Zayed International Prize for the Environment awarded $1 million to four environmental pioneers, including Najib Saab, Editor-in-Chief of Al-Bia Wal-Tanmia magazine and Secretary General of Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED). At a ceremony held today in Dubai International Convention Center, Saab was honored for Environmental Action Leading to Positive Change in Society, by the prize patron, Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.

Also honored was the laureate for Global Leadership, President of the Republic of Korea Lee Myung-Bak, “who seized the moment of the recent economic and financial crisis to commit his country to a low carbon, more resource efficient green economic path.”

An Australian schoolgirl had to cancel her 16th birthday party after her Facebook invitation went viral and close to 200,000 people said they would turn up at her house, reports said Tuesday.

The Sydney girl had wanted her schoolmates to attend, and the post -- which included her address -- said they could bring friends if they let her know, Sydney's Daily Telegraph newspaper reported.

Indonesia's self-proclaimed "King of Luwak", Gunawan Supriadi, is having a hard time keeping up with demand for the beans excreted by his stable of pampered civet "cats".

And he's not alone. Demand for coffee brewed with beans plucked from the dung of the furry, weasel-like creatures -- known locally as luwaks -- is surging among well-healed connoisseurs around the world, exporters say.

Pilots on an Alaska Airlines flight from Mexico City to Los Angeles locked down the cockpit and alerted authorities Sunday when a flight crew grew alarmed at the behavior of three men who turned out to be conducting an elaborate orthodox Jewish prayer ritual, officials said.

The men, all Mexican nationals, began the ritual that involves tying leather straps and small wooden boxes to the body, and the crew of Flight 241 alerted the cockpit, airline spokeswoman Bobbie Egan said.

A prominent Brazilian cosmetic surgeon has revealed that he operated on Libyan leader Moammer Gadhafi 16 years ago to give him a more youthful look.

"Gadhafi insisted on an imperceptible operation," said Liacyr Ribeiro, 70, who worked in two Rio clinics and is also said to have performed cosmetic surgery on Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

She's the grand old lady of albatrosses, is still raising chicks and doesn't look a day older than she did in 1956.

Researchers call her Wisdom, and at 60 years of age she was recently found sitting on an egg on Midway Atoll, an island in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii.

A two-headed turtle with five feet is raising eyebrows in Slovakia after the bicephalic reptile hatched in the northern town of Zilina seven weeks ago, local news agency SITA reported.

"I call it Magdalena or just Magda and Lena. Magda, is the larger head and the smaller one is Lena," explained owner Roman Gresak.

Mexican telecom magnate of Lebanese origin Carlos Slim widened his lead over other billionaires on Forbes magazine's list of the world's richest people Wednesday — the same day his flagship company said he is a victim of monopolistic practices.

Slim's fortune was estimated to have risen to $74 billion well ahead of Bill Gates' $56 billion and investor Warren Buffett's $50 billion. French luxury-goods magnate Bernard Arnault was fourth with $41 billion.

Elie Saab's detractors complain the Lebanese red carpet favorite's collections are always the same, but frankly, if it's not broke, why fix it?

Saab has the magic formula that has won him legions of fans among world's beautiful people down pat. In addition to his high-drama red carpet gowns covered with flashbulb-friendly sequins, he churns out flattering, glamorous daywear that moves seamless from day to night.

UAE Minister of Environment and Water Dr. Rashid Ahmed bin Fahd declared that Najib Saab was awarded for environmental action leading to positive change in society “because his influential and highly successful Al-Bia Wal-Tanmia magazine triggered unprecedented environmental awareness at all levels, built a new relationship between the policy-makers and people of the Arab world with the issues of environment and sustainability, and placed the environment high on national and regional agendas.”

The International Jury said: “The magazine and Saab’s vision also acted as a spring board for a wider pan-Arab initiative which catalyzed in 2006 the establishment of the Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED). The organization soon developed into a leading think-tank, pivotal in shaping environmental policies, mainly through its independent annual reports on the state of the Arab environment.”