Inkhabar webdesk

By Hanna Rantala LONDON, Dec 15 (Reuters) – A decade after making his feature film debut with acclaimed drama "Masaan", Indian director Neeraj Ghaywan returns with a second movie that seeks to give a voice to people who feel invisible. Based on true events, "Homebound" tells the story of two childhood friends from a northern Indian village whose sights are set on police officer jobs they believe will improve their standing in the world.  Shoaib, a Muslim, and Chandan, a Dalit, once called "untouchables", are among the 2.5 million applicants competing for 3,500 jobs in the police. Their bond gets tested during the wait for the entrance exam results, as each weighs his prospects, under pressure to support their families.      Inspired by Basharat Peer's 2020 New York Times article "Taking Amrit home", the film also looks at the plight of the country's large migrant population and the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.     "I saw big potential in speaking about a lot of things that contemporary India is shying away from showing in mainstream spaces, especially the marginalised community people, who are often looked at only in statistics," Ghaywan said.     Depicting the social issues and the discrimination the two friends face made the project personal for Ghaywan, who included his own experiences of growing up as a Dalit in the film.     "I masqueraded myself as an upper caste member for a very long time and it created a lot of fear, a lot of anxiety inside me. I worked through that shame for a very long time and then put it behind me when I publicly came out with my identity," Ghaywan, 45, said.     Ahead of filming, actors Ishaan Khatter (Shoaib) and Vishal Jethwa (Chandan) spent time in northern India's Barabanki, with locals inviting them into their homes and sharing their meals.     "This film, in many ways, is the story of millions of Shoaibs and millions of Chandans and that is what we try to stay true to," Khatter said. It was selected as India's contender for best international feature film at the 98th Academy Awards – a country by country list that gets whittled down to the five Oscar nominees.     "Homebound", which is executive produced by Martin Scorsese, is streaming on Netflix. (Reporting by Hanna Rantala; Editing by Alison Williams)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

Dec 16 (Reuters) – Radio host Howard Stern has renewed his contract with SiriusXM Holdings for three more years, the satellite radio company said on Tuesday, extending a partnership that has been central to its identity and subscriber growth for nearly two decades. The renewal keeps Stern, 71, one of the most popular "shock jocks" in radio history and one of the company's most prominent and costly on-air talents, as a flagship SiriusXM personality. Executives often cite him as a cornerstone of the company's premium subscription offering as SiriusXM seeks to retain subscribers and attract new ones amid intensifying competition. He joined SiriusXM in 2006 after the U.S. Federal Communications Commission repeatedly fined his former employers millions of dollars over his controversial on-air content. The financial terms of the new deal were not disclosed. Stern, who has frequently appeared on Forbes' lists of the highest-paid entertainers, last renewed his contract with the company in 2020 in an agreement reportedly worth up to $600 million. (Reporting by Arnav Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Francois Murphy VIENNA, Dec 16 (Reuters) – The host broadcaster of the next Eurovision Song Contest, Austria's ORF, will not ban the Palestinian flag from the audience or drown out booing during Israel's performance as has happened at previous shows, organisers said on Tuesday. The 70th edition of the contest in May will have just 35 entries, the smallest number of participants since 2003, after five national broadcasters including those of Spain, Ireland and the Netherlands said they would boycott the show in protest at Israel's participation. What is usually a celebration of national diversity, pop music and high camp has become embroiled in diplomatic strife, with those boycotting saying it would be unconscionable to take part given the number of civilians killed in Gaza as part of Israel's retaliation to the October 7 attack by Hamas in 2023. "We will allow all official flags that exist in the world, if they comply with the law and are in a certain form – size, security risks, etc," the show's executive producer, Michael Kroen, told a news conference organised by ORF. " … we will not sugarcoat anything or avoid showing what is happening, because our task is to show things as they are," Kroen said. AUSTRIA SUPPORTED ISRAEL PARTICIPATING The broadcaster will not drown out the sound of any booing from the crowd, as happened this year during Israel's performance, ORF's director of programming Stefanie Groiss-Horowitz said. "We won't play artificial applause over it at any point," she said. Israel's 2025 entrant, Yuval Raphael, was at the Nova music festival that was a target of the Hamas-led attack. The CEO of Israeli broadcaster KAN had likened the efforts to exclude Israel in 2026 to a form of "cultural boycott". ORF and the Austrian government were among the biggest supporters of Israel participating over the objections of countries including Iceland and Slovenia, which will also boycott the next contest in protest. ORF Director General Roland Weissmann visited Israel in November to show his support. This year's show drew around 166 million viewers, according to the European Broadcasting Union, more than the roughly 128 million who Nielsen estimates watched the Super Bowl. The war in Gaza began after Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and seized 251 hostages in an attack on southern Israel. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 70,700 Palestinians, most of them civilians, health officials in Gaza say. (Reporting by Francois Murphy; Additional reporting by John Revill in Zurich; Editing by Alison Williams)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Francois Murphy VIENNA, Dec 16 (Reuters) – The host broadcaster of the next Eurovision Song Contest, Austria's ORF, will not ban the Palestinian flag from the audience or drown out booing during Israel's performance as has happened at previous shows, organisers said on Tuesday. The 70th edition of the contest in May will have just 35 entries, the smallest number of participants since 2003, after five national broadcasters including those of Spain, Ireland and the Netherlands said they would boycott the show in protest at Israel's participation. What is usually a celebration of national diversity, pop music and high camp has become embroiled in diplomatic strife, with those boycotting saying it would be unconscionable to take part given the number of civilians killed in Gaza as part of Israel's retaliation to the October 7 attack by Hamas in 2023. "We will allow all official flags that exist in the world, if they comply with the law and are in a certain form – size, security risks, etc," the show's executive producer, Michael Kroen, told a news conference organised by ORF. " … we will not sugarcoat anything or avoid showing what is happening, because our task is to show things as they are," Kroen said. AUSTRIA SUPPORTED ISRAEL PARTICIPATING The broadcaster will not drown out the sound of any booing from the crowd, as happened this year during Israel's performance, ORF's director of programming Stefanie Groiss-Horowitz said. "We won't play artificial applause over it at any point," she said. Israel's 2025 entrant, Yuval Raphael, was at the Nova music festival that was a target of the Hamas-led attack. The CEO of Israeli broadcaster KAN had likened the efforts to exclude Israel in 2026 to a form of "cultural boycott". ORF and the Austrian government were among the biggest supporters of Israel participating over the objections of countries including Iceland and Slovenia, which will also boycott the next contest in protest. ORF Director General Roland Weissmann visited Israel in November to show his support. This year's show drew around 166 million viewers, according to the European Broadcasting Union, more than the roughly 128 million who Nielsen estimates watched the Super Bowl. The war in Gaza began after Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and seized 251 hostages in an attack on southern Israel. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 70,700 Palestinians, most of them civilians, health officials in Gaza say. (Reporting by Francois Murphy; Additional reporting by John Revill in Zurich; Editing by Alison Williams)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Francois Murphy VIENNA, Dec 16 (Reuters) – The host broadcaster of the next Eurovision Song Contest, Austria's ORF, will not ban the Palestinian flag from the audience or drown out booing during Israel's performance as has happened at previous shows, organisers said on Tuesday. The 70th edition of the contest in May will have just 35 entries, the smallest number of participants since 2003, after five national broadcasters including those of Spain, Ireland and the Netherlands said they would boycott the show in protest at Israel's participation. What is usually a celebration of national diversity, pop music and high camp has become embroiled in diplomatic strife, with those boycotting saying it would be unconscionable to take part given the number of civilians killed in Gaza as part of Israel's retaliation to the October 7 attack by Hamas in 2023. "We will allow all official flags that exist in the world, if they comply with the law and are in a certain form – size, security risks, etc," the show's executive producer, Michael Kroen, told a news conference organised by ORF. " … we will not sugarcoat anything or avoid showing what is happening, because our task is to show things as they are," Kroen said. AUSTRIA SUPPORTED ISRAEL PARTICIPATING The broadcaster will not drown out the sound of any booing from the crowd, as happened this year during Israel's performance, ORF's director of programming Stefanie Groiss-Horowitz said. "We won't play artificial applause over it at any point," she said. Israel's 2025 entrant, Yuval Raphael, was at the Nova music festival that was a target of the Hamas-led attack. The CEO of Israeli broadcaster KAN had likened the efforts to exclude Israel in 2026 to a form of "cultural boycott". ORF and the Austrian government were among the biggest supporters of Israel participating over the objections of countries including Iceland and Slovenia, which will also boycott the next contest in protest. ORF Director General Roland Weissmann visited Israel in November to show his support. This year's show drew around 166 million viewers, according to the European Broadcasting Union, more than the roughly 128 million who Nielsen estimates watched the Super Bowl. The war in Gaza began after Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and seized 251 hostages in an attack on southern Israel. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 70,700 Palestinians, most of them civilians, health officials in Gaza say. (Reporting by Francois Murphy; Additional reporting by John Revill in Zurich; Editing by Alison Williams)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Sandy Hooper and Andrew Hay LOS ANGELES, Dec 15 (Reuters) – The son of Hollywood actor and filmmaker Rob Reiner has been jailed as a suspect in the killing of his parents after they were found dead in their home over the weekend, Los Angeles police said on Monday. Nick Reiner, 32, who had struggled with substance abuse, was taken into custody on Sunday night and "booked for murder" in the county jail, where he remained without bail, the police department said in a statement. Homicide detectives would present their case on Tuesday to the county district attorney's office to consider formal charges, police said. Rob Reiner, 78, director of such beloved films as "When Harry Met Sally…" and "The Princess Bride," and his wife Michele, 70, were found slain at their home in the upscale Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon. The Los Angeles Police Department said its investigation "determined that the Reiners were the victims of homicide" and their son "was responsible for their deaths." The Los Angeles Times and celebrity news website TMZ.com said the couple's daughter was the first to find her parents. For years, Nick Reiner, 32, spoke openly about his battles with drug addiction and periods of homelessness that occurred when he refused to seek treatment for substance abuse. In a 2016 interview, he told People magazine that he first entered rehab for drug abuse at age 15. He eventually had at least 17 stays in facilities. Those experiences inspired the movie "Being Charlie," co-written by Nick Reiner and his father. "It was the most personal thing I've ever been involved in," Rob Reiner told podcaster Marc Maron in 2016. Local media reported that Nick Reiner had been spotted arguing with his parents on Saturday night at a holiday party hosted by comedian Conan O'Brien. Months earlier, Rob Reiner had been photographed with his wife and three children at the September 9 Los Angeles premiere of Reiner's last film, "Spinal Tap II: The End Continues." Pictures showed Nick with a shaved head and a beard, the only person not smiling. FROM 'MEATHEAD' TO 'SPINAL TAP' Tributes poured in for Rob Reiner, who was active in politics, supporting liberal causes. "He has improved countless lives through his creative work and advocacy fighting for social and economic justice," Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement. As an actor, Reiner was best remembered for his role on the 1970s television comedy hit "All in the Family" as Mike "Meathead" Stivic, the son-in-law and liberal foil of the bigoted lead character. The role garnered Reiner two Emmy awards for outstanding supporting actor. Reiner went on to a prolific Hollywood career as a director, starting with "This Is Spinal Tap," a 1984 mockumentary about a fictional hard rock band. The film became a cult classic, known for its mostly improvised script, with Reiner playing the faux documentary filmmaker Marty DiBergi. "That was the trick – to make fun of it and at the same time, honor it," Reiner told CBS's "60 Minutes" this year as he promoted his Spinal Tap sequel. Reiner directed nearly two dozen films, including classics such as "Stand by Me," a 1986 coming-of-age drama about four boys who set out to find the body of a missing youth, and 1989's "When Harry Met Sally," often cited as one of the greatest romantic comedies of all time. That movie featured the famed line, "I'll have what she's having," delivered by the director's real-life mother, Estelle Reiner, reacting to a faked orgasm in a restaurant. Reiner also directed the beloved 1987 fairy-tale adventure "The Princess Bride," the 1990 psychological thriller "Misery," and the 1992 military courtroom drama "A Few Good Men." CHAMPION OF PROGRESSIVE CAUSES Michele Reiner was at one time a photographer who captured the image of Donald Trump that appears on the cover of his book "Trump: The Art of the Deal." Rob Reiner, the son of the late comedy writer and actor Carl Reiner, also made campaign ads for 2004 Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry and campaigned against a 2008 California effort to ban same-sex marriages. Prior to Nick Reiner's arrest, Trump, without evidence, said on social media their deaths were "reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME."  Reiner was first married to Penny Marshall, who starred in the TV sitcom "Laverne & Shirley," and was also a producer and director. He was an adoptive father to Marshall's daughter and had three children with Michele. (Reporting by Andrew Hay, Sandy Hooper, Katharine Jackson, Brad Brooks and Dietrich Knauth; Writing by Andy Sullivan and Steve Gorman; Editing by Paul Thomasch, Bill Berkrot and Daniel Wallis)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Sandy Hooper and Andrew Hay LOS ANGELES, Dec 15 (Reuters) – The son of Hollywood actor and filmmaker Rob Reiner has been arrested and charged with the murder of his parents after they were found dead in their home over the weekend, the Los Angeles Police Department said on Monday. Nick Reiner, 32, who had struggled with substance abuse, was arrested on Sunday night and is being held in jail with no bail, the police department said in a press release. Jail documents earlier showed bail had been set at $4 million. Police found Rob Reiner, 78, the director of beloved movies like "When Harry Met Sally…" and his wife Michele, 70, dead at their home in the upscale Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon. The LAPD said their investigation "determined that the Reiners were the victims of homicide" and that their son "was responsible for their deaths." Nick Reiner was arrested later Sunday night.   For years, Nick Reiner, 32, spoke openly about his battles with drug abuse and periods of homelessness that occurred when he refused to enter rehab. He told People magazine in a 2016 interview that he first went into rehab for drug abuse at age 15. He eventually had at least 17 stays in facilities. Those experiences inspired the movie "Being Charlie," co-written by Nick Reiner and his father. "It was the most personal thing I've ever been involved in," Rob Reiner told podcaster Marc Maron in 2016. Local media reported that Nick had been spotted arguing with his parents on Saturday night at a holiday party hosted by comedian Conan O'Brien. Months earlier, Rob Reiner had been photographed with his wife and three children at the September 9 Los Angeles premiere of Reiner's last film, "Spinal Tap II: The End Continues". Pictures showed Nick with a shaved head and a beard, the only person not smiling. FROM 'MEATHEAD' TO 'SPINAL TAP' Tributes poured in for Rob Reiner, who was active in politics, supporting liberal causes. "He has improved countless lives through his creative work and advocacy fighting for social and economic justice," Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement. As an actor, Reiner was best remembered for his role on the 1970s television comedy hit "All in the Family" as Mike "Meathead" Stivic, the son-in-law and liberal foil of the bigoted lead character. The role garnered Reiner two Emmy awards for outstanding supporting actor. Reiner went on to a prolific Hollywood career as a director, starting with "This Is Spinal Tap," a 1984 mockumentary about a fictional hard rock band. The film became a cult classic, known for its mostly improvised script, with Reiner playing the faux documentary filmmaker Marty DiBergi. "That was the trick – to make fun of it and at the same time, honor it," Reiner told CBS's "60 Minutes" this year as he promoted his Spinal Tap sequel. Reiner directed nearly two dozen films in all, including classics such as "Stand by Me," a 1986 coming-of-age drama about four boys who set out to find the body of a missing youth, and 1989's "When Harry Met Sally …," often cited as one of the greatest romantic comedies of all time. That movie featured the famed line, "I'll have what she's having," delivered by the director's real-life mother, Estelle Reiner, reacting to a faked orgasm in a restaurant. Reiner also directed the beloved 1987 fairy-tale adventure "The Princess Bride," the 1990 psychological thriller "Misery," and the 1992 military courtroom drama "A Few Good Men." CHAMPION OF PROGRESSIVE CAUSES Michele Reiner was at one time a photographer who captured the image of Donald Trump that appears on the cover of his book "Trump: The Art of the Deal." Rob Reiner, the son of the late comedy writer and actor Carl Reiner, also made campaign ads for 2004 Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry and campaigned against a 2008 California effort to ban same-sex marriages. Prior to Nick Reiner's arrest, Trump, without evidence, said on social media that their deaths were "reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME."  Reiner was first married to Penny Marshall, who starred in the TV sitcom "Laverne & Shirley," and was also a producer and director. He was an adoptive father to Marshall's daughter and had three children with Michele. (Reporting by Andrew Hay, Sandy Hooper, Katharine Jackson, Brad Brooks and Dietrich Knauth; Writing by Andy Sullivan and Steve Gorman; Editing by Paul Thomasch, Bill Berkrot and Daniel Wallis)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)