US, Australian filmmakers killed in copter crash

LOS ANGELES: Cinematographer Mike deGruy and Australian television writer-producer Andrew Wight have died in a helicopter crash in eastern Australia, their employer National Geographic said Sunday.

Police said two people — an Australian pilot and an American passenger — died Saturday when their helicopter crashed soon after takeoff from an airstrip near Nowra, 97 miles north of Sydney, but they did not immediately release the victims’ identities.

National Geographic and “Titanic” director James Cameron confirmed the victims’ identities in a joint statement that said “the deep-sea community lost two of its finest” with the deaths of the two underwater documentary specialists.

David Bennett, president of Australia’s South Coast Recreational Flying Club, said the pair had set off to film a documentary when they crashed.

DeGruy, 60, of Santa Barbara, California, won multiple Emmy and British Academy of Film and Television Arts, or BAFTA, awards for cinematography.

Wight, 52, of Melbourne, was the writer-producer of the 3D movie “Sanctum,” which took in $100 million and was Australian cinema’s biggest box office hit of 2010.

The joint statement said deGruy spent 30 years producing and directing documentary films about the ocean. An accomplished diver and submersible pilot who spent many hours filming deep beneath the sea, he was the director of undersea photography for Cameron’s 2005 “Last Mysteries of the Titanic,” the statement said.

“Mike and Andrew were like family to me,” Cameron said. “They were my deep-sea brothers and both were true explorers who did extraordinary things and went places no human being has been.”

After spending three years at the University of Hawaii in a Marine Biology Ph.D. program, DeGruy moved to the Marshall Islands, according to his website. He spent three years there, working as the manager of the Mid-Pacific Marine Lab, with his knowledge of and fascination with the ocean growing rapidly.

DeGruy spent much of his early film career traveling the world, shooting films for clients including the BBC, PBS and National Geographic, his website says. He later began producing and hosting the films.

London’s Big Ben is leaning, parliament sinking: reports

LONDON: The landmark clock tower containing Big Ben at Britain’s Palace of Westminster, is tilting, while media reports said the mother of all parliaments was slipping into the River Thames, raising fears over its future.

The House of Commons commission, which is responsible for the upkeep of the 19th century neo-Gothic parliamentary estate popular with tourist photographs, met Monday.

Media reports said it would discuss a surveyor’s report which could recommend lawmakers move out for repairs costing up to one billion pounds, while the Daily Telegraph said another proposal might be to sell to Russian or Chinese developers for about 500 million pounds (£779.7 million).

But a commission spokesman said there was no surveyor’s report, and members were only meeting to discuss setting up a group to look at general long-term renovation of the grade 1-listed building designed by Charles Barry and Augustus Welby Pugin.

“I think there’s been twos and twos added together and come up with we are selling to the Russians, but they won’t be talking about anything like that,” the spokesman said.

The 96-metre tall clock tower, which houses the bell originally nicknamed Big Ben, leans about 46 cm to the left of its peak.

A construction expert who worked on the leaning tower of Pisa in Italy and a multi-storey carpark under the houses of parliament in central London, said there was nothing to worry about, and it would take 10,000 years to reach an angle of concern.

Professor John Burland of Imperial College London also said work on the underground Jubilee train line in the 1990s had not caused dramatic movement, while a spokesman for the commission said the tilt could have existed since its construction in 1859.

The lean which is just visible to the naked eye had “been there for years,” Burland said.

“When I first started work on the car park it was obvious that it was leaning,” he told BBC radio.

“It was probably developed at a very early stage because there’s no cracking in the cladding and we think it probably leant while they were building it and before they put the cladding on.

“That was a long time ago and buildings do lean a little bit.”

He also dismissed concern in the media that parliament was slipping into the Thames, while the commission’s spokesman denied the walls around the palace were suffering from a particularly bad subsidence problem causing Big Ben to lean.

The current building, which houses the upper and lower chambers as well as the offices of some lawmakers, was built after its medieval predecessor was largely destroyed by fire in 1834 and has required constant maintenance.

“There’s no such thing as an old building that isn’t cracked,” he said.

“In fact they’re beneficial because the building moves thermally more than is caused by the Jubilee Line and the movements concentrated around the cracks and, if they didn’t, there’d be cracking elsewhere.

“So these have been there for years and they’re certainly not caused by the Jubilee Line or the car park.” AGENCIES?

Iran detains 6 independent filmmakers: BBC

LONDON: The BBC said Monday that Iran had detained six independent film makers whose work was screened by the broadcaster, but denied they were staff employees.

The BBC issued a statement after an Iranian state television website reported that the Islamic republic had arrested five men and a woman for gathering information for the BBC’s Farsi language service.

“The BBC is aware of reports in the Iranian media alleging that persons working for the BBC Persian service have been arrested in Iran,” the BBC statement said.

“The BBC would like to stress that the six filmmakers currently detained in Iran are not BBC staffers.

“The individuals in question are independent documentary filmmakers whose films have been screened in festivals and other venues internationally. As is common practice for the channel’s documentary showcase programme, BBC Persian television bought the rights to broadcast these films.”

Liliane Landor, controller of languages at BBC Global News, said the films had not been commissioned by the BBC and accused Iran of trying to intimidate the broadcaster following attempts to jam the service.

“We consider this to be part of ongoing efforts by the Iranian government to put pressure on the BBC for the impartial and balanced coverage of its Persian-language TV of events in Iran and the wider region,” Landor said.

She expressed concern about the situation of the filmmakers, saying: “Our thoughts are with the filmmakers and their families.”

An Iranian state television website — citing an informed source who identified the detainees by their initials M.M.T., M.Z., N.S., H.A., M.Sh. and Miss K.Sh. — said the arrests were carried out on Saturday night.

“These identified individuals were providing the BBC Farsi with information, films, and secret reports to paint a black picture of Iran and Iranians,” the website reported.

Iran’s Culture Minister Mohammad Hosseini confirmed that the country’s “intelligence and security apparatus” had detained several people, ISNA news agency reported. AGENCIES

Mary McDonnell says the ‘Battlestar Galactica’ legacy lives on

TrendPK.com: Speaking of Emmy dress plans, nominee Mary McDonnell (“The Closer”) reports, “As a matter of fact, I’m in the thick of it right now. I think we’ve found a stylist we’ll be working with. As I’m sure you’re well-aware, there’s a whole series of events that go on in a 10-day period. There’s a whole process of setting it up now. I’m really looking forward to it, because I love fashion, and I love getting dressed up. Or, I love it when people dress me up — put it that way.”

McDonnell is especially savoring Emmy recognition now — after years of being overlooked by the Academy of Television for her (and her fellow actors’) role on “Battlestar Galactica.” The thoughtful, culturally relevant sci-fi series did, however, win a 2006 Peabody Award.

“Whatever it was, at this point, it doesn’t matter,” says the actress, who played President Laura Roslyn for four seasons. She shrugs. “The legacy of the show just grows every day, the legacy of ‘Battlestar.’ It was such a great thing, and people are falling in love with it as it goes further and further out into the world. In the U.K., they already loved it because they had an equivalent of SyFy (Channel) there, and they could download the show. I’ve been to conventions there, and I knew it had a strong fan base. But now that it’s airing on the BBC, it’s kind of going through the roof.”

Three Pakistanis killed by car in Birmingham riots

LONDON: Three Pakistani men died Wednesday after being hit by a car during riots in Birmingham, officials said, as witnesses said they died while trying to protect their community from looters.

The deceased include two brothers Shehzad Hussain and Haroon Hussain and another youth Mussavir Ali.

Police said they had arrested a man and launched a murder inquiry after the incident which happened at around 1:00 am (0000 GMT) as Britain’s second largest city suffered from another night of riots.

Paramedics said they found around 80 people at the scene after the men were hit by the car. Two of the men were pronounced dead on the spot and the third died later in hospital.

Witnesses and family members said the victims were Pakistani men and were part of a group protecting the area from looting after local people had left a local mosque.

“People came out of prayers and they were protecting the area. My friends were targeted — they were standing on the side of the road and the car just came and ran them over,” witness Kabir Khan Isakhel said.

Another witness said the incident happened after a car was set ablaze in a nearby street and youths gathered, prompting local people to defend a local shopping area.

“They lost their lives for other people, doing the job of the police,” Mohammed Shakiel said outside the hospital where the men were taken, prompting around 200 people to gather in support.

“They were protecting the community as a whole.”

Several cars drove past the group as it was guarding the stores and the occupants shouted abuse before one vehicle returned and mounted the pavement at “tremendous speed” and hit the men, throwing them into the air, Shakiel said.

Tariq Jahan, the father of Haroon Jahan, one of the men who died, told the BBC: “I’ve got no words to describe what, why he was taken and why this has happened.”

“He was a very good lad, starting at the beginning of his life. He had his whole life ahead of him. It makes no sense why people are behaving like this and taking the lives of three innocent people.”

Police said a 32-year-old man was being held on suspicion of murder. It said the victims were aged 20, 30 and 31.

“West Midlands Police have launched a murder enquiry, arrested one man in connection with the incident and recovered a vehicle nearby which will be examined by forensics experts,” a police statement said.

Britain has been hit by four nights of violent rioting. London was quieter on Tuesday night but the unrest spread to other cities including Manchester and Birmingham. AGENCIES/ TrendPK

TRON 3D Nights brings the first ever 3D clubbing experience in India

Submerge, one India’s largest promotions and events company for Dance Music has announced plans to host the Tron 3D Nights across Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore. These Tron 3D Nights by Submerge will engage the electronic dance music and sci-fi movie fans with the first ever 3D clubbing experience in the country.

Tron 3D Nights by Submerge are scheduled on: 9th December at Trilogy, Mumbai; 11th December at Area 51, Pune and on 12th December at Chancery Pavillion Poolside, Bangalore.

Christopher Lawrence, (rated as USA’s No.1 DJ by the BBC Radio) will set the pulse racing with electronic music while the 3D Act from UK consisting of a Disc Jockey and Visual Jockey will create a unique 3D audio visual experience throughout the party. The Tron 3D Nights by Submerge are set to create immersive live entertainment experiences combining dynamic music and dance with the digital-3D world of TRON: Legacy.

Nikhil Chinapa, Submerge Co-Founder said, “Submerge has always been about creating a unique clubbing experiencing and we are glad to announce that The 3D: Audio Visual Experience is coming to India exclusively through Submerge. Our association with the India Release of the path-breaking 3D movie – The Tron: Legacy is going to make this clubbing experience even more special and we are looking forward to the TRON 3D parties by Submerge which will also feature legendary DJ Christopher Lawrence from America. The combination of the 3D Audio Visual Experience with Christopher Lawrence combined with the India Release of The Tron: Legacy will take clubbing in India to a whole new level.”

So all you people slide on your 3D glasses and get ready to be submerged into the musical world of TRON.

Deepa Mehta to shoot Midnight’s Children in Sri Lanka

Oscar nominated director Deepa Mehta and multi-award-winning author Salman Rushdie’s screen adaptation of his extraordinary multi award-winning international bestselling novel Midnight’s Children will commence shooting in Sri Lanka in January 2011.

Shabana Azmi, Irrfan Khan, Soha Ali Khan, Nandita Das, Chandan Roy Sanyal and Seema Biswas will star in the English language film.

The film is being shot in Sri Lanka because Mehta has sworn off India following her nightmare experience shooting Water at Varanasi locations. Water was subsequently shot in Sri Lanka. But Midnight’s Children could yet run into problems because in the late 1990s the BBC was planning to film a five-part mini-series of the novel with Rahul Bose in the lead, but due to pressure from the Muslim community in Sri Lanka, the filming permit was revoked and the project was cancelled.

Mehta and Rushdie have been working together on the screenplay for the past two years. International sales agents FilmNation are handling the film and have already concluded distribution deals with E1 in the UK and UGC in France.

FilmNation CEO Glen Basner said, “At once epic, comic and magical, Midnight’s Children conjures images and characters as rich and unforgettable as India herself. It’s a wonderful project and we are humbled that we have been chosen to represent it.”

Midnight’s Children is the riveting personal story of Saleem, and his changeling twin Shiva, who are both born right at midnight on August 15, 1947, just as India gained its independence from the British Raj. We learn about other children born close to Independence Midnight who, like Saleem, possess special powers and can communicate with each other telepathically. He is not alone. The lives of all the Midnight’s Children are magically tied to the fate of Mother India. Saleem grows up in the shadow of the Raj, in a former British compound. His romantic nature (and his ability to “dial up” his Midnight’s Children comrades telepathically) keeps him afloat. Then shattering revelations about his true identity and a forbidden love send him spinning. Wars and terrible hardships overwhelm Saleem and the other Midnight’s Children but through it all, a bruised and hard-earned sense of hope and renewal is restored.

Midnight’s Children won both the 1981 Booker Prize and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize. It was awarded the “Booker of Bookers” Prize and the best all-time prize winners in 1993 and 2008 to celebrate the Booker Prize 25th and 40th anniversary. Midnight’s Children is also the only Indian novel on Time’s list of the 100 best English-language novels since it’s founding in 1923.

Mehta said of her passion for the novel, “I am intrigued by epic stories with complex people who have many layers and secrets, and tricks up their sleeves. This great novel of Rushdie’s is one of the most famous examples of this kind of generous storytelling, and had an instantaneous appeal for me.”
Speaking of his relationship with Mehta, Rushdie said, “Deepa asked me who had the rights to Midnight’s Children, and I told her that I did. She said “Can I do it?” and I said “Yes.” When asked why this was a such quick, sure decision for him, “Because her work has great beauty, and I always follow the passion.”

Midnight’s Children is produced by David Hamilton with Executive Producers Doug Mankoff and Andrew Spaulding from Echo Lake Entertainment and Steven Silver and Neil Tabatznik from Blue Ice Entertainment.

Harry Potter blamed for India’s owl crisis

MUMBAI: Indian Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has blamed fans of Harry Potter for the demise of wild owls in the country as children seek to emulate the boy wizard by taking the birds as pets.

The hit books and films, which are popular in India, feature a snowy owl called Hedwig who is a feathered sidekick for the Potter character and used to deliver mail.

“Following Harry Potter, there seems to be a strange fascination even among the urban middle classes for presenting their children with owls,” Ramesh said Wednesday, according to comments reported by the BBC.

His remarks came as wildlife group Traffic presented a report called “Imperilled Custodians of the Night” which warned about the declining owl population in India.

Researchers found that a growing number of owls were being trapped, traded or killed in black magic rituals.

Traffic

Haqqani links drone attacks to Europe terror plot

Staff Report

WASHINGTON: Pakistan’s ambassador to Washington, Hussain Haqqani, believes that there is a link between drone attacks and the possible terror plot in Europe.

In an interview with the BBC on Wednesday, he said the US and Pakistan are working together to try and foil any terror attacks.

Western security officials have confirmed that the campaign of American missile strikes by unmanned drones in Pakistan is an attempt to disrupt a plot to attack Europe.

On Monday, four German nationals were killed by one of the drones. Arrests were made in France on Tuesday which may also be linked to the plot. SAMAA

US will stay in Afghanistan until the ‘job is done’: Obama

NEW YORK: President Barack Obama said Friday that the United States would stay in Afghanistan until ‘the job is done,’ despite his July 2011 deadline for some American troops to start coming home.

In an interview with the BBC Persian service, Obama said that it was in Afghan as well as US interests that the size of the American garrison in Afghanistan was gradually wound down.

“We are going to stay there until the job is done. The job is to provide Afghans themselves the capacity to secure their own country,” Obama said.

“The July 2011 date is a date in which, having ramped up our armed presence in Afghanistan … we will then start gradually reducing the number of US troops and coalition troops that are inside of Afghanistan.”

“That’s something that I think the Afghan people want. Afghans are a very proud people, and this is a sovereign government,

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