But the head of an organisation that pop star Madonna brought in to help with her efforts in Malawi fired back, saying the government accusation was “simply not true” and that it had been “fully updated” on the singer’s plans.
Madonna, who has adopted two children from Malawi, announced in January her Raising Malawi charity was teaming up with the non-profit group buildOn to construct the schools, which would educate at least 1,000 children a year. Malawi’s Ministry of Education spokeswoman Lindiwe Chide told Reuters the government was “fed up” with Madonna. Chide said that when the singer last year scrapped a previously planned academy for girls in Malawi, alleging mismanagement and cost overruns, she did not inform Malawian authorities. “Now she decides to announce that she plans to build 10 schools without getting authority from us again,” Chide said. “We now feel like this is all about propping up her global image and not in our interest,” she added.
Trevor Neilson, who heads up Global Philanthropy Group, said in a statement released by the pop star’s New York-based spokeswoman: “This is simply not true. The government of Malawi has been fully updated on Madonna’s effort to provide funding for ten schools to be built in communities where there are no schools.”
Madonna’s earlier plan to build a state of the art girls school for about 400 girls just outside the Malawi capital Lilongwe collapsed last year, and the board of her Raising Malawi charity was fired. The New York Times said at the time that $3.8 million (2.4 million pounds) had been spent on the school with little to show for it.
The singer has lent $11 million to the organization which she co-founded in 2006. Chide said: “She has no mandate to decide where she wants to build a school because she doesn’t know our needs and where we want new schools ... she first needed to consult us, get permission from us before doing anything”.
Neilson countered by saying that Raising Malawi had communicated with Malawi’s Minister of Education and that buildOn had discussed the project with local officials and “cleared all plans for school construction with them.” Malawi has more than half a million children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic and is ranked by the United Nations as one of the world’s 20 least developed countries. The latest dispute came at a time when Malawian President Bingu wa Mutahrika is at loggerheads with former colonial ruler Britain and other western donors. Historically, foreign aid has accounted for 40 percent of Malawi’s budget but much of this assistance has been suspended following a police crackdown on opposition protesters in July that killed 20 people. The row with Britain came over a leaked diplomatic cable that called Mutharika “autocratic.”
Neilson did not address those specific issues but did say, “it is surprising that the government of Malawi would object to this support when only 26 percent of children complete the primary school cycle and at a time when other international donors have withdrawn aid to Malawi due to governance concerns.”
Tahira Wasti started working on Pakistan Television in 1968-69 and came to prominence from a television play called Jaib Katra, which was based on a short story by Saadat Hassan Manto. Wasti’s signature was her natural grace and regal personality, which made her the ideal choice for all shows that required characters showing royalty.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani also expressed his deep sense of grief and sorrow over her death. In his message of condolence, the Prime Minister said she was a great human being and a talented artist whose contribution to the TV industry would be long remembered. The Prime Minister prayed to Almighty Allah to grant eternal peace to the departed soul and fortitude to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss.
Actresses Rose Byrne and Melissa McCarthy presented the coveted award to co-directors Ms Obaid-Chinoy and Daniel Junge in the category of Best Documentary (Short) before a large gathering of top world artists on Sunday night, an event watched by hundreds of millions around the globe on television. In her accepting speech, Ms Obaid-Chinoy, dedicated the award to the courageous women of Pakistan. “All the women in Pakistan working for change, don’t give up on your dreams, this is for you,” she said, holding up the award statuette as a resounding applause rang out in the packed hall.
Ms Obaid-Chinoy, in a Pakistani dress tailored by female designers, also paid tributes to “all the heroes working on the ground in Pakistan” including Pakistani-British plastic surgeon Mohammad Jawad, who was also present at the ceremony hosted by actor comedian Billy Crystal.
“Saving Face” tells the story of Dr Jawad, who travelled to Pakistan to treat acid attack victims. It was the first time that a Pakistani documentary was nominated by the academy and subsequently won the coveted award.
Central characters of this documentary are two women, Zakia and Rukhsana, from southern Punjab who survived acid attacks and have been fighting for justice ever since. Instead of only portraying the misery of the victims, the film focuses on the vigour with which they endure the process of emotional and physical healing.
Co-directing this film with Junge of Britain, Ms Obaid-Chinoy, previously won an Emmy Award for her film Pakistan’s Taliban Generation. This film was also the recipient of the Alfred Dupont Award and the Association for International Broadcasting Award. Obaid-Chinoy is the first non-American to receive the Livingston Award for best international reporting. In 2007, she received the broadcast journalist of the year award in the UK from One World Media for her work in a series of documentary films. For her work on other films, she also received the Overseas Press Club Award, the American Women in Radio and Television Award, the Cine Golden Eagle Award and the Banff Rockie Award.
“Above all, this documentary, along with its accolades, is truly a testimony of the devotion and fervour with which Sharmeen, Dr Jawad, Zakia and Rukhsana are pursuing their individual goals,” The Washington Times wrote ahead of tonight’s ceremony. “‘Saving Face’ brings together the hard work and creativity of an ambitious documentarian, the dedication of a passionate doctor, and determination of valiant victims of acid attacks,” the newspaper said,
“The Oscar nod for Saving Face recognises of a Pakistani filmmaker and sends message to all the ambitious Pakistanis and the world that hard work pays off, no matter where you live and your passion to prevail over the crisis can take you places whether you are a filmmaker, a doctor or a survivor.”
Dr Jawad made several trips to Pakistan with surgical teams to work with the victims. He also organised a major medical relief effort to help earthquake survivors in Pakistan in 2005. In 2008, he received widespread public and international media attention when he performed his pioneering treatment on British model and television presenter Katie Piper, whose ex-boyfriend threw acid on her face.
“The film also emerges as a face-saver for Pakistan, amid growing negative perceptions about the country worldwide,” commented The Washington Times said.
When asked about her dress before the ceremony, Ms Obaid-Chinoy said, “I am wearing Bunto Kazmi for the ceremony and will be wearing Sana Safinaz and Saniya Maskatiya for Oscar-related events. My jewellery will be done by Kiran Aman of Kiran Fine Jewellery and Sherezad Rahimtoola of Labels. I am really excited to showcase local Pakistani talent, and that too all women.”
"The Descendants," starring George Clooney as a man steering his family through a tragic time when his wife is in a coma, won two Golden Globe trophies, including the top honor of best dramatic movie and another for Clooney as best dramatic actor.
Onstage he thanked writer/director Alexander Payne and backstage told reporters, "he knows how to tell stories. He knows how to make something funny and how to turn it around."
Clooney called the movie "a coming-of-age film for a 50-year-old and a lot of us have dealt with people like that."
"The Artist," a romantic tale about a failing actor who finds love at a time when movies were changing from silents to talkies, picked up three awards including best musical or comedy and best actor in a musical or comedy for its star, French actor Jean Dujardin.
Onstage, Dujardin did the most appropriate thing -- gave his speech, thanked his colleagues, then signed off by not saying a word. And true to stealing almost every scene of his in the movie, little dog Uggie detracted from an emotional speech by the film's director, Michel Hazanavicius, when the dog begged for a treat.
Other key winners included Meryl Streep for best actress in a film drama with her portrayal of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady." Streep, who is typically reliable with a funny acceptance speech had a difficult time reading hers this year when she forgot her glasses.
Michelle Williams took the trophy for best actress in a comedy or musical with her role as Marilyn Monroe in "My Week with Marilyn.
"I consider myself a mother first and an actress second. The person I most want to thank (is) my daughter, my little girl," Williams said referring to her child with the late actor Heath Ledger. "I want to say thank you for sending me off to this job everyday with a hug and a kiss."
Veteran Christopher Plummer, 82, won supporting actor with his portrayal of an elderly man who comes out as gay to his family in "Beginners," bringing both poignancy and a touch of humor to their lives. Octavia Spencer, playing a beleaguered housemaid in the U.S. South during the civil rights era in "The Help" was best supporting actress.
Woody Allen was given a Golden Globe for his screenplay for "Midnight in Paris" and Steven Spielberg won best animated film with his rollicking "The Adventures of Tintin."
Iranian film "A Separation" was named best foreign language film, and its director, Ashgar Farhadi, used the opportunity to tell world audiences that "my people. I think they are a truly peace-loving people."
OSCAR RACE LOOMS
The Golden Globe Awards are given out by the roughly 90 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association at what annually is among the key events during Hollywood's awards season because of the media exposure it brings.
Many of the movies and stars that win here also go on to compete for Oscars later this year, and "The Artist," which was the most-nominated film coming into the Golden Globes with six nods overall, will certainly become a frontrunner for the world's top film honors, as will "Descendants" and "The Help."
Oscar nominations from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will given out on Jan. 24.
Unlike the Oscar voters, HFPA members also vote on their favorite TV shows and performances and in that arena "Homeland," about a modern-day CIA agent tracking returning war soldiers who may be terrorists, took home two Golden Globes for best drama series and best actress in a drama for Claire Danes.
Best actor in a drama TV series went to Kelsey Grammer for his role as a stern corporate manager in "Boss."
"Modern Family," a take on extended families in current-day America, took the prize for best comedy and its stars enjoyed one of the more memorable moments of the night when star Sofia Vergara gave their acceptance speech in Spanish, with English translation from creator Steve Levitan.
Best actress in a TV comedy went to Laura Dern for "Enlightened" and the comedic actor trophy was won by Matt LeBlanc for "Episodes."
Coming into the show, all eyes were on host Gervais, who ruffled the feathers of many a Hollywood celebrities last year at the Golden Globes. While he didn't tone down his jokes for the 2012 audience -- making fun of Johnny Depp, Jodie Foster, Kim Kardashian and the HFPA itself -- it seemed the stars were in the mood for his biting wit this time around.
"I thought he did a great job," Clooney told reporters backstage. "I think he handled tonight like a proper good host again ... people were expecting a lot of trash talk, and he did a little bit of that, and he made me laugh, he was very funny."
In fact, it seemed Gervais' humor was rather tame at some points compared to others who made penis jokes onstage and used foul language. At one point, Gervais came onstage drinking a beer, but somehow that seemed fitting for an awards show that bills itself as one big Hollywood party.
Taylor Swift and Kelly Clarkson have also been announced as performers at the annual event, which takes place on 12 February this year. Kanye West has the most nominations with seven, including song of the year for All Of The Lights.
The rapper reached the top five in the UK album chart last year with Watch The Throne, a collaborative album with Jay-Z. Adele is nominated for six Grammys after her hugely successful year in America, where she scored both the best-selling single and album of 2011.
It is not yet known whether she will perform at the ceremony following surgery on her vocal cords in November. The Grammy Awards 2012 take place in Los Angeles on Sunday 12 February. Bruno Mars, who has previously topped the UK singles chart with Grenade, The Lazy Song and Just The Way You Are, is also nominated for six awards. Foo Fighters released their seventh album Wasting Light last year.
“You must have a stringent check. Otherwise, like in China, we may pass orders banning all such websites,” the Delhi High Court said during a hearing Thursday with legal representatives for Facebook and Google India.
Both companies should “develop a mechanism to keep a check and remove offensive and objectionable material from their web pages”, Justice Suresh Kait was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India.
Communications Minister Kapil Sibal last month pledged a crackdown on “unacceptable” online content, saying Internet service providers had ignored India’s demands to screen images and data before they are uploaded.
He provided examples of faked naked pictures of Indian political leaders and religiously sensitive images.
Sibal’s comments provoked anger and derision among Indian Internet users, with experts arguing that such demands could not be enforced and smacked of state censorship.
“No human interference is possible and, moreover, it can’t be feasible to check such incidents,” Mukul Rohatgi, a lawyer for Google India, told the High Court hearing.
India, the world’s largest democracy, has more than 110 million Internet users out of a population of 1.2 billion, with predictions that 600 million people will be online in the next five years.
Facebook and Google had moved the High Court to stay a summons issued last month by a lower court that is hearing a private criminal complaint against them.
Facebook is officially blocked in China, while Google pulled its search engine out of the country two years ago after a confrontation with Chinese authorities over censorship.
The global style icon, who directed, co-wrote and co-produced the film, swept down the red carpet at the Odeon theatre in Kensington, southwest London, wearing a floor-length black Jean Paul Gaultier dress and Dolce & Gabbana cape. The film, which charts the scandalous love affair between Britain’s king Edward VIII and US divorcee Wallis Simpson, was re-edited after it received poor reviews when it was aired at last year’s Venice and Toronto film festivals. One writer complained it looked like a commercial for “high-end cosmetics” while another called it “the turkey that dreamed it was a peacock”.
The 53-year-old director explained the film’s message before Wednesday’s screening. “This movie shows that there is no such thing as perfect love, that all love requires compromise or sacrifice,” she said on the red carpet, where she was joined by the film’s stars Andrea Riseborough and James d’Arcy. “The other thing is that nothing is as it seems. You can look from the outside and think it’s one thing but once you start investigating, it’s something completely different.” The love affair led to the abdication of Britain’s then king.
Maria Kozhevnikova, 27, has moved swiftly up the ranks after joining the party’s youth movement, the Young Guard. Amid protests over a disputed parliamentary election earlier this month, she defended Putin.
“I’ve seen Putin close up several times and I want to say that this man has very strong vibes,” Kozhevnikova said. “I’ve watched how people have changed when they got close to Putin, not because they are afraid, but because they feel a calm and strong confidence.
Because of this, the West is afraid of him, and that is understandable.” She echoed Putin in suggesting protests were being funded from outside country. “A ‘strong Russia’ cannot be controlled.
Mass rallies have never solved the people’s problems and answered their aspirations. –TG
In 1976, the actor took a five-year break from film performances. In 1981, he returned with a character role in the film Kranti and continued his career playing central characters in films such as Shakti (1982), Karma (1986) and Saudagar (1991). His last film was Qila in 1998.
The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 1991 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1994 for his contributions towards Indian cinema. He has worked in around 60 movies and has inspired many upcoming B-town actors.
As his close friend and another Bollywood legend Dev Anand passed away two weeks ago, Dilip sahab had decided not to celebrate his birthday.
But the star will now celebrate it with friends, family and wife Saira Banu, the way he had been planned before. There was good bonding between superstars Dilip saab and Dev Anand throughout their lives although they were rivals. But they had had a tiff a few years ago. And so, Dilip saab had planned to invite Dev for his birthday and reconcile.
We heard that Dev had asked his close friend Mohan Churiwala to send a bouquet of flowers to Dilip saab on the occasion. We are sure that Dilip saab will miss his contemporary Dev Anand on the special day. But he must be happy on his birthday while looking back at his illustrious life of 88 years!
We wish Dilip Kumar a very happy birthday and may he have long and healthy life ahead!
Odho’s lawyer told the court that she is British citizen and thus can possess liquor. He also submitted her British passport to the court. The court summoned prosecution witnesses on December 24.
Atiqa is also former office bearer of Pervez Musharraf’s All Pakistan Muslim League (APML).
Cable operators pulled the channel late Tuesday amid anger over NATO air strikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.
Khalid Arain, chairman of the Cable Operators Association of Pakistan, confirmed that BBC World News was off-air nationwide and that other Western news channels had been ordered "not to indulge in anti-Pakistan propaganda".
The row relates to a two-part BBC documentary, "Secret Pakistan," which questions Pakistan's commitment to tackling Taliban militancy.
The BBC said it was deeply concerned by the move, and called for its channel to be speedily reinstated.
Pakistan's media regulator, PEMRA, said: "Definitely, since an issue has been highlighted, the authorities will review the contents of the broadcast and their programmes."
"The authorities can summon BBC representatives and seek an explanation from them," PEMRA spokesman Tahir Izhar told AFP.
Arain said Pakistan was not legally bound to show any foreign channels and was also monitoring Britain's Sky News for "any objectionable content."
Pakistan has aroused increasing criticism overseas and from human rights campaigners within the country over censorship. The row over the BBC saw people post links to the documentary on their Facebook and Twitter accounts.
"It is clear violation of our basic right to information. I condemn it," said Shujauddin Qureshi, a human rights activist.
Saad Haroon wrote on Twitter, "They have taken BBC off the air in Pakistan, great, now we will be the LAST to know when they bomb us."
“We want to send them a strong message to stop this. If they don’t stop this, then it is our right to stop them,” Khalid Arain, president of the All Pakistan Cable Operators Association said in a live press conference. The BBC was the focus of criticism.
Sure, the plot borrows heavily from "The Muppet Movie" (this time, Kermit has to reunite everyone rather than get the band together) and the TV movie, "It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie," wherein an evil financier wants to steal the Muppets' theater. This time Chris Cooper's oil billionaire steps in for Joan Cusack's banker.
But "The Muppets" has the same brilliant absurdity, anarchic humor, subtle uplift and ensemble comedy that fans have come to expect over the years.
Jim Henson may be gone, but a new generation of writers and performers are doing right by his creations.
The aforementioned Walter has grown up loving the Muppets, as has his brother and best friend Gary (Jason Segel, who also co-wrote the film). Gary takes his longtime girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) to L.A. to celebrate their tenth anniversary, and Walter tags along to see the sights -- not that there are many of those to behold at the decrepit Muppet Studios, a moth-eaten shadow of its former self.
Walter sneaks into Kermit's old office and hears the ruthless Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) detail his plans to buy the studio and the theater under the guise of building a Muppet museum, even though his real agenda is to tear it all down and dig for oil underneath.
Horrified, the small-town trio track down Kermit (voiced by Steve Whitmire), who's puttering around a moldering Bel-Air mansion, nostalgic for the past. Walter inspires Kermit to reassemble the Muppets to hold a benefit telethon to save the theater, sending them off to collect Fozzie Bear (voiced by Eric Jacobson), who's performing with a tribute act called "The Moopets" in Reno; Gonzo (voiced by Dave Goelz), now a successful plumbing-fixtures magnate, and all the rest.
In true Muppet fashion, there's a montage of tracking down beloved characters -- and people in the movie mention the fact that they're in a montage.
But there are challenges, of course: can Kermit convince his estranged girlfriend Miss Piggy (Jacobson) to leave her gig as plus-size editor at French Vogue to return to the fold? Will the Muppets find a celebrity in Kermit's 1970s Rolodex to host the telethon? And will Walter figure out what talents he might have in time for the show?
The plot, as you may well imagine, is secondary to the barrage of jokes, songs, fourth-wall violations and occasional celebrity cameos that are part and parcel of the big-screen Muppet experience. And "The Muppets" gets all of this just right. Several of the new tunes are from "Flight of the Conchords" songwriter Bret McKenzie. "Conchords" vet James Bobin directs the new movie.
While Segel -- who memorably worked singing puppets into "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" -- and Adams are perfectly charming, and totally get into the spirit of things, can we take a moment to acknowledge what a great performer Kermit the Frog is? He's got one of the most expressive skulls in show business (albeit also one of the softest ones), and he can convey a panoply of emotions just by indenting his temples or folding in his top lip. All of the Muppets, of course, have that gift of smiling by opening their mouths as widely as possible.
There are one or two draggy moments in "The Muppets," but nothing that will render young audiences any more fidgety than, say, the "Never Before and Never Again" number in the original "The Muppet Movie." And for Muppet fans who, like "Star Wars" nerds, speak breathlessly of "the original trilogy" -- namely, "The Muppet Movie," "The Great Muppet Caper," and "The Muppets Take Manhattan" -- this reboot stands proudly, wackily, and adorably with its storied predecessors.
She further added, “What’s important is to live with honour and dignity so that the memories we leave behind are worth remembering.”
According to reports, the accident occurred when one of the tyres on Khalid’s car burst, fatally overturning his car. Khalid – also a painter, lyricist, speaker and educationist – has left behind a wife, two sons and a daughter.
Khalid, the President and Chancellor of the National Institute of Cultural Studies, Lok Virsa Islamabad, was best known for his television screenplays which include “Guest House”, “Angar Wadi” as well as Lollywood film =Laaj. The film won 12 Bolan Awards, 14 Graduate Awards, four National Film Awards and a Lux Style Award, reported dawn.com.
Apart from the above mentioned awards, he had also received the prestigious Pride of Performance award.
The Ali Auditorium in Lahore witnessed a remarkable tribute to the singer cum actor organised by the Shakir Ali Museum and Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA). Several leading personalities from the entertainment industry, who had worked and closely followed Khanum’s career, were also present on the occasion to shed light on her illustrious career.
Khanum, dressed in a black sari, entered the auditorium to a swarm of photographers and fans. The frail 75-year-old lady, returning to Pakistan after a long time stay in the US, seemed in a cheerful mood.
Former PNCA Director General Naeem Tahir recalled the vibrant impact of Khanum on contemporary actors due to her skills and technique. “Her contribution to film industry is very important because she did films at a time when the industry was struggling,” said Tahir. “She was always a fighter who could improvise when the times were rough, by moving abroad she had to give up a lot of the things she loved.”
In response to Tahir’s speech, Khanum clarified the reason for why she left the country. “My husband Santosh Kumar had passed away, so I found it difficult to act as it would have put me in a difficult position,” said Khanum. She moved to the US after Kumar’s passing as her children were settled there. “It was a difficult phase but I will always remember the love Pakistan has give me,” she added.
Aishwarya who is married to Abhishek Bachchan was expecting her first child and reported to have checked in Seven Hills Hospital Tuesday evening.
"IT'S A GIRL!," Abhishek, also a top actor, wrote on his Twitter account,
@juniorbachchan, without giving any further details.
Bachchan's father, Bollywood legend Amitabh, tweeted his joy at the new arrival: "A dada ji (a grandfather)...Ecstatic!", calling his new granddaughter "the cutest baby girl".
According to media sources, the Nikkah took place at a local court in Virginia according to American law, while Rukhsati will take place on November 18.
While talking to a private TV channel on telephone, Reema said that she considers herself very lucky as she will be a part of an educated and respected family.
Regarding wedding preparations, the actress told that she has put amazing henna designs on her palms and her family members have created a joyful wedding mood all around.
Hassan Shehryar, who is a Pakistani fashion designer of international repute, has prepared the wedding dresses for the bride and groom.
The wedding ceremonies began from Monday with the mayoun function.
Reema is in the US with her parents and relatives who will attend the wedding functions. After marriage, the actress will stay in the US for few weeks in a house bought by Dr Shahab for his wife.
