Pakistan Will Rule The Cricket World?

LONDON: Pakistan have succeeded in reaching the semi-finals of the World Twenty20 Cup 2009 as they won two of the three games in the Super Eights stage. After losing to Sri Lanka, they defeated New Zealand and Ireland to book their place in the semi-finals.

Pakistan captain Younus Khan believes that Pakistan will be crowned World Twenty20 champions. He says that they now have the right mixture of experience and youth to see them through.

Pakistan were runners-up to their bitter rivals India at the 2007 World Twenty20 tournament. This time, cricket lovers cannot see them contest again for the title as Indians have been knocked out of the tournament after being defeated by the West Indies and England in their Super Eights matches.

Punjab Industries Slam Gas Rationing Schedule

LAHORE: Gas rationing in Punjab has created panic in almost all the industrial sectors of the province with pharmaceutical sector fearing shortage of essential drugs, textile entrepreneurs expressing inability to execute export orders and steel product manufacturers warn of abnormal increase in construction cost, industrialists said on Tuesday.

The Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) informed industries in Punjab that there would be no gas supplies to the textile sector for two days a week and for all other industries thrice a week. While industries in other three provinces have been insulated from sharing gas shortages due to stay orders given by their respective high courts, the entire burden of gas shortage in the country has fallen on Punjab.

Other provinces have constitutional right to first use of their natural resource under the constitution, while Punjab does not produce any gas.

Industrialists appealed the government that in the period of acute gas shortage the productive sectors should be given top priority because millions of jobs are linked to sustained production in the industries.

Atif’s Facebook Page has Highest Daily Growth

KARACHI: An unofficial but most popular Facebook blog named “All Facebook“, lists Atif Aslam’s official fan page on the top in a list of fan pages with highest daily growth.

The page now also has over a million fans which is a milestone that has never been achieved by any other Pakistani celebrity.

Atif’s Facebook management reacted in following words: We are very excited to announce that this page, the official page of Atif Aslam on Facebook has been named the “No. 1″ fan page on Facebook based on “Daily Growth”. A website that manages all the statistics of Facebook released its latest scoreboard and our page has been named the number 1 page on the entire Facebook based on daily growth.

Saudi King Expresses Support for Mubarak

 DUBAI: Saudi King Abdullah has expressed support for Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in the face of massive protests, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said on Saturday.

It said King Abdullah phoned Mubarak after days of massive anti-government protests in which demonstrators called for the Egyptian president to step down.

"No Arab or Muslim can tolerate any meddling in the security and stability of Arab and Muslim Egypt by those who infiltrated the people in the name of freedom of expression, exploiting it to inject their destructive hatred," SPA quoted King Abdullah as saying.

"As they condemn this, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its people and government declares it stands with all its resources with the government of Egypt and its people," the agency added.

Regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia is the world's largest oil exporter and the birthplace of Islam. Both Saudi Arabia and Egypt are key regional allies of the United States.

The agency said Mubarak assured the elderly king that everything was under control in Egypt.

King Abdullah is recovering from surgery in the United States after a blood clot complicated a slipped disc.

US Calls for Immediate Release of Davis

 ISLAMABAD: The United States on Saturday called for immediate release of the US citizen Raymond Davis, allegedly involved in killing of two local citizens in Lahore, saying he was being nlawfully detained by authorities, according to US embassy in Islamabad.

"When detained, the US diplomat identified himself to police as a diplomat and repeatedly requested immunity under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations," it said in a statement.

It added, "Local police and senior authorities failed to observe their legal obligation to verify his status with either the US consulate general in Lahore or the US embassy in Islamabad".

PCB Set to Retain Afridi as Skipper for World Cup

 

 KARACHI: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt, in all likelihood, will announce Shahid Afridi as the captain of the Pakistan team for the upcoming World Cup although some players are backing Misbah-ul Haq as the leader.

According to sources, Butt has decided to now stick with Afridi as captain although there is still a divided opinion about the fact that some consider Misbah to be a better choice.

The scales seemed to have heavily tilted in favour of Afridi after the dashing batsman smashed 65 off only 25 deliveries during Pakistan's series levelling win against New Zealand on Saturday.

"Butt has come to the conclusion after discussing the captaincy issue with the team management and others that it would be unwise to change the captain at such a stage and since Afridi has been the ODI captain since late 2009," a source indicated.

He said the board would most likely end the captaincy debate by announcing the captain in next 24 hours.

There was plenty of debate in the cricketing circles after the PCB announced the World Cup squad of 15 players last month but did not name the captain.

Many former players consider Afridi to be too temperamental to be given the responsibility of captaining in the World Cup and others warning against changing the captain at such a late stage.

Former Pakistan captain, Shoaib Malik has also added his voice to the captaincy debate supporting Afridi.

"I don't think it is a good move to change the captain now. Since Afridi has been leading the team for the last year, it makes no sense to change him now," Malik said. "Changing captains frequently has already damaged the team in the past."

Farzana Becomes Faizan After Surgery

RAHIMYAR KHAN: In what has come as a startling story, Farzana, a female aged 18, turned into a male after undergoing a surgery and became Faizan Ali, Geo News reported Monday.

According to details, 18-year old Farzana who is a student of Zahir Pir Madressa, got sick and taken to Shaikh Zaid Hospital where she underwent a minor operation. Later, she had some medical tests done on her which showed positive signs of gender change from female to male.Farzana is now on her way to become Faizan Ali after a final surgery to be carried out on Tuesday.Munir Ahmed, the father of Faizan Ali, earlier had two daughters and three sons. He is now happy to have become father of four sons after one of his two daughters became a male.

A complete list of the 17th Annual Screen Actors Guild winners and nominations:
Best Feature Film Ensemble:
"Black Swan"
"The Fighter"
"The Kids Are All Right"
"The King's Speech" -- WINNER!
"The Social Network"
Lead Actor
Jeff Bridges, "True Grit"
Robert Duvall, "Get Low"
Jesse Eisenberg, "The Social Network"
Colin Firth, "The King's Speech" -- WINNER!
James Franco, "127 Hours"
Lead Actress
Annette Bening, "The Kids Are All Right"
Nicole Kidman, "Rabbit Hole"
Jennifer Lawrence, "Winter's Bone"
Natalie Portman, "Black Swan" -- WINNER!
Supoprting Actor
Christian Bale, "The Fighter" -- WINNER!
John Hawkes, "Winter's Bone"
Jeremy Renner, "The Town"
Mark Ruffalo, "The Kids Are All Right"
Geoffrey Rush, "The King's Speech"
Actress, TV Movie or Miniseries
Claire Danes, "Temple Grandin" -- WINNER!
Catherine O'Hara, "Temple Grandin"
Julia Ormond, "Temple Grandin"
Winona Ryder, "When Love is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story"
Susan Sarandon, "You Don't Know Jack"
Actor, TV Movie or Miniseries
John Goodman, "You Don't Know Jack"
Al Pacino, "You Don't Know Jack" -- WINNER!
Dennis Quaid, "The Special Relationship"
Edgar Ramirez, "Carlos"
Patrick Stewart, "Macbeth (Great Performances)"
Comedy Series Ensemble
"30 Rock," NBC
"Glee," FOX
"Hot in Cleveland," TV Land
"Modern Family," ABC -- WINNER!
"The Office," NBC
Actress, Comedy Series
Edie Falco, "Nurse Jackie"
Tina Fey, "30 Rock"
Jane Lynch, "Glee"
Sofia Vergara, "Modern Family"
Betty White, "Hot in Cleveland" -- WINNER!
Actor, Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock" -- WINNER!
Ty Burell, "Modern Family"
Steve Carell, "The Office"
Chris Colfer, "Glee"
Ed O'Neill, "Modern Family"
Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, "The Fighter"
Helena Bonham Carter, "The King's Speech"
Mila Kunis, "Black Swan"
Melissa Leo, "The Fighter" -- WINNER!
Hailee Steinfeld, "True Grit"
Drama Series Ensemble
"Boardwalk Empire," HBO -- WINNER!
"The Closer, "TNT
"Dexter," Showtime
"The Good Wife," CBS
"Mad Men," AMC
Actress, Drama Series
Glenn Close, "Damages"
Mariska Hargitay, "Law & Order: SVU"
Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife" -- WINNER!
Elisabeth Moss, "Mad Men"
Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer"
Actor, Drama Series
Steve Buscemi, "Boardwalk Empire" -- WINNER!
Bryan Cranston, "Breaking Bad"
Michael C. Hall, "Dexter"
Jon Hamm, "Mad Men"
Hugh Laurie, "House"

Read more: http://extratv.warnerbros.com/2011/01/2011_sag_award_winners_list.php#ixzz1CclDTBau

Kim Kardashian Silver Paint on W Magazine

 

This is an old picture of Kim Kardashian in silver paint as she posed for W Magazine cover.

Woods Trails Leader Haas by Five Shots at Torrey Pines

Tiger Woods carded a second straight 69 at the Farmers Insurance Open on Friday to leave the former world number one five shots behind leader Bill Haas.
Woods, a 14-time major winner, is six-under par for the tournament in California after three bogeys on the final nine holes tarnished his score.
The 35-year-old, who is making his seasonal debut at Torrey Pines, where he has won seven times, was still satisfied with his form.
"It's a round that could have easily slipped away, but I got it back at 16 and 18," Woods told the PGA Tour's website.

Jane Espenson: Writer, Sci-fi Thriller, One Nerdy Lady

If Jane Espenson were to write a personal profile for an online dating service, it might read something like this:
Motivated, creative woman who is not afraid to confront complicated issues ranging from imagining ways to kill off threatening vampires to interspecies sexual encounters (hey, I don't judge!) seeking like-minded mate who won't mind sharing me with my other passion, writing.
Old enough to remember "Barney Miller" but young enough to be responsible for identifying a fault with a warp drive that was slowly tearing the time-space continuum, heralding the development a new generation warp drive. Food enthusiast and forward thinker.
It's probably not the kind of ad many of her Midwestern childhood friends would identify with, but it's just the kind of credentials that attract suitors in the world of thrilling television series, where executives need to keep the creative flow of ideas coming in order to feed the demand. Jane Espenson is up to it and then some.

Football in Fracture

 

Sudan is set to split in two but what about its national team? As the independence vote is tallied, the head of Sudan's Football Association talks about what secession will mean for the country's football legacy.

Microcredit Meltdown

 

Indian women in rural areas have used microfinance schemes to get small, cheap loans to develop businesses. Assignment investigates the crisis in the industry and the impact on these women. 

Every Morning, From Monday to Friday, World Update Provides a Comprehensive Briefing on the Stories That are Making the News.

Presented by Dan Damon, the programme speaks to the people at the centre of events to hear first hand accounts, gets detailed analysis from experts and showcases the extensive network of BBC correspondents around the world.
As a programme, we have a particular focus on business and technology stories, making sense of trends in the global markets, and sorting the wheat from the chaff in the digital age.
Broadcasting to over 200 FM stations across the USA, as well as key audiences in East Africa and the Middle East, World Update brings you the stories and people that are setting the agenda around the world.

Is Kevjumba a Heterosexual Bear Wrestler?

Are you wondering why the world is searching for the term “Is Kevjumba a heterosexual bear wrestler” ?
The answer is very simple – internet sensation and former reality star Kev is the man who asked his millions of followers to search for “Is Kevjumba a heterosexual bear wrestler” late on Thursday evening.

Google Offers

Google is preparing to launch Google Offers, the search giant's Groupon competitor, Mashable has learned. We have the documents to prove it.
One of our sources has sent us a confidential fact sheet straight from the Googleplex about the company's new group buying service. "Google Offers is a new product to help potential customers and clientele find great deals in their area through a daily email," the fact sheet says.

Julia Goerges Bikini

Julia Goerges was born in 2nd November 1988 in Bad Oldesloe, Germany she is a right handed tennis player and her height is five feet eleven inches tall. Goerges turned professional in 2005.

Obama Tucson Speech

Per sources, the president worked throughout the night on the speech. Its goal will be to administer to those mourning, honor those impacted by the shootings – including the victims, the heroes, and all those grieving in Tucson and beyond. Another goal will be to lift the nation up in this moment, not sully it with politics, thus shrinking what this moment stands for.

Most recent guidance is the speech will run between 10-15 minutes.

Three branches of the federal government will travel with President Obama on Air Force One to Tucson today:  Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, who was Arizona’s governor,  Attorney General Eric Holder, Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, and from the legislative branch Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., along with the Republican members of Arizona’s US House delegation: Reps. Paul Gosar, Jeff Flake, Trent Franks, Ben Quayle, and Dave Schweikert.

Who Is Cory Hardrict, Tia Mowry’s Husband & Soon-To-Be Dad? His Bio & Pictures!

 

So who is Cory Hardrict, the actor husband of Tia Mowry and soon-to-be dad? Chances are you don’t recognize the name, but you might recognize the face – he’s been on everything from “ER” to “Angel” to “Any Day Now, and he even guested on Mowry’s show, “The Game,” when it aired on the CW. Here’s what we know about Cory Hardrict:
–He is 31 years old.
–His first film was “Never Been Kissed” (the forgettable 1999 Drew Barrymore movie that did introduce us to a pre-”Alias” Michael Vartan).
–He and Mowry married in 2008.
–He played Brandy’s love interest in the video “Right Here.”
–He’s going to be a reality star – Tia’s pregnancy will be recorded by the Style Network.
Congrats to the couple and aunt-to-be Tamera Mowry! Wonder if it will be twins?

long Island School Closings

The East Coast is preparing for another snowstorm hammering — New York is anticipated to receive 14 inches of snow and other areas could receive as much as 18 inches.

School Closings: New York City

Understanding the effectiveness of a school closure in limiting social interaction and the economic impact of school closure on households is critical when developing guidelines to prevent spread of pandemic influenza. A New York City survey conducted in June 2009 in 554 households affected by the 2009 pandemic influenza H1N1–related school closures showed that, during closure, 30% of students visited at least 1 locale outside their homes. If all the adults in the home were employed, an ill child was less likely to leave home. In 17% of the households, at least 1 adult missed some work because of the closure. If all adults in the home were employed, someone was more likely to take time off work. If other children were in the household, it was less likely that an adult took time off work. The findings of our study will be important when developing future pandemic school-closure guidance.

New transit facility to open in Ardenwood

Good news for any park and ride users out there who cross the Dumbarton Bridge.  The new park and ride facility will more than triple parking spaces, include real time arrival and departure info, bike lockers and more.

Michael Dyer Wins BCS Championship Game MVP, Caps Performance With Game-Clinching Run

Auburn running back Michael Dyer finished off an outstanding freshman season the best way possible: beating Oregon to win a BCS National Championship and taking home the game’s offensive MVP award. On a night when quarterback Cam Newton didn’t carry the Tigers’ offense as he normally does, the team turned to Dyer, who rushed for 143 yards on 22 carries (6.5 yards per rush).
The biggest carry of those 22 came with time running out in the fourth quarter. Auburn and Oregon were tied at 19, when the Tigers had one last drive to get into field goal position and potentially win the championship. After a 15 yard pass play, Auburn handed off to Dyer, who did this:

Pon Farr on Dilbert Cartoon

A Dilbert cartoon (dilbert.com) resurrected the memories of the Pon Farr again. Pon Farr is a fictional Star Trek universe. It is a psychophysical condition affecting Vulcans, in which Vulcan males and females go into heat every seven years, going into a blood fever, becoming violent, and finally dying if they do not mate with someone with whom they are empathically bonded. Vulcans also mate outside of Pon Farr, and with species other than Vulcan. Read More...

Jade Duell

Let's hope Owen Wilson studied well for his role in Little Fockers - because the actor is about to be a father!
In a terse statement, the actor's rep says he and girlfriend "Jade Duell are happy to be expecting a baby." The couple has been together for about one year.
Wilson, who famously dated Kate Hudson for a long period of time, has a packed 2011 movie schedule. He has parts in Cars 2, Hall Pass, and Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris.

KSDK School Closings

Due to the impact of winter weather on travel today (January 11, 2011) and tomorrow, the Wake County Public Schools has rescheduled the public hearings on the 2011-12 student assignment proposal that were scheduled for last night and tonight.
The public hearing at Cary High has been postponed until Monday, Jan. 24 and the public hearing at Millbrook Magnet High has been postponed until Wednesday, Jan. 12. The meetings will begin at 6 p.m.
Also, Wake County Public Schools will be closed today, Tuesday, Jan, 11. Parents are encouraged to monitor the Website (wcpss.net) and local newscasts to keep abreast of the situation.