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Sunday, September 20, 2009 BEIJING: Amateur inventor Tao Xiangli scoured second-hand markets for two years in search of spare parts for more than just a broken appliance. He's built a home-made submarine he hopes will give him his big break.The 34 year-old constructed his vessel after failing to find fame or fortune with creations such as the massaging hair-washer and an automated shoe-polisher.Tao's submarine weighs 800 kgs (1,764 lb) and is 6.5 metres (21 feet) long, with a cramped interior that fits one person and features pressure gauges, monitoring cameras and, of course, an oxygen supply.He has also installed headlights and is working on his own take on a periscope for the vessel, which he says can dive to depths of up to 10-metres.The main body of the submarine is made out of simple metal barrels, one of his many ingenious economies that allowed him to keep his total budget to just 30,000 yuan ($4,400)."A lot of the parts used in the submarine were purchased at the...

Sunday, September 20, 2009 PARIS: Angry French farmers dumped millions of liters of fresh milk next to one of France's most famous tourist sites on Friday to denounce the slumping cost of milk and an EU plan to end production quotas, which could further drive prices down.APLI, a small dairy farmer's union that organized the protest, said over 1,000 farmers and 300 tractors took part in the event, pouring 3,5 million liters (925,000 gallons) of milk onto fields next to the famed Mont Saint-Michel. The Medieval island monastery is one of the most visited sites in France and is next to the Normandy and Brittany regions, which are both big milk producers.While the European Union strongly subsidizes agriculture, milk farmers' groups say world prices have sunk so much they are having to sell their milk at about 20 euro cents per liter _or about half its production costs.The crisis has driven many EU farmers into a "milk strike," with thousands refusing to deliver milk t...

Sunday, September 20, 2009 LOS ANGELES: British actress Kate Winslet lead the pack of People magazine's 10 best-dressed women of 2009, with U.S. first lady Michelle Obama chosen for "best accessible glamour."Although the list, released Wednesday, does not have numerical ranking, Winslet, 33, who won an Oscar in February for playing a dour Nazi in "The Reader," was deemed to be the best-dressed woman on the red carpet on 2009 "with her unique brand of sexy sophistication, modern Hollywood glamour and those enviable curves."People named Reese Witherspoon as having the "best short dresses," "High School Musical" actress Vanessa Hudgens as best hippie chic, and Freida Pinto, the Indian star of Oscar-winning movie "Slumdog Millionaire," for having the best use of color.Brad Pitt, "Twilight" actor Robert Pattinson, and Bradley Cooper of "The Hangover" and "Nip/Tuck" fame were among the best-dressed...

Sunday, September 20, 2009 MEXICO CITY: Thousands of Michael Jackson's Mexican fans have won the world record for most people to dance to the song "Thriller" simultaneously in one place.Jamie Panas of Guinness World Records says that 13,597 people performed the dance routine on Aug. 29, which would have been Jackson's 51st birthday.The fans, many dressed as zombies, danced to "Thriller" in Mexico City led by a Michael Jackson impersonator in sunglasses, a sequined black jacket and white glove.The previous record was held by a group of 242 students at the College of William & Mary.Panas confirmed the new record on Friday.

Sunday, September 20, 2009 LONDON: The correspondence from the First World War hero of the Arab revolt are to his financier Robin Buxton and he writes of his love of motorbikes that was eventually to kill him. Speaking about one of his machines, he wrote: "It's a heavenly bike, goes like smoke and is as smooth as milk to ride." Buxton financed T.E. Lawrence's seminal work The Seven Pillars of Wisdom and the letters include the author asking about how he can obtain more money. Scholars and historians will be keen to view the letters as they shed new light on the publication of his opus. In the correspondence Lawrecne also mentions George Bernard Shaw, whose surname he later used when attempted to "lie fallow" in the military. The letters came from the collection of the late Sir Michael Newton, but were lost and it was assumed they had been burned on a fire along with his unwanted papers. However, when an auctioneer sorted through some books belonging to Sir ...

Monday, September 21, 2009 SRINAGAR: Residents of restive held Kashmir jammed the markets on Sunday in defiance of a rise in violence to stock up for Eid al-Fitr, the biggest Muslim festival marking the end of Ramadan.The festival to celebrate the close of the holy month will be held Monday or Tuesday, depending when the new crescent moon is sighted over the region where Islamic militants have been fighting against New Delhi's rule for 20 years.Shopkeepers set up extra kiosks to cater for the mad shopping rush.Hundreds awaited their turn outside the city's well-known confectionery shops and customers filed past with pastries and walnut cookies.Meanwhile, mosques and shrines have been spruced up for tens of thousands of worshippers.

Sunday, September 20, 2009 WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama marked the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramazan Saturday with his administration stressing the commonality between American culture and the values of Islam. "As Muslims in the United States and around the world complete the month of Ramazan and celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr, Michelle and I would like to extend our personal greetings on this joyous occasion," Obama said in a statement. "Even on this festive occasion, Muslims remember those less fortunate, including those impacted by poverty, hunger, conflict, and disease," he added. Obama highlighted Muslims' commitment to collecting and distributing charity and said his administration was "working to ensure that Muslims are able to fulfill their charitable obligations not just during Ramazan , but throughout the year." In her own message, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stressed that Eid celebrations at the White House, pioneered by her hu...

MAKKAH MUKARRAMA: Eid is being celebrated with great zeal and religious devotion, as Shawwal moon was sighted in different countries of the world including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, Palestine, Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Sudan, Japan, London, France etc.Shawwal moon sighting was announced in Europe also, while in all the countries of the continent unanimously observing Eid today. Grand Paris and Auqaf’s Turkish authorities announced the sighting of Shawwal moon. In Asian countries, Japan and Iran are also celebrating Eid with religious fervor and great enthuthsiasm. Mammoth Eid congregation was held in Tehran, the capital of Iran, where Ayatollah Khamenei led the Eid prayer, while in India Eid would be celebrated tomorrow. On the other hand, Islamic Circle of North America decided to celebrate Eid in accordance with the local tradition. Eid is being celebrated today at Makki Masjid Brooklane, New York and according to the Muslim Council of North America and...

Sunday, September 20, 2009 ::KARACHI: The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee has announced that the Shawwal moon has been sighted, therefore the faithfuls will celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr across the country on Monay. Chairman Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Mufti Munib-ur-Rehman made the announcement in which he said the zonal committees and other witnesses have reported sighting of the moon for Shawwal-ul-Mukaram 1430 Hijri. Thus, Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated across the country tomorrow (Monday), he said. The meeting was attended by Ulema and representatives of Met office. Meetings of zonal Ruet-e-Hilal Committees were held in Islamabad, Quetta, and Lahore except Peshawar. Peshawar zonal Ruet-e-Hilal Committee said for the first time in history, its members were not invited for the meeting. Earlier, the Met office said the sky is clear, so there were good chances of sighting the moon for the month of Shawwal-ul-Mukaram.