A round-up of today's other stories in brief
De Niro to head Cannes film jury
PARIS – Hollywood actor Robert De Niro will head the jury at this year’s Cannes film festival, the organisers said yesterday.
Raging Bull actor De Niro has already been the festival’s jury chief twice in the 1980s and will take charge of the 64th edition from May 11th to 22th.
“As co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival and the Doha Tribeca Film Festival I have an increased appreciation for the jury who serve, undertaking an important role in choosing films that are represented in the world of film at its highest level,” De Niro said. – (Reuters)
Prominent Iranian reformist detained
TEHRAN – A prominent Iranian reformist who was close to former president Mohammad Khatami has been arrested, opposition websites reported yesterday, in the latest move against opponents of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Morteza Haji, a former education minister during Mr Khatami’s first-term presidency, was arrested on Wednesday night and taken to Tehran’s Evin prison, Saham News reported.
The report said it was not clear why Mr Haji, who was previously detained in December 2009, had been arrested. Since Irans presidential election hundreds of reformists have been detained. – (Reuters)
Penguin goes on tour of lions' den
BERLIN – A resourceful baby penguin took advantage of Germany’s wintry weather to give her minders the slip and embark on a tour of the zoo before waddling into the lions’ den.
A visitor spotted the African penguin, born in September, taking a stroll in the lions’ enclosure but the animal was lucky as the lions were asleep inside rather than braving the icy weather outside, Münster zoo said.
It took keepers a day to get the penguin out of the den, luring her out with a trail of herrings, it said.
The escape gave the penguin, up to then only known as number 459, a name. Her minder now calls her Leona, the zoo said. – (Reuters)