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UPI
3 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- UPI
'Lamb Chop' doc highlights Shari Lewis feminism, glass ceiling
1 of 5 | Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop are the subject of "Shari & Lamb Chop," in theaters Friday. Photo courtesy of Kino Lorber LOS ANGELES, July 16 (UPI) -- The documentary Shari & Lamb Chop, in theaters Friday, tells the story of ventriloquist Shari Lewis and her most famous character, the puppet Lamb Chop. Her daughter, Mallory Lewis, who has performed as Lamb Chop and other characters since her mother's death in 1998, appreciates filmmaker Lisa D'Apolito showing the woman behind the characters. When Shari first got into ventriloquism, she was shut out by the male-dominated industry. In a recent Zoom interview with UPI, Mallory said women remain the minority in ventriloquism, even decades after Shari. "There's always been a glass ceiling for women and there continues to be one," Mallory said. "Nina Conti is one of my favorites but she's a comic as well." Shari and Lamb Chop also raised awareness for political issues that remain relevant today. A black and white clip from 1953 shows Lamb Chop asking Shari why there hasn't been a female president. "It is telling that in 1953 Lamb Chop said, 'Why isn't there a woman president? 32 men have been president and they've done it all wrong,'" Mallory said. Shari performed live television shows with Lamb Chop and other characters like Charlie Horse, Hush Puppy and Wing Ding. Mallory said her mother's strength was distinguishing each of her characters. "You never felt that it was Mom putting on an affect," Mallory said. "Lamb Chop would not say the same thing Charlie would say. Lamb Chop would be horrified at injustice and Charlie Horse would be rooting for the bad guy. Hush Puppy would just want everyone to stop fighting. Then Mom would come in and explain the ethical issues and suggest a moral outcome." The documentary shows how live children's shows like Shari's got pushed off the air by animated series. The animated shows were designed to advertise the toys that inspired the series. Shari and Lamb Chop even testified before Congress in 1993 to advocate for moral children's television. "Mom, of course, sold Lamb Chop toys but the show was not about the toys," Mallory said. "The show was moral stories. They learned be nice, be inclusive, don't be mean. I don't know why those are now radical concepts." Lamb Chop did work blue in a Las Vegas act Shari performed. Shari & Lamp Chop includes clips of that show. "People have a very narrow image of Mom as a nice little lady who played with puppets," Mallory said. "Mom did not have a dark side, but she was a feminist. She was an activist. She was a businesswoman back when women weren't businesswomen. She was a wife. She was a mother. She was actually a fully formed human being." Shari also had many other endeavors that did not make it into Shari & Lamb Chop, such as her appearances on Hollywood Squares, or the Season 3 Star Trek episode she wrote with her second husband, Jeremy Tarcher. "Mom created this place called Memory Alpha which was the repository of all the knowledge in the universe," Mallory said. "They still use Memory Alpha as the Wikipedia name [for Star Trek]." In the documentary, Shari says she found herself in Lamb Chop. Mallory has a similar relationship with Lamb Chop, with one difference. "Mom was Lamb Chop's mom," Mallory said. "I am Lamb Chop's sister so we have a different relationship. She has a great deal less respect for me than she did for Shari but we are besties." Mallory said she is still using the same Lamb Chop puppet Shari used. "I never did the puppets until Mom died," Mallory said. "Mom was a major part of my world but the rest of that was Lamb Chop. I couldn't let it all go away. I put her on, I never had to learn how to not move my lips. I never had to learn her voice. She just continued." She even gives Lamb Chop a voice in interviews, as Lamb Chop weighed in on life after Shari. "I miss Shari every day but I'm so grateful that Mallory is here because she's my sister and my bestie," Lamb Chop said. Mallory, her husband, Lamb Chop and the gang moved to Portugal this year. They perform at political rallies and charity events, often held at the Cascais Jazz Club. "I am a firm believer in the power of Lamb Chop to raise money," Mallory said. "We have raised millions of dollars over the years together, she and I. So we are hosting charity events regularly in Cascais and the expats have been very kind and generous." Lamb Chop and Mallory also appear daily on TikTok and respond to fans. Charlie Horse has even made appearances by request. "TikTok is where the artists are," Mallory said. "You can just ignore all the ads to buy stuff. Just keep scrolling."
UPI
3 minutes ago
- Politics
- UPI
South Korea summons Japanese defense attache over territorial claims
SEOUL, July 16 (UPI) -- South Korea summoned a Japanese attache to protest a territorial claim over disputed islands that Tokyo made in an annual white paper, Seoul's Defense Ministry announced Wednesday. The islets, which are called Dokdo in Korean and Takeshima in Japanese, are located in the East Sea between the two countries. South Korea has controlled the islands since 1952 with a coast guard contingent, but they have been at the center of a diplomatic dispute that goes back hundreds of years. Tokyo's latest annual defense white paper asserts that Dokdo and the Russian-controlled Kuril Islands are "inherent territories of Japan" and calls issues around them "unresolved." It uses the Japanese names for both island groups, referring to the Kuril Islands as the Northern Territories and to Dokdo as Takeshima. Defense Ministry director general for international policy Lee Gwang-seok summoned Japanese defense attache Inoue Hirofumi on Tuesday over the claims. In the meeting, Lee "reaffirmed that Dokdo is [South Korea's] inherent territory historically, geographically and under international law," according to a ministry statement sent to reporters. Lee added that South Korea would "respond resolutely to any attempt to infringe upon our sovereignty over Dokdo." South Korea's Foreign Ministry also responded to the white paper on Tuesday by calling in the Japanese Embassy's acting minister Yoshiyasu Iseki and urging Tokyo to withdraw its claims. "The [South Korean] government strongly protests the Japanese government's repeated unjust territorial claims to Dokdo, which is clearly our inherent territory in terms of history, geography and international law," the ministry said in a statement. "The government once again makes it clear that no claims by the Japanese government regarding Dokdo ... have any influence on our sovereignty, and declares that it will respond resolutely to any provocations by Japan regarding Dokdo," the statement said. The dispute comes as historically frosty relations between Seoul and Tokyo have thawed in recent years, with improved diplomatic ties and closer trilateral security cooperation with Washington. This year's defense white paper includes language, introduced in last year's edition, calling South Korea "an important neighboring country with which we should cooperate as a partner in responding to various challenges in the international community."
Mint
22 minutes ago
- Business
- Mint
Paytm share price gains for fifth straight session, crosses ₹1,000 for the first time in six months
Paytm share price in focus today: Shares of One 97 Communications, the parent company of Paytm, jumped nearly 3% in intraday trade on Wednesday, July 16, hitting the day's high of ₹ 1,014, crossing the ₹ 1,000 level for the first time in six months. Today's rally also marked the fifth consecutive session of gains for the stock, taking its total rise to 9% so far in July. The stock was last seen around the ₹ 1,000 range in early January, but failed to sustain those levels and underwent a correction that lasted for two months before regaining momentum in early March, with the stock ending the following four months in green. The recent rally in Paytm shares has been fueled by reports of its possible inclusion in the MSCI Standard Index. According to brokerage firm Motilal Oswal, there is a high probability that Paytm may be upgraded from the MSCI Smallcap Index to the Standard Index in the upcoming MSCI rebalancing in August. If that happens, Motilal Oswal estimates the stock could see inflows worth $212 million following the index adjustments. The MSCI announcement is expected on August 8, with changes taking effect from August 26. After hitting an all-time low of ₹ 310 in May 2024, Paytm has staged a strong recovery, rallying 230% to end the year at ₹ 1,017, emerging as one of the best turnaround stocks of the year. This sharp rebound is largely attributed to the company's improving performance across multiple business segments, which has revived investor sentiment and boosted confidence in its long-term growth trajectory. Mutual funds have also shown growing confidence in the company's growth prospects. According to the latest shareholding data for Q1FY26, domestic mutual funds collectively held a 13.86% stake in Paytm, up from 13.11% in the March quarter. Among the notable domestic investors are Mirae Asset Mutual Fund, Motilal Oswal Mutual Fund, Nippon Mutual Fund, and Bandhan Mutual Fund. While mutual funds expanded their stake in the company, both FIIs and retail investors trimmed their holdings. FII ownership declined to 54.9% from 55.4% in the March quarter, while retail investors reduced their stake by 1.3% QoQ to 29.3%. Paytm is scheduled to announce its June quarter results on July 22 (Tuesday), and analysts expect a strong performance, possibly marking the company's first profitable quarter on a PAT basis. According to JM Financial, Payment Services revenue (excluding UPI incentives) is expected to grow 6% QoQ and 21% YoY, driven by a 27% YoY GMV increase. However, a rising share of lower-yielding UPI transactions may result in a lower take rate. The merchant subscriber base is projected to grow by approximately 7% QoQ (22% YoY) to reach 13.3 million, reflecting the company's focus on onboarding new merchants and reactivating dormant ones. Loan disbursals in Q1 are expected to grow by 8% QoQ (23% YoY), primarily led by merchant loans with a significantly lower mix of Default Loss Guarantee (DLG). However, personal loan disbursements may remain sluggish due to tighter norms around unsecured lending. Despite the impact of wage hikes, improved operating leverage is expected to lead to an adjusted EBITDA of ₹ 211 million. Most notably, JM Financial projects that Paytm may turn PAT positive, reporting a net profit of ₹ 189 million, aided by treasury income, which is likely to offset ESOP and depreciation/amortization expenses.
UPI
33 minutes ago
- UPI
Australian murderer dies in prison while victim's body remains missing
An artists impression of Bradley John Murdoch made during court proceedings in Darwin, Monday 17 October 2005. Murdoch died overnight Tuesday, officials said. Photo by EPA July 16 (UPI) -- Bradley Murdoch, the Australian mechanic serving a life sentence for killing a British backpacker in 2001, has died in prison at the age of 67 without ever revealing the location of his victim's body. Murdoch, who had been diagnosed with terminal throat cancer in 2019, died Tuesday night in the palliative care unit at Alice Springs Hospital in Australia's Northern Territory, a correctional department spokesperson confirmed to Australia's Nine News national service. His family confirmed his passing in a statement Wednesday. "To many, Bradley Murdoch is known only for the events that led to his conviction in 2005 for the murder of British backpacker Peter Falconio, a crime for which he has always denied responsibility from his arrest until his death. But to those who truly knew him, he was much more than the headlines," they said. "When given the opportunity, Bradley was a devoted father, father-in-law and proud Poppy who never missed a chance to brag about his grandchildren." Murdoch was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in December 2005 for killing Falconio and assaulting Falconio's girlfriend, Joanne Lees. The couple were in Australia on an extended trip in 2001 when Falconio was killed. Lees testified they were driving on a Northern Territory highway when Murdoch flagged them to pull over. She said she heard gunshots and was then tied up and held hostage, until she was able to escape. DNA evidence found in Falconio's van and on Lees' T-shirt connected Murdoch to the crime. However, Falconio's body has never been found. Following his conviction, Lees pleaded for him to reveal where her boyfriend's body was. "It's deeply regrettable that Murdoch has died without, as far as we are aware, ever disclosing the location of Peter Falconio's remains," a Wednesday statement from the Northern Territory Police Force read. "His silence has denied the Falconio family the closure they have so long deserved." A reward of up to $336,000 has been offered for information that leads to the discovery of Falconio's remains.
UPI
2 hours ago
- Politics
- UPI
Trump admin. deports migrants to Eswatini
July 16 (UPI) -- The Trump administration has deported five migrants convicted of violent crimes to the African nation of Eswatini, the Department of Homeland Security said. The migrants from Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Cuba and Yemen arrived in the small Southeast African nation Tuesday night, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said on social media, announcing that their flight had landed. "This flight took individuals so uniquely barbaric that their home countries refused to take them," she said in a statement, adding that it was thanks to President Donald Trump and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem that "they are off of American soil." The announcement marks the second instance of the Trump administration shipping migrants to a third country since the Supreme Court earlier this month said it could deport eight migrants to South Sudan. The conservative-leaning Supreme Court ruling ended litigation over the legality of the United States deporting noncitizens to a third country other than their own without permitting them the opportunity to argue they would be tortured or receive degrading treatment in the new country. The justices did not give a detailed explanation for their reasoning, though liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, dissented, arguing the Supreme Court's refusal to justify its decision "is indefensible." "Today's order clarifies only one thing: Other litigants must follow the rules, but the administration has the Supreme Court on speed dial," she wrote. It was not clear when the United States made a deal with Eswatini to accept its deported migrants. The majority of those who landed in Eswatini late Tuesday had been convicted of murder, among other charges. One migrant was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment for the sexual abuse of a minor. The announcement comes amid reports that a new Immigration and Customs Enforcement memo states that "effective immediately" the Trump administration may deport migrants to a third country with as little as six hours' notice as long as the receiving country has given the United States assurances that the deportee "will not be persecuted or tortured."
