CAIRO (NYTIMES) - A delegation of Houthi rebels flew from the capital of Yemen to Sweden on Tuesday (Dec 4), the biggest step toward peace in the country's civil war since 2016. Houthi officials said that preliminary talks with the delegation from the Saudi-backed government led by President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi could begin as early as Wednesday. The UN envoy to Yemen, Mr Martin Griffiths, was also aboard the Kuwaiti airliner that left Sanaa, the capital, on Tuesday, one day after 50 wounded Houthi fighters were allowed to fly to Oman for treatment as part of an elaborate sequence of confidence-building measures. Mr Griffiths offered to accompany the Houthis to overcome their fears that the Saudi-led coalition, which controls Yemeni airspace, might intercept the flight, a senior UN official said. The plane carried international and Yemeni hopes for the fragile political process. On Oct 30, amid growing concern at the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, US Defence Secretary James Mattis … [Read more...] about Houthi delegation leaves Yemen for talks in Sweden
Talk talk directors
News Why ‘OTLUM’ director feels lucky movie was chosen for MMFF
This year's Metro Manila Film Festival will include a barkada horror tribute to "Shake, Rattle, & Roll," but not a Brillante Mendoza movie about the government's drug war --and that has people talking. Organizers of the annual film festival revealed its 8-film lineup last week that features "OTLUM," the story of a group of friends who dares each other to stay inside a haunted house gone wrong starring Ricci Rivero, Jerome Ponce and John Estrada. The movie, from a new studio called Horseshoe Studios, was announced last, and was said to have been competing with Mendoza's award-winning "Alpha: The Right to Kill" for the final slot. According to Pep, the decision to include "OTLUM" ahead of "Alpha: The Right to Kill" was much discussed by a selection board headed by National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera. The criteria for this year was based mostly on a movie's "artistic excellence" (40%) and "commercial appeal" (40%), though consideration was also given to … [Read more...] about News Why ‘OTLUM’ director feels lucky movie was chosen for MMFF
Trump spy chief defends N.Korea talks, says Pyongyang bends to pressure
WASHINGTON - Donald Trump deployed his spy chief Sunday to sell his snap decision to engage North Korea's Kim Jong Un in momentous nuclear talks that the president himself predicted would be a "tremendous success" but others warn carry big risks. US President Donald Trump told supporters at a rally Saturday in Pennsylvania that his nuclear talks with the North Korean leader would be a 'tremendous success' CIA director Mike Pompeo portrayed North Korea as buckling under the pressure of US-led international sanctions, and insisted there would be no let-up for the duration of the negotiations."Never before have we had the North Koreans in a position where their economy was at such risk, where their leadership was under such pressure," he said on Fox News Sunday."Make no mistake: while these negotiations are going on, there will be no concessions made," he said.The Sunday talk show appearances by Pompeo and others served to answer critics who warn that the talks, entered into by an … [Read more...] about Trump spy chief defends N.Korea talks, says Pyongyang bends to pressure
Omarosa talks Trump on Celebrity Big Brother
“It’s so bad.” That’s Omarosa Manigault Newman’s take on the Trump administration.If you thought Omarosa (she’s back to just one name now) was done with the White House after allegedly being escorted from the building in December, you obviously thought very wrong. The former staffer will be dining out on her time at the table as long as everyone’s hungry for details. Case in point: Celebrity Big Brother.The competition show premiered Wednesday on CBS and Global with plenty of So Very Omarosa moments to dive into, but it’s a newly released snippet of Thursday’s episode that has everyone talking. The clip shows Omarosa and TV personality Ross Mathews having a heart-to-heart about what the heck’s going on in the West Wing, where Omarosa spent almost a year as the director of communications for the Office of Public Liaison for the Trump administration.“From the outside, can I tell you as a voter, as a citizen, I never got … [Read more...] about Omarosa talks Trump on Celebrity Big Brother
‘The Tale’ is an explosive look at its director’s experience with sexual abuse that has Sundance audiences buzzing
Director Jennifer Fox recounts being sexually abused at the age of 13 in her new movie, “The Tale.” Laura Dern plays Fox, who after coming across a story she wrote at 13, begins to uncover her “special” relationship with two adult coaches. The movie is getting an incredible response at the Sundance Film Festival. Jennifer Fox has spent her career making documentaries, but with her latest movie, “The Tale,” she’s turned to narrative storytelling and uses the structure to explore her experience with sexual abuse. In the era of the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements, “The Tale” is a project that has shown up right when everyone in Hollywood is publicly grappling with sexual misconduct. But the process of making “The Tale” started long before the Harvey Weinstein sexual misconduct allegations kick-started the conversation. Unlike documentaries, which can be … [Read more...] about ‘The Tale’ is an explosive look at its director’s experience with sexual abuse that has Sundance audiences buzzing