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Sunday, March 7, 2010

Oscars going to air tonight


The glitzy 82nd annual Academy Awards ceremony would be held at Kodak Theatre tonight. "Avatar" alone has earned more than $2.4 billion worldwide, making it the highest grossing film in history. For the first time in 67 years, 10 films are vying for Best Picture honors, double the usual number. Tom Sherak, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, said 5,777 voting members represent various branches of the film industry, who would decide the fate of the winners. Co-hosts Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin (a two-time Oscar host) have been scribbling jokes, filming promos and perhaps thinking about which tux to wear. This year's presenters include both seasoned and fresh talent. "Twilight's" Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner will be making their first appearance on the telecast. Last year's Oscar winners Penelope Cruz, Sean Penn and Kate Winslet are also scheduled to present.

Ahmadinejad terms 9/11 a 'big lie'


President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad asserted that the Sept 11 attacks on US World Trade Centre and Pentagon a ‘big lie’ which was used by the US as an excuse for the war on terror. Ahmadinejad, while addressing the Intelligence Ministry staff, said “September 11 was a big lie and a pretext for the war on terror and a prelude to invading Afghanistan,” calling the attacks a “complicated intelligence scenario and act.” Ahmadinejad also questioned US claims that the death toll reached 3,000 saying that the Americans never published the names of those who died. Back in 2007, New York officials have rejected the Iran leader’s request to visit the World Trade Center during his NY visit for a UN meeting.

China says US ties ‘seriously disrupted’


The Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi has called upon the US to work together with China to put their differences behind them. China and the United States should move past recent frictions and work together to get relations back on track, Jiechi said on Sunday. Yang reiterated China's opposition to US arms sales to Taiwan and President Barack Obama's meeting last month with the Dalai Lama, saying they caused ‘serious disturbances’ in bilateral ties. "The United States should properly handle the relevant sensitive issues and work with the Chinese side to return the China-US relationship to a track of stable development," Yang said. Stressing that a harmonious relationship was vital to both sides and to the world, he added "we hope the United States will work with us in a joint effort toward this end."

Iraqis vote amid deadly attacks


Iraqis have begun voting in their second full parliamentary elections since the 2003 US-led invasion against a backdrop of deadly attacks. Around 19 million eligible voters will choose from over 6,000 candidates from 86 political groups looking to gain seats in the 325-member assembly. But even as polls opened on Sunday, attacks across the country left at least 24 people dead and 50 more wounded. The bloodiest toll was from an explosion that destroyed a residential building in the Shaab district of northern Baghdad, killing 12 people and wounding eight more. Initial reports indicated that dynamite was used to blow up the building, the interior ministry official said.

Chile mourns earthquake victims


Chile has begun three days of national mourning after an 8.8-magnitude earthquake killed hundreds of people and damaged infrastructure. Flags will be lowered across the country on Sunday as officials struggle to establish the exact number of the dead. The official toll was initially put at 802 people, but that was subsequently revised down to 452 confirmed deaths after it emerged that in some areas people who were simply missing had been listed as dead. Emergency workers, meanwhile, are still struggling to cope with problems caused by a series of strong after-shocks as well as dealing with the devastation triggered by the original quake. Around 500, 000 homes were destroyed by the earthquake and sanitary conditions for many still living on the streets have become a growing concern. "We have cases of gastroenteritis, respiratory problems, and  we've had heart problems due to fears caused by recent aftershocks," Carlos Barra, a doctor working in a health centre near Concepcion, the quake's epicentre, told the AFP news agency.