Today's Zaman, your gateway to Turkish daily news :: Weird But True

Giant baby draws spectators to hospital

AP — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 21:00:00 GMT

Indonesia's heaviest-ever newborn has drawn curious crowds to a hospital where the boy named Akbar -- or the Great in Arabic -- came into the world at a record 19.2 pounds (8.7 kilograms).

US judge to lawyer: Dress well in court

REUTERS — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 21:00:00 GMT

If you plan to show up in court, it may be best to dress up for the occasion. A federal judge in Brooklyn, New York last week threw out a complaint by a lawyer alleging a constitutional right to wear jeans and a baseball hat in a courtroom.

Festival says director Polanski detained

AP — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 21:00:00 GMT

Director Roman Polanski has been taken into custody by Swiss police on a 31-year-old US arrest warrant, organizers of the Zurich Film Festival said on Sunday.

Artwork gets onlookers asking -- will he jump?

REUTERS — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 21:00:00 GMT

A small crowd of people wonder if the smart businessman clutching a briefcase will jump off the edge of a four-storey building in central Vienna -- but he won't.

Japan's new first lady says rode in a spaceship

REUTERS — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 21:00:00 GMT

Japan's next prime minister might be nicknamed "the alien," but it's his wife who claims to have had a close encounter with another world.

Obviously it wasn't armed robbery...

REUTERS — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 21:00:00 GMT

A bank in Florida refused to cash a check for an armless man because he could not provide a thumbprint.

US attention drug emergencies soar

REUTERS — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 21:00:00 GMT

Calls to poison control centers for US teenagers who have overdosed on attention deficit drugs rose 76 percent over eight years, researchers reported on Monday.

Stolen dogs found in Peru medical school lab

REUTERS — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 21:00:00 GMT

At least two stolen dogs were found in an operating room used for dissections at the medical school of South America's oldest university, but its dean denied relying on dognappers to collect specimens for classes.

Woman sues zoo over splashing dolphins

REUTERS — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 21:00:00 GMT

A woman is suing a Chicago-area zoo for a 2008 fall near a dolphin exhibit, accusing zookeepers of encouraging the mammals to splash water and then failing to protect spectators from wet surfaces, local media reported on Thursday.

Widow sells husband's tomb above Monroe

REUTERS — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 21:00:00 GMT

An American widow is selling her husband's burial spot directly above film legend Marilyn Monroe so that she can pay off her mortgage. Elsie Poncher has put an advert on eBay to auction off the tomb in Westwood Village Memorial Park, Los Angeles.

GPS helps find 18th-century violin

AP — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 21:00:00 GMT

A musician is reunited with his 18th-century violin after he mistakenly left in a New York City cab. City taxi officials say a GPS device in the cab led to the quick return of the instrument to Korean violinist Hanh-Bin on Monday.

Man tosses cash onto LA-area freeway

AP — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 21:00:00 GMT

California authorities say a man caused a traffic jam when he threw money onto a Los Angeles-area freeway and people dashed into the lanes to grab the cash.

NYC artist compiles album of screams

AP — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 21:00:00 GMT

This new album is a scream -- and more. "Favorite Recorded Scream" is a compilation of 74 brief howls, whoops, cries and other guttural exclamations from songs by the Who, the Pixies, Slayer, Bjork and dozens of others.

Tiger escapes magic act, ends up on streets

AP — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:00:00 GMT

Police in Las Vegas say a tamed tiger that escaped from a magic act has been captured.

Spielberg hops onto remake of rabbit tale

AP — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:00:00 GMT

Steven Spielberg has a giant rabbit on his mind for his next film.