The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz
The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz |
| Former BBC DJ in court over showbiz sex abuse Posted: 14 Jan 2014 07:47 AM PST One of Britain's best-known radio DJs in the 1970s and 1980s, the BBC's Dave Lee Travis, who counted Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi among his fans, is facing 14 charges involving 11 women aged from 15 upwards that date from between 1976 and 2008. UK-based Australian entertainer Rolf Harris was also due in court today to enter a plea to 16 offences dating back to the 1980s, one allegedly involving a girl aged seven or eight. The charges stem from a police investigation launched after the 2011 death of one of the BBC's top TV presenters, Jimmy Savile, who turned out to have been a prolific sex predator over six decades. There are now several investigations into Savile's case with victims mulling compensation and calling for a single judge-led inquiry into how the DJ was able to evade justice for so long. The BBC has ordered an independent review into revelations that Savile abused hundreds of children in hospitals and on BBC premises. The report is due within weeks. To date, police have arrested 16 former celebrities and show business figures, laying charges against four, releasing six on bail and taking no further action against six. Critics have asked why the BBC and police did not act at the time when victims complained. Some celebrities have voiced concern the investigation has become a "witch-hunt" with innocent people linked to paedophile Savile but never charged. Child welfare campaigners said the publicity had encouraged people to speak up. The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) said reports of sex abuse of children aged under 11 rose 16% last year. "This highlights the urgent need to tackle this problem from an early age," said NSPCC Chief Executive Peter Wanless. Travis, 68, arrived at Southwark Crown Court in London today to a waiting scrum of media. The presenter, who also hosted the TV show "Top of the Pops" in the 1980s, has denied 13 counts of indecent assault and one of sexual assault. His trial is set to last six weeks. Rolf Harris is due to stand trial in April on 12 charges of indecent assault and four counts of making indecent images of a child. The alleged offences date from 1968 to 2012, with one involving a girl aged seven or eight. Harris, 83, a family favourite in Australia and Britain for over 50 years, has indicated he will plead not guilty. The entertainer made his name hosting TV shows and producing chart hits including "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport". A keen artist, he painted Queen Elizabeth's portrait in 2005 and performed at the Queen's 2012 Diamond Jubilee concert. The inquiry has also led to charges being laid against celebrity publicist Max Clifford who faces trial in March. A former BBC chauffeur who was also charged and due to stand trial committed suicide last October. - Reuters, January 14, 2014. |
| Austrian actor Waltz, China’s Leung on Berlin film fest jury Posted: 14 Jan 2014 05:44 AM PST Schamus's diverse resume includes the Oscar-winning 2005 gay cowboy drama "Brokeback Mountain" on which he worked with director Ang Lee, one of a string of such collaborations. For more than a decade, Schamus led Focus Features and was involved in producing films such as "Lost in Translation", "Milk", "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and "Dallas Buyers Club". The 64th Berlinale, the first major European cinema showcase of the year, will open on February 6 with an all-star romp by US director Wes Anderson, "The Grand Budapest Hotel", and wrap up on February 16. The international jury hands out the festival's top Golden and Silver Bear awards in the competition. Schamus is no stranger to the Berlin film festival after "The Wedding Banquet", another collaboration with Ang Lee, carried off the Golden Bear in 1993. The American also co-wrote the 2000 Mandarin-language international hit "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". "As one of independent cinema's most important champions, James Schamus knows the balancing act between Hollywood's studio system and art-house cinema better than anyone," the festival's organisers said in a statement. Leung, who appeared in the 2000 hit "In the Mood for Love", starred in "The Grandmaster", a martial arts epic about the mentor of kung fu superstar Bruce Lee which opened the 2013 Berlin film festival. Long a well-known face among German-speaking audiences, Austria's Waltz is best known internationally for his parts in Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds" and "Django Unchained" for which he won two Oscars. Fellow jury members include US actress and filmmaker Greta Gerwig, Iranian filmmaker Mitra Farahani, Danish actress Trine Dyrholm and Barbara Broccoli, the daughter of "James Bond" producer Albert Broccoli who, on his death, took over their production with her brother. - AFP, January 14, 2014. |
| You are subscribed to email updates from The Malaysian Insider : Showbiz To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 ulasan:
Catat Ulasan