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    Iranian-born Swedish actress Pars vows to travel to Oscars 

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1769 Views
    In this photo taken in Dec. 2015, Swedish actress Bahar Pars poses during a photo call for the film "A Man Called Ove" in Stockholm, Sweden. (Jessica Gow/TT via AP)

    By David Keyton

    STOCKHOLM (AP) --

    Iranian-born Swedish actress Bahar Pars, who hopes to share an Oscar for best foreign film, says she and fellow actor Rolf Lassgard "have decided to travel" to the Academy Awards ceremony despite the confusion around U.S. President Donald Trump's travel ban.

    Pars, who got Swedish citizenship in 1995, said by traveling to the prestigious Feb. 26 ceremony in Los Angeles "the effect will be a lot bigger." The 37-year-old actress holds both Swedish and Iranian passports.

    "Standing there together and holding hands is a statement in itself" on Trump's temporary immigration ban against seven majority-Muslim countries, including her native Iran, she told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

    Pars, who stars in Sweden's entry "A Man Called Ove," told the AP she hopes she will get into the United States but said "there's always a risk of being turned away and that isn't very glamorous."

    Based on a novel of the same name, the dark comedy tells the story of a recently-widowed, grumpy old man played by Lassgard who seeks to end it all when new neighbors – played among others by Pars – change his life.

    "The film is about prejudices," she told the AP, adding that she felt "so privileged to have Swedish citizenship."

    Tags:A Man Called OveOscars



    DirecTV calls off acquisition of rival Dish, possibly ending a yearslong pursuit

    Friday, November 22, 2024
    Dish Network satellite dishes are shown at an apartment complex in Palo Alto, Calif., Feb. 23, 2011. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

    DirecTV is calling off its planned acquisition of rival Dish after the offer was rejected by bond holders at that company.

    The deal was reliant on Dish bond holders agreeing to trade in the debt they held for debt in the new company, a swap that would have cost them about $1.6 billion, collectively.

    The retreat by DirecTV this week may end a years-long effort by the company to acquire both Dish and Sling after it announced the bid in September.

    DirecTV was looking to acquire Dish TV and Sling TV from its owner EchoStar in a debt exchange transaction that included a payment of $1, plus the assumption of approximately $9.8 billion in debt. The deal was contingent on several factors, including regulatory approvals and bondholders writing off debt related to Dish.

    "While we believed a combination of DirecTV and Dish would have benefited all stakeholders, we have terminated the transaction because the proposed exchange terms were necessary to protect DirecTV's balance sheet and our operational flexibility," DirecTV CEO Bill Morrow said in a statement.

    The prospect of a DirecTV-Dish combo has long been rumored, and reported talks resurfaced over the years. And the two almost merged more than two decades ago — but the Federal Communications Commission blocked the deal valued at the time at $18.5 billion deal, citing antitrust concerns.

    The pay-for-TV market has shifted significantly since. As more and more consumers tune into online streaming platforms, demand for more traditional satellite entertainment continues to shrink.

    DirecTV says that it will continue to invest in next-generation streaming platforms and offer new packaging options while integrating content from live TV alongside direct-to-consumer... Read More

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