New monkey species is more unique than thought
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A new species of monkey identified in Tanzania's highlands last year is an even more remarkable find than thought -- it is a new genus of animal, scientists said on Thursday.
The new monkey, at first called the highland mangabey but now known as kipunji, is more closely related to baboons than to mangabey monkeys, but in fact deserves its own genus and species classification, the researchers reported in the journal Science.
So they have re-named it Rungwecebus kipunji, and it is the first new genus of a living primate from Africa to be identified in 83 years.
"This is exciting news because it shows that the age of discovery is by no means over," said William Stanley, mammal collection manager at The Field Museum in Chicago, which has a dead specimen of the greyish-brown monkey.
"Finding a new genus of the best-studied group of living mammals is a sobering reminder of how much we have to learn about our planet's biodiversity," added Link Olson of the University of Alaska Museum, who worked with Stanley and others on the report.
Scientific classification arranges plants and animals along a hierarchy meant to illustrate how closely things are related to one another.
Swedish botanist Carl von Linne, often known as Linnaeus, devised the system used as the basis for modern taxonomy -- class, order, family, genus, species. Humans, for instance, belong to the Mammalia class, the primate order, the hominid family, the genus Homo and the species sapiens -- Homo sapiens for short.
The new African monkey, whose discovery was reported in Science almost precisely a year ago, was originally placed in the genus Lophocebus, commonly known as mangabeys. Rare and shy, it was identified only by photographs.
But then a farmer trapped one and it died and scientists could get a close look, including doing some DNA testing.
Olson's genetic analysis showed the monkey is most closely related to baboons in the genus Papio, and not to mangabeys.
"Had we gotten these surprising results based on a single gene, we'd have been pretty sceptical, but each of the genes we analysed either firmly supported the grouping of Kipunji with baboons or failed to support a close relationship between Kipunji and other mangabeys," Olson said in a statement.
An adult Kipunji is about 90 cm tall with a long tail, long greyish-brown fur, a black face, hands and feet.
Adults make a distinctive, loud, low-pitched "honk-bark" call. They live in mountainside trees at elevations of up to 2,400 metres and eat leaves, shoots, flowers, bark, fruit, lichen, moss and invertebrates.
The last new genus of African monkey to be named was Allen's swamp monkey, discovered in 1907 but not recognised as a new genus until 1923.
"To find, in the 21st century, an entirely new species of large monkey living in the wild is surprising enough. To find one that can be placed in a new genus, and that sheds new light on the evolutionary history of the monkeys of Africa and Eurasia as a whole is truly remarkable," said John Oates, a professor of Anthropology at Hunter College in New York.
"This discovery also reinforces the view that mountains in southern Tanzania have played an important -- and until recently unexpected -- role as a refuge for many species long extinct elsewhere."
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Angry viewer sends human remains to Japan TV station
By Julian Ryall
TOKYO, Japan (Hollywood Reporter) - Japanese police are trying to identify cremated human remains that were mailed to the headquarters of a TV station by a viewer who was incensed at missing a cartoon.
A plastic bag containing ashes and shards of bone was delivered to TV Tokyo along with a note protesting TV Tokyo's decision to extend live coverage of the world table-tennis championships.
The viewer wrote that he had set his video to record the popular "Inu Kami" cartoon.
"Many of the people who watch our animated programs are very enthusiastic about them and we did receive a number of letters and e-mails complaining about our decision to continue the table-tennis coverage," said Tom Oki, a spokesman for the channel. "This one seems to have been a big fan of the show."
Police were called as soon as the bag was opened, Oki said, and the remains are being tested for DNA. He added that the police do not appear to be very optimistic that they will be able to identify the remains as the pieces of bone are quite small.
"We sometimes receive threatening letters and every once in a while a knife in the post, but I've never heard of human ashes being sent before," Oki said.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
By Julian Ryall
TOKYO, Japan (Hollywood Reporter) - Japanese police are trying to identify cremated human remains that were mailed to the headquarters of a TV station by a viewer who was incensed at missing a cartoon.
A plastic bag containing ashes and shards of bone was delivered to TV Tokyo along with a note protesting TV Tokyo's decision to extend live coverage of the world table-tennis championships.
The viewer wrote that he had set his video to record the popular "Inu Kami" cartoon.
"Many of the people who watch our animated programs are very enthusiastic about them and we did receive a number of letters and e-mails complaining about our decision to continue the table-tennis coverage," said Tom Oki, a spokesman for the channel. "This one seems to have been a big fan of the show."
Police were called as soon as the bag was opened, Oki said, and the remains are being tested for DNA. He added that the police do not appear to be very optimistic that they will be able to identify the remains as the pieces of bone are quite small.
"We sometimes receive threatening letters and every once in a while a knife in the post, but I've never heard of human ashes being sent before," Oki said.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
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No guests complain over fat fee at German hotel
BERLIN, Germany (Reuters) - A German hotel owner who charges guests according to their weight defended himself on Thursday against accusations he was discriminating against fat people.
Juergen Heckrodt said the 50 euro cents (34 pence) per kg rate he charges for his Hotel Ostfriesland is competitive for local three-star hotels and added there is a 74-euro (51 pounds) limit for a double room for those who refuse to get on the scale.
"It's not discrimination at all," Heckrodt told the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper. "First of all, there's the upper limit. And besides that I don't force anyone onto the scale. Nevertheless, no one has yet to say 'no, forget that'."
He said that some guests strip down to try to save money. The single-room maximum fee is 39 euros -- or 78 kg (172 pounds). Heckrodt got letters complaining he was discriminating against fat people from people who read about his hotel in German newspapers.
"Sometimes men strip down when checking but women usually don't go that far," Heckrodt said. "One man stripped all the way down to his underwear to try to push the price down."
Heckrodt, 49, got the idea to charge by the kg from one guest who had gained weight every year. He told her jokingly he would soon start charging her an extra fee for being so heavy. A year later, she had lost 35 kg (77 pounds) and asked for a discount.
"It seemed like a reasonable demand," he said.
BERLIN, Germany (Reuters) - A German hotel owner who charges guests according to their weight defended himself on Thursday against accusations he was discriminating against fat people.
Juergen Heckrodt said the 50 euro cents (34 pence) per kg rate he charges for his Hotel Ostfriesland is competitive for local three-star hotels and added there is a 74-euro (51 pounds) limit for a double room for those who refuse to get on the scale.
"It's not discrimination at all," Heckrodt told the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper. "First of all, there's the upper limit. And besides that I don't force anyone onto the scale. Nevertheless, no one has yet to say 'no, forget that'."
He said that some guests strip down to try to save money. The single-room maximum fee is 39 euros -- or 78 kg (172 pounds). Heckrodt got letters complaining he was discriminating against fat people from people who read about his hotel in German newspapers.
"Sometimes men strip down when checking but women usually don't go that far," Heckrodt said. "One man stripped all the way down to his underwear to try to push the price down."
Heckrodt, 49, got the idea to charge by the kg from one guest who had gained weight every year. He told her jokingly he would soon start charging her an extra fee for being so heavy. A year later, she had lost 35 kg (77 pounds) and asked for a discount.
"It seemed like a reasonable demand," he said.
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India's "marathon boy" stars in music video
BHUBANESWAR, India (Reuters) - A four-year-old Indian boy who became a national celebrity after running for seven hours, triggering abuse claims from human rights activists, has notched up another success -- starring in a music video.
Last week Budhia Singh entered into the Limca Book of Records, a local version of the Guinness publication, after running uninterrupted for 65 kilometres (40 miles).
Officials in his home state of Orissa in eastern India poured praise on the boy as the media raced to cover his every step, but leading rights bodies criticised the state government and Budhia's coach for endangering the boy's health for personal reward.
Prepared in the local Oriya language, the video is being promoted by a handful of television channels. A four-minute song from the video is set to be released on Sunday with the boy in attendance.
"We hope the song would clear many misconceptions about child," producer Rajesh Kumar Mohanty told Reuters.
"Budhia is not just an ordinary human being. We have tried to compare him with mythological Lord Krishna. He was born somewhere else and is being brought up by his coach," Mohanty said.
Krishna, a popular Hindu deity, is believed to have been born in a jail before being spirited away by his father and given to relatives to look after.
Born in a slum in Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa, Budhia was sold by his mother for just 800 rupees (10 pounds) after his father died. Biranchi Das, a local judo teacher, adopted Budhia and later discovered his unusual stamina.
The video shows Budhia running and practising judo, the sport taught by his coach, while the song's lyrics praises him as the pride of Orissa.
The state government has requested the Orissa High Court to restrain Das from making Budhia run long distances after a doctors' report warned that strenuous exercise at such a young age could damage his health.
BHUBANESWAR, India (Reuters) - A four-year-old Indian boy who became a national celebrity after running for seven hours, triggering abuse claims from human rights activists, has notched up another success -- starring in a music video.
Last week Budhia Singh entered into the Limca Book of Records, a local version of the Guinness publication, after running uninterrupted for 65 kilometres (40 miles).
Officials in his home state of Orissa in eastern India poured praise on the boy as the media raced to cover his every step, but leading rights bodies criticised the state government and Budhia's coach for endangering the boy's health for personal reward.
Prepared in the local Oriya language, the video is being promoted by a handful of television channels. A four-minute song from the video is set to be released on Sunday with the boy in attendance.
"We hope the song would clear many misconceptions about child," producer Rajesh Kumar Mohanty told Reuters.
"Budhia is not just an ordinary human being. We have tried to compare him with mythological Lord Krishna. He was born somewhere else and is being brought up by his coach," Mohanty said.
Krishna, a popular Hindu deity, is believed to have been born in a jail before being spirited away by his father and given to relatives to look after.
Born in a slum in Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa, Budhia was sold by his mother for just 800 rupees (10 pounds) after his father died. Biranchi Das, a local judo teacher, adopted Budhia and later discovered his unusual stamina.
The video shows Budhia running and practising judo, the sport taught by his coach, while the song's lyrics praises him as the pride of Orissa.
The state government has requested the Orissa High Court to restrain Das from making Budhia run long distances after a doctors' report warned that strenuous exercise at such a young age could damage his health.
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Cypriot bride-for-sale ring busted -police say
NICOSIA (Reuters) - Cypriot police said on Thursday they had busted a crime ring organising marriages of convenience between local women and foreigners seeking residency permits.
Women were getting up to 1,500 Cyprus pounds (1,800 pounds sterling) to tie the knot with a stranger and the matchmaker earning up to 5,000 pounds, police said.
Cyprus, a European Union member since 2004, is clamping down on illegal migration from neighbouring countries, particularly those rimming it in the Middle East.
"We have questioned nine women, who have confessed to marriages of convenience. They were arrested, charged then released," a police spokesman told Reuters.
Two people remained in custody on suspicion of masterminding the scam and 13 other men -- most of them the grooms -- were still being sought. Police could not give their nationalities.
NICOSIA (Reuters) - Cypriot police said on Thursday they had busted a crime ring organising marriages of convenience between local women and foreigners seeking residency permits.
Women were getting up to 1,500 Cyprus pounds (1,800 pounds sterling) to tie the knot with a stranger and the matchmaker earning up to 5,000 pounds, police said.
Cyprus, a European Union member since 2004, is clamping down on illegal migration from neighbouring countries, particularly those rimming it in the Middle East.
"We have questioned nine women, who have confessed to marriages of convenience. They were arrested, charged then released," a police spokesman told Reuters.
Two people remained in custody on suspicion of masterminding the scam and 13 other men -- most of them the grooms -- were still being sought. Police could not give their nationalities.
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Englishman claims sovereignty over Norwegian island
By James Kilner
OSLO, Norway (Reuters) - The Barents Sea island of Nymark wants to break away from the King of Norway and be a republic. Or so says Alex Hartley.
The English artist is the self-proclaimed discoverer and ruler of Nymark, an uninhabited island the size of a football pitch. Nymark emerged in recent years as a glacier warmed and retreated from the sea.
"About two weeks ago I wrote to the Norwegian Prime Minister, the Norwegian Foreign Office and the governor of Svalbard saying I wanted to secede," Hartley, 42, told Reuters by telephone from London.
"I have also written to the United Nations for official recognition as an independent nation."
He said he discovered the island in 2004 while on a trip around the Svalbard archipelago and named it Nymark -- "New Ground" in Norwegian.
A 1920 treaty signed by the major world powers of that era gave sovereignty of the Arctic islands to Norway.
But while the treaty says Norway rules the main islands around Spitsbergen "together with all islands great or small and rock", Hartley says it does not apply to Nymark as it had not been discovered then.
"I was the first person to land on the island. I built a cairn and left a claim in a tin can," he said.
And since then he has held architecture and flag design competitions for his new fiefdom.
The Norwegian government is fighting back and dismisses the Englishman's claim, saying the 1920 treaty covers the entire archipelago area, including Nymark.
The Norwegian Polar Institute also says it has known about the island through satellite photographs since 1998.
"The ice cap withdrew and uncovered it," the institute's information officer Gunn Sissel Jaklin. "Anyway we don't consider it big enough to be an island."
The islands of Svalbard have a long history of being claimed and counter claimed by adventurers, sailors and explorers dating back to the Vikings. Jaklin said there are already 16,614 place names on the islands, reflecting some previous visitors.
Hartley said he would not give up on the island. He wants to highlight the effects of global warming which he says caused the glacier to retreat by about 1 mile (1.6 km) over the last decade to unveil Nymark.
By James Kilner
OSLO, Norway (Reuters) - The Barents Sea island of Nymark wants to break away from the King of Norway and be a republic. Or so says Alex Hartley.
The English artist is the self-proclaimed discoverer and ruler of Nymark, an uninhabited island the size of a football pitch. Nymark emerged in recent years as a glacier warmed and retreated from the sea.
"About two weeks ago I wrote to the Norwegian Prime Minister, the Norwegian Foreign Office and the governor of Svalbard saying I wanted to secede," Hartley, 42, told Reuters by telephone from London.
"I have also written to the United Nations for official recognition as an independent nation."
He said he discovered the island in 2004 while on a trip around the Svalbard archipelago and named it Nymark -- "New Ground" in Norwegian.
A 1920 treaty signed by the major world powers of that era gave sovereignty of the Arctic islands to Norway.
But while the treaty says Norway rules the main islands around Spitsbergen "together with all islands great or small and rock", Hartley says it does not apply to Nymark as it had not been discovered then.
"I was the first person to land on the island. I built a cairn and left a claim in a tin can," he said.
And since then he has held architecture and flag design competitions for his new fiefdom.
The Norwegian government is fighting back and dismisses the Englishman's claim, saying the 1920 treaty covers the entire archipelago area, including Nymark.
The Norwegian Polar Institute also says it has known about the island through satellite photographs since 1998.
"The ice cap withdrew and uncovered it," the institute's information officer Gunn Sissel Jaklin. "Anyway we don't consider it big enough to be an island."
The islands of Svalbard have a long history of being claimed and counter claimed by adventurers, sailors and explorers dating back to the Vikings. Jaklin said there are already 16,614 place names on the islands, reflecting some previous visitors.
Hartley said he would not give up on the island. He wants to highlight the effects of global warming which he says caused the glacier to retreat by about 1 mile (1.6 km) over the last decade to unveil Nymark.
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If boy misses school, mom's going to class
Frisco woman accepts truancy deal to sign him in daily - or else
By KAREN AYRES / The Dallas Morning News
FRISCO, Texas – A judge ruled Thursday that a mother charged with truancy must sign her son in on time each morning or she'll have to spend the entire day in his elementary school.
The plea agreement signed by Frisco mom Gayle Arebalo also requires her to spend a day at school if her 10-year-old son, Mark, has an unexcused absence from Fisher Elementary School.
"I feel really good that it's over, but really sad," Ms. Arebalo said. "It's not a matter of truth and justice. It's a matter of winning and losing."
Frisco Court Administrator Cindy Willman said Thursday that it's not unusual – at least in Frisco – for a judge to require parents facing truancy charges to sign their kids into school.
"This is not the only time we've ever done this," she said.
"We have found this particular condition is an effective tool in ensuring that parents take an active role in school attendance."
But Frisco Assistant Superintendent Doug Zambiasi, who also attended Thursday's hearing, said it's unusual for his district to pursue truancy charges at the elementary level. He said eight or nine cases have been filed this year in a district with 11,555 elementary students.
"We're really pleased," he said, "because the boy is going to be in school now, and that's what we wanted."
In March, Ms. Arebalo was charged with contributing to her son's nonattendance after he missed 19 days of school between late August and early March. She said she kept him home because of severe allergies.
Ms. Arebalo said Mark usually rides his bicycle to school. Now, she said, he'll be embarrassed when she shows up to sign him into class.
"Now he's going to be humiliated," said Ms. Arebalo, who broke down in tears after the hearing.
Judge Adrianna Goodland also put Ms. Arebalo on probation for six months and assessed $233 in fines and court costs after she pleaded no contest to the charges.
DeEtta Culbertson, a spokeswoman for the Texas Education Agency, said judges have made similar rulings in other cases.
"It is the purview of the judge," she said.
Ms. Arebalo, a stay-at-home mom, said Thursday that she accepted the deal because she was worried about the cost and risk of a jury trial. She could have faced up to $500 in fines for each of Mark's absences.
City prosecutor Mari McGowan and Ms. Arebalo's attorney worked out the plea arrangement Thursday afternoon. Later, during Ms. Arebalo's formal court appearance, Judge Goodland adjusted the deal to include the sign-in provision. The judge declined to be interviewed.
Ms. Arebalo says she often kept Mark home because he suffers severe allergies that cause headaches and fevers as high as 102 degrees. She said she wrote excuse notes for Mark, but he didn't always deliver them. She said she found some of them in the washing machine.
Under state law, school districts can pursue truancy charges when a student misses more than three days within four weeks or 10 days within six months without an excuse. Enforcement varies by district.
A recent survey of Dallas school district records showed that students there had an average of 43 unexcused absences before being sent to truancy court.
State law requires school districts to notify parents about attendance rules and to let them know when their child is close to violating the law.
Frisco school district officials said they send letters to parents when a child comes close to the threshold of unexcused absences. Ms. Arebalo said she never received any notice of her son's attendance problems.
"It's her word against theirs," said her husband, Steve Arebalo. "The system is above the law. You can't go against them."
Ms. McGowan said the district could have filed charges against Ms. Arebalo much earlier.
"The district went above and beyond," Ms. McGowan said. "It was not done to send a message; it was done for the good of this child."
The judge will review the case and consider whether to lift the sign-in provision on Sept. 20.
_____________________________________________________________
The punishment
Pay $233 in fines and court costs.
Spend 180 days on probation.
Go to school with her son each day and sign him in at the attendance office.
If she and her son arrive tardy, she must attend all classes with him that school day.
If her son has an unexcused absence, she must attend classes with him upon his return to school.
Return to court Sept. 20 for a status check.
Give the judge a sworn affidavit of compliance within 15 days of completing probation.
SOURCE: Frisco city court records
Frisco woman accepts truancy deal to sign him in daily - or else
By KAREN AYRES / The Dallas Morning News
FRISCO, Texas – A judge ruled Thursday that a mother charged with truancy must sign her son in on time each morning or she'll have to spend the entire day in his elementary school.
The plea agreement signed by Frisco mom Gayle Arebalo also requires her to spend a day at school if her 10-year-old son, Mark, has an unexcused absence from Fisher Elementary School.
"I feel really good that it's over, but really sad," Ms. Arebalo said. "It's not a matter of truth and justice. It's a matter of winning and losing."
Frisco Court Administrator Cindy Willman said Thursday that it's not unusual – at least in Frisco – for a judge to require parents facing truancy charges to sign their kids into school.
"This is not the only time we've ever done this," she said.
"We have found this particular condition is an effective tool in ensuring that parents take an active role in school attendance."
But Frisco Assistant Superintendent Doug Zambiasi, who also attended Thursday's hearing, said it's unusual for his district to pursue truancy charges at the elementary level. He said eight or nine cases have been filed this year in a district with 11,555 elementary students.
"We're really pleased," he said, "because the boy is going to be in school now, and that's what we wanted."
In March, Ms. Arebalo was charged with contributing to her son's nonattendance after he missed 19 days of school between late August and early March. She said she kept him home because of severe allergies.
Ms. Arebalo said Mark usually rides his bicycle to school. Now, she said, he'll be embarrassed when she shows up to sign him into class.
"Now he's going to be humiliated," said Ms. Arebalo, who broke down in tears after the hearing.
Judge Adrianna Goodland also put Ms. Arebalo on probation for six months and assessed $233 in fines and court costs after she pleaded no contest to the charges.
DeEtta Culbertson, a spokeswoman for the Texas Education Agency, said judges have made similar rulings in other cases.
"It is the purview of the judge," she said.
Ms. Arebalo, a stay-at-home mom, said Thursday that she accepted the deal because she was worried about the cost and risk of a jury trial. She could have faced up to $500 in fines for each of Mark's absences.
City prosecutor Mari McGowan and Ms. Arebalo's attorney worked out the plea arrangement Thursday afternoon. Later, during Ms. Arebalo's formal court appearance, Judge Goodland adjusted the deal to include the sign-in provision. The judge declined to be interviewed.
Ms. Arebalo says she often kept Mark home because he suffers severe allergies that cause headaches and fevers as high as 102 degrees. She said she wrote excuse notes for Mark, but he didn't always deliver them. She said she found some of them in the washing machine.
Under state law, school districts can pursue truancy charges when a student misses more than three days within four weeks or 10 days within six months without an excuse. Enforcement varies by district.
A recent survey of Dallas school district records showed that students there had an average of 43 unexcused absences before being sent to truancy court.
State law requires school districts to notify parents about attendance rules and to let them know when their child is close to violating the law.
Frisco school district officials said they send letters to parents when a child comes close to the threshold of unexcused absences. Ms. Arebalo said she never received any notice of her son's attendance problems.
"It's her word against theirs," said her husband, Steve Arebalo. "The system is above the law. You can't go against them."
Ms. McGowan said the district could have filed charges against Ms. Arebalo much earlier.
"The district went above and beyond," Ms. McGowan said. "It was not done to send a message; it was done for the good of this child."
The judge will review the case and consider whether to lift the sign-in provision on Sept. 20.
_____________________________________________________________
The punishment
Pay $233 in fines and court costs.
Spend 180 days on probation.
Go to school with her son each day and sign him in at the attendance office.
If she and her son arrive tardy, she must attend all classes with him that school day.
If her son has an unexcused absence, she must attend classes with him upon his return to school.
Return to court Sept. 20 for a status check.
Give the judge a sworn affidavit of compliance within 15 days of completing probation.
SOURCE: Frisco city court records
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How do you find a singer like Maria?
By Paul Majendie
LONDON, England (Reuters) - Julie Andrews wannabes lined up on Friday to audition for a reality TV show with a new twist -- the winner gets the lead role in a new Andrew Lloyd Webber stage production of "The Sound of Music."
The hopefuls came in all shapes, sizes and ages, limbering up with impromptu choruses of "Edelweiss" before trying to convince the judges they would make the perfect young nun.
A BBC spokeswoman for the "How Do I Solve A Problem Like Maria?" show said more than 1,000 hopefuls had applied for the London weekend of auditions at the Wembley conference center.
They will be gradually whittled down to 10 finalists with television viewers voting for who should star in the London West End production due to open at the end of the year.
Lloyd Webber, composer of "Cats" and "Phantom of the Opera," has pledged not to grill would-be stars in the style of Simon Cowell, the acerbic judge on the "Pop Idol" talent shows popular on both sides of the Atlantic.
"It won't be everyone taking Simon Cowell pot-shots at artists," he has promised.
Lloyd Webber has said that, ideally, he wants a 20-year-old unknown actress to play the part made famous by Julie Andrews in the classic film about a nun sent to look after the seven Von Trapp children in Austria.
The name of Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson had originally been mooted as a possible choice for the role.
At Friday's auditions, some ever optimistic contestants were convinced that age was no barrier.
Clutching her Sound of Music lyrics, 35-year-old Rachel Cross said: "I think I could just push it at my age but I know my chances are slim." But she warned: "If the judges are nasty, there could be tears."
Another pushing the age barrier for the part was 32-year-old American Amy Royle who has just introduced her five-year-old son to the film. "Hopefully the maternal side will count in my favor at the audition."
At 20, Alison Langer fits the age bracket that Lloyd Webber is considering.
"It is something my mum always wanted to do and so do I. I was always singing 'The Hills Are Alive' when I was tiny."
Rachel Cross, 30, hopes showbusiness history will repeat itself. "This is such a great opportunity. That is why I got up at two o'clock in the morning to be first in the queue. And I am from Walton-on-Thames which is where Julie Andrews came from originally."
By Paul Majendie
LONDON, England (Reuters) - Julie Andrews wannabes lined up on Friday to audition for a reality TV show with a new twist -- the winner gets the lead role in a new Andrew Lloyd Webber stage production of "The Sound of Music."
The hopefuls came in all shapes, sizes and ages, limbering up with impromptu choruses of "Edelweiss" before trying to convince the judges they would make the perfect young nun.
A BBC spokeswoman for the "How Do I Solve A Problem Like Maria?" show said more than 1,000 hopefuls had applied for the London weekend of auditions at the Wembley conference center.
They will be gradually whittled down to 10 finalists with television viewers voting for who should star in the London West End production due to open at the end of the year.
Lloyd Webber, composer of "Cats" and "Phantom of the Opera," has pledged not to grill would-be stars in the style of Simon Cowell, the acerbic judge on the "Pop Idol" talent shows popular on both sides of the Atlantic.
"It won't be everyone taking Simon Cowell pot-shots at artists," he has promised.
Lloyd Webber has said that, ideally, he wants a 20-year-old unknown actress to play the part made famous by Julie Andrews in the classic film about a nun sent to look after the seven Von Trapp children in Austria.
The name of Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson had originally been mooted as a possible choice for the role.
At Friday's auditions, some ever optimistic contestants were convinced that age was no barrier.
Clutching her Sound of Music lyrics, 35-year-old Rachel Cross said: "I think I could just push it at my age but I know my chances are slim." But she warned: "If the judges are nasty, there could be tears."
Another pushing the age barrier for the part was 32-year-old American Amy Royle who has just introduced her five-year-old son to the film. "Hopefully the maternal side will count in my favor at the audition."
At 20, Alison Langer fits the age bracket that Lloyd Webber is considering.
"It is something my mum always wanted to do and so do I. I was always singing 'The Hills Are Alive' when I was tiny."
Rachel Cross, 30, hopes showbusiness history will repeat itself. "This is such a great opportunity. That is why I got up at two o'clock in the morning to be first in the queue. And I am from Walton-on-Thames which is where Julie Andrews came from originally."
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Woman Discovers Heart-Shaped Potato
By KEITH RIDLER, Associated Press Writer
BOISE, Idaho (AP) - The president of the Idaho Potato Commission says there's no way a heart-shaped potato should have made it through the state's inspection system without being pulled aside and turned into french fries. And yet, it did — during Potato Lover's Month.
"I would guarantee someone saw it and thought, 'This is cool, we'll let this go through,'" said commission president Frank Muir. "Typically, unique shapes will go into processing — dehydrated or cut up into french fries."
The spud wound up in the kitchen of someone with a receptive eye.
"I love hearts," said Linda Greene of Moon Township, Pa., who discovered the potato in February but only recently alerted the potato commission to the Valentine-shaped tuber. "My engagement ring is actually a heart shape. Anything heart-shaped I go crazy for."
She is storing the potato in a cupboard in her basement.
"I don't have the heart to cut it," she said.
February was designated Potato Lover's Month by Congress after growers lobbied for a way to sell more potatoes during a slow month. It's also the month of Mr. Potato Head's recognized birthday, Feb. 5.
Idaho is the nation's largest potato producer and grows about one-third of all the potatoes in the United States. Last year, the state produced 12.5 billion pounds.
Greene said she had never heard of the commission until she searched the Internet to share her find with someone capable of appreciating its significance. She then e-mailed a picture of herself holding the potato over her own heart to the commission.
Muir said his office received her e-mail in March and got confirmation photos last month. He said the special spud was not a public relations ploy.
"We didn't plant it," said Muir. "We'll have to start sorting for heart-shaped potatoes."
He'd have a customer in Pennsylvania.
"It's a shame they can't grow them and market them," Greene said. "I wonder if I planted mine if I would get heart-shaped potatoes?"
By KEITH RIDLER, Associated Press Writer
BOISE, Idaho (AP) - The president of the Idaho Potato Commission says there's no way a heart-shaped potato should have made it through the state's inspection system without being pulled aside and turned into french fries. And yet, it did — during Potato Lover's Month.
"I would guarantee someone saw it and thought, 'This is cool, we'll let this go through,'" said commission president Frank Muir. "Typically, unique shapes will go into processing — dehydrated or cut up into french fries."
The spud wound up in the kitchen of someone with a receptive eye.
"I love hearts," said Linda Greene of Moon Township, Pa., who discovered the potato in February but only recently alerted the potato commission to the Valentine-shaped tuber. "My engagement ring is actually a heart shape. Anything heart-shaped I go crazy for."
She is storing the potato in a cupboard in her basement.
"I don't have the heart to cut it," she said.
February was designated Potato Lover's Month by Congress after growers lobbied for a way to sell more potatoes during a slow month. It's also the month of Mr. Potato Head's recognized birthday, Feb. 5.
Idaho is the nation's largest potato producer and grows about one-third of all the potatoes in the United States. Last year, the state produced 12.5 billion pounds.
Greene said she had never heard of the commission until she searched the Internet to share her find with someone capable of appreciating its significance. She then e-mailed a picture of herself holding the potato over her own heart to the commission.
Muir said his office received her e-mail in March and got confirmation photos last month. He said the special spud was not a public relations ploy.
"We didn't plant it," said Muir. "We'll have to start sorting for heart-shaped potatoes."
He'd have a customer in Pennsylvania.
"It's a shame they can't grow them and market them," Greene said. "I wonder if I planted mine if I would get heart-shaped potatoes?"
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Cops Lose $31K After Tossing Broken Desk
SOMERVILLE, Mass. (AP) - More than $31,000 in drug money seized by Somerville police now is buried forever under tons of garbage in a Rochester, N.H., landfill after officers accidentally stashed the cash in a broken desk drawer that was being discarded.
The drug money went missing after an evidence room technician, who had been cleaning out evidence rooms at police headquarters since last Wednesday, put the $31,535 in the drawer of the broken desk, said acting police Chief Robert Bradley. On Monday, while the technician was out of the office, two other officers involved in the evidence room cleanup threw out the desk, along with broken chairs and furniture for spring cleaning.
Bradley said the normal evidence room technician came back to work, but immediately noticed that the desk was missing. Officials eventually found that the trash and the drawer unit had been hauled to the New Hampshire landfill.
On Wednesday, Somerville officers went to the New Hampshire to try and dig up the cash. However they found it was buried under hundreds of tons of super-dense, hydraulically compacted waste, and there was no way to get to it, even with heavy equipment.
"A very bad mistake," Bradley said of losing the money.
Bradley said the department was investigating to determine whether any disciplinary action was appropriate.
The $31,535, which covers about a dozen investigations conducted by Somerville police since July 1, 2005, was to have been split between the department and the Middlesex County district attorney's office if prosecutors won convictions in those cases.
SOMERVILLE, Mass. (AP) - More than $31,000 in drug money seized by Somerville police now is buried forever under tons of garbage in a Rochester, N.H., landfill after officers accidentally stashed the cash in a broken desk drawer that was being discarded.
The drug money went missing after an evidence room technician, who had been cleaning out evidence rooms at police headquarters since last Wednesday, put the $31,535 in the drawer of the broken desk, said acting police Chief Robert Bradley. On Monday, while the technician was out of the office, two other officers involved in the evidence room cleanup threw out the desk, along with broken chairs and furniture for spring cleaning.
Bradley said the normal evidence room technician came back to work, but immediately noticed that the desk was missing. Officials eventually found that the trash and the drawer unit had been hauled to the New Hampshire landfill.
On Wednesday, Somerville officers went to the New Hampshire to try and dig up the cash. However they found it was buried under hundreds of tons of super-dense, hydraulically compacted waste, and there was no way to get to it, even with heavy equipment.
"A very bad mistake," Bradley said of losing the money.
Bradley said the department was investigating to determine whether any disciplinary action was appropriate.
The $31,535, which covers about a dozen investigations conducted by Somerville police since July 1, 2005, was to have been split between the department and the Middlesex County district attorney's office if prosecutors won convictions in those cases.
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W.Va. Residents Raise Stink Over Dead Cow
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - A dead cow stuck on a West Fork River dam is creating a stink as the residents of West Milford are upset no agency will step forward to haul the carcass out of the river.
The Division of Natural Resources, the departments of Agriculture and Environmental Protection and the Clarksburg Water Board, which owns the dam, say the decaying bovine is not their problem.
The brown and white Hereford is stuck on a dead tree at the West Milford Dam, about 500 feet outside West Milford's town limits. The cow has not been claimed by farmers upstream, and officials are not sure how the animal ended up in the river.
"You can definitely smell it before you get to it," said Ken Lasure, who lives about 300 yards from the dam. "Personally, I think it's the (DNR's) problem. I don't think it's the community's problem."
Town secretary Roberta Ash says she's called every state department she can think in response to citizens' complaints. She also called the Clarksburg Water Board, which referred her to other agencies.
"Most of the agencies are telling us it's not their problem," Ash said. "It is frustrating, mainly, not knowing who to contact. A lot of state agencies weren't sure who to contact, either."
The animal isn't the town's problem because its not stuck in the town's limits.
Since the cow is not a wild animal, it's not the DNR's problem, said agency spokesman Hoy Murphy.
Apparently the animal doesn't represent an environmental problem either.
The DEP sent inspectors earlier this week and they confirmed there was a dead cow, but there wasn't anything the agency could do, said agency spokeswoman Jessica Greathouse.
Buddy Davidson, spokesman for the Department of Agriculture said, at this point, they're treating it as a local issue. Davidson said the cow may be on private property, but he wasn't sure.
If it's on private property, the agency would coordinate and supervise the animal's removal, then bill the landowner.
___
Information from: Charleston Daily Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - A dead cow stuck on a West Fork River dam is creating a stink as the residents of West Milford are upset no agency will step forward to haul the carcass out of the river.
The Division of Natural Resources, the departments of Agriculture and Environmental Protection and the Clarksburg Water Board, which owns the dam, say the decaying bovine is not their problem.
The brown and white Hereford is stuck on a dead tree at the West Milford Dam, about 500 feet outside West Milford's town limits. The cow has not been claimed by farmers upstream, and officials are not sure how the animal ended up in the river.
"You can definitely smell it before you get to it," said Ken Lasure, who lives about 300 yards from the dam. "Personally, I think it's the (DNR's) problem. I don't think it's the community's problem."
Town secretary Roberta Ash says she's called every state department she can think in response to citizens' complaints. She also called the Clarksburg Water Board, which referred her to other agencies.
"Most of the agencies are telling us it's not their problem," Ash said. "It is frustrating, mainly, not knowing who to contact. A lot of state agencies weren't sure who to contact, either."
The animal isn't the town's problem because its not stuck in the town's limits.
Since the cow is not a wild animal, it's not the DNR's problem, said agency spokesman Hoy Murphy.
Apparently the animal doesn't represent an environmental problem either.
The DEP sent inspectors earlier this week and they confirmed there was a dead cow, but there wasn't anything the agency could do, said agency spokeswoman Jessica Greathouse.
Buddy Davidson, spokesman for the Department of Agriculture said, at this point, they're treating it as a local issue. Davidson said the cow may be on private property, but he wasn't sure.
If it's on private property, the agency would coordinate and supervise the animal's removal, then bill the landowner.
___
Information from: Charleston Daily Mail
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TexasStooge
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UT Arlington lists sex offender students
By Carol Cavazos, WFAA ABC 8
ARLINGTON, Texas - The graduating class of 2006 - School of Social Work - will go on to pursue careers helping people in crisis.
They will fill important jobs and deal on a daily basis with vulnerable people.
In social work, it is important to have people with the best intentions. This class is smaller than it was four years ago. The school encouraged one of the students to choose another major.
Why? He is a registered sex offender.
"We just realized we did not know there was one there until they were getting ready to do their internship," said Latrise Polk, a social work graduate.
This all happened at the same time the University of Texas Arlington began assembling a list of registered sex offenders for a campus website. The school wanted to provide this information to students. Currently there are ten sex offenders registered as students at the university.
Students are relived to know.
"Being a sex offender for my money means you're going to have to have your name on a registry. And this is in my mind like a registry," said Dustin Webb, a social work graduate.
Sex offenders on campus are not new.
No longer do students have to go to campus police and ask to look at the book. And the web information is open to everyone.
"I certainly will check the list for personal information," said Betania Calles, an aerospace engineering student.
By Carol Cavazos, WFAA ABC 8
ARLINGTON, Texas - The graduating class of 2006 - School of Social Work - will go on to pursue careers helping people in crisis.
They will fill important jobs and deal on a daily basis with vulnerable people.
In social work, it is important to have people with the best intentions. This class is smaller than it was four years ago. The school encouraged one of the students to choose another major.
Why? He is a registered sex offender.
"We just realized we did not know there was one there until they were getting ready to do their internship," said Latrise Polk, a social work graduate.
This all happened at the same time the University of Texas Arlington began assembling a list of registered sex offenders for a campus website. The school wanted to provide this information to students. Currently there are ten sex offenders registered as students at the university.
Students are relived to know.
"Being a sex offender for my money means you're going to have to have your name on a registry. And this is in my mind like a registry," said Dustin Webb, a social work graduate.
Sex offenders on campus are not new.
No longer do students have to go to campus police and ask to look at the book. And the web information is open to everyone.
"I certainly will check the list for personal information," said Betania Calles, an aerospace engineering student.
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rainstorm
TexasStooge wrote:Woman Discovers Heart-Shaped Potato
By KEITH RIDLER, Associated Press Writer
BOISE, Idaho (AP) - The president of the Idaho Potato Commission says there's no way a heart-shaped potato should have made it through the state's inspection system without being pulled aside and turned into french fries. And yet, it did — during Potato Lover's Month.
"I would guarantee someone saw it and thought, 'This is cool, we'll let this go through,'" said commission president Frank Muir. "Typically, unique shapes will go into processing — dehydrated or cut up into french fries."
The spud wound up in the kitchen of someone with a receptive eye.
"I love hearts," said Linda Greene of Moon Township, Pa., who discovered the potato in February but only recently alerted the potato commission to the Valentine-shaped tuber. "My engagement ring is actually a heart shape. Anything heart-shaped I go crazy for."
She is storing the potato in a cupboard in her basement.
"I don't have the heart to cut it," she said.
February was designated Potato Lover's Month by Congress after growers lobbied for a way to sell more potatoes during a slow month. It's also the month of Mr. Potato Head's recognized birthday, Feb. 5.
Idaho is the nation's largest potato producer and grows about one-third of all the potatoes in the United States. Last year, the state produced 12.5 billion pounds.
Greene said she had never heard of the commission until she searched the Internet to share her find with someone capable of appreciating its significance. She then e-mailed a picture of herself holding the potato over her own heart to the commission.
Muir said his office received her e-mail in March and got confirmation photos last month. He said the special spud was not a public relations ploy.
"We didn't plant it," said Muir. "We'll have to start sorting for heart-shaped potatoes."
He'd have a customer in Pennsylvania.
"It's a shame they can't grow them and market them," Greene said. "I wonder if I planted mine if I would get heart-shaped potatoes?"
pass it on to the grandkids
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Woman kidnapped as toddler in '76 found
PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) - A woman whose father was charged with kidnapping her as a child 30 years ago has been found living in Arizona, her mother and sheriff's officials said.
On Mother's Day weekend in 1976, Laura Gooder's estranged husband, Eric Douglas Nielsen, picked up 21-month-old Genevieve Rachel Nielsen for an overnight visit. They never returned.
This Mother's Day weekend, a police officer arrived Saturday at Gooder's home in Frederic, Mich., with news that her daughter — now 31 — had been found, The Detroit News reported.
Gooder's daughter had been raised under another name and grew up believing her mother had been killed in an auto accident. Law enforcement officials declined to release her other name.
"It is pretty surreal," Gooder, 53, said. "I am keeping my fingers crossed and waiting for her to call."
On Sunday, Gooder told The Associated Press that she didn't want to speak about the case until she hears from her daughter.
Eric Nielsen was incarcerated in Arizona under a different identity on an unrelated charge, authorities said. A tip led investigators to visit an Arizona prison Thursday, said Michael Bouchard, sheriff in Michigan's Oakland County.
Gooder's daughter, who now has a child of her own, was traumatized by the revelations, Bouchard said.
"She obviously was told something completely different from the father," Bouchard said. "She is devastated."
After her daughter's disappearance, Gooder remarried and had three sons.
Last year, U.S. marshals joined the search for Gooder's daughter, and a judge charged Eric Nielsen with kidnapping. He had been wanted on a state kidnapping warrant since 1976.
PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) - A woman whose father was charged with kidnapping her as a child 30 years ago has been found living in Arizona, her mother and sheriff's officials said.
On Mother's Day weekend in 1976, Laura Gooder's estranged husband, Eric Douglas Nielsen, picked up 21-month-old Genevieve Rachel Nielsen for an overnight visit. They never returned.
This Mother's Day weekend, a police officer arrived Saturday at Gooder's home in Frederic, Mich., with news that her daughter — now 31 — had been found, The Detroit News reported.
Gooder's daughter had been raised under another name and grew up believing her mother had been killed in an auto accident. Law enforcement officials declined to release her other name.
"It is pretty surreal," Gooder, 53, said. "I am keeping my fingers crossed and waiting for her to call."
On Sunday, Gooder told The Associated Press that she didn't want to speak about the case until she hears from her daughter.
Eric Nielsen was incarcerated in Arizona under a different identity on an unrelated charge, authorities said. A tip led investigators to visit an Arizona prison Thursday, said Michael Bouchard, sheriff in Michigan's Oakland County.
Gooder's daughter, who now has a child of her own, was traumatized by the revelations, Bouchard said.
"She obviously was told something completely different from the father," Bouchard said. "She is devastated."
After her daughter's disappearance, Gooder remarried and had three sons.
Last year, U.S. marshals joined the search for Gooder's daughter, and a judge charged Eric Nielsen with kidnapping. He had been wanted on a state kidnapping warrant since 1976.
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Hair-raising Beethoven piece: da-da-da Diamond!
By Brad Dorfman
CHICAGO, Illinois (Reuters) - Beethoven composed many enduring symphonies, but now a Chicago company wants to make a Beethoven piece that lasts forever -- a diamond made out of strands of the 18th-century composer's hair.
LifeGem Memorials, a company that first gained attention in 2002 by making diamonds out of the carbon from cremated human remains, now says it can make diamonds out of human hair, allowing people to bury their loved ones but still have a memento they can carry with them.
To publicize this -- and to raise money for charity -- the company has teamed with John Reznikoff, who is in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the largest and most valuable collection of celebrity hair.
Reznikoff is giving six to 10 strands of Beethoven's hair to LifeGem, which will use it in a process to create three diamonds of between 0.5 and 1 carat in weight.
Greg Herro, chief executive officer of LifeGem, said the diamonds will initially be put on a worldwide tour of museums and opera houses for about half a year as the company tries to gain attention for its ability to make diamonds from hair.
"We thought, well, what better way to do it than with an international icon who is known to millions," Herro said.
Eventually, the diamonds will be sold at auction, with the proceeds donated to raise money for military families, Herro said.
Reznikoff, who has about 115 hair samples in his collection -- including locks from Abraham Lincoln, Marilyn Monroe and Charles Dickens -- noted that Beethoven has wide appeal. The composer's music has been used in jazz, disco and rock songs, including the use of the familiar da-da-da-dum beginning to Symphony No. 5 in the Electric Light Orchestra's version of "Roll Over Beethoven."
"Of all those that could be picked to spearhead this, I think the one with the most cross appeal is Beethoven," Reznikoff said.
The Westport, Connecticut-based handwriting expert, document examiner and manuscript dealer acquired Beethoven's hair in 1997 from Eldred's auction house in East Dennis, Massachusetts. Reznikoff said he could not recall how much he paid for the hair purchased along with other items that day..
Since 2002, LifeGem has created diamonds from the remains of loved ones for close to 2,000 families, Herro said, adding that most families order several gems.
The process bonds the carbon to a microscopic crystal and other minerals -- including boron and nitrogen --used to catalyze the carbon into a diamond, under intense pressure and heat. The diamonds are then faceted and polished into a finished gem-quality diamond.
LifeGem plans to use other parts of Reznikoff's collections to make diamonds that will be sold to raise funds for charity. Herro said the company also hopes to convince some celebrities to donate their hair to be made into diamonds and sold to support the celebrity's favorite cause.
All of which could lead to the question: is a Carol Channing diamond a girl's best friend?
By Brad Dorfman
CHICAGO, Illinois (Reuters) - Beethoven composed many enduring symphonies, but now a Chicago company wants to make a Beethoven piece that lasts forever -- a diamond made out of strands of the 18th-century composer's hair.
LifeGem Memorials, a company that first gained attention in 2002 by making diamonds out of the carbon from cremated human remains, now says it can make diamonds out of human hair, allowing people to bury their loved ones but still have a memento they can carry with them.
To publicize this -- and to raise money for charity -- the company has teamed with John Reznikoff, who is in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the largest and most valuable collection of celebrity hair.
Reznikoff is giving six to 10 strands of Beethoven's hair to LifeGem, which will use it in a process to create three diamonds of between 0.5 and 1 carat in weight.
Greg Herro, chief executive officer of LifeGem, said the diamonds will initially be put on a worldwide tour of museums and opera houses for about half a year as the company tries to gain attention for its ability to make diamonds from hair.
"We thought, well, what better way to do it than with an international icon who is known to millions," Herro said.
Eventually, the diamonds will be sold at auction, with the proceeds donated to raise money for military families, Herro said.
Reznikoff, who has about 115 hair samples in his collection -- including locks from Abraham Lincoln, Marilyn Monroe and Charles Dickens -- noted that Beethoven has wide appeal. The composer's music has been used in jazz, disco and rock songs, including the use of the familiar da-da-da-dum beginning to Symphony No. 5 in the Electric Light Orchestra's version of "Roll Over Beethoven."
"Of all those that could be picked to spearhead this, I think the one with the most cross appeal is Beethoven," Reznikoff said.
The Westport, Connecticut-based handwriting expert, document examiner and manuscript dealer acquired Beethoven's hair in 1997 from Eldred's auction house in East Dennis, Massachusetts. Reznikoff said he could not recall how much he paid for the hair purchased along with other items that day..
Since 2002, LifeGem has created diamonds from the remains of loved ones for close to 2,000 families, Herro said, adding that most families order several gems.
The process bonds the carbon to a microscopic crystal and other minerals -- including boron and nitrogen --used to catalyze the carbon into a diamond, under intense pressure and heat. The diamonds are then faceted and polished into a finished gem-quality diamond.
LifeGem plans to use other parts of Reznikoff's collections to make diamonds that will be sold to raise funds for charity. Herro said the company also hopes to convince some celebrities to donate their hair to be made into diamonds and sold to support the celebrity's favorite cause.
All of which could lead to the question: is a Carol Channing diamond a girl's best friend?
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Worry over mobile phone explosions
SAO PAULO, Brazil (Reuters) - At least five mobile phones have exploded over the last two months in Brazil, causing anxiety among phone users and making news headlines.
The incidents, representing only a fraction of the 89 million phones in circulation in Brazil, all involved Motorola phones. The company said it was investigating and Brazil's telecommunication agency is pursuing the case as well.
In the most recent incident on April 30, the 34-year-old victim in Formosa, Goias state, had surgery for burns on her thighs and arms. She was driving with the phone in her lap when it exploded.
Other accidents since the beginning of April were reported in Rio de Janeiro and three cities in Sao Paulo state.
Motorola said the probable cause of the explosion was that the owners used non-original or low-quality batteries.
"We are having a strong campaign to alert users not to buy accessories which are not original. It's very common for people to do this in markets or non-authorized stores," Motorola spokeswoman Samantha Simon said last week.
SAO PAULO, Brazil (Reuters) - At least five mobile phones have exploded over the last two months in Brazil, causing anxiety among phone users and making news headlines.
The incidents, representing only a fraction of the 89 million phones in circulation in Brazil, all involved Motorola phones. The company said it was investigating and Brazil's telecommunication agency is pursuing the case as well.
In the most recent incident on April 30, the 34-year-old victim in Formosa, Goias state, had surgery for burns on her thighs and arms. She was driving with the phone in her lap when it exploded.
Other accidents since the beginning of April were reported in Rio de Janeiro and three cities in Sao Paulo state.
Motorola said the probable cause of the explosion was that the owners used non-original or low-quality batteries.
"We are having a strong campaign to alert users not to buy accessories which are not original. It's very common for people to do this in markets or non-authorized stores," Motorola spokeswoman Samantha Simon said last week.
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Turk sweet makers claim just desserts in Cyprus row
By Thomas Grove
ISTANBUL, Turkey (Reuters) - Turkey's baklava makers are up in arms over European Union posters presenting their sweet, sticky dessert as the national dish of ethnically Greek Cyprus.
"Baklava is definitely more Turkish than Cypriot," Halil Dincerler, owner of Haci Sayid baklava makers, told Reuters.
The "baklava battle" is the latest irritant in relations between EU-member Cyprus and EU-candidate Turkey, which hopes to become the EU's first predominantly Muslim state.
Austria, holding the EU presidency, served up the culinary clanger earlier this week in a poster for Europe Day showcasing sweets from EU members.
An organizer for the Austrian presidency said the posters had been distributed before anyone noticed the offending dessert and noted a change in orders at some events marking Europe Day.
"Cyprus has other sweets so we served ladies fingers," he said, referring to a fried sweet dipped in syrup.
An aide to Turkey's EU chief negotiator Ali Babacan has promised to raise the baklava dispute at EU headquarters in Brussels, Turkish newspaper Hurriyet said.
Another Istanbul sweets producer said there would be a demonstration Saturday in Istanbul's historic Sultanahmet district, with more than 200 baklava makers expected to attend.
Cyprus joined the EU in 2004 under its internationally recognized Greek-Cypriot government. Ankara refuses to recognize the EU state and backs a breakaway Turkish Cypriot enclave.
In comments unlikely to sweeten Ankara's mood, the head of the Cyprus Chefs Association disputed Turkey's claim to sole rights for baklava.
"The basis of Turkish cuisine was Byzantine cuisine," said Yiannakis Agapiou, referring to the Greek-speaking empire once centered on Istanbul and which fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453.
Agapiou said "personally I think baklava is a sweet served in Turkey" but noted "Turkey cannot claim it exclusively as its own. It is made in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, several countries in the region."
Cyprus has been split on ethnic lines since Turkey invaded in 1974 after a short-lived Greek-Cypriot coup on the island.
By Thomas Grove
ISTANBUL, Turkey (Reuters) - Turkey's baklava makers are up in arms over European Union posters presenting their sweet, sticky dessert as the national dish of ethnically Greek Cyprus.
"Baklava is definitely more Turkish than Cypriot," Halil Dincerler, owner of Haci Sayid baklava makers, told Reuters.
The "baklava battle" is the latest irritant in relations between EU-member Cyprus and EU-candidate Turkey, which hopes to become the EU's first predominantly Muslim state.
Austria, holding the EU presidency, served up the culinary clanger earlier this week in a poster for Europe Day showcasing sweets from EU members.
An organizer for the Austrian presidency said the posters had been distributed before anyone noticed the offending dessert and noted a change in orders at some events marking Europe Day.
"Cyprus has other sweets so we served ladies fingers," he said, referring to a fried sweet dipped in syrup.
An aide to Turkey's EU chief negotiator Ali Babacan has promised to raise the baklava dispute at EU headquarters in Brussels, Turkish newspaper Hurriyet said.
Another Istanbul sweets producer said there would be a demonstration Saturday in Istanbul's historic Sultanahmet district, with more than 200 baklava makers expected to attend.
Cyprus joined the EU in 2004 under its internationally recognized Greek-Cypriot government. Ankara refuses to recognize the EU state and backs a breakaway Turkish Cypriot enclave.
In comments unlikely to sweeten Ankara's mood, the head of the Cyprus Chefs Association disputed Turkey's claim to sole rights for baklava.
"The basis of Turkish cuisine was Byzantine cuisine," said Yiannakis Agapiou, referring to the Greek-speaking empire once centered on Istanbul and which fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453.
Agapiou said "personally I think baklava is a sweet served in Turkey" but noted "Turkey cannot claim it exclusively as its own. It is made in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, several countries in the region."
Cyprus has been split on ethnic lines since Turkey invaded in 1974 after a short-lived Greek-Cypriot coup on the island.
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Ga. Governor Parties With High Schoolers
By GREG BLUESTEIN, Associated Press Writer
ATLANTA, Ga. - Midway through a love ballad directed at their prom dates, the sea of high school students suddenly parted to allow Georgia's top politician to give the karaoke song his best shot.
Wearing a trendy visor and a neon green glow stick around his neck, Gov. Sonny Perdue joined the group in belting "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'."
If the students didn't realize it before, this wasn't the typical post-prom party.
Five busloads of Brookwood High School seniors unloaded on Perdue's front lawn in Atlanta early Sunday for four hours of partying, eating and face time with the governor after their prom.
The grounds of the governor's swank north Atlanta mansion became the temporary home of inflatable obstacle courses where students jousted one another on spongy islands and strapped themselves to bungee cords in a doomed race against elasticity.
Inside the mansion, Waffle House set up shop in the ballroom, dishing out dinner for the first two hours of the party and breakfast during the last two. A wall of video games attracted a legion of students and Don Balfour, the school district's senator, who jostled a Ms. Pacman joystick en route to a high score.
And in a giant tent nearby, a DJ blasted hits and karaoke, inspiring the governor to declare, "'06 seniors rule."
The event's mission, Perdue said, was to encourage responsible behavior for teens and reward the suburban Atlanta high school for its creative efforts to tackle underage drinking.
The school, like many others, boasts a lock-in for seniors called "Project Graduation" that helps prevent dangerous post-graduation parties. And before spring break each year, the school rolls out a weeklong program that promotes safe driving.
Many of the students seemed awe-struck at the preparations.
"It's amazing," said Stephanie Hutton, a sophomore. "It's a dream come true."
Her date, Jeff Lynch, scoffed at the classmates who opted for other parties. Some 300 guests could have attended, but 230 showed.
"This is a crazy night. That's better than all that other stuff," the senior said, waving his arms at his surroundings.
The affair took three months to plan, was financed by $22,000 from the Georgia Sheriff's Association and involved a slew of sponsors, Perdue's staffers said.
Planning a high school party at the governor's mansion also brought a host of unique challenges, namely making sure that young couples didn't slip out of the party to seek alone time in the mansion's 18-acre grounds.
So before the event, volunteers were directed to patrol the grounds in search of any wayward couples.
"We'd rather have them be caught by y'all, than by Georgia State Patrol," Perdue staffer Julie Smith told the volunteers.
___
On the Net: Gov. Sonny Perdue
By GREG BLUESTEIN, Associated Press Writer
ATLANTA, Ga. - Midway through a love ballad directed at their prom dates, the sea of high school students suddenly parted to allow Georgia's top politician to give the karaoke song his best shot.
Wearing a trendy visor and a neon green glow stick around his neck, Gov. Sonny Perdue joined the group in belting "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'."
If the students didn't realize it before, this wasn't the typical post-prom party.
Five busloads of Brookwood High School seniors unloaded on Perdue's front lawn in Atlanta early Sunday for four hours of partying, eating and face time with the governor after their prom.
The grounds of the governor's swank north Atlanta mansion became the temporary home of inflatable obstacle courses where students jousted one another on spongy islands and strapped themselves to bungee cords in a doomed race against elasticity.
Inside the mansion, Waffle House set up shop in the ballroom, dishing out dinner for the first two hours of the party and breakfast during the last two. A wall of video games attracted a legion of students and Don Balfour, the school district's senator, who jostled a Ms. Pacman joystick en route to a high score.
And in a giant tent nearby, a DJ blasted hits and karaoke, inspiring the governor to declare, "'06 seniors rule."
The event's mission, Perdue said, was to encourage responsible behavior for teens and reward the suburban Atlanta high school for its creative efforts to tackle underage drinking.
The school, like many others, boasts a lock-in for seniors called "Project Graduation" that helps prevent dangerous post-graduation parties. And before spring break each year, the school rolls out a weeklong program that promotes safe driving.
Many of the students seemed awe-struck at the preparations.
"It's amazing," said Stephanie Hutton, a sophomore. "It's a dream come true."
Her date, Jeff Lynch, scoffed at the classmates who opted for other parties. Some 300 guests could have attended, but 230 showed.
"This is a crazy night. That's better than all that other stuff," the senior said, waving his arms at his surroundings.
The affair took three months to plan, was financed by $22,000 from the Georgia Sheriff's Association and involved a slew of sponsors, Perdue's staffers said.
Planning a high school party at the governor's mansion also brought a host of unique challenges, namely making sure that young couples didn't slip out of the party to seek alone time in the mansion's 18-acre grounds.
So before the event, volunteers were directed to patrol the grounds in search of any wayward couples.
"We'd rather have them be caught by y'all, than by Georgia State Patrol," Perdue staffer Julie Smith told the volunteers.
___
On the Net: Gov. Sonny Perdue
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Vow of undying love disrupts wedding night
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - A Malaysian man slapped his wife on their wedding night and stormed out of their home after she received a text message from an unknown admirer who professed his undying love for her.
"Though you are married, I still love you," was the message that flashed on the screen of the 19-year-old woman's mobile phone just as the couple were about to enter their room at 2 a.m. on Sunday, official news agency Bernama reported.
Her husband, 25, refused to believe the woman's statement that she did not know who the sender was, hit her, tossed away the phone and walked out of the house, the agency said on Monday, quoting the Borneo Post newspaper.
Police on the rugged eastern island have arrested a man and are investigating after the woman and her family complained about the incident in a case that one official called unique in his 33-year career.
The couple are members of the Iban, a tribe of former headhunters that lives in communal longhouses and makes up about a third of the population of Borneo.
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - A Malaysian man slapped his wife on their wedding night and stormed out of their home after she received a text message from an unknown admirer who professed his undying love for her.
"Though you are married, I still love you," was the message that flashed on the screen of the 19-year-old woman's mobile phone just as the couple were about to enter their room at 2 a.m. on Sunday, official news agency Bernama reported.
Her husband, 25, refused to believe the woman's statement that she did not know who the sender was, hit her, tossed away the phone and walked out of the house, the agency said on Monday, quoting the Borneo Post newspaper.
Police on the rugged eastern island have arrested a man and are investigating after the woman and her family complained about the incident in a case that one official called unique in his 33-year career.
The couple are members of the Iban, a tribe of former headhunters that lives in communal longhouses and makes up about a third of the population of Borneo.
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TexasStooge
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Filipino hawkers cash in on "Da Vinci Code" fever
MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine hawkers are repackaging a documentary on the "The Da Vinci Code" as an authentic version of the movie, cashing in on public interest in the religious thriller ahead of its release this week.
The film, based on the best-selling novel of the same title, has whipped up a storm of controversy in the largely Roman Catholic country and the Philippines' censor has yet to grant it a release permit despite a slated opening date of May 18.
"We will decide on the permit based on whether the film attacks a religion, creed or doctrine, and if it defames a person living or dead," the censor, Consoliza Laguardia, told local radio on Monday.
Laguardia said she had yet to review the film.
In downtown Manila, DVD hawkers were standing by the authenticity of their "advance copies" of the "Da Vinci Code", retailing at 35 pesos (35 pence).
"This copy came from Malaysia. The movie was already shown there," a vendor called Magda said.
A copy bought from Magda featured not the movie but a one-hour documentary titled "Unlocking the Da Vinci Code."
PREMIERE
The movie, starring Tom Hanks, will premiere on May 17 at the Cannes Film Festival in France. The movie will be released on May 18 in Malaysia.
The film's central premise, that Jesus Christ sired a child by Mary Magdalene, has upset many Christians.
"Like in anything negative, let us take this occasion to convert the cinema industry's money-motive production into a pastoral challenge," Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, the Archbishop of Manila, said in a statement.
Rosales urged parishes to organise discussion groups on the divinity of Jesus and the "mistaken impression" that the Church was hiding the truth.
Last week, the Philippines' powerful Catholic bishops gave priests guidelines on how to refute the book's plot and reminded parishioners that the book was fictitious.
The bishops did not, however, call for the film to be blocked.
A senior government official has said that the movie should be banned because of its blasphemy but the Philippine government has said it has no official policy on the film.
(Additional reporting by Dolly Aglay)
MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine hawkers are repackaging a documentary on the "The Da Vinci Code" as an authentic version of the movie, cashing in on public interest in the religious thriller ahead of its release this week.
The film, based on the best-selling novel of the same title, has whipped up a storm of controversy in the largely Roman Catholic country and the Philippines' censor has yet to grant it a release permit despite a slated opening date of May 18.
"We will decide on the permit based on whether the film attacks a religion, creed or doctrine, and if it defames a person living or dead," the censor, Consoliza Laguardia, told local radio on Monday.
Laguardia said she had yet to review the film.
In downtown Manila, DVD hawkers were standing by the authenticity of their "advance copies" of the "Da Vinci Code", retailing at 35 pesos (35 pence).
"This copy came from Malaysia. The movie was already shown there," a vendor called Magda said.
A copy bought from Magda featured not the movie but a one-hour documentary titled "Unlocking the Da Vinci Code."
PREMIERE
The movie, starring Tom Hanks, will premiere on May 17 at the Cannes Film Festival in France. The movie will be released on May 18 in Malaysia.
The film's central premise, that Jesus Christ sired a child by Mary Magdalene, has upset many Christians.
"Like in anything negative, let us take this occasion to convert the cinema industry's money-motive production into a pastoral challenge," Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, the Archbishop of Manila, said in a statement.
Rosales urged parishes to organise discussion groups on the divinity of Jesus and the "mistaken impression" that the Church was hiding the truth.
Last week, the Philippines' powerful Catholic bishops gave priests guidelines on how to refute the book's plot and reminded parishioners that the book was fictitious.
The bishops did not, however, call for the film to be blocked.
A senior government official has said that the movie should be banned because of its blasphemy but the Philippine government has said it has no official policy on the film.
(Additional reporting by Dolly Aglay)
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