As Britain starts life outside the European Union, pro-EU diehards could at least claim a tiny consolation victory on Friday in the weekly pop charts.
Having fought a titanic political contest for three years over Brexit, Britain's "Leavers" and "Remainers" did battle in the singles charts, trying to get rival songs to number one.
While both sides fell well short, Remainers managed to get the EU's anthem "Ode to Joy" to number 30 -- and it was the most downloaded track of the week.
The piece from German composer Ludwig van Beethoven's "Symphony No. 9" was performed by the Johann Strauss Orchestra, led by Dutch conductor Andre Rieu.
That trumped comedian Dominic Frisby's profane rival tune "17 Million Fuck-Offs" backed by Brexiteers, which made it to number 43, the UK Official Charts Company said.
The novelty pro-Brexit song takes aim at the Brussels and London establishments as well as pro-EU celebrities.
Overall, Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi topped the charts with "Before 

Bitter sweet symphony: EU anthem tops UK download chart

PTI Automatic

Noted Punjabi novelist Dalip Kaur Tiwana died at a hospital in Mohali on Friday after a brief illness. She was 84.
The Padma Shri and Sahitya Akademi awardee was undergoing treatment.
Known for 'Teeli da Nishaan' and 'Sooraj te Samandar', Tiwana was also a former president of the Punjabi Sahit Akademi.
In 2015, she had returned the Padma Shri bestowed on her to express solidarity with writers protesting "suppression of freedom of expression and growing communalism".
The Punjab Cabinet, which met here on Friday, passed a condolence resolution on the demise of the legendary Punjabi litterateur.
The Cabinet remembered her as an embodiment of Punjab, Punjabi and Punjabiat, who made immense contribution for the promotion of the language, art and literature through her prolific writings.
It said her death has created a void in the literary circles which is difficult to be filled.
Punjab Governor V P Singh Badnore also condoled Tiwana's demise.
Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh ...

Eminent Punjabi novelist Dalip Kaur Tiwana dies

The British Academy has announced that the 2020 BAFTA Awards ceremony will be "carbon neutral".
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the organisers are making a number of changes to their approach in an attempt to become more sustainable.
The post ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall will offer only one meat item on its menu, which will have a vegan starter and dessert.
The awards, which are set to be held on February 3, have also decided to ditch lavish goody bags, containing Champagne bottles and expensive beauty products which were presented to the nominees.
They will now get a slimline wallet, made from recycled plastic and filled with vouchers.
In another change, the cars bringing the stars to the BAFTAs will be electric, while the lights on the red carpet are for the first time being switched to be energy-saving LED bulbs.
As for the actual red carpet itself, it will be 100 percent recyclable.
The BAFTA changes comes close on the heels of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association ...

BAFTAs to go carbon neutral

Marathi film "Sthalpuran
Chronicle of Space" has been selected for the Berlin film  festival where it will compete for the coveted Crystal  BearAward, the film's producer said here on Friday.
The Akshay Indikar-directed film will have its world  premier during the Berlin International Film Festival, to be  held from February 20 to 29.
"This is a fifth Marathi film to be selected for the  Berlin festival. It will compete for the Crystal Bear Award,"  said Sanjay Shetye, its producer.
The production house is based in Goa, and thus  "Sthalpuran" would also be the first 'Goan' flim to  participate in this category at Berlin festival, he claimed.
The film is about an eight-year-old boy who is  searching for his father.
The flim was shot in the interiors of Goa and Konkan,  Shetye added.

Marathi film 'Sthalpuran' to compete at Berlin film festival

Cinema lovers in the city are in for a treat with the Navrasa Duende world movie festival hosting the screening of all-time classics such as Wong Kar-Wai's "In the Mood for Love", David Lean's "Lawrence of Arabia" and Bernardo Bertolucci's "The Conformist".
The festival, in its 4th edition and season II, celebrates directors of world cinema and is set to be held on February 8 and 9 at Siri Fort Auditorium here.
The other three films in the line-up are Asghar Farhadhi's "A Separation", Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "Le Mepris" by Jean-Luc Godard.
"The world movie festivals are moments to celebrate art and global community, more than ever we need to talk to each other and understand how we see the world, and cinema is the best medium to engage without prejudices; Iranian cinema is the best example," said Dinesh B Singh, founder of Navrasa Duende.
He said the selection of the movies has been divided into three categories based on the directors. The first category features 

Navrasa Duende world movie festival to showcase international classics

Hollywood star Robert Pattinson, who has mostly worked with indie directors in his career post "Twilight" series, says his portrayal of Bruce Wayne will be just as "crazy and perverse" as the parts he has played in the past.
The actor will also be seen in Christopher Nolan's "Tenet" besides "The Batman".
"Out of all the big roles that I knew of in that kind of realm, there was just something about this one," Pattinson told BBC.
Pattinson believes not opting for studio blockbusters after the fame that "Twilight" brought was probably right as it could have been dangerous to his career.
"You can see quite a lot of examples of it not really working out for people, so I just thought it would be a silly idea to try to do a massive action movie or something," Pattinson said.
"I always think that whatever movie you're doing, there's a potential that it's the last movie you're ever going to get, and so I don't want to end my career on a transitional' movie.
Warner Bros. will release "Tenet" on 

Batman as crazy and perverse as my other characters, says Robert Pattinson

It is important for designers to understand and reflect the changes happening around them in their craft, says celebrity favourite couturier Amit Aggarwal.
The designer, who has dressed the likes of Shahid Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Sonkashi Sinha, says a creative person should be open to criticism.
"Fashion is an important medium to express the feeling of the society. I feel we need to notice the changes which are happening around us. I'm extremely happy that in the last few years we have created a market of people who have their mind and are dare to look different, because they think different," Amit told PTI in an interview here.
The designer, who launched his eponymous label in 2012, is all set to showcase his new collection, "AXIL" at the grand finale of the Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) Summer/Resort 2020.
Known for using recycled polymers created through industrial waste and manoeuvred into avant-garde fabrics via handcrafting in his designs, Amit says it is ...

Fashion an important medium to express changes in society, says designer Amit Aggarwal

Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro has officially started production on his next movie "Nightmare Alley".
The film, which del Toro co-wrote with Kim Morgan, is based on the 1946 novel of the same name by William Lindsay Gresham.
It will feature Bradley Cooper and Cate Blanchett in the lead.
"In 'Nightmare Alley', an ambitious young carny (Cooper) with a talent for manipulating people with a few well-chosen words hooks up with a female psychiatrist (Blanchett) who is even more dangerous than he is," the official synopsis read.
The movie, a follow-up to the director's 2017 Oscar-winning film "The Shape of Water", will also star Rooney Mara as carnival worker Molly, Willem Dafoe as head barker Clem and Ron Perlman as Bruno the Strongman.
Richard Jenkins is also part of the cast and he will portray wealthy industrialist Ezra Grindle.
"I'm inspired and elated to be joined by this brilliant cast. Kim Morgan and I have worked with great passion to bring the dark, raw world and ...

Guillermo del Toro's 'Nightmare Alley' begins filming

Bella Thorne is set to topline pos-apocalyptic thriller "The Uncanny".
The film will be directed by Mitzi Peirone, who has also penned the script with Chaya Doswell, reported Deadline.
The story is set in a future where every citizen is implanted with a chip capable of controlling everything from emotions to directions, until a routine update backfires, causing a cyber apocalypse.
"Wiping out most of humanity, five strangers miraculously survive, now forced to live hidden in a bunker with their implants ripped from their spines. They were the few lucky enough to survive  until Scarlet (Thorne) begins to suspect they were not saved at all, or by chance," read the official logline.
"The Uncanny" will be produced by Rebecca Berrih, Thor Bradwell and Courtney Shepard.
Thorne will be next be seen in home invasion thriller "Masquerade". The actor will also be her directorial debut with an elevated thriller.

Bella Thorne to star in 'The Uncanny'

Filmmaker Bong Joon Ho's "Parasite" continued its winning spree ahead of Oscars by bagging the film of the year and the director of the year awards at London Film Critics Circle.
The film, a class satire set in South Korea, has been winning hearts in Hollywood award circles and is predicted to do well at the Oscars on February 9, where it has six nominations including the best film.
"Marriage Story" and "The Souvenir" won two awards each at the 40th edition of the awards, which is given by 150-plus critics of the London Film Critics' Circle.
Directed by Noah Baumbach, the divorce drama won in the screenwriting and the supporting actress category for Laura Dern while Joanna Hogg of "The Souvenir" was named the British/Irish filmmaker of the year and Honor Swinton Byrne, Young British/Irish performer of the year.
Joe Pesci won the supporting actor honour for "The Irishman" with Renee Zellweger walking away with the actress of year trophy for her portrayal of Judy Garland in ...

'Parasite' named film of the year by London Film Critics Circle

Rapper-producer 50 Cent has been inducted to Hollywood Walk of fame.
50 Cent's good friend, rapper Eminem, paid tribute the 44-year-old singer-songwriter during a ceremony on Thursday, reported Variety.
"Of all the things I don't remember about 2002, I have a very clear memory of the first time I met 50. One of the first things I noticed when he walked into the room was his presence. It just kind of felt like he's going to be a star... He was the whole package," Eminem said in his speech.
"...I'm here today because he's not only a business partner to me, this is one of the best friends I've known in the world. I would say it's much more fun to be his friend than it is to be his enemy, 'cause this guy is fucking relentless. And he won't stop," he added.
50 Cent also thanked Eminem and rapper Dr Dre for giving him his start in the music industry saying, "I don't think my career would have been what it was without (their) support.

50 Cent inducted into Hollywood Walk of fame, Eminem honours the rapper

Actor-comedian James Corden has finally addressed the controversial video that showed his car being towed by a truck while he was shooting for the popular "Carpool Karaoke" segment of his "The Late Late Show".
A video clip went viral on social media raising authenticity questions regarding the segment where the host used to drive around celebrities all the while they would sing their songs.
The clip showed Corden recording the segment with his guest, pop star Justin Bieber, while a production is towing their car.
Many criticised Cordon, wondering whether he ever drove the vehicle during the segments.
Corden finally broke his silence about the incident during the Wednesday's episode of "The Late Late Show".
"I'm sure many of you have heard. I've recently been the victim of a scandal in the media, and there have been some very, very serious allegations made against me.
"I want to get ahead of everything and address those rumours and assure you, my audience, that these accusations are ...

James Corden breaks silence on 'Carpool Karaoke' driving row

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment has come aboard as a presenter for upcoming movie "Har Kisse Ke Hisse - Kaamyaab", which is set to release countrywide on March 6.
Directed by debutante Hardik Mehta, the film chronicles the struggles faced by character actors in Bollywood while trying to make a mark of their own.
The movie, which had its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival, stars Sanjay Mishra, Deepak Dobriyal, Sarika Singh and Isha Talwar.
Produced by Drishyam Films, the feature has toured various festivals across the globe such as Festival du film d'Asie du Sud Paris, New York City South Asian Film Festival, Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, Shanghai International Film Festival, as well as the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.
"The film has received global recognition and we want to bring it to larger audiences as it's an extremely entertaining and heartwarming take on our industry and we are sure it will win a lot of hearts," Gaurav Verma, COO 

SRK's Red Chillies to present 'Kaamyaab', film to release on March 6

"The Young and the Restless", the long-running CBS  daytime drama, has been renewed for four more seasons.
The new renewal takes the show, which premiered in 1973, through the 2023-24 broadcast season, and to its 50th anniversary.
"The last time any other show was on top, Ronald Reagan was president, and the Berlin Wall was still standing.
"It's a remarkable achievement and a testament to the extraordinary cast, gifted writers, talented producers and supremely passionate fans, as well as our tremendous partnership with (Y&R studio) Sony Pictures Television," CBS Entertainment President Kelly Kahl said in a statement to Entertainment Weekly.
Created by William J Bell and Lee Phillip Bell, "The Young and the Restless" revolves around the loves, enmities, hopes and fears of the residents of the fictional Midwestern town of Genoa City.
The series features Marla Adams, Lauralee Bell, Peter Bergman, Donny Boaz, Eric Braeden, Tracey Bregman, Sasha Calle, Sharon Case, Doug Davidson, Sean ...

CBS renews 'The Young and the Restless' for four season

Singer Ciara and her husband, American football player Russell Wilson, are expecting their second child together.
The Grammy-winning musician also has a son, Future Zahir Wilburn, born in 2014, whom she shares with her former fiance, rapper Future.
She shared the pregnancy news on Instagram on Thursday.
"Number 3," Ciara captioned her picture in which she is flaunting her baby bump on a beach.
Ciara, 34, and Wilson, 31, married in 2016. They are raising five-year-old Future and two-year-old daughter Sienna.

Ciara, Russell Wilson to welcome second child together

Oscar-winning filmmaker Ron Howard is attached to direct assassination tale "The Fixer" for Paramount Pictures.
Howard will also be producing the project through his banner Imagine Entertainment along with Bradley Cooper and Todd Phillips' Joint Effort shingle, reported Variety.
Written by Tyler Hisel, "The Fixer", tells the true story of a disgraced FBI agent, who at the height of the Cold War, is tapped by the CIA to lead a ragtag team of CIA operatives and Chicago mobsters on an unlikely mission to try to assassinate Cuban communist revolutionary and politician Fidel Castro.
Howard most recently wrapped an adaptation of the JD Vance novel "Hillbilly Elegy" for Netflix.

Ron Howard to direct Paramount's action thriller 'The Fixer'

ABC has ordered a drama pilot based on Emily Bleeker's "Wreckage", with "Big Shot" writer Jacquie Walters attached to pen and direct the show.
Walters will also serve as executive producer along with Marc Webb and his Black Lamb Productions, Sarah Timberman and Carl Beverly's Timberman-Beverly Prods, and ABC Studios.
The story focuses on Lillian Linden, who on the surface, looks like a brave survivor of a plane crash. But she's been lying to her family, her friends, and the whole world since rescue helicopters scooped her and her fellow survivor, Dave Hall, off an isolated island in the South Pacific.
"Missing for almost four years, the castaways are thrust into the spotlight after their rescue, becoming media darlings overnight. But they can't tell the real storyso they lie," the plotline reads.
Bleeker serves as consultant on the show.

Emily Bleeker's 'Wreckage' adaptation in works at ABC

Iranian-American actor Sarah Shahi is set to play the lead role in streaming platform Netflix's dramedy series "Sex/Life".
The series is inspired by author BB Easton's self-published memoir "44 Chapters About 4 Men", reported Deadline.
Written by Stacy Rukeyser, the series is described as the story of a love triangle between a woman, her husband, and her past.
Shahi will play Billie Connelly, a woman with everything to lose, a suburban mother of two who goes in search of that sexy, single girl in the city she used to be ten years ago. She takes a trip down memory lane that sets her married present on a collision course with her wild past.
Rukeyser also serves as the showrunner.
Shahi recently appeared on Showtime's drama series "City on a Hill" and on ABC's "The Rookie". Her last Netflix outing was Dolly Parton anthology series "Heartstrings".

Sarah Shahi to lead Netflix dramedy 'Sex/Life'

Spanish actors Antonio Banderas and Penelope Cruz are set to topline a new film from Madrid's The Mediapro Studio, titled "Competencia Oficial".
The Spanish movie will be directed by Argentine filmmakers Mariano Cohn and Gaston Duprat, reported Variety.
Cohn and Duprat have co-written the script with Andres Duprat.
Veteran Argentine actor Oscar Martinez will also feature in the film.
Banderas and Martinez will play actors in the film with different track records whose process clash during the preparation for a movie backed by a notorious and over-eager millionaire. Cruz will play the film's prestigious but eccentric director.
Cruz and Banderas recently starred in Pedro Almodovar's "Pain and Glory," though they never shared the screen space.

Penelope Cruz, Antonio Banderas to star in Spanish film 'Competencia Oficial'

Marvel Studios is planning to introduce Sera, its first transgender character in the debut season of "Loki", the upcoming Disney Plus series.
According to The Illuminerdi, the role is being described as a major supporting character which will not only appear on the series but also in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in future.
Sera is an Anchorite. The Anchorites are a small group of male, wingless Angels who were kept inside a temple in Heven, the Tenth Realm. Sera was the only one of the Anchorites who identified as a woman, thus being the first and, so far, only major trans woman in Marvel comics.
She also happens to be in a relationship with the character of Angela who is a daughter of Odin, Loki's father.
The six-episode series will take place after the events of "Avengers: Endgame" and explore a different version of the story, with Loki, played by Tom Hiddleston, at its centre.
"Loki" series, directed By Kate Herron, will premiere in 2021.
Geeks Worldwide last year broke the news ..

'Loki' series set to debut Sera, Marvel's first trans character

Actor Blake Lively says the birth of her third child with husband Ryan Reynolds has led to a bit of "tough adjustment" in their family.
Lively, who shares daughters James, five, and Inez, three, with Reynolds, welcomed a third daughter three months ago.
The "Rhythm Section" actor said while James was "very into" the baby, Inez was less than impressed.
"It's a bit of a tough adjustment in our house. My oldest is very into the baby, but my middle child, not so much," Lively said on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon".
She said she tried to get Inez excited about being a big sister.
"You're going to teach her everything she knows. You get to teach her about cities, and the sky, and flowers, and Santa Claus, and Mickey Mouse, anything she wants," the actor recalled.
"She goes, 'Oh. I didn't love you. But now I do.' Speaking like Jennifer Aniston in 'Friends!' Just a cute little thing," Lively said.

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