Entertainment

Dustin Hoffman is facing more allegations of sexual misconduct.Variety reported accusations from three women against the legendary actor.

Cori Thomas says the actor exposed himself to her in a hotel room in 1980 when she was 16 and a friend of his daughter.

Melissa Kester told Variety that Hoffman sexually assaulted her at a recording studio. She says he was tracking audio for the 1987 film "Ishtar," and that she was a recent college graduate at the time.

A third unnamed woman says Hoffman assaulted her in the back of a station wagon and later pressured her into a sexual encounter she says left her feeling traumatized.

She told CNN she had spent that day in 1980 with Hoffman and his daughter in New York City, visiting Central Park and having dinner.

Thomas said that Hoffman's daughter lived with her mother at the time, who was divorced from Hoffman, and the actor was staying in a hotel near both his ex-wife's home and where he and the girls had dined.

Her parents were supposed to pick her up at the restaurant, Thomas said, so she left a note for them explaining the trio was headed back to Hoffman's hotel room.

Thomas said that soon after they arrived at the hotel, the actor sent his daughter home to finish her homework, leaving her alone with him.

She says he then took a shower, later emerging to stand in front of her wearing only a towel.

"He dropped the towel, and I didn't know what to do," Thomas told CNN.

Thomas said that Hoffman stood before her naked for awhile before putting on a robe and asking her to massage his feet, which she did.

"At one point while I was massaging his feet, he was on the phone in the bed in the hotel, and said he was on the phone and said, 'I've got a pretty girl massaging my feet,'" Thomas said. "He kept mentioning that he was naked to me."

According to Thomas, the incident ended when her mother arrived to pick her daughter up. She said she did not tell her mother or anyone else about the incident for some time. Thomas remained friends with Hoffman's daughter and included her in her wedding party when she married in 1984.

In a letter to the parent company of Variety, the 80-year-old actor's attorney, Mark A. Neubauer, called the allegations "defamatory falsehoods."

They are the latest accusations against the Oscar winner.

Last month, Anna Graham Hunter wrote an essay in which she accused Hoffman of sexually harassing her when she was a 17-year-old production assistant on the set of his film "The Death of a Salesman" in 1985.

Following the publication, Hoffman released a statement apologizing.

"I have the utmost respect for women and feel terrible that anything I might have done could have put her in an uncomfortable situation," Hoffman said in the statement. "I am sorry. It is not reflective of who I am."

The largest meet up of the Twitter community in Sri Lanka will happen on December 16. Held annually it is one of the most awaited events for the Twitter community which has been growing at a rapid pace in recent times.

This year's event is set to take place at Trace Expert City where the community invites ‘Online friends to meet offline’. A Twitter user has to have the prerequisites of 500 followers, 1000 tweets with an account which has been in operation for over 6 months in order to be eligible to attend the event.

However, despite the growing numbers Twitter in Sri Lanka is yet to catch up to other social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. While Instagram, the visual communication platform of Facebook seemed to be making headway among Sri Lankan social media users with its numbers taking a major jump from a 120,000 in October to a 160,000 in December; Twitter still fails to identify the Sri Lankan tweeps as a force to reckon with, mostly due to their still small numbers.

It seems “Game of Thrones” fans’ worst fears have been confirmed. A key cast member on the long-running series has revealed that the final six episodes won’t debut until 2019.

“Thrones” is a series that’s notorious for large wait times between seasons, so when Season 7 took its bow in August, fans far and wide were hoping that the reduced order of six episodes for Season 8 would mean that they wouldn’t have to wait too long to see how the series wraps up.

Speaking in an interview with Variety, Sansa Stark actress Sophie Turner seems to have let it slip that the release date isn’t going to come in the upcoming New Year. When the star was asked about her excitement level for the premiere as well as her upcoming role as Jean Grey in “X-Men: Dark Phoenix,” she almost offhandedly noted that “Thrones” won’t be out until 2019.

As Entertainment Weekly notes, savvy enough fans likely saw the delay coming. The outlet reports that Season 8 is still filming and is expected to continue into the summer of 2018. Given the vast amount of post-production needed, as well as showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss’ propensity for taking their time for the sake of quality, 2019 isn’t that far-fetched.

The outlet also notes that the 2019 release date would allow HBO to spend its time campaigning for an Emmy run for Season 7 in 2018 rather than promoting Season 8. While the star had bad news for those that wanted to see the new season sooner rather than later, she was able to share some minor details about what her character will go through in the final six episodes of the show.

“This season, there’s a new threat, and all of a sudden she finds herself somewhat back in the deep end. And without Littlefinger, it’s a test for her of whether she can get through it,” she told Variety. “It’s a big challenge for her, without this master manipulator having her back. This season is more a passionate fight for her than a political, manipulative kind of fight.”

It's worth noting that Turner's words aren't final and that an official release date from HBO has yet to be announced.

 Tyler McCarthy

French rock star and actor Johnny Hallyday, who became the first Gallic singer to popularize rock ’n’ roll in France and sold over 110 million records during a music career spanning over half a century, has died, according to Agence France Presse. He was 74 and had been fighting cancer for several months.

Widely known as the “French Elvis,” Hallyday began his singing career at the end of the 1950s specializing in French-language cover versions of famous songs by artists like Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochrane and Elvis Presley — whose example inspired him to become a singer.

At the beginning of 1960, Hallyday released his first album, “Hello! Johnny.” The following year he performed at France’s first rock festival at the Palais des Sports in Paris, setting off a near-riot that led to a ban on rock ’n’ roll shows for several months.

Hallyday’s covers instantly proved a successful way for American rock ’n’ roll to infiltrate its way into France. He even gave the Jimi Hendrix Experience their very first gig as his opening act at the Paris Olympia in October 1966.

In later years he was clever enough to sustain his popularity and increase his cross-generational appeal by moving into emotive balladry in a career trajectory similar to that of Presley.

Hallyday also became an accomplished film actor. He made his first screen appearance in 1955 as an extra in Georges-Henri Clouzot’s classic thriller “Les Diaboliques.” He broke through in France in “Where Are You From Johnny?” playing a thinly disguised version of himself: a young rocker on the make. His co-star was first wife Sylvie Vartan, also a chart-topping singer, with whom he has sung several popular duets.

Hallyday is survived by his wife, Laeticia, and their two adopted children, Jade and Joy; son David Hallyday from his first marriage with Vartan; and daughter Laura Smet from his relationship with actress Nathalie Baye.

Source: variety.com

The Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka (FOGSL) based at the University of Colombo will hold ‘Kurulu Kaiya 2017’ on December 16-17 at the Diyasaru Park, Thalawathugoda. The event is being held with the aim of promoting bird watching and also to create a dialogue on the need to conserve their habitats.

The event is set to be held at the ‘Diyasaru Park’ at Thalawathugoda which spreads over 60 acres on the Kotte marshes near Parliament. Over 50 species of birds including a number of migratory birds, about 25 butterflies, dragonflies, reptiles and fish are among the interesting wetland biodiversity are said to be found at the ‘Diyasaru Park’. The site is even the hideout of the elusive Fishing cat. Special guided nature walks around the trails of the Diyasaru Park have been organised during the event along with other guided tours and fun activities for children as well.
A session titled ‘40 years of bird research in Sri Lanka’ will also be held in collaboration with researchers from different universities of Sri Lanka in
order to promote research on the subject matter.

In the wake of her engagement to Prince Harry, it's been announced that Meghan Markle will apply for citizenship in the U.K. But no special treatment here. The future Duchess will have to go through the same process as any other would-be Brit. There are quite a few rules, according to immigration expert and VisaPlace.com CEO Michael Niren—some of which might surprise you.

Here are the top 10:

1. Markle will need a special "Family Visa" to stay in the U.K. for more than six months.

"You can apply for a family visa to live with your fiancé or civil partner," Niren explains. She will have to show proof of her relationship with Harry. Considering the global press coverage they're getting, that shouldn't be a problem.

 2. To obtain the visa, she needs to prove she and Harry make more than a combined income of at least £18,600 a year.

Considering Harry's reportedly worth $40 million and Markle a cool $5 million, it shouldn't be an issue.

3. Meghan must pass a written and verbal test to show proficiency in the English language.
We think she's got this one nailed.

4. If Markle comes to the country as the fiancée of a British citizen, they must marry within six months.

A May wedding is already on the books.

 5. Seeking British citizenship after their wedding is much easier than seeking citizenship before being married to a British citizen.

Instead of five years, it will take her only three (once she's his wife).

6. Markle must live in the U.K. for at least three years before applying for British citizenship.
Good thing Harry already has a place at Nottingham Cottage.

7. She must have spent no more than 270 days outside the U.K. within those three years.
"During those three, she's meant to spend as much time as possible in the country learning its traditions, culture, values and lifestyle," Niren says.

8. She must have spent no more than 90 days outside the U.K. in the last 12 months.
Niren says it may temporarily hinder her ability to travel abroad with Harry as much as she wants to.

9. She cannot break any immigration laws while in the U.K.

We don't anticipate this one being a problem. Besides, she knows about the law from playing Rachel Zane on Suits.
10. Meghan must pass a test, which will cover "life in the U.K."

Past British Olympic winners, royal family timelines, famous landmarks, British flags, the national flower, famous actors and actresses and food are just some of the topics she'll need to study.

Source: E - Online

Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli and Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma have tied the knot in Italy, after weeks of speculation that they were getting hitched.

"Today we have promised each other to be bound in love forever. We are truly blessed to share the news with you," the couple said in a statement.

The Hindu ceremony was attended by close family and a few friends.

The couple said they wanted "their wedding to be a very private affair".

The two stars were said to have married at a resort in Tuscany.

They will host a reception in Delhi for relatives on 21 December, followed by a celebration in Mumbai on 26 December to be attended by Bollywood stars and cricketers, they said.

After the celebrations in India, the couple will travel to South Africa where Kohli will prepare for India's forthcoming tour there which is taking place early next year.

In the new year, Sharma will return to Mumbai, where the couple will live, to resume her acting commitments.

The next instalment of the "Star Wars" saga opens in U.S. theatres next Thursday night and with it comes some of the biggest buzz for a film since, well, the last "Star Wars" movie, 2015's "The Force Awakens."

Analysts have a hard time predicting opening weekend numbers when it comes to movies with a lot of hype. "The Last Jedi" could make anywhere from $190 million to $215 million, and falling anywhere in that range would give it one of the biggest openings of all time.

"Movies with such a high level of interest, demand, and secrecy are more sensitive to the flow of buzz, especially a film with a fan base as vast and opinionated as that of 'Star Wars,'" said Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at BoxOffice.com.

"The Last Jedi" stars Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker and Daisy Ridley as Rey. Carrie Fisher, who reprises her role as Princess Leia, made her last film appearance in "The Last Jedi" before her untimely death last December.

"The Force Awakens" had the biggest opening in film history, bringing in $248 million in its first weekend. It would go on to make more than $2 billion worldwide. Last year, the "Star Wars" spinoff, "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," raked in more than $1 billion globally.

It appears unlikely that "The Last Jedi" will reach the same heights as "The Force Awakens," but since no one has really seen the film, it's hard to judge just how much of a force it will be at the box office.

 Source: CNN

According to a lengthy The New York Times report about President Donald Trump’s “hour-by-hour battle for self-preservation” as leader of the free world, the former host of The Apprentice spends a minimum of four hours watching television every day … and up to eight hours total, or what amounts to a standard workday for 40-hours per week employees.

The report cites people close to the president familiar with his daily routine.

As you might expect, Trump isn’t binging Stranger Things 2 or catching up on This Is Us, but rather watching cable news, with Fox News’ Fox & Friends being a particular favorite. He also occasionally “hate-watches” CNN “to get worked up,” according to the Times.

Trump reportedly had a 60-inch TV installed in his White House dining room to consume more shows. And like sitcom dads of yore, the president has a rule about nobody else touching the remote control — unless they’re “technical support staff” (the need for which is left unexplained).

Trump has previously stated he doesn’t watch as much TV as people think he does. “I do not watch much television,” he said last month. “I know they like to say — people that don’t know me — they like to say I watch television. People with fake sources — you know, fake reporters, fake sources. But I don’t get to watch much television, primarily because of documents. I’m reading documents a lot.”

By James Hibberd (EW)

A teenage newcomer has beaten established stars to win best supporting actress at the film awards dubbed the Chinese-language Oscars.