Free Mumia? On May 17, the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments in the case of internationally renowned black death-row journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal. It will then decide to either grant a new trial, affirm the life sentence, or re-instate the death sentence. Although Mumia's death sentence was overturned in 2001 he remains on death row.

Cartoonist Johnny Hart died on Saturday, at home, at his storyboard. Best known for B.C., he was also co-creator of Wizard of Id. .

Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, the chimneys pump out a toxic cocktail of pollutants... Welcome to Norilsk: Home to the world's biggest nickel and palladium producer, and producer of one seventh of all the factory pollution in Russia. more inside

Curious George: Person Search Have any of you used any online people search services? more inside

Health Newsfilter: Universal Blood Newly discovered enzymes may potentially enable blood from groups A, B and AB to be converted into group O negative, which can be safely transplanted into any patient. The method may enable manufacture of universal red cells, which would substantially reduce pressure on the blood supply.

Scientists have created the world's first human-sheep chimera. The resulting "chimera" has 15 percent human cells and 85 percent animal cells. See also, Dr. Zanjani's previous work on the pig-human chimera.

The City of Hope is a shelter in Dubai for abused women and children of all nationalities – and one of the few shelters in the Middle East. Run by Sharla Musabih, an American married to a UAE national, the safe haven has come under increasing criticism and attack. Sharla sets the record straight.

UFO Evidence is a large depository of UFO related photos, sightings, and other curiousities. Are you a believer?

MPAA unleashes anti-piracy dogs. Lucky and Flo recently sniffed out 1,000,000 pirated DVD discs in Malaysia. However, miffed "syndicate bosses" have placed a bounty on their heads.

Spiderman thwarted on his second attempt at scaling the Petronas Twin Towers without any ropes or safety devices. Alain Robert likes to climb.

New York City Council approves ban on racial slur. The non-binding measure, asks New Yorkers to voluntarily stop using the "n-word." more inside

Scallops are harvested by ‘dredging’ - dragging a set of steel spikes over the sea-bed. This dislodges the shellfish, produces $5 million per annum for the fishing-boats and reduces the sea-bed – sponges, corals, sea-fans and all – to barren rubble. more inside

What does a bid for the White House and Cockfighting have in common? While New Mexico argues over those little warriors that come out of eggs, things can get quite serious. Have no fear, there's always Gamecock Boxing! more inside

So far, about 340,000 are homeless as Jakarta floods again. Not really much of news here in the US, but it's quite a mess! What can one do? Keep their hopes up as the worst is yet to come... more inside

In India's north-eastern state of Meghalaya, women who bear more than 15 children are being rewarded with cash. Not to worry about India's problems with overpopulation, “We have no option but to increase our Khasi population to control the pressure of outsiders coming to our land.”

If a Boeing 767 runs out of fuel at 41,000 feet what do you have? Answer: A 132 ton glider. Who says commercial jetliners cannot glide? "The Gimli Glider" successfully pulled it off, and the failure of its nose wheel to deploy even saved lives. [last link = pdf] more inside

Raising the Dead: Two years ago today, Dave Shaw lost his life at the bottom of Boesmansgat ("Bushman's Hole"), one of the world's deepest freshwater caves, while trying to recover the body of a diver who had died in it ten years earlier. more inside

The Robot Award 2006 announced their winners today. Paro and My Spoon were the top winners. [some links in Japanese] more inside

The Baiji Yangtze Dolphin is with all probability extinct. The white dolphin known as baiji, shy and nearly blind, dates back some 20 million years. Its disappearance is believed to be the first time in a half-century, since hunting killed off the Caribbean monk seal, that a large aquatic mammal has been driven to extinction.

The Primate Freedom Project scored a big surprise win the other day in their efforts to build the National Primate Research Exhibition Hall in Madison, Winconsin. Sandwiched tightly between the historic and infamous Harry F. Harlow Primate Psychology building and the National Institutes of Health's flagship vivisection lab, the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, the Exhibition Hall's permanent presence and clear voice will be impossible to ignore.