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.