AFP, ROME: Italian police intercepted two boats carrying around 60 illegal immigrants as European Union experts began helping authorities manage the inflow of migrants fleeing turmoil in North Africa, police and reports said.
Police spotted the first boat carrying 13 immigrants earlier in the day several miles off the islet of Lampedusa south of Sicily, but did not reveal the nationalities of the migrants.
Authorities stopped another boat carrying some 50 people and escorted it to the tiny island, Italian ANSA news agency reported.
Late Sunday, a coastguard plane spotted two other boats in Tunisian territorial waters heading to the island, one carrying about 100 migrants and the other about 40.
The past week has seen a sharp spike in migrants attempting to make it into the EU from Tunisia, with some 5,000 brought to Lampedusa after being intercepted by coastguards. On Thursday 26 Tunisian migrants were stopped.
Sunday, some 1,200 migrants remained in Lampedusa, the remainder having been transferred to other facilities in Italy.
The wave of immigration comes around a month after a revolution in Tunisia and another just over a week in Egypt that unseated their decades-old regimes, heightening social and economic tensions in the North African countries.
Italy has declared an emergency and appealed for European help.
Experts of the EU border management agency Frontex will assist in debriefing and interviewing migrants with special attention given to identifying those who may be in need of international protection.
They will also be tasked with detecting and preventing possible criminal activities on the borders outside of the European Union, Frontex said in a statement.
Frontex will also give aerial and naval support for border surveillance. The mission would comprise about 30 people, a plane and several ships. In all, about 10 countries have agreed to join.
Verdict due in appeal of Mumbai gunman
AFP, MUMBAI: Two Indian judges are Monday to give their decision in the appeal of the sole surviving gunman from the 2008 Mumbai attacks against his conviction and death sentence, lawyers said.
Prosecution and defence lawyers said the judgement in the case of Pakistani national Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab was due to be handed down from 11:00 am local time (0530 GMT) at the Bombay High Court.
Kasab, now 23, was convicted and sentenced to death last May for his part in the wave of attacks on India's financial capital by 10 Islamist militants which killed 166 people and injured more than 300 others.
State prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told AFP on Sunday that he was "very confident" that the death sentence would be upheld.
One of Kasab's lawyers, Farhana Shah, added: "Inshallah (God willing), we hope for the best but it's up to the discretion of the honourable court."
Kasab was found guilty of a string of offences including waging war against India, murder, attempted murder and terrorist acts after a high-profile trial at a maximum security prison court in Mumbai.
The appeal, which began last October, saw Kasab's legal team ask for a retrial, arguing that his trial lawyer was not given sufficient time to wade through the 11,000-page charge sheet before the case began.
They also claimed that prosecution evidence and witnesses were manipulated.
Under Indian law, death sentence cases have to be referred to the local state high court. The judges can uphold the sentence, reduce it, order a retrial or overturn the conviction.
If a death sentence is upheld in the high court, there is a further right of appeal to the Supreme Court in New Delhi and as a last resort to India's president for clemency.
A decision is also expected on Monday in the state's appeal against the acquittal of two Indian nationals who were accused of providing hand-drawn maps of potential targets to the gunmen.
The trial judge rejected the prosecution evidence against them as flimsy.
After the case, the men's defence teams said a Pakistani-American man, David Coleman Headley, conducted the reconnaissance. He was arrested in 2009 and has confessed to scouting out targets.
Kasab has been held in solitary confinement since his arrest in a shoot-out with police just hours after the attacks began. He has not attended the appeal for security reasons but has been able to follow proceedings via video link.
He was found to have been one of the two gunmen responsible for the bloodiest episode in the three-day attacks, when 52 people were killed at Mumbai's main railway station on November 26, 2008.
Three luxury hotels, a popular tourist restaurant and a Jewish centre were also attacked.
India blames the banned, Pakistan-based Islamist group Lashkar-e-Taiba for masterminding the attacks, which led to the suspension of fragile peace talks between the two neighbours and rivals.
New Delhi and Islamabad only this month agreed to resume dialogue.
Prosecution and defence lawyers said the judgement in the case of Pakistani national Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab was due to be handed down from 11:00 am local time (0530 GMT) at the Bombay High Court.
Kasab, now 23, was convicted and sentenced to death last May for his part in the wave of attacks on India's financial capital by 10 Islamist militants which killed 166 people and injured more than 300 others.
State prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told AFP on Sunday that he was "very confident" that the death sentence would be upheld.
One of Kasab's lawyers, Farhana Shah, added: "Inshallah (God willing), we hope for the best but it's up to the discretion of the honourable court."
Kasab was found guilty of a string of offences including waging war against India, murder, attempted murder and terrorist acts after a high-profile trial at a maximum security prison court in Mumbai.
The appeal, which began last October, saw Kasab's legal team ask for a retrial, arguing that his trial lawyer was not given sufficient time to wade through the 11,000-page charge sheet before the case began.
They also claimed that prosecution evidence and witnesses were manipulated.
Under Indian law, death sentence cases have to be referred to the local state high court. The judges can uphold the sentence, reduce it, order a retrial or overturn the conviction.
If a death sentence is upheld in the high court, there is a further right of appeal to the Supreme Court in New Delhi and as a last resort to India's president for clemency.
A decision is also expected on Monday in the state's appeal against the acquittal of two Indian nationals who were accused of providing hand-drawn maps of potential targets to the gunmen.
The trial judge rejected the prosecution evidence against them as flimsy.
After the case, the men's defence teams said a Pakistani-American man, David Coleman Headley, conducted the reconnaissance. He was arrested in 2009 and has confessed to scouting out targets.
Kasab has been held in solitary confinement since his arrest in a shoot-out with police just hours after the attacks began. He has not attended the appeal for security reasons but has been able to follow proceedings via video link.
He was found to have been one of the two gunmen responsible for the bloodiest episode in the three-day attacks, when 52 people were killed at Mumbai's main railway station on November 26, 2008.
Three luxury hotels, a popular tourist restaurant and a Jewish centre were also attacked.
India blames the banned, Pakistan-based Islamist group Lashkar-e-Taiba for masterminding the attacks, which led to the suspension of fragile peace talks between the two neighbours and rivals.
New Delhi and Islamabad only this month agreed to resume dialogue.
Estonia reels as 10 die in disabled orphanage fire
AFP, TALLINN: The small Baltic nation of Estonia reeled after 10 children perished in a fire that swept through a home for disabled youngsters, most of the residents of which were orphans.
"Today's tragedy in Haapsalu has shocked the whole of Estonia," President Toomas Hendrik Ilves said in a statement after news emerged of the grim toll in the northwestern town, scene of the nation's deadliest care-home fire in more than a decade.
"We all share the mourning of the families and relatives of the victims and extend our condolences. Words are a feeble way to give solace, but let us offer support to those whom this dreadful accident has affected," Ilves said.
Earlier Sunday, local governor Neeme Suur told reporters that the final toll appeared to have reached 10, all of them children. Two adult care-workers were taken to hospital, but their lives were not in danger.
There were a reported 37 children and nine adults in the one-storey wooden building when the fire broke out.
"The fire started when the children were having their regular afternoon nap," Social Affairs Minister Hanno Pevkur told reporters after rushing to the town of 12,000, which lies 100 kilometres (60 miles) west of the capital Tallinn.
"The fire safety and alarm systems at the home were last controlled in January 2011," he added.
No details of the victims' ages or identities were revealed, but according to the orphanage's website, the home was for youngsters aged under 18.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, an official told AFP that the youngest victim may have been only four years old.
The daily newspaper Paevaleht said hard questions would have to be answered. "Fire safety in Estonian social service homes is bad," it headlined on its website.
The highest toll to date in a care-home fire in Estonia had been in April 1997, when eight elderly disabled women died in Halinga, a western village.
Eight men died in a February 1996 fire at a facility for the mentally ill in Tallinn.
Estonia's worst recent tragedy involving children was in October 1996, when eight were killed when a truck hit their schoolbus.
Firefighters were called out to the Haapsalu home at 2:30 pm (1230 GMT), and took two hours to control the blaze.
"When the emergency services arrived at the scene, the wooden building was in flames," said rescue chief Priit Laos. "The building has partly been destroyed, and there is fire and soot damage throughout it. The orphans have been taken to a hostel for the homeless."
After the fire, locals flocked to help in the salvage operation.
According to the home's website, a total of 47 youngsters lived there, with 28 of them orphans or abandoned children, and the rest of whose parents could not care for them. All were severely disabled and most used wheelchairs.
"A criminal investigation over the fire has been launched," said Erkki Koort, a senior interior ministry official. That did not imply that authorities suspected foul play, however, because such a probe is automatic after a fire.
The Estonian government declared a day of mourning for the victims on Monday, with flags to fly at half-mast across the nation of 1.3 million.
"Sunday turned suddenly into a black day when we learned that so many innocent children perished in an orphanage. A home that is supposed to be secure took the lives of those kids," speaker of parliament Ene Ergma said in a statement.
"Our hearts are broken for the kids, and our deep condolences go out to all the loved ones of those who perished," she added.
Prime Minister Andrus Ansip held a telephone conference with his cabinet Sunday, ahead of a sitting Monday where the interior and social affairs ministers will report on the tragedy, government spokeswoman Liina Kersna told AFP.
"Today's tragedy in Haapsalu has shocked the whole of Estonia," President Toomas Hendrik Ilves said in a statement after news emerged of the grim toll in the northwestern town, scene of the nation's deadliest care-home fire in more than a decade.
"We all share the mourning of the families and relatives of the victims and extend our condolences. Words are a feeble way to give solace, but let us offer support to those whom this dreadful accident has affected," Ilves said.
Earlier Sunday, local governor Neeme Suur told reporters that the final toll appeared to have reached 10, all of them children. Two adult care-workers were taken to hospital, but their lives were not in danger.
There were a reported 37 children and nine adults in the one-storey wooden building when the fire broke out.
"The fire started when the children were having their regular afternoon nap," Social Affairs Minister Hanno Pevkur told reporters after rushing to the town of 12,000, which lies 100 kilometres (60 miles) west of the capital Tallinn.
"The fire safety and alarm systems at the home were last controlled in January 2011," he added.
No details of the victims' ages or identities were revealed, but according to the orphanage's website, the home was for youngsters aged under 18.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, an official told AFP that the youngest victim may have been only four years old.
The daily newspaper Paevaleht said hard questions would have to be answered. "Fire safety in Estonian social service homes is bad," it headlined on its website.
The highest toll to date in a care-home fire in Estonia had been in April 1997, when eight elderly disabled women died in Halinga, a western village.
Eight men died in a February 1996 fire at a facility for the mentally ill in Tallinn.
Estonia's worst recent tragedy involving children was in October 1996, when eight were killed when a truck hit their schoolbus.
Firefighters were called out to the Haapsalu home at 2:30 pm (1230 GMT), and took two hours to control the blaze.
"When the emergency services arrived at the scene, the wooden building was in flames," said rescue chief Priit Laos. "The building has partly been destroyed, and there is fire and soot damage throughout it. The orphans have been taken to a hostel for the homeless."
After the fire, locals flocked to help in the salvage operation.
According to the home's website, a total of 47 youngsters lived there, with 28 of them orphans or abandoned children, and the rest of whose parents could not care for them. All were severely disabled and most used wheelchairs.
"A criminal investigation over the fire has been launched," said Erkki Koort, a senior interior ministry official. That did not imply that authorities suspected foul play, however, because such a probe is automatic after a fire.
The Estonian government declared a day of mourning for the victims on Monday, with flags to fly at half-mast across the nation of 1.3 million.
"Sunday turned suddenly into a black day when we learned that so many innocent children perished in an orphanage. A home that is supposed to be secure took the lives of those kids," speaker of parliament Ene Ergma said in a statement.
"Our hearts are broken for the kids, and our deep condolences go out to all the loved ones of those who perished," she added.
Prime Minister Andrus Ansip held a telephone conference with his cabinet Sunday, ahead of a sitting Monday where the interior and social affairs ministers will report on the tragedy, government spokeswoman Liina Kersna told AFP.
Bahrain reform urged as protesters stand firm
AFP, MANAMA: Bahrain's Sunni Muslim ruling family came under increased pressure to open in-depth negotiations with the Shiite-led opposition, as protesters erected more tents on the capital's Pearl Square.
Dozens of workers also joined the protesters, and more than 1,000 medics marched on the square to demand the resignation of the health minister, whom they accused of slowing aid to protesters during a deadly police crackdown.
After nightfall, an AFP correspondent reported thousands more people converging on the roundabout, which has been the focal point of demonstrations that have rocked the small but strategic Gulf kingdom since February 14.
The opposition has also called a large protest for Tuesday afternoon in the hope that tens of thousands of people will converge on Pearl Square, according to the INAA, Bahrain's main Shiite opposition group.
An early morning raid on Thursday resulted in the deaths of four people and was followed by the army deploying in the square.
But protesters flocked back on Saturday after the army was ordered back to base.
Riot police fired tear gas in an unsuccessful attempt to disperse them but then withdrew as Crown Prince Salman, deputy commander of the armed forces, ordered both police and troops to hold back.
After their first night since returning to the square passed peacefully, protesters erected more tents on Sunday afternoon, signalling they were not planning to leave any time soon.
With the focus switching to talks rather than clashes, Bahrain's main trade union called off a general strike it had organised for Monday, saying its main demand for the right to demonstrate peacefully had been met.
"In the light of the army's withdrawal and respect of the right to demonstrate peacefully, the general union for labour syndicates has decided to suspend the general strike and return to work on Monday," the union said.
The tiny, oil-rich ally, which has Sunni rulers governing over a restive Shiite majority near Shiite but non-Arab Iran, also houses the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged restraint in Bahrain on Sunday, blasting as unacceptable any violence by the Gulf kingdom's security forces and calling for immediate political reform.
During a call to Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal about the wave of protests gripping the Middle East and North Africa, Clinton "underscored the necessity of restraint by the security forces in Bahrain," the State Department said in statement.
And US ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said the wave of unrest sweeping the Arab world was a clear signal that societies were ripe for reform.
"What we're seeing across the region is a yearning for change, a hunger for political reform, economic reform, greater representation, and we support that," Rice told NBC's "Meet the Press."
The heir to Bahrain's throne has been tasked by his father, King Hamad, with launching a wide-reaching dialogue with the opposition.
But emboldened by Arab uprisings which have toppled the strongmen of Tunisia and Egypt since last month, the opposition has raised the stakes, demanding a "real constitutional monarchy" and the government's resignation.
Prime Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman, an uncle of the king, has held office since independence from Britain in 1971 and is widely despised by the opposition.
"The government that was unable to protect its people must quit and those responsible for the massacres must be judged," said Abdel Jalil Khalil Ibrahim, head of the INAA parliamentary bloc.
"The opposition does not refuse dialogue but they ask for a platform that is favourable to dialogue."
Another INAA MP, Ali al-Aswad, told AFP that opposition groups had held talks to "prepare a document summarising their positions," including forming a committee to draw up a new constitution to be put to a referendum.
Regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, voiced its "absolute rejection" of foreign meddling in Bahraini affairs, pledging to stand by its neighbour.
And Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, partnered with Manama in the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, urged the opposition to heed government calls for talks.
Prince Salman himself acknowledged the need for reform but called for calm first. "There are clear messages from the Bahraini people... about the need for reforms," he said in a television interview.
EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton said it was vital that the promised dialogue "should begin without delay."
In a telephone call to the crown prince, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he expressed "the UK's deep concern about the situation and strong disapproval of the use of live ammunition against protesters."
The unrest has also cast doubt on next month's season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, with Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone saying it may be moved to a later date.
Dozens of workers also joined the protesters, and more than 1,000 medics marched on the square to demand the resignation of the health minister, whom they accused of slowing aid to protesters during a deadly police crackdown.
After nightfall, an AFP correspondent reported thousands more people converging on the roundabout, which has been the focal point of demonstrations that have rocked the small but strategic Gulf kingdom since February 14.
The opposition has also called a large protest for Tuesday afternoon in the hope that tens of thousands of people will converge on Pearl Square, according to the INAA, Bahrain's main Shiite opposition group.
An early morning raid on Thursday resulted in the deaths of four people and was followed by the army deploying in the square.
But protesters flocked back on Saturday after the army was ordered back to base.
Riot police fired tear gas in an unsuccessful attempt to disperse them but then withdrew as Crown Prince Salman, deputy commander of the armed forces, ordered both police and troops to hold back.
After their first night since returning to the square passed peacefully, protesters erected more tents on Sunday afternoon, signalling they were not planning to leave any time soon.
With the focus switching to talks rather than clashes, Bahrain's main trade union called off a general strike it had organised for Monday, saying its main demand for the right to demonstrate peacefully had been met.
"In the light of the army's withdrawal and respect of the right to demonstrate peacefully, the general union for labour syndicates has decided to suspend the general strike and return to work on Monday," the union said.
The tiny, oil-rich ally, which has Sunni rulers governing over a restive Shiite majority near Shiite but non-Arab Iran, also houses the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged restraint in Bahrain on Sunday, blasting as unacceptable any violence by the Gulf kingdom's security forces and calling for immediate political reform.
During a call to Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal about the wave of protests gripping the Middle East and North Africa, Clinton "underscored the necessity of restraint by the security forces in Bahrain," the State Department said in statement.
And US ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said the wave of unrest sweeping the Arab world was a clear signal that societies were ripe for reform.
"What we're seeing across the region is a yearning for change, a hunger for political reform, economic reform, greater representation, and we support that," Rice told NBC's "Meet the Press."
The heir to Bahrain's throne has been tasked by his father, King Hamad, with launching a wide-reaching dialogue with the opposition.
But emboldened by Arab uprisings which have toppled the strongmen of Tunisia and Egypt since last month, the opposition has raised the stakes, demanding a "real constitutional monarchy" and the government's resignation.
Prime Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman, an uncle of the king, has held office since independence from Britain in 1971 and is widely despised by the opposition.
"The government that was unable to protect its people must quit and those responsible for the massacres must be judged," said Abdel Jalil Khalil Ibrahim, head of the INAA parliamentary bloc.
"The opposition does not refuse dialogue but they ask for a platform that is favourable to dialogue."
Another INAA MP, Ali al-Aswad, told AFP that opposition groups had held talks to "prepare a document summarising their positions," including forming a committee to draw up a new constitution to be put to a referendum.
Regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, voiced its "absolute rejection" of foreign meddling in Bahraini affairs, pledging to stand by its neighbour.
And Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, partnered with Manama in the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, urged the opposition to heed government calls for talks.
Prince Salman himself acknowledged the need for reform but called for calm first. "There are clear messages from the Bahraini people... about the need for reforms," he said in a television interview.
EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton said it was vital that the promised dialogue "should begin without delay."
In a telephone call to the crown prince, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he expressed "the UK's deep concern about the situation and strong disapproval of the use of live ammunition against protesters."
The unrest has also cast doubt on next month's season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, with Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone saying it may be moved to a later date.
Kadhafi's son warns of 'rivers of blood' in Libya
AFP, TRIPOLI: The son of Libya's strongman Moamer Kadhafi warned Monday the country would be destroyed by civil war if protests end his father's rule, in a speech broadcast as bursts of gunfire broke out in Tripoli.
Saif al-Islam Kadhafi offered reforms to end the violent uprising gripping the country, but he warned the protests were a foreign plot and would be crushed in a "bloodbath" if the government's offer was rejected.
The turbulence gripping the Arab world following the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia also spread to Morocco, where thousands rallied for change across the country.
And Bahrain's Sunni Muslim ruling family came under increased pressure to open meaningful negotiations with the Shiite-led opposition, as protesters refused to be bowed and camped out in the capital Manama's Pearl Square.
The deadliest confrontations were in Libya, where Human Rights Watch said it feared a catastrophe with at least 173 people dead after a brutal government crackdown on demonstrators demanding an end to Kadhafi's 41-year iron rule.
Intense gunfire was heard in the heart of Tripoli and several quarters of the city Monday for the first time since the uprising began, but sounds of celebration also rang out to produce a confused picture.
"Libya is at a crossroads. If we do not agree today on reforms, we will not be mourning 84 people, but thousands of deaths, and rivers of blood will run through Libya," Kadhafi's son said in a speech that gave a lower death toll.
But Saif al-Islam Kadhafi's threats betrayed a note of desperation, and he suggested that the eastern city of Benghazi, an epicentre of the unprecedented protests, was now out of government control.
"At this moment there are tanks being driven by civilians in Benghazi," he said, dismissing the uprising as a foreign plot aimed at installing Islamist rule and insisting it would be ruthlessly crushed.
"We will take up arms... we will fight to the last bullet," he said. "We will destroy seditious elements.
"If everybody is armed, it is civil war, we will kill each other."
But despite the tough talk and finger-wagging, Kadhafi also made some concessions -- pledging a new constitution and new liberal laws.
Libya's unrest has spread from the flashpoint city of Benghazi, where demonstrations began on Tuesday, to the Mediterranean town of Misrata, just 200 kilometres (120 miles) from Tripoli.
Witnesses described security forces, backed by "African mercenaries," firing into crowds "without discrimination," and a lawyer told AFP at least 200 people had been killed in the five days of unrest.
"The United States is gravely concerned with disturbing reports and images coming out of Libya," said State Department spokesman Philip Crowley.
"We are working to ascertain the facts, but we have received multiple credible reports that hundreds of people have been killed and injured in several days of unrest -- and the full extent of the death toll is unknown due to the lack of access of international media and human rights organizations."
France, Germany and the European Union weighed in with calls for the violence to stop immediately and Libya's permanent representative to the Arab League, Abdel Moneim al-Honi, said he was quitting to "join the revolution."
Kadhafi, 68, who renounced terrorism and declared in 2003 that he was giving up the pursuit of weapons of mass destruction to try to improve ties with the West, has made no public comment since the deadly protests erupted.
The growing turmoil in Libya came as protesters set up more tents in the main square in Bahrain's capital, increasing the pressure on the Bahraini royal family to offer some real reforms.
An early morning raid on Thursday resulted in the deaths of four people and was followed by the army deploying in the square but protesters flocked back on Saturday after troops were withdrawn.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged restraint and reform in Washington's tiny Shiite-majority Gulf ally, where the US Fifth Fleet is based, calling violence against anti-regime protesters "absolutely unacceptable."
"Bahrain had started on some reform and we want to see them get back to that as quickly as possible," she told ABC's "This Week" programme.
Morocco became the latest in a string of Arab nations rocked by protest, as thousands gathered in several cities demanding political reform and limits on the powers of King Mohammed VI.
Between 3,000 and 4,000 people demonstrated in the capital Rabat, shouting: "The people want change" and denouncing corruption.
In Casablanca, the North African nation's biggest city, more than 4,000 people came out demanding: "Freedom, dignity, justice," an AFP correspondent reported.
A massive police deployment in Tehran prevented large-scale protests from erupting on Sunday although Iranian opposition websites reported stray clashes.
Tehran was the epicentre of deadly anti-government protests in 2009 after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's disputed re-election, and also saw clashes on Monday during a demonstration in which two people were killed.
Hundreds of students demonstrated on Sunday on the eighth straight day of anti-regime protests in the Yemeni capital Sanaa demanding the ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Police shot dead a protester in the southern regional capital of Aden, medics and witnesses said, raising the death toll in the restive city to 11.
Back where it all started, in Tunisia, the interim government on Sunday asked Saudi Arabia to extradite deposed strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali as it faced a second day of protests demanding its own resignation.
The caretaker government also asked Saudi Arabia for information about Ben Ali's health following reports this week that he had fallen into a stress-induced coma and was being treated in a hospital in Jeddah.
Saif al-Islam Kadhafi offered reforms to end the violent uprising gripping the country, but he warned the protests were a foreign plot and would be crushed in a "bloodbath" if the government's offer was rejected.
The turbulence gripping the Arab world following the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia also spread to Morocco, where thousands rallied for change across the country.
And Bahrain's Sunni Muslim ruling family came under increased pressure to open meaningful negotiations with the Shiite-led opposition, as protesters refused to be bowed and camped out in the capital Manama's Pearl Square.
The deadliest confrontations were in Libya, where Human Rights Watch said it feared a catastrophe with at least 173 people dead after a brutal government crackdown on demonstrators demanding an end to Kadhafi's 41-year iron rule.
Intense gunfire was heard in the heart of Tripoli and several quarters of the city Monday for the first time since the uprising began, but sounds of celebration also rang out to produce a confused picture.
"Libya is at a crossroads. If we do not agree today on reforms, we will not be mourning 84 people, but thousands of deaths, and rivers of blood will run through Libya," Kadhafi's son said in a speech that gave a lower death toll.
But Saif al-Islam Kadhafi's threats betrayed a note of desperation, and he suggested that the eastern city of Benghazi, an epicentre of the unprecedented protests, was now out of government control.
"At this moment there are tanks being driven by civilians in Benghazi," he said, dismissing the uprising as a foreign plot aimed at installing Islamist rule and insisting it would be ruthlessly crushed.
"We will take up arms... we will fight to the last bullet," he said. "We will destroy seditious elements.
"If everybody is armed, it is civil war, we will kill each other."
But despite the tough talk and finger-wagging, Kadhafi also made some concessions -- pledging a new constitution and new liberal laws.
Libya's unrest has spread from the flashpoint city of Benghazi, where demonstrations began on Tuesday, to the Mediterranean town of Misrata, just 200 kilometres (120 miles) from Tripoli.
Witnesses described security forces, backed by "African mercenaries," firing into crowds "without discrimination," and a lawyer told AFP at least 200 people had been killed in the five days of unrest.
"The United States is gravely concerned with disturbing reports and images coming out of Libya," said State Department spokesman Philip Crowley.
"We are working to ascertain the facts, but we have received multiple credible reports that hundreds of people have been killed and injured in several days of unrest -- and the full extent of the death toll is unknown due to the lack of access of international media and human rights organizations."
France, Germany and the European Union weighed in with calls for the violence to stop immediately and Libya's permanent representative to the Arab League, Abdel Moneim al-Honi, said he was quitting to "join the revolution."
Kadhafi, 68, who renounced terrorism and declared in 2003 that he was giving up the pursuit of weapons of mass destruction to try to improve ties with the West, has made no public comment since the deadly protests erupted.
The growing turmoil in Libya came as protesters set up more tents in the main square in Bahrain's capital, increasing the pressure on the Bahraini royal family to offer some real reforms.
An early morning raid on Thursday resulted in the deaths of four people and was followed by the army deploying in the square but protesters flocked back on Saturday after troops were withdrawn.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged restraint and reform in Washington's tiny Shiite-majority Gulf ally, where the US Fifth Fleet is based, calling violence against anti-regime protesters "absolutely unacceptable."
"Bahrain had started on some reform and we want to see them get back to that as quickly as possible," she told ABC's "This Week" programme.
Morocco became the latest in a string of Arab nations rocked by protest, as thousands gathered in several cities demanding political reform and limits on the powers of King Mohammed VI.
Between 3,000 and 4,000 people demonstrated in the capital Rabat, shouting: "The people want change" and denouncing corruption.
In Casablanca, the North African nation's biggest city, more than 4,000 people came out demanding: "Freedom, dignity, justice," an AFP correspondent reported.
A massive police deployment in Tehran prevented large-scale protests from erupting on Sunday although Iranian opposition websites reported stray clashes.
Tehran was the epicentre of deadly anti-government protests in 2009 after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's disputed re-election, and also saw clashes on Monday during a demonstration in which two people were killed.
Hundreds of students demonstrated on Sunday on the eighth straight day of anti-regime protests in the Yemeni capital Sanaa demanding the ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Police shot dead a protester in the southern regional capital of Aden, medics and witnesses said, raising the death toll in the restive city to 11.
Back where it all started, in Tunisia, the interim government on Sunday asked Saudi Arabia to extradite deposed strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali as it faced a second day of protests demanding its own resignation.
The caretaker government also asked Saudi Arabia for information about Ben Ali's health following reports this week that he had fallen into a stress-induced coma and was being treated in a hospital in Jeddah.
Cheers for Gruberova as "Anna" at age 64
AP, BARCELONA, Spain: The performance of Donizetti's "Anna Bolena" was chugging along fitfully, the leading lady definitely showing her age. Then the opera's final scene began, and Edita Gruberova worked her magic.
As Anna prepared to meet the executioner's ax at the Gran Teatre del Liceu on Friday night, the 64-year-old Slovakian soprano transformed herself from the slightly frumpy grandmother who had sung with sometimes faltering tone into an ageless diva still capable of a remarkable vocal display.
"Ah dolce guidami castel natio" ("Ah, lead me to the dear castle where I was born"), she sang to a mournful, gently descending melody, her mind wandering as she imagined happier days. It's the beginning of one of Donizetti's greatest creations — a 20-minute, three-part aria that captures the shifting moods of his doomed heroine.
Full of trills and delicately filigreed runs, this first section demands pinpoint accuracy, purity of sound and an ability to sustain long lines on a single breath. Gruberova, seated near the bottom of a huge staircase, was astonishing. At one point, as if sinking into despair, she slowly lowered her upper body until her head rested on a higher stair, singing all the while in hushed tones of ethereal beauty.
The second section, a variation on the melody of "Home, Sweet Home," was nearly as fine. And if she struggled with the more frenzied dramatic leaps and high notes of the finale, "Coppia iniqua" ("Wicked couple"), it scarcely mattered to her adoring fans, who erupted in cheers as the curtain fell.
"Edita, La Regina," read the banner unfurled from the balcony.
Gruberova, a favorite at the Barcelona Opera since her debut here in the late 1970s, was brought back repeatedly for curtain calls lasting more than 20 minutes. This was her final performance in the current run.
The rest of the cast was variable. Mezzo-soprano Elina Garanca sang the role of Giovanna Seymour, Anna's supposed confidant but really her rival for Henry VIII's affection. Garanca's voice commands admiration for its power, evenness and flexibility, but she made little dramatic impact — even in the great Act 2 duet where she confesses to Anna and wins her forgiveness
As Henry, bass Simon Orfila sang with well-focused menace and cut a dashing figure. Mezzo-soprano Sonia Prina coped well with the music of the hapless page, Smeton. Josep Bros as Anna's former lover, Percy, was the weak link, coming to grief on several high notes and drawing a few vociferous boos from the balcony.
Conductor Andriy Yurkevych chose ponderous tempos that made the opera, presented virtually uncut, seem longer than it is.
Gruberova may miss her fans here, but it's unlikely she'll miss the pretentious yet dreary production by Rafel Duran. The sets, by Rafel Llado, featured sliding panels on either side of the staircase that opened to reveal video monitors — suggesting Henry was far ahead of his time in surveillance techniques. For unknown reasons, costumer designer Lluc Castells had several guards wearing birds' beaks over their faces, with which they seemed to peck time to the music.
To put Gruberova's longevity in perspective, she is already a year older than the late Joan Sutherland was when she retired. True, she's a youngster compared to Placido Domingo, still going strong at age 70. But he has put aside his more strenuous, high-lying tenor roles and even taken on some baritone parts.
Gruberova, in contrast, is sticking with demanding repertory like "Anna" and Bellini's "Norma." And she apparently has no immediate thoughts of retirement: Her unofficial fan page lists engagements into 2013.
As Anna prepared to meet the executioner's ax at the Gran Teatre del Liceu on Friday night, the 64-year-old Slovakian soprano transformed herself from the slightly frumpy grandmother who had sung with sometimes faltering tone into an ageless diva still capable of a remarkable vocal display.
"Ah dolce guidami castel natio" ("Ah, lead me to the dear castle where I was born"), she sang to a mournful, gently descending melody, her mind wandering as she imagined happier days. It's the beginning of one of Donizetti's greatest creations — a 20-minute, three-part aria that captures the shifting moods of his doomed heroine.
Full of trills and delicately filigreed runs, this first section demands pinpoint accuracy, purity of sound and an ability to sustain long lines on a single breath. Gruberova, seated near the bottom of a huge staircase, was astonishing. At one point, as if sinking into despair, she slowly lowered her upper body until her head rested on a higher stair, singing all the while in hushed tones of ethereal beauty.
The second section, a variation on the melody of "Home, Sweet Home," was nearly as fine. And if she struggled with the more frenzied dramatic leaps and high notes of the finale, "Coppia iniqua" ("Wicked couple"), it scarcely mattered to her adoring fans, who erupted in cheers as the curtain fell.
"Edita, La Regina," read the banner unfurled from the balcony.
Gruberova, a favorite at the Barcelona Opera since her debut here in the late 1970s, was brought back repeatedly for curtain calls lasting more than 20 minutes. This was her final performance in the current run.
The rest of the cast was variable. Mezzo-soprano Elina Garanca sang the role of Giovanna Seymour, Anna's supposed confidant but really her rival for Henry VIII's affection. Garanca's voice commands admiration for its power, evenness and flexibility, but she made little dramatic impact — even in the great Act 2 duet where she confesses to Anna and wins her forgiveness
As Henry, bass Simon Orfila sang with well-focused menace and cut a dashing figure. Mezzo-soprano Sonia Prina coped well with the music of the hapless page, Smeton. Josep Bros as Anna's former lover, Percy, was the weak link, coming to grief on several high notes and drawing a few vociferous boos from the balcony.
Conductor Andriy Yurkevych chose ponderous tempos that made the opera, presented virtually uncut, seem longer than it is.
Gruberova may miss her fans here, but it's unlikely she'll miss the pretentious yet dreary production by Rafel Duran. The sets, by Rafel Llado, featured sliding panels on either side of the staircase that opened to reveal video monitors — suggesting Henry was far ahead of his time in surveillance techniques. For unknown reasons, costumer designer Lluc Castells had several guards wearing birds' beaks over their faces, with which they seemed to peck time to the music.
To put Gruberova's longevity in perspective, she is already a year older than the late Joan Sutherland was when she retired. True, she's a youngster compared to Placido Domingo, still going strong at age 70. But he has put aside his more strenuous, high-lying tenor roles and even taken on some baritone parts.
Gruberova, in contrast, is sticking with demanding repertory like "Anna" and Bellini's "Norma." And she apparently has no immediate thoughts of retirement: Her unofficial fan page lists engagements into 2013.
Adele soars to top of charts after BRITs performance
Reuters, LONDON: A show-stopping performance from Adele at the BRIT awards this week propelled her to a record-breaking haul on the singles and albums charts on Sunday, the Official Charts Company said.
Adele's "Someone Like You," a stripped down song about lost love, shot up from outside of the Top 40 to dislodge Jessie J's "Price Tag" from the number one slot, giving the soul singer two hits in the top five -- with "Rolling In The Deep" at four.
Her new album "21" held on to number one for a fourth week running while her debut effort "19" edged up to four, making her the first living artist to enjoy two top five hits in both the singles and album charts in one week since The Beatles in 1964.
The BRITs -- Britain's answer to the Grammys -- boosted sales for all its award winners by about 70 percent on the week, the charts company said.
Modern folk four-piece Mumford & Sons, who won best album for "Sigh No More" at the televised ceremony on Tuesday, saw their record leap to number two in the album charts from 15.
Double BRIT winner and London rapper Tinie Tempah's "Disc-Overy" album climbed to number six from 25 and Plan B's "The Defamation of Strickland Banks" jumped to seven from 24.
PJ Harvey was the highest entry in the album charts with her critically-acclaimed "Let England Shake" landing at eight.
(Reporting by Matt Falloon)
Adele's "Someone Like You," a stripped down song about lost love, shot up from outside of the Top 40 to dislodge Jessie J's "Price Tag" from the number one slot, giving the soul singer two hits in the top five -- with "Rolling In The Deep" at four.
Her new album "21" held on to number one for a fourth week running while her debut effort "19" edged up to four, making her the first living artist to enjoy two top five hits in both the singles and album charts in one week since The Beatles in 1964.
The BRITs -- Britain's answer to the Grammys -- boosted sales for all its award winners by about 70 percent on the week, the charts company said.
Modern folk four-piece Mumford & Sons, who won best album for "Sigh No More" at the televised ceremony on Tuesday, saw their record leap to number two in the album charts from 15.
Double BRIT winner and London rapper Tinie Tempah's "Disc-Overy" album climbed to number six from 25 and Plan B's "The Defamation of Strickland Banks" jumped to seven from 24.
PJ Harvey was the highest entry in the album charts with her critically-acclaimed "Let England Shake" landing at eight.
(Reporting by Matt Falloon)
Acclaimed Iranian film triumphs in Berlin
Reuters, BERLIN: Iranian drama "Nader and Simin: A Separation" won the Golden Bear for best picture at the Berlin film festival on Saturday, while its ensemble cast also picked up the best actor and actress prizes on a triumphant night.
Director Asghar Farhadi's portrayal of a marriage in crisis was firm favorite for the coveted award, and its victory was the first for an Iranian picture, Berlin organizers said.
In the movie, one family is pitted against another in a gripping legal tussle which highlights the gap between middle class "intellectuals" and poorer, traditional Iranians for whom religious beliefs and honor tend to be more important.
It was praised for its subtle exploration of Iran's class divisions and religious conservatism, which it managed to combine with the tension of a crime thriller. The acting awards were a bonus for Farhadi, whose daughter Sarina starred.
Farhadi paid tribute to fellow Iranian film maker Jafar Panahi, who was unable to accept Berlin's invitation to sit on the main jury after being sentenced to six years in jail and banned from making movies or traveling abroad for 20 years.
He stands accused of inciting opposition protests in 2009 and making a film without permission, and his sentence has caused an outcry in the movie making world.
"I want to remind you of Jafar Panahi," Farhadi told the glitzy awards ceremony. "I really think his problem will be solved, and I hope he will be the one standing here next year."
When asked to speak about the situation in Iran, he replied: "I can either say what you want me to say and the result would be that I get into trouble and couldn't make films anymore.
"Or I can say as much as I'm allowed to and continue making films. I prefer making my films. I'm not a hero, I'm a film maker," he told reporters, adding that he spoke to Panahi after receiving the Golden Bear.
Panahi's absence was marked with an empty chair alongside jury head Isabella Rossellini at the opening press conference, and some German media have dubbed this year's cinema showcase the "Iranian Berlinale."
DARK TALE OF A HORSE
The runner-up film prize went to Hungarian director Bela Tarr's black-and-white "The Turin Horse," a slow-moving, bleak feature about a farmer and his daughter's forsaken lives in a windswept, isolated house.
The love-it-or-loathe-it picture, which Tarr has said would be his last, sharply divided critics, but its stark images, sparse dialogue and relentlessly droning score were considered among the most memorable at this year's festival.
"That is true it is my last film. The last so-called Tarr film," he told reporters after receiving his award.
"I believe that in this film everything comes together. Everything is contained in this film -- everything that I believe needs to be shown in film, i.e. everything that uses the language of film."
One of the few surprises at the awards, which wound up the 10-day event where hundreds of new films are shown to the press and potential buyers, was the best director prize to Germany's Ulrich Koehler for the generally unfancied "Sleeping Sickness."
Best script went to Joshua Marston and Andamion Murataj for "The Forgiveness of Blood," which looks at the sometimes tragic consequences of ancient codes governing blood feuds which are still enforced in some parts of rural Albania today.
"The Prize," a story set in Argentina, picked up two technical awards, and the Alfred Bauer Prize for innovation went to German entry "If Not Us, Who."
Director Asghar Farhadi's portrayal of a marriage in crisis was firm favorite for the coveted award, and its victory was the first for an Iranian picture, Berlin organizers said.
In the movie, one family is pitted against another in a gripping legal tussle which highlights the gap between middle class "intellectuals" and poorer, traditional Iranians for whom religious beliefs and honor tend to be more important.
It was praised for its subtle exploration of Iran's class divisions and religious conservatism, which it managed to combine with the tension of a crime thriller. The acting awards were a bonus for Farhadi, whose daughter Sarina starred.
Farhadi paid tribute to fellow Iranian film maker Jafar Panahi, who was unable to accept Berlin's invitation to sit on the main jury after being sentenced to six years in jail and banned from making movies or traveling abroad for 20 years.
He stands accused of inciting opposition protests in 2009 and making a film without permission, and his sentence has caused an outcry in the movie making world.
"I want to remind you of Jafar Panahi," Farhadi told the glitzy awards ceremony. "I really think his problem will be solved, and I hope he will be the one standing here next year."
When asked to speak about the situation in Iran, he replied: "I can either say what you want me to say and the result would be that I get into trouble and couldn't make films anymore.
"Or I can say as much as I'm allowed to and continue making films. I prefer making my films. I'm not a hero, I'm a film maker," he told reporters, adding that he spoke to Panahi after receiving the Golden Bear.
Panahi's absence was marked with an empty chair alongside jury head Isabella Rossellini at the opening press conference, and some German media have dubbed this year's cinema showcase the "Iranian Berlinale."
DARK TALE OF A HORSE
The runner-up film prize went to Hungarian director Bela Tarr's black-and-white "The Turin Horse," a slow-moving, bleak feature about a farmer and his daughter's forsaken lives in a windswept, isolated house.
The love-it-or-loathe-it picture, which Tarr has said would be his last, sharply divided critics, but its stark images, sparse dialogue and relentlessly droning score were considered among the most memorable at this year's festival.
"That is true it is my last film. The last so-called Tarr film," he told reporters after receiving his award.
"I believe that in this film everything comes together. Everything is contained in this film -- everything that I believe needs to be shown in film, i.e. everything that uses the language of film."
One of the few surprises at the awards, which wound up the 10-day event where hundreds of new films are shown to the press and potential buyers, was the best director prize to Germany's Ulrich Koehler for the generally unfancied "Sleeping Sickness."
Best script went to Joshua Marston and Andamion Murataj for "The Forgiveness of Blood," which looks at the sometimes tragic consequences of ancient codes governing blood feuds which are still enforced in some parts of rural Albania today.
"The Prize," a story set in Argentina, picked up two technical awards, and the Alfred Bauer Prize for innovation went to German entry "If Not Us, Who."
Neeson's `Unknown' wins weekend with $21.8M debut
AP, LOS ANGELES: Liam Neeson has proven himself a known quantity again at the box office.
Neeson's thriller, "Unknown," debuted as the No. 1 movie with $21.8 million, following in the footsteps of his 2009 action hit "Taken," according to studio estimates Sunday.
Another action tale, "I Am Number Four," opened at No. 2 with $19.5 million.
A Warner Bros. release, "Unknown" stars Neeson as a botanist who awakens from a coma to find his wife claims she does not know him and that another man has taken his identity.
DreamWorks' "I Am Number Four" stars Alex Pettyfer as a teenage alien refugee on Earth who develops superpowers to battle the evil invaders that destroyed his planet. It was the first DreamWorks movie released under the company's distribution deal with Disney.
While "I Am Number Four" held youth appeal, "Unknown" was a rare No. 1 film that did most of its business among older crowds. According to Warner, 54 percent of the movie's audience was 50 and over and 89 percent was 25 and over.
The 58-year-old Neeson has had action roles before but found unexpected success as an all-out action hero with "Taken," a $100 million hit.
"He's the new man. He's stepped up to the plate. Put him in the right role and he's every man's action star," said Dan Fellman, head of distribution at Warner.
Two movies that opened the previous weekend held the next two spots in the top 10.
Disney's animated comedy, "Gnomeo & Juliet," was No. 3 with $19.4 million, finishing so closely to "I Am Number Four" that the two movies could change rankings when studios release final numbers Tuesday, after the long President's Day weekend. "Gnomeo & Juliet" raised its total to $50.4 million.
Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston's romance "Just Go With It," which had been No. 1 the previous weekend, fell to fourth place with $18.2 million. The Sony release lifted its total to $60.8 million.
The weekend's other new wide release, Martin Lawrence's comedy, "Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son," was No. 5 with $17 million. The 20th Century Fox sequel has Lawrence reprising his role as a federal agent who goes undercover as a hefty woman to crack a case.
Hollywood finally broke a long downturn in business during which revenues were off 14 straight weekends compared to last year's.
This weekend, receipts totaled $144 million, up 7.7 percent compared to the same period last year, according to box-office tracker Hollywood.com.
But compared to President's Day weekend in 2010, which fell a week earlier, revenues this time were down 30 percent.
"This was certainly not a record President's Day weekend by any stretch, but it was a good weekend," said Hollywood.com analyst Paul Dergarabedian. "It was solid but not spectacular, but at least it broke the down streak."
Two top contenders at next Sunday's Academy Awards hit the $100 million mark.
The Weinstein Co. drama "The King's Speech," the best-picture front-runner, pulled in $6.6 million to lift its total to $103.3 million. Fox Searchlight's psychosexual thriller, "Black Swan," took in $1.3 million and raised its haul to $101.5 million.
Colin Firth of "The King's Speech" and Natalie Portman of "Black Swan" are considered the favorites for the lead-acting Oscar awards.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Tuesday.
1. "Unknown," $21.8 million.
2. "I Am Number Four," $19.5 million.
3. "Gnomeo & Juliet," $19.4 million.
4. "Just Go With It," $18.2 million.
5. "Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son," $17 million.
6. "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never," $13.6 million.
7. "The King's Speech," $6.6 million.
8. "The Roommate," $4.1 million.
9. "The Eagle," $3.6 million.
10. "No Strings Attached," $3.1 million.
Neeson's thriller, "Unknown," debuted as the No. 1 movie with $21.8 million, following in the footsteps of his 2009 action hit "Taken," according to studio estimates Sunday.
Another action tale, "I Am Number Four," opened at No. 2 with $19.5 million.
A Warner Bros. release, "Unknown" stars Neeson as a botanist who awakens from a coma to find his wife claims she does not know him and that another man has taken his identity.
DreamWorks' "I Am Number Four" stars Alex Pettyfer as a teenage alien refugee on Earth who develops superpowers to battle the evil invaders that destroyed his planet. It was the first DreamWorks movie released under the company's distribution deal with Disney.
While "I Am Number Four" held youth appeal, "Unknown" was a rare No. 1 film that did most of its business among older crowds. According to Warner, 54 percent of the movie's audience was 50 and over and 89 percent was 25 and over.
The 58-year-old Neeson has had action roles before but found unexpected success as an all-out action hero with "Taken," a $100 million hit.
"He's the new man. He's stepped up to the plate. Put him in the right role and he's every man's action star," said Dan Fellman, head of distribution at Warner.
Two movies that opened the previous weekend held the next two spots in the top 10.
Disney's animated comedy, "Gnomeo & Juliet," was No. 3 with $19.4 million, finishing so closely to "I Am Number Four" that the two movies could change rankings when studios release final numbers Tuesday, after the long President's Day weekend. "Gnomeo & Juliet" raised its total to $50.4 million.
Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston's romance "Just Go With It," which had been No. 1 the previous weekend, fell to fourth place with $18.2 million. The Sony release lifted its total to $60.8 million.
The weekend's other new wide release, Martin Lawrence's comedy, "Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son," was No. 5 with $17 million. The 20th Century Fox sequel has Lawrence reprising his role as a federal agent who goes undercover as a hefty woman to crack a case.
Hollywood finally broke a long downturn in business during which revenues were off 14 straight weekends compared to last year's.
This weekend, receipts totaled $144 million, up 7.7 percent compared to the same period last year, according to box-office tracker Hollywood.com.
But compared to President's Day weekend in 2010, which fell a week earlier, revenues this time were down 30 percent.
"This was certainly not a record President's Day weekend by any stretch, but it was a good weekend," said Hollywood.com analyst Paul Dergarabedian. "It was solid but not spectacular, but at least it broke the down streak."
Two top contenders at next Sunday's Academy Awards hit the $100 million mark.
The Weinstein Co. drama "The King's Speech," the best-picture front-runner, pulled in $6.6 million to lift its total to $103.3 million. Fox Searchlight's psychosexual thriller, "Black Swan," took in $1.3 million and raised its haul to $101.5 million.
Colin Firth of "The King's Speech" and Natalie Portman of "Black Swan" are considered the favorites for the lead-acting Oscar awards.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Tuesday.
1. "Unknown," $21.8 million.
2. "I Am Number Four," $19.5 million.
3. "Gnomeo & Juliet," $19.4 million.
4. "Just Go With It," $18.2 million.
5. "Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son," $17 million.
6. "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never," $13.6 million.
7. "The King's Speech," $6.6 million.
8. "The Roommate," $4.1 million.
9. "The Eagle," $3.6 million.
10. "No Strings Attached," $3.1 million.
Korean drama too subdued for mainstream audiences
Reuters, BERLIN: As quiet as a whisper, "Come Rain, Come Shine's" rueful depiction of the last day of a couple's marriage only speaks to the most sensitive of poets or most lovelorn of loners.
Director Lee Yoon-ki's suggestive dialogue, body language and mise-en-scene evoke the awkward atmosphere of a "peaceful breakup." However, Lee's conscious decision to empty the narrative of all drama and eventfulness risks bringing it to the brink of banality.
European art-house audiences, used to seeing this kind of understated mood piece by European or Japanese directors, will not as easily impressed. Korean critics may be more appreciative, but not so Korean audiences except perhaps leading man Hyun Bin's most dedicated fans.
The film's formalist inclinations are visible from the opening sequence, which consists of a 9-minute continuous moving take, shot through the dashboard of the unnamed protagonist (Hyun Bin) driving his wife, Young-shin (Lim Soo-jung), to the airport for her business trip. After some casual conversation, she tells him of her decision to leave him for someone else. He makes a lame plea for her to reconsider but seems quickly resigned to the situation.
Cut to the couple's designer suburban house. Young-shin is already packing her stuff to move out. The two drink coffee, get sentimental about paraphernalia and make plans to dine at a fancy joint. Yet their desire to tie things up neatly are frustrated: A baby kitten gatecrashes their home and disappears; their neighbors come looking for the kitten; the torrential rain floods the bridge; and they end up staying in to cook pasta, but credits roll before they have a chance to eat together.
"Come Rain, Come Shine" can be seen as a companion piece to Lee's last film "My Dear Enemy." Both condense the story into a day that unspools like real time. Both focus on the shifting but barely pronounced feelings of ex-lovers. While "My Dear Enemy" fluidly weaves around photogenic Seoul and a bevy of interesting characters, this film is definitely more downbeat and stuffy. The two introverted protagonists linger reclusively inside their memory-filled house, where any contact with the outside world is viewed as an intrusion.
Lee is adept at evoking the unnatural calm that descends when ex-lovers try to behave in a civilized way.
The screenplay was adapted from a Japanese short story, "The Cat That Can Never Come Back" by Areno Inoue. It accounts for its painful repression, detached tone and slow-brewing momentum more common in Japanese art-house cinema, a close counterpart being Nobuhiro Suwa's "A Perfect Couple."
Even the camera seems to tiptoe around the protagonists, who move about but go nowhere. These are interspersed with static, empty shots of interiors and furniture that look like real estate showrooms. The soft light, which falls partially on the cast, enhances the ambiguity of their positions. In lieu of sound, the incessant rain and mumbling radio announcements form a gloomy sound-scape.
With only two actors sustaining the whole film, more is needed than beautiful faces and soulful gazes. Lim and Hyun are fine when making small talk, but they stumble when required to convey their reluctance to part countered by equal reluctance to show it. They only begin to hint at a wellspring of emotion inside toward the abruptly cut end. By then, it's too late.
Director Lee Yoon-ki's suggestive dialogue, body language and mise-en-scene evoke the awkward atmosphere of a "peaceful breakup." However, Lee's conscious decision to empty the narrative of all drama and eventfulness risks bringing it to the brink of banality.
European art-house audiences, used to seeing this kind of understated mood piece by European or Japanese directors, will not as easily impressed. Korean critics may be more appreciative, but not so Korean audiences except perhaps leading man Hyun Bin's most dedicated fans.
The film's formalist inclinations are visible from the opening sequence, which consists of a 9-minute continuous moving take, shot through the dashboard of the unnamed protagonist (Hyun Bin) driving his wife, Young-shin (Lim Soo-jung), to the airport for her business trip. After some casual conversation, she tells him of her decision to leave him for someone else. He makes a lame plea for her to reconsider but seems quickly resigned to the situation.
Cut to the couple's designer suburban house. Young-shin is already packing her stuff to move out. The two drink coffee, get sentimental about paraphernalia and make plans to dine at a fancy joint. Yet their desire to tie things up neatly are frustrated: A baby kitten gatecrashes their home and disappears; their neighbors come looking for the kitten; the torrential rain floods the bridge; and they end up staying in to cook pasta, but credits roll before they have a chance to eat together.
"Come Rain, Come Shine" can be seen as a companion piece to Lee's last film "My Dear Enemy." Both condense the story into a day that unspools like real time. Both focus on the shifting but barely pronounced feelings of ex-lovers. While "My Dear Enemy" fluidly weaves around photogenic Seoul and a bevy of interesting characters, this film is definitely more downbeat and stuffy. The two introverted protagonists linger reclusively inside their memory-filled house, where any contact with the outside world is viewed as an intrusion.
Lee is adept at evoking the unnatural calm that descends when ex-lovers try to behave in a civilized way.
The screenplay was adapted from a Japanese short story, "The Cat That Can Never Come Back" by Areno Inoue. It accounts for its painful repression, detached tone and slow-brewing momentum more common in Japanese art-house cinema, a close counterpart being Nobuhiro Suwa's "A Perfect Couple."
Even the camera seems to tiptoe around the protagonists, who move about but go nowhere. These are interspersed with static, empty shots of interiors and furniture that look like real estate showrooms. The soft light, which falls partially on the cast, enhances the ambiguity of their positions. In lieu of sound, the incessant rain and mumbling radio announcements form a gloomy sound-scape.
With only two actors sustaining the whole film, more is needed than beautiful faces and soulful gazes. Lim and Hyun are fine when making small talk, but they stumble when required to convey their reluctance to part countered by equal reluctance to show it. They only begin to hint at a wellspring of emotion inside toward the abruptly cut end. By then, it's too late.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)