Terrorists
NAPLES, Italy (Reuters) - Naples is no stranger to crime, but with its long tradition of creche-making falling victim to Mafia threats and terrorist fears, it seems not even Christmas is sacred this year.
Every December, the narrow cobbled street of San Gregorio Armeno in the heart of Naples comes alive as artisans peddle their often witty, hand-crafted nativity scenes featuring personalities of the moment alongside Jesus and Mary.
Last Christmas, a camel-riding Osama bin Laden was displayed next to a big-eared President Bush in many of the stalls. The man blamed for the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States was also featured locked in a jail.
But most plans to make Saddam Hussein the central figure were scrapped after a suicide bomber killed 19 Italians in Iraq.
"This year, it's not something to joke about," said Angela Loffredo, one of the owners of the "Pastori dalle Mani Pulite" or "Clean Hands" creche shop which made poking fun at politicians accused of corruption one of its trademarks.
Her husband said models of Saddam, the Iraqi leader who was toppled by U.S.-led forces, had been prepared but he had never followed through on plans to produce the figurines.
Another artisan a few doors down was more explicit.
"There is a lot of fear -- even here in Naples -- that Italy is a terrorist target. This is a well-known street so why draw attention to yourself?" he asked.
MOB MUSCLING IN
Creche-makers have also had to grapple with the Naples-based Mafia, known as the Camorra, this Christmas season.
Police here received an anonymous letter at the beginning of the month from creche-makers saying they were being squeezed by mobsters and needed more protection.
According to the letter, which was also sent to local papers, the Camorra had demanded 2,000 euros ($2,451) per stall to allow creche-makers "to work in peace through Christmas."
"Racket even in creche district!" one newspaper declared.
Police patrols were beefed up in the district, which has been making nativity scenes for 10 centuries, but many artisans say they have little hope that it will help.
"Everybody pays off the Camorra. You have to pay them off just to park your car," the owner of one shop said. "And at Christmas this is where the business is."
But worries about the Mafia and suicide bombers haven't kept the crowds away. On a recent Sunday, visitors packed the stalls of creches to shop for trimmings from angels to miniature caged pigs and fish splashing in real, running water.
The one shop that did make Saddam figures had no regrets.
"Some artisans said it wasn't a good idea, but Saddam is selling," a saleswoman at "I Romano" shop said. "I don't know, maybe people want to put it in their bathroom."
NAPLES, Italy (Reuters) - Naples is no stranger to crime, but with its long tradition of creche-making falling victim to Mafia threats and terrorist fears, it seems not even Christmas is sacred this year.
Every December, the narrow cobbled street of San Gregorio Armeno in the heart of Naples comes alive as artisans peddle their often witty, hand-crafted nativity scenes featuring personalities of the moment alongside Jesus and Mary.
Last Christmas, a camel-riding Osama bin Laden was displayed next to a big-eared President Bush in many of the stalls. The man blamed for the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States was also featured locked in a jail.
But most plans to make Saddam Hussein the central figure were scrapped after a suicide bomber killed 19 Italians in Iraq.
"This year, it's not something to joke about," said Angela Loffredo, one of the owners of the "Pastori dalle Mani Pulite" or "Clean Hands" creche shop which made poking fun at politicians accused of corruption one of its trademarks.
Her husband said models of Saddam, the Iraqi leader who was toppled by U.S.-led forces, had been prepared but he had never followed through on plans to produce the figurines.
Another artisan a few doors down was more explicit.
"There is a lot of fear -- even here in Naples -- that Italy is a terrorist target. This is a well-known street so why draw attention to yourself?" he asked.
MOB MUSCLING IN
Creche-makers have also had to grapple with the Naples-based Mafia, known as the Camorra, this Christmas season.
Police here received an anonymous letter at the beginning of the month from creche-makers saying they were being squeezed by mobsters and needed more protection.
According to the letter, which was also sent to local papers, the Camorra had demanded 2,000 euros ($2,451) per stall to allow creche-makers "to work in peace through Christmas."
"Racket even in creche district!" one newspaper declared.
Police patrols were beefed up in the district, which has been making nativity scenes for 10 centuries, but many artisans say they have little hope that it will help.
"Everybody pays off the Camorra. You have to pay them off just to park your car," the owner of one shop said. "And at Christmas this is where the business is."
But worries about the Mafia and suicide bombers haven't kept the crowds away. On a recent Sunday, visitors packed the stalls of creches to shop for trimmings from angels to miniature caged pigs and fish splashing in real, running water.
The one shop that did make Saddam figures had no regrets.
"Some artisans said it wasn't a good idea, but Saddam is selling," a saleswoman at "I Romano" shop said. "I don't know, maybe people want to put it in their bathroom."
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Giant Gingerbread Man Is One Tough Cookie
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) - Doormen at a luxury hotel have an unusual rival for guests' attention this month: a giant gingerbread man cookie that chef Othmar Steinhart hopes will earn immortality as a Guinness world record.
Taking Christmas cheer to new heights, Steinhart, a chef at the Hyatt Regency, baked the 13-foot, 9-inch sweet and spicy cookie using 220 pounds of flour, cupfuls of ginger spice, 44 pounds of sugar, and 5.3 gallons of molasses and butter.
The downtown Vancouver hotel is awaiting confirmation from Guinness World Records that its super-sized cookie beats the current record holder -- an 11-foot specimen baked by students from a Texas high school in 1998.
Although the smiling and bow-tied contender risks a hungry passerby breaking off a limb, he faces a less sticky end than the runaway gingerbread man of the children's folktale who was caught and consumed by a fox.
After five weeks on display in the hotel's lobby, Steinhart said, the flat, brown cookie won't be edible.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) - Doormen at a luxury hotel have an unusual rival for guests' attention this month: a giant gingerbread man cookie that chef Othmar Steinhart hopes will earn immortality as a Guinness world record.
Taking Christmas cheer to new heights, Steinhart, a chef at the Hyatt Regency, baked the 13-foot, 9-inch sweet and spicy cookie using 220 pounds of flour, cupfuls of ginger spice, 44 pounds of sugar, and 5.3 gallons of molasses and butter.
The downtown Vancouver hotel is awaiting confirmation from Guinness World Records that its super-sized cookie beats the current record holder -- an 11-foot specimen baked by students from a Texas high school in 1998.
Although the smiling and bow-tied contender risks a hungry passerby breaking off a limb, he faces a less sticky end than the runaway gingerbread man of the children's folktale who was caught and consumed by a fox.
After five weeks on display in the hotel's lobby, Steinhart said, the flat, brown cookie won't be edible.
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Researchers Want Nursery Rhymes for Modern Times
TORONTO (Reuters) - No more kid stuff fantasy nursery rhymes.
Instead, parents should give children the hard facts in "medically sound" ditties that offer quick relief for nursery rhyme characters who clearly suffer major head injuries.
A tongue-in-cheek paper by Canadian researchers at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, found six popular nursery rhymes that refer to alarming injuries.
"We think it's of critical importance because of these very, very tragic stories," study co-author Dr. Sarah Shea said from Halifax on Tuesday.
"We're stunned at the fact that they've been told over and over to children with such complacency without people stopping to really look at both what's happened and really to mourn some of the losses."
The offending rhymes include "Jack and Jill," who went up a hill only to tumble down with a broken crown, as well as "Humpty Dumpty," who had a great fall from a wall.
Particularly egregious were the injuries presumably sustained by "Ten Little Monkeys," who begin the rhyme jumping on a bed but by its end are nowhere to be found.
That leaves only one conclusion, according to the paper: Each monkey must have sustained a major head or spinal injury.
"This rhyme is yet another example of the need for strong legislation to protect members of our society who are at risk," the authors said.
"After the first incident, the monkeys should have been placed in foster care, perhaps with "The Man with the Yellow Hat."
Meanwhile, the idea that all the king's horses and all the king's men should try to put Humpty Dumpty back together again just cracks up the researchers.
"What sort of EMS (emergency medical service) training and equipment did these first responders have?"
The lighthearted paper offers a more medically realistic nursery rhyme about little Johnny who fell off a bike and split his skull, but after neurosurgery is now well and always wears a helmet.
TORONTO (Reuters) - No more kid stuff fantasy nursery rhymes.
Instead, parents should give children the hard facts in "medically sound" ditties that offer quick relief for nursery rhyme characters who clearly suffer major head injuries.
A tongue-in-cheek paper by Canadian researchers at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, found six popular nursery rhymes that refer to alarming injuries.
"We think it's of critical importance because of these very, very tragic stories," study co-author Dr. Sarah Shea said from Halifax on Tuesday.
"We're stunned at the fact that they've been told over and over to children with such complacency without people stopping to really look at both what's happened and really to mourn some of the losses."
The offending rhymes include "Jack and Jill," who went up a hill only to tumble down with a broken crown, as well as "Humpty Dumpty," who had a great fall from a wall.
Particularly egregious were the injuries presumably sustained by "Ten Little Monkeys," who begin the rhyme jumping on a bed but by its end are nowhere to be found.
That leaves only one conclusion, according to the paper: Each monkey must have sustained a major head or spinal injury.
"This rhyme is yet another example of the need for strong legislation to protect members of our society who are at risk," the authors said.
"After the first incident, the monkeys should have been placed in foster care, perhaps with "The Man with the Yellow Hat."
Meanwhile, the idea that all the king's horses and all the king's men should try to put Humpty Dumpty back together again just cracks up the researchers.
"What sort of EMS (emergency medical service) training and equipment did these first responders have?"
The lighthearted paper offers a more medically realistic nursery rhyme about little Johnny who fell off a bike and split his skull, but after neurosurgery is now well and always wears a helmet.
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FDA Will Not Regulate GloFish
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, besieged by questions about a new kind of genetically engineered pet fish, said on Tuesday it saw no need to regulate the red fluorescent creatures.
A Texas-based company has started distributing the glowing zebra fish under the trademark name GloFish, but some media reports question their safety. They carry a gene from a sea coral that makes them shine red, especially under ultraviolet light.
"Because tropical aquarium fish are not used for food purposes, they pose no threat to the food supply," the FDA said in a terse statement.
"There is no evidence that these genetically engineered zebra danio fish pose any more threat to the environment than their unmodified counterparts which have long been widely sold in the United States. In the absence of a clear risk to the public health, the FDA finds no reason to regulate these particular fish."
Developer Alan Blake and colleagues at Yorktown Technologies, L.P. say there is no evidence the fish will pose any threat to the environment. Normal zebra fish are commonly used in aquariums and cannot survive in non-tropical waters.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, besieged by questions about a new kind of genetically engineered pet fish, said on Tuesday it saw no need to regulate the red fluorescent creatures.
A Texas-based company has started distributing the glowing zebra fish under the trademark name GloFish, but some media reports question their safety. They carry a gene from a sea coral that makes them shine red, especially under ultraviolet light.
"Because tropical aquarium fish are not used for food purposes, they pose no threat to the food supply," the FDA said in a terse statement.
"There is no evidence that these genetically engineered zebra danio fish pose any more threat to the environment than their unmodified counterparts which have long been widely sold in the United States. In the absence of a clear risk to the public health, the FDA finds no reason to regulate these particular fish."
Developer Alan Blake and colleagues at Yorktown Technologies, L.P. say there is no evidence the fish will pose any threat to the environment. Normal zebra fish are commonly used in aquariums and cannot survive in non-tropical waters.
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Santa Caught with His Trousers On
SYDNEY (Reuters) - An absent-minded bank robber dressed as Santa Claus will spend Christmas in an Australian jail, after he forgot about his pants.
Gregory Harland-White, 40, planned to rob a bank in a small town on Australia's island state Tasmania dressed as Santa Claus, dump the suit in a horse trailer and get away on a bicycle, The Mercury newspaper in Tasmania reported on Wednesday.
Harland-White bought his Santa suit from a chicken feed shop near the bank and armed himself with two pieces of pipe taped together to look like a gun.
After robbing the bank of about $10,000, Harland-White ran into a nearby horse trailer to dump the Santa suit, before heading for his get away vehicle, a bicycle chained to a power pole more than a block away.
But he forgot to take off his Santa pants and was quickly caught, never making it to his bicycle. Harland-White pleaded guilty to bank robbery in a court in Tasmania on Tuesday and is awaiting sentencing, The Mercury said.
SYDNEY (Reuters) - An absent-minded bank robber dressed as Santa Claus will spend Christmas in an Australian jail, after he forgot about his pants.
Gregory Harland-White, 40, planned to rob a bank in a small town on Australia's island state Tasmania dressed as Santa Claus, dump the suit in a horse trailer and get away on a bicycle, The Mercury newspaper in Tasmania reported on Wednesday.
Harland-White bought his Santa suit from a chicken feed shop near the bank and armed himself with two pieces of pipe taped together to look like a gun.
After robbing the bank of about $10,000, Harland-White ran into a nearby horse trailer to dump the Santa suit, before heading for his get away vehicle, a bicycle chained to a power pole more than a block away.
But he forgot to take off his Santa pants and was quickly caught, never making it to his bicycle. Harland-White pleaded guilty to bank robbery in a court in Tasmania on Tuesday and is awaiting sentencing, The Mercury said.
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Even Dogs Get the Blues at Holiday Time
DALLAS (Reuters) - The strain of the holidays can become too much for family dogs and when they get the Christmas blues, they may bite back.
According to Kent Robertson, manager of Animal Services for the city of Dallas, pet bites go up by about 10 percent during the holiday season as dogs overwhelmed by a flood of visitors and new activity around the house may mark the holidays by biting.
"I suspect everywhere around the United States, there is an increase in dog bite activity. Families are getting together and you have active youngsters running around, and they may often provoke dogs to bite," Robertson said.
He said children under age 15 were the most-common victims of bites. Robertson recommends keeping dogs away from the fray when the house is full of holiday revelers.
The holidays are just not a good time for the family dog. There are the dangers of poisonous plants such as the poinsettias and mistletoe, and the possibility of knocking over the tree, destroying ornaments and perhaps setting off a fire. Dr. Katherine Houpt, the director of the Animal Behavior Clinic at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine said that she had not seen figures on increased dog bites during the holidays, but she agreed the family dog was likely to find itself off-kilter around the end of the year.
"The dogs are seeing all these new people in the house and their owners do not have time to walk them. There is a change in their owners' attitude and schedule," Houpt said.
DALLAS (Reuters) - The strain of the holidays can become too much for family dogs and when they get the Christmas blues, they may bite back.
According to Kent Robertson, manager of Animal Services for the city of Dallas, pet bites go up by about 10 percent during the holiday season as dogs overwhelmed by a flood of visitors and new activity around the house may mark the holidays by biting.
"I suspect everywhere around the United States, there is an increase in dog bite activity. Families are getting together and you have active youngsters running around, and they may often provoke dogs to bite," Robertson said.
He said children under age 15 were the most-common victims of bites. Robertson recommends keeping dogs away from the fray when the house is full of holiday revelers.
The holidays are just not a good time for the family dog. There are the dangers of poisonous plants such as the poinsettias and mistletoe, and the possibility of knocking over the tree, destroying ornaments and perhaps setting off a fire. Dr. Katherine Houpt, the director of the Animal Behavior Clinic at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine said that she had not seen figures on increased dog bites during the holidays, but she agreed the family dog was likely to find itself off-kilter around the end of the year.
"The dogs are seeing all these new people in the house and their owners do not have time to walk them. There is a change in their owners' attitude and schedule," Houpt said.
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Man with Heroin in Ear Nabbed Questioning Police
BERLIN (Reuters) - German police charged a man with drugs possession after officers spotted a small quantity of heroin concealed in his ear when he entered a police station to check if he was on their wanted list.
"I suppose he may have heard he was wanted for some offence and just wanted to see if the police had anything on him," Volker Pieper, a spokesman for police in the central city of Kassel, said Tuesday. "It didn't go quite as he had planned."
As the 33-year-old man, a known drug abuser, questioned police, an officer noticed a suspicious lump stuck in his ear which turned out to be a gram of heroin, said Pieper. Police confiscated the drug before filing charges.
BERLIN (Reuters) - German police charged a man with drugs possession after officers spotted a small quantity of heroin concealed in his ear when he entered a police station to check if he was on their wanted list.
"I suppose he may have heard he was wanted for some offence and just wanted to see if the police had anything on him," Volker Pieper, a spokesman for police in the central city of Kassel, said Tuesday. "It didn't go quite as he had planned."
As the 33-year-old man, a known drug abuser, questioned police, an officer noticed a suspicious lump stuck in his ear which turned out to be a gram of heroin, said Pieper. Police confiscated the drug before filing charges.
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Oldest Fossil Marsupial Discovered
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A 125 million-year-old fossil found in northeast China is probably the oldest known ancestor of modern marsupials, U.S. and Chinese researchers said on Thursday.
The furry mouse-sized creature, named Sinodelphys szalayi, would have climbed trees, they report in this week's issue of the journal Science.
The fossil is 50 million years older than the oldest known marsupial fossil to date and the finding sheds light on when marsupials diverged from placental mammals -- which include humans, cats and dogs.
Marsupials -- the group that includes opossums, kangaroos and koalas -- give birth to very tiny young that develop in a pouch. Placental mammals give birth later, protecting their young inside the womb.
There are also differences in bone structure, reports Zhe-Xi Luo of the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences and colleagues there and at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh.
They suggest that the new fossil, together with others from the area, support the idea that Asia was a center for diversification of mammals.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A 125 million-year-old fossil found in northeast China is probably the oldest known ancestor of modern marsupials, U.S. and Chinese researchers said on Thursday.
The furry mouse-sized creature, named Sinodelphys szalayi, would have climbed trees, they report in this week's issue of the journal Science.
The fossil is 50 million years older than the oldest known marsupial fossil to date and the finding sheds light on when marsupials diverged from placental mammals -- which include humans, cats and dogs.
Marsupials -- the group that includes opossums, kangaroos and koalas -- give birth to very tiny young that develop in a pouch. Placental mammals give birth later, protecting their young inside the womb.
There are also differences in bone structure, reports Zhe-Xi Luo of the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences and colleagues there and at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh.
They suggest that the new fossil, together with others from the area, support the idea that Asia was a center for diversification of mammals.
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Colombia Turns to 'Coffee Kola' and Energy Drinks
BOGOTA, Colombia (Reuters) - What would Juan Valdez have to say?
Tired of exporting low-value green coffee bags, Colombian coffee officials want to diversify their product and plan to sell soft drinks and energy drinks made from coffee beans.
Gabriel Silva, general manager of Colombia's Coffee Federation, said coffee connoisseurs worldwide will soon start seeing on supermarket shelves "Coffee Kola" -- a soft drink prepared with 100 percent Colombian coffee.
Silva also announced plans to make a sports drink also based on Colombian coffee to attract younger consumers.
He did not give a date for the launch of the two new drinks but said they are part of the Federation's drive to sell more processed coffee in search of added value.
A can of Coca-Cola costs, on average, about 75 U.S. cents in the United States. A pound of green coffee trades these days at about 65 cents at the Coffee, Sugar and Cocoa Exchange -- a New York futures market which trades coffee contracts.
With low global prices of coffee ruining growers, the Federation in recent years has launched instant coffee, gourmet coffee shops and in 2004 plans to begin selling abroad pre-measured coffee filter bags.
Each bag will have a price of 20 U.S. cents and will be prepared in a specially made "Juan Valdez" coffee machine that will cost between $15-20, Silva said. Juan Valdez is the happy-go-lucky, mustachioed fictional farmer who has symbolized Colombian beans for decades.
Silva said he hoped to cash between $50 and $70 million in sales in the next five years with the coffee bag idea.
BOGOTA, Colombia (Reuters) - What would Juan Valdez have to say?
Tired of exporting low-value green coffee bags, Colombian coffee officials want to diversify their product and plan to sell soft drinks and energy drinks made from coffee beans.
Gabriel Silva, general manager of Colombia's Coffee Federation, said coffee connoisseurs worldwide will soon start seeing on supermarket shelves "Coffee Kola" -- a soft drink prepared with 100 percent Colombian coffee.
Silva also announced plans to make a sports drink also based on Colombian coffee to attract younger consumers.
He did not give a date for the launch of the two new drinks but said they are part of the Federation's drive to sell more processed coffee in search of added value.
A can of Coca-Cola costs, on average, about 75 U.S. cents in the United States. A pound of green coffee trades these days at about 65 cents at the Coffee, Sugar and Cocoa Exchange -- a New York futures market which trades coffee contracts.
With low global prices of coffee ruining growers, the Federation in recent years has launched instant coffee, gourmet coffee shops and in 2004 plans to begin selling abroad pre-measured coffee filter bags.
Each bag will have a price of 20 U.S. cents and will be prepared in a specially made "Juan Valdez" coffee machine that will cost between $15-20, Silva said. Juan Valdez is the happy-go-lucky, mustachioed fictional farmer who has symbolized Colombian beans for decades.
Silva said he hoped to cash between $50 and $70 million in sales in the next five years with the coffee bag idea.
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Queen Bees Stung by New EU Import Rules
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Queen bees will have to slum it under new European Union import rules which only allow a retinue of 20 bees to accompany the queen on her voyage.
The EU is limiting the size of bumble and honey bee batches being imported into Europe to stop exotic pests -- a small hive beetle and parasitic mite -- from hitting the continent.
Present rules put no limits on the numbers.
"The EU needs simple import rules to make sure these bee parasites do not hitch a ride to Europe," EU Health Commissioner David Byrne said in a statement on Thursday.
The EU imports bees from Hawaii and New Zealand to build up domestic bee stock.
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Queen bees will have to slum it under new European Union import rules which only allow a retinue of 20 bees to accompany the queen on her voyage.
The EU is limiting the size of bumble and honey bee batches being imported into Europe to stop exotic pests -- a small hive beetle and parasitic mite -- from hitting the continent.
Present rules put no limits on the numbers.
"The EU needs simple import rules to make sure these bee parasites do not hitch a ride to Europe," EU Health Commissioner David Byrne said in a statement on Thursday.
The EU imports bees from Hawaii and New Zealand to build up domestic bee stock.
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Remorseful Thief Returns Stolen Loot
BERLIN (Reuters) - A remorseful thief sent $600 worth of stolen goods to the police and asked they be returned to their rightful owners, German authorities said Thursday.
Police in the southern town of Darmstadt said the thief sent them a letter signed "mea culpa," listing the return address as Ehrlichstrasse (Honest street) in apologizing for the theft of 500 euros ($608) worth of CDs, cosmetics and other goods.
Darmstadt police spokesman Ferdinand Derigs said the contrite perpetrator had supplied the addresses of the shops plundered for the separately packed wares, and enclosed personal letters of apology to the respective managers.
"The thief even suggested they install more cameras and improve security, warning that a lot of things were getting pinched," said Derigs. "Now we have the goods, but no culprit. One out of two isn't bad though."
BERLIN (Reuters) - A remorseful thief sent $600 worth of stolen goods to the police and asked they be returned to their rightful owners, German authorities said Thursday.
Police in the southern town of Darmstadt said the thief sent them a letter signed "mea culpa," listing the return address as Ehrlichstrasse (Honest street) in apologizing for the theft of 500 euros ($608) worth of CDs, cosmetics and other goods.
Darmstadt police spokesman Ferdinand Derigs said the contrite perpetrator had supplied the addresses of the shops plundered for the separately packed wares, and enclosed personal letters of apology to the respective managers.
"The thief even suggested they install more cameras and improve security, warning that a lot of things were getting pinched," said Derigs. "Now we have the goods, but no culprit. One out of two isn't bad though."
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AussieMark
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Malta's Bloated Budget and a Bedraggled Santa
VALLETTA (Reuters) - There will be no Christmas cheer at the Malta Stock Exchange this year on the orders of a government calling for a tough financial year.
The exchange withdrew invitations for a Christmas reception on Wednesday after cabinet ministers seeking to rein in a bloated budget ordered all departments and companies to save money by canceling their Christmas parties.
Former finance minister Lino Spiteri described the government's decision as a panic measure which has beggared what was already expected to be a thin Yuletide season on the small Mediterranean island state.
"In their collective wisdom ministers have followed on the budget spirit-dampening measures with instructions to a bedraggled Santa Claus to veer off with whatever little cheer he was bringing along to public employees and families," he said.
The government warned in its 2004 budget last month that it would slash spending to cut a ballooning public sector deficit which grew to 6.3 percent of Gross Domestic Product this year from a projected 4.1 percent.
It has not disclosed how much it expected to save by canceling Christmas celebrations.
VALLETTA (Reuters) - There will be no Christmas cheer at the Malta Stock Exchange this year on the orders of a government calling for a tough financial year.
The exchange withdrew invitations for a Christmas reception on Wednesday after cabinet ministers seeking to rein in a bloated budget ordered all departments and companies to save money by canceling their Christmas parties.
Former finance minister Lino Spiteri described the government's decision as a panic measure which has beggared what was already expected to be a thin Yuletide season on the small Mediterranean island state.
"In their collective wisdom ministers have followed on the budget spirit-dampening measures with instructions to a bedraggled Santa Claus to veer off with whatever little cheer he was bringing along to public employees and families," he said.
The government warned in its 2004 budget last month that it would slash spending to cut a ballooning public sector deficit which grew to 6.3 percent of Gross Domestic Product this year from a projected 4.1 percent.
It has not disclosed how much it expected to save by canceling Christmas celebrations.
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AussieMark
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Death of Cub Galvanizes Bear-Hunt Opponents
VERNON, N.J. (Reuters) - More than 200 bears have been killed so far in New Jersey's controversial black bear hunt, its first in 33 years, but angry opponents of the hunt point to the public death of one cub as a rallying point for protest.
Rallies, petitioning, a vigil at the governor's mansion and various court actions failed to stop New Jersey from opening a six-day hunt Monday to control a bear population it says has grown aggressive and threatens public safety.
The total number of bears killed stood at 221 at the midway point of the hunt, officials said Thursday.
But a wounded cub that staggered out of the woods and died alongside busy Route 23 in Vernon, with motorists and bystanders sadly looking on during Tuesday's rush hour, has galvanized the opposition.
"We've gotten inundated by phone calls about that," said local activist Lynda Smith, who heads the Bear Education and Resource (BEAR) Group, in an interview Wednesday night.
She suggested some opponents might resort to civil disobedience. "That club died within miles of my home. I am completely outraged that I have to be subjected to that and to hunters driving around with bears strapped to the tops of their cars. And it is not going to accomplish one thing."
State officials say the growing bear population has led the normally timid bears to roam the outskirts of the parklands in this northwest corner of the state, some 40 miles from New York City, to feed on crops and garbage.
While New Jersey has not licensed bear hunting since 1970, adjacent park lands of Pennsylvania and New York routinely allow bear hunting. The National Rifle Association says bear hunting is licensed in 29 U.S. states.
"I SAY HATS OFF"
Smith has organized a protest rally at Wawayanda State Park for Saturday, the last scheduled day of the hunt, but she said some angry residents were talking about heading into the woods and interfering with the hunters.
"We're not talking hard-core animal activists. We're talking about everyday people," Smith said. "This is not a planned thing, but I wouldn't be surprised if before it's over somebody gets arrested. And I say hats off. The crazy extremists are the ones in the woods, killing cubs."
New Jersey Fish and Wildlife director Martin McHugh earlier this week defended the hunt involving 5,375 hunters holding permits after attending mandatory training seminars.
Each hunter is allowed to bag one black bear, who range from around 100 pounds (45 kg) for cubs and small females to more than 500 pounds (227 kg) for the biggest males.
Officials expect a maximum of 500 bears to be killed from a population estimated to be as large as 3,200. Between 500 and 700 cubs are born in the area each year, they said.
"We have a very dense population in this part of state, a lot of complaints and public safety concerns," McHugh said. "Parents are worried about their children."
McHugh said that in the past year bears had broken into 58 homes and made more than 20 other attempts. He said 53 bears had been hit by vehicles and there were nine reported attempts to enter vehicles by bears.
"The message is clear to people who live up here," said McHugh. "While they like seeing bears in the woods, it's time to start controlling bears. They don't like to see them at their front door."
VERNON, N.J. (Reuters) - More than 200 bears have been killed so far in New Jersey's controversial black bear hunt, its first in 33 years, but angry opponents of the hunt point to the public death of one cub as a rallying point for protest.
Rallies, petitioning, a vigil at the governor's mansion and various court actions failed to stop New Jersey from opening a six-day hunt Monday to control a bear population it says has grown aggressive and threatens public safety.
The total number of bears killed stood at 221 at the midway point of the hunt, officials said Thursday.
But a wounded cub that staggered out of the woods and died alongside busy Route 23 in Vernon, with motorists and bystanders sadly looking on during Tuesday's rush hour, has galvanized the opposition.
"We've gotten inundated by phone calls about that," said local activist Lynda Smith, who heads the Bear Education and Resource (BEAR) Group, in an interview Wednesday night.
She suggested some opponents might resort to civil disobedience. "That club died within miles of my home. I am completely outraged that I have to be subjected to that and to hunters driving around with bears strapped to the tops of their cars. And it is not going to accomplish one thing."
State officials say the growing bear population has led the normally timid bears to roam the outskirts of the parklands in this northwest corner of the state, some 40 miles from New York City, to feed on crops and garbage.
While New Jersey has not licensed bear hunting since 1970, adjacent park lands of Pennsylvania and New York routinely allow bear hunting. The National Rifle Association says bear hunting is licensed in 29 U.S. states.
"I SAY HATS OFF"
Smith has organized a protest rally at Wawayanda State Park for Saturday, the last scheduled day of the hunt, but she said some angry residents were talking about heading into the woods and interfering with the hunters.
"We're not talking hard-core animal activists. We're talking about everyday people," Smith said. "This is not a planned thing, but I wouldn't be surprised if before it's over somebody gets arrested. And I say hats off. The crazy extremists are the ones in the woods, killing cubs."
New Jersey Fish and Wildlife director Martin McHugh earlier this week defended the hunt involving 5,375 hunters holding permits after attending mandatory training seminars.
Each hunter is allowed to bag one black bear, who range from around 100 pounds (45 kg) for cubs and small females to more than 500 pounds (227 kg) for the biggest males.
Officials expect a maximum of 500 bears to be killed from a population estimated to be as large as 3,200. Between 500 and 700 cubs are born in the area each year, they said.
"We have a very dense population in this part of state, a lot of complaints and public safety concerns," McHugh said. "Parents are worried about their children."
McHugh said that in the past year bears had broken into 58 homes and made more than 20 other attempts. He said 53 bears had been hit by vehicles and there were nine reported attempts to enter vehicles by bears.
"The message is clear to people who live up here," said McHugh. "While they like seeing bears in the woods, it's time to start controlling bears. They don't like to see them at their front door."
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AussieMark
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Car Thieves Gate-Crash Florida Governor's Mansion
MIAMI (Reuters) - Two men in a stolen car crashed through the gates of the Florida governor's mansion, cut across the grounds and exited by smashing through another gate, police said on Thursday.
The men were fleeing after stealing the Ford Mustang at a fast food restaurant near the official residence of Gov. Jeb Bush in Tallahassee and took a shortcut across the property, a Florida Department of Law Enforcement spokeswoman said.
Neither suspect was from Tallahassee. "My understanding is that they did not even know it was the governor's mansion," spokeswoman Kristen Perezluha said.
Gov. Bush, brother of President Bush, was not home when the incident occurred on Wednesday night. His wife, Columba, was inside the mansion but never was in any danger, Perezluha said.
Local police recognized the stolen vehicle and arrested two suspects aged 19 and 24 on car theft charges. State agents matched the car's paint to that on the damaged gates and probably will file additional charges against them, Perezluha said.
MIAMI (Reuters) - Two men in a stolen car crashed through the gates of the Florida governor's mansion, cut across the grounds and exited by smashing through another gate, police said on Thursday.
The men were fleeing after stealing the Ford Mustang at a fast food restaurant near the official residence of Gov. Jeb Bush in Tallahassee and took a shortcut across the property, a Florida Department of Law Enforcement spokeswoman said.
Neither suspect was from Tallahassee. "My understanding is that they did not even know it was the governor's mansion," spokeswoman Kristen Perezluha said.
Gov. Bush, brother of President Bush, was not home when the incident occurred on Wednesday night. His wife, Columba, was inside the mansion but never was in any danger, Perezluha said.
Local police recognized the stolen vehicle and arrested two suspects aged 19 and 24 on car theft charges. State agents matched the car's paint to that on the damaged gates and probably will file additional charges against them, Perezluha said.
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AussieMark
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Man Jailed for Declaring Parents Dead 40 Times
BERLIN (Reuters) - A German has been jailed for declaring his parents dead 40 times in order to get charity hand-outs, a court said on Friday. Oh yeah -- they are alive and well.
The 31-year-old prevailed upon churches and individuals to part with about 6,000 euros ($7,300) in total to ease the pain of his mother's or father's "passing," a court spokesman in the western city of Bonn said.
He was sentenced to three years in jail for 40 successful acts of fraud.
"He would ask them for money to get to the funeral, usually his mother's, and then spend it on drugs," the spokesman said.
The litany of faked deaths came to an end when a woman he approached for a donation became suspicious.
BERLIN (Reuters) - A German has been jailed for declaring his parents dead 40 times in order to get charity hand-outs, a court said on Friday. Oh yeah -- they are alive and well.
The 31-year-old prevailed upon churches and individuals to part with about 6,000 euros ($7,300) in total to ease the pain of his mother's or father's "passing," a court spokesman in the western city of Bonn said.
He was sentenced to three years in jail for 40 successful acts of fraud.
"He would ask them for money to get to the funeral, usually his mother's, and then spend it on drugs," the spokesman said.
The litany of faked deaths came to an end when a woman he approached for a donation became suspicious.
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AussieMark
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Taking Aim at Cellphone Snapshots
BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary moved Thursday to stop users of new camera mobile phones from taking and sending snapshots of people without their permission.
Hungary's data protection ombudsman ruled that mobile users transmitting pictures of people who are unaware of being photographed could be liable to prosecution -- as could the mobile service providers.
Ombudsman Attila Peterfalvi said he started an investigation after one of Hungary's three mobile providers ran an advertisement saying: "If you see a good-looking girl or guy on the street, don't hesitate to share the aesthetic experience with your friends via MMS."
Mobile phones, kitted out with small cameras used in multimedia messaging (MMS), are selling fast in Hungary, where mobile penetration is a high 75.2 percent.
"...taking and transmitting recordings without legal or personal accord is unlawful data handling and can lead to civil, or in some cases penal, responsibility," Peterfalvi said.
Regulators around the world are trying to get to grips with the spread of camera phones and their invasion of privacy.
The phones, with their tiny, discrete lens and ready access to the Internet, have prompted fears that voyeurs could take advantage of this new technology.
South Korea's telecommunications minister recently decreed that all camera phones must emit a beep of at least 65 decibels when taking a photo, even when the phone was in silent mode.
BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary moved Thursday to stop users of new camera mobile phones from taking and sending snapshots of people without their permission.
Hungary's data protection ombudsman ruled that mobile users transmitting pictures of people who are unaware of being photographed could be liable to prosecution -- as could the mobile service providers.
Ombudsman Attila Peterfalvi said he started an investigation after one of Hungary's three mobile providers ran an advertisement saying: "If you see a good-looking girl or guy on the street, don't hesitate to share the aesthetic experience with your friends via MMS."
Mobile phones, kitted out with small cameras used in multimedia messaging (MMS), are selling fast in Hungary, where mobile penetration is a high 75.2 percent.
"...taking and transmitting recordings without legal or personal accord is unlawful data handling and can lead to civil, or in some cases penal, responsibility," Peterfalvi said.
Regulators around the world are trying to get to grips with the spread of camera phones and their invasion of privacy.
The phones, with their tiny, discrete lens and ready access to the Internet, have prompted fears that voyeurs could take advantage of this new technology.
South Korea's telecommunications minister recently decreed that all camera phones must emit a beep of at least 65 decibels when taking a photo, even when the phone was in silent mode.
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AussieMark
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Shoppers Treated to Bare Flesh and Underwear
BERLIN (Reuters) - Shoppers in central Berlin on Friday were treated to the sight of scantily-clad live shop window 'dummies' flexing their muscles and baring their buttocks in a publicity stunt for men's underwear.
The three models aged between 20 and 29 drew catcalls from enthusiastic young women and looks of disapproval from elderly passers-by as they struck poses in a six-hour display.
Christiana Hoepfner, 37, pressed herself against the window to get a closer look and said the sight of the gyrating underpants had made a big impression on her. "They're really great. I may have to get some for my boyfriend now."
BERLIN (Reuters) - Shoppers in central Berlin on Friday were treated to the sight of scantily-clad live shop window 'dummies' flexing their muscles and baring their buttocks in a publicity stunt for men's underwear.
The three models aged between 20 and 29 drew catcalls from enthusiastic young women and looks of disapproval from elderly passers-by as they struck poses in a six-hour display.
Christiana Hoepfner, 37, pressed herself against the window to get a closer look and said the sight of the gyrating underpants had made a big impression on her. "They're really great. I may have to get some for my boyfriend now."
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AussieMark
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Hark! 519 Christmas Carolers Break Guinness Record
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Five hundred nineteen Christmas carolers braved the New York cold and fa-la-la-la-la'd themselves into the Guinness World Records Book on Saturday with the largest carol service, breaking the previous record of 517.
"My fingers froze but, hey, we broke the record," said city resident Norman Ellis who joined the sing-along on the steps of Manhattan's General Post Office across the street from Madison Square Garden.
Guinness officials had 12 marshals on the scene to make sure all carolers were actually singing and not just moving their lips to traditional Christmas songs such as Jingle Bells and Deck the Halls.
Guinness required that all participants knew the words to the carols and that the singing went on for at least 15 uninterrupted minutes. Saturday's effort lasted 16 minutes and 17 seconds.
"It was great," said Alex Camacho of Long Island, who sang along with his wife and children. "It just gets you into the Christmas spirit."
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Five hundred nineteen Christmas carolers braved the New York cold and fa-la-la-la-la'd themselves into the Guinness World Records Book on Saturday with the largest carol service, breaking the previous record of 517.
"My fingers froze but, hey, we broke the record," said city resident Norman Ellis who joined the sing-along on the steps of Manhattan's General Post Office across the street from Madison Square Garden.
Guinness officials had 12 marshals on the scene to make sure all carolers were actually singing and not just moving their lips to traditional Christmas songs such as Jingle Bells and Deck the Halls.
Guinness required that all participants knew the words to the carols and that the singing went on for at least 15 uninterrupted minutes. Saturday's effort lasted 16 minutes and 17 seconds.
"It was great," said Alex Camacho of Long Island, who sang along with his wife and children. "It just gets you into the Christmas spirit."
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