Vladimir Putin says Pussy Riot engaged in activities 'humiliating for women'

December 20, 2013 8:55

The two jailed activists will be released from prison 'within days'

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he believes that the members of Pussy Riot engaged in activities "humiliating for women".

Speaking yesterday (December 19) at a press conference, Putin explained that he felt "pity" for the jailed Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina as they "started to engage in activities which are humiliating for women", reports The Telegraph.

He continued: "It's just a PR campaign but they crossed a line... The court decided to punish them, not for that, but for other actions." Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina will reportedly be freed from prison in Russia within days as part of an amnesty approved by Russia's parliament to mark the 20th anniversary of Russia's post-Soviet constitution. The amnesty will lead to the freeing of 500,000 prisoners, including the 'Arctic 30' Greenpeace protesters who were arrested earlier this year when some of the activists tried to scale Russia's first offshore oil platform.

Speaking about the amnesty yesterday, Putin added: "The amnesty has nothing to do with Greenpeace or this band... We need to humanise, to make our criminal code more humane to mark the 20 year anniversary of the constitution."

The feminist punk collective's members were given two-year sentences in August 2012 after their now infamous "punk prayer" protest at Moscow's Cathedral Of Christ The Savior. They were taken to a prison camp in Berniki in the remote Ural Mountains.

Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina were both due to be released in 2014, having served some of their sentence prior to their trial. Earlier this year Alyokhina went on hunger strike to protest prison conditions, demanding officials got rid of the locks on the doors of workshops. She spoke to NME from prison, revealing that she didn't expect to be released before 2014.

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Talk show host Sara Gilbert engaged to singer Linda Perry

Actress Sara Gilbert (L) and musician Linda Perry arrive at the GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles April 21, 2012.

Credit: Reuters/Phil McCarten

LOS ANGELES | Mon Apr 8, 2013 8:00pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Sara Gilbert, host of female chat show "The Talk," announced on Monday that she is engaged to her singer-songwriter Linda Perry.

Gilbert, 38, who starred as rebellious daughter Darlene Conner on the 1990s TV comedy "Roseanne," made the announcement on the all-women talk show she created for CBS television.

Gilbert, 38, said Perry proposed while surprising the actress with a serenade by musicians during a picnic.

"It's, like, the most amazing proposal ever," Gilbert said on the show.

Perry, 47, the former singer in the 1990s rock group 4 Non Blondes, now works as a songwriter, penning hits for pop singers Pink and Christina Aguilera, including the 2002 ballad "Beautiful."

Gilbert has two children from a previous relationship with television producer Allison Adler.

(Reporting by Eric Kelsey; Editing by Bill Trott)

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Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood engaged to marry

Ronnie Wood of the The Rolling Stones walks away after posing at the opening of the exhibition ''Rolling Stones: 50'' at Somerset House in London July 12, 2012.

Credit: Reuters/Ki Price

LONDON | Tue Oct 30, 2012 11:41am EDT

LONDON (Reuters) - Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood is engaged to be married to a 34-year-old theatre producer named Sally Humphreys, his spokesperson said on Tuesday.

The twice-married, 65-year-old musician and artist separated from his second wife Jo Wood in 2008 and had a public disagreement with her over the auction of some memorabilia in Los Angeles which went ahead earlier this month.

News of the impending wedding comes just after the Stones played a warm-up gig in Paris for 350 people and announced four dates in London and New York to celebrate their 50th anniversary.

It also comes ahead of the release next February of Jo Wood's memoirs, which promise to reveal her tales of life as the wife of a Rolling Stone.

Wood has recently been focusing on his visual art career and in April opened a New York City art show entitled, "Faces, Time and Places", featuring portraits of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and other celebrities.

But he is still best known for his music and in April was inducted for a second time into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with other members of his former group The Faces, including Rod Stewart and Kenney Jones.

The Rolling Stones, which Wood joined in 1975 after Mick Taylor left the band, were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989.

(Reporting by Paul Casciato; editing by Steve Addison)

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Aretha Franklin is engaged to longtime friend (AP)

NEW YORK – Aretha Franklin is engaged to longtime friend William "Willie" Wilkerson.

The Grammy-winning singer told The Associated Press in a statement Monday that she and Wilkerson are considering a summer wedding, perhaps in Miami Beach, Fla. The Queen of Soul wants to follow the ceremony with a reception on a private yacht.

The 69-year-old jokes: "No, I'm not pregnant."

Franklin and Wilkerson became engaged over the holidays.

She is considering Vera Wang, Valentino and Donna Karan to design her dress.

Franklin has been married twice before.

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Mesfin Fekadu covers entertainment for The Associated Press. Follow him on Twitter at http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/ap_en_mu/storytext/us_people_aretha_franklin/44056117/SIG=110buqrft/*http://twitter.com/musicmesfin

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Walk this way, again: Steven Tyler is engaged (AP)

NEW YORK – Steven Tyler is ready to walk this way, again: The 63-year-old singer is engaged.

Tyler's representative confirmed Monday that the Aerosmith frontman is engaged to Erin Brady.

No other details were provided.

Tyler has been married and divorced twice.

He is one of the judges on the hit Fox TV show "American Idol."

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Aretha Franklin joins list of stars getting engaged (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – "Queen of Soul" singer Aretha Franklin has become the latest celebrity to announce an engagement over the holidays, joining a list including "Aerosmith" frontman Steven Tyler and basketball superstar LeBron James.

Franklin, 69, and her friend William 'Willie' Wilkerson hope to marry later this year on a sandy Miami beach with a private party to celebrate afterward aboard a yacht, a spokeswoman for Franklin confirmed on Monday.

"We're looking at June or July for our date, and no I'm not pregnant, LOL!," Franklin said in a statement.

Franklin, 69, was sidelined by a mysterious ailment at about this time last year, but overcame her health scare in January and shed 85 pounds on the road to better health. The legendary singer of 1960s hits like "Chain of Fools" and "Baby I Love You" sang at her own 69th birthday party in March.

Tyler, 63, rocked longtime girlfriend Erin Brady, 38, with a proposal, too, his representative confirmed to celebrity media, but no details were given.

In recent days ahead of New Year's Eve, the two have been photographed in Hawaii with Brady showing off a new diamond engagement ring wrapped around her finger. Tyler and Brady have been together since 2006. It will be his third marriage.

James and his longtime girlfriend Savannah Brinson also became engaged over the New Year holiday weekend.

(Reporting by Bob Tourtellotte; Editing by Greg McCune)

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Aretha Franklin joins list of stars getting engaged

Singer Aretha Franklin arrives at the Candie's Foundation 10th anniversary Event to Prevent benefit New York May 3, 2011. The aim of the organization is to prevent teenage pregnancy.

Credit: Reuters/Eric Thayer

LOS ANGELES | Tue Jan 3, 2012 5:20pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "Queen of Soul" singer Aretha Franklin has become the latest celebrity to announce an engagement over the holidays, joining a list including "Aerosmith" frontman Steven Tyler and basketball superstar LeBron James.

Franklin, 69, and her friend William 'Willie' Wilkerson hope to marry later this year on a sandy Miami beach with a private party to celebrate afterward aboard a yacht, a spokeswoman for Franklin confirmed on Monday.

"We're looking at June or July for our date, and no I'm not pregnant, LOL!," Franklin said in a statement.

Franklin, 69, was sidelined by a mysterious ailment at about this time last year, but overcame her health scare in January and shed 85 pounds on the road to better health. The legendary singer of 1960s hits like "Chain of Fools" and "Baby I Love You" sang at her own 69th birthday party in March.

Tyler, 63, rocked longtime girlfriend Erin Brady, 38, with a proposal, too, his representative confirmed to celebrity media, but no details were given.

In recent days ahead of New Year's Eve, the two have been photographed in Hawaii with Brady showing off a new diamond engagement ring wrapped around her finger. Tyler and Brady have been together since 2006. It will be his third marriage.

James and his longtime girlfriend Savannah Brinson also became engaged over the New Year holiday weekend.

(Reporting by Bob Tourtellotte; Editing by Greg McCune)

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