A bill proposing to put a 1-percent excise tax on TV sets, video games and video game equipment sold in New Mexico will be submitted to the state legislature on Monday to fund programs preventing childhood obesity and improving school performance. State legislator Gail Chasey, an educator and sponsor of the bill, expects to raise $4 million from the tax each year.

The Austrian Supreme Court denied a petition by a British woman to have her chimpanzee elevated to human status. Paula Stibbe, who assumed guardianship over Hiasl, a chimp who was left money by an unidentified benefactor to ensure his future after the animal house he used to call home went bankrupt, argued the ape should enjoy the same rights as any human child as Hiasl loves watching TV, playing games, on top of his being very affectionate.

Olympic organizers in Beijing have announced that there are 132 official reception hotels for this summer's games. The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games said there are 120 contracted hotels for the event providing 30,000 rooms for the duration of the games. The organizers said some 38 are five-star hotels, 45 are four-star, 22 are three-star and 15 are not yet star-rated. The average room rate for a double room in a five-star hotel in Beijing is $383 and $295 is charged on average in a four-star hotel.

For those who want to watch the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Chinese officials have a new "cheering coach. " Citizens in China's capital are now practicing how to act and react during the summer games. Some 200 factory workers from Beijing's eastern towns were gathered for a practice cheer session at the national stadium on Monday in the latest lecture on the subject. Factory manager Lu Xiaoping told AFP: "Because of this program, I also think that China's spectators will behave better. "

At least some 7,500 babies in China who were born since year 2000 share one thing in common - their given name is "Aoyon", translated to "Olympics" or either Bei Bei, Jing Jing, Huang Huang, Ying Ying or Ni Ni, representing the "Five Friendlies" Olympics animated characters. Chinese parents were reported to be riding the hype on the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games slated in the country next year and they take too much inspiration in naming their newly born kids after the historic event.