PML-Ns parliamentary committee to submit recommendations to Nawaz today

Fifteen-member Parliamentary committee of PML-N headed by Raja Zafarul Haq will present its recommendations to the party chief Nawaz Sharif regarding formation of new provinces.

The committee has proposed that the new provinces should be formed on administrative and population basis instead of ethnic basis.

It has been stressed in the recommendations that distribution of resources should be made certain before the formation of new provinces on administrative basis instead of dividing one or two provinces.

PML-N will decide its policy today regarding formation of new provinces in the light of committee’s recommendations.

Petroleum prices likely to go up by Rs.7 to 12/litre from April

APRIL: Amid political unrest in Arab world and Japan’s nuclear crisis, prices of petroleum products are likely to go up by Rs. 7 to Rs. 12 per litre from April 1, 2011.

Lights off as ”Earth Hour” circles the globe

PARIS: Hundreds of landmark buildings and millions of ordinary homes were switching off their lights Saturday as the annual “Earth Hour” moved around the globe in what was dubbed the world”s largest voluntary action for the environment.

Australia”s Opera House was the first of many global landmarks to go dark as the event got under way, as hundreds of millions of people prepared to follow suit to enhance awareness of energy use and climate change.

Others in their turn included Beijing”s “Bird”s Nest” stadium that hosted the 2008 Olympics, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the London Eye Ferris wheel, Times Square in New York and Brazil”s Christ the Redeemer statue.

Most were switching off their floodlighting, advertising signs and other illuminations for an hour from 8:30 pm local time.

“The amount of power that”s saved during that time is not really what it”s about,” Earth Hour co-founder and executive director Andy Ridley told in Sydney, where the movement began in 2007. “What it is meant to be about is showing what can happen when people come together.”

Ridley said a record 134 countries or territories were on board for this year”s event, which organisers have dubbed the world”s largest voluntary action for the environment.

Organisers this year also asked people to commit to an action, large or small, that they will carry through the year to help the planet. For example, Dalian city in northeastern China will spend 1.5 billion dollars planting 340 million trees and Chengdu city in the southwest will make up to 60,000 bicycles available for public rental.

The event kicked off in the Pacific, Fiji, New Zealand and Australia, rolling into Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas as it followed the descending sun.

Ridley said Earth Hour, organised by global environment group the WWF, this year would also focus on connecting people online so they could inspire each other to make commitments to help protect the environment.

In Australia, organisers said an estimated 10 million people, nearly half the population, took part, with Sydney Harbour Bridge another of the landmarks to go dark.

Hong Kong”s neon waterfront dimmed, while in Singapore all decorative lights were switched off and non-critical operational lights lowered at Changi Airport for an hour. The airport said the effort would result in energy savings equivalent to the total amount of electricity consumed by a four-room apartment over three months.

In Japan, which is reeling from a huge earthquake and tsunami that struck this month, several thousand people and a hotel-turned-evacuation centre in the northeast marked Earth Day.

In Paris a minute”s silence was to be observed for Japan as the city of light went dark, with illuminations switched off at the cathedral of Notre Dame, City Hall, the two opera houses and many bridges, fountains and public places.

Another 129 French towns and cities were also taking part in Earth Hour.

In Russia some 30 cities were joining in, from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the most easterly city on the Kamchatka peninsula, through Moscow to Murmansk in the far north. Moscow was to turn off floodlighting on more than 70 buildings and bridges, including the 540-metre (1,780-foot) television tower and the 32-storey Moscow State University building.

In Athens monuments being darkened included the Acropolis, the parliament building, the presidential palace and at the temple of Poseidon near the city.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon backed Earth Hour, urging people to celebrate the shared quest to “protect the planet and ensure human well-being”. “Let us use 60 minutes of darkness to help the world see the light,” he said.

Ridley said he never expected the Earth Hour movement to become so large. “We didn”t imagine right at the beginning… it would be on the scale that it is now. And the fact that it is so cross cultural, beyond borders and race and religion,” he said. (AFP)

‘White Collar’s’ Tiffani Thiessen: Baby-Centric and Loving It

While the “White Collar” team is busy creating episodes of their sophisticated crime dramedy, off-camera their set is becoming something of a romper room. At least, that’s the feeling one gets listening to Tiffani Thiessen, whose six-month-old daughter, Harper, is the latest addition to the tiny visitor contingent.

“There are a lot of people on our show who have kids. She’s definitely the newest one. I think they love having her energy around the set. It’s fun. I think we’re going to have a little playroom/nursery when we go back into production,” says the actress, who plays the smart wife of an FBI man (Tim DeKay) on the popular series that also stars Matt Bomer as a reformed, debonair thief. They’ll resume work in March for the show’s third season. “White Collar” returns to the USA Network schedule with part two of Season 2 on Jan. 18.

It wasn’t easy going back to work six-and-a-half weeks after giving birth, Thiessen admits. “I missed everyone, but I was not real excited about going back. It was definitely challenging. You’re kind of like a walking zombie, tired all the time. I’m nursing, so my mom would come to the set and take care of her while I was working. The show has been amazing. They gave me time whenever I had to nurse her. I’m really blessed to have had so much understanding and a lot of great help. I have to give credit where it’s due — I couldn’t have done it without help from my mom and my husband (actor Brady Smith).”

Right now, Thiessen’s attention is on Harper’s first Christmas and “all the things you’ve got to do — the cheesy photos with Santa, the Christmas tree,” she notes happily. The Smiths will spend “half our Christmas in California with my family, and half in Texas with his,” she adds.

There’s also Thiessen’s new entrepreneurial sideline: Petit Nest, the baby furnishings line, including, she says, “cribs, dressers, chairs, gliders, decorative art and things like bedding and linens.”

“When I was designing my own nursery … I realized there was not a lot out there that appealed to (my) tastes,” she says.

All of which might lead one to think the one-time “Saved by the Bell” and “Beverly Hills, 90210″ cutie has a baby-centric mindset these days. And that’s just fine with her. “She’s the light of my life,” she says of Harper. “I fall in love with her more every day.”

FAMILY TRADITIONS: Speaking of families and holidays, Andy Garcia reports it will be a big family gathering this Christmas for him and his kin. “We take our holidays very seriously. We have 30 people over for Thanksgiving every year, and celebrate Christmas with our extended family members. We have four kids,” reminds the actor, whose grown daughters, Dominik and Daniella, have already followed him into the acting realm.

Indeed, acting is quite the family affair in the Garcia clan. Speaking of 19-year-old college student Alessandra and 8-year-old son Andres, he notes, “In school, they always take story theater and that kind of thing. They’re exposed to the theater. I think that being comfortable performing in front of people is very good for their self-esteem. My oldest daughters did that from a very early age. Now they’re obviously colleagues. We’ve done two movies together,” he says, referring to his “City Island” and “The Lost City.”

He adds, “As a proud father, it’s always good to look across the dining room table and see your child there is happy and being fulfilled.”

Pope condemns ‘oppressors’ in Christmas message

VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict XVI prayed for God to punish the world’s “oppressors” and bring about “true brotherhood” between peoples in his traditional Christmas message in Saint Peter’s basilica.

“Lord make your promise come finally true. Break the rods of the oppressors. Burn the tramping boots. Let the time of the garments rolled in blood come to an end,” Benedict said at the Christmas Eve mass in the basilica.

Referring to the birth of Jesus Christ, celebrated by believers at Christmas, he added: “This child has ignited the light of goodness in men and has given them strength to overcome the tyranny of might.

“We thank you for your goodness, but we also ask you to show forth your power,” said the pope, who was speaking exactly one year after a mentally unstable Swiss-Italian woman dragged him to the ground at the same mass.

IHC becomes operational today

Islamabad High Court (IHC) would become functional on Monday (today), however, the hearing would not be resumed because so far judges have not been appointed.

In April, the government has ordered revival of the IHC in the light of the 18th Constitutional Amendment. The high court will start functioning after appointment of judges. Law Minister Babar Awan said that the chief justice and judges of the IHC would be appointed from all units of the federation. Three judges for the IHC including the Chief Justice have been nominated, however the parliamentary committee would likely to notify more judges. The SC last year declared the Islamabad High Court as illegal, saying it had been established under the Provisional Constitutional Order imposed by former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf of Nov 3, 2007. In its July 31 judgment, the apex court had struck down the order of establishment of the IHC and reverted the judicial system to the status of Nov 2, 2007. All the judges who were part of the judiciary on Nov 2, 2007, had been ordered to return to original courts. All judges who were not part of the judiciary had been ordered to cease acting as judges. The IHC employees had been ordered back to their original positions or to the federal surplus pool. The Supreme Court, under Justice Hameed Dogar, had decided in favour of the establishment of IHC. But its creation was delayed because of a stay order issued by the Lahore High Court after its establishment was challenged. The IHC was to start functioning in Feb 2008.

OGRA announces to maintain POL prices

OGRA has decided to keep the prices of petroleum products at the earlier rates.

In a press conference in Islamabad, Executive Director OGRA Saeed Jawad said that prices of petrol, HOBC, High Speed Diesel, Light Diesel and kerosene oil would not be changed. While jet fuel price has been raised from 14 paisa per liter to Rs 1.14 per liter. In the month of December, petrol would be sold at Rs 72.96/liter, HOBC at Rs 86.67/liter, High Speed Diesel at Rs 78.33/liter, light diesel oil at Rs 66.61/liter and kerosene oil would be available at Rs 70.95.

12th Digicon6 Awards: China’s ‘See Through’ wins big, India gets regional grand

Tokyo: TBS DigiCon6 announced the winners for 12th TBS DigiCon6 Awards in a grand ceremony held at Marunouchi Building Hall on November 19, 2010. The event

was indeed a historic one for Asian Animation industry where creativity and effort got recognition and appreciation at the centre stage.

Attended by the who’s who of the Asian animation industry, the Golden Digicon6 Award was won by China’s official entry See Through, made by Jokelate.

India’s Wilson Periera made by National Institute of Design’s young turk Dhaneesh Jameson, won Asian Regional Grand Prize.

China’s representative Yang Yu, who was present at the ceremony on behalf of Jokelate, commented, “I am sure this award means a lot to the creative effort

put together by Jokelate and he would be very excited to know about his victory. This award is not going to be an end to his work and efforts but will be a

motivation for him to work further in his life.”

This year TBS DigiCon6 received over 2,000 entries from Japan and other Asian
regions such as China, Hong Kong, India, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines,
Taiwan and Thailand. TBS DigiCon6 Asia jury selected the awards winners for six
categories and announced them at the ceremony. TBS DigiCon6 Japan jury selected the awards winners for nine categories and announced them, too.

An elated Dhaneesh added, “I really feel proud and honored to have won this prize and to represent the country. The film was well received at Digicon6 than

any other festivals that I have been till now. I got the biggest compliment for my film from the well known Korean director Kwak Jae-yong and I was

speechless when he said he personally got my film subtitled in Korean and watched it over 5 times!”

TBS DigiCon6 was organized in 2000 by Tokyo Broadcasting System Inc, one of major television stations, to discover and support new talent. It has been

inviting digital contents creators, both professionals and amateurs, to submit their original works in the competition, and it is widely recognized for its

achievement.

Complete list of 12th TBS DigiCon6 Awards winners:

12th TBS DigiCon6 Awards Winners
Golden DigiCon6 Award – See Through – Jokelate CHINA
Silver DigiCon6 Award – Googuri Googuri – Yoshiko Misumi JAPAN
Bronze DigiCon6 Award – Kung Fu Bunny 3 – Counterattack- Li Zhiyong CHINA

Encouragement Awards:
Fumiko’s Confession – Hiroyasu Ishida JAPAN
Temple Rider – Radio Television Hong Kong / Simage Animation & Media Ltd. HONG KONG
CONTAINED – Henry Zhuang & Harry Zhuang SINGAPORE

12th TBS DigiCon6 JAPAN Regional Awards Winners
Grand Prize – Fumiko’s Confession – Hiroyasu Ishida JAPAN

Outstanding Performance Awards:
The Light of Life – Daihei Shibata JAPAN
Googuri Googuri – Yoshiko Misumi JAPAN

Encouragement Awards:
UTOPIAN – TOKUNAGA MARIKO JAPAN
Dreamer – Naohisa Ikuta JAPAN
SUNRISE Award – Rainy Holiday – Kaneko Osamu JAPAN
Adobe Systems Award – ab-rah KOHEI YOSHINO JAPAN
Hewlett-Packard & ATI Award – Amagoi Suzuki Ippei JAPAN
Mitsubishi Estate Award – Travel of Art – YU MASHIMO JAPAN
BS-TBS Award – Sepia Clock – Gaku Kinoshita JAPAN
Hole Makino Atsushi JAPAN

Prize for Effort:
Hole – Makino Atsushi JAPAN
Tokyo Teleport – Takeda Yuta JAPAN
a song like a fish – Taijin Takeuchi JAPAN
A GUM BOY – Masaki Okuda JAPAN
flesh color – masahiko Adachi JAPAN

Asian Regional Awards Grand Prizes
CHINA: Kung Fu Bunny 3 – Counterattack – Li Zhiyong
HONGKONG: Temple Rider – Radio Television Hong Kong / Simage Animation & Media Ltd.
INDIA: WILSON PERIERA – Dhaneesh Jameson
KOREA: Tom N Jerry – CHOI JIN SUNG
MALAYSIA: Bo Boi Boy – ANIMONSTA STUDIOS SDN. BHD.
PHILIPPINES: Mutya – Nelson “Blog” A. Caliguia, Jr.
SINGAPORE: Calypso Agency – Jose Andres Velasco
TAIWAN: CREATION – Hsuan-Ying Lu
THAILAND: Impassable – NATTAPORN YIAMCHAWEE

Light rain, breeze cool Karachi

Staff Report

KARACHI: Light showers and cool breeze brought some joy on the faces of Karachiites being hit by unscheduled and prolong power outages.

The light showers and cold breeze, which continue to lash Karachi for the two consecutive days, proved to be a much-needed relief for people as they headed to the city’s beaches to enjoy the weekend.

According to a Trend Pk correspondent, families are moving to beaches in large numbers from all over the city.

Speaking to Trend Pk, a family said that they are faced with some problems due to unavailability of huts along the shore. Trend Pk

Light rain, breeze cool Karachi

Staff Report

KARACHI: Light showers and cool breeze brought some joy on the faces of Karachiites being hit by unscheduled and prolong power outages.

The light showers and cold breeze, which continue to lash Karachi for the two consecutive days, proved to be a much-needed relief for people as they headed to the city’s beaches to enjoy the weekend.

According to a Trend Pk correspondent, families are moving to beaches in large numbers from all over the city.

Speaking to Trend Pk, a family said that they are faced with some problems due to unavailability of huts along the shore. Trend Pk

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