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02. 09. 10. - 13:00

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02. 09. 10. - 13:00

Randy Apes make a Monkey of Nature

Kathryn Quinn

A gang of randy barbary apes who escaped from a zoo are making a monkey out of nature - and breeding in the wild.

The six apes - an alpha male, three females and two infants - gave their keepers at Platti Zoo in Switzerland the slip and have now set up home in nearby Frauenfeld forest.

Normally, a Swiss winter would be too cold for the beasts to survive and start breeding.

But experts say global warming and higher winter temperatures mean the primates will survive the winter and will already be starting a new family.

Zurich Zoo Director Alex Rubel explained: "It is quite possible that the apes may produce offspring. We are at the start of their breeding season."

Now zoo bosses have called in monkey whisperer Claude-Bettina Anhoeck to try leading the family back to its zoo enclosure.

Keeper Chris Wurst said: "She has already made contact with them and seems to have their trust."

Miserable plot
Jilted hubby Florin Dan Munteanu, 38, who allegedly tried to kill his wife with a bomb hidden inside a copy of the book 'Les Miserables' has been arrested after it blew up his mother-in-law instead, say police in Petrosan, Romania.

Woman's torso found in basement
The torso of a woman was found at the basement of a block of flats in Botosani, northern Romania.

Football champions stranded in snow
Nine players from Romania's football champions team - who met Manchester United in the Champions League playoffs - have been stranded for over 20 hours on a train, after they had left Galati for Bucharest on Monday, it emerged today (Tues).

New Prime Minister forms his team
The new prime minister (PM) will present his team tonight (Tues), after consultations with the political parties.

Former deputy sentenced to 5 years in jail
Former Romanian Chamber of Deputies member Emilian Cutean, from the Social Democrat Party (PSD) was sentenced definitively to five years in jail by the Court of Appeal in Bucharest today (Tues).

Seven buses caught up in snow
Seven buses with 450 passengers were stuck in the snow for more than seven hours in southeastern Romania, last night (Mon/Tues).

Central bank hikes inflation prognosis
Romania's Central Bank Governor Mugur Isarescu said today (Tues) the central bank had hiked the inflation prognosis from 3 per cent to 3.2 per cent in 2012.

Millions of Euro losses per day due to snowy roads
Losses of as much as 100 million Euros per day are estimated by the Associtation of Importers and Exporters in Romania (ANEIR), due to the weather conditions, as tens of national roads are blocked by snow and blizzards.

AA introduces new flights from Bucharest to Vienna
Austrian Airlines (AA) announced today (Tues) that it would increase the number of flights from Romania in the summer season.

Anti-corruption chief prosecutor's mandate extended
The chief of the National Anti-corruption Department (DNA), Daniel Morar, has his mandate prolonged for another six months the General Prosecutor Codruta Kovesi, said today (Tues).