Thursday, January 26, 2012

Mid Day International News

Mid Day International News

US comedian Jay Leno sued over Golden Temple joke

Posted:

An Indian American has filed a lawsuit in California suing US comedian Jay Leno for what he calls "racist" comments on the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

Leno "hurt the sentiments of all Sikh people in addition to the plaintiff", says Randeep Dhillon in his lawsuit filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court Tuesday, seeking unspecified damages, according to TMZ.com.

A recent Leno skit showed the shrine as the summer home of Republican candidate Mitt Romney, who has faced questions over his wealth and Sikhs are angry that the temple was shown as a place for the rich.

Leno's joke "clearly exposes plaintiff, other Sikhs and their religion to hatred, contempt, ridicule and obloquy because it falsely portrays the holiest place in the Sikh religion as a vacation resort owned by a non-Sikh", Dhillon said in his petition.

Indian Deputy Chief of Mission here Arun Kumar Singh met US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Robert Blake Tuesday and conveyed India's objection to Leno passing off a visual of the Golden Temple as Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's vacation home.

The Indian Mission has also written a "strong letter" to NBC, which broadcast Leno's "The Tonight Show" featuring the joke Thursday.

Meanwhile, US based Sikh group, Sikhs for Justice lodged a complaint with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) against Leno's objectionable depiction of Golden Temple.

The SFJ complaint states that "Jay Leno's depiction of Golden Temple as the home of the rich is racist, derogatory, defamatory, contrary to the reality, inimical to the principles of Sikhism, and thus hurtful to the sentiments of the Sikh community".

The complaint demands imposition of sanctions against Jay Leno for spreading racism and against NBC for airing contents ridiculing a place of worship.

After nearly 60 years, beards are back at Disney

Posted:

Six of Snow White's seven dwarves have them, along with Merlin the Magician and Aladdin's genie, and now men working at Disneyland and Walt Disney World can sport one too -- a beard.

From next Friday, front line male employees at Disney's parks and resorts will be allowed to grow a beard in the biggest change to the company's conservative, clean-cut dress code since pantyhose became optional for female employees in 2010.

The change came during the company's periodic review of employee requirements, and had been requested by some cast members, which is what Disney calls employees who work face-to-face with the public, Disney spokeswoman Andrea Finger said.

"We're careful to maintain our heritage and the integrity of our brand," Finger said. The brand includes the 'Disney Look,' described as fresh, clean, neat and approachable. Facial hair had been banned at the Disney company since the 1950s.

Clinton said the response by younger workers to the change was, "Finally, I can take a vacation and grow a beard." Disney is also instituting casual Fridays when behind-the-scenes workers may wear neat jeans and polo shirts.

Did you know?
Disney female employees cannot grow their finger nails beyond a quarter of an inch past the fingertip


Demi Moore rushed to hospital with exhaustion

Posted:

Demi Moore was rushed to hospital on Tuesday night to be treated for exhaustion. The 49-year-old actress, who has appeared increasingly frail in recent weeks after calling off her marriage to Ashton Kutcher, was taken to hospital by ambulance following a call to 911.


Desperately seeking help: Demi Moore was hospitalised on Tuesday
night after she complained of exhaustion. However, some sources say
that she is being treated for substance abuse. Pic/AFP

The star's spokesperson said the actress is seeking 'professional assistance' after the stresses of recent months. However, showbiz website TMZ is claiming the actress is being treated for 'substance abuse'.

The news emerged as her young husband, from whom she is estranged, was pictured enjoying a beer as he partied with friends at a Bruno Mars gig in Brazil.

According to TMZ, the actress was assessed at home before being taken to a local hospital. Representatives for the star refused to directly comment on the substance abuse allegations.

But a spokesperson for the star said, "Because of the stresses in her life right now, Demi has chosen to seek professional assistance to treat her exhaustion and improve her overall health. She looks forward to getting well and is grateful for the support of her family and friends."


'Case isn't based on cultural prejudice'

Posted:

An official statement by head of Norwegian Child Welfare Services mentions that parents of the children -- who were taken into custody after they were deemed unfit -- are lying about the reasons the kids were taken away

The ordeal of an NRI couple whose two children were taken away by the Norwegian Childcare Services on grounds of 'emotional disconnect' and 'improper' upbringing is set to end with an agreement between India and Norway to hand the kids over to their uncle.


Bring home my children: Anurup and Sagarika Bhattacharya appealed
to the Indian government after their children were taken away by the
Norwegian Child Welfare Services

The agreement was struck after the parents Anurup and Sagarika Bhattacharya named Anurup's brother Arunabhash Bhattacharya as the primary caretaker of the two children, Abhigyan (3) and Aishwarya (1) after Norwegian Child Welfare Services deemed that the children were not receiving proper care.

On television, the parents claimed that the child services objected to their feeding the children by hand and sharing the same bed -- common practices in India where they are seen as part of bonding between the daughter and mother.

The children were placed in foster care eight months ago. However, the official statement by the Child Welfare Services in the southwestern Norwegian town of Stavanger, where the family lives, would not comment on the grounds for removing the children from their home, insisting the information was confidential.

The 'emotional disconnect'
Social workers came to their home after the elder child, exhibited behavioural problems in school. The parents say, they took the children into care because they slept with their parents and their mother fed them with her fingers. They decided the mother was suffering from depression, was tired and had little patience. She was "overfeeding" the children using her hands.

Excerpts from the statement by Head of Child Welfare Services
* We are aware that the children's parents, and their supporters, have launched a media-campaign where they have presented their version and given their description of the reasons for the intervention of the Child Welfare Services. Examples given by the parents for the intervention are criticism of feeding methods and sleeping arrangements. The impression given is that Norwegian authorities have intervened on basis of cultural prejudice. I most strongly deny that this case in any way is based on cultural prejudice or misinterpretation

* In the ruling of the court there are no references to the explanations given by the parents to the media
as grounds for the ruling.

* The Child Welfare Service has a responsibility to intervene if measures in the home are not sufficient to meet a child's needs. Examples are when a child is mistreated or subjected to other serious abuses at home, or when there is every probability that the child's health or development may be seriously harmed because the parents are incapable of taking adequate responsibility for their child.

-- Gunnar Toresen, head of Child Welfare Services, Norway


Sharapova shuns criticism of her high-decibel grunting

Posted:

Notoriously noisy Maria Sharapova slapped down questions over her loud shrieking yesterday after she was singled out for criticism during a push for quieter women's tennis at the Australian Open.


Focussed: Sharapova serves during yesterday's quarter-final. Pic/AFP

Sharapova, described by rival player Agnieszka Radwanska as "just too loud", told a questioner that that "no one important enough" had told her to be quiet.

"You've obviously asked me this question before," said Sharapova. "I've heard it a few times over my career. You've watched me grow up, you've watched me play tennis. I've been the same over the course of my career.
No one important enough has told me to change or do something different. I've answered it many times before, I'm sure I'll answer it many more times ahead. I'm OK with that."

Earlier, Sharapova cruised into the semi-finals with a 6-2, 6-3 win over 56th-ranked compatriot Ekaterina Makarova.

Sharapova next faces Czech Petra Kvitova, who beat Italy's Sara Errani 6-4, 6-4. The semi-final will be a rematch of last year's Wimbledon final, which Kvitova won 6-3, 6-4 to claim her first grand slam title.


Posted by Harshad at 7:26 AM

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