World
Obama lauds theatres’ decision to screen film
Washington: President Barack Obama has applauded Sony Pictures’ decision to authorise the screening of “The Interview” — a film satirising North Korean leader Kim Jong-un — in independent theatres, the White House said.
“As the President made clear, we are a country that believes in free speech, and the right of artistic expression,” White House spokesman Eric Schultz said.
“The decision made by Sony Pictures and participating theatres allows people to make their own choices about the film, and we welcome that outcome,” the spokesman said.
The screening of the film in the US, scheduled for Dec 25, was cancelled after Sony was targetted with a hacking attack, which the US administration attributes to North Korea, and the cyber-pirates subsequently threatened to cause panic at movie theatres showing the film.
At least two independent US theatres announced Tuesday that they will show “The Interview”.
Atlanta’s Plaza Theatre and The Alamo Draft house in Dallas are going to show the film on Christmas Day, the owners of those theatres announced.
Sony confirmed that it will authorise those theatres to show the film, a comedy with Seth Rogen and James Franco about a fictitious US plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, something that the Pyongyang government had called an “act of war”.
“We have never given up on releasing ‘The Interview,’,” said Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton. “While we hope this is only the first step of the film’s release, we are proud to make it available to the public and to have stood up to those who attempted to suppress free speech.”
Earlier, Tim League, the owner of The Alamo Drafthouse, wrote on Twitter that Sony had authorised the showing of “The Interview” on Christmas Day, and said that tickets would go on sale immediately.
James Wallace, the creative manager for Dallas theatre, also said the film will be shown there and that the tickets were being made available to the public.
In the Nov 24 cyber-attack, the hackers stole, among other data, Social Security numbers and medical records of over 3,000 of the Sony’s employees.
In addition, the cyber-pirates — calling themselves the “Guardians of Peace” — stole five new feature length films from Sony, one of Hollywood’s largest film studios, and leaked them on the internet prior to their scheduled releases.
The US government has also begun reevaluating whether or not to place North Korea back on the State Department’s list of countries that sponsor terrorism after the cyber-attack. Former president George W. Bush had removed Pyongyang from the list in 2008.
Obama said last Sunday that the attack on Sony Pictures was not an “act of war” but one of “cyber-vandalism” to which the US would give a “proportionate” response.
North Korea Monday found that it was cut off completely from the internet for yet undetermined reasons, several days after the US had blamed that country for the cyber-attack.
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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