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BEIJING, Feb. 9 (Xinhuanet) — New Zealanders who for decades have endured jokes about being outnumbered 20-to-1 by sheep have a new farm animal majority to worry about: cows.

A record 5.8 million dairy cattle were counted in the year ended June 2009, Statistics New Zealand said Tuesday — well more than one animal for each of the country\’s 4.3 million citizens.

In contrast, sheep numbers declined to some 32 million in 2009, less than half the peak of 70 million reported in 1982. In 2009, New Zealand had fewer than eight sheep per person.

Statistics New Zealand said the cow numbers last year were 4 percent higher than in 2008 and up 76 percent from 3.3 million in 1989.

The dairy herd\’s expansion was due to the conversion of sheep and other farms to the more lucrative dairy industry and to the growth in the number of milking cows in existing herds.

(Agencies)

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WELLINGTON, May 5 (Xinhua) — The largest geothermal turbine in the world has been constructed just north of Taupo at a new power station which runs renewable energy.

The power station has diminished the threat of power cuts, especially at a time when New Zealand is facing a dry winter.

The energy stripped out of the geothermal turbine will power around 140,000 homes.

That is about 3 percent of all the power the country needs.

But the new turbine is unlikely to bring down power prices.

\”These things don\’t come cheaply. This cost about 430 million NZ dollars (309 million U.S. dollars) to build and to keep doing that, we need to generate the revenue to pay for it,\” said Heffernan, Mighty River Power spokesman Doug Heffernan.

The state owned enterprise is already seeking resource consents for another power station just up the road.

Related:

Indonesian president opens world\’s geothermal congress in Bali

JAKARTA, April 26 (Xinhua) — Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono opened on Monday the fourth world\’s geothermal congress in Nusa Dua, Bali, local media reported.

The congress, with a theme of\”Geothermal: Energy to change the world\”, was attended by foreign dignitaries, including Iceland President Olafur Ragnar Grimson.? Full story

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An environmental activist holds slogan during a protest in Quezon City, northeast of Capital Manila, Philippines, March 19, 2010, three days before World Water Celebration. Greenpeace held a protest demanding for better management of the Philippines fresh water resources on Friday. (Xinhua/Jon Fabrigar) Environmental activists depict an environmental crime scene due to water shortage during a protest in Quezon City, northeast of Capital Manila, Philippines, March 19, 2010, three days before World Water Celebration. (Xinhua/Jon Fabrigar)

An environmental activist depicts an environmental crime scene due to water shortage during a protest in Quezon City, northeast of Capital Manila, Philippines, March 19, 2010, three days before World Water Celebration. (Xinhua/Jon Fabrigar) Environmental activists hold slogans during a protest in Quezon City, northeast of Capital Manila, Philippines, March 19, 2010, three days before World Water Celebration. (Xinhua/Jon Fabrigar) [随机用户名]

NEW YORK, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) — The New York Times announced Wednesday that it intended to charge frequent readers for access to its website starting next year.

\”Starting in early 2011, visitors to NYTimes.com will get a certain number of articles free every month before being asked to pay a flat fee for unlimited access,\” says a report on NYTimes.com.

However, subscribers to the newspaper\’s print edition will receive full access to the site without extra charge, it says.

The New York Times is the largest metropolitan newspaper in the United States. It has won 101 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization. Its website was the most popular American online newspaper website as of December 2008, receiving more than 18 million unique visitors in that month.

However, executives of The New York Times Company said they could not yet answer fundamental questions about the plan, like how much it would cost or what the limit would be on free reading.

\”This announcement allows us to begin the thought process that\’s going to answer so many of the questions that we all care about,\” said Arthur Sulzberger Jr., the company chairman and publisher of the newspaper.

However, the publishers fear that income from digital subscriptions would not compensate for the resulting loss of audience and advertising revenue.

This would not be the first time the company had tried an online pay model, says the report.

In the 1990s it charged overseas readers, and from 2005 to 2007 the newspaper\’s TimesSelect service charged for access to editorials and columns. TimesSelect attracted about 210,000 subscribers who paid 49.95 dollars a year, but it was scrapped to take advantage of the boom in online advertising.

Company executives said the current decision was not a reaction to the ad recession but a long-term strategy to develop new revenue.

Two specialized papers already charge readers: The Wall Street Journal, which makes certain articles accessible only to subscribers, and The Financial Times, which allows nonpaying readers to see up to 10 articles a month, a system close to what is planned by The Times.

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????BEIJING, Dec. 15 (Xinhuanet) — Texas Police arrested a 25-year-old man who was suspected of breaking into an east Texas house when he was taking a bath in of the?house, according to media reports.

????The incident happened early Sunday morning in a blue-collar neighborhood of northwest Tyler of Texas.

????Local police said they received a call from a resident saying someone had kicked in the front of the house. While en route, officers were advised the resident had left the house but the intruder remained inside.

????Officers hurried to the house only to find the man was enjoying a bath. They arrested him after a short struggle and brought him into the Smith County Jail.

????The suspect named Larry Ticey faces a misdemeanor criminal trespass charge and may be sentenced to one year in jail.

????（Agencies）

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A girl has a snowball fight with friends in Washington, D. C., capital of the United States, on Feb. 10, 2010. A second major snowstorm hit the U.S. capital and nearby area on Tuesday night, two days after the city was covered by the record downfall of snow. (Xinhua/Zhang Jun)

Related:

Heavy snow forces New York to close schools, halt flights

Tables and chairs are covered with snow at Bryant Park in New York, the United States, Feb. 10, 2010. The second major snowstorm in less than five days howled up the East Coast from Washington to New York on Wednesday, leaving the traffic paralyzed and forcing the federal government and schools to remain closed for the third straight day. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)

NEW YORK, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) — Heavy snow across New York City forced the closing of local public schools and halting of most flights on Wednesday.? Full story

UN headquarters closed due to snowstorm in New York

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) — The snowstorm in New York prompted the United Nations to close its headquarters complex on Wednesday, a UN spokesman announced.

Martin Nesirky, the spokesman for the UN secretary-general, said in an emailed message to the press here: \”Due to inclement weather, the United Nations Headquarters complex in New York will be closed on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2010.\”Full story

Another major snowstorm hit Washington, D.C., area

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) — Another major snowstorm hits the U.S. capital of Washington, D.C., and nearby area on Tuesday, two days after the city was covered by the record downfall of snow.

The National Weather Service predicted that another 10 to 20 inches (25 centimeters to 50 centimeters) of snow would fall on northern Virginia and eastern Maryland, including Washington, D.C., through Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday. Full story

U.S. capital paralyzed by heavy snowstorm

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) — Up to 2 feet (60 centimeters) of snow had fallen in Washington as of Saturday morning, leaving the capital area paralyzed and thousands of families without electricity.

\”This extremely dangerous storm is expected to produce record snowfall for the Washington metropolitan area,\” the National Weather Service said, \”the storm would be extremely hazardous and life-threatening, and all citizens are urged to remain in doors.\” Full story?

Biggest blizzard in decades hits U.S. mid-Atlantic region

PARIS, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) — A secretary was stabbed to death by a Chinese student in a university in Perpignan, south France, and another three persons were hurt during the incident, local prosecutor said on Wednesday.

Jean-Pierre Dreno, the prosecutor of Perpignan, said that the student, 26, went into his department of sociology, stabbed a 49-year-old school secretary to death and hurt another three teachers at around 9:30 in the morning. One injured suffered serious wounds.

The student has been arrested by police and the sociology department was closed at present as the investigation was underway.

According local media, the Chinese sophomore had once been sent to hospital for abnormal behavior in early November 2009.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said in a statement he was shocked by the incident, demanding concerned authorities to find out the cause of the tragedy as soon as possible.

Higher Education Minister Valerie Pecresse said he will travel to Perpignan immediately.

Zhu Xiaoyu, the Chinese diplomat for education affairs in France told Xinhua that Chinese embassy also placed highly concern over the incident and they are in close contact with local authorities and the university while seeking for more details.?

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????BEIJING,?Dec. 29 (Xinhuanet)?– Two slim, dark-haired Argentine men traveled?to a remote seaside fishing village at the end of South America to tie the knot on Monday, becoming the first same-sex marriage in Latin America, according to?media reports Tuesday.

????Gay rights activists Jose Maria Di Bello and Alex Freyre were married in Ushuaia, the capital of Argentina\’s Tierra del Fuego state, exchanging rings at an informal ceremony witnessed by state and federal officials.

????The couple\’s wished to marry in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires but were thwarted by city officials citing conflicting judicial rulings.

????Di Bello, an executive at the Argentine Red Cross, met Freyre, 39, executive director of the Buenos Aires AIDS Foundation, at an HIV awareness conference. Both are HIV-positive.

????At Monday\’s indoor civil ceremony, 41-year-old Di Bello, an executive at the Argentine Red Cross and Freyre 39, executive director of the Buenos Aires AIDS Foundation, wore sport coats without ties and had large red ribbons draped around their necks in solidarity with other people living with HIV.

????They met at an HIV awareness conference and both are HIV-positive.

????Argentina\’s Constitution is silent on whether marriage must be between a man and a woman. A Supreme Court justice said on Monday that the high court would likely rule on issues of same-sex marriage sometime in 2010, but could defer to Congress if legislation moves forward.

????Many in Argentina and throughout Latin America remain opposed to gay marriage, particularly the Roman Catholic Church,?but same-sex civil unions have been legalized in Uruguay, Buenos Aires, Mexico City and some states in Mexico and Brazil.

????An official representing the federal government\’s antidiscrimination agency attended the wedding. Claudio Morgado called Monday\’s marriage \”historic.\”

????Only seven countries in the world allow gay marriages: Canada, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and Belgium. U.S. states that permit same-sex marriage are Iowa, Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut and New Hampshire.

(Agencies)

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WELLINGTON, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) — Two New Zealanders have smashed a world distance gliding record, beating temperatures as low as minus 35 deg C to fly 2,500 km over nearly 15 hours.

Christchurch pilot Terry Delore and John Kokshoorn, originally from Christchurch but now living in Australia, touched down in Omarama in Central Otago Sunday night, having glided 2,501 km. They smashed the previous record by Klaus Ohlmann by about 80km, the Timaru Herald reported on Monday.

They took off from Omarama, flew to Ward in Marlborough, back to Clyde, near Alexandra, and then back up and level with Taihape in the North Island, before turning around and landing at Omarama.

During the trip, the pair hit speeds of up to 200 km/h, but a rough patch over the Canterbury plains slowed the glider to about 80 km/h.

Flying at 28,000 feet, or 8.5 km high, for most of the way, the pair\’s water bags froze solid during the record-breaking flight. They relied on \”electric socks, hand warmers, three hats, polyprops, three shirts, gloves and all that sort of thing\”, Delore said.

Delore bought the Ash 25 glider from Steve Fossett, a millionaire adventurer who died in a light plane crash in the Nevada desert two years ago. Together Fossett and Delore set 11 world records between 2002 and 2007.

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CANBERRA, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) — The baby koala shot with a slug gun has died on the operating table later Friday.

Doug was found with pellet wounds to his ribs and abdomen at the base of a tree at a Morayfield property, north of Brisbane, on Tuesday morning.

His mother Meryl was also shot but is expected to make a full recovery after earlier surgery.

Staff at the Australian Wildlife Hospital tried to remove half of one of Doug\’s lungs after a pellet was found in his chest.

\”However, it is with sad regret that during surgery, Doug passed away and vets were unable to save him,\” a spokeswoman said.

X-rays on Friday revealed surgery was needed as soon as possible after it was found his condition has worsened. He was previously given only a 50 to 50 chance of survival.

The Australian authorities continue to search for the person who shot the koalas.

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