Cruise ship breaks Antarctic ice, nears open water

MOSCOW (AP) - Russian news reports say a cruise ship carrying over 100 tourists and scientists to see emperor penguins in Antarctica has begun moving through packed sea ice and will soon reach clear water.
    The Captain Khlebnikov icebreaker has struggled to free itself from sea ice near Snow Hill Island in the Weddell Sea. Officials say the people onboard aren’t in any danger but the ship was supposed to reach Argentina two days ago.
    ITAR-Tass and RIA Novosti news agencies quoted the Fareastern Shipping Company as saying Wednesday that the ship has crunched through three nautical miles (5.5 kilometers) of ice and is just a half-mile (under 1 kilometer) from clear water.
    Snow Hill Island lies off the northern end of the Antarctic Peninsula.