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Archives for September 2015

3 International flights disrupted after hoax bomb call in Delhi

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Indira Gandhi International Airport

New Delhi: Two international flights were called back while one which was preparing for departure from the Indira Gandhi International Airport here was taken to an isolation bay due to a bomb scare early today, sources said.

At 01.30 AM a threat call was received at the Delhi Airport’s call centre in Gurgaon.

The caller claimed that there were bombs on three international flights – 9W078 of Jet Airways to Hong Kong, CX694 of Cathay Pacific also bound for Hong Kong and LX147 of Swiss Air to Zurich which later turned out to be hoax, airport sources said.

However, by that time, Jet Airways and Cathay Pacific flights had already left while Swiss flight was preparing for departure, they said.

“The Bomb Threat Assessment Committee declared threat as specific at 2 am. Both the Jet Airways and Cathay flights were called back and taken to isolation bay after landing under emergency conditions. Swiss Air flight which was on-ground was also sent to isolation bay,” sources said.

A thorough search of the aircraft, passengers and their baggage was carried out by the security agencies and later all the three flights were cleared for take-off by them, sources said, adding that emergency was called off at 2:40 AM.

“Jet Airways flight 9W078, which departed from Delhi at 0127 hrs for Hong Kong, returned to Delhi due to security reasons. The aircraft with 194 guests and 12 crew on board landed safely in Delhi at 0224 hrs.

“All guests and crew disembarked without any incident and were taken to the airport terminal. Safety of our guests is our number one priority. We regret the inconvenience caused to the guests,” said a statement issued by the airline.

Sources said that some Air India flights from Delhi airport were delayed due to bomb threat call last evening.

“Call was made to Air India control room at 9 PM yesterday. Though the threat was non-specific, as a precaution some flights were checked. The caller has been traced,” sources said.

Services at Delhi airport are normal and all flights are landing and departing on time, they said.

(Agencies)

Greenpeace India’s FCRA registration cancelled by government

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greenpeace

New Delhi: The Centre has cancelled the FCRA licence of Greenpeace India, the NGO claimed in a statement that was confirmed by the home ministry. Loss of FCRA licence means the NGO will not be able to accept foreign donations.

“The Greenpeace legal team has learnt that the Ministry of Home Affairs has notified the Delhi high court that Greenpeace’s FCRA registration has been cancelled. This news comes just a day before a scheduled hearing at the Delhi high court that was examining the merits of MHA’s arbitrary action,” the NGO’s statement said.

Interim co-executive director of Greenpeace India, Vinuta Gopal, in a statement said that Greenpeace will continue its campaigning undeterred, and “is in fact launching a new creative campaign” to highlight the nationwide crackdown on civil liberties.

“The cancelling of our FCRA registration is the government’s latest move in a relentless onslaught against the community’s right to dissent. It is yet another attempt to silence campaigns for a more sustainable future and transparency in public processes. Cutting access to our foreign funding may be a desperate attempt to get us to cease our work, but the MHA probably didn’t count on our having an amazing network of volunteers and supporters who have helped us continue our work despite the government crackdown. Since the majority of our funding comes from Indian citizens, most of our work can indeed continue.

We are responding to this latest melodrama by launching a new creative online campaign and are confident that people will show they are ready to fight back in style, and send a clear message to those in power: you just can’t muzzle dissent in a democracy,” Gopal said.

MHA had frozen bank accounts of Greenpeace besides issuing it a show-cause notice on April 9.

(Agencies)

UN calls on EU states to accept 200,000 refugees from Syria, Iraq, elsewhere

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Over 300,000 refugees have crossed the Mediterranean Sea so far in 2015. (AFP/File)

Over 300,000 refugees have crossed the Mediterranean Sea so far in 2015. (AFP/File)

by Press TV

The UN has criticized the European Union (EU) for failing to find a response to the spiraling refugee influx, urging the bloc to accept and distribute up to 200,000 asylum-seekers across the continent as part of a binding program for relocation of refugees.

“People who are found to have a valid protection claim… must … benefit from a mass relocation program, with the mandatory participation of all EU member states,” UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres said in a statement on Friday.

“A very preliminary estimate would indicate a potential need to increase relocation opportunities to as many as 200,000 places,” he added.

The UN official criticized the EU for failing to “find an effective common response” to the “untenable situation” and said the only way to solve this problem is for the EU and all member states to “implement a common strategy, based on responsibility, solidarity and trust.”

“This is a primarily refugee crisis,” Guterres said, adding the vast majority of those arriving in Europe, including Greece, come from conflict zones like Syria and Iraq and are simply running for their lives.

“All people on the move in these tragic circumstances deserve to see their human rights and dignity fully respected, independently of their legal status,” he said.

Stressing that “the massive flow of people will not stop until the root causes of their plight are addressed,” the UN official said that “much more must be done to prevent conflicts and stop the ongoing wars that are driving so many from their homes.”

According to the UN official, more than 300,000 people have risked their lives to cross the Mediterranean Sea so far this year, with over 2,600 losing their lives in the dangerous crossing, including three-year-old Syrian toddler Aylan Kurdi, whose photo has just stirred the hearts of the world public.

“Europe cannot go on responding to this crisis with a piecemeal or incremental approach,” Guterres said, referring to the pictures of the dead child whose lifeless body was found face down on a Turkish beach Wednesday.

The UN official’s remarks come as Europe is facing an unprecedented immigration and refugee crisis, which has escalated over summer. Refugees are coming directly to Europe instead of staying in camps in neighboring countries.

The continent is now divided over how to deal with a flood of people, mainly Syrians fleeing war in their homeland.

The 28-nation bloc is to convene a special meeting in two weeks to discuss a record surge in numbers and the opening up of new routes over the Balkans in addition to the Mediterranean Sea route.

‘Groundbreaking’ torture charges put US rendition tactics in spotlight

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‘We need to see more accountability happening in Canada, in the U.S., in Jordan and in Syria. The ones who tortured and the ones who helped these horrible acts to happen should face justice.’

Maher Arar, pictured, was sent to Syria by the CIA in 2002, where he was imprisoned and tortured. (Photo: Lucas Oleniuk/TORONTO STAR)

Maher Arar, pictured, was sent to Syria by the CIA in 2002, where he was imprisoned and tortured. (Photo: Lucas Oleniuk/TORONTO STAR)

by Nadia Prupis, Common Dreams

Canada on Tuesday filed charges against a Syrian intelligence officer for torturing Maher Arar, the Canadian citizen who was handed over to the Syrian government in 2002 by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

The whereabouts of the officer, Col. George Salloum, are unknown and it is unlikely that he will be arrested and extradited to Canada to face charges. But Arar’s family said the move by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) signals a newly strengthened opposition to CIA tactics of kidnapping and rendition.

It is also the first formal acknowledgment that Arar was tortured as a terror suspect, although an earlier investigation by the Canadian government in 2006 also cleared him of any links to extremist organizations. Arar’s ordeal became one of the most well-known cases of extraordinary rendition.

“This is a clear message to my husband—and to whoever denied that torture happened—that this is real and that you cannot commit torture [with] impunity,” his wife, Monia Mazigh, said on Tuesday.

The charges are “a big step in the right direction,” Mazigh added. “We need to see more accountability happening in Canada, in the U.S., in Jordan and in Syria. The ones who tortured and the ones who helped these horrible acts to happen should face justice.”

One of Arar’s attorneys, Paul Champ, said the charges were “groundbreaking and historic… critical for a family who have long struggled for justice.”

Salloum reportedly oversaw Arar’s treatment at the notorious Sednaya prison in Damascus. According to the Center for Constitutional Rights, which represented Arar in a lawsuit against former Attorney General John Ashcroft and other U.S. government officials, Arar was sent to the facility after being detained during a layover with his family at John F. Kennedy airport in New York. After nearly two weeks in custody by U.S. authorities, Arar was rendered to Syria, where he remained for almost a year. He was never charged with a crime.

Former U.S. spy and whistleblower John Kiriakou recently revealed that the intelligence agency knew Arar was the wrong guy when they arrested him.

“My husband and my family suffered tremendously all these years,” Mazigh added. “Extraordinary rendition is a horrible tool that has been used by the U.S. government in an attempt to make torture legal and acceptable.”

A statement by the RCMP says the force “will continue to work with its domestic and international law enforcement and security partners in locating Salloum in order to begin the extradition process to bring him to Canada where he will face justice.”

But while Arar’s family and human rights activists welcomed the development, they also emphasized that it did not go far enough.

ACLU Human Rights Program director Jamil Dakwar told The Intercept on Tuesday, “As part of the process of providing Mr. Arar his right to truth, the U.S. government should, as a matter of obligation, open an investigation into the responsibility of U.S. officials in his mistreatment.”

Dakwar continued: “This episode has never been credibly or independently investigated in the United States. If there is evidence of lawbreaking, including complicity in torture, the individuals responsible need to be held criminally responsible, and there needs to be an apology and reparations provided to the victim.”

Drowned Syrian Toddler Is Buried in Kobane

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Abdullah Kurdi (center), father of the drowned three-year-old boy, holds his son's body during the funeral in Kobane. Photo via Dicle News Agency/EPA

Abdullah Kurdi (center), father of the drowned three-year-old boy, holds his son’s body during the funeral in Kobane. Photo via Dicle News Agency/EPA

by VICE News

The body of three-year-old Alan Kurdi has been laid to rest in the Syrian town of Kobane on Friday, alongside his brother and mother, who also died trying to reach Greece.

The shocking photographs of the drowned Syrian child, washed up on a beach near Bodrum, Turkey, have sparked international outcry this week. The images have reignited the debate as to how to help those fleeing from war and how to solve the European refugee crisis, where thousands have died trying to reach Europe by sea.

The child’s father, Abdullah Kurdi, buried his family in the ‘Martyrs’ Ceremony’ in the predominantly Kurdish town, near the border with Turkey.

Speaking at the border crossing, he called upon neighboring Arab countries to help Syrian refugees. Kurdi said: “What I want now is for Arab states, not the European ones, the Arab states, to see what happened to my children.”

In an interview with the BBC, Kurdi described how he lost his family at sea when the boat they were travelling by capsized: “I tried to steer the boat but another high wave pushed the boat over. That is when it happened,” he said.

“My children were the most beautiful children in the world. Is there anybody in the world for whom their child is not the most precious thing?”

It was initially reported that the Kurdi family was refused entry into Canada, yet an aunt in Vancouver clarified that she had tried to sponsor other relatives first.

Conservative Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper expressed his condolences to the family during a speech on Thursday, and promised to “do more” if re-elected: “We should be doing everything, we are doing everything and and we will do more of everything,” he said.

Yet opposition Liberal leader Justin Trudeau retorted: “You don’t get to suddenly discover compassion in the middle of an election campaign. You either have it or you don’t.”

Other world leaders have also been criticized for not taking in more Syrian refugees, including British Prime Minister David Cameron. He has now vowed to accept “thousands” more people from UN camps bordering Syria.

On Friday, the UN refugee agency announced that Britain will accept 4,000 refugees from Syrian camps.

Chennai-Mangalore Express derails; at least 38 injured

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Chennai-Mangalore Express

Chennai: At least 38 passengers of a Mangalore-bound express train were injured Friday after its five coaches derailed near Cuddalore district, about 200 kilometres from here.

Police and railway officials said that the mishap occurred around 2 a.m after five coaches of Chennai-Mangalore Express derailed at Puvanur in Vriddhachalam.

The injured have been rushed to nearby hospitals, official said, adding that the train services on the busy route were disrupted for sometimes.

However, trains were later operated on alternative route but they were running late, official added.

(Agencies)

Foriegn films round up

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labyrinth-of-lies

‘PRECIOUS PEARL’ DEBUT ON TELEMUNDO

Globo’s 2014 International Emmy winning telenovela ‘Precious Pearl’ had its US debut on 31 Aug, 2015 on NBCU’s Spanish language network, Telemundo. A mega production by the Brazilian media giant that was shot in the locales in Himalayas and features period sets & costumes, ‘Precious Pearl’ reached an average of 26 million viewers a day in Brazil, per audience measurement org Ibope. It takes over the 12 pm ET slot of ‘The Clone’, the original Brazilian production that was also remade into a groundbreaking co -production between Globo & Telemundo, the biggest production in Telemundo’s history. Produced by Bogota based RTI Prods, ‘The Clone’ remake, which aired at primetime on Telemundo, was shot in HD in Morocco, Miami & Colombia. Both companies have also co – produced ‘My Dear Handyman’, a re – telling of “Looks & Essence” by Aguinaldo Silva. ‘Precious Pearl’ centers on a love story between working class Amelia (Bianca Bin) & millionaire Franz Hauser (Bruno Gagliasso) & little Pearl, the daughter they have despite opposition from both families & society.

WRITERS GUILD JOINS THE BLACK LIST

Spain’s writers’ guild ALMA Sindicato de Guionistas as of today has become officially partnered with The Black List, marking the 2nd non English language writers’ org after Italy’s Writers Guild Italia whose members’ scripts will have the opportunity to appear on the prestigious Hollywood based online scripts database. The agreement, which will open up new avenues for Spanish scribes, follows similar partnerships The Black List has with Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW), Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE), Writers Guild of Great Britain (WGGB), Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) & Writers Guild of Ireland (WGIR). All ALMA members will now be able to list their scripts online in The Black List, adding their script titles, loglines, tags & representative information and also monitor their work’s ratings & user traffic. They will also receive a 20% discount on all Black List paid services, which are script hosting & evaluations.

UK

LONDON FILM FEST UNVEILS LINEUP

Netflix’s ‘Beasts Of No Nation’ is set to continue its festivals run with a slot in the official competition section of the BFI London Film Festival, which runs 7th to 18 Oct, 2015. The full program for 59th edition of LFF was revealed recently by fest director Clare Stewart and will include the European premieres of Jay Roach’s ‘Trumbo’, John Crowley’s ‘Brooklyn’ & Nicholas Hytner’s ‘The Lady In The Van’ as sponsor gala screenings. Ben Wheatley’s ‘High – Rise’ & Scott Cooper’s ‘Black Mass’ were also announced to receive sponsor galas, while the fest will see special presentations of Guy Maddin & Evan Johnson’s ‘The Forbidden Room’ and the European premiere of Davis Guggenheim’s documentary ‘He Named Me Malala’. As previously announced, the fest will open & close with European premieres of Sarah Gavron’s ‘Suffragette’ & Danny Boyle’s ‘Steve Jobs’, respectively. Anthony Asquith’s 1928 silent film ‘Shooting Stars’ is the Archive Gala.

PECCADILLO TO RELEASE ‘CHEMSEX’

Distributor Peccadillo Pictures is to give a theatrical release to Vice Media’s hard hitting documentary film ‘Chemsex’ in UK & Ireland in Nov, 2015. Traversing a dark underworld of intravenous drug use & weekend long sex parties, ‘Chemsex’ tells the story of a group of men battling with HIV, drug addiction and finding acceptance in a changing world and one health worker who has made it his mission to save them. The film, directed by Vice’s Will Fairman & Max Gogarty, explores the lives & fortunes of a group of men actively taking part in the chemsex lifestyle and those who have come out the other end and survived. With unprecedented access to chemsex parties UK health service’s only chemsex support clinic, 56 Dean Street in London, the film seeks to understand complex issues at heart of the story, exploring notions such as internalized shame, cycles of self destruction & redemption. Peccadillo chairman Tom Abell said: “The chemsex issue is relatively unknown amongst audiences and we hope that by bringing it to light, it will push more healthcare professionals, like 56 Dean Street’s David Stuart, to take note & enable change.”

6 MALE TEENS ARRESTED

British law enforcement officials have arrested 6 male teenagers suspected of being members of the Lizard Squad hacking crew that disabled Sony’s PlayStation Network & Microsoft’s Xbox Live last year. UK’s National Crime Agency, equivalent to US’ Federal Bureau of Investigation, said the suspects used a tool to launch distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks to cripple online servers of “gaming companies” as well as e -retailers, a national British newspaper and a school. The NCA did not identify the targeted companies but reports said that the arrests are related to several attacks on PlayStation & Xbox networks last year. Amazon also was among the sites attacked by the group, Bloomberg reported. The NCA’s Operation Vivarium tracked down individuals who bought Lizard Stresser, software for launching DDoS attacks that flood servers with bogus data, using payment services such as Bitcoin to remain anonymous. The suspects detained for questioning this week are all between the ages of 15 & 18. “This multiagency operation illustrates the commitment of NCA and its partners to pursuing people who think they can criminally disrupt important public services or legitimate businesses.”

ARMANDO URGES UK POLITICIANS

British satirist Armando Lannucci the creator of HBO show ‘Veep’ & co -creator of Alan Partridge has warned that the British Government risks undermining UK TV sector through its sustained attack on BBC. He urged UK politicians to stop ignoring TV production sector and called on the British television business to become more commercial overseas. Delivering MacTaggart lecture at the Edinburgh International Fest, Lannucci, who was born in Scotland, said that Americans to whom he’s spoken think the British are “going mad” as they read daily stories of “powering down” UK’s television service. Dismantling BBC is “madness,” said the program maker, who has spent the majority of his career working for public broadcaster and to which he said he owed his professional life. Repeating his view that BBC’s commercial arm, BBC Worldwide, should be privatized, Lannucci warned that the new UK Conservative Government risked sapping the strength of a world class content industry.

CHANNEL 4 ORDERS SERIES ON CELEBRITY SEX ABUSE SCANDAL

UK broadcaster Channel 4 hopes to boost its credentials for challenging drama with a new show that fictionalizes sexual abuse in showbiz. “National Treasure” announced at the Edinburgh Television Festival by Channel 4’s chief creative officer Jay Hunt, is a 4 part series examining accusations of sexual misconduct against a fictional aging TV celeb. It is written by the BAFTA & Royal Television Society award winning playwright Jack Thorne and executive produced by long standing UK drama producer George Faber. Story focuses on the fictional Paul Finchley, one half of a much loved comedy double act, a national treasure despite Finchley’s career being on the wane. One day his world changes forever when he is accused of raping a woman in the 1970s. Said Thorne: “‘National Treasure’ is a piece about doubt, about the smell of abuse…….Paul is a man who could be innocent or guilty. We’re going to examine him from all sides and ask that big question how well do we know the people closest to us?” Faber added: “In recent years we’ve been bombarded with revelations about the historic sex offences of people in the public eye and the lives that they’ve destroyed. This fictional drama explores the emotional impact on both a family that finds itself in the eye of such a media story, and on the accuser.

EUROPE

‘DAYS’ SET TO RETURN TO EUROPEAN FILM MARKET

The European Film Market will host a 2nd iteration of its Drama Series ‘Days’ initiative in 2016, following its launch in Berlin in Feb this year. The sophomore edition will once again be hosted by the EFM, the industry platform of the Berlin International Film Festival, with its Berlinale Co -Production Market division and is set to take place on 15th & 16th Feb. 15 next year. The 2016 Drama Series ‘Days’ will introduce high quality documentary series as part of its program of screenings & events, which will cater to the interest of documentary industry delegates at the EFM’s Meet the Docs platform. The 1st edition in 2015 included a panel program, market screenings & networking events and was met with enthusiasm by both film & television delegates in Berlin. The 2016 edition will follow a similar format offering further opportunities to strengthen connections within the rapidly developing network of the European & international television industries, in cooperation with partners such as Film- und Medienstiftung NRW & Series Mania Co – production Forum in Paris.

NBCU RESTRUCTURES BIZ IN EUROPE

NBCUniversal International has created a multi – territory, regional hub aligning its distribution & networks business in Europe, Middle East & Africa. This follows the creation of regional hubs in Latin America & Asia. Satpal Brainch has been promoted to the newly created role of managing director, distribution & networks, EMEA. In this role, Brainch will lead the company’s television business across Europe, Middle East & Africa; he’ll drive both content distribution & channels for the region from the company’s London headquarters. Carolyn Stalins has been appointed senior VP, distribution, EMEA. Stalins will relocate from Paris to the company’s London headquarters to lead NBCUI’s content distribution across the region, reporting to Brainch. “Evolving our EMEA structure is a key milestone aligning with our successful approach in Latin America & Asia ensuring that we are optimally positioned to harness opportunities across the region for both distribution & networks” said Belinda Menendez, president, NBCUI distribution & networks. Don McGregor, exec VP, international distribution who continues to lead & oversee NBCU International’s distribution & new media business will “bring focus to maximizing the company’s sales strategy” by taking on the additional responsibility of “driving sales solutions.” In this expanded role, McGregor will relocate from London to Los Angeles in Nov, 2015, where he’ll work more closely with the company’s L.A based functions, including product, marketing & research. Brainch was previously executive VP & managing director, NBCU International Networks, responsible for the overall business strategy of NBCUniversal International Networks’ portfolio including Universal Channel, E!, Syfy, 13th Street, Studio Universal & Diva.

SPAIN

FORTISSIMO PICKS UP ‘THE BRIDE’

Fortissimo Films has acquired international sales rights to Paula Ortiz’s Spanish epic tragedy ‘La Novia”, which world preems at the upcoming San Sebastian Film Fest’s Zabaltegi sidebar. A free adaptation of Federico Garcia Lorca’s acclaimed stage play “Blood Wedding”, ‘The Bride’ transposes to the white desert of Turkey’s Cappadocia the tragic story of the illicit & passionate love triangle between a bride who abandons her groom, unable to ignore her growing desire for her lover Leonardo. They escape into the forest pursued by the groom, who seeks violent revenge. Pic toplines Spanish thesps Inma Cuesta, Asier Etxeandia & Alex Garcia. The feature debut of Get in the Picture Productions, a Barcelona based outfit launched in 2012 by partners Paula Ortiz, Alex Lafuente & Rosana Tomas, ‘The Bride’ is co – produced with Spain’s REC Films, Turkey’s Mantar Film & Cine Chromatix in Germany.

TELEFE INTERNATIONAL BRINGS ‘STORY OF A CLAN’

Awaited real life inspired crime miniseries ‘Story Of A Clan’ figures among the highlights of Argentine distribution house Telefe International’s lineup at October’s Mipcom TV. A 11 episode 1 hour skein, ‘Story Of A Clan’ turns on the Puccio family which, in the early ’80s, perpetrated a string of abduction / murders against people they knew in a high profile case that shocked Argentina at the time. Produced by Sebastian Ortega’s TV outfit Underground Producciones, whose credits include 2007’s global TV hit comedy ‘Lalola’, miniseries is set to be aired by Argentine’s broadcaster Telefe in Sept, 2015 as one of country’s biggest TV fiction bets of the fall. ‘Story Of A Clan’ stars Cecilia Roth, Chino Darín, Ricardo Darin’s son; Alejandro Awada & Nazareno Casero. Expectations on the miniseries have increased after the theatrical release on 13Aug, of Pablo Trapero’s feature film ‘El Clan’, also based on the family Puccio, that, handled by Twentieth Century Fox, sold 1.13 million tickets in its 1st 9 days, scoring an all time record in Argentina.

GERMANY

‘LABYRINTH OF LIES’ TO BE ACADEMY AWARDS ENTRY

‘Labyrinth Of Lies’ will represent Germany as its entry for foreign language film Oscar. Giulio Ricciarelli’s debut feature, which is distributed in US by Sony Pictures Classics, centers on a young public prosecutor, Johann Radmann, who sets out in the 1950s to expose the full story behind the mass killings at Auschwitz. This led to the 1st Auschwitz trial in Frankfurt, in the face of great political & social opposition in West Germany. Alexander Fehling plays Radmann, for which he won the Bavarian Film Award for “Best Actor”. The decision was made by an independent 9 person jury appointed by German Films and announced by jury representative Dagmar Hirtz in Munich recently. In a statement, the jury described the film as a “precisely researched” drama that is both “gripping & touching.” It added: “Alexander Fehling convinces with his intensive performance as a public prosecutor searching for truth & justice in the film.” The film’s producers are Uli Putz & Jakob Claussen for Claussen+Putz Filmproduktion & Sabine Lamby for Naked Eye Filmproduction. It received its world premiere at the Toronto Film Fest last year. Beta Cinema, which is handling international sales, has sold the film to 118 countries. Sony Pictures Classics is planning a US theatrical release on 30th Sept, 2015.

NICO APPOINTED CO – CEO

FremantleMedia has appointed German film producer Nico Hofmann as co – CEO of UFA Group, the company’s German production arm. Hofmann will form a new joint leadership team for UFA with current CEO Wolf Bauer, with Hofmann set to take over as sole CEO in Sept, 2017. The pair will both serve on the FremantleMedia Operating Board. Hofmann & Bauer will share overall management responsibilities with dedicated responsibilities for certain operations & units. They will have joint responsibility for the holding company and will both play a key role within the FremantleMedia global network, working closely with the global production, licensing & sales operations. “After 25 years of leading UFA to its outstanding market position, Wolf proposed to me a succession plan which made sense for both Wolf and the business and I happily accepted,” said FremantleMedia CEO, Cecile Frot -Coutaz.

BERTELSMANN REPORTS HIGHEST FIGURES

European media giant Bertelsmann has seen a strong 1st half of the year in 2015, reporting revenues at €8.04 billion ($9 billion), the company’s highest figure since 2007. It’s a 2.5% year – on – year hike for German media conglom, which owns Europe’s largest broadcaster RTL Group, music rights company BMG, book publisher Penguin Random House, magazine publisher Gruner + Jahr and FremantleMedia, which produces & distributes shows like ‘X – Factor’, ‘Idol’ & ‘Got Talent’. “Group profits were up nearly 55% at $446 million (€398 million) in the 1st half of 2015, driven by RTL Group’s good business in Germany and its continued digital expansion while numerous bestsellers from Penguin Random House such as Paula Hawkins’ debut tome “The Girl On The Train” & E. L. James’ newest publication “Grey” also helped boost group figures. RTL Group, which owns FremantleMedia, accounted for $3.13 billion in revenues for Bertelsmann. The subsidiary has been moving aggressively into the digital arena, having recently acquired French online outfit Oxygem.

Movie Review: ‘The Path of Zarathustra’ is a very relevant film on the exploration of one’s religious faith

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The Path of Zarathustra

Producer: Sorab Irani
Director: Oorvazi Irani
Star Cast: Oorvazi Irani, Tom Alter, Rushad Rana, Darius Shroff, Firdausi Jussawalla & Vivek Tandon
Genre: Docudrama
Verdict: Good

Parsis are a minority community which is mostly steeped in myths galore. and director Oorvazi Irani has tried her best to clear all the misconceptions prevalent about the Parsis in lieu with their religion.

Plot: The film tells the journey of a young woman born into Zoroastrianism, the religion of her forefathers. Her journey starts with a remote village where she sees her grandfather die, to Mumbai, where she is welcomed by her aunt’s adopted son who confesses that he still loves her.

Aces: A laudable effort by a 1st time director Oorvazi Irani. Besides she has succeeded in extracting good work from her technicians.

Minuses: The performance of all the actors including the director Oorvazi Irani in the central role leaves much to be desired.

Last Word: A very relevant film on the exploration of one’s religious faith.

Slight earthquake in Rajasthan, no damage reported

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earthquake

Jaipur/New Delhi: A ‘slight’ intensity earthquake shook Rajasthan late on Thursday night, the met department said. There were no reports of any casualty or property damage.

According to the India Meteorological Department, a temblor measuring 4.4 on the Richter scale and classed as of “slight intensity” was recorded ar 11.27 p.m. with its epicentre at a point 27.6 degrees north latitude and 75.6 East longitude in the state’s Sikar district.

Mild tremors were felt in some parts of Rajasthan including state capital Jaipur, leading to people, especially residents of high-rise buildings, rushing out in panic.

“It happened around 11.27 or so….I was sleeping and suddenly my bed started to shake… till the time I woke up and was able to understand that it was a quake, the shaking stopped,” said Jitendra Singh, who lives on the third floor in a high-rise building in Jaipur’s Tilak Nagar.

“I was working on my desktop computer….suddenly for few seconds my chair started to shake. I just got up and came out of my house,” said Ashok Kumar, a resident of the old city.

Shocks were also felt in Sikar, Ajmer and Jhunjhunu among other cities and towns.

“I did feel thing around me shaking, but only for few seconds,” said Durgesh, a resident of Chomu near Jaipur.

There are no reports of any loss of life or property in the state so far.

(IANS)

Indian-American academics spar over Modi visit to Silicon Valley

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Narendra_Modi

by Arun Kumar

Washington: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Silicon Valley, a war of words has broken out between pro and anti Modi academics of Indian descent spread over major American universities.

The first salvo was fired by over 100 professors “who engage South Asia in our research and teaching”, asking US technology executives to be wary of supporting Modi’s Digital India initiative when he visits Silicon Valley on Sep 27.

The other group hit back with “a counter petition against the anti-Modi statement given by some faculty of South Asian studies” on Change.org, an American website providing a petition tool backed by nonprofits and political campaigns. By Thursday evening the counter-petition accusing the anti-Modi group of lacking “the slightest respect for facts and for academic integrity” had gathered 1108 supporters.

“The allegation that Narendra Modi ought to be viewed with suspicion, if not disdain, by business leaders in Silicon Valley because of surveillance implications in the Digital India initiative seems a desperate ploy rather than any genuine concern for India,” the counter petition said.

“Their attempt to invoke an admitted mistake on the part of the US government in denying Modi a visa as a ‘powerful signal’ is a stark case of false reasoning …and a deplorable attempt to exhume ugly lies about Modi’s attitude towards Muslims,” it said.

The “allegations that somehow academic freedom is under threat in India because of administrative changes at a couple of institutions are completely belied by the reality of what Indian citizens see in their news media every day,” the counter petition said.

“On the contrary, for all their talk about assaults on academic freedom, the signatories of the anti-Modi letter have never admitted that the subject of the greatest censorship and distortion in South Asian academics in recent years has been Narendra Modi,” it said.

Rejecting “the faculty statement against Modi in its entirety,” the pro-Modi group asked the other “to introspect, change, and for once seek to earn the trust and respect of the community in whose name they have been making a living all these years.”

Responding on the Academe Blog, the anti-Modi group said “despite the intimidation and harassment we have received at this blog site and elsewhere” their numbers had swelled from 125 to 135.

The group claimed that it “did not ask Silicon Valley companies not to invest in India; we asked them to consider carefully the terms of partnership with India.”

“The objective of our letter is to raise awareness and debate in Silicon Valley and elsewhere, of Mr. Modi’s record on key issues related to ‘Digital India,'” it said.

While “technology can unleash potent changes in society, many of them positive,” the group said, it can also pose a threat to privacy that “is certainly not unique to India.”

“We caution any Digital India plan to be cognizant of these risks, and to take effective, transparent steps to protect against them.”

“Given the Modi administration’s intolerance of dissent, its poor record on freedom of expression in general, and on freedom of religion in particular”, the group asked “What does ‘Digital India’ look like.”

Even as they raised questions about Digital India, the group in its original Aug 27 letter acknowledged that Modi, “as Prime Minister of a country that has contributed much to the growth and development of Silicon Valley industries, has the right to visit the United States, and to seek American business collaboration and partnerships with India.”

(IANS)

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