NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen said on Monday she was leaving India because of failing health after being forced to live in a secret hideaway without any visitors for nearly four months.
Violent protests by Muslim groups in November forced Indian authorities to spirit away the controversial writer from her home in the eastern city of Kolkata, where she lived for four years.
After moving her around for a while, authorities placed her in an undisclosed "safe house" in New Delhi, where she has remained isolated with a mobile phone, a laptop computer and a television set, but no visitors are allowed.
"I have not been able to see a good cardiologist for the last few months, and I have a serious heart problem," Nasreen, 45, told Reuters by phone. "I also cannot see properly and need medical attention immediately."
Nasreen fled Bangladesh in 1994 when a court said she had "deliberately and maliciously" hurt Muslim religious feelings with her Bengali-language novel "Lajja," or "Shame," in which she argued the Hindu minority in Bangladesh was poorly treated.
Last month, she was rushed to a hospital in New Delhi after her blood pressure plummeted from an overdose of medicines to control high blood pressure.
"I always had hypertension and now it is getting worse locked up in this place," she said.
Despite the protests by Muslim groups, Indian authorities have extended her visa regularly, but not allowed her to leave the house, guarded round-the-clock by police.
Nasreen has repeatedly appealed for freedom.
"I cannot live like this. I have to get out of here and save my life now," she said, barely able to speak. "I will either go to France or Germany."
Nasreen, was conferred the Prix Simone de Beauvoir by the French government for her feminist writings, but was not allowed by the Indian government to receive it from visiting French President Nicolas Sarkozy in January.
"Once I feel better, I want to come back to India and return to Kolkata and live there," she added. Authorities in West Bengal state, of which Kolkata is the capital, do not want her back to avoid trouble.
Leading Indian intellectuals, including Booker prize-winner Arundhati Roy, have criticized Indias officially secular government for not doing more for Nasreen and in particular the communist leaders of West Bengal for not allowing her back.
The European Parliament awarded her the Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought in 1994. She lived in Europe before settling down in Kolkata.
Reuters/Nielsen
Selasa, 25 Maret 2008
Barbara Walters and Israeli film get gay media awards (Reuters)
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Television journalist Barbara Walters was honored by the gay media watchdog group GLAAD on Monday for her reporting on transgender children and she said the award was among the most important she had even received.
"You can forget all the Emmys," Walters said in accepting the award for television newsmagazine journalism at the 19th annual Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Media Awards. "This means more to me."
The veteran television personality won for the story "My Secret Self: A Story of Transgender Children," which aired on ABCs "20/20" and examined the lives and struggles of young children who experienced conflicted gender identity, feeling their true sex was the opposite of their physical one.
The award for outstanding film in limited release went to the Hebrew- and Arabic-language film "The Bubble," distributed by Strand Releasing, about a love affair between and Israeli soldier and a Palestinian man. First Run Features "For the Bible Tells Me So" was named outstanding documentary.
Honorary awards went to Judy Shepard, the mother of slain gay college student Matthew Shepard, who became an activist for gay and lesbian rights after her sons brutal murder a decade ago, and to MTV executive Brian Graden, who won the Vito Russo Award, named for the late gay activist and film historian.
BET J, an offshoot of Black Entertainment Television, was also honored, while "60 Minutes" shared the TV newsmagazine award with Walters for "Dont Ask, Dont Tell," about the U.S. militarys policy on gay and lesbian service members.
The awards were hosted by British talk show host Graham Norton, with guest presenters including Mariska Hargitay, Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick, "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson award-winning actor Alan Cumming.
Other honorees for coverage of gay and lesbian issues included The New York Times, magazine GQ, CNN.com and the TV show "Boston Legal."
GLAAD was founded more than 20 years ago to foster positive images of the lives of gay people in the wake of sensational media reporting on AIDS and other topics. Awards will also be presented in south Florida in Los Angeles.
(Reporting by Chris Michaud; Editing by Doina Chiacu)
"You can forget all the Emmys," Walters said in accepting the award for television newsmagazine journalism at the 19th annual Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Media Awards. "This means more to me."
The veteran television personality won for the story "My Secret Self: A Story of Transgender Children," which aired on ABCs "20/20" and examined the lives and struggles of young children who experienced conflicted gender identity, feeling their true sex was the opposite of their physical one.
The award for outstanding film in limited release went to the Hebrew- and Arabic-language film "The Bubble," distributed by Strand Releasing, about a love affair between and Israeli soldier and a Palestinian man. First Run Features "For the Bible Tells Me So" was named outstanding documentary.
Honorary awards went to Judy Shepard, the mother of slain gay college student Matthew Shepard, who became an activist for gay and lesbian rights after her sons brutal murder a decade ago, and to MTV executive Brian Graden, who won the Vito Russo Award, named for the late gay activist and film historian.
BET J, an offshoot of Black Entertainment Television, was also honored, while "60 Minutes" shared the TV newsmagazine award with Walters for "Dont Ask, Dont Tell," about the U.S. militarys policy on gay and lesbian service members.
The awards were hosted by British talk show host Graham Norton, with guest presenters including Mariska Hargitay, Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick, "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson award-winning actor Alan Cumming.
Other honorees for coverage of gay and lesbian issues included The New York Times, magazine GQ, CNN.com and the TV show "Boston Legal."
GLAAD was founded more than 20 years ago to foster positive images of the lives of gay people in the wake of sensational media reporting on AIDS and other topics. Awards will also be presented in south Florida in Los Angeles.
(Reporting by Chris Michaud; Editing by Doina Chiacu)
Disney to make animated films in Japan, paper says (Reuters)
TOKYO (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co plans to make animated films in Japan to cater to Asian tastes, as it moves core production outside the United States for the first time, a business daily reported on Thursday.
Disney would team up with Toei Animation and other Japanese studios to tap talent and computer graphics technology, the Nikkei newspaper said.
A short animated film about a robot had already been made with Toei and was due to be aired in May, with two other projects in the works, the paper said.
While Disney sought partners it did not plan acquisitions at this point, it added.
(Reporting by Edwina Gibbs; Editing by Rodney Joyce)
Disney would team up with Toei Animation and other Japanese studios to tap talent and computer graphics technology, the Nikkei newspaper said.
A short animated film about a robot had already been made with Toei and was due to be aired in May, with two other projects in the works, the paper said.
While Disney sought partners it did not plan acquisitions at this point, it added.
(Reporting by Edwina Gibbs; Editing by Rodney Joyce)
Lauper, O'Donnell headline `True Colors' (AP)
NEW YORK - Cyndi Lauper will take her "True Colors" tour back on the road this summer.
Lauper, whose tour last year promoted gay rights, will open the second go-round in Boston on May 31 alongside fellow headliners Rosie O'Donnell and the B-52s, it was announced Wednesday.
Carson Kressley ("Queer Eye for the Straight Guy") will host the 24-city event, which winds down in Morrison, Colo., on July 5.
"The tour is a nonstop five-hour music party with a message," Lauper, 54, said. "This year, the party only gets bigger and our message to the fans is to get out and vote in November."
Guest artists such as Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Regina Spektor, the Indigo Girls and Wanda Sykes will perform at various cities throughout the tour.
___
On the Net:
http://www.truecolorstour.com/
Lauper, whose tour last year promoted gay rights, will open the second go-round in Boston on May 31 alongside fellow headliners Rosie O'Donnell and the B-52s, it was announced Wednesday.
Carson Kressley ("Queer Eye for the Straight Guy") will host the 24-city event, which winds down in Morrison, Colo., on July 5.
"The tour is a nonstop five-hour music party with a message," Lauper, 54, said. "This year, the party only gets bigger and our message to the fans is to get out and vote in November."
Guest artists such as Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Regina Spektor, the Indigo Girls and Wanda Sykes will perform at various cities throughout the tour.
___
On the Net:
http://www.truecolorstour.com/
Facebook in talks with major music labels: report (Reuters)
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Social networking site Facebook has approached major music labels about launching a music service, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
The talks were described as "preliminary" and come after sources familiar with the discussion told Reuters last week that the major labels had held similar talks with MySpace, the leading social network site owned by News Corp.
Privately held Facebook and the four major music companies -- Universal Music Group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, and EMI Group -- were not immediately available for comment.
(Reporting by Yinka Adegoke; Editing by Quentin Bryar)
The talks were described as "preliminary" and come after sources familiar with the discussion told Reuters last week that the major labels had held similar talks with MySpace, the leading social network site owned by News Corp.
Privately held Facebook and the four major music companies -- Universal Music Group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, and EMI Group -- were not immediately available for comment.
(Reporting by Yinka Adegoke; Editing by Quentin Bryar)
'Semi-Pro' scores $15M, tops box office (AP)
LOS ANGELES - Will Ferrell's basketball comedy "Semi-Pro" dribbled to the top of the weekend box office, but it fell short of his previous blockbuster openings in the sports spoof genre, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The New Line Cinema film, starring Ferrell as the owner of a fictional basketball franchise, grossed $15.3 million in its weekend debut. That was lackluster compared to Ferrell's 2006 NASCAR parody "Talledega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," which opened at $47 million, and last year's figure skating comedy "Blades of Glory," which earned $33 million in its first weekend.
Box office analysts said "Semi-Pro" likely suffered because it was released during a normally slow season and was rated R, while "Talledega Nights" and "Blades of Glory" were rated PG-13.
"Will Ferrell is always a draw and audiences love him. But this particular weekend is not quite as strong as his earlier efforts," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of the box-office tracker Media By Numbers LLC.
New Line representatives declined to comment. Last week, media conglomerate Time Warner Inc. announced that New Line would be merged with its Warner Bros. Entertainment studio to cut costs and improve profitability.
Last weekend's top film, the Sony Pictures terrorism thriller "Vantage Point," dropped to second place with $13 million in ticket sales, bringing its two-week domestic total to $41 million.
Sony's new release "The Other Boleyn Girl" performed better than expected, opening at No. 4 with $8.3 million at 1,166 theaters. Its $7,118 per theater average outdistanced other movies in the marketplace.
The weekend's other opening, the Summit Entertainment fantasy romantic comedy "Penelope," debuted in eighth place with $4 million.
Box office revenues overall were down for the third straight week. The top 12 movies grossed $81 million, down 10 percent from last weekend and 25 percent from the same weekend in 2007.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. "Semi-Pro," $15.3 million.
2. "Vantage Point," $13 million.
3. "Spiderwick Chronicles," $8.8 million.
4. "The Other Boleyn Girl," $8.3 million
5. "Jumper," $7.6 million.
6. "Step Up 2 The Streets," $5.7 million.
7. "Fool's Gold," $4.7 million.
8. "Penelope," $4 million.
9. "No Country For Old Men," $4 million.
10. "Juno," $3.4 million.
___
On the Net:
http://www.mediabynumbers.com
___
Universal Pictures and Focus Features are owned by NBC Universal, a joint venture of General Electric Co. and Vivendi Universal; Sony Pictures, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; DreamWorks, Paramount and Paramount Vantage are divisions of Viacom Inc.; Disney's parent is The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is a division of The Walt Disney Co.; 20th Century Fox, Fox Searchlight Pictures and Fox Atomic are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros., New Line, Warner Independent and Picturehouse are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a consortium of Providence Equity Partners, Texas Pacific Group, Sony Corp., Comcast Corp., DLJ Merchant Banking Partners and Quadrangle Group; Lionsgate is owned by Lionsgate Entertainment Corp.; IFC Films is owned by Rainbow Media Holdings, a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corp.
The New Line Cinema film, starring Ferrell as the owner of a fictional basketball franchise, grossed $15.3 million in its weekend debut. That was lackluster compared to Ferrell's 2006 NASCAR parody "Talledega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," which opened at $47 million, and last year's figure skating comedy "Blades of Glory," which earned $33 million in its first weekend.
Box office analysts said "Semi-Pro" likely suffered because it was released during a normally slow season and was rated R, while "Talledega Nights" and "Blades of Glory" were rated PG-13.
"Will Ferrell is always a draw and audiences love him. But this particular weekend is not quite as strong as his earlier efforts," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of the box-office tracker Media By Numbers LLC.
New Line representatives declined to comment. Last week, media conglomerate Time Warner Inc. announced that New Line would be merged with its Warner Bros. Entertainment studio to cut costs and improve profitability.
Last weekend's top film, the Sony Pictures terrorism thriller "Vantage Point," dropped to second place with $13 million in ticket sales, bringing its two-week domestic total to $41 million.
Sony's new release "The Other Boleyn Girl" performed better than expected, opening at No. 4 with $8.3 million at 1,166 theaters. Its $7,118 per theater average outdistanced other movies in the marketplace.
The weekend's other opening, the Summit Entertainment fantasy romantic comedy "Penelope," debuted in eighth place with $4 million.
Box office revenues overall were down for the third straight week. The top 12 movies grossed $81 million, down 10 percent from last weekend and 25 percent from the same weekend in 2007.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. "Semi-Pro," $15.3 million.
2. "Vantage Point," $13 million.
3. "Spiderwick Chronicles," $8.8 million.
4. "The Other Boleyn Girl," $8.3 million
5. "Jumper," $7.6 million.
6. "Step Up 2 The Streets," $5.7 million.
7. "Fool's Gold," $4.7 million.
8. "Penelope," $4 million.
9. "No Country For Old Men," $4 million.
10. "Juno," $3.4 million.
___
On the Net:
http://www.mediabynumbers.com
___
Universal Pictures and Focus Features are owned by NBC Universal, a joint venture of General Electric Co. and Vivendi Universal; Sony Pictures, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; DreamWorks, Paramount and Paramount Vantage are divisions of Viacom Inc.; Disney's parent is The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is a division of The Walt Disney Co.; 20th Century Fox, Fox Searchlight Pictures and Fox Atomic are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros., New Line, Warner Independent and Picturehouse are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a consortium of Providence Equity Partners, Texas Pacific Group, Sony Corp., Comcast Corp., DLJ Merchant Banking Partners and Quadrangle Group; Lionsgate is owned by Lionsgate Entertainment Corp.; IFC Films is owned by Rainbow Media Holdings, a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corp.
Twitty's children sue Sony for royalties (AP)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The children of the late Conway Twitty have sued Sony/ATV for a share of royalties and publishing copyrights for the country artist's music.
The lawsuit filed in chancery court this week claims the children didn't understand the agreement when Twitty sold his music publishing and sound recording interests to Sony-Tree in March 1990, three years before he died.
But his widow, Dee Jenkins, disagreed with her stepchildren. They fought a 14-year legal battle over his estate after his death, which the children eventually lost.
She said Friday that the family knew what they signed 18 years ago and that their lawsuit has dishonored their father's memory.
But his daughter, Joni Jenkins Riels, said that nothing was explained and that they didn't know what rights they were giving up.
"Dad had a long relationship with Sony. We tried to work with them, but it didn't work out. So, we had to file the lawsuit," Riels said Friday.
The children could get more than $100,000 a year from the recordings if they were to get the copyrights back, says Rose Palermo, a lawyer for his estate, who added that she was concerned about the claims in the lawsuit.
"I'm somewhat astounded that they make an allegation that they didn't know what they were doing," Palermo said. "He (Twitty) was supporting his children. And at the time, he was giving some of them $50,000 a year in salaries and a free place to live.
"To make this allegation is a direct slam at Conway, who was one of the most honorable and decent guys that I've known in the music business," she said.
Duff Berschback, representing Sony/ATV, declined to comment, saying he hadn't reviewed the lawsuit.
Twitty, whose real name was Harold Jenkins, died after a 30-year career with 40 No. 1 hits, including "Hello Darlin'" and "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man," a duet with Loretta Lynn.
The lawsuit filed in chancery court this week claims the children didn't understand the agreement when Twitty sold his music publishing and sound recording interests to Sony-Tree in March 1990, three years before he died.
But his widow, Dee Jenkins, disagreed with her stepchildren. They fought a 14-year legal battle over his estate after his death, which the children eventually lost.
She said Friday that the family knew what they signed 18 years ago and that their lawsuit has dishonored their father's memory.
But his daughter, Joni Jenkins Riels, said that nothing was explained and that they didn't know what rights they were giving up.
"Dad had a long relationship with Sony. We tried to work with them, but it didn't work out. So, we had to file the lawsuit," Riels said Friday.
The children could get more than $100,000 a year from the recordings if they were to get the copyrights back, says Rose Palermo, a lawyer for his estate, who added that she was concerned about the claims in the lawsuit.
"I'm somewhat astounded that they make an allegation that they didn't know what they were doing," Palermo said. "He (Twitty) was supporting his children. And at the time, he was giving some of them $50,000 a year in salaries and a free place to live.
"To make this allegation is a direct slam at Conway, who was one of the most honorable and decent guys that I've known in the music business," she said.
Duff Berschback, representing Sony/ATV, declined to comment, saying he hadn't reviewed the lawsuit.
Twitty, whose real name was Harold Jenkins, died after a 30-year career with 40 No. 1 hits, including "Hello Darlin'" and "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man," a duet with Loretta Lynn.
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