Jolie to teach at London School of Economics

AFP

AP

Reem Mohammed / The National

Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie is to join the London School of Economics as a visiting professor to teach a new masters course about women, peace and security. The LSE said the course, which will begin next year, is the first of its kind in the world and will be run by the LSE Centre for Women, Peace and Security, which was launched last year by Jolie and Britain’s former foreign secretary, William Hague. “It is vital that we broaden the discussion on how to advance women’s rights and end impunity for crimes that disproportionately affect women, such as sexual violence in conflict,” said Jolie, a special envoy for the UN’s refugee agency. “I am looking forward to teaching and to learning from the students, as well as sharing my own experiences of working alongside governments and the United Nations.” Hague will also join the LSE as a visiting professor. The Oscar-winning actress and Conservative politician Hague have formed an unlikely partnership to campaign to end sexual violence against women in conflict zones. – Reuters

Anil Kapoor gives acting advice to son

Actor and producer Anil Kapoor has been sharing pearls of acting wisdom with his son, Harshvardhan, who is making his first foray into Bollywood in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s film Mirzya. “It is an extremely special year for me as my son is making his debut,” said Kapoor. “There’s a lot that I have from my own experiences to share with him.” The Bollywood veteran Kapoor, who gained international fame in foreign films including Slumdog Millionaire and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, also revealed that his son has been quick to learn the ropes. “It is surprising that he already has such a deep understanding of things,” he said. “He is a quick learner who is enthusiastically waiting to explore this world. I hope that my advice comes handy to him in his journey.” Inspired by folk tale – the legend of Mirza-Sahiban – the film is an action-romance set in contemporary times. It is due for release in India on October 7. – IANS

Kanye West faces song-theft claim

Kanye West is being sued by a prominent Hungarian rock singer and composer, who has accused the hip-hop star of sampling one of his best-known compositions without permission for the 2013 song New Slaves. In a complaint filed with the United States District Court in Manhattan, Gábor Presser said one-third of New Slaves, which appeared on West's top-selling, album Yeezus, is an unauthorised copy of Gyongyhaju Lany, a 1969 song he wrote when he was in the band Omega. Presser described his song as “one of the most beloved pop songs ever in Hungary and across Eastern Europe”. He is seeking US$2.5 million (Dh9.1m) in damages for copyright infringement. Presser said he had no idea his song was being used until West’s lawyer emailed him soon after marketing began, indicating West “would like to work out a deal with you as soon as possible” and gave him 24 hours to respond. West’s lawyers later sent Presser a $10,000 cheque and insisted he grant a license, but he never cashed it, according to the complaint.– Reuters

Shah predicts Bolly ‘bubble’ will burst

Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah says Bollywood needs to differentiate itself more from the American film industry. The Padma Bhushan award winner, whose films include Mandi, Dedh Ishqiya and A Wednesday, was speaking in Delhi where he is performing in a theatre production titled Bhishmotsav, featuring plays by the Hindi playwright and actor Bhisham Sahni. “Bollywood has no content most of the time,” he said. “We just rip off Hollywood. We steal from here, we steal from there – and we are patting ourselves on the back that the whole world is watching our movies. The whole world is watching our movies because they are also eating Indian food. It is the spices, the variety that is getting them. Indian food has substance, that is why it will remain popular – and Hindi cinema doesn’t, which is why this bubble will burst very soon.” Shah will next be seen on screen in Waiting, a film directed by Anu Menon. It is out in India on Friday. – IANS

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Drake keeps Beyoncé off top Billboard spot

R&B artist Drake has held his spot atop the weekly Billboard 200 album chart, keeping Beyoncé from the coveted No. 1 position in the United States. His fourth studio record, Views, sold another 234,000 units, from album and song sales, and was streamed more than 186 million times, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan. Views debuted at the top of the chart with more than 1 million units in sales after its release on April 28, the biggest opening week of the year so far. Beyonce’s album, Lemonade, remained steady at No. 2 with 128,000 units sold last week. Beyoncé has limited streaming of Lemonade to the premium Tidal platform. Drake, on the other hand, made Views available on a range of streaming platforms including Spotify, which has accounted for a major portion of weekly sales. – Reuters