Crikey! Huge crocodile captured in Philippines

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — What a croc!

Its mighty snout wrapped tightly with ropes, a one-ton, 20-foot saltwater crocodile was captured and put on display in a town in the southern Philippines — one of the biggest such reptiles to be caught in recent years.

But shed no crocodile tears for this colossal captive.

"Lolong," as it has been nicknamed, is about to become the star attraction of an ecotourism park — unless it is upstaged by an even larger reptile that may be still be on the loose.

Residents of Bunawan township celebrated when they captured the croc, with about 100 people pulling the feared beast from a creek by rope, then hoisting it by crane onto a …

New life found in Hong Kong

GOD AT WORK IN THE CHURCH

For at least one Hong Kong immigrant, new life begat new life. On Aug. 14, 2007, nine months after she was baptized in the Pacific Ocean waters, Winnie Moyco Chan gave birth to a son. Zane Austin Chan's arrival was the culmination of years of searching for happiness and for God.

Altiiough Chan, a Filipino living in Hong Kong after marrying a Chinese man, had grown up Catholic and been baptized as a Mormon, she never felt that she understood either faith. From the end of a Cheung Chau Island park bench, she proclaimed that she would go to church if God would give a child to her and her husband of 16 years.

On me other end of die bench was Nora …

Malaysian Party Urges Dutch Boycott

Malaysia's Islamic opposition party delivered a protest note to the Netherlands' embassy Monday over the release of an anti-Islam movie by a maverick Dutch lawmaker, while hard-line Muslims in neighboring Indonesia demanded the death of the filmmaker.

The Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party said in the note that the movie created unnecessary tensions and would "invite vengeance" from the Muslim community if it is not withdrawn.

"To signify our protest, we strongly urge Muslims all over the world to boycott all Dutch products," the party's youth leader, Salahuddin Ayub, said in a statement.

"We hope the protests by Muslims all …

10 REALLY COOL THINGS TO DO

1 Think 'Barbershop' with roses

The Chicago Theatre Company's smash hit, Cut Flowers, about anAfrican-American flower shop in Washington D.C., returns for a five-week engagement beginning Wednesday. The Noble Fool Theater, 16 W.Randolph. Wedesdays-Fridays at 8 p.m. Saturdays at 4:30 and 8:30 p.m.and Sundays at 3 p.m., through May 11. $32-$36. Call (312) 726-1156.

2A musical in two hacks New Millennium Theatre presents theircampy take on the classic Sam Raimi horror film Evil Dead! TheMusical on Friday and Saturday nights at 10:30 through April 26.Boxer Rebellion Theater, 1257 W. Loyola. $15. Call (773) 989-4515

3 You gotta have heart The Mexican Fine Arts Center …

Washington state adopts Canadian fertilizer standards

The Washington State legislature passed a bill this spring, to become effective on June 11, 1998, that formally adopts Canada's standards for allowable levels of nonnutritive substances in commercial fertilizers. Commercial fertilizers are defined as "a substance containing one or more recognized plant nutrients and that is used for its plant nutrient content or that is designated for use or claimed to have value in promoting plant growth, and shall include limes, gypsum and manipulated animal and vegetable manures. It does not include unmanipulated animal and vegetable manures, organic waste-derived material and other products exempted by the department by rule."

The purpose of …

UN group backs gay rights for the 1st time ever

GENEVA (AP) — The United Nations endorsed the rights of gay, lesbian and transgender people for the first time ever Friday, passing a resolution hailed as historic by the U.S. and other backers and decried by African and Islamic countries.

The declaration was cautiously worded, expressing "grave concern" about abuses suffered by people because of their sexual orientation, and commissioning a global report on discrimination of gays. But activists called it a remarkable shift on an issue that has divided the global body for decades, and credited the Obama administration's push for gay rights at home and abroad with helping win support for the resolution.

"This represents a …

Northern Colorado beats Montana State, 74-68

Will Figures scored 14 of his 20 points in the second half as Northern Colorado avenged its worst loss of the season with a 74-68 victory on Sunday.

Neal Kingman added 14 points and 10 rebounds for Northern Colorado (18-5, 7-3 Big Sky). Mike Proctor had 12 and Devon Beitzel and Chris Kaba 11 each for the Bears, who lost …