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Entertainment

‘Nomadland,’ ‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’ and ‘The Crown’ Led a Distant Golden Globes

Chadwick Boseman’s widow, Taylor Simone Ledward, accepted his award for best performance by an actor in a motion picture, drama.

What is 2,800 miles between friends? On Sunday night at the Golden Globes, Amy Poehler and Tina Fey managed to convey their signature chemistry and cheeky style of comedy while skillfully hosting from different sides of the country: Fey in the Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center in New York and Poehler in Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. The rooms were not completely empty: first aiders sat masked and socially distant at tables.

A clever split screen and some cunning video work made the show look like they were side by side, including a moment when Fey Poehler seemed to be stroking Poehler’s hair. “The technology is so great that you’ll never be able to tell the difference,” said Poehler. Here is their exchange that starts the ceremony. It was easily edited.

Fey: Hi. Oh, good evening world. I’m Tina Fey coming to you from the beautiful Rainbow Room in New York City, where indoor dining and outdoor raids are back.

Poehler: Yes, and I’m Amy Poehler, here at the Beverly Hilton, District 7, New Angeles, and this is the 78th annual Hunger Games –

Fey: Golden Globes.

Poehler: Golden Globes. Now Tina and I are hosting from two different cities tonight, but the technology is so great you will never be able to tell the difference. It will be a smooth sailing.

Fey: You won’t even notice. Oh I missed you my love I always knew that my career would end by wandering rainbow space and pretending to speak to Amy. I just thought it would be later. But what an exciting night. All the big blockbuster films that came out this year are nominated: “Parts of a Lady”, “Irish Goodnight”, “Mauricio’s Delve”.

Poehler: “Daily Planner”, “Gronk”, “Ali G goes to Chicago.”

Fey: And we’re going to honor all the fantastic TV shows you’ve seen this year: the American Office, old Columbos, very one-sided news programs.

Poehler: The Zoom town halls your school is closed in and of course the cranberry juice skateboard guy. He’s going to skate to all the nominated songs tonight. How exciting.

Fey: Usually this room is full of celebrities, but tonight our audience on both coasts consists of smoking hot first responders and key workers. How beautiful. We are so grateful for the work you are doing here so that the celebrities can stay home safely.

Poehler: Yes, thank you. Now we know you’ve seen a lot of crazy things at work this year. But you haven’t seen the kind of stuff we’ve seen on previous Golden Globes. This front table here is usually home to the biggest stars in the world.

Fey: It’s usually like Meryl Streep, just hammered, can’t even remember which movie she’s there for.

Poehler: Brad Pitt always waves to me like: Amy, Amy. And I think, dude, I’m working. It’s not like now.

Fey: And Oprah Winfrey was just writing her name on the tablecloth with a pen.

Poehler: Quentin Tarantino crawled under the tables and only touched people’s feet. The point is do what you want because they do.

Fey: These bitches are messy.

Poehler: Yes, they are messy. OK, since you’re not usually here, let’s explain what that is all about. The Golden Globes are awards from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

Fey: The Hollywood Foreign Press Association consists of around 90 international – not black – journalists who attend film junkets each year in search of a better life. We say around 90 because some of them might be ghosts and it is rumored that the German member is just a sausage that someone has painted a little face on.

Poehler: At the Golden Globes we have awards for movies and television, but I mean it’s hard to tell them apart this year because the cinemas were closed and we saw everything on our phones.

Fey: So you may be confused about which nominees count as movies and which ones count as TV.

Poehler: Now I watch TV for five hours in a row, but I don’t turn on a movie because it’s two hours. I don’t want to stand in front of my television for two hours, I want to stand in front of the television for an hour five times.

Fey: I think the rule is, if your false teeth look real, that’s a movie. And if your real teeth look wrong, it’s television.

Poehler: If the British actors play British, it is television; If they play Americans, it’s a movie.

Fey: If you are like that, Mario Lopez is surprisingly good at that, that’s television.

Poehler: And if it plays Matthew McConaughey as a poetic drifter, it’s a commercial for cars.

Fey: We watch television and films differently. As in movies it says human trafficking, but on TV it says “90 Day Fiancé”.

Poehler: And if it’s a play that has been turned into a movie but you see it on TV, it’s called Plovie, and at least four of them are nominated tonight.

Fey: Ah, congratulations to all of the plovies. Let’s see what these European madmen have nominated this year. “Nomadland” is a film in which Frances McDormand plays a woman who travels through the desert in her van and poops into a bucket. And my kids said, “Could we do this for the spring break? Could we do something? “

Poehler: “Mank” is the abbreviation for Mankiewicz, the name of the screenwriter of “Citizen Kane”. And that’s the only thing they shortened.

Fey: “The Queen’s Gambit” is what James Corden was up to on “The Prom” I think. “The Prom” came out at the perfect time because so many teenagers weren’t going to their prom this year so they could watch James Corden and Meryl Streep do it instead, and that’s still fun, isn’t it?

Poehler: “The Trial of the Chicago 7” is the best of all the “Trial of Chicago” films in my opinion, but it still isn’t as good as “Police Academy 7: Mission to Moscow”. Who is with me

Fey: What I love about Aaron Sorkin’s writing is that he can make seven men speak, but it feels like a hundred men are speaking.

Poehler: Yes. “The Undoing” was a sexy and dramatic riddle in which Nicole Kidman’s coat is suspected of murdering her wig.

Fey: “Soul” is a beautiful animated Pixar film in which the soul of a middle-aged black man is accidentally knocked out of his body into a cat. The HFPA really responded to this movie because they have five cat members.

Poehler: “Normal People” is an emotional show about two young lovers in Ireland and is best seen in bed with your hot laptop at your crotch.

Fey: “One Night in Miami” is a fictional version of a meeting between Malcolm X, Cassius Clay, Sam Cooke and Jim Brown where I assume the topic of discussion was: How the hell are we going to get out of Florida?

Poehler: Speaking of “One Night in Miami”, great directors have been nominated for this evening. Regina King for “One Night in Miami”, Chloé Zhao for “Nomadland”, Emerald Fennell for “Promising Young Woman” and two other people, but we are running out of time.

Fey: Emily in Paris has been nominated for Best TV Series, Best Musical, or Best Comedy, and I can’t wait to find out which one it is. I did “French Exit” after seeing the first episode of “Emily in Paris”.

Poehler: Maria Bakalova from “Borat” is a candidate this evening, which is enormous for the Bulgarian community. Jim Parsons and Kaley Cuoco are nominees tonight, which is huge for the Bazinga community.

Fey: What else? Oh, Sia’s controversial film “Music” is nominated for the best international flopperooni. I don’t want to go into that folks, but it’s really problematic. And Twitter says it’s the most insulting casting since Kate Hudson was the Weight Watchers spokeswoman.

Poehler: Oh wait you know this is probably something we should have told you earlier. Everyone is understandably upset about the HFPA and its decisions. Look, a lot of flashy garbage was nominated, but that happens, OK? This is like their thing. But a number of black actors and black-led projects have been overlooked.

Fey: Look, we all know award shows are stupid.

Poehler: They are all a scam invented by Big Red Carpet.

Fey: Sell ​​more carpet.

Poehler: We know that.

Fey: The point is, inclusivity is important even with stupid things. And there are no black members of the Hollywood Foreign Press. I understand, HFPA, maybe you didn’t get the memo because your workplace is the back booth of a French McDonald’s, but you need to change that. So here it is to change.

Poehler: Yes, and I’m looking forward to this change. We have some good news: we’re raising money tonight and donating $ 2 million to Feeding America’s Covid-19 Response Fund, and that’s great.

Fey: Let’s go guys. Are you ready? Could this have been an email all night? Yes.

Nancy Coleman contributed to the coverage.

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Politics

U.S. intel says Saudi crown prince authorised killing of Jamal Khashoggi

U.S. intel says Saudi crown prince approved killing of Jamal Khashoggi

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved an operation to arrest or kill journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. This emerges from a US intelligence report that could have far-reaching implications for US-Saudi Arabia relations.

The report released on Friday by the Office of the Director of the National Intelligence Service mentioned the Crown Prince’s control over decision-making in Saudi Arabia, as well as the involvement of a key advisor and members of his protection department in the operation in which Khashoggi was killed.

“Since 2017, the Crown Prince has had absolute control over the kingdom’s security and intelligence organizations, so it is highly unlikely that Saudi officials would have carried out an operation of this type without the Crown Prince’s approval,” the report said.

The CIA-led assessment that had so far been classified comes from President Joe Biden, who aims to reshape US relations with Saudi Arabia after years of the Trump administration’s condemnation of the kingdom’s human rights abuses despite condemnation in Congress and ignored at the United Nations.

Khashoggi, a 59-year-old U.S. citizen and Washington Post employee who criticized the Saudi royal family, entered a Saudi consulate in Turkey on October 2, 2018 and never left the country. He was killed by a group of assassins who then dismembered his body. His remains were never recovered.

“The Crown Prince viewed Khashoggi as a threat to the kingdom and largely supported the use of violent measures to silence him,” the US intelligence report said. “Although Saudi officials planned an unspecified operation against Khashoggi in advance, we don’t know how far in advance Saudi officials decided to harm him.”

In a diplomatic reprimand to the Crown Prince this week, the White House made it clear that Biden does not see 35-year-old bin Salman as his counterpart and will instead have relationships through his aging father, King Salman. The younger bin Salman has been the public face of the kingdom since he became crown prince in 2017.

Robert Mahoney, Deputy Executive Director of the Committee for the Protection of Journalists, speaks during a press conference to appeal to the United Nations on the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the United Nations in New York, United States on October 18, 2018.

Shannon Stapleton | Reuters

“Regarding Saudi Arabia, I would say that we made it clear from the start that we would recalibrate our relationship with Saudi Arabia,” said White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Tuesday from the White House.

On Thursday, in his first conversation with the 85-year-old King, Biden reiterated “the importance the United States attaches to universal human rights and the rule of law,” according to a White House ad.

Biden also told Salman that he “will work to make bilateral relations as strong and transparent as possible,” the White House said. Khashoggi’s name was not mentioned in the advertisement.

The chairman of the Intel Committee of the House of Representatives, Rep. Adam Schiff, called on the White House to impose “serious repercussions on those responsible for Khashoggi’s assassination” and to reassess US relations with Saudi Arabia in the course of the intelligence service Report.

“We need to make sure that foreign governments targeting journalists just for their jobs are not immune from severe repercussions and sanctions, because to restore confidence in American leadership we must act in accordance with the values ​​that America sets.” for a long time, “said the Californian Democrat.

“The government should take further steps to reduce the United States’ dependence on Riyadh and reaffirm that our partnership with the Kingdom is not a blank check,” added Schiff.

The Saudi authorities initially denied any knowledge of Khashoggi’s death and later claimed that the journalist was involved in a fight at the consulate and died in the clash. The Saudi authorities eventually admitted that Khashoggi was killed in a “rogue operation” while denying bin Salman was involved.

A United Nations investigator concluded in a June 2019 report that Khashoggi was “the victim of a premeditated, premeditated execution, an extrajudicial killing for which the state of Saudi Arabia is responsible under international human rights law.”

Trump publicly tried to cast doubts about the Crown Prince’s involvement in Khashoggi’s death, even after multiple outlets reported that the CIA bin Salman itself had concluded that the journalist had been killed. Trump said the CIA had “nothing in particular” while claiming the oil-rich kingdom would remain a “steadfast partner” with the US

“It could very well be that the Crown Prince was aware of this tragic event – maybe he did it and maybe he didn’t!” Trump said less than two months after Khashoggi’s death. Trump’s conciliatory stance contrasted sharply with outrage from members of Congress and the media over the Khashoggi assassination.

The Trump administration maintained relationships through the Crown Prince, who maintained close personal relationships with members of the Trump family, particularly Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of former President Donald Trump.

Trump made Saudi Arabia his first stop in the Middle East when he made his debut in the region in 2017. The kingdom rolled out the red carpet for the former reality star.

The Trump administration used its ties with the Gulf monarchies to normalize relations between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

The former president also vetoed attempts by Congress to block billions in arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and an attempt to end US involvement in the war in Yemen.

Biden’s review of relations with Saudi Arabia is part of a broader US foreign policy shift in the Middle East.
The president has ended US support for Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen and is trying to return to the negotiating table with Iran, Riyadh’s enemy, through its nuclear program.

The US president called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week, his first conversation with a Middle Eastern leader since taking office. The Saudis and Israelis are de facto allies, although they do not have formal diplomatic ties to counter Iranian influence in the region.

Biden “discussed regional security” in his appeal Thursday with King Salman, referring to his government’s efforts to end the war in Yemen “and the US commitment to help Saudi Arabia defend its territory since it did Exposed to attacks by Iranian-centric groups, “the White House ad said.

Biden and Salman “also affirmed the historical nature of the relationship and agreed to work together on issues of mutual interest and concern,” according to the White House.

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Categories
Politics

Biden’s snub of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is a ‘warning’

Biden's snub of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is a 'warning'

The Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will take part in a meeting with the Russian President Vladimir Putin in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on October 14, 2019.

Alexei Nikolsky | Sputnik | Kremlin via Reuters

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – President Joe Biden’s press secretary delivered a powerful message this week to the de facto leader of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Jen Psaki told a press conference in diplomatic language that relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia – especially with the Crown Prince of the kingdom – are being downgraded.

“Regarding Saudi Arabia, I would say that we made it clear from the start that we would recalibrate our relationship with Saudi Arabia,” said Psaki from the White House on Tuesday.

When asked if Biden would speak to the Crown Prince, she replied: “Part of this is due to the juxtaposition. The President’s colleague is King Salman, and I expect he would in due course.” have a conversation with him. I don’t have a timeline for this. “

The quotes immediately caught the attention of regional analysts and foreign policy experts, as well as probably executives in the Gulf as a blatant nudge of the 35-year-old heir to the monarchy in Saudi Arabia and arguably the most powerful man in the region.

“Well, I think what Jen said, I know the president would get in touch with his counterpart and that his counterpart is the king,” State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters on Wednesday.

Price added that Foreign Minister Antony Blinken will work in a similar manner with his counterpart, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.

“President Biden has said that we will review the entire relationship to make sure it serves interests, is respectable, and respects the values ​​we bring to this partnership,” Price said.

“We know, of course, that Saudi Arabia is an important partner on many different fronts. Regional security is just one of them,” he added.

“It’s brave and it will hurt”

“The nudge against MBS is a warning to Saudi Arabia,” wrote Torbjorn Soltvedt, MENA chief analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, in an email on Wednesday in which he referred to the crown prince with his initials. “It is viewed as a disapproval of the leadership of MBS, which has been characterized by unpredictable decisions and a much less advisory approach than in the past.”

And the government’s apparent intention to get the Crown Prince out of the way represents a dramatic departure from the White House by Trump, which made Saudi Arabia the former president’s first overseas visit, signing and signing major arms deals with the kingdom despite opposition from Congress it failed to criticize the kingdom for its human rights violations.

This shouldn’t come as a big surprise, as Biden early promised a tougher line for the oil-rich Islamic monarchy. During a major debate in early 2020, Biden pledged to make Saudi Arabia “the pariah they are”.

“This is not a surprising move, but it is brave and will hurt,” Michael Stephens, an analyst at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, told CNBC. “There is no doubt that Psaki’s comments were directed at the Crown Prince, even though he is in every way the man in charge of the kingdom.”

A number of scandals and crises that have emerged from the kingdom since the Crown Prince came to power have been condemned not only by Democrats but also by Republicans.

A former Obama administration official said anonymously for professional reasons: “The Saudis in Washington are in the worst position they have ever been. They were only covered up by Trump’s White House.”

The Saudi government did not respond to CNBC requests for comment.

Can Biden really get MBS out of the way?

Biden has already paused on a major arms sale to the Kingdom and other Gulf allies signed under the Trump administration, and has ordered an end to U.S. support for the Saudi Arabia-led war in Yemen that created that has what the UN calls the world’s worst man-made humanitarian crisis.

And the kingdom was internationally condemned because the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered by state agents in 2018. US intelligence linked the killing to the Crown Prince, which Riyadh vigorously denies.

“With the ongoing war in Yemen, crackdown on prominent members of the country’s political and business elite in 2017, the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, and the oil price war last year, there is no shortage of raw materials for the Biden government Kick off, “wrote Soltvedt.

But how realistic is the Biden team’s goal of bypassing the Crown Prince – who is also the Secretary of Defense, who is next to the throne and who made most of the kingdom’s most important decisions?

According to Ali Shihabi, a Saudi analyst near the kingdom’s royal court, this is not at all realistic.

“You can’t do anything if you don’t deal with MBS,” Shihabi was quoted as saying when telling Politico. “The king works, but he’s very old. He’s the chairman of the board. He’s not involved in day-to-day affairs. After all, you’ll want to speak to MBS directly.”

King Salman, the ruling monarch since 2015, is now 85 years old.

President Donald Trump holds a chart of sales of military hardware as he greets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, USA on March 20, 2018.

Jonathan Ernst | Reuters

Verisk’s Soltvedt agrees. “King Salman is the head of state and ultimately controls the levers of power. But it is MBS that has direct control over the kingdom’s major portfolios and institutions,” he wrote. “A change in Washington’s approach to dealing with the Saudi leadership will not change that.”

The Biden administration is expected to give the Gulf States a lower priority than its predecessor, but they remain America’s preeminent arms customers and regional counter-terrorism partners, as well as oil suppliers – albeit less the latter from year to year.

While the Biden team signals a postponement, many foreign policy experts believe it will not be a break in relations.

“I think the most important thing is that US policy towards Saudi Arabia has been relatively consistent over the years, regardless of which party was in power,” said Tarek Fadlallah, CEO for the Middle East at Nomura.

“There will be a slightly different tone between this White House and the last White House,” said Fadlallah. “But I don’t think that will have any consequence in terms of politics towards the region or politics towards Saudi Arabia.”

Amanda Macias of CNBC contributed to this report from Washington.