Latest news with #Latvian
Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
How a convicted paedophile staged a fake wedding to 9-year-old at Disneyland Paris
A convicted British sex offender staged a fake wedding to a 9-year-old girl at Disneyland Paris, the BBC has reported. Jacky Jhaj, 39, allegedly rented out the park after hours using a false identity and brought in a child actor to play the bride. French authorities say the girl was not harmed, but Jhaj has now been charged in connection with the event. Jhaj, from west London, was jailed in 2016 for sexual activity with two 15-year-old girls. He is on the Sex Offenders Register and subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Since his release, he has organised several elaborate events involving children, often under the guise of film productions or public stunts. According to the BBC, Jhaj booked Disneyland using a fake Latvian ID. He also flew in the young girl from Ukraine and hired actors for the event one was reportedly paid £10,000. This is not his first stunt. In 2023, he staged a fake red-carpet event in Leicester Square where children as young as six were paid to act as his fans. Similar stunts have been held at the British Museum, the Royal Exchange, and Oxford University. Jhaj often used disguises, including prosthetic make-up, to hide his identity. He also uploaded videos of these events to YouTube, where one channel had over 12 million subscribers. Many of these videos remained online for years until the BBC flagged them to Google. The BBC obtained a copy of the court order restricting Jhaj's movements. While it bars him from contacting previous victims and unsupervised interaction with underage girls, it does not explicitly prevent him from hosting public events involving children if adults are present. At the Leicester Square event, some children were accompanied by chaperones, meaning the stunt technically did not breach the order. A police officer involved in monitoring Jhaj told the BBC that he was responsible for dozens of offenders at once, and called the workload 'challenging.' National guidelines suggest one officer for every 50 offenders, but some UK forces have admitted that the ratio can be as high as one to 85. Jhaj is currently in French custody. Disneyland Paris declined to comment. The Metropolitan Police say Jhaj is wanted for breaching restrictions in the UK and is also under investigation for potential fraud. French prosecutors said the theme park had been 'deceived' by the organiser. The BBC continues to investigate how Jhaj managed to fund these expensive stunts and evade stricter supervision.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Business
- USA Today
What do the Boston Celtics trades, draft picks tell us about their future?
The Boston Celtics just had a very busy week as they reshaped the team. What do these trades and draft moves tell us about the future of the ball club? The Celtics kicked things off by dealing away veteran guard Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers for Anfernee Simons and second round draft picks. Soon after that, they traded Latvian big man Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team deal that brought back vet backup forward Georges Niang and a second rounder as well. Those moves got Boston under the dreaded second apron, allowing the front office to focus on their moves in the 2025 NBA draft. There, Boston took Spanish forward Hugo Gonzalez and No. 28 overall in the first round, then traded back in the second round with No. 32 overall, getting four firsts from the Orlando Magic, and using the two in this year's draft to take Kentucky big Amari Williams and VCU guard Max Shulga. What does all this mean for Boston? The host of the CLNS Media "You Got Boston" podcast, Noa Dalzell, took some time on a recent show to talk it all over. Check it out below! If you enjoy this pod, check out the "How Bout Them Celtics," "First to the Floor," and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network:
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Animated films need more emphasis on story and character
REGARDED as Malaysia's Father of Animation, film historian and animation legend Hassan A Muthalib describes Malaysian films as "not cinematic in terms of narrative and stylistics". While he remains an optimist, he hopes that today's animation gurus focus more on training new animated filmmakers in order for the animation industry to rise. "The animation filmmaker has control over every single frame, unlike the live-action filmmaker. How the director plans everything he sees is dependent on the director's point of view about issues of the day," he said in a recent interview. DYNAMICS Asked where he sees the animation industry 10 years down the road, Hassan said that things would not change much, unless the right film dynamics and the language of cinema are better understood and applied. "Our animated films should be less video-game-like with more stress on story and characters. "The award-winning Latvian film 'Flow' is a good example of how it should be done without fast cuts and incredible camera moves," he said. Hassan admitted that there were always some areas in animation which Malaysians could hardly touch as a result of society's sensitivities. To get around this, he said: "Animation provides an element of fantasy, especially with the use of non-human characters. "Walt Disney has proven it with his animation features from the 1930s to the 1990s. "His philosophy was to create great characters with distinct personalities. "Give them great stories to be acted out." ORANG ASLI One suggestion Hassan has on interesting topics for animated movies is classical Malay literature and Orang Asli folktales. "It's great to explore these, and fantastic stories can be made with the cutting-edge technology we have today. "As far back as 1940 with Disney's 'Fantasia', the ground has already been prepared. "Malaysian-based Japanese filmmaker Yasu Tanaka was the first to do so with his feature film 'Magik'." While censorship is seen as a hindrance to the future development of animated films, Hassan believes that there is a need for it to minimise violence especially in cartoons. "The Censorship Board helps in showing how some things can be overcome. "For example, in 'Pulau' and 'Spilt Gravy On Rice', the films were passed because in the end, it all seemed to be a dream experienced by the protagonist. "However, I was surprised how 'Dongeng Sang Kancil' managed to get through with so much graphic violence, especially since it was aimed at children." Recalling his journey into the industry, Hassan said that he first came to work in Filem Negara Malaysia (FNM) in 1968, and was guided by Anandam Xavier who made Malaysia's first animated short, 'Hikayat Sang Kancil'. "I thought to myself I am never ever going to understand how to do this, but 10 years later, I was making even more complicated camera charts. "I was drawn to his background paintings and it was only when I started making my feature film, 'Silat Legenda' in 1995 that I realised background paintings gave the look of a film." SANG KANCIL Unconsciously, Hassan understood the importance of production design and it played an important role in his next short film, 'Sang Kancil Dan Monyet', in the mid-1980s. "In November 1972, I was assigned to do a Happy Christmas trailer. I discovered that it was not about requiring 24 frames for a second of animation, it was about how fast the animation was and about creating the correct space between drawings." Hassan said that two years later, he came up with his first public service announcement (PSA) about Anti-Hoarding, and in 1979, his controversial 'Nyamuk Aedes PSA' ruffled politicians' feathers. "The talking mosquitoes were very popular with their catchy dialogue, but it was promptly taken off the air because a member of parliament felt that the mosquitoes' leader seemed to parody him." Hassan is the man behind the first anti-dadah trailer in 1979. "Many people were scared stiff by the story of a drug addict who climbs a flight of stairs right into a huge skull's mouth, and turns into a skeleton," he said. JAMALI SHADAT Hassan also collaborated with veteran comedian Datuk Jamali Shadat in a PSA about gas cylinders in 1981. "Esso asked us to make an animated trailer on the do's and don't's of using a gas cylinder. Here's where I roped in Jamali, and he did a fantastic job educating the public with his spontaneous, humorous lecture," he said. Hassan made his first live action PSA in 1983 with 'Keluarga' (Family), and it was shot at University Malaya Medical Centre. "It was the story of a drug addict's parents who awaited the doctor's annoucement following their son's admission to hospital," he said, adding that the PSA won Best Idea at Anugerah Seri Angkasa. IMUDA Hassan's first win for an animated feature film was 'Mat Gelap' in 1990. It was about the adventures of a zany detective played by Datuk Imuda. When asked about his favourite animated shorts by Malaysian filmmakers, Hassan listed Liew Seng Tatt's 'Don't Play Play', Eugene Foo's 'Grey Avenue', Hajar Aznam's 'Ulek Mayang: Spirits Of The Sea' and Ah Loong's 'The 7th Night: Maomao Revisits'. "All four have simple but well-developed stories and are well put across through animation," he said.
LeMonde
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- LeMonde
A fake wedding at Disneyland, but a real pedophile fantasy
In the amateur video, the pink hues of a June dawn bathe the Sleeping Beauty Castle, the symbol of Disneyland Paris in Marne-la-Vallée, outside Paris. The longest day of the year, June 21, had just begun. It was 5 am. An assistant, dressed up and wearing a "Margot and Jack" bracelet, bustled around white, padded chairs. Flowers lined the aisle leading to the altar. A string quartet in gowns played. There was even a cake replica of the iconic Disney castle. The kitschy décor of this American-style wedding was shattered by the appearance of the would-be "groom," a 39-year-old "professionally made up to look completely different from himself," according to a statement from Jean-Baptiste Bladier, the prosecutor investigating the case, and by the 9-year-old girl, a Ukrainian national who had arrived in France two days earlier, and with whom the man was simulating a wedding. Surprised by what he saw, a 55-year-old Latvian man, paid €12,000 to play a role in the ceremony, alerted Disneyland Paris security, who in turn notified police at the Chessy station. Officers arrived on the scene and discovered a scene that the psychologist and researcher Nicolas Estano, of the Resource Center for Professionals Working with Sex Offenders at Ville Evrard Hospital, compared to a "pedophile fantasy."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Hawks acquiring Kristaps Porzingis in 3-team trade with Celtics, Nets
The post Hawks acquiring Kristaps Porzingis in 3-team trade with Celtics, Nets appeared first on ClutchPoints. Kristaps Porzingis is on his way out of Boston, as the Celtics have officially traded the 7-foot-2 big man. Reports indicate that he's heading to the Atlanta Hawks in part of a three-team deal. Advertisement The Hawks are acquiring Kristaps Porzingis from the Boston Celtics in a trade that includes the Brooklyn Nets, according to insider Brett Siegel. Porzingis will now play alongside star guard Trae Young, giving Atlanta a new weapon for next season. 'BREAKING: The Atlanta Hawks are acquiring Kristaps Porzingis from the Boston Celtics in a 3-team trade with the Brooklyn Nets, league sources told Clutch Points.' Atlanta is receiving Kristaps Porzingis, along with a second-round pick, per ESPN's Shams Charania. The Nets receive Terance Mann and the No. 22 overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, while the Celtics get Georges Niang and a second-round selection. 'BREAKING: Boston, Atlanta, and Brooklyn are finalizing a three-team trade that sends Kristaps Porzingis and a second-round pick to the Hawks, Terance Mann and Atlanta's No. 22 pick to the Nets, and Georges Niang and a second-rounder to the Celtics.' Advertisement This trade comes just a day after the Celtics had already dealt Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers. The Hawks become the next team to acquire another Boston star, as the Celtics are seemingly making big changes with Jayson Tatum expected to miss the entire season next year. For Atlanta, the Hawks bring in a big man who can help stretch the floor as well. When healthy, Kristaps Porzingis is one of the most electric players in the league. However, his health is a bit of a concern. During his two seasons with Boston, Porzingis missed 65 total games out of a possible 164. So, the Hawks will hope for a healthy Porzingis in Atlanta. In the two years with the Celtics, the Latvian star averaged 19.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 50.2% from the floor and 39.2% from beyond the three-point line. Related: Kristaps Porzingis trade grades after stunning Hawks-Celtics deal Related: Terance Mann has 'crazy' reaction after being traded to Nets
