Latest news with #Mann
Japan Today
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Japan Today
Harvey Weinstein doesn't plan to testify at sex crimes retrial
Harvey Weinstein appears in state court in Manhattan for his retrial on Friday, May 30, 2025 in New York. (Jefferson Siegel/The New York Times via AP, Pool) By JENNIFER PELTZ Harvey Weinstein doesn't plan to testify at his New York sex crimes retrial, his lawyer said. That means jurors soon will get the case against the former movie studio boss who propelled the #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct. The trial will move on to closing arguments Tuesday without testimony from Weinstein, Arthur Aidala said. The court handles other cases on Mondays. It's unclear whether jury deliberations would begin Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday. It was a fraught decision for Weinstein, who has never answered questions in open court about any of the accusations women have made. He didn't testify at previous trials in New York and California and was convicted in both. He denies the allegations, and attorney Aidala has said that Weinstein was giving a lot of thought to whether to take the stand this time. While his California appeal winds on, Weinstein won a new trial in his New York rape and sexual assault case when the state's highest court overturned his 2020 conviction. He's charged in New York with raping Jessica Mann in 2013 and forcing oral sex on Miriam Haley and Kaja Sokola, separately, in 2006. Mann was an actor and hairstylist, Haley a production assistant and producer, and Sokola a model who aspired to an acting career. All three women have testified for days at the retrial, giving emotional and graphic accounts of what they say they endured from a powerbroker who suggested he'd help them achieve their show-business dreams, but then maneuvered them into private settings and preyed on them. His attorneys have argued that anything that happened between him and his accusers was consensual. In the U.S., defendants in criminal cases aren't obligated to testify, and many decide not to, for various reasons. Among them: the prospect of being questioned by prosecutors. Weinstein has been watching the New York retrial intently from the defense table, sometimes shaking his head at accusers' testimony and often leaning over to one or another of his attorneys to convey his thoughts. One of the lawyers, Aidala, said outside court Thursday that Weinstein thought a lot of holes had been poked in the accusers' accounts, but that he also was pondering whether jurors would feel they needed to hear from him. The jury has heard from a few other defense witnesses — one of them via a transcript read by court employees. That witness, Talita Maia, testified at the 2020 trial but was unavailable this time, so jurors instead got a reading Friday of her earlier testimony. One court stenographer voiced the 2020 attorneys' questions, while another stenographer sat in the witness box and rendered Maia's answers, at times with emphasis. Maia and Mann were roommates and friends in 2013 but later fell out. According to Maia, Mann never mentioned in those days that Weinstein had hurt her in any way. Both Maia and another witness, Thomas Richards, met up with Mann and Weinstein shortly after Mann has said she was raped. Both witnesses testified that they saw nothing amiss. Richards, who was subpoenaed to appear and said he didn't want to be seen as a Weinstein supporter, recalled Mann and Weinstein having "friendly conversation' at a meal he shared with them that day. Mann testified earlier this month that she never told police or anyone else that Weinstein had sexually assaulted her because she didn't think she'd be believed, and she was scared at how he might react. Weinstein's defense also brought in Sokola pal Helga Samuelsen, who also has friendly ties to the former producer. Samuelsen testified Thursday that Weinstein visited Sokola once and spent about a half-hour in a bedroom with her in a New York apartment the women briefly shared in 2005; Sokola told jurors no such thing happened. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Korea Herald
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Interview: Byron Mann's Hollywood-to-Seoul stint
How casting call he thought was a mistake led to Hollywood actor's most unexpected role yet "I thought they had made a mistake -- they know I don't speak Korean, they know I'm not Korean, so why would I ever be in a Korean movie?" Byron Mann recalls his initial reaction when his manager called about the offer in 2023. The Hong Kong-born, 58-year-old Hollywood veteran thought someone had their wires crossed. He wasn't wrong to be confused. While Mann had seen a couple of Korean movies before, most memorably "Parasite," the country itself was still pretty much a mystery to him. So much so that he packed coffee beans for the three-month shoot in Korea, unaware that Starbucks populate every block here. "I did not know if there were this many coffee shops in Seoul," he laughs. You've probably seen Mann flex his fighting spirit opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme in "Street Fighter" as the franchise's iconic Ryu. You've watched him deliver martial arts mayhem with glam-rock warlord visuals in "The Man with the Iron Fists." Most recently, he's been wreaking havoc as a fire-raising triad boss in Netflix's "Wu Assassins." In "Big Deal" (titled "Soju Wars" in Korean), Mann plays Gordon, a ruthless Hong Kong-based investment banker who swoops into Korea at the height of the 1997 financial meltdown. He's all F-bombs and hostile takeovers, orchestrating the dismantling of a beloved soju company with ice-cold precision. "There's no question that the Korean film industry is big and thriving," Mann says. "But honestly, I did not realize the stature of my co-stars at the time. Maybe that worked to my advantage because I just approached them as actors." It's a hard character to like in a largely mediocre, equally unlikable film, but Mann leans into the challenge of being the bad guy. Playing a despicable corporate raider across cultures might seem a daunting task, but Mann says he truly enjoyed the ride. "The only thing that I care about is what does my character want to do in this film," he says. "From an acting point of view, villains are actually richer to play, more interesting, because there are no boundaries." Despite being a newcomer to Korean cinema, Mann's approach to cross-cultural projects runs deep. Having worked on Chinese and Thai productions before, he knows too well that translated scripts often lose their punch. That's why he went the extra mile to fine-tune his English dialogue on set. "In other productions, the second language dialogue is kind of like an afterthought," he says. "But when that movie or TV show travels internationally, you have people who actually speak that language watching it, and they lose interest because it doesn't click." That insight directly translates into the advice Mann offers to the growing number of actors eyeing Hollywood crossovers: master your English first. "I think any foreign actor who wants to establish themselves in Hollywood -- speaking the language is very important, so that the local audiences can connect." Though the actual acting felt the same across cultures, Mann was struck by Korea's meticulous approach to pre-production and marketing. The exhaustive shot-by-shot planning and extra care given to artist branding impressed him in particular as going "even beyond Hollywood standards." Working alongside his co-stars Yoo Hae-jin and Lee Je-hoon proved equally eye-opening. "Even though I didn't have a lot of scenes with Yoo, we actually spent a lot of time talking in English," Mann recalls. "His English is impeccable." Of Lee Je-hoon, who delivered 30-40 percent of his dialogue in English, Mann speaks with respect: "He would do more takes than usual to make sure that the scene was right. The fact that he did it so well is a testament to his professionalism and work ethic." Looking back, Mann reflects on the sheer unpredictability of his artistic journey. "I've been doing this job for a while, and you never know what is going to be presented to you. I can tell you with 100 percent certainty that being part of a Korean movie was the last thing I ever imagined myself doing." Asked why audiences should watch "Big Deal," Mann pauses thoughtfully before his face lights up: "If I'm correct, I think there's never been a Korean movie about soju before -- which is ironic and surprising. If I were Korean, I'd really want to see this film."
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
AAP's anti-drug campaign is a series of missed deadlines: Cong
Ludhiana: Senior Congress leaders slammed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann for failing to eliminate the drug menace in Punjab. Addressing a press conference here, Congress leaders said that CM Mann had changed the deadline for making Punjab drug-free at least four times, but failed. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi accused AAP of distributing alcohol, drugs, and money to win the Ludhiana West bypoll. Senior Congress leaders, including MLA from Kapurthala, Rana Gurjeet Singh, former minister Pargat Singh, Sunder Sham Arora, and former CM Charanjit Singh Channi, were in the city to attend the induction of an AAP leader in the Congress. Kapurthala MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh said, "In the year 2022, when AAP formed government in Punjab, both CM Bhagwant Mann and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal assured that they would make Punjab drug-free. Then, on August 15, 2023, during the Independence Day function, CM Mann announced that he would make Punjab drug-free within one year. In April 2024, he again stated that Punjab would be drug-free by the end of December, 2024. " He added, that in October, 2023, the government took children to the Golden Temple to pray for a drug-free state. On February 28, CM Mann directed Punjab Police to eliminate the drug menace in three months. He also promised to open de-addiction centres in villages and form committees. "He must reveal what his government has done on the ground, apart from making false promises and giving 'tareekh pe tareekh' on the aim of making Punjab a drug-free state," Rana Gurjeet said. Accusing CM Mann and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal of using campaigns for publicity, former CM Channi said, "While the 'Yudh Nasheya Virudh' programme was on, at least 27 individuals lost their lives to spurious liquor. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In another incident, three Ludhiana residents also died after consuming spurious liquor. Why don't CM Mann and the finance minister take responsibility for these deaths? While being in the opposition, Mann would always hold the CM responsible for each tragedy. Now, he must take responsibility for deaths of the people." Channi alleged that the ruling government was distributing drugs, liquor and money in Ludhiana West. "In fact, AAP's own MLA from Amritsar, Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, has been saying that senior police officials are involved in running a drug nexus in Punjab. Why does Mann not listen to their own MLA? Even the demolition drive is an eyewash because the houses that are being demolished are illegally constructed; however, the authorities call it an action against drug peddlers," he said. The former CM asserted that drugs were being openly sold in Punjab and asked anyone who wanted to check to visit him. "I will show how drugs can be delivered just with a call," he maintained. Congress's Allegations: Missed Deadlines: CM Bhagwant Mann allegedly shifted the deadline for making Punjab drug-free multiple times—initially in 2022, then August 2023, April 2024, and again in February 2025. Lack of action: Congress leaders claim that despite promises, there has been little tangible progress, and the government has relied on symbolic gestures like prayers at the Golden Temple. Deaths from spurious liquor: At least 30 deaths were cited during the anti-drug campaign, raising questions about the effectiveness and sincerity of the efforts. Internal criticism: Even AAP's own MLA, Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, has reportedly spoken out about police involvement in drug networks. Election malpractice allegations: Former CM Channi accused AAP of distributing drugs, liquor, and money during the Ludhiana West bypoll. MSID:: 121549770 413 |
Hans India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Air Marshal Jasvir Singh Mann takes over as Senior Air Staff Officer of Western Command
Air Marshal Jasvir Singh Mann took over as Senior Air Staff Officer of Western Air Command, Indian Air Force on Sunday. The Air Marshal is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and was commissioned as a fighter pilot in the IAF on December 16, 1989. He has flown over 3,000 hours primarily on various types of fighter aircraft, said a statement. A pilot Attack Instructor in his operational career, Air Marshal Mann has commanded a fighter squadron, and has been Chief Operations Officer of a forward base and Air Officer Commanding of a premium fighter base. The IAF said he has also held various important appointments at Air Headquarters and Command Headquarters. The Air Officer directed Joint Military Training exercises with the Republic of Singapore Air Force in 2017 and the USAF in 2018. Air Marshal Mann held the appointments of Senior Officer-in-Charge Administration and Air Defence Commander of Central Air Command. He is also an alumnus of the prestigious Defence Services Staff College and Royal College of Defence Studies, London (UK). Prior to taking over as Senior Air Staff Officer, Western Air Command, Indian Air Force, he was Director General (Weapon Systems) at Air Headquarters. The Air Officer is a recipient of the Presidential awards 'Ati Vishist Seva Medal' and 'Vayu Sena Medal'. Meanwhile, the Defence Ministry said in a statement that ships from the Spanish Navy and the Italian Navy operating under EUNAVFOR engaged in a Table Top Exercise in Mumbai. Both ships presently operate under the European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR). The visit is significant, being the first such visit to India conducted under the aegis of the European Union. It is a follow-up to the discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and EU President Ursula von der Leyen, highlighting their shared commitment towards international peace and security. The exercise at sea saw participation by ESPS Reina Sofia and ITS Antonio Marceglia from EUNAVFOR and ships and aircraft from the Indian Navy, the statement said. The complex tactical exercises were aimed at enhancing the interoperability between the two sides and will enable seamless operations when deployed for combating non-traditional threats in the Indian Ocean Region, it said.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
‘Swaad nu barkraar rakhiyo' & ‘mela lut ke liona ae' – Super Sher fan Gurdas Mann uses wrestling analogy of acing the mela dangal to cheer for Punjab Kings
Punjab Kings pulled their biggest, OG superfan Gurdas Mann, who at 68, has kept the vibe around Punjabi music upbeat, ahead of their Qualifier 2 against a star-studded Mumbai side to gee up the team. The Punjab Kings are not particularly known for an aggressive massive fan-base, but the franchise and broadcasters ensured they hooked in one of the most popular Punjabi figures to drum up some last minute excitement and a general glee of balle balle positivity from Mann. In a recorded message, Mann said, 'Punjab Kings de saare sheranu, merewalo that is all the Punjab fans, lots of shubhkaamnaayein for Punjab Kings. Raazi rakh.' He essentially joined all of Punjab in wishing the team the best. Mann evoked a well known prayer, Chardi kalah vich rakhe – willing on the team to stay exuberant and keeps positive mindset. Punjab lost the first qualifiers to Royal Challengers Bangalore but still can make their final after several disappointing seasons and Mann egged them on using a wrestling analogy. Urging them to take the Guru's name and show there is no match to them, he added, '…..baaki galla baad, mela lut ke lioana ae.' It meant, 'forget everything, play like you will steal the top prize.' The reference is to a wrestling mela, an infinitely more popular event than cricket in sporty Punjab, where if you win, they call it 'mela lut liya.' Fortified by the return Yuzi Chahal, PBKS will hope Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimram take off on the day. Mann in what was a promotion for Punjabi commentary clearly, said, 'When I listen to Punjabi commentary na yaar, swaad aa gayaa. Swaad nu barkraar rakhiyo. Rab rakh.' It loosely translated to keep the good run of the season, the Punjab flavour, going.' Mumbai's big guns Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah fired against Gujarat Titans who exited in the playoff. MI have lost their last five games at Ahmedabad but saw some Bumrah magic against Gujarat which pushed them into the qualifier. The MI SM team leant on the 'Ghaleel lotangan…' Ganpati aarti with lime-chilli warding off evil eye for its own stars, including Bumrah and Mitch Santner.
