Pak News Wire

Driver: ‘It is a miracle’

Driver: ‘It is a miracle’

Kaleb Whitby's pickup truck was crushed between two semi trucks in a pileup on I-84 in Oregon. He walked away with only scratches.

Has French prison become a university of terror?

Has French prison become a university of terror?

CNN's Nic Robertson takes a look at French prisons that are becoming a breeding ground for Islamic terrorists.

Coen brothers to jointly head Cannes festival jury

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/824662/coen-brothers-to-jointly-head-cannes-festival-jury/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/824662-Coenbros-1421756234-167-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			PARIS: The Coen brothers, award-winning American directors of hits like “Fargo” and “The Big Lebowski”, will jointly head the jury at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, becoming the first pair to chair the world’s top cinema showcase. Joel and Ethan Coen will preside over the panel of filmmakers and actors judging the movies in the main competition of the festival staged in the glamourous French Riviera resort town from May 13 to 24. “We look forward to returning to Cannes this year,” the directors said in a statement. “Cannes is a festival that has been important to us since the very beginning of our career.” “Presiding over the jury is a special honour, since we have never heretofore been president of anything. We will issue further proclamations at the appropriate time.” The nearly inseparable brothers are considered two of the most innovative directors in the world and have jointly written, directed and produced a series of hits over the past three decades. The siblings are also Cannes darlings, having presented seven of their 16 features there at the festival. They picked up the festival’s top Palme d’Or prize for “Barton Fink” in 1991, its runner-up Grand Jury Prize for “Inside Llewyn Davis” in 2013, and its Best Director award for “Fargo” (1996) and “The Man Who Wasn’t There” (2001). The wry humour of the Coen brothers screenplays, their demanding production standards, and the outstanding cinematography they bring to bear on their movies have won a slew of awards in other competitions — most notably the Oscars, where their “No Country for Old Men” cleaned up in several categories including Best Picture in 2007. “The Coens incarnate a certain ‘auteur’ filmmaking that is universal and with wide appeal, full of humour and totally original in their way of looking at the world,” the director of the Cannes Film Festival, Thierry Fremaux, told AFP. Joel, 60, and Ethan, 57, take over running the Cannes jury from last year’s president Jane Campion, the New Zealand director of “The Piano”. The other members of the jury will be announced in mid-April, with the festival organisers fond of bringing in filmmakers and actors of note from different regions around the world. The Cannes Film Festival’s official selection of movies competing for the Palme d’Or top prize is also usually an eclectic list. The line-up is usually announced the month before the festival opens. If the Coen brothers’ filmography is anything to go by, judges will be looking for dark humour and offbeat characters or situations. The duo has also increasingly been attracting Hollywood stars to their own films. George Clooney has already appeared in three of their movies — “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”, “Intolerable Cruelty” and “Burn After Reading”. Steve Buscemi, John Turturro, Jeff Bridges, John Goodman and Frances McDormand, who is married to Joel, have also worked regularly with the pair. Since exploding onto the scene in 1984 with their offbeat thriller “Blood Simple”, the two have reeled off a dozen films, each notable for their distinctive quirky humour or macabre themes. The darlings of critics and film festivals, they have won more than 100 prizes together. They have been jointly nominated for 12 Academy Awards and one individual Oscar each. The siblings are known as the “two-headed director” within the movie world for their seamless ability to work alongside each other.

Coen brothers to jointly head Cannes festival jury

PARIS: The Coen brothers, award-winning American directors of hits like “Fargo” and “The Big Lebowski”, will jointly ...

3 Muslims killed after murder of Hindu

3 Muslims killed after murder of Hindu

Junaid to miss New Zealand ODIs due to injury

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/824634/junaid-to-miss-new-zealand-odis-due-to-injury/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/824634-junaidkhancopy-1421749959-658-160x120.JPG" width="160" /> 			</a> 			KARACHI: Paceman Junaid Khan has failed to recover from an injury and has been replaced by all-rounder Bilawal Bhatti in the squad that will play two ODIs and two warm-ups in New Zealand before next month’s World Cup. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said Junaid has been advised rest for at least two weeks to make a complete recovery from a hamstring injury he suffered during a conditioning camp in Lahore for the World Cup. “Junaid will not be leaving with the team on Tuesday night and Bilawal has replaced him for the two one-day internationals and two warm-up games in New Zealand prior to the World Cup,” a PCB spokesperson told Reuters. Chief selector Moin Khan had discussed the issue with PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan and if Junaid recovered from his injury he would join the team for the World Cup which begins from February 14, the spokesperson added. Pakistan will play two ODIs in New Zealand on January 31 and February 3. The 23-year-old Bilawal has played just two tests and eight one-day internationals but was overlooked for Pakistan’s final 15-member World Cup squad. Left-armer Junaid, one of the country’s most successful pacemen in recent times, made a comeback to domestic cricket late last month after remaining out of action since September with an ankle injury he sustained before the one-day series against Australia in the United Arab Emirates.

Junaid to miss New Zealand ODIs due to injury

KARACHI: Paceman Junaid Khan has failed to recover from an injury and has been replaced by all-rounder Bilawal Bhatti...

Williamson ton sees New Zealand to 2-1 series lead

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/824638/williamson-ton-sees-new-zealand-to-2-1-series-lead/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/824638-willi-1421750666-271-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			NELSON: Kane Williamson made a welcome return to the New Zealand side with an elegant century to set up a four-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the fourth one-day international Tuesday. Backed by lusty hitting from Corey Anderson and Luke Ronchi, New Zealand overtook Sri Lanka’s 276 with 11 balls to spare and move 2-1 ahead in the seven-match series. In a tense finish New Zealand needed 47 off 36 balls when the 24-year-old Williamson was removed for 103, his fifth ODI century. Anderson was run out for 47 with New Zealand needing 32 runs with 26 balls left. Up stepped Luke Ronchi to blast a rapid 32 including three sixes and Daniel Vettori hit a four as New Zealand finished with a flourish. After losing the early wickets of Brendon McCullum, Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor cheaply, an unflustered Williamson led the rescue mission, first in partnership with Grant Elliott and then with Anderson. He brought up his century with a steady accumulation of singles, only reaching the boundary seven times with six fours and a six. But having attained the milestone he was bowled by Thisara Perera and Anderson vacated the field soon after. McCullum, on whom New Zealand rely heavily to get off to a good start, failed to oblige this time with a gentle poke at a Nuwan Kulasekera delivery and was caught at mid on for just 11. Guptill failed to back up from his unbeaten 66 in the washed out third match in Auckland on Saturday as he was caught behind for 20 while Taylor went cheaply for eight as New Zealand slumped to 63-3 after 15 overs. Elliott, who scored 44, was happy to accumulate singles in a patient 88-run stand with Williamson which ensured there were wickets in hand for the final run chase. Sri Lanka’s innings was the product of finely constructed performances by their two elder statesmen Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. Between them the 37-year-olds contributed all but 106 of Sri Lanka’s 276 with Jayawardene scoring 94 off 82 deliveries and Sangakkara, who moved up to third on the list of top ODI run scorers, making 76 off 83. Sangakkara now has 13,490 runs, 214 behind Australian Ricky Ponting on a list headed by Indian great Sachin Tendulkar who amassed 18,426 runs. Tillakaratne Dilshan, who made 44 in a 102-run stand with Sangakkara for the second wicket, was the only other Sri Lankan batsman to top 20 as the New Zealand bowlers carved up the lower order. In the space of 30 deliveries, six wickets fell for just 31 runs with the Sri Lankan innings folding three balls from the scheduled end. Like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EtribuneSports">Sports on Facebook</a>, follow <a href="https://twitter.com/ETribuneSports">@ETribuneSports</a> on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.

Williamson ton sees New Zealand to 2-1 series lead

NELSON: Kane Williamson made a welcome return to the New Zealand side with an elegant century to set up a four-wicket...

ISIS: Give us $200M or we kill 2

ISIS: Give us $200M or we kill 2

The militant group ISIS has threatened to kill two Japanese citizens unless Tokyo hands over $ 200 million within 72 hours.

Don’t discount horror stories, advocates say

Don’t discount horror stories, advocates say

Advocates fighting human rights abuses in North Korea say a star defector's admission that part of his story was inaccurate should not d...

IS threatens two Japanese captives in video

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/824583/is-threatens-two-japanese-captives-in-video/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/824583-mideastcrisisusafbi-1421739180-624-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			DUBAI: The militant IS group, which holds territory in Iraq and Syria, issued a video online on Tuesday purporting to show two Japanese captives and demanding $ 200 million from the Japanese government to save their lives.  A black-clad figure with a knife, standing in a desert area along with two kneeling men wearing orange clothing, said the Japanese public had 72 hours to pressure their government to stop its “foolish” support for the US-led coalition waging a military campaign against IS. The militant, who spoke in English, demanded “200 million” without specifying a currency, but an Arabic subtitle identified it as US dollars. The video identified the men as Haruna Yukawa and Kenji Goto. Goto is a freelance reporter who was based in Tokyo. He has written books on AIDS and children in war zones from Afghanistan to Africa and reported for news broadcasters in Japan. Goto met Yukawa last year and helped him travel to Iraq in June, he told Reuters in August. Yukawa’s father, Shoichi Yukawa, declined to comment, saying he was overwhelmed by the news reports. The video was not dated, but on a visit to Cairo on January 17, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged around $ 200 million in non-military assistance for countries battling IS. Abe was in Jerusalem on Tuesday as part of a regional tour. In Tokyo, Japan’s foreign ministry said it was checking the video to see whether the footage was genuine and said that, if it was, “such a threat by taking hostages is unacceptable and we are extremely resentful.” The video resembled others distributed by IS outlets in which captives were threatened or killed. The militant, who spoke with a British accent, appeared to have the same voice as the one shown threatening captives in previous IS videos.

IS threatens two Japanese captives in video

DUBAI: The militant IS group, which holds territory in Iraq and Syria, issued a video online on Tuesday purporting to...

Britney Spears devastated after ex-lover killed by Taliban in Afghanistan

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/824609/britney-spears-devastated-after-ex-lover-killed-by-taliban-in-afghanistan/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/824609-britneyreuters-1421744348-375-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			Pop diva Britney Spears’ ex-lover, who helped her overcome her drug and alcohol habits, was killed by the Taliban in Afghanistan last week, and according to sources, Spears is devastated by the news, <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2915013/Britney-Spears-British-pilot-ex-boyfriend-coached-alcohol-fuelled-public-meltdown-shot-dead-Taliban-Afghanistan.html" target="_blank">Daily Mail </a>reported. Forty-four year old John Sundahl’s helicopter was hit with a missile when it was flying near Kabul – where he used to work. His body was sent back to the US, and he was buried in a Buddhist ceremony. “She is devastated. Britney thought he was a lovely man,” a source close to the Baby One More Time star had told the Daily Mirror. Spears herself is yet to issue a comment herself. The pair met in an unlikely place – Alcoholics Anonymous – in Los Angeles in 2007 and dated briefly as well. Their relationship didn’t last long, but they managed to retain their friendship. He had reportedly aided Spears during her darkest times, such as when she had a public meltdown and did some seriously strange things, like when she shaved her head and also smashed a car window in a bout of anger. Sundahl warned that if she didn’t stop and regain control, the alcohol would kill her. “I told her, if you fall of the wagon, I don’t think you will live,” the National Enquirer quoted him as saying, in 2007. “If you don’t want to get sober for yourself, do it for your kids,” Sundahl had reportedly said to her. It seemed as though Sundahl believed in Spears. “She truly wants to stop what she’s doing, and she has changed her life in another direction. She doesn’t get drunk every night and pass out.” It had also been reported that Sundahl and Spears rekindled their romance in 2014, even though he was in Afghanistan flying dignitaries in out of the conflict zone.

Britney Spears devastated after ex-lover killed by Taliban in Afghanistan

Pop diva Britney Spears’ ex-lover, who helped her overcome her drug and alcohol habits, was killed by the Taliban in A...

Iranianian paper banned for showing Clooney’s ‘Je suis Charlie’ pin

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/824590/iranianian-paper-banned-for-showing-clooneys-je-suis-charlie-pin/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/824590-download-1421742507-462-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA: Iran’s hardline judiciary has banned a reformist newspaper for publishing a picture of Hollywood star George Clooney wearing a “Je suis Charlie” (“I am Charlie”) button, Iranian newspapers reported on Monday. Mardom-e Emrooz (Today’s People) had come under criticism after running the image of the US actor at last week’s Golden Globes ceremony displaying his support for victims of a deadly attack two weeks ago on the Charlie Hebdo weekly in Paris. A conservative press watchdog revoked Mardom-e Emrooz’s permit only three weeks after it started publishing with a pledge to support President Hassan Rouhani in his political and social liberalisation programme, the official IRNA news agency said, citing board member Allaeddin Zohurian. Like many other Hollywood celebrities, Clooney commands wide popularity among Iranian youths, although they only get to watch his movies on pirated videos. Almost all Hollywood productions are banned in the Islamic republic as “culturally decadent”. Twelve people were killed in the January 7 shooting at the Charlie Hebdo office, carried out in retaliation for caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Thousands of protesters gathered outside the French embassy on Monday to denounce a new drawing of the Prophet published last Wednesday in the first issue of Charlie Hebdo after the shooting. The cartoon has sparked violent clashes in other Muslim countries.

Iranianian paper banned for showing Clooney’s ‘Je suis Charlie’ pin

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA: Iran’s hardline judiciary has banned a reformist newspaper for publishing a picture of Hol...

Worker dies after Fukushima fall

Worker dies after Fukushima fall

A worker at the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan has died after falling inside a water storage tank, the facility's operator sa...

China: We didn’t steal U.S. jet designs

China: We didn’t steal U.S. jet designs

China denies it stole designs for America's next generation fighter jet, calling the accusations "baseless."