Google Celebrates Works of H.G. Wells

Inspiration for innovation in technology and design can come from lots of places; we wanted to celebrate H.G. Wells as an author who encouraged fantastical thinking about what is possible, on this planet and beyond. And maybe have some fun while we were doing it.

Healthcare around the world

Comparison of healthcare systems in the US, UK, France and Singapore.

The Funniest Protest Signs Of 2009

A while back we collected the funniest protest signs from town halls, but we realized that wouldn't do it--there have be...

Putin Supervises Snow Leopard Release in Caucasus

Once again, Vladimir Putin is hanging out with the big cats.

In this photo taken Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009, Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, right, and...

(AP)

The Russian prime minister supervised the release of two snow leopards into a wildlife sanctuary near the southern resort of Sochi, fulfilling a pledge he made before Russia won the right to host the 2014 Olympic Games.

The male snow leopards imported from Turkmenistan were freed Saturday as Putin, the International Olympic Committee's Jean-Claude Killy and IOC executive director Gilbert Felli looked on, the IOC said Monday. Plans call for females to be introduced later and a breeding program begun.

Putin had pledged to reintroduce the big cats to the Caucasus if Russia won the 2014 Winter Olympic games, the IOC said. Russia was awarded the games in July 2007.

Snow leopards are extinct in the Caucasus, the IOC said, although they survive in the mountains of Central Asia.

Russian officials hailed move as evidence of their commitment to improving the region's environment. Critics of the games have said the construction of Olympic venues would damage the fragile ecosystems of Russia's mountainous Black Sea coastline.

It wasn't the first time Russia's premier has tangled with big cats. Putin shot a rare Ussuri tiger with a tranquilizer dart in Russia's Far East in August 2008 before fitting it with a tracking collar.

In October 2008, he received a Ussuri cub as a birthday gift and said he would find it a home in a zoo or a preserve.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

One Queen and 11 Presidents (Pics)

Queen Elizabeth has been around for a long time. In fact so long that there are a string of pictures that take us through 11 presidents through time. From the most recent picture of her with Barack Obama (and the one that stirred controversy with Michelle Obama) all the way back to the days of Mr. Eisenhower, the Queen has had her share of men.

Two questions. I wonder if she said stuff like “Good Lord that guy’s a moron” after hanging out with George Bush. And secondly, there must have been some hanky panky going on no?

Here are the 11 men she’s posed with….