Hollywood
Documentary on constitution lands Chinese filmmaker in jail
MUMBAI: After making a documentary about Chinese constitution, Shen Yongping , a Chinese filmmaker, has been sentenced to one year in prison for “illegal business activities”.
Yongping’s film, A Hundred Years of Constitutionalis, looks at the country’s constitutional governance from the period of the Qing dynasty, which ended in 1911, until the present day.
President Xi Jinping has taken a hard line against dissent and scores of activists, writers and artists have been rounded up in recent months.
There has also been a raft of new censorship rules taking aim at new media. The new rules will mean TV shows streamed online will have to comply with the same strict standards as traditional broadcasters.
Shen claimed political persecution because he said the charge of “illegal business activities” did not apply as the DVDs and downloads were free and he didn’t profit from the film. His lawyer Zhang Xuezhong said the charge was “ridiculous”.
Shen’s conviction comes soon after a high-level Communist Party meeting which pledged to uphold the rule of law according to the same constitution.
Hollywood
David Zaslav could net up to $887m as Warner Bros Discovery sells up
Media mogul strikes gold as Paramount Skydance deal triggers massive windfall
NEW YORK: While the average office worker might hope for a nice clock and a round of applause upon leaving, David Zaslav is looking at a slightly more substantial parting gift. The chief executive officer of Warner Bros Discovery is positioned to receive a windfall of up to $887 million following the company’s blockbuster $110 billion sale to Paramount Skydance.
In a twist of corporate fate that feels scripted for the big screen, the deal marks the finale of a high-stakes bidding war. It comes after Netflix, once the frontrunner, decided to exit stage left and abandon its pursuit of the HBO Max parent company.
While most people receive a standard final paycheck, the filing released on Monday suggests Zaslav’s exit package is built a little differently. If the deal closes as expected in the third quarter of 2026, the numbers break down like this:
The cash out: A severance package of $34.2 million, covering his salary and bonuses.
The equity: $115.8 million in vested shares he already owns.
The future fortune: A massive $517.2 million in unvested share awards, essentially “future stock” that turns into real money the moment the ink dries on the merger.
Perhaps the most eye-catching figure is the $335 million earmarked for tax reimbursements. However, this particular pot of gold has an expiration date.
The company noted that these reimbursements are tied to specific tax-code rules that significantly decline as time passes. If the deal hits a snag and drags into 2027, that tax payout drops to zero. With hundreds of millions on the line, the chief executive officer likely has every incentive to ensure the closing process moves at double-speed.
