ZAP INFO

AFP, Fri Oct 24, 12:18 pm ET MOSCOW (AFP) – Polar bears are dying out in the remote Arctic region of Chukotka because of melting ice and increased killing by humans, an expert with the International Fund for Animal Welfare warned on Friday. "If this tendency continues, the population will disappear very quickly, said Nikita Ovsyanikov, a researcher from Wrangel Island natural park in Chukotka who has spent the past 18 years studying polar bears in the region. "We need to create new protected areas in the Arctic," said Ovsyanikov, who has conducted research on behalf of IFAW. The shrinking of the Arctic ice sheet is forcing more bears to live on land in the summer where they often have trouble finding food, which means they have to go into villages to scavenge and are more likely to be shot, he said. Polar bear furs are also becoming increasingly popular in Russia, where the killing of polar bears is strictly forbidden except for self-defence. IFAW estimates around 100 po...

The Huffington Post, Rachel Weiner, October 24, 2008 01:59 PM Charles Fried, a professor at Harvard Law School, has long been one of the most important conservative thinkers in the United States. Under President Reagan, he served, with great distinction, as Solicitor General of the United States. Since then, he has been prominently associated with several Republican leaders and candidates, most recently John McCain, for whom he expressed his enthusiastic support in January. This week, Fried announced that he has voted for Obama-Biden by absentee ballot. In his letter to Trevor Potter, the General Counsel to the McCain-Palin campaign, he asked that his name be removed from the several campaign-related committees on which he serves. In that letter, he said that chief among the reasons for his decision "is the choice of Sarah Palin at a time of deep national crisis."

by Mercy Mathews on 11/10/08 at 1:12am Bring out the romantic in you! Try surprising your man with these easy to make and frugal romantic gift ideas. He’ll be glad you invested some time in making him something special! Naughty jar You could fill up a glass jar with paper chits. In each chit mention one romantic aspect of your relationship. You could get imaginative and write down some naughty things as well! Once it’s made just ask him to pick one chit out every morning and read it before going to office! Treasure hunt! We bet you played treasure hunt when you were kid. Well then you know the rules of the game! Just place one clue in a place where he’ll find it in the morning. That clue should lead him to another place where he will find the next clue. Your link of clues should lead him to the hidden gift! Great way to keep him guessing! Call his friends over! Maybe he wants his birthday to be a quiet affair - after all he’s grown up and all! But who doesn’t like a surprise birthday b...

by Samantha Philips on 23/10/08 at 3:54pm Aside from pimples, blackheads are another form of unsightly ‘bumps’ on your skin. They usually appear on the side of the nose, which are caused by excess oils. Personally, the solution that I have for this skin problem is to use one of those acne cleansing strips which are readily available in drugstores. Aside from this, you should have a strict skin care regimen to prevent not just blackheads but also pimples to appear on your skin. You should cleanse, tone and moisturize your skin before going to bed. Wash your face with medicated soap and lukewarm water so that the oiliness can be reduced. If you do not like using the pore cleansing strips, you can use a pore cleansing cream or facial wash so that blackheads can be prevented. Using a deep cleansing mask regularly also helps keep your pores from grease. Lastly, use a good moisturizer to keep your skin hydrated after using a cleansing product. By following these tips and using products whic...

By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent John Whitesides, Political Correspondent – Wed Oct 22, 7:52 am ET Reuters.com WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democrat Barack Obama has expanded his national lead over Republican John McCain in the presidential race to 10 points, according to a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released on Wednesday. Obama leads McCain 52 percent to 42 percent among likely U.S. voters in the latest three-day tracking poll, up from an 8-point advantage for Obama on Tuesday. The telephone poll has a margin of error of 2.9 percentage points. It was the third consecutive day Obama gained ground on McCain as the two begin the final sprint to the November 4 election. "Obama just keeps growing, he has expanded his lead among almost every major voting group," said pollster John Zogby. "McCain seems to be out of steam for the moment." The 10-point lead was the first time Obama's advantage over McCain, an Arizona senator, reached double-digits in the poll. Oba...

by Erin Flaherty, Shine staff, on Mon Oct 13, 2008 3:59pm PDT First dates are stressful, period. You don't want to lie or stretch the truth per se, but you also don't want to send your date running off to hail a cab before you've even ordered the cheese plate. Basically, the goals of a successful first date are to reveal that adorable, endearing part of yourself, learn more about the stranger sitting across from you, and to see if there is any connection between you two crazy kids. Obviously, it's important to be honest, but some of the more intimate parts of you are well, sorta personal, and no one's forcing you to spill all the beans. (Besides, everybody is intrigued by a little mystery and you want to save something for the second and third dates, right?) We don't really believe there are any hard and fast rules when it comes to dating, and despite what movies would have you think, there is no such thing as the "perfect date," so take these with a g...