Saudi Arabia to stream public executions and floggings

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Mel Gibson plans two new movies; stirs up controversy with the Jewish community once again

      Fresh off the recent success of his latest film Hacksaw Ridge, Academy Award Winning Actor-Director Mel Gibson is planning to make another war movie. The Lethal Weapon star, who has offended the Jewish community in the past especially in 2004 with his controversial Passion of the Christ movie, in 2006 for making racist comments towards a Jewish police officer following a DUI violation in which he accused Jews of being responsible for "all the wars in the world" and his with failed Maccabee movie project, is ironically going to do a movie about Israeli heroism in the Six-Day War. In an interview with the cable channel E!, Gibson, speaking with Maria Menounos had this to say:

           "I know that I have offended the Jewish community in the past. That said, I think that it about time that we move on and what better way to do that than with a movie in which the Jews are portrayed in a positive light? My next film will be on the Six-Day War in which the Israeli Army won a decisive victory against its Arab enemies and in the process seized the territories it now occupies today. It will fittingly be called The Six Day Miracle because I firmly believe that it was Divine intervention which caused the Israeli victory."

      Some Jewish leaders though are not too enthusiastic about Gibson's latest and perhaps futile attempt to curry favor with Jewish community. President of the American Jewish Committee - Stanley M. Bergman, writing on the Group's website said this:

       

        "I am not buying Mr. Gibson's latest ploy one bit. This man has a history of anti-Semitism. In my book, once an anti-Semite, always an anti-Semite. I think that all Jewish groups must band together to ensure that this film is not released."

     Contacted by E! to get a response, Gibson had this to say;

      "I know that this film was going to start controversy. But apparently the word "forgive" is not in Mr. Bergman's vocabulary. What more does Mr. Bergman want from me? I officially apologized for the 2006 incident. I will not apologize for this latest film project or The Passion of the Christ though. And just like the The Passion, I will release it as an independent film and it will definitely be a box office hit. I also intend to do a sequel to The Passion. It will be called The Resurrection and just like the Jews couldn't stop Jesus two thousand years ago, the Jews can't stop me from being released and becoming box office hits today."

Joan Osborne apologizes for singing blasphemous song

90's one hit wonder Joan Osborne has apologized for performing One of Us, calling it blasphemous. The 1995 song which was penned by Eric Bazalian of The Hooters and which peaked at number one in four countries - Australia, Belgium, Canada and Sweden and at number four on Billboard's Hot 100 was a surprise hit for Osborne but she was unable to repeat that success. In an interview with Rock Star Magazine, Osborne had this to say:

    "When Mr Bazalian first gave me the song and I performed the demo, I thought it sounded brilliant. I didn't really consider at the time that it was basically disrespecting God. I read the Bible and John 5:17 states that God is continuously working. He is DEFINITELY not a slob. I also found out from the Bible that God actually has a name so that I don't have to wonder what it is."

As she cited the King James Version of Exodus 6:3.  Ms. Osborne continued:

    "Regarding God's face I was very confused because I found out two very contradicting things about it. First we can't see it or we'll die."

As she quoted Exodus 33:20.

    "But on the other hand if you go back a little further in verse 11, Moses spoke to God face to face like a man speaks to his friend. I really don't know how to explain that."

She further went on to say that God is definitely not a stranger because he is called our Father in Matthew 6:9 and that although he is called the Rock in Psalms 18:2, referring to him as a "holy rolling stone" was totally inappropriate. Concerning the fact that "no one calls him on the phone except for the Pope maybe in Rome," Osborne said:

    "It is a well-known fact that God has legions of angels in heaven with him who worship him daily. Just read Revelation 7:11. So he obviously has lots of company. If you have so much heavenly company why would you need a mortal sinful man like the Pope to call you?"

Ms. Osborne concluded:

    "I know for sure that God punished me for doing that song. That's why I haven't had another hit since."

Running of the Bulls festival to change format this year

Organizers of the annual Running of the Bulls festival in Pamplona, Spain have said that from next year the format of the centuries-old tradition will change. Speaking to Spanish daily El Pais, President of the Running of the Bulls organizing committee Roberto Perez said: 

"Although this is our culture and we are proud of it, it is a well-known fact that throughout the years many innocent people have lost their lives in the run; whether it is by getting gored to death by the bulls or by being trampled by other runners. So in order to cut down on the number of potential deaths and serious injuries, as of 2017 the Running of the Bulls festival will now feature pit-bulls instead of the bovine beasts. This way less people will lose their lives and our great country's reputation will remain intact."

The announcement has received mixed reviews from the Spanish public. One Pamplona resident who refused to be named but who regularly takes part in the annual run said: 

"I have no problem with the move. I am always willing to embrace change. Change is the only thing that is constant. In fact, I kinda like the idea of having to outrun pit-bulls. That way I will have a much better chance of escaping unscathed and of course surviving." 

The resident concluded, as he pointed to a scar on his right arm he got two years ago after being gored by a bull during the run.

Some residents though are not very accepting of the impending change. Another regular participant in the Bull Run named Antonio Dominguez had this to say: 

"This is a very proud Spanish tradition that goes back to the 14th century and you want to change it because some people are too slow to outrun a 2400-pound bull? What utter madness. Hemingway must be turning in his grave."

Spike Lee to direct new Cleopatra movie

Director Spike Lee is set to direct a new Cleopatra movie. In an interview with US Magazine Mr. Lee spoke about how excited he was about his latest project.

  "Well as you know there have been lots of lies that have been told for years about what Cleopatra actually looked like. Only common sense can tell you that Cleopatra looked like a sista. Do you really think that Cleo really looked like Vivian Leigh or that other bitch Elizabeth Taylor? How da' hell could a melanin-deficient white woman survive that brutal Egyptian sun? Cleopatra was a black woman. Egypt is in Africa. What type of people do you expect to see in Africa? I am really excited because at least people will know the truth for a change."

Told by reporter Becky Klingenberg that Cleopatra was a descendant Alexander the Great's General Ptolemy and that she ruled during the Ptolemaic Dynasty - a Macedonian Greek family, Mr. Lee had this response:

  "Do you really expect me to believe anything you crackas tell me? Everybody knows how you people lie about everything and that you always try to manipulate history. You people are so shameless. You people want everyone to believe that Jesus was white, Cleopatra was white. You even portrayed Moses as white on the big screen - twice. Do you really think that Moses looked like Christian Bale or Carlton, Charlton or whatever that dead white guy's name is?"

Mr. Lee further went on to explain that shooting for the movie which is called Cleo Had a Fro' will begin in Egypt in the spring and that Whoopi Goldberg is set to play the title role. Ted Danson will play Mark Antony.

Iran bans Tom and Jerry Cartoons

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has imposed a ban on Tom and Jerry cartoons claiming that it is nothing more than pro-Zionist American propaganda. Speaking to The Persian Insider, Khamenei had this to say:

    "If you watch the film carefully you can see the subtle political implications in the show. This is how clever the Americans are. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that Tom represents the Arab world and us the Persians and that Jerry represents the evil Zionist so-called state of Israel. Tom tries his utmost to capture and ultimately eat Jerry but is always unsuccessful. That is symbolic of us and our Arab neighbours continuously trying to destroy Israel yet failing every time. But this is how subtle the Great Satan America is in its propaganda. That pro-Zionist show really makes me angry. That is why the Government of Iran has issued a permanent ban on the highly offensive cartoons. This is how subtle the Americans have become in trying to negatively influence our children."

Contacted to give a response to the somewhat bizarre claims by the Ayatollah, President of Cartoon Network which broadcasts Tom and Jerry, Christina Miller said:

   "I find it quite laughable that a man whose regime constantly calls for the destruction of the State of Israel, sponsors terrorists anti-Israeli organizations as Hezbollah and who is notorious for referring to the lovely U.S. of A as the Great Satan has the audacity to be angered by a silly, funny cartoon which is only serves to make children laugh, and refers to it as propaganda. But then again, is there ever a time when Ayatollah's aren't angry?"