Rihanna gets worked up over-enthusiastic French fans

PARIS (AFP) - Pop star Rihanna let rip in a series of foul-mouthed Twitter posts, saying she had to fight her way out of a Paris train station after a crowd of French fans gathered to greet her. The singer from Barbados had earlier posted a photo showing herself at London’s St Pancras station - and the time of her train’s departure for Paris marked on a station sign. She has 25 million followers on her Twitter account.

She arrived at the Gare du Nord in Paris on the Eurostar late Saturday to find an enthusiastic crowd waiting to greet her. The station’s security team and her own bodyguards struggled to protect her from the crush as she tried to leave the station. “The French are insane!!!” she tweeted a little later. “FYI, if u push me, you WILL get pushed back!” she added. “I just had to fight my way out of a damn train station!!!” she exclaimed.

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Winds of crisis blow through Venice film festival

VENICE, Italy (AFP) - For all the glamorous seaside partying at the Venice film festival, there is a distinct air of austerity at this year’s edition for an industry that is questioning its economic future.

The festival line-up has been slimmed and the star wattage toned down while even some of the movie plotlines reflect various forms of fallout from the financial crisis - from family and relationships to faith and spiritual values.

“The main recurring theme is the crisis. The economic crisis, which is having devastating social effects, but also the crisis of values,” said Alberto Barbera, director of what is the world’s oldest international film festival.

“I wanted to give a voice to those who do not have one,” said Ivano De Matteo, the Italian director of “Gli Equilibristi” (“The Tightrope Walkers”) about a man whose perfect life falls apart when his wife leaves him.

“My film is about the economic balancing act,” he said, adding that it was about “people who are too rich to be helped and too poor to live.”

“It’s not just a problem of one or two people, it’s a disease. There is a middle class that is becoming impoverished” in Italy, he added. In South Korean director’s Kim Ki-duk’s “Pieta” a loan shark lives a ruthless life until a woman claiming to be his mother comes into his life.

“People today are obsessed with a fantasy that money can solve anything,” said Kim, who has become famous for films with strong messages.

“We realise that we are accomplices to everything that occurs in our period. Money will ask sad questions until the people of this era die,” he said.

In Daniele Cipri’s “E’ stato il figlio” (“The Son Did It”) the crisis in Italian society is explored through the Ciraulo family living in Palermo. The father supports his family by selling scrap iron from disused ships until one day his daughter is killed by a stray bullet.

The family, which gets itself into dire financial straits, eventually gets compensation for mafia victims and ends up buying a Mercedes.

“The symbol of the Mercedes has a tragic, grotesque tone which fits with the times in which we live,” said Toni Servillo, who plays the father.

“The behaviour is dictated by an alienating consumerism... It tells us about something interesting from a social point of view but through cinema,” he said.

The festival itself is feeling the pinch this year and hoteliers on the Lido have been complaining they are not booked out as in previous years when rooms would be reserved months in advance by cinema crowds from around the world.

Industry professionals attending Venice said the effects of Internet piracy and the contraction of advertising revenues have slashed budgets for filmmaking, with independent directors particularly hard hit.

“The market is tough,” said Nawid Sarem, project coordinator for Eye on Films, a France-based global network of film festivals and producers.

Perhaps making a virtue of a necessity given the constraints on funds, the industry is increasingly opening up to and promoting “micro-budget” films. Venice organisers said they were setting up a Cinema College to encourage up-and-coming low budget directors and this year’s fest also hosted a competition for shorts submitted via YouTube entitled “Your Film Festival.”

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UK PM expected to reshuffle govt

LONDON  - Prime Minister David Cameron was expected to reshuffle his government this week as British lawmakers returned to work Monday following their summer break. During the parliamentary holiday, Cameron has faced unrest from within his own centre-right Conservative Party, with one former minister asking whether he was “man or mouse”. It will be the first proper reshuffle of Cameron’s government since the May 2010 general election that brought him to office. The Conservatives are in coalition with the centrist Liberal Democrats, led by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who has faced questions from within his own party about his leadership.

Writing in The Mail on Sunday newspaper, Cameron vowed to “cut through the dither” and breathe new life into the nation’s recession-mired economy with a series of new initiatives in this parliamentary term.

He also pledged that he would continue reining in Britain’s deficit amid the ongoing eurozone sovereign debt crisis.

Cameron’s official spokesman refused to comment on the timing or content of the reshuffle, widely commented on in newspapers Monday and expected to involve cabinet members as well as junior ministers.

Reports suggested that high-ranking ministers such as Clegg, finance minister George Osborne or Foreign Secretary William Hague were safe in their posts.

A YouGov poll in The Sunday Times newspaper put support for the Conservatives at 35 percent, centre-left Labour at 41 percent, the Liberal Democrats at nine percent and other parties at 14 percent.

Some 60 percent thought Cameron was doing badly as prime minister, while 67 percent thought the coalition was working together badly. YouGov sampled 1,739 people on Thursday and Friday for the poll.

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PCB plans triangular series

LAHORE - Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf is planning to hold a Triangular series to bring back international cricket in Pakistan to be held in October and November, it has been learnt.  Afghanistan and Zimbabwe will be other participants of the triangular series beside hosts Pakistan, the source revealed on Friday. Pakistan Cricket Board has earlier requested the Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) to change schedule of Pakistan tour to Zimbabwe that was to be held in November and December prior to Pakistan’s India tour. Zimbabwe Cricket authorities agreed to postpone the tour to next year and the dates of tour will be finalised later.

Zimbabwe team will not play international matches after next month’s ICC World Twenty20 (T20) following the Pakistan Cricket Board proposal to have their tour, which was scheduled for November, postponed to next year, it has been learnt. If Zaka Ashraf succeeded in holding the triangular series in a successful manner that will be his other achievement after revival of cricketing ties with India, the source added. The source revealed that Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is negotiating with Afghanistan and Zimbabwe cricket boards officials to finalise the itinerary of the Triangular series to be held in October and November.

Earlier, the Pakistan Cricket Board has also delayed launching of Pakistan Twenty20 league till March 2013 for this triangular series, the source added. Pakistan was due to play two Tests, three one-day internationals (ODIs) and two T20 international matches in Zimbabwe ahead of their much-hyped tour to India in December.  Pakistan will tour India in late December to play three ODIs and two T20 internationals and the series is being given a lot of importance as it will herald the revival of bilateral cricket ties between the two nations which were frozen since 2007.  On the other hand, Zimbabwe Cricket head of media and communications Shingai Rhuhwaya confirmed the postponement of Pakistan series and said the two boards were now in discussion to find a suitable time on the international calendar where it can be rescheduled.

“Yes, I can confirm that the Pakistan tour has been postponed to next year after the PCB requested more time to prepare for their tour of India in December. The two boards are still in discussion to reschedule the tour to next year. Zimbabwe Cricket is also in discussions to have the limited-over leg of the tour turned into a triangular series,” said Rhuhwaya without disclosing the name of the country.

“Without any international matches lined up until the end of the year, Zimbabwe team players will focus their attention on the domestic league which gets underway early October.”

A Pakistan Cricket Board source confirmed the latest development. “But we have now asked them to postpone this to next year as the dates clash with the Indian tour. “We tried to adjust the series in November, but at that time the Zimbabwe Cricket Union has some issues,” the official said.

The official insisted that Pakistan was keen to support Zimbabwe cricket and had invited them regularly to play. “But unfortunately this time we are facing problems in creating a proper window because immediately after the Indian tour, we also have a full tour to South Africa,” he said. He said Pakistan had no intention of cancelling the tour, but only wanted it moved to next year. Pakistan’s last tour to Zimbabwe took place last year. The Test series was supposed to be new ZC managing director WilfredMukondiwa’s first since he took over from Ozias Bvute.

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Spike Lee’s tribute to MJ rocks Venice

VENICE - US director Spike Lee brought together Michael Jackson’s studio hands and previously unseen behind-the-scenes footage for a documentary that premiered Friday at the Venice film festival. “Bad 25” deliberately leaves out the scandals surrounding the late pop legend in favour of an in-depth look at the making of “Bad” - 25 years after the release of what became one of the best-selling albums of all time.

Home videos shot by Jackson himself or by his closest collaborators during rehearsals will delight fans, revealing the king of pop’s impish sense of humour, unflagging creative energy and meticulous attention to detail. Many of the interviews were shot in the studio where “Bad” was recorded and bring out the still-raw emotions over Jackson’s 2009 shock death from choreographers, sound technicians and musicians who knew him at his best. The documentary is a treasure trove for nostalgics for big hair and pop beat days, with tributes from singers Justin Bieber, Mariah Carey and Stevie Wonder as well as Lee’s voice heard off camera chuckling in the interviews. Interviews with Martin Scorsese, who filmed the music video for “Bad”, and concerts and footage of screaming fans also brings back memories of the anticipation surrounding the release of the album in pre-Internet days.

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Michael Hussey takes Australia

ABU DHABI  - Saeed Ajmal confounded Australia’s batsmen again, but led by Michael Hussey the Australians were still able to set Pakistan a challenging target in the Abu Dhabi heat. Hussey top scored with 61 and valuable contributions from George Bailey, Michael Clarke and Glenn Maxwell helped Australia reach 248 for 9 at the end of 50 overs, despite Ajmal finishing with an impressive 4 for 32.

Pakistan did not help themselves in the field, dropping catches and missing run outs, and it could have been worse had the Australians capitalised more on the five free hits given up due to no-balls from Sohail Tanvir. It was left largely to Ajmal to keep Australia in check and he was not only dangerous but also economical, slowing the scoring rate towards the end as Daniel Christian and Mitchell Johnson cautiously saw him off.

The Australians could have pushed harder in the final overs had Ajmal not found a way through both Hussey and Maxwell, whose 58-run sixth-wicket partnership pushed the total past 200. Both men fell in the same Ajmal over, Hussey bowled attempting a tired slog and Maxwell advancing down the pitch, missing the doosra and finding himself stumped by a matter of metres.

But Hussey and Maxwell had done their job, continuing the rebuild started by Hussey and Bailey after the top order wobbled to 87 for 4. Maxwell launched two consecutive sixes off Abdur Rehman, one a slog sweep and the other a drive over long-on, and that was followed by six more from the next delivery when Hussey pulled a short ball from Junaid Khan. As usual, Hussey was good at finding the gaps and rotating the strike, and he brought up his half-century from 59 balls. Maxwell helped keep the scoreboard ticking over, although he should have been caught on 21 when he top-edged a slog sweep off an Ajmal doosra and was put down by Asad Shafiq running in from deep midwicket; the ball had sailed so high the batsmen were able to run two.

Maxwell had come to the crease after Bailey departed for 39 from 46 balls when he pushed a catch back to the bowler Rehman.

scoreboard

AUSTRALIA:

M Wade b Khan    7

D Warner lbw b Ajmal    24

M Clarke lbw b Hafeez    37

M Hussey b Ajmal    61

D Hussey lbw b Ajmal    0

G Bailey c and b Rehman    39

G Maxwell st Kamran b Ajmal    28

D Christian c Ajmal b Khan    18

M Johnson b Khan    2

J Pattinson not out    2

M Starc not out    11

EXTRAS: (lb9, nb5, w5)    19

TOTAL: (9 wkts; 50 overs)    248

FOW: 1-8, 2-74, 3-86, 4-87, 5-153, 6-211, 7-214, 8-235, 9-235

BOWLING: Tanveer 9-0-59-0, Khan 9-0-52-3, Hafeez 10-1-28-1, Rehman 10-0-54-1, Ajmal 10-0-32-4, Ali 2-0-14-0

PAKISTAN: Misbahul Haq (capt), Nasir Jamshed, M Hafeez, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal, Sohail Tanveer, Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, Junaid Khan

TOSS: Australia

UMPIRES: Nigel Llong (ENG), Ahsan Raza (PAK)

TV UMPIRE: Billy Bowden (NZL)

MATCH REFEREE: Roshan Mahanama

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UN turns up pressure on Iran’s N-activities

TEHRAN - Iran was under diplomatic pressure on Friday after a UN watchdog report said it had expanded its nuclear programme and was hampering inspections, and UN chief Ban Ki-moon in Tehran called on it to release political prisoners. Iranian officials responded by denying some of the charges in the International Atomic Energy Agency report, which they said was timed to steal the spotlight from a Non-Aligned Movement summit they were hosting. UN leader Ban Ki-moon called on Iran Friday to prove its nuclear program is peaceful after a UN watchdog said the Islamic state has stepped up its atomic drive. Ban, who pressed Iranian leaders over international suspicions of a bomb-making effort while at a summit in Tehran this week, expressed regret at the lack of progress between the government and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). It is “regrettable that Iran has yet to reach agreement with the IAEA on a plan to resolve all outstanding issues,” said a statement released by Ban’s spokesman, Martin Nesirky. Ban said there had to be “a diplomatic and negotiated solution” to the showdown.

“This must include measures by Iran aimed at building international confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of its nuclear program,” he added.

The statement comes in the wake of a new IAEA report that said Iran has doubled capacity at an underground nuclear facility and stepped up production of nuclear fuel. The United States, Britain, France and other western powers accuse Iran of seeking a nuclear bomb. But Tehran insists its effort is peaceful.

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a speech attended by Ban at the Non-Aligned Movement summit this week that his country would “never” cease its nuclear activities. The IAEA report was released late on Thursday - in the middle of the summit - and said Iran had doubled its capacity to enrich uranium at its underground Fordo nuclear facility by installing, but not yet switching on, more than 1,000 more centrifuges. Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom said that Iran’s first atomic power plant, a symbol of what the Islamic Republic says is its peaceful nuclear ambition, is now operating at full capacity. It also said that UN inspectors wanting to see part of a military base in Parchin, outside Tehran, which is suspected of hosting tests of explosives that could be used in a nuclear warhead, had been “significantly hampered” by months of refused access.

Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi rejected the Parchin allegations, telling the ISNA news agency they had “no technical basis” and that “one cannot clean a site” of nuclear work.

Iranian officials have previously emphasised that Parchin is an off-limits military base and that the IAEA’s focus on it is overblown and based on “false” Western intelligence. Ban, in his speech at the Iranian diplomats’ college, expanded on criticism of Iran’s nuclear stand that he had delivered in meetings with Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and at the opening of the summit.

He urged Iran to comply with the IAEA and with UN resolutions on the issue, stressing the “cost of Iran’s current trajectory” and saying that “any country at odds with the international community... finds itself isolated from the thrust of common progress.”

On Friday, Khamenei said that US and Israel are responsible for the conflict scorching Syria by “flooding weapons” to rebels there. “The main and behind-the-scenes operators behind the painful issues in Syria are America and the Zionist regime,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a meeting with Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halaqi on the sidelines of a NAM summit.

“The main operators in the Syrian issue are those who have been flooding weapons into Syria and financially backing the irresponsible groups,” he said.

Halaqi thanked Khamenei for Iran’s support, and delivered greetings from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who did not attend the NAM summit.

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