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    Algeria bans “Barbie” almost a month after movie’s local release

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments865 Views
    Ryan Gosling, left, and Margot Robbie pose for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film 'Barbie' on July 12, 2023, in London. (Scott Garfitt/Invision/AP, File)
    ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) --

    The "Barbie" movie was pulled from theaters in Algeria this week almost one month after its release in the North African country.

    Online news outlet 24H Algerie said Algeria's Ministry of Culture and Arts notified cinemas in Algiers, Oran and Constantine to "immediately" pull the movie.

    Neither the ministry nor the Algerian Audiovisual Regulatory Authority commented on the reported directive or provided a rationale for it.

    "Barbie" opened in some some Algerian cinemas last month. The film's distributors removed the Hollywood blockbuster from their screening schedules starting this week..

    The move comes after authorities in Kuwait and Lebanon banned the live action movie based on the American fashion dolls for allegedly threatening conservative values.

    Some people in Algeria protested the cancellation on social media, posting their complaints along with the hashtag "#IAmBarbie." Others denounced it as "censorship" and "bigotry."

    "The 'Barbie' film 'is a threat to morality,' they say," writer Leila Belkacem posted on her Facebook page. "What morality are they talking about when the censors gorge on porn films at home? Aren't you tired of dragging the country into your dark delusions?"

    Fatima Ait Kaci, a retired teacher, told The Associated Press she had promised to take her two granddaughters, who were visiting from Canada, to see the movie. Ait Kaci said she heard what had happened to "Barbie" only when they arrived at the Riadh El Feth cinema in Algiers and discovered another film showing in the 3 p.m.-5 p.m. time slot.

    Algerian authorities "don't have the courage to take responsibility for this shameful act of censorship," she said.

    Last week, the Audiovisual Regulatory Authority announced its decision to "temporarily" suspend all programming by private TV channel Es Salam for allegedly broadcasting "in an irresponsible and unprofessional manner, a program containing scenes contrary to the precepts of Islam and the way of life of Algerian society."

    "Barbie" contains no overt sexuality or references to LGBTQ+ rights. But it seems to have drawn fire because of its sheer flamboyance and broad message of inclusion and gender equality in a region where homosexuality is widely seen as taboo.

    The Warner Bros. film has grossed over $1 billion worldwide since it's release.

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    Ex-OpenAI engineer who raised legal concerns about the technology he helped build has died

    Saturday, December 21, 2024
    Suchir Balaji poses for a photo in Hawaii in 2018. Balaji was a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who died in November 2024. (Balaji Ramamurthy via AP)

    Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26.

    Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI's strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products.

    "We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news and our hearts go out to Suchir's loved ones during this difficult time," said a statement from OpenAI.

    Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on Nov. 26 in what police said "appeared to be a suicide. No evidence of foul play was found during the initial investigation." The city's chief medical examiner's office confirmed the manner of death to be suicide.

    His parents Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy said they are still seeking answers, describing their son as a "happy, smart and brave young man" who loved to hike and recently returned from a trip with friends.

    Balaji grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and first arrived at the fledgling AI research lab for a 2018 summer internship while studying computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. He returned a few years later to work at OpenAI, where one of his first projects, called WebGPT, helped pave the way for ChatGPT.

    "Suchir's contributions to this project were essential, and it wouldn't have succeeded without him," said OpenAI co-founder John Schulman in a social media post memorializing Balaji. Schulman, who recruited Balaji to his team, said what... Read More

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