China Criticizes ‘Hyped’ Reports of Tibetan Clashes
China on Tuesday accused foreign human rights organizations of exaggerating recent clashes between Tibetan demonstrators and police in southwestern China.
Tibetan advocacy groups and witnesses said Monday that police in Sichuan province opened fire on several thousand unarmed Tibetan demonstrators in a county called Luhuo by China and Draggo by Tibetans.
But foreign ministry spokesperson Hong Lei on Tuesday called those reports “hyped” , saying the clash involved only “dozens of protesters.” He said the unrest started when protesters began destroying stores and attacking police with rocks and knives.
The organization Free Tibet said one person was killed and at least 30 others wounded, while the International Campaign for Tibet said three were killed and nine wounded.
China's official Xinhua news agency quoted local officials as saying one person was killed and five police officers wounded when a clash broke out over the presumed self-immolation of a monk.
Several reports from international news organizations said the situation had calmed on Tuesday.
The heavily Tibetan region of Sichuan has been hit by ongoing protests and a series of self-immolations by Tibetan Buddhists demanding an end to widely perceived religious and cultural repression by Chinese authorities. The monks and their followers also are demanding the return of their exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
John Powers, a regional analyst at the Australian National University, told VOA the Tibetans are caught in a vicious cycle of demonstrations, violence, mass arrests and repression that fails to redress Tibetan grievances.
“Tibetans are looking for some sort of angle that will draw both the attention of the Chinese authorities and world attention to their situation, which is very bad and getting worse. The self-immolations that are happening, which are up to 16 now, is very clear indication of the desperation the Tibetans are feeling, and how little options they feel themselves as having.”
Powers says Chinese authorities are likely to consider any sort of protest by Tibetans calling for freedom from Chinese rule a provocation.
“These things need to be put in context. In China, that sort of thing is reason for either executing people or putting them in prison for a long time. These sorts of activities in an open society wouldn't even be noticed. At the very most, they might attract a fine. But in China you can be killed for it.”
At least 16 Tibetans, including monks, former monks and nuns, have died in self-immolation protests since March 2011. Thousands of monks subsequently were arrested by security forces and taken to unknown locations.
2012 Oscar Nominations to be Announced
The French-made film The Artist is expected to be among the contenders for best picture when the nominees for this year's Academy Awards are announced Tuesday.
The critically acclaimed tribute to Hollywood's silent movie era is one of the favorites for the coveted nomination, after winning the best musical or comedy prize at this month's Golden Globes. It will likely be joined by the Hawaii-based family drama The Descendants, which took home the best drama statue at the Golden Globes.
Other likely best picture contenders include Hugo, the World War One epic War Horse, and the 1960s civil rights drama The Help.
In the acting categories, The Artist star Jean Dujardin and The Descendants star George Clooney – both of them Golden Globe winners – are likely best actor nominees, along with Brad Pitt for his performance as a baseball executive in the hit Moneyball.
In the best actress category, oft-nominated Meryl Streep, is expected to receive a nod for her portrayal of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. She may be joined by Viola Davis for her performance as a black maid in The Help, Michelle Williams for her portrayal of film icon Marilyn Monroe in My Week with Marilyn, and Glenn Close for her role as a cross-dressing domestic in Albert Nobbs.
The 84th annual Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, February 26 in Hollywood.
Pastor Troy Gets Taken to Court on Fox’s Judge Alex
An angry promoter has taken Pastor Troy to Judge Alex, on Fox television over a missed show and failure to meet the agreement.
On Judge Alex, the host/arbitrator is Judge Alex Ferrer, a former police officer, lawyer, and Florida judge who solves small claims amongst
Produced in Houston at the television studios of Fox’s KRIV (Channel 26), Troy was is brought to trial for failing to perform at what is a former best friend’s concert.
The promoter, Roderick, claims that the concert was canceled because Pastor was arrested, but Roderick also says he rescheduled the concert only to have Pastor bail on him again.
Pastor claims that he was receiving death threats and out of fear for his safety and for the audience safety, he thought it was best not to appear at the show.
According to Pastor Troy, “this club where he’s having this event is in Augusta, Georgia. This city, Augusta, Georgia and I have a history or just violence and negativity. Somebody had just got shot in that club the weekend before I was supposed to be there.
Australia Joins EU in Banning Iranian Oil
Australia says it will follow the European Union in banning oil imports from Iran.
Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd said Tuesday Australia will take the same action as the EU, which on Monday agreed to new sanctions against Iran, including freezing the assets of the country's central bank.
The sanctions are part of a Western campaign to pressure Iran to suspend controversial parts of its nuclear program.
Iran dismissed the EU actions, calling the sanctions “illogical and unfair.”
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Monday the world's long-term need for energy means it is “not possible to impose sanctions on Iran,” with its huge resources of oil and gas.
The EU ban does not take effect until July 1, giving major buyers such as Greece, Spain and Italy time to find alternatives sources of oil. The EU has been the second-largest market for Iranian oil after China.
Iran is heavily reliant on revenue from oil exports.
Western powers accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under cover of a civilian energy program, a charge Tehran denies.
Iran has threatened to respond to new sanctions by closing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital pathway for global oil supplies.
Britain and the United States have warned Iran against closing the waterway located at the mouth of the Persian Gulf. The American aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, along with British and French warships, entered the Gulf without incident Sunday.
The U.S. imposed sanctions Monday on Iran's third-largest bank, making it harder for Tehran to access the world's financial system. The U.S. Treasury Department said Iran's Bank Tejarat is accused of aiding the country's nuclear weapons program, including moving tens of millions of dollars to help a state-run agency acquire uranium.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticized the EU embargo Monday, saying unilateral sanctions will not help revive negotiations between Iran and six world powers on the Iranian nuclear program. Those talks have been on hold for a year, but Lavrov said he is hopeful they will resume soon.
Russia and China supported several rounds of U.N. Security Council sanctions on Iran, but they oppose further measures, saying all parties should focus on negotiations. Moscow and Beijing both have close economic ties to Tehran.
'Underworld' awakens the box office with $25.4 million
2012 continued its box office winning streak this weekend, as Kate Beckinsale replaced herself at the top of the chart.
Her new movie, "Underworld Awakening," a 3D fourth installment of the popular vampires vs. werewolves franchise, debuted in first place with $25.4 million, good for a $8,252 per theater average. "Awakening" improved upon the opening weekend of its predecessor, 2009′s "Underworld: Rise of the Lycans," which started with $20.8 million (and did not feature Beckinsale), but fell short of 2006′s "Underworld: Evolution," which kicked off its run with $26.9 million. Sony/Screen Gems paid $70 million to make the 3D action film, but if past "Underworld" performances are any indication, "Awakening," which earned an "A-" CinemaScore grade, will have trouble recouping its costs.
The first "Underworld" earned 2.5 times its opening weekend (that's known as a mulitplier of 2.5) and finished with $51.8 million. The second notched a 2.4 multiplier and earned $62.3 million. The third only managed a 2.3 multiplier, a sure sign of sequel fatigue and frontloadedness, and grossed $45.8 million. With Kate Beckinsale back in the picture, "Awakening" may find a larger total than "Lycans," but with a very young audience (only 7 percent were 50 or older), it should continue the frontloaded trend and finish with about $56 million.
In second place, George Lucas' passion-project "Red Tails," a $58 million film starring Terrence Howard and Cuba Gooding Jr. that chronicles WWII's African-American Tuskegee airmen, took off with $19.1 million in its first three days. The strong debut came out of 2,512 theaters, which gave "Red Tails" a hefty $7,604 per theater average, the second-best in the Top 20. A few weeks ago, these high-flying numbers seemed unlikely. But in the week leading up to release, the film gained momentum.
Over the past few days, YouTube views for the trailer swelled, perhaps thanks to Tyler Perry's public endorsement of the film. In a newsletter to his fans dated January 17, Perry urged audiences to see "Red Tails." "I think we should pull together and get behind this movie," he wrote. "Not just African Americans, but all of us." Of course, that's not to undermine Fox's marketing team, which clearly did its job and brought in a broad range of ages.
Many films that play primarily to African American audiences (or really, any niche audience) drop quickly in their second week -- Perry's last three "Madea" films have fallen by an average of 60 percent in their second weekends -- but "Red Tails" may avoid a similar fate. The film increased by a whopping 40 percent from Friday to Saturday, a healthy sign that the film is playing well with families and shouldn't prove overly frontloaded. Furthermore, audiences enjoyed the film, issuing it an "A" CinemaScore grade, which will likely help it endure. Who knows where the film will end its flight, but after three days of results, "Red Tails" seems early in its ascent.
Kate Beckinsale's other current release, "Contraband," which topped the box office last week, dipped by 50 percent down to $12.1 million, giving the $25 million Mark Wahlberg action vehicle a sturdy $46.1 million ten-day total. It should finish in the $65 million range.
"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" fared about as expected during its wide release into 2,630 theaters. The 9/11 drama, adapted from Jonathan Safran Foer's novel of the same name, found a lukewarm $10.5 million this weekend, yielding a mild $4,010 per theater average. Audiences generally liked the Warner Bros. picture, giving it an "A-" CinemaScore grade, but unless "Extremely Loud" garners a surprising slew of Oscar nominations next week, it's doubtful that the film will climb to impressive numbers. In 2006, another 9/11-themed film, "United 93," opened with a similar $11.5 million, and despite good reviews (much better than "Extremely Loud's," in fact), it only found $31.5 million overall. A similar result seems likely in this case.
Is Sandra Bullock the latest performer to fall prey to the Best Actress Curse? As the legend goes, after an actress wins the coveted Oscar -- Bullock won in 2010 for her role in "The Blind Side" -- her box office appeal actually decreases. Look at someone like Charlize Theron. Since winning the Oscar in 2004, she has appeared in exactly one hit -- "Hancock," a movie which all but ignored her in its ads --and among her other nine releases, the highest-grossing one is, sadly, "Aeon Flux" with $25.9 million.
I'm not going to put too much faith in the curse, but "Extremely Loud" does mark Bullock's least-attended nationwide debut in 15 years. And for Hanks, the film is his second straight misfire since "Larry Crowne," which had to settle for $35.6 million. Difficult subject matter likely kept many audiences at bay.
Steven Soderbergh's "Haywire" started its run in fifth place, pulling in $9 million. The film, which features former MMA fighter Gina Carano, earned a dismal "D+" CinemaScore grade, despite strong critical reviews overall. (Another well reviewed action film, "Drive," earned a similarly unenthusiastic "C-" grade a few months back.) Relativity shelled out $23 million on the film, but "Haywire" will have to work hard to earn that number back at the box office. (Also, let's please ignore the inevitable discussion of whether women can open action movies at the box office and look at this week's number one film. Cool?)
Further down the chart, "The Artist," which expanded from 216 theaters into 662 theaters (that's a 300+ percent uptick in locations) on the heels of its Golden Globe win for Best Picture, increased by a rather disappointing 99 percent. After nine weeks, tons of awards, and a whole lot of press, the black-and-white film has earned $12.1 million against a $15 million budget. Perhaps people just don't want to see a silent movie.
"The Descendants," meanwhile, is faring much better during awards season. Following George Clooney's Best Actor win at the Globes, the drama increased 17 percent to $2.5 million, despite losing 100 locations, and has grossed $51.3 million.
Oh, and a little movie called "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 1" surpassed the $700 million mark worldwide as well. The vampire franchise has proven remarkably consistent.
1. Underworld Awakening -- $25.4 million
2. Red Tails -- $19.1 million
3. Contraband -- $12.2 million
4. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close -- $10.5 million
5. Haywire -- $9.0 million
6. Beauty and the Beast 3D -- $8.6 million
7. Joyful Noise -- $6.1 million
8. Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol -- $5.5 million
9. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows -- $4.8 million
10. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo -- $3.8 million
Supermodel Heidi Klum, pop star Seal separate
Pop star Seal and supermodel Heidi Klum have decided to split, the two said in statements released by their publicists.
"While we have enjoyed seven very loving, loyal and happy years of marriage, after much soul-searching we have decided to separate," the statements said. "We have had the deepest respect for one another throughout our relationship and continue to love each other very much, but we have grown apart."
Seal and Klum have four children together -- Leni, Henry, Johan and Lou.
"This is an amicable process, and protecting the well-being of our children remains our top priority, especially during this time of transition," they said. "We thank our family, friends, and fans for their kind words of support. And for our children's sake, we appreciate you respecting our privacy."
Klum told CNN's Piers Morgan in October that she first met Seal, 48, when she was sitting in the lobby of a New York City hotel.
"My husband came into the hotel after he just went to the gym," the 38-year-old "Project Runway" host recalled. "He was wearing hot, little bicycle shorts, and he was very sweaty, and I was like 'oh, hello.'"
Seal is best known for his hits "Crazy" and "Kiss from a Rose," which appeared on the "Batman Forever" soundtrack.
Aretha Franklin calls off engagement
Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin is putting the brakes on her engagement and impending nuptials.
The legendary songstress announced her engagement to her longtime friend William "Willie" Wilkerson at the start of the year, but she tells CNN in a statement Monday that the pair have decided they're "moving a little too fast."
Franklin, 69, continues, "There were a number of things that had not been thought through thoroughly."
Earlier, the singer had dished on plans to get Valentino, Vera Wang or Donna Karan to design her dress, and noted that the wedding's reception could happen aboard a luxury yacht.
However, Franklin says in her statement that "there will be no wedding at this time." She adds that neither she nor Wilkerson plan to speak on the canceled engagement "any further because of the very personal and sensitive nature of it. We appreciate all of the many well wishes from friends."
Hamilton, Rose lead Bulls over Nets 110-95
Derrick Rose had fans gasping in anticipation as he took off on the break, and they were breathless again seconds later as a similar scene unfolded.
Both times Rose took it easy on his sore foot. Otherwise, he showed no mercy.
Rose and Richard Hamilton each scored 22 points to lead the banged-up Chicago Bulls to an easy 110-95 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Monday.
"I was scared to dunk like that, but other than that, chasing (Deron Williams) around, I didn't feel anything," Rose said.
That was probably the best news on a night when the Bulls simply dominated the overmatched Nets.
Hamilton set season highs in points and assists (10). Rose added eight assists and hung with Williams after missing four games with a sprained left big toe.
Joakim Noah chipped in with 16 points and 10 rebounds, and the cruised to their fourth straight win even though they're hardly a picture of health at the moment.
Rose seemed hobbled at times but was able to stick with one of the game's best point guards, hours after he said the injury could be an issue the rest of the season. That doesn't necessarily mean he expects to miss more games.
"I didn't mean it that way," he said. "If someone steps on it, it's going to hurt. You never know. It might go the whole year and nobody touches it."
Rose said the decision to play ultimately rests with him, and he was feeling well enough Monday to return to the lineup.
He got plenty of help from Hamilton, who delivered another strong performance after scoring 20 against Charlotte on Saturday. That's two strong performances for a veteran who has been limited by a groin problem in his first season with the Bulls, and while the scoring is nice, what really stood out is what he did when he wasn't putting the ball in the net.
"He makes the right play," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "When he's open, he shoots. When he's guarded, he makes the right read."
Noah came up big, too, after missing a game with a sprained left ankle. Carlos Boozer had 14 points and nine rebounds, and Ronnie Brewer (11 points) filled in nicely with Luol Deng sidelined by a sprained left wrist.
Williams had 16 points and 10 assists for New Jersey. Jordan Farmar scored 22. Anthony Morrow added 15 points starting for MarShon Brooks (sore right Achilles tendon), but the Nets simply were simply overwhelmed playing their third game in as many nights.
"When the Bulls are energized and they get Derrick Rose back, they can score 110 on a lot of teams," New Jersey coach Avery Johnson said.
The Bulls led by as much as 17 in the first half and went to the locker room up 59-43 with Rose and Hamilton leading the way.
Rose scored 14 in the half even though he appeared to be hobbling a bit. That didn't stop him from hitting two 3-pointers in the half, from finding Hamilton with a neat feed for an alley-oop layup in the first quarter or from wrapping two breakaway dunks around a steal during one 15-second stretch in the second quarter, although he went up easy on those jams.
"You can see he was a little tentative," Williams said. "Usually he'll attack a little bit more. But he didn't have to."
Hamilton was active from the start, whether he was converting layups or burying jumpers. Brewer provided an early spark, too, with nine points in the first quarter, and even seldom-used backup Brian Scalabrine had his moments in the first half.
That included a neat driving reverse layup and feed from underneath to Omer Asik for another layup.
The Bulls did all that even though they were missing one of their best players in Deng, who was injured Saturday and might miss a few more games. Thibodeau said Deng is day to day and didn't completely rule out surgery even though the coach doesn't think it will be necessary.
He said Deng is "still consulting some doctors." Losing him for an extended period would be a big blow even though the Bulls believe they have the depth to withstand injuries.
"It's tough to see him hurt like that," Noah said. "We know that we need Lu to be right."
Pierce, Bass carry Celtics over Magic, 87-56
The Boston Celtics ' injuries didn't affect what coach Doc Rivers always wants - solid defense.
Paul Pierce and former Magic forward Brandon Bass each scored 19 points to carry the injury-riddled Celtics to an 87-56 win over Orlando on Monday night.
The Magic set franchise lows for points and field goals (16).
"Defensively that was as good as you can get," Rivers said after his team matched a club record for fewest points allowed in the shot-clock era, also done last season against Milwaukee.
Boston was minus starters Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo and three bench players, drastically reducing its roster.
Bass and Pierce carried the offense and Boston got some strong play from a cast of down-the-bench reserves. The Celtics snapped a streak of six straight losses against teams with winning records.
Pierce is looking for it to shake Boston out of its early season woes.
"Hopefully it'll funnel over to the guys that were out," said Pierce, who followed a 34-point effort in a win at Washington on Sunday. "There's no more excuses."
Avery Bradley and Sasha Pavlovic started in the backcourt for Boston and attempted to pressure Orlando's guards early, helping the Celtics pick up the pressure defensively.
"(It) started with Avery," Rivers said. "The ball pressure - and then it led to everyone. They're a great shooting team. ... Everything had to be precise and it was."
Dwight Howard led the Magic with 18 points and 14 rebounds. He needs eight points to surpass Nick Anderson as the Magic's career scoring leader.
Howard was 0 for 6 from the floor and just 4 for 10 from the free throw line in the second half.
"They came out and absolutely dominated us with their energy and defensive intensity," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said.
Kevin Garnett added 14 points and 10 rebounds for Boston.
The Celtics led by 10 at the half, turned up the pressure defensively and scored 16 of the first 21 points in the second half to pull ahead 62-41. Pierce had seven points in the run and set up Marquis Daniels for a layup that gave Boston its 21-point edge with 2:31 remaining in the quarter.
The Celtics held Orlando to one field goal in the opening 9:52 of the third and just two for the quarter - both 3-pointers. The Magic hit 2 of 11 shots and had nine turnovers.
"It was a tough game. They pressured us a lot," Howard said. "We rushed shots. It just wasn't a good night overall for us."
Howard, who missed 5 of 8 free throws in the third and went 0 for 5 from the field, flung the ball in frustration at the end of the quarter, nailing the backboard from his own end of the floor as the horn sounded with Boston holding a 69-46 lead.
Boston didn't let up in the fourth until Pierce and Garnett came out with just over five minutes to play. The Magic had a season-high 25 turnovers, 20 in the second half, and a season-low points.
Jermaine O'Neal and Howard were involved in a brief shoving match in the lane and both were given technicals midway into the third quarter. O'Neal got the initial foul on the play with a hard shove.
The Celtics led 36-36 at halftime, with Pierce and Bass each scoring 13 points.
The Celtics acquired Bass in a sign-and-trade deal with Orlando that sent Glen "Big Baby" Davis to the Magic.
Boston forwards Mickael Pietrus (shoulder) and Chris Wilcox (left calf) and guard Keyon Dooling (right knee) were also out - though not missed on this night.
Boston scored nine straight points late in the second quarter, pulling to a 43-33 lead on Pierce's 3 from the left wing with 45 seconds left.
"There's no way KG should be beating me up and down the floor," Howard said, before joking about the age difference. "There was a couple plays where he beat me up and down the floor. There's no way. He's 40 and I'm 25. I just can't allow that to happen. I have to step up and be the leader for this team."
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Paterno funeral Wednesday
Joe Paterno's family said Monday the legendary football coach will get a two-day viewing and a public memorial this week on the Penn State campus, two months after the university summarily fired him over the phone.
The family gave no details on who might be invited or asked to speak at the memorial Thursday at the basketball arena, which can hold 16,000 people. Penn State spokeswoman Lisa Powers said the specifics were still being worked out with the Paternos.
But many alumni and students say Paterno was treated shabbily by the Board of Trustees in November, and trustees and other members of the administration might not be made to feel welcome at the memorial for the 85-year-old coach, who died Sunday of lung cancer.
"I don't think it's going to be heavily laden with administration and trustees," said trustee Linda Strumpf, who lives in New York and will not attend. "This is something the family is putting together and not the university. I don't think the university wants to be in a position to tell them what a memorial service looks like."
But trustee Al Clemens said he will be there to honor a man he described as a good friend.
"This is really a family thing, and so we're just going to go as individuals," Clemens said. "Joe's a great guy. No matter was the situation was in the last two months, it doesn't take away from what he's done through history for so many people. He's just been tremendous."
The viewing will be held Tuesday and Wednesday at a campus spiritual center, followed by a private funeral Wednesday afternoon. The public memorial will be at the Jordan Center and is expected to draw thousands.
Michael Day, a 1973 Penn State graduate from Hagerstown, Md., whose father taught there and whose four children all have Penn State degrees, said the trustees were wrong to fire Paterno and he believes they will ultimately be replaced. He said he hopes they don't attend.
"I think the Penn State community is separate from the Penn State Board of Trustees," he said. "The Board of Trustees has separated itself from the Penn State community, and the Penn State community loves Joe Paterno and always will. So it's appropriate for the Penn State community to honor Joe Paterno in this service."
Paterno was fired Nov. 9 after he was criticized over his handling of child sex-abuse allegations leveled against former assistant Jerry Sandusky in 2002. Pennsylvania's state police commissioner said that in not going to the police, Paterno may have met his legal duty but not his moral one.
Bitterness over Paterno's removal has turned up in many forms, from online postings to a note placed next to Paterno's statue at the football stadium blaming the trustees for his death. A newspaper headline that read "FIRED" was crossed out and made to read, "Killed by Trustees." Lanny Davis, lawyer for the board, said threats have been made against the trustees.
Janice Hume, a journalism professor at the University of Georgia, said that staging an appropriate memorial creates a dilemma similar to the one faced by Paterno's obituary writers: how to address the scandal without letting it negate his entire career.
"I think it's probably very difficult to strike the right balance," she said.
Clemens said the board will later consider more lasting tributes to Paterno, including scholarships in his name. Because of his generosity to the school, his family name is already on the library and a spiritual center.
There has also been a movement over the past few years to change the name of Beaver Stadium, the football team's home field, to Joe Paterno Field at Beaver Stadium, and on Monday the man behind it, Warren W. Armstrong, a 1960 graduate and retired Allentown advertising executive, said he would renew his efforts. Some are suggesting renaming the street leading to the stadium Paterno Way.
A family spokesman said the Paternos' focus this week is on the viewing and funeral plans and they do want to weigh in on any ideas for a permanent memorial right now. But "I would say the family would welcome a conversation on that," Dan McGinn said.
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