London, Oct 26: Critics believe that the Preventing Violent Extremism Fund, which was started last year by former Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly to prevent teenagers turning to dangerous forms of Islam, is being spent aimlessly without achieving the desired objectives.

They say that large sums of money out of the Fund are being given to projects that do not meet its specific objectives, and are being handed out to community groups without councilors considering them first.

Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) ended national team coach Geoff Lawson's contract with a three months' pay as compensation. The board’s CEO Shafqat Naghmi has also been replaced by Saleem Altaf.

Speaking to the media persons here, PCB spokesman Raza Rashid said, “Geoff Lawson has been removed as coach of Pakistan.”

The former pace bowler from Australia was hired after the former Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer was found dead during the 2007 World Cup in West Indies. Lawson’s two year contract was due to end in 2009.

Washington, Oct 25 : American voters have a heady sense of historic occasion, a phenomenon that favors Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

He would be the nation’s first Black president, and many people want to be a part of the momentum. A record turnout is expected, the Washington Times has said.

“This is indeed a historic election of epic proportions. It looms large on the Richter scale of history, so to speak,” said Bruce Buchanan, a presidential historian at the University of Texas at Austin.

“The maltreatment of African Americans has been the great stain on the American experiment and has been at the heart of our politics since the beginning,” Buchanan said.

Washington, Oct 25 : President George W Bush and first lady Laura Bush on Friday cast their votes for Republican candidate John McCain in the 2008 presidential election, filling out an early voting ballot that will be sent by mail back to Texas.

“Today the President and Mrs. Bush cast their ballots for the 2008 election during the early voting process,” said White House press secretary Dana Perino.

“The ballots will be mailed back to Texas today. They plan to be here at the White House on election night,” she said.

Melbourne, Oct 25: Electronic toys such as a lifelike dog and a walking, growling dinosaur are among top choices on the Christmas wish list for Aussie kids this year, according to a new survey.

The survey, conducted for battery company Duracell, polled 200 girls and boys between the ages of five and 10.

It found that the top choice was the lifelike Furreal Friends Biscuit, My Lovin'' Pup, which can obey six different voice commands, move its ears, blink, bark and wag its tail.

Bakugan Battle Brawlers landed the second spot while the Ultra Dinosaur, which comes to life at the touch of a button, acme third.

Gadget expert and blog editor Nick Broughall said kids’ taste in toys was changing.

New Delhi: The empowered group of ministers (eGoM) on special economic zones (SEZs) has given a clean chit to Essar's steel SEZ in Hazira and Adani's port SEZ in Mundra.

Speaking on this, a government official said, “The EGoM has taken a stand favouring the SEZs. The zones will not have to be de-notified.”

With this, the total land area for the combined SEZ has increased to more than 5,000 hectares, which is more than the present land ceiling. However, the eGoM made it very clear that the port SEZ would not be eligible for tax sops for the area falling inside the port, which is an old construction.