Endangered Sumatran rhino gives birth in Indonesia

JAKARTA: A critically endangered Sumatran rhinoceros was born Saturday at an Indonesian sanctuary, only the fourth birth in captivity in more than a century, boosting survival hopes for the species, say conservationists.
"Ratu gave birth to a male baby at 00:45 (1745 GMT Friday) on Saturday. Both the mother and the baby are all very well," conservationist Widodo Ramono, who works at a sanctuary on the southern tip of Sumatra island, told.
The last three in-captivity births for Sumatran rhinos took place in the United States at the Cincinnati Zoo in Ohio. The father of the new born, Andalas, was himself the first Sumatran rhino delivered in captivity in 112 years. He was born in September 2001, according to the zoo.
Ratu, a female who grew up in the wild but wandered out of the forest, now lives at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary in Way Kambas National Park.
Sumatran rhinos have suffered a 50 percent drop in population numbers over the past 20 years, largely due to poaching and loss of tropical habitat.
There are now believed to be fewer than 200 alive. Most reside in isolated pockets in Southeast Asia.
"Thank God, we are very grateful that all the delivery process went smoothly and naturally. We actually made some emergency preparation in case that Ratu need(ed) a surgery in delivering the baby," Indonesia forestry ministry's spokesman Masyhud said.
"It's really a big present for the Sumatran rhino breeding efforts as we know that this is a very rare species which have some difficulties in their reproduction," the ministry's spokesman said.
"This is the first birth of a Sumatran rhino at a sanctuary in Indonesia," he told.

George Washington's Constitution fetches record $9.8mln

NEW YORK: George Washington's personal copy of the US Constitution and Bill of Rights sold for $9.8 million at auction o n F riday, setting a record for any American book or historic document.
Bidders at Christie's New York salesroom and others on the telephone competed for the first US president's signed, gold-embossed volume dating to 1789, which had a pre-sale estimate of up to $3 million.
The non-profit Mount Vernon Ladies Association of the Union, which maintains the historic Mount Vernon estate in Virginia that was Washington's home and is now open to the public, was the successful bidder.
"The unique book has been in the Mount Vernon library until 1876, and will soon be returned to that library," said Chris Coover, senior specialist of books and manuscripts at Christie's.
The bound volume was Washington's personal copy of the Acts of Congress and is noteworthy for his bold signature marking it as his own.
The Acts of Congress include the Constitution, whose preamble promises to "secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity," and the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments to the Constitution, which establish such fundamental liberties as the right to free speech, press, assembly and religion.
Christie's described the book as being in near-pristine condition after 223 years. It was specially printed for Washington in 1789, his first year in office as president.
The margins include Washington's handwritten brackets and notations highlighting key passages concerning the president's responsibilities.
The Acts of Congress volume was sold from Washington's library at Mt. Vernon in 1876 and eventually bought at auction by collector Richard Dietrich in the 1960s. It was being sold by the family's estate.
Similar volumes created for Thomas Jefferson, the first Secretary of State and third US president, and Attorney General John Jay, are in Indiana's Lilly Library and a private collection, respectively.
Rare books and manuscripts have achieved impressive prices in recent years.
An autographed manuscript of Lincoln's 1864 election victory speech sold for $3.4 million in February 2009, which set a record for an American manuscript at the time. A 1787 letter written from Washington to his nephew on the subject of the ratification of the Constitution fetched $3.2 million in December 2009. (AFP)

Hillary Clinton gets wacky in swearing-in ceremony

WASHINGTON: Hillary Clinton has attempted to demonstrate the lighter side of her character by wearing a pair of wing-tipped purple and green sunglasses at an official ceremony.
Calling them her “piece de resistance” the US secretary of state donned the flamboyant sunglasses, together with a purple bead necklace at a ceremony to swear in her assistant secretary for public affairs, Michael Hammer.
Addressing an audience of Mr Hammer’s friends, family and colleagues, Clinton explained that the day was not only about Hammer but purple too-her favourite colour.
Turning to Hammer’s wife and daughters, she said that because they were dressed in purple, she should also be “appropriately attired”.
In April, Clinton gave her approval to a satirical internet spoof about her that went viral. The ‘Texts from Hillary’ site allowed people to post captioned photos of possible conversations between the former first lady and other politicians and celebrities. Clinton asked her staff to contact its creators in order to submit a post themselves.

Eight-year-old 'Mugly' wins world's ugliest dog title

PETALUMA, California: A Chinese crested's short snout, beady eyes and white whiskers earned it the title of World's Ugliest Dog at the annual contest in Northern California on Friday.
Competing for fame, $1,000 and a year's worth of dog cookies, Mugly won the honor by beating out 28 other ugly dogs from around the world.
The 8-year-old rescue dog from the United Kingdom will also be invited for a photo shoot and will receive a VIP stay at the local Sheraton.
"I couldn't speak when they announced Mugly's name," said Bev Nicholson, the dog's owner. "I didn't know which way to look. I was shaking as much as the dog."
It's not the first time Mugly has been recognized for his unattractiveness. Nicholson said he was named Britain's ugliest dog in 2005.
The contest at the Marin-Sonoma Fairgrounds gets worldwide attention, with reporters and camera crews from around the world traveling to Petaluma, about 40 miles north of San Francisco.
Organizers say the competing dogs are judged for what they term their "natural ugliness in both pedigree and mutt classes."
Mugly's victory was the latest for a Chinese crested. Last year's winner, Yoda, was a Chinese crested and Chihuahua mix.

A man-made, floating 'island' -- yours for a few million

VIENNA: An Austrian firm has come up what it hopes is the next big thing for the mega-rich: a man-made, floating "island" with a list price of 5.2 million euros ($6.5 million), the company's founder said Monday.
Measuring 20 by 37 metres (66 by 121 feet), the "Orsos Island" has no engine but can be anchored anywhere its owners choose and then towed to another location the other side of the world if they so wish, Hungarian-born Gabor Orsos said.
"The interest has been massive from all over the world, from Australia, China, the United States. We have already had the first pre-orders and we have some potential buyers coming from Australia next week," the entrepreneur said.
The island is environmentally friendly and fully self-sufficient, with solar panels and wind generators providing power. It can sleep 12 people plus crew and offers 1,000 square metres of living space.
The only problem is that no "islands" have been produced yet and that once manufacturing starts it will initially be in land-locked Slovakia.
But Orsos expects the first finished products to be ready in 18 months' to two years' time, and for the "islands" to be transported down the Danube river into the Black Sea -- and then to wherever the customer wants. (AFP)

13 Pak soldiers killed in Lower Dir cross border attack

LOWER DIR: Thirteen Pakistani soldiers were killed as a result of a cross border attack by militants from Afghanistan, Geo News reported.
Following the deadly attack, Pakistan lodged its strong protest with Afghanistan's Charge d'affaires by summoning him to the Foreign Office in Islamabad.
According to military sources, six Pak soldiers were killed and eleven others went missing after militants in a cross border attack from Afghanistan fired two rockets and sniper shots into Lower Dir area. Later, the militants decapitated seven of the eleven missing soldiers.
Meanwhile, the military officials said fourteen militants were killed last night in a clash between more than 100 miscreants with Pakistani patrolling party.
They said Pakistan Army has registered its protest in strong terms over the inaction against militants safe havens in Afghanistan.

Sri Lanka record massive 209-run win against Pakistan

GALLE: Nuwan Kulasekara and Suraj Randiv combined to vanquish Pakistan as Sri Lanka triumphed in the first Test by a massive 209 runs on Monday, their biggest win over their Asian rivals.
The tourists, set a near impossible victory target of 510, were bowled out for 300 just before stumps on the fourth day despite defiant batting from Younis Khan and Asad Shafiq, as Sri Lanka took the lead in the three-match series.
The pair kept the Sri Lankan attack at bay for three hours to add 151 for the fifth wicket, Younis making 87 and Shafiq 80, before both fell on either side of the tea interval.
Off-spinner Randiv and seamer Kulasekara grabbed three wickets each to ensure Sri Lanka ended the match with a day to spare after Pakistan appeared to be taking the fight into the final day.
Randiv finished with seven wickets in the game, but it was team-mate Kumar Sangakkara who was named man-of-the-match for his unbeaten 199 in Sri Lanka's first innings.
Younis, 34, the most experienced batsman in the Pakistan side with 77 Test appearances, held the innings together during his 26th half-century in the five-day format.
Shafiq, a 26-year-old playing his 14th Test, matched his senior partner with a fluent knock that contained 13 hits to the fence.
But just when the duo appeared to have survived the entire afternoon session, Shafiq was dismissed against the run of play, edging left-arm spinner Rangana Herath to Mahela Jayawardene in the slips.
The partnership between Younis and Shafiq, who came together in the day's second over at 38-4, helped Pakistan salvage their reputation after the tourists were shot out for 100 in the first innings.
Younis, who went to tea on 81, fell in the first over with the second new ball when he edged Kulasekara to wicket-keeper Prasanna Jayawardene.
Seamer Nuwan Pradeep, playing his second Test, bagged his maiden Test wicket by trapping debutant Mohammad Ayub leg-before for 22 to send Pakistan reeling at 243-7.
Randiv claimed the last three wickets to give Sri Lanka their third win in the last five Tests, a turnaround in form following a dip after the retirement of legendary offspinner Muttiah Muralitharan in 2010.
Pakistan lost nightwatchman Saeed Ajmal in the day's second over, run out by a direct throw from the covers by Suraj Randiv.
Younis earned a reprieve on nine when Tillakaratne Dilshan picked up a low catch at mid-off, but television replays proved inconclusive whether the catch had been taken cleanly.
The second Test starts at the Sinhalese sports club in Colombo on June 30. while the third and final match will be played in Pallekele from July 8.(AFP)

Will solve energy crisis and restore peace in Karachi: PM Raja Pervaiz Ashraf

KARACHI: Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said Monday that his government would solve the loadshedding problem and restore peace in Karachi.
Prime Minister Ashraf was addressing a gathering at MQM headquarters Nine Zero after he had met with party leaders.
The prime minister appealed to all stakeholders to set aside their hatred, adding that Karachi’s peace would be restored through mutual dialogue.
“Every patriotic Pakistani understands that we need love instead of hatred,” Ashraf said.
Prime Minister Ashraf added that he would not betray the trust of Altaf Hussain.