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Encephalitis 'was probably caused by an infection which he may have carried undetected for weeks' ...

Celebrity polar bear Knut died after an epileptic fit, medics have said. A CAT scan revealed abnormalities in his brain and neurologists said he may have inherited epilepsy from his father Lars, also a sufferer. ...

Brain problems apparently caused the shockingly early death of Knut, Germany's four-year-old celebrity polar bear, the Berlin Zoo said Tuesday. Initial findings from a necropsy performed Monday by an institute in the German capital showed "significant changes to the brain, which can be viewed as a reason for the polar bear's sudden death," the zoo said in a statement. The zoo didn't elaborate on the changes to the animal's brain, and officials could not immediately be reached for further comment. Pathologists found no changes to any other organs, the zoo said, adding that it will take several days to produce...

BERLIN – Berlin's beloved polar bear Knut, who rose to stardom when he was hand-raised by zoo keepers after being rejected by his mother rejected at birth, died on Saturday, a zoo official said.

A SALUTE TO SAINT KNUT By Charles Henrickson Up in the North, Where winter’s dark, There rose a king Who had a spark: “Let’s lengthen Christmas, Add some days, Enjoy its light, Extend its rays!” And so to fight The cold and bleak, He added on Another week: “Till Jan. 13th!” The king decreed, “More Yuletide cheer To meet our need!” The wise old king Who had this thought Was King Knut, That’s how it’s taught; It’s spelled that way, For Swedes, you see, Need not an “a” Nor ending “e.” And it’s OK To start his name With “K”...

Ecology: The administration creates the mother of all protected habitats for a species whose numbers have increased since Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth." It's our hopes for energy independence that are drowning. When filmmaker Phelim McAleer, whose documentary "Not Evil Just Wrong" takes apart the myths of global warming, got to ask Gore a question at the annual conference of the Society of Environmental Journalists, McAleer brought up the nine critical errors in Gore's film "An Inconvenient Truth." A British court two years ago listed them and said they must be righted before the film could be shown in schools...

Naked, beheaded, and tangled, the bodies of 51 young men -- their heads stacked neatly to the side -- have been found in a thousand-year-old pit in southern England, according to carbon-dating results released earlier this month. The mass burial took place at a time when the English were battling Viking invaders, say archaeologists who are now trying to verify the identity of the slain. The dead are thought to have been war captives, possibly Vikings, whose heads were hacked off with swords or axes... Many of the skeletons have deep cut marks to the skull and jaw as well...

When Anglo-Saxons first arrived in Britain 1,600 years ago, they created an apartheid-like society that oppressed the native Britons and wiped out almost all of the British gene pool, according to a new study. By treating Britons like slaves and imposing strict rules, the small band of Anglo-Saxons -- who had come from what is now Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands -- quickly dominated the country, leaving a legacy of Germanic genes and the English language, both of which still dominate Britain today. The new theory helps explain historical, archaeological, and genetic evidence that until now had seemed contradictory, including...

BERLIN — A man jumped into the Berlin zoo enclosure of famed polar bear Knut today, but officials were able to keep the animal away from the intruder by distracting him with a leg of beef, police said.

Knut, the once-cute celebrity polar bear turned vicious killer, is at the center of a controversy over his brutal slaughter of ten carp at the Berlin Zoo. The massive polar bear, who has lived at the zoo since birth, apparently fished the carp out of the moat surrounding him and ripped them to shreds in front of several disgusted zoo patrons. One of Germany's top newspapers, Bild, ran the headline "Knut Embroiled in Carp Scandal," and featured an article which quoted animal rights groups who criticized zoo officials for placing live animals within Knut's reach.

Germany's celebrity polar bear Knut has triggered a new controversy by fishing out 10 live carp from his moat and killing them in front of visitors. Critics say Berlin Zoo should not have put live fish inside Knut's enclosure. But German media report that the carp were put there to eat up algae. There is speculation that hand-reared Knut killed the carp just for fun. A new polar bear cub - Flocke - made her public debut at Nuremberg Zoo on Tuesday, shown live on television. The zoo is expecting up to 25,000 visitors daily, eager to see Flocke (German...

My translation from German: Knut snaps at a boy. But he once was so cute.

BERLIN, Germany (AP) -- The show is over: The Berlin zoo's fast-growing polar bear cub, Knut, won't be appearing anymore with the keeper who raised him. Thomas Doerflein, above, said he remains on hand for Knut but will no longer play in public with him. 1 of 2 The zoo said Monday that it has ended 7-month-old Knut's twice-daily public appearances with keeper Thomas Doerflein. The playful pair have delighted audiences since Knut -- then an irresistibly cute 20-pound cub -- made his first public appearance in late March. Now nearing about 110 pounds, the boisterous bear, who will remain...

Germany's celebrity polar bear cub Knut has received an anonymous death threat, causing alarm at Berlin Zoo on Thursday and prompting heightened security. "We were contacted by the zoo about a (threatening) letter it had received," said a police spokeswoman, adding officers had investigated but they did not believe it was serious. Top-selling Bild newspaper said the zoo had received a hand-written fax from a suspected animal hater with the words: "Knut is dead! Thursday midday." It also said the zoo had trebled the number of minders to 15 responsible for the safety of media star Knut, who has been...

Move over Yogi and Pooh. The hottest new celebrity bruin is a polar bear cub named Knut, a recent addition to the Berlin Zoo. And he's making waves around the globe. The 4-month-old cub – who graces the U.S. cover of Vanity Fair's May "green" issue alongside Leonardo DiCaprio – has already spawned a line of plush toys, postcards and bank cards. Born at the zoo in December to a mother who soon abandoned him, Knut has become a worldwide favourite, drawing hundreds of journalists from around the globe to his debut last month. Plus, he has dramatically bolstered zoo...

Updated:2007-03-21 02:13:09Activist Says Zoo 'Must Kill' Baby Polar Bear By JOSH WARD AP BERLIN (March 21) - Berlin Zoo's abandoned polar bear cub Knut looks cute, cuddly and has become a front-page media darling, but an animal rights activist insisted Monday he would have been better off dead than raised by humans. Should Cub Have Been Left to Die? Animal rights activist Frank Albrecht said a polar bear cub should have been left to die since it was abandoned by its mother. "Feeding by hand is not species-appropriate but a gross violation of animal protection laws," animal rights activist Frank...

BERLIN (Reuters) - Berlin Zoo rallied to the defense of Knut, a three-month-old polar bear cub, Tuesday, rejecting demands that the animal be allowed to die after being abandoned by its mother. The fate of "cuddly Knut" has gripped the German capital since his birth in December. Rejected by his mother Tosca, the cub was adopted by a zookeeper who moved into the animal's enclosure to care for him round the clock. Some animal rights campaigners think this will humanize the bear too much and want the zoo to stop saving young animals. "Hand-rearing a polar bear is not appropriate...

Abandoned baby polar bear is 'better off dead' than raised in zooLast updated at 18:04pm on 19th March 2007The Berlin Zoo's abandoned polar bear cub Knut looks cute, cuddly and has become a front-page media darling, but animal rights activists insisted he would be better off dead than raised by humans. When Knut was born last December his mother ignored him, zoo officials intervened and chose to raise him themselves "Feeding by hand is not species-appropriate but a gross violation of animal protection laws," animal rights activist Frank Albrecht told the mass-circulation Bild, which has featured regular full-color photo...

LONDON (AP) -- Archaeologists in northwestern England have found a burial site of six Viking men and women, complete with swords, spears, jewelry, fire-making materials and riding equipment, officials said Monday. The site, discovered near Cumwhitton, is believed to date to the early 10th century, and archaeologists working there called it the first Viking burial ground found in Britain. The only other known Viking cemetery was found in Ingleby east of Cumwhitton. It was excavated in the 1940s, but the bodies had been cremated and not buried. Local metal specialist Peter Adams made the find at the end of March...

SCHEDULED TO LAUNCH ON THE EVE OF APRIL FOOLS’ DAY, the new “liberal” network Air America Radio is to begin airing on stations in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Portland and, maybe, San Francisco, five liberal cities where it can rouse the already-converted. Several of its key programs can also be heard via XM Satellite Radio’s new “America Left” Channel 167, also launching March 31.  (Air America’s Vice President of Programming Dave Logan was programming executive at XM.)  Its streaming internet audio might also be available at airamericaradio.com.Experts are betting that the new network will fail to make money...