MANILA (Reuters) - For Vida Samadzai, it has been a long journey from underneath an all-encompassing burka in Afghanistan (news - web sites) to baring nearly all by a Manila swimming pool in a red bikini.

The first Afghan entrant in an international beauty contest for 30 years, and the first since the fall of the hardline Islamic Taliban government in 2001, joined more than 50 other women at a posh hotel in the Philippine capital this week to fight it out for the Miss Earth title.

The dark-haired Samadzai, 25, was born and raised in Afghanistan, but left for the United States in 1996 to escape the turmoil of civil war and the rise of the Taliban religious movement.


"I would like to make people aware that as Afghan women we are talented, intelligent and beautiful," Vida, posing in a revealing swimsuit, told Reuters.


"We are one of the people who can make a difference in this world."


The Taliban won notoriety for banning women from appearing in public without the burka, but such practices were not uncommon in the conservative country even before the religious zealots swept to power in the late 1990s.


Many Afghan women still wear the garment.


The only other Miss Afghanistan was Zohra Daoud, who joined the Miss Universe (news - web sites) contest in 1972.


Whether she ends up with the winner's tiara or not, Vida plans to take her message of female liberation back to Afghanistan later this year, hoping to raise money for womens' schools.

ELVIS CAB DRIVERS!!!!

Associated Press

Seattle-

The City Council voted Monday to approve legislation that would allow drivers to sport rhinestone capes, blue suede shoes or whatever other appropriate costume they wish.


"Uh, a-thank you verrah much," cabbie Dave Groh, an Elvis Presley impersonator, said after the vote.


It was Groh's case that prompted the change to the city's 1997 taxi dress code. Adopting an Elvis look after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in hopes of bringing some levity to the city, Groh pleased many passengers, but drew the ire of taxi inspectors. He was fined $60 last spring for not wearing the required black pants and a crisp shirt.


After losing an appeal of the fine, the 37-year-old cabbie filed a lawsuit, which he has now agreed to drop.


Under the new law, any driver choosing to wear a costume must pick a "readily identifiable and generally well-known public figure, personality or fictional character."


Outfits can't include masks, can't depict police officers or firefighters, and can't be skimpy. They also have to be approved by the cab association for which the driver works, and drivers have to post photos of themselves inside their cabs in and out of costume.


The legislation will take effect unless Mayor Greg Nickels vetoes it; his spokeswoman was not immediately able to say what he planned to do.


Groh, who has been driving since 1999, said he doesn't worry about whether the change in the law will result in competition and that he wouldn't be surprised to see some cab drivers dressed as Santa Claus in the coming weeks.


"That would be wonderful," Groh said. "It's all about having fun."

 :twisted: