Mona Lisa unveiled largest than ever

Updated at: 1704 PST, Thursday, October 29, 2009
LONDON: The world record-breaking attempt to produce the largest ever reproduction of the Mona Lisa went on display at Eagles Meadow shopping centre in Wrexham, Wales on Wednesday 28th October.

Members from the entire community have come together to create their own version of the famous Leonardo da Vinci painting that covers a massive 240 square metres: that’s the size of 24 double-decker buses! Hundreds of people were involved, including school children from Victoria Primary School and members of the Haulfan Centre, which offers a wide range of activities for people with disabilities, have given hours of their time to help artist Katy Webster complete the mammoth task.

The work will be on show at Eagles Meadow for one day only. Shoppers will not only have the chance to scrutinise every detail of Mona Lisa’s famous expression up close, but will also be able to touch the giant piece, made up of 82 different vinyl squares.

Hope House, a charity that provides for terminally ill children through specialist care, family support and fundraising events, will be benefiting from this labour of love, with those donating to the charity able to own their own small piece of record-breaking history. This is a great cause; with the money raised going straight back into the local community to improve the lives of both patients and their families at Hope House, which Holly Willoughby is patron of.

Eagles Meadow Manager Kevin Critchley came up with the idea to involve community groups in an exciting art project. “Our Mona Lisa has a lot of advantages over the original. It’s a lot bigger so she is much easier to see, admirers will not have to queue to make her acquaintance, there isn’t any entry charge to Eagles Meadow, and unlike the version in Paris you will be able to touch her!”

Nawaz for Pakistan’s help in terror war

Updated at: 1809 PST, Thursday, October 29, 2009
LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-N Chief Nawaz Sharif, during his meeting with visiting US secretary of state Hillary Clinton here on Thursday, urged the US to redress reservations of Pakistani people, as well as political parties and other sections of society.

Nawaz Sharif said Pakistan is in a state of war, so the entire world including the US should come forward in extending financial assistance.

During views were exchanged on matters including the country’s situation, the ongoing war on terror and Kerry-Lugar Bill.

The PML-N Chief said Pakistan nation has legitimate reservations on KL Bill. “Pakistan holds sovereignty and integrity as its dearest assets,” he added.

Hillary Clinton on the occasion said the US wants elimination of terrorism and in order achieve this goal it will extend all out support to Pakistan.

She said peace in South Asia is essential for the entire world.

US Special Envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke, US ambassador Anne W. Patterson, Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif and Ishaq Dar were present on the occasion.

US economy is growing once again

The US economy grew at an annual pace of 3.5% between July and September, its first expansion in more than a year, official data has shown.
Analysts say the growth was helped by the "cash for clunkers" car scrappage scheme, and the fear is growth will now fall after this ended in August.
The US economy was also lifted by President Obama's $787bn (£480bn) economic stimulus plan.
But with unemployment still high, the ongoing recovery is set to be slow.
Global good news
The economic growth between July and September indicates that the US has likely exited a recession that first started in December 2007.
However, the official confirmation still has to come from the National Bureau of Economic Research, the agency which considers a number of factors in coming to its decision.
The US economy last expanded in the second quarter of 2008, when it grew 2.4%.
BBC chief economics correspondent Hugh Pym said the 3.5% annualised growth rate was more than the 3.3% expected by most commentators.
"The sheer scale of the stimulus in the US has made a big difference, it was much bigger in percentage terms than that in the UK," he said.
"That the US, the powerhouse of the world economy is growing once again, is good news for the global economy has a whole."
Numerous boosts
The figures from the Commerce Department showed that a number of factors helped to lift the economy during the third quarter.
Spending on durable manufactured products soared at an annualised rate of 22.3%, the highest quarterly amount since 2001, led primarily by the impact of the cash for clunkers scheme lifting car sales.
The housing market also improved, with spending on housing products up 23.4%, its largest quarterly jump in 23 years.
Analysts said this big leap was sparked by the government's $8,000 tax credit for first-time house buyers.
Meanwhile, total government spending was up 7.9%, as the wider stimulus spending continued to take effect.
In addition, exports were also up strongly, increasing 21.4%, the biggest rise since 1996.
"It's good to have the economy growing again," said Brian Bethune, economist at IHS Global Insight.
"But we don't think that rate of growth is sustainable because it is distorted by all the government stimulus.
"The challenge here is to get organic growth - growth that isn't helped by fiscal steroids."
Analysts cautious about the slow nature of the US economic recovery point to the fact that the unemployment rate currently stands at 9.8%, and that the labour market traditionally lags behind any wider economic recovery.
They also highlight the fact that the big car firms have already reported a sharp fall in September sales following the conclusion of the popular $3bn cash for clunkers scheme at the end of August.
"You can say that the recession is over, but it sure won't feel like that," said Dean Baker, co-director of the Centre for Economic Policy Research.
"There is a lot of downward momentum that isn't going to go."