Public praised over Pakistan appeal

The head of an aid appeal for flood-stricken Pakistan praised the "extraordinary" generosity of the British public after donations topped £40 million. Disasters Emergency Committee chief executive Brendan Gormley said the response was "unprecedented" after week-on-week donations soared by more than 70%. More than £19.3 million was raised over the past week after £11.2 million was raised last week and £9.5 million was raised after the appeal was first broadcast on August 5. The Disasters Emergency Committee said it had never seen such a pattern of giving in its 45-year history. Mr Gormley said: "This response really is unprecedented. Giving to all our appeals, including Haiti and the 2004 tsunami, saw huge initial donations decline steeply after the first week. We have never seen anything like this pattern of giving before. "This belies all talk of donor fatigue. Growing awareness of the sheer scale of the disaster has seen the public continue to respond to the needs of people who are in dire need of help. Their generosity has been astounding. "Sadly, for many who have yet to be reached, the situation is still at crisis point. Aid agencies are on the ground doing all they can to reach people, but support is needed for that work to continue. We cannot over-emphasise the need for more donations and the public's ongoing support if we are to continue saving lives." The Pakistan floods have so far claimed more than 1,500 lives and have directly affected more than 17 million people, the appeal said.

Mars close to earth in August 27th 2010

An email which spread in the August 27^th 2003 is still in effect. The same was message is circulating every year when the August 27^th approach. It happens again this year too. Many people believe that tonight the mars will come closest to the earth and look like another moon. So mars close to earth become very popular term among people. Scientist too believes that this August Mars is coming closer to the earth like never before but it’s not going to be such big as moon. The mars going to be another moon tonight is a hoax which is spreading like wildfire among people. Tonight will decide how far a mar is close to the earth.

Muslim taxi driver's throat cut in New York 'hate crime'

A New York student has been accused of attempted murder after allegedly asking a Bangladeshi taxi driver whether he was a Muslim, shouting "peace be upon you" in Arabic and then slashing his throat. The attack, branded a hate crime by prosecutors, came amid heightened tensions in Manhattan, where opinion has been divided on whether a Muslim community centre, including a mosque, should be built two blocks from the Ground Zero site of the September 11 attacks. Michael Enright, 21, was a volunteer for Intersections International, a group that promotes inter-faith dialogue and has supported plans for the Muslim centre. Police said he was drunk at the time of the attack and had several previous brushes with the law in alcohol-related incidents.