Obese Sydney bird sent to birdy bootcamp

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HOROSCOPE Obese Sydney bird sent to birdy bootcamp An Australian kookaburra bird is undergoing personal training af- ter growing too fat to fly because she ate too many sausages. The kookaburra got into trouble with her weight when residents at a Sydney park began feeding her sausages at barbecues. The porky kookaburra weighed in at 565 grams (1.2 pounds), nearly 40 percent heavier than a normal adult bird, rendering her so unfit she couldn 9t fly.

cOut in the wild she 9d eat a whole small animal such as a mouse or skink, but butcher 9s sausages are just too much of a good thing, d said Gemma Watkinson, Sydney 9s Taronga Zoo wildlife hospital nurse. A Sydney resident brought the bird to the zoo after spotting dogs chasing her along the ground. Witch-doctors put the magic in African team spirit If Sebenzile Nsukwini 9s bones are anything to go by, the World Cup is going to pass off without a hitch and hosts South Africa are destined for great things.

cEish, it is looking very good for South Africa, d the 33-year- old Zulu witch-doctor said after casting her eyes over a seem- ingly random scattering of animal bones ... more. less.

and sea shells during a seance in downtown Johannesburg. cLook, the trouble is far, far away. No bombs, d she added, pointing to a polished and highly decorated knuckle-bone lying apart from the mass of trinkets strewn across the concrete floor in the corner of a dingy bus station. A weekend newspaper report, ve- hemently denied by the South African government, of an c80 percent chance d of a terrorist attack during the June 11-July 11 soccer spectacular suggests her con- fidence is not universally shared. Mayor accused of beating elderly woman The mayor of a Russian town is accused of beating a 69- year-old woman who was slow to open the door when he showed up at his office late at night, Interfax news agency reported on Tuesday. The woman was on the night watch at the administra- tion building in the Pacific town of Shakhtyorsk when mayor Vladimir Khapalov showed up after midnight one night last November, Interfax said. Citing local prosecutors, it said Khapalov struck her with the door when she opened it, and hit her two more times. He then kicked her in the hip area after accusing her of sleeping on the job and demanding she resign, Interfax said. NJ police: Students put animals in school ceilings Seven northern New Jer- sey students are facing nu- merous charges for placing rabbits, mice, roosters and chickens inside ceilings at their high school as part of a senior prank. Denville police say the students are all boys. Their names were not released because they 9re juveniles. Officers went to Morris Knolls High School shortly before midnight Tuesday after a custodian reported seeing people inside the building. Police say the boys got in through an open window and that most of the animals were stolen from farms. The seven face various charges including burgla- ry, criminal mischief and conspiracy. Authorities said Saturday that animal cruelty charges are pending be- cause at least one of the animals was injured after fall- ing through the ceiling. Wis. man gets probation in dirty diaper theft An Amherst man accused of trying to steal dirty diapers from a home has been sentenced to 30 months of probation. Dillon Makuski, 20, was convicted of possession of burglary tools. The Stevens Point Journal re- ports Makuski also must serve 200 hours of community serv- ice and undergo a psycho-sexual examination. Makuski was detained by the homeowner after entering an Amherst home last September. A Por- tage County sheriff 9s deputy found six dirty diapers in Makuski 9s pockets. The complaint said Makuski en- tered the house because he likes to wear diapers and thought there might be some in the house. HOLLYWOOD HOT FIGURE BOLLYWOOD ODDLY ENOUGH 6 ENTERTAINMENT TEHRAN TIMES INTERNATIONAL DAILY http://www.tehrantimes.com JUNE 7, 2010 GREEN RULE TECH LIFE LIBRARY LIFE STYLE New generation of Saudi novelists breaks taboos In a country where cinema and theatre are banned and most forms of public expression are censored, Saudi novelists are enjoying new popularity by breaking taboos with daring novels. Although most of the works remain banned from book- shops in this ultra-conservative kingdom, Saudi book lovers buy them from other Arab countries where they are freely sold. One of these novels, Abdo Khal 9s cShe Throws Sparks d went all the way to grab the Arab world 9s equivalent of the Booker Prize for this year. The work, which won the International Prize for Arab Fic- tion in March, exposes the gap between abundant wealth and poverty in a Saudi city in what the judges 9 citation called a cpainfully satirical novel d. Google to provide data to European authorities Google Inc said on Saturday it would hand over data it collect- ed through wireless networks to French, German and Span- ish authorities as it faces mounting legal issues concerning its data collection. Canada recently launched a probe into Google amid privacy concerns related to the search giant 9s Street View service, which uses camera-equipped fleets of cars to take panoramic pictures for its online atlas. Google has disclosed it collected private data while tak- ing photographs for this product. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has already begun an informal inquiry into the matter. Google has said it would cooperate with authorities. It had previously denied any wrongdoing in sending fleets of cars around the world to take pictures. Google first revealed that cars were also collecting wireless data in April, but said no personal information from Wi-Fi networks was involved. Restaurant tells diners to eat up or be fined and leave An Australian restaurateur fed up with the waste left by diners has ordered her customers to eat everything on their plates for their sake of the earth or pay a penalty and not return. Chef Yukako Ichikawa has introduced a 30 percent dis- count for diners who eat all the food they have ordered at Wafu, her 30-seat restaurant in the Sydney suburb of Surry Hills, that describes itself as cguilty free Japanese cuisine. d cTo contribute toward creating a sustainable future we re- quest a little more of our guests than most other restaurants, d she says in a list of her restaurant 9s policies that is pinned on the door to the eatery. This list includes finishing all dishes ordered which are or- ganic and free of gluten, dairy, sugar and eggs and the chef and her staff tell people who don 9t clear their plates to choose another restaurant next time. U.S. interracial marriages double from 1980: report Nearly 15 percent of all new marriages in the United States, twice the number from 1980, are between partners of differ- ent races or ethnicity, according to a new report. The study by the Pew Research Institute is based on its own findings and U.S. census data for 2008. It shows a dou- bling of the rate of interracial marriages for whites and a tri- pling for blacks. cA record 14.6 percent of all new marriages in the United States in 2008 were between spouses of a different race or ethnicity from one another, d according to the report. cThis includes marriages between a Hispanic and non- Hispanic as well as marriages between spouses of differ- ent races -- be they white, black, Asian, American Indian or those who identify as being of multiple races or 8some other 9 race. d Bill Gates Sr says wealth is cnot having to worry d As the father of Microsoft Corp 9s co- founder, Bill Gates Sr. helps fund wor- thy causes and travels worldwide but says the best part of having access to such wealth is not worrying about old age. The father of Bill Gates Jr. at age 84 helps steer the multi-billion-dollar Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and readily admits he is lucky to have a successful family and meaningful work. cThe business of not having to worry, being able to do things, being able to eat well and travel and buy a new pair of pants once in a while, that 9s funda- mental, d he said. cAny sense of angst about having a tough old age is no longer there. d Actor Don Cheadle is UN environment ambassador Actor Don Cheadle was Saturday appointed as Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations environment agency during a ceremony in Rwanda to mark the World Environment Day. The appointment was announced by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) in the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, the global host of this year 9 9s World Envi- ronment Day (WED). Cheadle also took part in the traditional Kwita Izina gorilla-naming ceremony. The renowned actor 9s trip to Rwanda was especially meaningful given his ties to the country through his Academy Award- nominated role in the 2004 film cHotel Rwanda d in which he portrayed a hotel manager who saved hundreds of lives dur- ing the 1994 Rwandan genocide. When Malik runes against Pakistan First, Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik comes to India and marries Indian tennis star Sania Mirza. Then before we know it the pair moves to the no-man 9s land in Dubai where Malik joins hands with Sal- man Khan to play against Pakistan! Apparently Shoaib was reluctant to play in Salman 9s team. It was wife Sania who convinced him. cSania Mirza is a huge Salman fan. When Salman asked her husband to play in his team, Shoaib Malik was naturally reluctant. But then Sania 9s persuasive powers over her husband worked. When it came to Salman, Sa- nia wouldn 9t hear no even from her own husband, d said a source from Salman 9s team. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Help comes un- expectedly to- day but taking the final step to success is in your hands. People can open the door, get you the inter- view but you must make the effective pitch. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You devote some time to learn- ing more deeply about matters of science and religion. You move past the surface layer to learn and un- derstand technical terminol- ogy. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You feel the need to acquire more for your family today. You tend to equate possessions with success. Certainly do what 9s necessary to improve your standard of living. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Your job or ca- reer take top pri- ority, as its own logic forces you to make full commitments. However, your spouse can be made to feel left out, so make amends. LEO (July 23- Aug. 22): You may fail to see the moral di- mensions of your job. Your approach is simple and naive, so after determining that something is possible, make sure it is le- gal, then that is moral. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You are deter- mined but na- ive. You have a lot to learn as you start a new venture. Be prepared for to- tally new surprises. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): This is a good day to add a new friend to your circle of associates. Something can be different and family mem- bers may need convincing. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You can devel- op many radical new ideas to- day. It 9s important to pick one or a few for development. You may be ahead of everyone else, so expect to be alone in this. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Make sure that projects are within both your abilities and your interests. You could start something then quit if either one is not satisfied. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): While your family life re- quires attention, it may be hard to pinpoint what the problem is. People need to be coaxed into saying what they 9ve reluctant to reveal. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You think that being un- yielding is what makes you attractive. This might not be so; it may be that someone sees a deeper side of you. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You prefer hav- ing a fully capa- ble partner today, not someone who takes orders from you. You enjoy sponta- neity. You thrive in situations where mysteries are solved. Hi-end boutique airlines have fall- en from the sky, business travel- ers are bargain hunting online and most folks seated in the front of the plane have paid only for the back, experts say. cLuxury air travel has essen- tially been grounded, d said Pe- ter Yesawich, CEO of the travel marketing company Ypartnership, cOne of the first prerequisites to go in a tough economy. d Yesawich, whose company tracks travel trends, said that with the exception of long hauls, these days even most folks in first class are flying on upgrades. cIt 9s said that real profit in any flight is front of plane. The rest covers the overhead, d he explained. cBut there 9s been a conscious effort by corporations and individuals to suppress that travel. d Airlines are also battling the price transparency that the internet has revealed. cA couple of clicks on kayak.com, for example, shops airfares even for business class, d Yesawich explained. He said big carriers, such as Delta and British Airways, are try- ing to lure business travelers back to first class with amenities such as onboard showers, flat seats for sleeping and Internet access. But the high-end boutique airlines that sprang up in the boom before the bust have mostly gone the way of the Dodo bird, or the Concord. Now most boutique airlines are low cost and no-frills. cEos is no longer in business and L 9Avion was gobbled up by British Airways, d said Steve Loucks, vice president at Travel Lead- ers, of two boutiques that ferried passengers in high style during high times. So how do the rich get around these days? It depends on what you call rich. cThe super rich fly anyway they want, d said Mike Weingart of Trav- el Leaders in Houston, Texas. In Glendale, California, his col- league Vicky Voll agrees: cBusi- ness people, retired executives, film stars, some own private planes. Amazingly for long haul flights, they choose scheduled airlines in first or even business class. d It there are eight to 10 people traveling together they usually charter a small Gulfstream, she added. According to Jami Counter, senior director of TripAdvisor.com, today 9s luxury traveler inclines toward private jets, or at least a piece of one. cWhat 9s been in vogue is fractional jet ownership, d which Coun- ter likened to a time share. cIt 9s flexible. You can tap into it, so it 9s a nice alternative to owning a jet. d For scheduled flights up where the air is rarefied, he cites the double-decker, wide-bodied Airbus 380, which has been flying commercially since 2007. cEmirates out of Dubai, with 100 destinations around the world, has 50 Airbus 380s on order, d he said, adding that they boast showers in first class, spas and private suites. Counter says the luxury boutiques are like canaries in the eco- nomic coal mine. cIn 2000 Legend Airlines announced an incredibly high-end, 59- seat business class service out of Dallas. Then came the dot.com downturn and Legend lasted less than a year, d he said. cEvery time airlines go in for this high-end luxury service, it 9s a sign things are getting overheated. d Luxury air travel: Out of the blue, into the red

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