Vietnamese singers jailed for 'spreading propaganda'

Two musicians in Vietnam whose topical songs are popular among overseas Vietnamese were sentenced to prison Tuesday, prompting criticism from the United States and international rights groups.

Vo Minh Tri and Tran Vu Anh Binh were sentenced to four and six years in prison, respectively, on charges of spreading propaganda against the state, said Tri's lawyer, Tran Vu Hai. They faced possible sentences of up to 20 years.

In a half-day trial, a court in Ho Chi Minh City accused the musicians of posting songs on a website operated by an overseas Vietnamese opposition group, Patriotic Youth, according to Hai. Communist Vietnam does not tolerate challenges to its one-party rule.

Policemen stand guard at the People's Court in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Singers Vo Minh Tri and Tran Vu Anh Binh were sentenced to prison for their songs. (Kham/Reuters)

Tri, 34, known as Viet Khang, has composed songs criticizing the government for not taking a more aggressive position against China in the potentially resource-rich South China Sea, where Vietnam, China and other Asian nations have competing territorial claims. A video of his song Where is My Vietnam? (Viet Nam Toi Dau) has been viewed more than 700,000 times on YouTube.

Binh, 37, is credited with writing the music for Courage in the Dark Prison (Nguc Toi Hien Ngang), a song that encourages nonviolent protest and expresses support for imprisoned blogger Nguyen Van Hai.

The convictions come a month after Hai, known as Dieu Cay, and two other Vietnamese bloggers were sentenced to four to 12 years behind bars on the same charges.

Critics call for singers' release

Human Rights Watch condemned Tuesday's trial and called for the songwriters' immediate release.

"First critics, then bloggers, then poets, and now musicians!" Phil Robertson, deputy director at the New York-based group's Asia division, said in a statement. "The international community can no longer stand by quietly as these free speech activists are picked off one by one by Vietnam's security apparatus."

Truc Ho, one of Tri's U.S.-based supporters, told The Associated Press in April that Patriotic Youth is a group of students, artists and young professionals who promote awareness of social justice and human rights issues in Vietnam.

After Tri was arrested in December, Truc Ho said he and some friends launched a campaign in the United States to press for the songwriter's release. Their online petition to the White House gathered more than 150,000 signatures within a month, he said.

The U.S. Embassy said it was deeply troubled by Tri's sentencing.

"This conviction is the latest in a series of moves by Vietnamese authorities to restrict freedom of expression. The Vietnamese government should release this musician, all prisoners of conscience and adhere to its international obligations immediately," embassy spokesman Christopher Hodges said in a statement.

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Will Ferguson wins $50K Giller Prize

Will Ferguson has won the 2012 Giller Prize, the $50,000 award considered one of Canada's most prestigious literary honours.

Though best known for his humour and travel writing, the Calgary writer won for his dark novel 419 on Tuesday night, accepting the prize at a star-studded gala in Toronto.

"I want to thank the jury for putting together such a fresh list of books," Ferguson, who was dressed in a traditional kilt, said after taking the stage to accept the prize.

"I commend them for taking the books on their own merit, without preconceptions — which is how a jury should act."

Then, reaching into his sporran for a flask, the author concluded his speech by leading the audience in a toast.

"Ladies and gentlemen: To the written word," Ferguson said before taking a sip from the flask he procured from the pouch.

"And finally, to answer the question you're all wondering — yes I have something on underneath!"

A departure and a continuation

419 is a provocative tale of an email scam and a woman who sets out on a wide-ranging search for those she believes responsible for her father's death. It's different sort of writing for many fans of Ferguson, a three-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal.

"Everyone's saying it's a departure, which is understandable, but I think it's a continuum from Spanish Fly," he told reporters after the ceremony, referencing his earlier book.

Calgary's Will Ferguson holds his Giller Prize trophy following the 2012 award gala in Toronto Tuesday. (Frank Gunn/Canadian Press)

"Spanish Fly was about con artists in the 1930s. It was a historical novel. So I didn't think of [419] as out of the blue, but I think of it as a continuation."

Ferguson didn't worry as much about writing in a genre for which he isn't as known.

"I think my publisher really took more of a risk than I did, to be honest, when I switched to literary fiction," he said.

Despite the kudos he's received for 419, he not ready to limit himself to one type of writing either.

"If a funny story grabs you, it grabs you. If travel grabs you, it grabs you," he said, noting that his next book will be a travel narrative about Rwanda, Burundi and potentially eastern Congo.

"I try to switch between fiction and travel. It uses different parts of your brain. No, I'm not giving up on travel writing, but I'm certainly enjoying fiction."

Along with the $50,000 cash prize, Ferguson will likely see a healthy sales boost for 419 — a post-prize bump dubbed "the Giller effect."

Audience of notable Canadians

Satirist Rick Mercer, Olympian Rosie MacLennan, actress Kim Cattrall, soprano Measha Brueggergosman and actor Allan Hawco each introduced one of the evening's finalists.

Ferguson's fellow shortlisted authors included St. John's writer Russell Wangersky (Whirl Away) and Montreal authors Nancy Richler (The Imposter Bride), Alix Ohlin (Inside) and Kim Thuy (Ru) — each of whom will receive $5,000.

Tuesday night's ceremony opened with a dance piece by two members of the National Ballet of Canada, performing to an acoustic version of I Won't Let You Go (Darling) sung by rocker Jacob Hoggard.

CBC personality Jian Ghomeshi hosted the gala, which he described as a celebration of authors, at Toronto's Ritz-Carleton Hotel.

Actor Gordon Pinsent, interim Liberal Leader Bob Rae and Conrad Black were among the notable figures who attended the posh awards gala. Past Giller-winners Margaret Atwood, Vincent Lam and Linden Macintyre were also in the audience.

This year's jury — Irish author Roddy Doyle, Canadian publisher and writer Anna Porter and American satirist Gary Shteyngart — read more than 140 books in approximately 4½ months, according to businessman and prize founder Jack Rabinovitch.

Awarded annually since 1994, the prize was established by Rabinovitch in memory of his late wife, literary journalist Doris Giller.

Honouring the best book of English-language fiction written in the past year, the Giller has previously gone to writers such as Mordecai Richler, Rohinton Mistry, Alice Munro and Esi Edugyan.

A dark thriller, 419 is a provocative tale of an email scam and a woman who sets out on a wide-ranging search for those she believes responsible for her father's death. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)

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Community to return in NBC midseason schedule

NBC is making room for Community on its midseason schedule, following a prolonged hiatus after the firing of the show's creator and show-runner Dan Harmon this summer.

The network released a schedule for January to April 2013 on Tuesday that also include a new comedy set in the White House and a dating series produced by former Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria.

Community, set on a fictional community college campus, will air at 8 p.m. ET Thursdays starting Feb. 7. The Joel McHale comedy, which has a cult-like following for its quick wit, will be followed by Parks and Recreation, which moves to a new 8:30 p.m. time slot starting Jan. 17, NBC said.

The sitcom 1600 Penn, starring Bill Pullman, Jenna Elfman and Josh Gad as the first family, will debut on Thursday, Jan. 10.

Longoria's Ready for Love, billed by NBC as an "innovative and dramatic" relationship show, begins on Sunday, March 31.

"Deception," a new murder mystery series starring Meagan Good, Victor Garber and Tate Donovan, will air at 10 p.m. Monday, Jan. 7. Fall drama "Revolution," which goes on hiatus after November, will return at 10 p.m. Monday, March 25.

Also on NBC's 2013 schedule: "Betty White's Off Their Rockers," Jan. 8; "The Biggest Loser" with returning trainer Jillian Michaels, Jan. 6; "Smash" with guest star Jennifer Hudson, Feb. 5; "The Celebrity Apprentice," March 3; and "The Voice," with new judges Usher and Shakira, March 25.

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Somali poet, writer Warsame Shire Awale shot dead

Popular Somali poet, playwright and songwriter Warsame Shire Awale has been killed in the capital, Mogadishu.

He was shot by two unknown gunmen near his home on Monday evening, according to Somali journalists. He was the 18th media worker to be killed this year in Somalia.

Awale worked at a Mogadishu radio station, writing and acting in radio plays. He also was a veteran poet and wrote songs for local bands.

His work was frequently critical of the militant group, al-Shabaab, who he accused of misleading people in the name of Islam.

The National Union of Somali Journalists said Awale had been receiving threats because of comments he made on air about gunmen targeting civilians. He had played with the police band and some of his songs urged people to join the police force, which is struggling to keep order in the face of violent attacks by the militant group.

A year ago African Union troops forced al-Shabaab members out into the countryside, but they still make frequent forays into Mogadishu.

According to the BBC, Awale was popular with young Somalis who responded to his comic plays urging them to reject violence and join those working for the UN-backed government, including the police.

Colleague Sharmarke Abukar Amin said many journalists are targeted by militants just for their profession. Al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for killing more than 10 journalists this year in Somalia.

Somalia has not had a stable government since the overthrow of President Siad Barre in 1991. Clan-based warlords, Islamist militants and neighbouring countries are all battling for control.

With files from the Associated Press

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Inuit artist has solo show at Washington's Smithsonian

Abraham Anghik Ruben has become the first Inuit sculptor to get a solo show at the Smithsonian's American Indian Museum in Washington, D.C.

The carver — who works in bone, stone, ivory and bronze — says his work reflects his roots in the North and Inuit core belief systems.

"For myself, it's an exhibition that I've been waiting 40 years for. It's taken 40 years to get to this stage in my life, and I'm extremely pleased with the events and the effort that went into making this exhibit," Ruben told CBC News in an interview last week.

The exhibit Arctic Journeys/Ancient Memories: The Sculpture of Abraham Anghik Ruben opened in early October and continues until January. It centres around 23 of his sculptures, which combine Inuit and Norse mythology in their story-telling.

Curator Bernadette Driscoll Engelstad said the Smithsonian selected Ruben's work in part because of its large scale, but also because of its bold contemporary vision.

"We were drawn to Abraham — Abraham has really distinguished himself in many ways," she said.

His carving of a narwhal tusk is not only large – more than 1.5 metres long — but also "reminds you very much of medieval art in the fineness of the sculpting," she said.

'"When two peoples meet and have a relationship that lasts for several hundred years, a lot of things happen including warfare, trade, intermarriage, collective hunting, exchange of cultural ideas and exchange of technology'—Abraham Anghik Ruben

For the American Indian Museum exhibit, Ruben extrapolates a series of stories from pre-history about contact between Inuit, who spread from the western Arctic toward Baffin island and Greenland, and the Vikings, who spread from Scandinavia east to the British isles, Greenland and North America.

"So where I'm coming from with this exhibition, I'm using the idea of the inevitable consequences of contact as a way to put forward ideas and stories, images in stone," he said.

"There may not be the evidence in Inuit sagas, but when two peoples meet and have a relationship that lasts for several hundred years, a lot of things happen including warfare, trade, intermarriage, collective hunting, exchange of cultural ideas and exchange of technology."

Ruben's meditations on Norse culture began with a circumpolar conference he attended in Irkutsk, Russia, where he met people from other northern cultures. He later studied Norse mythology, particularly the figures of Odin and Thor, which he compares to Inuit heroes.

Memories: An Ancient Past, by Abraham Anghik Ruben, Whale skull, Brazilian soapstone, and cedar. (Kipling Gallery/American Indian Museum)

He is particularly interested in how shamanism was practised in both cultures and ways that pre-historic societies form codes of behaviour.

Engelstad says there is recent archeological evidence of contact between the two cultures on North Baffin Island and Ellesmere Island.

Upwards of 500,000 people could pass through the exhibit, exposing them to fresh ideas about how culture is formed, she said.

Important cultural history

"I think what Abraham has done is in some way brought [cultural myths] in a monumental way, so they really face us and they move into our spaces," she said.

"He has done this with his own carving of Inuvialuit history and makes us realize the importance of this history, the importance of the history of native peoples throughout the Americas."

Ruben grew up in Paulatuk in Canada's Northwest Territories. His father was a hunter and his mother was a seamstress, but he attended a residential school in Inuvik, returning home only during the summers.

After studying design at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Ruben settled off the coast of British Columbia, setting up his studio on Salt Spring island. He has worked as an artist since the 1970s.

While native artist Brian Jungen has shown his work at the Smithsonian and Inuit painter Annie Pootoogook has shown her work at New York's Museum of the American Indian, Ruben is the first Inuit to get a solo show in Washington.

Arctic warming trends

His vision extends to the warming trends in today's Arctic, which may reflect ancient weather systems, but also picks up on the Inuit belief system that man "must have reverence for all creation."

"It has been called the ancient Inuit commandments and it is passed on through the Raven creation myth," he said.

"In 2004, I started forming sculpture dealing with the Arctic environment and there is a sculpture here called Sad My Life out of Balance and it represents a contemporary and also ancient dynamic from the Arctic weather. From that first sculpture I came to understand that it all comes down to too much ice or too little ice, either extreme cold or warming trends and everything goes haywire," he added.

Arctic Journeys/Ancient Memories: The Sculpture of Abraham Anghik Ruben continues to Jan. 2, 2013.

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Daniel Day-Lewis donates poet father's papers to Oxford

British actor Daniel Day-Lewis shown in 2008 when he received an Oscar for There Will Be Blood, is the son of British poet laureate Cecil Day-Lewis. (Kevork Djansezian/Associated Press )

British actor Daniel Day-Lewis is donating papers belonging to his father, the poet Cecil Day-Lewis, to Oxford University.

The archive, which fills 54 boxes, includes early drafts of the poet's work, as well as letters from actor John Gielgud and famous literary figures such as W.H. Auden, Robert Graves and Philip Larkin.

Cecil Day-Lewis, an Anglo-Irish writer who studied classics and became poetry professor at Oxford, was appointed the U.K. poet laureate in 1968. He also wrote mystery novels and stories under the name of Nicholas Blake. He died in 1972

Daniel Day-Lewis, an Oscar winner for There Will Be Blood, stars this year in the much-anticipated film Lincoln, about the assassinated U.S. president. He and his sister, Tamasin, a documentary filmmaker, said Tuesday they are thrilled that their father's papers will be housed at Oxford's Bodleian Libraries and become accessible to students and researchers.

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Poet Al Purdy's home to become writer's residence

The A-frame home built by the late Canadian poet Al Purdy has been bought by a non-profit group and will be turned into a writers' retreat.

Purdy and his wife Eurithe built the home in the late '50s on the shore of Roblin Lake in the Prince Edward County hamlet of Ameliasburgh, Ont., about 16 kilometres south of Belleville, Ont.

After his death in 2000, his widow maintained the home but, now in her 80s, she was looking to sell it, according to Jean Baird, a Vancouver editor and long-time friend of the Purdys.

Baird started the Al Purdy A-frame Association and led a four-year effort to buy the home so it would not be purchased by someone who might have demolished the building and replaced it.

Al Purdy built the A-frame home in Ameliasburgh, Ont. in the late 50s. (Courtesy of the Al Purdy A-frame Association)

Baird said the home has cultural significance, as Purdy came to the national spotlight not long after moving back to the region (he was originally from the Trenton area). The home, and the local region, featured prominently in many of his poems.

Purdys frequent hosts to other writers

It was also a meeting place for hundreds of writers, including Margaret Laurence and Michael Ondaatje, who talked and drank there with the larger-than-life poet.

"Everybody went to the house, partly because Al invited everybody to the house. But I think in part because they loved the company," said Baird.

Purdy won the first of two Governor General's Awards in 1965 for his book of poetry, The Cariboo Horses.

Donations came in and many established Canadian writers — including Leonard Cohen and Yann Martel — took up the cause. Baird said the campaign managed to raise a little more than $200,000, enough to buy the house from Purdy's widow.

But she said there is still work to be done to establish the home as a writers' residence.

"We still are very much in fundraising mode because we still need to raise money to do the upgrades on the home and also to get an endowment going so we can get a writer in there," said Baird.

She remains optimistic, however, that writers will be able to use the cottage as early as next year.

"It's such an exciting idea to have the property continue to be a place that generates words and discussion," said Baird.

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$50K Giller Prize to be awarded tonight

One of Canada's best-known humorists, a trio of Montreal writers and an East Coast author who splits his time between fiction-writing and journalism will be celebrated in Toronto Tuesday night, but only one will emerge as winner of the Scotiabank Giller Prize.

The $50,000 literary prize, one of Canada's most prestigious literary honours, is awarded annually to the best book of Canadian fiction (novel or short story collection) published in English over the past year.

The winner will be announced at a posh gala at Toronto's Ritz-Carleton Hotel Tuesday evening by prize creator Jack Rabinovitch and this year's three-member jury: American satirist Gary Shteyngart, Irish author Roddy Doyle and Canadian publisher and writer Anna Porter.

Calgary-based author Will Ferguson, a three-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour, is nominated for a darker turn: his thriller 419.

Montreal dominates the nominee list this year with three shortlisted authors: relative newcomer Alix Ohlin for her novel Inside, established writer Nancy Richler for her historical tale The Imposter Bride and debut author Kim Thuy for her poetic memoir Ru (translated by award-winner Sheila Fischman).

St. John's-based journalist Russell Wangersky rounds out the finalists. A 2012 Giller nominee for his short story collection Whirl Away, he was previously acclaimed for Burning Down the House, a memoir about his years as a volunteer firefighter.

In addition to the $50,000 grand prize for the winner, the remaining Giller finalists receive $5,000 each.

Awarded annually since in 1994, the prize typically offers a major sales boost to the winning title — now dubbed "the Giller effect." Past recipients have included writers such as Mordecai Richler, Margaret Atwood, Rohinton Mistry, Alice Munro, Michael Ondaatje, Esi Edugyan and Vincent Lam.

Emceed by Jian Ghomeshi, host of CBC Radio's Q cultural affairs show, the 2012 Scotiabank Giller Prize gala will be broadcast from Toronto. The ceremony will include tributes to the five finalists and feature presentations by gymnast and Olympic gold medallist Rosie MacLennan, satirist Rick Mercer, actress Kim Cattrall, soprano Measha Brueggergosman and actor Allan Hawco.

The ceremony will be air at 9pm (local time) on CBC-TV and will also be live-streamed on CBC Books.

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Grey Cup halftime show to feature Bieber, Jepsen, Lightfoot

The Canadian Football League is offering a diverse mix of performers for the halftime show of the 100th Grey Cup.

Teen heart-throb Justin Bieber, singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot, pop-rock group Marianas Trench and pop star Carly Rae Jepsen will perform at halftime of the league's championship game Nov. 25 at Rogers Centre, the CFL announced Saturday.

Country artist Johnny Reid and rocker Burton Cummings will headline a special kickoff show before the game.

"We are absolutely thrilled to unveil an all-Canadian, all-star lineup that features the biggest pop star in the world, the woman who gave us one of the biggest songs ever, one of the hottest young bands in the country, an iconic balladeer, a rock and roll legend, and one of this country's leading entertainers," CFL commissioner Mark Cohon said in a release.

"This array of stars will command a huge and diverse audience, entertaining our most loyal fans and attracting new ones to our game's greatest showcase. It spans genres and generations. And it's quintessentially Canadian and undoubtedly world class, at the same time."

Nickelback played last year's Grey Cup halftime show in Vancouver.

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Broadway, Carnegie Hall shutter before Hurricane Sandy

Broadway took the threat of the mammoth storm seriously, with theater owners cancelling all Sunday evening and Monday performances of shows like The Book of Mormon, Once and Mama Mia! long before a drop of rain fell in New York's Times Square.

"The safety and security of theatregoers and employees is everyone's primary concern," said Charlotte St. Martin, executive director of The Broadway League, which represents producers.

Forecasts called for rain late Sunday and early Monday, and subway and public transportation service was halted Sunday evening, potentially stranding theatergoers. Refunds will be made available from the point of purchase.

Off-Broadway shows including Stomp, Bad Jews, Disgraced and Golden Child were also cancelled Sunday night. Most matinees on and off Broadway stayed open. Mondays are usually very light on Broadway, with most shows having that as their day off.

Carnegie Hall cancelled two concerts scheduled for Sunday night and rescheduled a Monday concert by Rent and Wicked star Idina Menzel, which will now take place Nov. 4.

Some Broadway shows had no evening shows scheduled Sunday, including Cyrano de Bergerac, Annie, Chaplin, Enemy of the People, Once, Jersey Boys and Nice Work If You Can Get It.

It was the most disruptive storm for the theatre community since the threat of Hurricane Irene in late August 2011 prompted producers to cancel matinee and evening performances on Saturday and Sunday. While that hurricane mostly fizzled over New York, every show lost money because they were mostly limited to five or six performances that week.

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Russia's Kolesnikov wins $100K Honens piano competition

Young Russian pianist Pavel Kolesnikov has won the grand prize at the Honens International Piano Competition, taking the title of Honens prize laureate for 2012.

Young Russian pianist Pavel Kolesnikov, 23, has won the grand prize at the Honens International Piano Competition, taking the title of Honens prize laureate for 2012. (Dong Kim/Honens)

The 23-year-old was one of two Russian competitors who advanced into the final round of the prestigious piano competition held once every three years in in Calgary. His compatriot Maria Mazo, 30, was also a semi-finalist and finalist.

Kolesnikov, who played Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23 with the Calgary Philharmonic for his final recital, receives $100,000 in cash and will now also take part in an artistic and career development program valued at $500,000.

"The jury's choice of Pavel Kolesnikov — a thoughtful and inquisitive young musician — is a testament to Honens' commitment to discover musicians with an original voice," Honens artistic director Stephen McHolm said in a statement.

Mazo and the other three finalists — Italy's Lorenzo Cossi, South Korea's Jong-Hai Park and Eric Zuber of the U.S. —received $10,000 each following Friday's finals.

The remaining semi-finalists — including Canada's Avan Yu — took home $2,500 each. Chinese pianist and semi-finalist Zenan Yu was also named winner of the Raeburn Prize for Artist of Special Promise.

"These last 10 days have been an inspiration for music-lovers inside the concert hall and around the world via live and archived webcasts," McHolm said.

"I'm more convinced than ever that Honens is a festival of music and not a traditional knock-em down competition."

For this year's edition, the Honens reached wider audiences than ever before thanks to the decision to live webstream the semifinal and final recital performances. Organizers teamed up with the Banff Centre, CBC Radio as well as Medici.tv, which offers Europeans free live broadcasts of concerts, operas, ballets and similar programming.

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Penguin, Random House publishing merger finalized

Two of the world's biggest publishing houses are to link up in a deal that will bring the writings of classics like George Orwell's 1984 and this year's literary phenomenon Fifty Shades of Grey under one umbrella.

Confirmation that Pearson will merge its Penguin Books division with Random House, which is owned by German media company Bertelsmann, will create the world's largest publisher of consumer books, with around a quarter of the market.

As well as publishing books from authors such as John Grisham, Random House scored a major hit this year with E.L. James' Fifty Shades. Penguin has a strong backlist, including Orwell, Jack Kerouac and John Le Carré.

The two companies said Monday that Bertelsmann would own a controlling 53 percent share of the joint venture, which will be known as Penguin Random House.

Bertelsmann would keep full control of Verlagsgruppe Random House, its trade publishing business in Germany, and Pearson would retain the right to use the Penguin brand in education.

The combined company will control 26 per cent of the global consumer publishing market, leaping ahead of the 17 per cent share of French publisher Lagardere, according to research by Espirito Santo Bank.

News Corp. interest

The announcement may lay to rest the ambition of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. of netting Penguin. Reports over the past couple of days have indicated that News Corp. has expressed an interest in buying Penguin for 1 billion pounds ($1.6 billion US) in cash. News Corp. owns HarperCollins, another big publishing house.

Under the terms of the deal, Random House worldwide chief executive Markus Dohle will be CEO of the new group while Penguin's CEO John Makinson will be the chairman of its board of directors.

'The two publishers will be able to share a large part of their costs, to invest more for their author and reader constituencies and to be more adventurous in trying new models in this exciting, fast-moving world of digital books and digital readers'—Marjorie Scardino, Pearson

"Together, the two publishers will be able to share a large part of their costs, to invest more for their author and reader constituencies and to be more adventurous in trying new models in this exciting, fast-moving world of digital books and digital readers," said Marjorie Scardino, chief executive of Pearson.

And Bertelsmann's Dohle said the link-up will "create a publishing home that gives employees, authors, agents, and booksellers access to unprecedented resources."

The closing of the deal is scheduled to take place in the second half of 2013 following regulatory approval.

Fighting 'gorilla of the book business'

"We believe the tie-up is a sensible one, although it is clearly a defensive response to the long-term pressures affecting the industry, including dramatic growth in digital retail channels, self-publishing and digital reading," said Jonathan Jackson, head of equities at Killik & Co.

Because of the digital challenge, analysts at Jefferies International said they would have preferred Pearson to sell off Penguin altogether.

"The gorilla of the book business is no publisher, it's Amazon and it will stay that way," they said in a research note.

Pearson said the deal does not require approval by shareholders; Bertelsmann is privately owned. Pearson shares were down 1 per cent in midmorning trading in London.

The Financial Times, a Pearson publication, reported Monday that News Corp. had approached Pearson "at the highest level" about a possible cash offer for Penguin. The Sunday Times, owned by News Corp., reported that Murdoch was prepared to offer 1 billion pounds in cash.

Pearson declined to comment on the possible interest of News Corp.

In 2011, Random House reported revenues of 1.7billion euro ($2.2 billion US) and operating profit of 185 million euro. Penguin had revenues of 1 billion pounds and an operating profit of 111 million pounds ($178.7 million US).

Pearson meanwhile reported that its operating profit in the first nine months of the year fell 5 per cent although revenue increased by 5 per cent. Revenue from Penguin was down 1 per cent on a constant currency basis.

The company attributed the profit drop to its sale last year of its half share of FTSE International, a joint venture with the London Stock Exchange.

The Bertelsmann deal is part of Pearson's strategy of focusing more on its education business. Penguin accounts for about 10 per cent of the company's book sales.

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National Geographic head defends debut of bin Laden raid film

The head of National Geographic Channels and the creators of a new movie about the raid on Osama bin Laden are defending the production and the decision to premiere it two days before the U.S. presidential election.

SEAL Team Six: The Raid on Osama bin Laden is a 90-minute TV film depicting the Navy Seal mission that resulted in the death of terrorist leader bin Laden. It is set to air in prime time on National Geographic Channel on Nov. 4. A release on Netflix comes the following day.

National Geographic Channels CEO David Lyle scoffed at the notion the TV movie's debut might sway results of the election, which takes place Nov. 6.

"I think the end titles run longer than Obama's time on screen," Lyle said.

"People that haven't seen the movie have decided that it's a political event. Believe me, in 85 million homes, a movie from National Geographic is not going to change the outcome of the election in a country of 300 million."

Accused of political motivation

The project has sparked outrage from Conservative circles, who have accused the filmmakers of being politically motivated in releasing what they feel will be a favourable portrait of U.S. President Barack Obama so late in the presidential race.

The controversy flared up this week after the New York Times reported that a copy of the film provided to the outlet had been re-edited from the earlier version and that the recut strengthened Obama's role and decision-making regarding the raid.

"We don't want to pass judgment on the content, because we haven't watched the film, but timing is what matters," said Brent Bozell, president of the conservative Media Research Center.

"If it doesn't have a political agenda, as they say it doesn't, and if there aren't any political purposes behind this, as they say there aren't, then simply put [the broadcast] off by two days," Bozell said in an interview with CNN on Wednesday.

Critics have also pointed out that the project counts Harvey Weinstein as a producer. The influential movie mogul and outspoken Obama supporter bought the rights to SEAL Team Six — the first original film to be produced by the National Geographic Channel — at the Cannes film festival in May.

Attention on films about raid

Mixing interviews with archival footage and dramatized flashbacks, SEAL Team Six revisits how intelligence officials and the now-famed squad of Navy Seals raided a fortified compound in Pakistan and killed bin Laden on May 2, 2011. The cast includes Cam Gigandet, Anson Mount, Freddy Rodriquez, Xzibit, Kathleen Robertson, Eddie Kay Thomas and William Fichtner.

"It's impossible to make a film about the killing of Osama bin Laden without the president being a part of that film," actress Robertson said, adding that she believes the criticism to be unfair.

Directed by John Stockwell, SEAL Team Six debuts just weeks before Zero Dark Thirty, Oscar-winner Kathryn Bigelow's high-profile feature film about the raid.

Bigelow reteams with her The Hurt Locker writing-producing colleague Mark Boal for the new production, which has also faced criticism. Though originally set to hit theatres this fall, Zero Dark Thirty's opening was ultimately delayed until Dec. 19.

With files from The Associated Press

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Honens piano competition finalists face off in Calgary

Talented classical pianists from around the world are competing in Calgary for the chance of winning $100,000 in the Honens International Piano Competition.

The winner will be announced Friday night at the Jack Singer Concert Hall, and live coverage starts at 7:30 MT with the two remaining finalists, Maria Mazo and Jong-Hai Park, each playing Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 1.

One pianist will be named the Honens Laureate and will also receive a three-year artistic and career development program valued at $500,000.

Eric Zuber was one of the top five finalists, which also qualifies him for a $10,000 prize.

He has been training, performing and competing for months, but said he finally feels relaxed.

"I did a fairly good job that I can be proud of and that's the best you can do in these things, you know. If you come you give yourself a shot at winning — [if] you don't sabotage yourself on stage in any way," he laughed.

The 27-year-old American pianist performed Thursday night with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra.

"Everyone is appreciative of the fact that it's not just a cash prize, that they are very helpful in giving you concerts, representation and other career assistance," said Zuber.

The Honens competition started in 1992 with the aim to shed light on talented young classical musicians.

"We have a whole roster of great past winners, and we don't just throw them to the side, once they're in the Honens family, they're there to stay," said Honens president Stephen McHolm.

Pavel Kolesnikov is also looking to join the Honens family.

The 23-year-old Russian also qualifies for a $10,000 award for reaching the top five.

"I'm so much absorbed by the work that I'm playing, very excited about it and I'm trying to penetrate into the feelings of the composer."

CBC Music has been following the competition closely and will be putting up a blog post containing the video of the first-prize winning concerto performance on Saturday.

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NAC Orchestra kicks off northern tour

Classical music fans in Canada's North are poised for a rare visit from the National Arts Centre Orchestra.

Though the Ottawa-based NACO has had a relationship with young musicians across Canada, including the North, via educational initiatives such as the Music Alive program — the 2012-2013 season tour marks the ensemble's first performance in Nunavut.

The Ottawa-based National Arts Centre Orchestra's northern tour will include the ensemble's first ever performance in Nunavut. (Fred-Cattroll/National Arts Centre)

The northern tour, which includes performances accompanied by violinist James Ehnes and throat singers Evie Mark and Akinisie Sivuarapik, gets underway with concerts and music sessions in Iqaluit beginning on Saturday.

There, the NACO will stage concerts at the Nakasuk Elementary School gymnasium — one of just two spaces in the Nunavut capital large enough for the event.

New music

The orchestra's players are excited about the rare trip, including composer Alexina Louie, who created a new, northern-themed piece for the occasion: Take the Dog Sled.

"Some of the movements are actually about riding on a dog sled, which I haven't done before. But as you feel the rhythm of the dog sled and of the dogs and you hear the singing of the throat singers...hopefully I'm putting the audience right in that dog sled," she said.

Middle school students are among those most eager about the visit. Though many have never seen an orchestra in person, some will actually be sharing the stage with the NACO.

The NACO's brass trio performed a concert at Inuksuk High School in Iqaluit in January. (CBC)

"I really want to see the orchestra because I think it will be cool seeing all the different instruments," said eighth grade student Hope Carpenter, a member of her school's choir.

After Iqaluit, the tour — comprising six concerts and more than 50 educational events — continues to Yellowknife and Whitehorse, through Nov. 4.

Next spring, from April 25 to May 4, more than 350 artists from Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Nunavik and Nunatsiavut will travel to Ottawa to take part in the multi-discipline arts festival Northern Scene.

"We're calling it the NAC's year of the North," NAC president Peter Herrndorf said in a statement this week.

"We are thrilled to be celebrating the artistry and heritage of the extraordinary talent of Northern Canada by touring the North with the orchestra in the fall and by staging the biggest showcase of Northern artists Canada has ever seen in the spring."

With files from Kate Porter

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Grey Cup halftime show to feature Bieber, Jepsen, Lightfoot

The Canadian Football League is offering a diverse mix of performers for the halftime show of the 100th Grey Cup.

Teen heart-throb Justin Bieber, singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot, pop-rock group Marianas Trench and pop star Carly Rae Jepsen will perform at halftime of the league's championship game Nov. 25 at Rogers Centre, the CFL announced Saturday.

Country artist Johnny Reid and rocker Burton Cummings will headline a special kickoff show before the game.

"We are absolutely thrilled to unveil an all-Canadian, all-star lineup that features the biggest pop star in the world, the woman who gave us one of the biggest songs ever, one of the hottest young bands in the country, an iconic balladeer, a rock and roll legend, and one of this country's leading entertainers," CFL commissioner Mark Cohon said in a release.

"This array of stars will command a huge and diverse audience, entertaining our most loyal fans and attracting new ones to our game's greatest showcase. It spans genres and generations. And it's quintessentially Canadian and undoubtedly world class, at the same time."

Nickelback played last year's Grey Cup halftime show in Vancouver.

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National Geographic head defends debut of bin Laden raid film

The head of National Geographic Channels and the creators of a new movie about the raid on Osama bin Laden are defending the production and the decision to premiere it two days before the U.S. presidential election.

SEAL Team Six: The Raid on Osama bin Laden is a 90-minute TV film depicting the Navy Seal mission that resulted in the death of terrorist leader bin Laden. It is set to air in prime time on National Geographic Channel on Nov. 4. A release on Netflix comes the following day.

National Geographic Channels CEO David Lyle scoffed at the notion the TV movie's debut might sway results of the election, which takes place Nov. 6.

"I think the end titles run longer than Obama's time on screen," Lyle said.

"People that haven't seen the movie have decided that it's a political event. Believe me, in 85 million homes, a movie from National Geographic is not going to change the outcome of the election in a country of 300 million."

Accused of political motivation

The project has sparked outrage from Conservative circles, who have accused the filmmakers of being politically motivated in releasing what they feel will be a favourable portrait of U.S. President Barack Obama so late in the presidential race.

The controversy flared up this week after the New York Times reported that a copy of the film provided to the outlet had been re-edited from the earlier version and that the recut strengthened Obama's role and decision-making regarding the raid.

"We don't want to pass judgment on the content, because we haven't watched the film, but timing is what matters," said Brent Bozell, president of the conservative Media Research Center.

"If it doesn't have a political agenda, as they say it doesn't, and if there aren't any political purposes behind this, as they say there aren't, then simply put [the broadcast] off by two days," Bozell said in an interview with CNN on Wednesday.

Critics have also pointed out that the project counts Harvey Weinstein as a producer. The influential movie mogul and outspoken Obama supporter bought the rights to SEAL Team Six — the first original film to be produced by the National Geographic Channel — at the Cannes film festival in May.

Attention on films about raid

Mixing interviews with archival footage and dramatized flashbacks, SEAL Team Six revisits how intelligence officials and the now-famed squad of Navy Seals raided a fortified compound in Pakistan and killed bin Laden on May 2, 2011. The cast includes Cam Gigandet, Anson Mount, Freddy Rodriquez, Xzibit, Kathleen Robertson, Eddie Kay Thomas and William Fichtner.

"It's impossible to make a film about the killing of Osama bin Laden without the president being a part of that film," actress Robertson said, adding that she believes the criticism to be unfair.

Directed by John Stockwell, SEAL Team Six debuts just weeks before Zero Dark Thirty, Oscar-winner Kathryn Bigelow's high-profile feature film about the raid.

Bigelow reteams with her The Hurt Locker writing-producing colleague Mark Boal for the new production, which has also faced criticism. Though originally set to hit theatres this fall, Zero Dark Thirty's opening was ultimately delayed until Dec. 19.

With files from The Associated Press

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Honens piano competition finalists face off in Calgary

Talented classical pianists from around the world are competing in Calgary for the chance of winning $100,000 in the Honens International Piano Competition.

The winner will be announced Friday night at the Jack Singer Concert Hall, and live coverage starts at 7:30 MT with the two remaining finalists, Maria Mazo and Jong-Hai Park, each playing Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 1.

One pianist will be named the Honens Laureate and will also receive a three-year artistic and career development program valued at $500,000.

Eric Zuber was one of the top five finalists, which also qualifies him for a $10,000 prize.

He has been training, performing and competing for months, but said he finally feels relaxed.

"I did a fairly good job that I can be proud of and that's the best you can do in these things, you know. If you come you give yourself a shot at winning — [if] you don't sabotage yourself on stage in any way," he laughed.

The 27-year-old American pianist performed Thursday night with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra.

"Everyone is appreciative of the fact that it's not just a cash prize, that they are very helpful in giving you concerts, representation and other career assistance," said Zuber.

The Honens competition started in 1992 with the aim to shed light on talented young classical musicians.

"We have a whole roster of great past winners, and we don't just throw them to the side, once they're in the Honens family, they're there to stay," said Honens president Stephen McHolm.

Pavel Kolesnikov is also looking to join the Honens family.

The 23-year-old Russian also qualifies for a $10,000 award for reaching the top five.

"I'm so much absorbed by the work that I'm playing, very excited about it and I'm trying to penetrate into the feelings of the composer."

CBC Music has been following the competition closely and will be putting up a blog post containing the video of the first-prize winning concerto performance on Saturday.

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Hazmat team called to AGO after children fall ill

A hazardous materials team has been called to Toronto's Art Gallery of Ontario after five visiting children fell ill and were taken to hospital.

Toronto EMS says some of the children, who were visiting as part of a school group attending a special exhibition, fainted shortly after arriving at the AGO Friday morning.

Emergency workers said the children were conscious but were pale and suffering from abdominal pain. All were expected to recover, police told CBC.

Fire crews arrived on the scene, and the special exhibition area of the AGO was evacuated.

Fire crews told CBC that readings taken at the scene show there was no carbon monoxide present and that the air was safe to breathe.

Police said the children may have inhaled fumes from a parked truck or bus before they entered the building.

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NAC Orchestra kicks off northern tour

Classical music fans in Canada's North are poised for a rare visit from the National Arts Centre Orchestra.

Though the Ottawa-based NACO has had a relationship with young musicians across Canada, including the North, via educational initiatives such as the Music Alive program — the 2012-2013 season tour marks the ensemble's first performance in Nunavut.

The Ottawa-based National Arts Centre Orchestra's northern tour will include the ensemble's first ever performance in Nunavut. (Fred-Cattroll/National Arts Centre)

The northern tour, which includes performances accompanied by violinist James Ehnes and throat singers Evie Mark and Akinisie Sivuarapik, gets underway with concerts and music sessions in Iqaluit beginning on Saturday.

There, the NACO will stage concerts at the Nakasuk Elementary School gymnasium — one of just two spaces in the Nunavut capital large enough for the event.

New music

The orchestra's players are excited about the rare trip, including composer Alexina Louie, who created a new, northern-themed piece for the occasion: Take the Dog Sled.

"Some of the movements are actually about riding on a dog sled, which I haven't done before. But as you feel the rhythm of the dog sled and of the dogs and you hear the singing of the throat singers...hopefully I'm putting the audience right in that dog sled," she said.

Middle school students are among those most eager about the visit. Though many have never seen an orchestra in person, some will actually be sharing the stage with the NACO.

The NACO's brass trio performed a concert at Inuksuk High School in Iqaluit in January. (CBC)

"I really want to see the orchestra because I think it will be cool seeing all the different instruments," said eighth grade student Hope Carpenter, a member of her school's choir.

After Iqaluit, the tour — comprising six concerts and more than 50 educational events — continues to Yellowknife and Whitehorse, through Nov. 4.

Next spring, from April 25 to May 4, more than 350 artists from Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Nunavik and Nunatsiavut will travel to Ottawa to take part in the multi-discipline arts festival Northern Scene.

"We're calling it the NAC's year of the North," NAC president Peter Herrndorf said in a statement this week.

"We are thrilled to be celebrating the artistry and heritage of the extraordinary talent of Northern Canada by touring the North with the orchestra in the fall and by staging the biggest showcase of Northern artists Canada has ever seen in the spring."

With files from Kate Porter

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James Bond exhibit charts the fashions, film craft behind 007

With a fresh James Bond instalment on its way to cinemas this fall, a new exhibit at Toronto's TIFF Bell Lightbox whets fans' appetites by offering a peek behind the scenes of the iconic, 50-year-old series.

Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style charts the evolution of British author Ian Fleming's suave superspy through a trove of artifacts largely plucked from the archives of EON Productions, which has produced the Bond series since its inaugural film: 1962's Dr. No. The show initially opened at London's Barbican Centre in July.

Entering through a tunnel fashioned after the film series' gun-barrel opening credits, fans and visitors meet a wealth of material — some never before displayed for the public — that celebrates the long-running series and pays tribute to the painstaking work of the artists, craftspeople and technicians who have brought James Bond to life onscreen.

For fashion historian and exhibit guest curator Bronwyn Cosgrave, the goal was to create an immersive and fun retrospective that recreates the energy of a 007 film, but doesn't simply rest on nostalgia.

"You can sometimes fall into a trap, when it comes to a retrospective, that it looks old...Since the production quality of the Bond films is so high, it really had to have an environment that captured the feel of the films," she told CBC News.

"What I would really like is for people to hang out to explore, read, watch the videos and listen to musical scores," she added. "It's a sensory journey because that's what it is when you go to a Bond film."

Trove of 007 artifacts

Though what's displayed is just a fraction of what EON has stored, Designing 007 is packed with movie artifacts, detailed preparatory illustrations, music and sound effects, video footage, interviews, costumes, scale models of vehicles and weapons, documents and re-created set pieces representing all 23 Bond instalments, including the upcoming Skyfall.

A highlight of the show is the incredibly lifelike and macabre recreation of villain Goldfinger's mistress. An uncanny version of Jill Masterson's body is sprawled out on a revolving bed, fatally gilded with gold leaf. Other notable attractions include:

• An archival CBC-TV interview with Ian Fleming.
• First edition hardcover editions of Fleming's Bond novels.
• Props from classic henchman, from Oddjob's deadly, steel-brimmed bowler hat to Jaws' dangerous teeth.
• M and Miss Moneypenny's MI6 ID cards.
• Shirley Bassey's gold record for the Goldfinger soundtrack.
• A variety of evening gowns featuring Bond-catching plunging necklines.
• Supervillain Ernst Stavro Blofeld's plastic surgery face charts.
• A re-creation of the poker scene from Casino Royale.
• Office paraphernalia belonging to the newest Q (portrayed in Skyfall by actor Ben Whishaw).

The items in the show aren't necessarily arranged chronologically, but rather in a fashion that's designed to inspire visitors to discover connections between the films and perhaps note their wider societal and cultural influence. Take the infamously named femme fatal Pussy Galore, whose fashion-forward pantsuits, some of which could be worn today, were created by costume designer Beatrice Dawson.

"She wore trousers all through Goldfinger," Cosgrave noted about actress Honor Blackman's famous character, admitting that fact had never occurred to her when she first watched the 1964 film.

"Women [in the 1960s] did not wear trousers at all. When that film came out, [Blackman] became a fashion icon… She became one of the few women in entertainment that really made trousers acceptable."

Master craftspeople behind the scenes

Such details and the pieces ultimately included in the exhibit passed a truly important test when crew from the films visited it in London, Cosgrave added.

"It was incredibly gratifying to me to have these legendary professionals [craftspeople who had worked on multiple 007 films] really enjoy the exhibition when they came to see it," she said, mentioning that director and film editor John Glen was thrilled that the "rip-away hem dress" worn by actress Carey Lowell (Licence to Kill) — which he co-designed — had made it into the exhibit.

'I want people to know that every frame of a film involves hours and hours of consideration, deliberation and design, over and above what they imagine of the camera and the lighting'—Lindy Hemming, Oscar-winning costume designer

One of Cosgrave's main partners in the show is costume designer Lindy Hemming. The Oscar-winner, who worked on five Bond films from 1995's GoldenEye through 2006's Casino Royale, was eager to showcase the extensive design work that goes into each James Bond movie and films in general.

"My passion was to try to pull out things that would explain that you don't just buy a costume in a shop, willy-nilly. Thought has gone into it. Maybe it has even been drawn and made from scratch. Or maybe it's been bought and altered. Or maybe it was bought and copied with credit to the designer," she said.

For instance, Hemming sourced a shirt and jacket combo from Miuccia Prada's spring-summer 1997 collection for Michelle Yeoh to wear in Tomorrow Never Dies. Chosen for a lengthy stunt sequence, the garments had to be modified and replicated in multiple quantities for Yeoh and her stunt double. Hemming also tracked down a type of stretch fabric for the recreated Prada garments so as to accommodate protective armour the actresses had to wear underneath.

"I want people to know that every frame of a film involves hours and hours of consideration, deliberation and design over and above what they imagine of the camera and the lighting," Hemming said.

The film veteran also said she'd like to show those anxious to break into the business just how many areas of production can be involved in one movie.

"There are more levels and different sections: from prosthetic makeup, which has to be designed, through furniture designs, designs of stunts, designs of clothing, designs of everything, gadgets. It's all really fascinating and multi-layered. That's my passion."

Enduring Bond

Though there are myriad production teams involved in making each Bond film, they all have one purpose: to carry on the tradition born from Fleming's stories and bring to life his multifaceted hero, who is both contemporary and classic and appeals to fans in each new generation.

"There's very much a duality in [Bond]," according to Jesse Wente, director of film programs at TIFF Bell Lightbox.

"He's very much a fashion plate, very much a modern man, but he's also a killer, a highly trained killer. I think that duality is some of the complexity of the character and what these stories are actually about. Killers aren't always monsters in the way that we think. Sometimes they're assigned by governments and sometimes they come wearing Tom Ford suits."

While each Bond film is set in modern times and the casts change over the years, as shown in Designing 007, there remains a certain consistency to each instalment.

"As movie magic, they pretty much capture everything that you're going to want in an exciting film. It's got a dashing hero, some sort of supervillain doing a diabolical plan. You've got travels all over the world, big explosions, fancy-looking cars, all these cool gadgets, incredible stunts...The very elements of what make a Bond film just keep us coming to the cinema," Wente said.

"What gets old about incredible action, amazing stunts and fantastic-looking people all on a thriller landscape? That never really tires out and that allows the movies to endure. And every so often, you get a new actor playing him and suddenly the whole thing is reborn again."

Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style opens Friday and continues through Jan. 20, 2013.

To accompany the exhibit, TIFF has organized panel discussions, educational programming and screening of three related movie series. Shaken Not Stirred: Bond on Film will feature each Bond film, from Dr. No through Quantum of Solace; Bond vs. Blofeld is a marathon showing of all six films that pit 007 against Ernst Stavro Blofeld; and Beyond Bond: The Other Secret Agents will focus on notable spy films that emerged post-Bond.

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Houston Picasso vandal gets one-man show

A Houston, Texas, art gallery has raised the ire of the local art community by staging a show of works by a 22-year-old who's been on the lam since being charged with spray-painting a Pablo Picasso painting.

Despite the uproar, Cueto James Art Gallery owner James Perez expects a full house for Friday's opening of 12 works by Uriel Landeros.

"It made me happy that someone could evoke this kind of emotion in people," Perez said.

Landeros was charged with felony graffiti and felony criminal mischief for allegedly defacing Woman in a Red Armchair at Houston's Menil Collection on June 13. A video posted on YouTube showed a man holding a stencil up to the work of art and spray-painting it, leaving behind an image of a bullfighter, a bull and the word "conquista," Spanish for conquest.

Found vandalism inspiring

Perez, who said he was interested in Landeros' work prior to the vandalism charge, said he found the act inspiring.

"It's just taking something and making it your own. I like what Uriel did. That it makes it yours," Perez said.

But the contention that the stencil was itself art has especially angered people in the Houston arts community.

"You don't destroy someone else's artwork and call that art," said artist Mitch Cohen, an arts promoter and founder of the First Saturday Arts Market. "I've never seen such a backlash against a show."

Kristen Kramlich, who creates jewelry and sculptures, said, "It's all about the sensationalism and that's what (Landeros is) riding on and that's what the gallery is riding on."

Perez denied the show is meant to draw attention to himself, saying, "I'm already popular. This is for Uriel."

Galling publicity

Art community members also say it's galling to see so much attention being paid to this show when local gallery shows usually escape widespread notice.

"The greatest gallery exhibit in history would not get this publicity," said Houston art blogger Robert Boyd, who noted he'd not heard of Landeros prior to the vandalism charge.

Andree Bober, director of Landmarks, a public art program at the University of Texas at Austin, said this vandalism incident isn't unique.

"It's not a new statement. It's a derivative one," she said.

Earlier this month, a vandal scrawled graffiti on a mural by modern American master Mark Rothko at London's Tate Modern.

Perez said the fugitive artist will speak with attendees via Skype at Friday's gallery opening, but that Landeros would not speak with the media until then.

Perez said that he expects 200-300 people to stream through his 3,000-square-foot gallery Friday night to see paintings that he deems "revolutionary" in subject matter. One painting is of a half-skeletal person.

Landeros, who Perez says is in Mexico, posted a video on YouTube in August in which he explains that he didn't intend to "destroy Pablo's painting or to insult the Menil." He said if he wanted to destroy it, he would have slashed it with a knife or burnt it. Landeros also claimed the Picasso could be restored with "a little bit of Windex."

Menil spokeswoman Gretchen Sammons said the institution had no comment on the show. She said restoration is still underway on the piece and they expect "a full recovery."

Donna Hawkins, a Harris County assistant district attorney, said Landeros faces two to 10 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.

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Canadian Tenors sing inside human rights museum

The Canadian Tenors donned safety vests and steel-toed boots on Thursday to sing for construction crews building the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg.

As workers put down their tools and looked on, the group sang two songs inside the museum, which has been under construction since the spring of 2009.

The Canadian Tenors were in Winnipeg to sing the national anthem at Wednesday night's National Basketball Association game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Detroit Pistons at the MTS Centre.

Members said while in town, they wanted to get a glimpse of the human rights museum.

The museum is currently slated to open in 2014, about a year later than originally planned.

Click on the video player above to watch Alana Cole's report.

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U.S. returns 4,000 archaeological relics to Mexico

More than 4,000 archaeological artifacts looted from Mexico and seized in the U.S. were returned to Mexican authorities on Thursday, in what experts say is one of the largest repatriation ever made between the neighbouring countries.

The items mostly date from before European explorers landed in North America and include items from hunter-gatherers in pre-Columbian northern Mexico, such as stones used to grind corn, statues, figurines and copper hatchets, said Pedro Sanchez, president of the National Archaeological Council of Mexico.

Seizures were made in El Paso, Phoenix, Chicago, Denver, San Diego and San Antonio by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, though most of the relics — including items traced to a 2008 theft of a museum in Mexico — turned up in Fort Stockton, a Texas town about 370 km southeast of El Paso.

More than two dozen pieces of pottery were seized in Kalispell, Mont., where U.S. Homeland Security agents discovered that a consignor had paid Mexican Indians to loot items from burial sites deep in the Mexican Copper Canyon in Chihuahua, Mexico, authorities said.

Although most of the items turned over are arrowheads, several are of "incalculable archaeological value," Sanchez told The Associated Press. He said it was the biggest archaeological repatriation, in terms of the number of items, that the U.S has made to Mexico.

Relics displayed before repatriation

U.S. officials displayed the relics at the Mexican Consulate in El Paso before handing them over during a ceremony Thursday. The artifacts will eventually be taken to the National Institute of Anthropology and History in Mexico City, where they will be studied, cataloged and distributed to museums across Mexico.

Most of the items resulted from a string of seizures in West Texas in 2009, following a tip about relics illegally entering the U.S. at a border crossing in Presidio, Texas.

Homeland Security special agent Dennis Ulrich said authorities executing a search warrant in Fort Stockton found the largest portion of the cache. And further investigation revealed that the two men who organized the artifacts' smuggling were involved in drug trafficking from Mexico to the U.S., he said.

Sanchez said some of the relics found in Fort Stockton were stolen from a private collection at the Cuatro Cienagas museum in the Mexican state of Coahuila. The items also include arrows, hunting bows and even extremely well conserved textile items such as sandals and pieces of baskets.

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Canada Reads 2013 releases Top 10 book choices by region

Prince Edward Island author Lucy Maud Montgomery's most enduring work is Anne of Green Gables, which has been nominated as a Canada Reads choice. (National Archives of Canada/Canadian Press)

The choice of books for the 2013 edition of Canada Reads is emerging as a regional turf war, with readers from five different geographic areas across the country putting forward their favourite local authors.

The choices range from established classics, like Who Has Seen the Wind by W.O. Mitchell and Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery to this year's Giller nominees Ru by Kim Thuy and Inside by Alix Ohlin.

There's been hot debate on CBC Books as readers submitted thousands of titles.

Just one book from each of the regions — British Columbia and Yukon, Prairies and North, Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic Provinces – will be debated during Canada Reads 2013.

Now each region has whittled it down to 10 books, all works of fiction, as determined by online voting,

The top 10 were announced Wednesday on CBC Radio.

The top 10 from the Atlantic provinces:

• Annabel by Kathleen Winter
• Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
• The Bay of Love and Sorrows by David Adams Richards
• Come Thou Tortoise by Jessica Grant
• February by Lisa Moore
• Galore by Michael Crummey
• Glass Boys by Nicole Lundrigan
• No Great Mischief by Alistair McLeod
• Ragged Islands by Don Hannah
• The Town that Drowned by Riel Nason

The top 10 from the Prairies and the North:

• Stolen by Annette Lapointe
• Cool Water by Dianne Warren
• Fall from Grace by Wayne Arthurson
• The Garneau Block by Todd Babiak
• Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay
• The Trade by Fred Stenson
• The Age of Hope by David Bergen
• The Diviners by Margaret Laurence
• Who Has Seen the Wind by W.O. Mitchell
• The Englishman's Boy by Guy Vanderhaeghe

The top 10 from Ontario:

• The Amazing Absorbing Boy by Rabindranath Maharaj
• Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
• Away by Jane Urquhart
• Clara Callan by Richard B. Wright
• The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Buchanan
• The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
• Far to Go by Alison Pick
• Fifth Business by Robertson Davies
• Helpless by Barbara Gowdy
• Sweetness in the Belly by Camilla Gibb

The top 10 from Quebec:

• The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny
• The Darling of Kandahar by Felicia Mihali
• De Niro's Game by Rawi Hage
• How to make Love to a Negro Without Getting Tired by Dany Laferrière
• Illustrado by Miguel Syjuco
• Inside by Alix Ohlin
• Ru by Kim Thuy
• Solomon Gursky Was Here by Mordecai Richler
• The Tin Flute by Gabrielle Roy
• Two Solitudes by Hugh McLennan

The top 10 from British Columbia and the Yukon:

• The Canterbury Trail by Angie Abdou
• The Cure for Death by Lightning by Gail Anderson-Dargatz
• Bow Grip by Ivan E. Coyote
• Everything Was Good-bye by Gurjinder Basran
• The Golden Mean by Annabel Lyon
• Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese
• Monkey Beach by Eden Robinson
• Obasan by Joy Kogawa
• One Good Hustle by Billie Livingston
• Swamp Angel by Ethel Wilson

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Depeche Mode plans 2013 album and tour

British synth-pop band Depeche Mode is planning a new album and worldwide tour that will take its members to North America in 2013.

Bandmates Dave Gahan, Martin Gore and Andy Fletcher announced their plans in Paris on Wednesday, joking that they'd never expected to have such longevity in music.

With hits like People are People and Barrel of a Gun, the band has sold 100 million records since emerging as pioneers of New Wave in the 1980s. The band last toured in 2009 and 2010.

"Performing onstage is really what it's all about these days," Gahan said at Wednesday's press conference.

"It's very different from what it was 20 years ago. You get the energy from the performance."

The tour launches in Tel Aviv on May 7, 2013, which will be followed by 34 shows in Europe and a leg in North America (with dates to be released).

Performing today is "really an emotional thing," Gahan added.

"It's really raw and emotional to the point where at the end of tours, it's hard to say goodbye."

Very few details of Depeche Mode's new recording, the band's 13th studio album, have been released. The trio say they've recorded 20 tracks, with five of the songs written by Gahan and most of the others by Gore, the band's principal songwriter.

Earlier this year, frontman Gahan collaborated on an album with indie band The Soulsavers.

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Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei covers Gangnam Style, in handcuffs

Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei is the latest to go Gangnam Style — but in a trademark act of irreverence, he's thrown in a pair of handcuffs and a poke at Chinese censors.

In a video posted on YouTube, Ai sports a neon-pink T-shirt, black jacket and dark sunglasses and energetically mimics rodeo-style dance moves made famous by South Korean rapper PSY, whose original video became an Internet sensation.

Ai said he and several friends made the video Wednesday and uploaded it overnight. In one scene, he swings two pairs of handcuffs while dancing. The video also was posted on Chinese websites, but censors apparently had scrubbed it off many of them by Thursday morning.

Ai told The Associated Press on Thursday that he decided to make the video after learning that the family of his friend Zuoxiao Zuzhou, a famous rock star in China, was losing their home to a demolition crew. The artist said he thought a little humour could alleviate some of the frustration felt by the Chinese public.

"Our happiness is constantly being taken away from us, our homes demolished, we are always controlled, passports can be taken away from us, and all these can affect our happiness," Ai said.

"However, every morning we have the opportunity to give others something to laugh about. Laughter is important."

The video is titled Grass Mud Horse Style, in Chinese, a sly insult Ai coined as a stab at the country's Internet censors. The Chinese characters are homonyms for a vulgar slur.

Ai was detained without explanation for three months last year, apparently as punishment for his political activism.

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Jimmy Savile potential victims could reach 300, police say

U.K. police say officers have identified 300 potential victims of the late Jimmy Savile, the disgraced BBC entertainer now believed to be a predatory pedophile.

Commander Peter Spindler said Thursday that officers had identified 300 potential victims so far — including two men.

He told reporters police had spoken to 130 people.

Spindler said although most of the allegations relate to Savile, some also include other people who may still be living. He says no potential suspects had yet been arrested or questioned.

The BBC has been rocked by allegations that Savile sexually abused underage teens over several decades, sometimes on BBC premises. Some of the alleged victims have accused other entertainers and BBC staff of participating in the abuse.

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Ontario's Stella sisters head for TV debut on Nashville

Two young Ontario-raised sisters — who've landed over nine million YouTube views for their soulful performance of a Robyn tune while playing percussion with empty butter containers — are set to sing for the first time on network television.

Lennon and Maisy Stella — a.k.a. the Stella Sisters — play the daughters of country music star Rayna Jaymes (Connie Britton) on ABC's Nashville (airing on CTV Two in Canada) and will get to croon for the first time on Wednesday's instalment of the show.

In the episode, their characters perform a cover of a tune by country-music sensation Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere) for a school talent show. The move upsets their mom, who's growing increasingly resentful as Juliette's star rises while her career sinks.

The Oshawa, Ont.-bred duo landed the parts earlier this year in Nashville, where they've lived with their parents — country music duo Marylynne and Brad Stella, a.k.a. the Stellas — since 2009.

"It's so weird to see Hayden and Connie because we've seen them in other things as well," Maisy, 8, said in a recent phone interview.

An Ice Princess fan

"Like, one of my favourite movies is Ice Princess and Hayden was in that and so I was freaking out when my mom told me that Hayden was going to be in the show because I love Hayden."

Connie Britton plays country superstar Rayna, mother of two daughters, in the series Nashville. (Katherine Bomboy-Thornton/ABC/Associated Press)

"It's really neat because they're all such nice people," added Lennon, 13.

It was a school talent show that also led to the Stella Sisters' YouTube rise in May.

Their parents were on a concert tour then and couldn't catch their school showcase, in which they sang Robyn's pop hit Call Your Girlfriend while making the beat through carefully choreographed hand movements and butter containers.

So they recreated the stunning performance on camera in their home and posted the clip to YouTube, where their parents have been showcasing clips of their girls for a couple of years now.

"It took about two days to learn, but when we were recording the video, Maisy's friend was actually over," said Lennon.

"She was upstairs in my room watching TV the whole time. I'm like, 'I'm so sorry!"' interjected Maisy.

"Maisy is a little distracted when her friend's over so it was hard because it took a lot of tries to get it," added Lennon.

YouTube sensations

The video, which was inspired by a YouTube clip of Swedish group Erato doing the same thing, has since netted nearly 9.6 million views and drawn interest from record labels as well as talk-show hosts Ellen DeGeneres, Ryan Seacrest and Jeff Probst.

It's also inspired others to try to replicate their performance on YouTube.

"That's the coolest thing to see people cover — especially our version, when they say, 'Cover of Lennon and Maisy,"' said Lennon.

The sisters have been singing since they were toddlers and play piano, guitar, ukulele and drums. Their other hit YouTube clips include covers of When Your Mind's Made Up by the Swell Season and I Won't Give Up by Jason Mraz.

"We've always been around music our entire lives," said Lennon, a bespectacled brunette with raspy vocals.

"Usually my instrument is my hand and my foot," noted blond Maisy, who is often seen in their YouTube clips stomping and clapping as she harmonizes with Lennon's lead vocals.

Love old country music

Since living in Nashville, the two have been able to hang out at the Grand Ole Opry and meet some of their idols.

"We love old country so when we saw Vince Gill it was like the biggest honour, we were so excited," said Lennon.

The two said they've been recording songs in the studio for Nashville but have no plans to make their own album just yet.

Instead, they plan to record one of their parents' original Christmas tunes and then see where it takes them.

On Tuesday, they were scheduled set to perform a live, online concert on Stageit.com.

"We're definitely going to stay with the music and stay with the acting as well," said Lennon.

"We sing separately and everything, but we want to sing together for as far as singing together will take us."

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New Bond film Skyfall makes debut before royalty

The latest James Bond movie, Skyfall, is getting its world premiere in London on Tuesday, with Prince Charles on hand to give it a royal seal of approval.

Daniel Craig was the first of the film's stars to arrive at the screening at the Royal Albert Hall in central London on Tuesday, where he was joined by co-stars Judi Dench, Javier Bardem and Naomie Harris.

Skyfall is the 23rd official Bond film, and Craig's third outing as the suave superspy. Harris is Bond girl Eve, a field agent racked by self-doubt, Dench plays spy chief M, battling a crisis with roots in her past, and Bardem plays Raoul Silva, a Bond villain bent on revenge.

Bardem said he was drawn to the role of Bond bad guy after seeing Jaws, the steel-toothed henchman in 1979's Moonraker.

Bond girl Berenice Marlohe poses on the red carpet. (Stewart Wilson/Invision/Associated Press)

With some critics hailing the Sam Mendes-directed Skyfall as one of the best Bond films of the half-a-century-old franchise, Bardem said the series' appeal showed that "they have been doing something really right, starting with the actors who have played Bond. They have all brought their own flavour to it."

Craig, dressed in a black Tom Ford suit, appeared to share a laugh with Prince Charles and his wife Camilla ahead of the premiere. Also on hand were Ben Whishaw, who plays Q, and Berenice Marlohe, who plays Bond girl Severine, as well as Olympic cycling champion Victoria Pendleton and model Kelly Brook.

Skyfall opens in Britain on Friday and in the U.S. on Nov. 9. Proceeds from Tuesday's royal gala are going to charities that help members of Britain's intelligence services.

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UN chief Ban Ki-moon 'jealous' of Gangnam Style's PSY

It was bound to happen. Two powerhouses of South Korea met Tuesday in New York for the first time.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and rapper PSY lavished praise on one another during a photo opportunity at UN headquarters.

'I'm a bit jealous. Until two days ago someone told me I am the most famous Korean in the world.'—UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon

The South Korean pop singer, whose smash video for his song Gangnam Style has gone viral, was quick to joke with reporters about the encounter.

"So now you have first and second famous Korean in the same building," PSY said.

Ban joked that he now feels overshadowed by the star, whose video has scored more than half a billion views on YouTube.

The UN chief even risked a few of PSY's trademark dance moves from the video, prompting peals of laughter from the singer.

PSY told reporters he was touched that Ban had watched his video. He called the meeting a momentous occasion for him — even better than when Gangnam Style hit No. 2 on the Billboard Top 100 chart.

South Korean rapper PSY doubles over with laughter as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, an admirer and fellow South Korean, attempts to learn the Gangnam Style dance. (Sara Brittany Somerset/CBC)

The UN chief said the Korean pop star was "cool" and "energetic."

"He's so energetic he can help to end energy crisis," he said.

Ban's office said the encounter was arranged because the two men were mutually interested in meeting one another.

His spokesman, Martin Nesirky, told reporters that although the secretary general usually deals with weighty issues involving conflicts and wars, he also thinks it's important to engage other parts of society.

Ban joked that he was envious of the South Korean rapper.

"I'm a bit jealous. Until two days ago someone told me I am the most famous Korean in the world. Now I have to relinquish. I have no regrets," Ban said.

With files from The Associated Press

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10 emerging writers receive $50K Whiting Writers' Award

Middlesex author Jeffrey Eugenides doesn't remember everything about the night he was given a Whiting Writers' Award, but he has never forgotten how the honour received early in his career helped make his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel possible.

Eugenides, who on Tuesday night was to present the award to this year's 10 recipients, is one of many top American authors and playwrights who early in their careers won the honour. It is given to those who exhibit "exceptional talent and promise."

"I remember it was a very rainy night and on my way to the ceremony the back of my trousers became sopping wet," Eugenides, who won in 1993, said during a recent telephone interview. "It was a good way to forestall any moment of grandiosity because I assumed that everyone was looking at my soggy bottoms."

He said he was so excited to win that he has forgotten who handed him his Whiting. But he considers the prize the "first vote of confidence" from someone besides his publisher and values the award's "extreme practical" value and how it made him feel "part of the writerly world."

The prize money gave him priceless time to work on Middlesex, his second book and a major critical and commercial success. The Whiting award, established in 1985 by the Mrs. Giles Whiting Foundation, is now worth $50,000 US.

Each year, 10 prizes are given to a combination of authors, poets and playwrights. Past winners also have included Tony Kushner, Jonathan Franzen, David Foster Wallace, Mark Doty and Michael Cunningham.

Newest winners includes playwright-actress

Four playwrights, three fiction writers, two poets and one nonfiction writers were in the class of 2012. One of the winners, playwright Danai Gurira, also has a career as an actress. She has won an Obie and a Helen Hayes award for her stage work and her television credits include Treme and The Walking Dead.

'The award comes as a bolt from the blue...The Whiting gives great affirmation — and courage to continue'—Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts

Other playwrights announced Tuesday were Samuel D. Hunter, an Obie winner for A Bright New Boise; Mona Mansour and Meg Miroshnik. Alan Heathcock, whose story collection Volt was a finalist for the Barnes & Noble Discover Prize, was among the fiction writers receiving a Whiting.

"As a playwright, so often any accolades I get are inexorably tied to a specific production of a play," Hunter says. "So to receive an award based solely on my writing, and to be validated alongside poets and novelists and non-fiction writers, is deeply meaningful."

Novelists Anthony Marra and Hanna Pylvainen, poets Atsuro Riley and Danai Gurira and nonfiction author Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts also were honoured.

"The award comes as a bolt from the blue," says Rhodes-Pitt, who has just started working on her second book. "The Whiting gives great affirmation — and courage to continue."

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Douglas & McIntyre owner files for bankruptcy

The original company that became D&M Publishers published its first book in 1971. (CBC)

Independent publishing house D&M Publishers Inc. says it is filing for bankruptcy protection.

The Vancouver-based publisher says it is working to locate an investor or purchaser for its assets.

D&M, which includes Douglas & McIntyre and Greystone Books, says it plans to continue operations while it restructures.

It says its subsidiary New Society Publishers Inc. is a separate legal entity, is not included in the bankruptcy filing and will continue business as usual.

D&M identifies itself as "Canada's pre-eminent independent publisher, with over forty years of success."

It has published books that include the non-fiction work Something Fierce by Carmen Aguirre, novels like Wayson Choy's The Jade Peony and art books such as The Art of Emily Carr.

The company, originally J.J. Douglas Ltd., was founded in 1970 in Vancouver and published its first book in 1971.

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Famous Emily Carr painting shows up at Calgary auction

Emily Carr established herself as one of Canada's most famous artists with her depictions of native life on Canada's West Coast. (CBC)

A piece of art from one of the most famous artists in Canadian history could end up in the hands of one Calgarian.

Emily Carr established herself as one of Canada's most famous artists with her depictions of native life on Canada's West Coast.

She died at the age of 73 on March 2, 1945, at her home in Victoria, B.C.

Her work now hangs in museums and prestigious art galleries around the world, and now, a piece has landed in Doug Levis's hands.

He runs an auction business that has been selling fine art for 20 years and says it's not often an Emily Carr piece turns up.

"This painting comes from a critical time period for her — 1928 was a trip where she went up to Skeena River and was painting the various indian villages in and around the area," Levis said, adding he got the art work from a consigner from Toronto. "I was very pleased that they offered it to me."

The watercolour painting is titled Kitseukla.

Monique Westra, a former curator at Calgary's Glenbow Museum, says Carr was 57 years old when she did the painting.

"There's only one other water colour from this trip that is in the collection of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, so it's a museum quality work, there's no question about it," Westra said.

Levis has the painting appraised at $300,000 to $350,000 but Westra says it could go for much more.

The auction is in Calgary on Nov.4.

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Stephen King surprises New Brunswick high school

Students in Sussex, N.B., got a pre-Halloween thrill when horror-master Stephen King paid them a surprise visit on Friday.

The author of more than 50 books and 200 short stories, who lives in Bangor, Maine, decided to visit Sussex Regional High School following a yearlong, multimedia effort by students and staff.

In a campaign to persuade him, they wrote nearly 1,200 letters, created parody music videos that were posted on YouTube, as well as artwork inspired by his body of work.

"I came because of all those letters. I was just blissed out to get them all," King told the students.

"After this year, it's just kind of surreal that he finally just kinda walks in the door without anyone knowing," said student Jed Webster. "It's just beyond me."

'It hasn't completely sunk in that he was here. It's absolutely ridiculous that he actually came to our school. I'm still a little flabbergasted by it.'

—Matt Beyer, student

"I think it's safe to say the whole school itself is still in a bit of shock," agreed student Matt Beyer. "It hasn't completely sunk in that he was here.

"It's absolutely ridiculous that he actually came to our school. I'm still a little flabbergasted by it," he said.

King, the renowned author of books such as The Shining, The Dark Tower series, and the recent JFK book 11/22/63: A Novel, offered a writing workshop for Beyer and 17 other students, giving critiques and advice.

He then addressed 80 students in the school's theatre, discussing his writing career and his stint as a high school teacher.

"I can't remember writing books because it's like dreams. That time just passes. I write from eight in the morning until about noon every day and when that time is going by for me, it just, I'm not in the world, I'm inside whatever the story is," said King, who was wearing a grey T-shirt and jeans.

"This is a little bit like being crazy, only they pay you for it, which is really good," he said, generating laughter.

Themes relevant to teens

"It was a wonderful experience," said teacher Sarah-Jane Smith, who helped spearhead the campaign, called Seeking Stephen King.

"He has such a wide range of genres he writes in — from suspense and horror, he has a comic series he does, Green Mile, Shawshank Redemption, Stand by Me, he has that gigantic portfolio of short stories, which are great for reluctant readers, and when you look at Carrie and Christine, he attacks great themes relevant to the high school age, like isolation, looking for belonging, bullying and the perils of revenge," said Smith.

"He was such a humble and gracious man to come here and do that, and to give his time to the students, and to continue to give his time to our students," she said, referring to the fact that King took some of the students' writing home with him.

"He told the students he was honoured they shared their writing with him, and he wanted to know if he could keep it to take home with him, so he could really sit down and review and give suggestions, give feedback."

King also invited students to send him more work in the future, Smith said.

"It definitely did live up to everything I hoped it would be," she said.

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Ellen DeGeneres awarded Mark Twain humour prize

Some of the nation's top comedians hailed Ellen DeGeneres as a trailblazer Monday night as she received the highest U.S. humour prize.

The Kennedy Center is awarding DeGeneres the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. The show will be broadcast Oct. 30 on Public Broadcasting Service stations.

"Thanks to everyone at PBS. I am so happy to be part of your farewell season," DeGeneres joked in accepting the prize and taking a jab at Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's plans to stop funding public broadcasting.

On the red carpet before the show, DeGeneres said she doesn't see herself as political with her comedy, even though she's been a trailblazer.

"I just want to make people happy and make people laugh," she said.

DeGeneres, 54, began her career as a comedy club emcee in her native New Orleans. After a performance on Johnny Carson's show in 1986, he invited her over to his desk to chat. She was the first female comedian to receive that invitation from Carson.

Turning to acting, DeGeneres landed comedy series on Fox and ABC, eventually starring in Ellen from 1994 to 1998. She broke new ground and a taboo in 1997 when she came out publicly as a lesbian and her TV persona then became the first lead character on prime-time TV to reveal she was gay. A record 46 million viewers watched the episode.

Coming out on TV 15 years ago feels like another life, she said Monday night before the show.

"I did it because it was the right thing for me to do," DeGeneres said. "It was the right thing for me to do to not live with shame. I happened to help a lot of people, and it happened to create a ruckus."

Jimmy Kimmel called it a milestone.

"For a lot of people, Ellen is their only homosexual friend," he said. "She's there in their living room every single day."

On stage, he said DeGeneres was his inspiration.

"Because of Ellen, in 1998, I mustered the strength to come out of the closet — despite the fact that I'm not gay," he joked. "Thanks to Ellen, vests aren't just for magicians anymore."

Trailblazer

Sean Hayes said DeGeneres made his former gay-themed show, Will and Grace, possible. He said her "fearlessness" was her biggest contribution and that she changed America.

"We didn't have a voice, until there was you," he said before breaking into a rendition of the tune Till There was You.

Glee star Jane Lynch said DeGeneres "took one for the team."

"She's the one who went in there with a machete" and cleared the way for other shows with gay characters such as Glee, Lynch said. "Look where she is today."

Kristin Chenoweth said DeGeneres has always remained kind.

"She's not a mean girl comic," she said.

Career success

When DeGeneres first heard she was receiving the same honour that Bill Cosby, Tina Fey and Will Ferrell won in recent years, she joked, "Why didn't I get this sooner?"

After DeGeneres came out on TV in 1997, her comedy show began to tank and was cancelled a year later. The feeling of rejection was enough to send DeGeneres into a depression. Still, Ellen paved the way for future shows to feature gay characters, from Will and Grace to Modern Family.

DeGeneres came back with a CBS comedy series, movie roles and even a stint as an American Idol singing competition judge. Forbes magazine has ranked her as the 47th most-powerful woman in the world and estimated her earnings at $53 million US last year.

'She's brilliantly shined a light on society, and that's what Mark Twain did'—Cappy McGarr, producer, Mark Twain Prize gala

Her hit TV talk show that debuted in 2003 is now in its 10th season. Among other achievements, that's where she eventually persuaded U.S. President Barack Obama to dance.

"She's brilliantly shined a light on society, and that's what Mark Twain did," said Cappy McGarr, an executive producer for the Mark Twain Prize show, when the award was announced.

The prize honours comedians in Mark Twain's tradition of satire and social commentary. Other past winners include Steve Martin, Lily Tomlin and Whoopi Goldberg.

John Leguizamo saluted DeGeneres and PBS for planning to air the show.

"How about that? A gay woman on PBS — with public money and the Kennedys," he said. "It's like the tea party's worst nightmare."

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