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Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Bus ambush in Pakistan kills 18 Shia Muslims


At least 18 people were killed Tuesday when gunmen opened fire on a bus in Pakistan s mountainous northern district of Kohistan. The bus was carrying passengers from Rawalpindi to the northern city of Gilgit. The motive was unclear as militants are not active in the area, police said. "Armed men hiding on both sides of the road attacked the bus," local police chief Mohammad Ilyas said. "Initial reports said 18 people have died and eight wounded," he added. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had strongly condemned the Kohistan incident. The two leaders directed the concerned authorities to ensure best medical treatment for the injured. The ambush happened near the town of Harban, 130 miles (208 kilometres) north of the capital Islamabad. Kohistan borders the Swat valley, where Pakistan in 2009 managed to put down a two-year Taliban insurgency.

New sanctions against Syria


According to sources, European Union foreign ministers on Monday approved fresh travel bans and asset freezes over the Syrian regime s opposition crackdown, while renewing a push for a United Nations resolution after Damascus rejected an Arab League suggestions. "I think the violence has gone much, much, much, much too far and every day that this agony is prolonged, it gets worse," Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said. The United Nations estimates that more than 5,000 people have been killed in clashes between government troops and protesters demanding the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad s regime since mid-March. The Arab League s foreign ministers had proposed easing the unrest by having al-Assad step down, forming an interim administration including opposition leaders and extending the mandate of an observer mission in Syria, among other things. "The Arab League plan ... seems a reasonable one, but unfortunately it has been rejected by the Syrian regime and that s regrettable," Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi di Sant Agata told reporters before meeting his EU counterparts in Brussels. The ministers then approved a new round of sanctions, which diplomats had said will target 22 people and eight entities. The individuals and companies will not be identified until the sanctions are published in the EU s official journal. The bloc has been pushing for the United Nations to condemn the violence, but has been hampered in its efforts by Russia and China. British Foreign Secretary William Hague on Monday called a resolution by the UN Security Council "long overdue." German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said: "I hope that this latest decision in the Arab League will convince some partners in the Security Council in New York ... that it is necessary to act." "As the European members of the Security Council, we think it is urgent and it is necessary that the international community will find a common and agreed language," he added.

Oscar 2012 Winners list

Best Picture
The Artist
Thomas Langmann, Producer

Actress in a Leading Role
Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady

Actor in a Leading Role
Jean Dujardin in The Artist

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Christopher Plummer in Beginners

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Octavia Spencer in The Help

Best Director
The Artist - Michel Hazanavicius

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
The Descendants - Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon and Jim Rash

Writing (Original Screenplay)
Midnight in Paris - Written by Woody Allen

Animated Feature Film
Rango - Gore Verbinski

Documentary (Feature)
Undefeated - TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas

Music (Original Score)
The Artist - Ludovic Bource

Music (Original Song)
Man or Muppet from The Muppets - Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie

Film Editing
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall

Sound Editing 
Hugo - Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty

Sound Mixing
Hugo - Tom Fleischman and John Midgley

Art Direction
Hugo - Production Design: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo

Costume Design
The Artist - Mark Bridges

Cinematography
Hugo - Robert Richardson

Visual Effects 
Hugo - Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning

Foreign Language Film
A Separation - Iran

Make-up
The Iron Lady - Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

Costume Design
The Artist - Mark Bridges

Short Film (Live Action)
The Shore Terry George and Oorlagh George

Documentary (Short Subject)
Saving Face - Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

Short Film (Animated) 
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore - William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg

England wins T-20 against Pakistan


England had given target of 130 scores to Pakistan in T-20 at Dubai Stadium here on Monday. Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal took four wickets as a disciplined Pakistan bowling attack restricted England to 129-6 in the third and final Twenty20 international. The 34-year-old finished with 4-23 -- his third four wicket haul in the shortest form of the game -- to keep Pakistan in the hunt for the series-clinching win after Stuart Broad won the toss and elected to bat. Ajmal, who destroyed England in the preceding three-Test series with 24 wickets to help Pakistan to a 3-0 rout, put the brakes on his rival s progress as he bowled with guile and penetration. Opener Kevin Pietersen top scored with 62 not out, keeping one end intact during his 52-ball knock for his seventh T20 fifty. He hit six boundaries and a six off the last ball of the innings. Ajmal provided Pakistan with the breakthrough after England raced to 29 by the fifth over, dismissing Craig Kieswetter (17) off a lofted shot at long-on where Shoaib Malik took the catch. Kieswetter had hit a four and six off paceman Umar Gul in the third over. Pakistan had Ravi Bopara caught behind off paceman Aizaz Cheema for one and Eoin Morgan run out for nine before Ajmal accounted for Jonny Bairstow (three), Jos Butler (seven) and Samit Patel (16). Pakistan won the first match by eight runs while England won the second by 38 runs -- both played in Dubai.