Jon Hamm completes rehab stint

Mad Men's final season to air beginning April 5

The Associated Press Posted: Mar 24, 2015 10:11 PM ET Last Updated: Mar 24, 2015 10:11 PM ET

A spokeswoman for Mad Men star Jon Hamm says the actor recently completed treatment for alcohol addiction.

Hamm had the support of his longtime partner, actress-filmmaker Jennifer Westfeldt, in his struggle, publicist Annett Wolf said in a statement Tuesday.

The couple asks for privacy and sensitivity, the statement said. No further details were provided.

The disclosure, first reported by the TMZ website, came as the final season of the 1960s-set advertising agency drama begins April 5 on AMC.

The 43-year-old Hamm plays Don Draper, a troubled advertising executive with a dark past. The role brought him stardom and repeated Emmy Award nominations.

Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time.

Submission Policy

Note: The CBC does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comments, you acknowledge that CBC has the right to reproduce, broadcast and publicize those comments or any part thereof in any manner whatsoever. Please note that comments are moderated and published according to our submission guidelines.

22.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jeremy Clarkson dropped from BBC's Top Gear

The BBC said on Wednesday it would not renew the contract of Jeremy Clarkson, the lead presenter of its popular motoring program Top Gear who was suspended after a "fracas" with a producer.

Clarkson, 54, who has generated both controversy and profits for Britain's publicly funded broadcaster, was already on a final warning over accusations last year that he had used racist language while filming the show.

"It is with great regret that I have told Jeremy Clarkson today that the BBC will not be renewing his contract," Tony Hall, the BBC Director-General, said in a statement.

Clarkson was suspended from the show last month while the BBC launched an investigation into a dispute that was said to have started over a meal. Clarkson reportedly launched into a verbal tirade against producer Oisin Tymon, before physically assaulting him.

"For me a line has been crossed," Hall continued. "There cannot be one rule for one and one rule for another dictated by either rank, or public relations and commercial considerations."

Despite Clarkson's absence, Hall indicated that the show would continue in 2016, but no mention was made of a possible replacement.

More than 1-million fans from around the world have backed a petition calling for Clarkson to be reinstated.

Top Gear, which is aired in more than 200 countries, is one of the BBC's most profitable shows but its lead host, a friend of Prime Minister David Cameron, has offended, among others, environmental groups, mental health charities and cyclists with his forthright manner.

BBC automobile program Top Gear presenters (from left) James May, Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond pose outside 10 Downing Street in London November 29, 2011. The three had been filming an episode segment in the street. (Suzanne Plunkett/Reuters)

Clarkson was called before BBC bosses last year after a British newspaper reported he had been heard using the "N-word" as he recited an old version of the rhyme "Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe" to choose between cars in filming two years earlier.

Last October, the show sparked a diplomatic incident between Britain and Argentina, two countries that went to war in 1982 over the Falkland islands.

A Top Gear television crew was forced to flee Argentina after driving a Porsche 928 GT with the registration number H982 FKL — which some people suggested could refer to the Falklands conflict.

22.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart defend new comedy Get Hard from harsh criticism

In the annals of film festival flops — from unexpected boos to red-carpet gaffes — the premiere of the Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart comedy Get Hard will go down as a doozy.

After the film premiered last week at the South By Southwest Film Festival, during a Q&A with director Ethan Cohen, an audience member voiced not so much a question as a harsh judgment. "This film seems racist," he said, using an expletive. Another audience member also asked if the film, about a hedge fund manager (Ferrell) who witlessly hires a law-abiding acquaintance (Hart) to prepare him for maximum security prison after being sentenced for fraud, was perpetuating stereotypes.

That sound you might have heard emanating from Austin was the loud cursing of marketing executives for the film, which opens Friday.

Though film festival Q&As are often filled with questionable observations, these atypically blunt rebukes received outsized attention, drawing headlines from The Los Angeles Times and others. The damage continued with early reviews that also questioned the movie's handling of homosexuality in various scenes.

Interviews rescheduled

Much of the film's comedy rests on the Ferrell character's fears of being raped in prison, and among his preparations is an attempt to have oral sex with a gay man in a bathroom stall. A critic for The Guardian wrote that future viewers "will be astonished that such a negative portrayal of homosexuality persisted in the mainstream in 2015." Variety wrote that the film was "undone by some of the ugliest gay-panic humour to befoul a studio release in recent memory."

'Any time you're going to do an R-rated comedy, you're going to offend someone. But that's kind of what we do. We provoke. We prod.'- Will Ferrell on the negative reaction to his comedy Get Hard

After initially seeking to avoid the controversy (Cohen, Ferrell and Hart cancelled interviews with The Associated Press before Ferrell and Hart rescheduled them), the film's stars and producers are vigorously defending their comedy as not a representation of stereotypes but a satire of them.

"Any time you're going to do an R-rated comedy, you're going to offend someone," said Ferrell in an interview alongside Hart. He continued: "But that's kind of what we do. We provoke. We prod. We also show a mirror to what's already existing out there. We're playing fictitious characters who are articulating some of the attitudes and misconceptions that already exist."

Ethan Cohen's directorial debut

Get Hard was written by Cohen along with Jay Martel and Ian Roberts, writing-producers from the sketch comedy show Key and Peele. This is Cohen's directorial debut after penning screenplays to films like Idiocracy and Tropic Thunder, a film that memorably flirted with racially sensitive territory in Robert Downey Jr.'s lampoon, in black face, of a Method actor run amok.

Comedians Kevin Hart and Will Ferrell on the poster for Warner Bros. new comedy Get Hard. (Warner Bros.)

In many ways, the comedy of Get Hard works similarly. Just as the humour of Downey's actor wasn't in his favour but about his own self-obsessive, racist delusions, Ferrell's character is a parody of the narrow perspective of the elitist one percent. He hires Hart's carwash owner and family man under the mistaken presumption that he's been to prison, that he's "hard."

"You're looking at two characters that judged each other by their cover," said Hart. "And after peeling off some of the layers to their onion, they realize that, `Oh my God, this isn't the person I thought it was from the jump. It's a completely different person.' And that road to friendship ensues."

Get Hard was conceived as a way to pair Hart and Ferrell, two of the most popular and bankable stars in comedy. Whether the film succeeds on its own terms or not, it's an attempt (one generally uncommon in wide-release studio films) to comment on contemporary issues of inequality and race within the context of a broad, often crude comedy.

Adam McKay, Ferrell's longtime collaborator and a producer of Get Hard, said any backlash has been over inflated by "lazy journalism."

"Given that we're a country with runaway income inequality, more people in jail than any other country, this is what people are crowing about? Trying to in a funny way deal with these issues?" said McKay in a phone interview with fellow producer Chris Henchy. "It really kind of got me mad. It's just cheap is what it is."

'A silly, filthy comedy'

McKay said the film was fashioned as "a silly, filthy comedy" on the outside, but a satire of income inequality underneath. Seeing the film as racist, he says, is "kind of ridiculous and disheartening," since its intention is to parody those who live in bubbles of wealth and prejudice. To claims of homophobia he protested: "Any individual going to maximum security prison would be afraid of violence and sexual assault. To equate that with homosexuality is ridiculous."

Tip "T.I." Harris and Joshua Joseph Gillum appear in a scene with Will Ferrell in the new coomedy Get Hard. Some reviews have panned the film for being racist and negatively portraying homosexuality. (Patti Perret/Warner Bros.)

Others have agreed, albeit more skeptically. In reviewing the movie for Vanity Fair, Eric D. Snider wrote that the film wasn't offensive to him as a homosexual; it's just not funny enough.

"It's not mean-spirited, and it's panicky straight guys, not gays, who are the target," wrote Snider. "It's just disappointing, that's all."

Any bad buzz for Get Hard has likely been partially alleviated by the goodwill both Ferrell and Hart have in storage, as well as the distraction of Ferrell's dependably entertaining late-night appearances. The NAACP and GLAAD have not commented on the film.

"Here's the beautiful thing about Will and myself: You're looking at two guys that are no strangers to criticism," said Hart. "The critic's job is to critique. I don't think I've ever had a great review on a film that I've done. Not one. Everybody always has had something to say. And if they're not talking, then you have a problem."

Whether the talking around Get Hard will affect it at the box office remains to be seen.

"People will go see it and there probably will be some people who are offended. It's definitely a very dirty movie and it's harsh," says McKay. "It's a good-hearted movie at its root. Everything comes out in the wash with movies because they hang around for, like 78 years. You always end up seeing what a movie really is in the long run."

Get Hard opens in Canadian theatres on Friday.

22.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Manjit Minhas and Michele Romanow join Dragons’ Den, Vikram Vij leaving

Major changes are underway at CBC's Dragons' Den as the broadcaster revealed the addition of two young female entrepreneurs to its roster of venture capitalists, and announced the departure of Vikram Vij.

Calgary-born distillery and brewery owner Manjit Minhas and Toronto-born Buytopia.ca co-founder Michele Romanow are joining the hit reality TV show in season 10, the broadcaster announced Wednesday.

Vij, the celebrated Vancouver chef and restaurant magnate, has said he is leaving the den after only one season to spend more time building his own businesses, including his frozen food line.

Trouble in the den?

Wednesday's announcement comes during a time of upheaval for Dragons' Den.

Communications and marketing maven Arlene Dickinson, left, and personal finance guru David Chilton both announced they were leaving Dragons' Den in February. (CBC)

The departure of two popular dragons last month made some fans question the future of the series, while others have expressed concern about the most-recent addition of Joe Fresh founder Joe Mimran, as he was heading the company during a deadly factory collapse in Bangladesh.  

It is yet to be seen whether the same fans who tuned in for seasoned media communications mogul Arlene Dickinson, or The Wealthy Barber publishing powerhouse David Chilton will continue to connect with a refreshed panel featuring two virtual unknowns.

CBC executive Jennifer Dettman says the core of the show remains the same.

"We change the show year over year," said Dettman, who is executive director, unscripted content at CBC.  

"The dragons are really critical absolutely to the show, but it's bigger than that. The core of the show is really about making people's dreams come true and that's a story that doesn't grow old for viewers."

Despite recent changes, Dettman says viewership has remained strong, with about 1 million viewers tuning in each week. She also said changing dragons is actually good for the show.

"When that happens, it changes the dynamic in the den, you get new personalities, you get new business backgrounds."

Focus on young women

The award-winning CBC show centres on Canadian entrepreneurs pitching business proposals and ideas to a panel of celebrity venture capitalists, who must then decide whether or not to invest in the projects.

In the show's nine year history, only two dragons have been women. The average age of the panel in the current season is 57.

Bringing Minhas, 34, and Romanow, 29, into the den represents a concerted effort by producers to draw a younger audience to the show.

But don't let their ages fool you; both Minhas and Romanow have a dizzying number of achievements on their resumes.

34-year-old Manjit Minhas is the co-founder and co-owner of Minhas Breweries and Distillery. (Unavailable)

Minhas, a trained petroleum engineer, became one of the world's youngest brewers when she co-founded Alberta's Minhas Breweries and Distillery with her brother at age 19.

Their brewery in Wisconsin is now the tenth largest in North America. As a brand, they produce more than 90 beers, spirits, liqueurs and wines that ship across Canada and the U.S., and 15 countries overseas.

But the mother of two young children wants you to know that's not all she can do.

"A lot of people only know me as the beer and spirit owner," Minhas told CBC News. "But I have a number of businesses from production to construction to retail to marketing to design, so I know about a lot of other businesses not just the alcohol business.

"I think people would be surprised to know that."

Digital expertise

Also surprising is the number of businesses new dragon Michele Romanow has started.

By the age of 29, Michele Romanow already had four companies under her belt. (Sian Richards Photography)

The Queen's University alum has built four companies, including the e-commerce site Buytopia.ca, and Evandale Caviar, a fishery that distributed high-end sturgeon caviar to luxury hotels and restaurants.

In addition to being named to a list of 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada and listed on Forbes magazine's top 20 "Millennials on a Mission", one of Romanow's biggest draws for the show's producers is her mastery of the online realm, on a level which no dragon has possessed before.

"I have a ton of expertise in digital and e-commerce which is really the growth engine for many companies today," says Romanow, "and the good thing about digital is you can grow fast — you can grow really fast."

Fans of Next Gen Den, the Dragons' Den of the online world, will also recognize Romanow as a dragon on that series.

---

Dragons confirmed for season 10:

• Manjit Minhas, 34, co-founder and co-owner of Minhas Breweries and Distillery

• Michele Romanow, 29, co-founder of Buytopia.ca

• Joe Mimran, 62, Canadian retail fashion mogul and Joe Fresh founder

• Michael Wekerle, 52, Canadian "rock star" of finance

• Jim Treliving, 73, franchise baron and Boston Pizza Restaurants founder

---

Season 10 of Dragons' Den starts shooting next month, kicking off an intense shooting schedule.

Twenty episodes are filmed in 20 days, with the dragons hearing as many as 250 pitches.

The current ninth season of Dragons' Den, Hosted by CBC broadcaster Dianne Buckner, airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on CBC Television.

Full episodes are available online here.

22.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Angelina Jolie reveals preventive cancer surgery to remove ovaries

Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie revealed Tuesday that she has undergone more preventive surgery, having her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed in hopes of reducing her risk of cancer.

Writing in the New York Times, the filmmaker and philanthropist said that a recent blood test showed a possible early sign of cancer. The news came as a blow to the star, as she has already had a double mastectomy.

"I went through what I imagine thousands of other women have felt," she wrote. "I told myself to stay calm, to be strong, and that I had no reason to think I wouldn't live to see my children grow up and to meet my grandchildren."

The acclaimed filmmaker, who is raising six children with her husband, Hollywood film star Brad Pitt, said she underwent the procedure, called a laparoscopic bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, last week.

Carries cancer gene

Jolie, 39, revealed two years ago that she carries a defective breast cancer gene that puts her at high risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer.

Her mother died of ovarian cancer, and her maternal grandmother also had ovarian cancer — strong evidence of an inherited, genetic risk that led the actress to have her healthy breasts removed to try to avoid the same fate.

Only a small percentage of women inherit the same faulty gene as Jolie, known as BRCA1 — the name stands for breast cancer susceptibility gene. These mutations are most commonly found in women of Eastern European Jewish descent, though other groups, including the Norwegian, Dutch and Icelandic, also have slightly higher rates of these mutations.

The average woman has a 12 per cent risk of developing breast cancer sometime during her life. Women who have inherited a faulty BRCA gene are about five times more likely to get breast cancer.

Family influenced her decision

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, seen here with their family in 2011, are raising six children. (Toru Yamaaka/AFP/Getty Images)

Jolie said that while having the gene mutation alone was not a reason to resort to surgery — other medical options were possible — her family history influenced her decision to have further surgery now. The surgery puts a woman in menopause and Jolie wrote she was researching alternative medicine and hormone replacement treatment.

Her courageous decision to publicly announce her double mastectomy was praised as a watershed moment in efforts to persuade women to get breast cancer screening — and to raise awareness of the need for early detection. The same sense of mission led her to write about her follow-up care, although she said her decision wasn't necessarily the right one for everyone.

"There is more than one way to deal with any health issue," wrote Jolie. "The most important thing is to learn about the options and choose what is right for you personally."

"I wanted other women at risk to know about the options," she said.

Coming forward to tell her story will play a vital role in raising awareness, those who work for cancer charities say. They hope other women at risk will be encouraged to speak with their doctors.

"Angelina Jolie has made a really brave decision," Katherine Taylor, acting chief executive of Ovarian Cancer Action.

"It immediately puts the person into surgical menopause so it is not a decision to take lightly."

Brad Pitt rushed to her side

Jolie's article makes plain the anguish the results of the new blood tests brought. She said she immediately called her husband, the actor Brad Pitt, who flew home from France within hours.

"The beautiful thing about such moments in life is that there is so much clarity," she wrote. "You know what you live for and what matters. It is polarizing, and it is peaceful."

The Hollywood star, who took home an Academy Award for her 1999 performance in the psychiatric drama Girl, Interrupted, also works as a special envoy of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

In her time with the agency, Jolie has been on 50 field missions to more than 30 counties including Sierra Leone, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Syria.

22.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Governor-General’s Award winners announced today

Three Montrealers are on the list of eight winners of the 2015 Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts.

They include curator Louise Déry, media artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and performance artist Rober Racine.

Déry is the director of the Galérie de l'UQAM and she's worked internationally as curator of several exhibitions for the Venice Biennale, including David Altmedj who represented Canada in 2007.

Déry told CBC News that she appreciates the recognition for the role of the curator in supporting Canadian artists.

"As curators we are people deeply engaged in developing knowledge about artists, about the field, about new currents."

"I enjoy measuring myself against the works, confronting the art works, going in the studio, meeting with the art works. This is what I have liked so much...Sometimes we are the first to look at the art work."

​

Rafael Lozano-Hemmer is known for his interactive installations including Vectorial Elevation for the Vancouver Olympics and Pulse Room which was shown here in Montreal at the Musée d'art contemporain last summer.

"It's, I guess, very satisfying to all of a sudden get this recognition. As a narcissistic megalomaniac it fits nicely with my personality.  No I'm kidding, but these awards are always received with a sense of distance not really happening to your own career."  

​

The third Montrealer to be honoured is multidisciplinary artist, writer, pianist and composer Rober Racine.

The other winners are Toronto's Robert Houle and Micah Lexier, both visual artists, Toronto jewellery artist Paul McClure, Victoria painter Sandra Meigs and new media artist Reva Stone of Winnipeg.

The Canada Council has commissioned short films on each of the winners, directed by award-winning Canadian filmmakers.

The films are available on the Canada Council and the Independent Media Arts Alliance websites and at film festivals throughout the year. Travellers on Air Canada will also be able to view them on the company's in-flight entertainment system starting in May 2015.

The National Gallery of Canada will also have a special exhibition featuring selected works by this year's winners from April 9 to August 30.

Governor General David Johnston will welcome this year's recipients to Rideau Hall on April 8, 2015, for a special ceremony. On this occasion, each winner will be presented with a unique medallion produced by the Royal Canadian Mint.

22.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cutting the TV cord? Call the anti-cable guy

The cable guy has a new competitor: the anti-cable guy. He helps you cut the cord on traditional television services and hooks you up with alternatives.

Most Canadians still watch cable or satellite TV. However, cord-cutting is catching on as more people seek potentially cheaper and more versatile viewing options.

But not everyone has the technical chops to break with tradition.

So enter the cord-cutting consultant, a hired hand who does the job for you. It's a small but growing business model fuelled by expanding viewing options in the digital age.

'Your nerdy best friend'

Sean Whitehead started his cord-cutting business last year to monetize what he had already been doing for free: setting up online video streaming services for technically challenged friends and family who yearned to cut the cord.

He likens his Toronto company, Kutko Canada, to "your nerdy best friend."

'Cutting the cord is a very personal process.'- — KutKo Canada

The service begins with a visit from a "cord consultant" who assesses a customer's TV habits and wish-list.

"Cutting the cord is a very personal process," Kutko explains on its website.

The consultant then installs the necessary hardware and most often sets up customers with a variety of online video streaming services that suit their needs. The fee is $125 excluding equipment.

Whitehead says he's already served about 200 customers. He claims he's cut down customers' TV bills, on average, by 40 to 60 per cent.

"Once they see the amount of content that's on those [streaming] services and the amount of money they're paying, their eyes light up." He adds, "I've had people say, 'I was home all weekend and I binged-watched so much content.'"

To give his customers wide variety, Whitehead also helps people access foreign streaming services like Sling TV in the U.S. and Netflix from the U.S., the U.K. and Mexico.

"I've helped families that are Russian access content through Russian iTunes," he adds.

Virtually crossing borders to use streaming services violates many companies' terms of service, including those set by Netflix.

"We employ industry standard measures to prevent this kind of use," Netflix told CBC News in an email.

However, the practice of streaming content beyond borders is widespread. "None of those companies really enforce … terms of service," claims Whitehead.

High ratings

'I call myself the geek squad for people who want to get rid of their cable'— John Brillhart, Cable Alternatives

Suzan Lorenz believes she never could have made the switch without Kutko. The mother of three was frustrated with her cable provider's cost and service.

But she had no idea how to set up an adequate alternative. "I'm not savvy with all of that stuff," she admits.

Whitehead installed for Lorenz a variety of video streaming services, allowing her to access everything from European documentaries to sporting events for about $30 a month.

She says what she used to pay for her internet and cable bill combined has dropped by about half and she has better viewing options.

"There's more than enough that anyone should have time for," she says. 

Cord-cutting U.S.A.

Cord-cutting consulting is also catching on across the border. John Brillhart in Minneapolis set up his company, Cable Alternatives, just months ago.

John Brillhart set up Cable Alternatives in Minneapolis to help technically challenged TV viewers cut the cord. (John Brillhart/Cable Alternatives)

​ "I call myself the geek squad for people who want to get rid of their cable," he says.

Brillhart installs both streaming services and TV antennas for an increasing number of clients.

He runs his business from home with the help of his wife. But he hopes to grow it to the point where he has multiple crews serving the city.

"I think the industry is transitioning in a way that will allow me to turn it into something that's really sustainable," says the laid-off project manager.

The antenna guys

There's also a growing business for the TV antenna guy.

Five years ago, when some networks starting broadcasting over the air in high definition, Geoff Tebbutt envisioned a new beginning for those old-fashioned rabbit ears and roof-top antennas.

"In the old days, we used to watch TV with an antenna, and some days it was ghostly, some days it was snowy, depending on the weather," says the former food prep worker.

But now, antenna users can pick up free, high-quality HDTV signals.

So Tebbutt set up his company, The Antenna Guys, offering outdoor antenna installation across much of southwestern Ontario.

He says the outdoor devices offer the widest range of channels — up to 35 American and Canadian stations —depending on where you live.

He charges between $550 and $750 for equipment and installation, but emphasizes viewers only pay a one-time fee.

Tebbutt says business is booming with customers from all walks of life: "rich people, poor people, anybody who watches TV and doesn't want to pay the cable companies anymore."

His clients include small businesses such as a barbershop and dentists' offices.  

Tied with tradition?

Of course, cable-cutting isn't for everyone — you may not have access to every show you want, and most viewers still enjoy the comfort and ease of cable or satellite TV.

And in 2016, cable companies will have to give subscribers more choice when selecting TV packages. 

Whitehead with Kutko Canada admits that, during the consultation, even he advises some clients to stick with their traditional service.

"Cable's current delivery form is like a warm and cozy comfort blanket," he explains. "I don't think some people are quite ready for [streaming] because it is completely different way of watching TV."

22.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ai Weiwei, Chinese dissident artist, wins top award from Amnesty International

Amnesty International awarded its top honour Tuesday to Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei, who has spent years shining light on his country's restrictive political atmosphere, and to U.S. folk singer Joan Baez for her civil rights activism.

Both were named recipients of Amnesty's Ambassador of Conscience Award, which recognizes lifetime human rights leadership.

Ai told The Associated Press that the award reminded him of his social responsibilities as an artist, especially as the Chinese government tightens its grip on free expression and activism.

He noted that the repression was affecting "ordinary people around us concerned about basic issues" while answering a question about five women's rights activists who remain in custody for planning anti-sexual harassment protests.

"I think as an artist, I use my own way to fulfill my responsibility to society," the bearded 57-year-old said. "Whether we have compassion for our own people or other countries, we all have to take responsibility."

U.S. folk singer Joan Baez, seen here performing in 2014, also received Amnesty's Ambassador of Conscience Award for her civil rights activism. (Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

Baez was cited by Amnesty International for her involvement in the U.S. civil rights activism since the 1960s.

Over the past four years, Ai has paid a high price for his activism, having been beaten by the authorities, imprisoned and blocked from leaving the country. In the process, he's become one of China's most internationally known figures, a fame that has partially protected him.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying declined comment on the award, but said China hopes Amnesty can regard China "objectively."

Ai made his first big splash by helping design Beijing's iconic Bird's Nest stadium for the 2008 Summer Olympics. He fell afoul of Chinese authorities after taking up causes such as those of parents angry over what they said was shoddy construction of schools that collapsed in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, killing hundreds of children.

Ai said Tuesday that he hasn't had a passport since his 2011 arrest for tax evasion, which he has called politically motivated, but still hoped he would be able to attend the May 21 award ceremony in Berlin.

Previous award winners include Myanmar dissident Aung San Suu Kyi and Irish rock band U2.

22.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tracy Morgan 'incredibly moved' by SNL tribute but too emotional to watch it

Children of comedian killed in crash that injured Morgan haved settled with Wal-Mart for $10M

The Associated Press Posted: Mar 20, 2015 3:39 PM ET Last Updated: Mar 20, 2015 3:39 PM ET

Actor-comedian Tracy Morgan still hasn't watched the tribute performed for him on last month's Saturday Night Live 40th anniversary show after he was badly injured in a car accident.

An attorney for Morgan tells The Associated Press on Friday that the former SNL star isn't emotionally ready yet to watch the segment.

Morgan's 30 Rock co-stars Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin did a short piece sending him their support.

Attorney Benedict Morelli says Morgan was "incredibly moved" by the gesture but hasn't watched the segment.

A limo van carrying Morgan and several friends last June was rear-ended by a Wal-Mart truck on the New Jersey Turnpike. Fellow comedian James McNair was killed. Morgan suffered a traumatic brain injury, broken ribs and a broken leg.

"Tracy is working very hard to get better, physically, emotionally and mentally," Morelli said Friday. "Because in all three areas he still has a struggle on his hands."

Court papers show that McNair's children — Jamel, 26, and Denita, 19 — have reached a $10-million settlement with Wal-Mart. 

Wal-Mart spokesman Randy Hargrove said the company could not discuss the terms, "but we are glad to have reached an agreement. ... We deeply regret the loss of Mr. McNair and we worked closely with his family to insure their wellbeing."

Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time.

Submission Policy

Note: The CBC does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comments, you acknowledge that CBC has the right to reproduce, broadcast and publicize those comments or any part thereof in any manner whatsoever. Please note that comments are moderated and published according to our submission guidelines.

22.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Game of Thrones to live stream Season 5 premiere in San Francisco

The U.S. premiere of the fifth season of Game of Thrones will be held at a palatial building in San Francisco, aptly suited for the television show about a mythical kingdom.

But the City by the Bay is also a leading tech hub, and HBO plans to give Game of Thrones fans access to the red carpet event Monday by streaming it live on the show's Facebook page.

Many of the series' stars will attend the event at the War Memorial Opera House and answer fan questions submitted via Facebook. Facebook viewers will also be treated to behind the scenes video features scenes from the new season, HBO said.

Visuals from the premiere will also be shared on Instagram.

Cast members scheduled to attend include Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Maisie Williams and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.

Sophie Turner, who plays Sansa Stark, poses for photographers at the Tower of London for Game of Thrones' season 5 premiere in London, on March 18. (Joel Ryan/Invision/AP)

Based on the best-selling book series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, Game of Thrones is set in the war-torn continent of Westeros, a place where winter and summer can last for decades.

The epic fantasy, which tells the story of warring kingdoms, includes stunning landscapes, lots of sex, plenty of sword fights and decapitations and fire-breathing dragons.

By Friday, fans had already posted more than 300 questions for the cast on Facebook, ranging from what the actors would name their pet dragons to what characters will die next in the blood-soaked epic fantasy.

Michael McElhatton, who plays Roose Bolton, promised "shocks" for fans at the world premiere last week held at the historic Tower of London castle in England, but he and the rest of the cast revealed few details about the plot's twists and turns.

Season five premieres April 12 on HBO and on HBO Now, the networks' streaming service, which will launch that day on Apple TV.

22.19 | 0 komentar | Read More