Eid Mubarak

Hazrat Abu Hurraira (Radi Allahu Anh) reported that the messenger of Allah Ta'ala, Hazrat Mohammad (Sall Allahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said,

"When the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr comes, all the angels rejoice. Allah Almighty says: "Oh My Angels! What is the reward of those laborers who have completed their task?" The angels reply that they should be fully rewarded. Allah Almighty then says:

"Be witness, I have forgiven them all."

On this festive occasion, I would like to wish you and your family a very happy, joyous and blessed Eid

Wishing all Muslims here, a joyous and prosperous Eid-ul-Fitr....

Chinese astronaut makes nation's first spacewalk

BEIJING - A Chinese astronaut has emerged from the Shenzhou 7 spaceship to perform his nation's first-ever spacewalk.

Mission commander Zhai Zhigang floated out of the orbiter module's hatch Saturday afternoon in footage shown live on state television.

Zhai said: "Greetings to all the people of the nation and all the people of the world."

Fellow astronaut Liu Boming also emerged briefly from the capsule to hand Zhai a Chinese flag that he then waved for an exterior camera. The third crew member, Jing Haipeng, monitored the ship from inside the re-entry module.

A successful spacewalk paves the way for assembling a space station from two Shenzhou orbital modules, the next major goal of China's manned spaceflight program.

Related Video

China astronuauts in final orbit

Reuters

Explosion at Pakistan Marriott hotel kills 40

By ASIF SHAHZAD, Associated Press Writer

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - A massive truck bomb devastated the heavily guarded Marriott Hotel in Pakistan's capital Saturday, killing at least 40 people and wounding at least 100. Officials feared there were dozens more dead inside the burning building.

The Marriott has been a favorite place for foreigners as well as Pakistani politicians and business people to stay and socialize in Islamabad despite repeated militant attacks.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, but Pakistan has faced a wave of militant violence in recent weeks following army-led offensives against insurgents in its border regions.

The capital has not been spared, though Saturday's blast appeared to be one of the largest ever terrorist attacks in the country.

The bomb left a vast crater, some 30 feet deep in front of the main building, where flames poured from the windows and rescuers ferried bloodied bodies from the gutted building.

Witnesses and officials said a large truck had rammed the high metal gate of the hotel at about 8 p.m., when the restaurants would have been packed with dinners, including Muslims breaking the Ramadan fast.

Senior Police official Asghar Raza Gardaizi said rescuers had counted at least 40 bodies at the scene and that he feared that there "dozens more dead inside."

Associated Press reporters saw at least nine bodies scattered at the scene. Scores of people, including foreigners, were running out — some of them stained with blood.

Witnesses spoke of a smaller blast followed by a much larger one.

A U.S. State Department official using a section of white pipe as a walking stick led three colleagues through the rubble from the charred building, one of them bleeding heavily from a wound on the side of his head.

One of the four, who identified himself only as Tony, said they had begun moving toward the rear of the Chinese restaurant after the first blast when the second one threw them against the back wall.

"Then we saw a big truck coming through the gates," he said. "After that it was just smoke and darkness."

Ambulances rushed to the area, picking their way through the charred carcasses of vehicles that had been in the street outside. Windows in buildings hundreds of yards away were shattered.

Mohammad Sultan, a hotel employee, said he was in the lobby when something exploded, he fell down and everything temporarily went dark.

"I didn't understand what it was, but it was like the world is finished," he said.

In January 2007, a security guard blocked a suicide bomber who triggered a blast just outside the Marriott, killing the guard and wounding seven other people.

In July, a suicide bombing killed at least 18 people, most of them security forces, and wounded dozens in Islamabad as supporters of the Red Mosque gathered nearby to mark the anniversary of the military siege on the militant stronghold.

In June, a suicide car bomber killed at least six people near the Danish Embassy in Islamabad. A statement attributed to al-Qaida took responsibility for that blast, believed to have targeted Denmark over the publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad.

In mid-March, a bomb explosion at an Italian restaurant killed a Turkish woman in the capital, and wounded 12 others, including four FBI officials.

___

Associated Press writers Zarar Khan, Stephen Graham and Munir Ahmad in Islamabad contributed to this report.

Explosion at Pakistan Marriott hotel kills 40

By ASIF SHAHZAD, Associated Press Writer

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - A massive truck bomb devastated the heavily guarded Marriott Hotel in Pakistan's capital Saturday, killing at least 40 people and wounding at least 100. Officials feared there were dozens more dead inside the burning building.

The Marriott has been a favorite place for foreigners as well as Pakistani politicians and business people to stay and socialize in Islamabad despite repeated militant attacks.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, but Pakistan has faced a wave of militant violence in recent weeks following army-led offensives against insurgents in its border regions.

The capital has not been spared, though Saturday's blast appeared to be one of the largest ever terrorist attacks in the country.

The bomb left a vast crater, some 30 feet deep in front of the main building, where flames poured from the windows and rescuers ferried bloodied bodies from the gutted building.

Witnesses and officials said a large truck had rammed the high metal gate of the hotel at about 8 p.m., when the restaurants would have been packed with dinners, including Muslims breaking the Ramadan fast.

Senior Police official Asghar Raza Gardaizi said rescuers had counted at least 40 bodies at the scene and that he feared that there "dozens more dead inside."

Associated Press reporters saw at least nine bodies scattered at the scene. Scores of people, including foreigners, were running out — some of them stained with blood.

Witnesses spoke of a smaller blast followed by a much larger one.

A U.S. State Department official using a section of white pipe as a walking stick led three colleagues through the rubble from the charred building, one of them bleeding heavily from a wound on the side of his head.

One of the four, who identified himself only as Tony, said they had begun moving toward the rear of the Chinese restaurant after the first blast when the second one threw them against the back wall.

"Then we saw a big truck coming through the gates," he said. "After that it was just smoke and darkness."

Ambulances rushed to the area, picking their way through the charred carcasses of vehicles that had been in the street outside. Windows in buildings hundreds of yards away were shattered.

Mohammad Sultan, a hotel employee, said he was in the lobby when something exploded, he fell down and everything temporarily went dark.

"I didn't understand what it was, but it was like the world is finished," he said.

In January 2007, a security guard blocked a suicide bomber who triggered a blast just outside the Marriott, killing the guard and wounding seven other people.

In July, a suicide bombing killed at least 18 people, most of them security forces, and wounded dozens in Islamabad as supporters of the Red Mosque gathered nearby to mark the anniversary of the military siege on the militant stronghold.

In June, a suicide car bomber killed at least six people near the Danish Embassy in Islamabad. A statement attributed to al-Qaida took responsibility for that blast, believed to have targeted Denmark over the publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad.

In mid-March, a bomb explosion at an Italian restaurant killed a Turkish woman in the capital, and wounded 12 others, including four FBI officials.

___

Associated Press writers Zarar Khan, Stephen Graham and Munir Ahmad in Islamabad contributed to this report.

Suicide Attack in Islamabad...

@ 08:00 PM PST a Suicide Blast jolted the Capital City of Pakistan Islamabad. An Explosive laden truck was involved, which blasted in front of a 5-Star hotel 'Marroit'.
50 Killed...

WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING! THESE RUTHLESS ATTACKERS CANNOT BE HUMANS, LET ALONE MUSLIMS!

May Allah have mercy on us...!

Ponting leads ODI Team of Year

Australia's captain, Ricky Ponting, has been selected to lead the ICC's World ODI Team of the Year for the second year in a row, having been named in the side for third year running.

The honorary eleven was unveiled during the ICC Awards ceremony at The Westin Hotel in Dubai, after being chosen by a specially appointed selection panel chaired by West Indian batting legend, Clive Lloyd.

The team, in batting order is:

Herschelle Gibbs (SA)
Sachin Tendulkar (Ind)
Ricky Ponting (Aus, capt)
Younis Khan (Pak)
Andrew Symonds (Aus)
Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Ind, wk)
Farveez Maharoof (SL)
Daniel Vettori (NZ)
Brett Lee (Aus)
Mitchell Johnson (Aus)
Nathan Bracken (Aus)
12th man: Salman Butt (Pak)

Six countries are represented in the 12-man line-up and two players - Ricky Ponting of Australia and India's Sachin Tendulkar - also appeared in the World ODI Team of the Year in 2007. Ponting appeared in the ODI Team of the Year for 2006 as well, while Andrew Symonds had previously been named in the 2005 team.

The presentations were made by the ICC chief match referee, Ranjan Madugalle. Clive Lloyd, the chairman of the selection panel, said he felt the chosen team was full of variation and depth, with potential match-winners in every department.

Lloyd was joined on the panel by the former Australia captain, Greg Chappell, the recently retired South Africa allrounder Shaun Pollock, the former Sri Lanka opener Sidath Wettimuny, and the former Bangladesh batsman Athar Ali Khan. Statistics were available as a guide, but were not necessarily the overwhelming factor in the choices made.

The ICC ODI Team of the Year was one of two teams selected by the ICC selection panel along with the Test line-up. There were also eight individual prizes given at this year's ICC Awards.

© Cricinfo

Smith leads Test Team of Year

Graeme Smith has been named as captain of the ICC's World Test Team of the Year, as chosen by a specially appointed independent selection panel chaired by West Indian batting legend, Clive Lloyd.

The announcement was made at the ICC Awards celebration at The Westin Hotel, Dubai, and the team, in batting order, is as follows:

Graeme Smith (SA, capt)
Virender Sehwag (Ind)
Mahela Jayawardene (SL)
Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI)
Kevin Pietersen (Eng)
Jacques Kallis (SA)
Kumar Sangakkara (SL, wk)
Brett Lee (Aus)
Ryan Sidebottom (Eng)
Dale Steyn (SA)
Muttiah Muralitharan (SL)
12th man: Stuart Clark (Aus)

Six countries are represented in the 12-man line-up and three players - Kevin Pietersen of England and the Sri Lanka pair of Kumar Sangakkara and Muttiah Muralitharan - also appeared in the World Test Team of the Year in 2007. Indeed, Sangakkara and Muralitharan featured in 2006 as well.

Lloyd, the chairman of the selection panel, said it was a very difficult task in selecting this year's Test team, but that looking at the line-up he felt it had great balance and depth.

Lloyd was joined on the panel by former Australia captain Greg Chappell, the recently retired South Africa allrounder Shaun Pollock, the former Sri Lanka opener, Sidath Wettimuny and the former Bangladesh batsman, Athar Ali Khan. Statistics were available as a guide but were not necessarily the overwhelming factor in the choices made.

The Test Team of the Year was one of two teams selected by the ICC selection panel along with the ODI line-up. There were also eight individual prizes given at this year's LG ICC Awards.

The LG ICC Awards 2008 - presented in association with FICA - are based on the 12 months between August 9, 2007 and August 12, 2008. The ICC Awards ceremony is now in its fifth year and this is the first time it has been staged in Dubai, the home of the International Cricket Council. Previous ceremonies were held in London (2004), Sydney (2005), Mumbai (2006) and Johannesburg (2007).

J.K. Rowling wins copyright claim

By LARRY NEUMEISTER, Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK - A judge says "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling has won her claim that a fan violated her copyright with his plans to publish a Potter encyclopedia.

Judge Robert Patterson said in a ruling Monday that Rowling had proven that Steven Vander Ark's "Harry Potter Lexicon" would cause her irreparable harm as a writer. Vander Ark runs the popular Harry Potter Lexicon Web site.

Link : http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080908/ap_en_ot/harry_potter_lawsuit

One More Time: Britney returns to MTV VMAs

By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY, AP Music Writer

LOS ANGELES - Another year, another attempted comeback for Britney Spears at the MTV Video Music Awards.

The rebounding pop queen is hoping to complete a do-over of sorts as she kicks off Sunday's awards ceremony, not with a performance, but with an appearance MTV Networks Music Group President Van Toffler has described as "fun and unexpected."

If she manages to pull it off, Spears — who is up for three awards, including video of the year for "Piece of Me" — will come away with the most improved award after bombing in spectacular fashion at last year's festivities in Las Vegas. Though heavily hyped as a comeback for a troubled diva in decline, Spears delivered one of the worst performances in VMA history, stumbling her way through her song "Gimme More" looking disheveled and disinterested.

But Spears comes into this year's ceremony on an upswing: The disturbing behavior that defined her last year has dissipated, she's working on a new album, and made well-received appearances on CBS' "How I Met Your Mother" earlier this year.

At least one of her fellow celebrities is rooting for her to complete the comeback this time around.

"I wanna see Britney," said actress Tori Spelling on the eve of the awards. "I think she'll be great."

Spears won't be the only act of the night looking for a second chance after a disappointing VMA experience last year. Kanye West is expected to close the two-hour ceremony; in Vegas, he had a Kanye-sized hissy fit backstage and vowed never to appear at the VMAs again after he didn't get a Moonman trophy despite being nominated several times. He also lashed out for being confined to performing at one of last year's suite parties instead of on the main stage.

Kid Rock is looking to make headlines for his music instead of his fighting. The rocker wasn't even a performer last year but became part of one of the most talked about moments of the ceremony when he got into a fight with fellow rocker Tommy Lee, also a fellow ex-husband of Pamela Anderson, in the audience. Though cameras did not capture the fight for viewers, it was the source of onstage fodder for the likes of Jamie Foxx and Diddy.

T.I. is another performer giving a noteworthy performance, since the last time he was due to perform at an awards show, he was arrested instead. T.I. was apprehended in October, shortly before the start of the BET Hip-Hop Awards, accused of trying to buy machine guns and silencers; he was sentenced earlier this year to serve about a year in prison after completing at least 1,000 hours of community service.

He is due to perform with Rihanna, who also appeared on last year's show. But the dazzling singer is hardly in need of any second chances, coming into the VMAs as one of music's hottest singers thanks to two No. 1 hits of the summer, "Take a Bow" and "Disturbia."

Other performers slated for Sunday's show include the Jonas Brothers, Lil Wayne, Christina Aguilera and Paramore and Katy Perry. Perry, who had one of the summer's biggest songs with "I Kissed a Girl," is slated to perform not only her own hit but a snippet of Madonna's "Like A Virgin" as MTV pays tribute to some of its more memorable moments as it celebrates its 25th year.

"I'm just excited to have a great seat," said the 23-year-old Perry. "I'm excited to change looks and to have fun ... I'm excited to be a part of something that I would sneak over to my friend's house and plan my whole week around."

Presenters include Olympic darling Michael Phelps and "High School Musical" stars Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale and Corbin Bleu.

The show will be held this year in Los Angeles, at Paramount Studios, where its various movie sets have the potential to be an interesting backdrop for the show and its performers. The show's host for the evening is British comedian Russell Brand.

Will the ‘Evil Dead’ Rise Again? Sam Raimi Says: ‘Yes’

Published by Larry Carroll

Sure, there are always plenty of guys in Spider-Man and Venom tights every year, practicing their acrobatics in the hallways at San Diego’s Comic-Con. But whenever A-list director Sam Raimi comes to the annual convention, one costume impresses him more than any other.

“There’s guys dressed up as Ash!” he marveled, making reference to the star character from the movies that put him on Hollywood’s radar more than twenty-five years ago. “That’s great. Wow. I’m honored that they’re still imitating Bruce’s character from the “Evil Dead” movies.”

With that in mind, we had to press Raimi on the one question every one of those die-hards would want to ask. If Sam were a betting man, would he place his money on the notion that we’ll someday see one more “Evil Dead” film?

“Yes,” he answered simply. Almost so simply, in fact, that I nearly dropped the microphone.

“For the few weirdoes that see the ‘Evil Dead’ movies - and it’s not a very big crowd if you ever look at those numbers, but they’re very dedicated,” he laughed. “I’d love to make another ‘Evil Dead’ picture.”

Raimi was in town this year showing some truly horrifying footage from “Drag Me to Hell,” a May 2009 film that many are already touting as the director’s return to those twisted movies he made out in the woods with geek god Campbell all those years ago. But what, exactly, will it take for Sam to once again blow the dust off the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis?

“If the financing ever fell in place right,” Raimi explained, making it sound like movement could be coming sooner rather than later. “But first, I’d have to work on the script with my brother [Ivan Raimi]. And that’s something I’m hoping to find the time to do.”

Link : http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2008/07/28/will-the-evil-dead-rise-again-sam-raimi-says-yes/

Bhutto's widower wins presidency

Mr Zardari is seen as pro-Western

Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, has won a sweeping victory in Pakistan's presidential election.

The election was called after Pervez Musharraf resigned rather than risk being impeached.

Mr Zardari faces severe economic problems and a rampant Islamist insurgency that are threatening Pakistan's stability.

During the voting a bomb killed at least 15 people near Peshawar city.

The president is elected by secret ballots in the national and four provincial assemblies.

Mr Zardari won 481 votes out of 702, far more than the 352 votes that would have guaranteed him victory, leaving his two rivals trailing far behind.

In Sindh province, Mr Zardari won all 65 votes. In North West Frontier Province (NWFP) he got 56 out of the 65 votes. In Balochistan province he won 59 of the 65 votes.

By contrast he only won 22 out of 65 seats in Punjab province, the heartland of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's PML-N party.

The two daughters of Mr Zardari and Ms Bhutto hugged friends in delight in the gallery of the national assembly as the results became clear. Members of Mr Zardari's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) declared the result to be a "victory for democracy".

Controversy

Mr Zardari was thrust into the centre of political power by the killing of Ms Bhutto last December after which he became head of the PPP.

WHO VOTES FOR PRESIDENT? Total votes: 702 National Assembly 342 votes Senate 100 votes Four provincial assemblies 65 votes each Winner needs simple majority of votes What Pakistanis think 'Master plan' to save Pakistan Q&A: Presidential poll Send us your comments

The BBC's Barbara Plett in Islamabad says that in recent months Mr Zardari has shown skill by forging a large coalition and using it to peacefully unseat President Musharraf.

Mr Zardari is one of Pakistan's most controversial politicians.

For years he has been hounded by allegations of massive corruption - although he has never been convicted.

Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif took his PML-N party out of the governing coalition last week, accusing Mr Zardari of breaking key promises.

Many in Pakistan fear the country is facing a return to an old-style politics of confrontation at a time when urgent action is needed to improve the economy and deal with a raging Islamist insurgency.

Juggling demands

Mr Zardari is seen as pro-Western and supportive of Washington's self-declared war on terror. He will have to juggle the demands of the United States, Pakistan's powerful army, and strong anti-American sentiment in the country.

Nawaz Sharif's coalition with Mr Zardari did not last long

Our correspondent says Mr Musharraf tried to do that and failed. She adds that Pakistanis hope that Asif Zardari will have more success, but they see little in his past to encourage them.

The fortunes of the Bhutto-Zardari family have fluctuated dramatically.

Mr Zardari spent years in prison while Gen Musharraf ruled Pakistan. Benazir Bhutto was assassinated at an election rally in December. Her father, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, was hanged during the military dictatorship of President Ziaul Haq.

A further reminder of the dangers of public life in Pakistan came on Wednesday when gunmen attacked the motorcade of the prime minister. Two bullets hit his car, although he was not in it at the time officials say.

The other candidates for the presidency were Saeeduz Zaman Siddiqui, a former judge who had the backing of Mr Sharif, and Mushahid Hussain Sayed, who was nominated by the PML-Q party that supported Mr Musharraf.

In the Islamabad parliament, members of the upper house, the Senate, were due to vote first, followed by the lower house.

Pakistan's four provincial assemblies of Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan and the NWFP had a similar schedule.

However, voting in the NWFP capital, Peshawar, was delayed when a 5.6 magnitude earthquake hit the area and neighbouring Afghanistan, prompting deputies to flee the assembly building.

The provincial assemblies are given equal weighting with 65 votes each. In the three assemblies which do not have 65 deputies, the value of each deputy's vote is adjusted by a mathematical formula.

There is only one round of voting and whoever has most of the 702 votes wins.

Link : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7600917.stm

New Orleans celeb faction quiet as Gustav sputters

By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY, AP Music Writer

When Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans three years ago, celebrities reacted with a mix of grief, outrage and generosity. All-star telethons raised millions for storm victims, Kanye West and others derided the government's response — even Sean Penn went to the region to personally assist in rescue efforts.

Many celebrities who live in or hail from the area, from John Goodman to Brett Favre, took a deep and personal interest in helping relief efforts. Ellen DeGeneres, a New Orleans native whose elderly aunt, cousins and friends had their Gulf Coast homes destroyed, taped an episode of her show dedicated to the devastation.

With Hurricane Gustav only delivering a glancing blow to the region at Category 2 strength instead of the wallop that was predicated, it was still unclear Monday what the celebrity response would be in its wake. Though Gustav was still battering the area with rain and high winds on Monday night, there was no damage or deaths on the scale of Katrina.

Jerry Lewis' annual Labor Day telethon raised a record $65 million for the Muscular Dystrophy Association — but also made a pitch for those inconvenienced by Hurricane Gustav. This year's 22-hour telethon added a special plea for MDA-registered families forced to leave their homes because of the hurricane.

Efforts to reach stars from the area, such as rapper Lil Wayne, jazz star and actor Harry Connick Jr. and jazz great Wynton Marsalis — were unsuccessful on Monday, when most offices were closed due to the Labor Day holiday.

Representatives for Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, who lived in New Orleans for about a year after Katrina struck, also did not return messages. The couple and their famously expanding brood stayed in the city while Pitt was filming "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" last and were active in raising funds and other projects to rebuild the city.

West famously chastised President Bush during a national telethon to raise funds after Katrina struck by saying, "George Bush doesn't care about black people." But on his blog today, his postings centered around new music from Lupe Fiasco and a new style of watch rather than Gustav.

Link : http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080902/ap_en_tv/gustav_celebs

Ramadan Mubarak!

Wishing all the my Muslim Fellows around the World a Prosperous and Sacred Month of Ramadan...!

Ramadan Mubarak!