Toy Story 3' Director on Oscar Nominations

Lee Unkrich was huddled in bed with his wife and 13-year-old daughter on Tuesday morning, their hearts pounding, when he received his first personal Oscar nomination.

The “Toy Story 3” director said, in his 16 years with Pixar, he’s been “lucky to be a part of a lot of great films” - many of which have been nominated.
“I’ve been so happy over the years to see buddies take home Oscars,” Unkrich said, “but there’s nothing quite like being nominated yourself.”
Just as thrilling as the film’s nomination for best animated feature film of the year, he said, is its best picture nod, making “Toy Story 3” the third ever animated feature to be nominated in the category.
“I left Ohio 25 years ago with dreams of making movies and it’s just, I have to pinch myself that I somehow, in this crazy industry, found myself here in this position,” he said.
Unkrich, who was drinking a mimosa during our chat, said he plans to continue celebrating the film’s nominations at the office with his crew and his partners.
While “Toy Story 4” isn’t in the cards, fans can look forward to a series of animated shorts - set to debut before “Cars 2” this summer - featuring the “Toy Story” crew.
“It’s a lot of fun to have ended the story of Andy and his toys in the movies, but still keep the characters alive,” he said.
The film garnered five nominations: Best animated feature film of the year, achievement in music written for motion pictures (original song), best motion picture of the year, achievement in sound editing and adapted screenplay.

Iron and Wine's 'Kiss Each Other Clean'

When Sam Beam stepped into the spotlight on Iron and Wine's 2002 debut, he was a novelty act. That acoustic guitar, that soothingly sweet tenor voice, that flowing mountain-man beard? Pop music hadn't seen anything like it since the heyday of Cat Stevens. But Beam's songs -- sincere folk churners full of backwoods beauty and subtle psychedelia -- had a weird magic all their own.
Since then, indie rock has been overrun by extravagantly bearded, achingly earnest balladeers, but Beam started running away from the pack on 2007's "The Shepherd's Dog," which juiced limpid melodies with dashes of Appalachian folk and West African rock.

LHC Blocks any Move to Hand Over US Gunman

 LAHORE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry on Tuesday blocked any move to hand over to US authorities an American government employee under investigation for double murder, and put his name on the exit control list.

The United States on Monday again called for the release of Raymond Davis, who was arrested after killing two Pakistani motorcyclists in broad daylight in Lahore, saying that he acted in legitimate self-defence.

But a lawyer petitioned the LHC under public interest laws to block any move to hand Davis over to the United States.

"I am restraining him (from being handed over to US authorities). Whether he has or does not have (diplomatic) immunity will be decided by the court," ruled CJ Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry.

"An order is issued to put his name on the ECL (exit control list). The case is adjourned for 15 days."

Representing the Pakistani government in court in Lahore, deputy attorney general Naveed Inayat Malik, asked the judge to give "time" to the Pakistani foreign ministry to determine whether Davis has diplomatic immunity or not.

Washington says Davis is a member of the US embassy's "technical administrative staff" and therefore entitled to "full criminal immunity".

"He cannot be lawfully arrested or detained in accordance with the Vienna Convention," US State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told reporters in Washington.

But the Pakistani lawyer who brought the private petition, Saeed Zafar, has argued that under international law, diplomatic immunity can be waived for the most serious crimes.

Khawaja Haris, the advocate general of Punjab -- the chief law officer in the province where Davis shot the motorcyclists -- told the court that the Vienna Convention provides immunity to diplomats "within certain limits."

"The federal government has to give a certificate on whether the man has diplomatic immunity or not and whether his diplomatic status is confirmed or not," Haris said.

"What we hear about him and his immunity is through the press only. Since he is involved in a grave crime, this issue has to be decided by the court."

But Washington is adamant that Davis is being held unlawfully and supports his version of events that he was confronted by two armed men on motorcycles.

Davis "had every reason to believe that the armed men meant him bodily harm. And minutes earlier, the two men, who had criminal records, had robbed money and valuables at gunpoint from a Pakistani citizen," said Crowley.

When asked by visiting US congressmen on Monday to free Davis, Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari said: "It would be prudent to wait for the legal course to be completed".

Oil Hits $101 a Barrel as Egypt protests Mount

NEW YORK: Oil prices smashed through $100 a barrel Monday for the first time since the 2008 economic crisis, as traders worried that unrest in Egypt could disrupt oil flows through the Suez Canal. Oil prices surged to $101 a barrel for London's main Brent North Sea crude contract, as protesters gathered for a seventh straight day amid threats of a general strike. Egypt is not a major oil producer, but is home to the vitally important Suez Canal, which carries around 2.4 million barrels of oil a day -- roughly equivalent to the daily output of Iraq or Brazil. Egyptian authorities insist the canal is still working at full capacity, but unrest has caused major shipping giants such as AP Moller-Maersk to halt operations in the country. The threat of delays have prompted some normally reticent oil industry honchos to sound the alarm. OPEC secretary-general Abdalla Salem El-Badri warned "there could be a real shortage" of crude oil passing through Suez. While stressing that the market was still well supplied, El-Badri said "if we see a real shortage, we will need to act."

Jordan King Names Maruf Bakhit as New PM: Palace

AMMAN: King Abdullah II of Jordan named Maruf Bakhit as prime minister on Tuesday with orders to carry out "true political reforms," the palace said, after weeks of opposition protests demanding change.

"King Abdullah II designated Maruf Bakhit to form a new government to replace the government of Samir Rifai," a palace statement said.

"Bakhit's mission is to take practical, quick and tangible steps to launch true political reforms, enhance Jordan's democratic drive and ensure safe and decent living for all Jordanians."

Jordan's powerful opposition said on Monday that it had started a dialogue with the state, saying that unlike the situation in Egypt, it did not seek regime change.

Opposition demands included "the resignation of the government, the amendment of the electoral law and the formation of a national salvation government headed by an elected prime minister," a member of the Islamic Action Front's executive council, Zaki Bani Rsheid, said.

Rifai formed a first government in December 2009, and reshuffled it in November 2010. Bakhit, who was born in 1947, served as prime minister from 2005 to 2007.

Egyptians Gather for Mass March to Oust Mubarak

CAIRO: Crowds gathered in central Cairo on Tuesday for a protest they hoped would swell to a million people demanding an end to the 30-year-rule of President Hosni Mubarak.

Mubarak's newly appointed vice-president, intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, began talks with opposition figures on Monday and promised reforms. The army also promised to hold its fire and declared the protesters demands legitimate.

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.