PEOPLE

A face like MandelaProblems with finding the right lookalikes to play President Nelson Mandela have forced South African filmmaker Anant Sin...

A face like Mandela

Problems with finding the right lookalikes to play President Nelson Mandela have forced South African filmmaker Anant Singh to delay shooting of his movie Long Walk To Freedom until March. The 30-40 million film on the life of Mandela 8212; South Africa8217;s biggest production 8212; was to have begun rolling in November. But Singh said he was still battling to find actors to fill the four roles he has in mind for the various stages of Mandela8217;s life 8212; child, young adult, middle-aged Mandela and elder statesman. While he had held talks with US actor Morgan Freeman about playing the elderly Mandela role, nothing had yet been signed. The Mandela movie, Singh said, will be on the scale of Gandhi and Lawrence of Arabia 8212; and he wants to make sure it is done right. Most of the movie will be shot in locations in South Africa 8212; Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Transkei, and Robben Island prison. Director Shekhar Kapur said the project was proving more difficult thanfirst thought and that while he had briefly met Mandela, the time spent with the subject of the film had not been enough. He said he hoped to spend 8220;a day or two8221; with the President before filming begins. Singh plans to release Long Walk To Freedom before the end of 1999 so it can meet the requirements for Oscar nomination.

Becker in trouble

A British humanitarian aid worker in Albania was wounded by a bullet in the northern city of Tropoja, a spokesman for the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe OSCE said. Sally Becker was injured in the foot and taken to a Tropoja hospital, Dann Everts, an OSCE spokesman in Tirana said, adding that no other information on her condition was available. Becker was wounded by unknown attackers as she accompanied a humanitarian aid convoy on its way to Kosovar refugees. This is the second time Becker, co-founder of the humanitarian organisation Operation Angel, has been attacked in northern Albania. On September 12, armed thugs threatenedher in Tropoja, beat her with rifle butts and stole her car.

A Maori welcome

Britain8217;s Prince Andrew was greeted with a fierce 70-strong Maori war-dance. On a state visit of New Zealand the prince was visiting to troop the colours of the Royal New Zealand Army Logistic Regiment of which he is colonel-in-chief. The prince was presented with a carved war canoe following the haka and challenge, both performed by the Army8217;s haka group, Te Roopu Ma Nga Hua Tu Tangata 8212; at 70 strong the largest Maori group to take a ceremonial role on a military parade ground.

Arafat to Saddam

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat praised Saddam Hussein for offering to resume cooperation with US weapons inspectors and invited the Iraqi leader to 8220;pray together in Jerusalem8221;. Addressing a meeting of his Fatah movement, Arafat said he had spoken to both US President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright about the crisis over Iraq8217;s refusal to cooperate with UN inspectorsseeking to end Baghdad8217;s ability to develop weapons of mass destruction. 8220;I sent a letter to Saddam Hussein, saying he had come to a wise decision,8221; Arafat said. 8220;I say to Saddam Hussein, God willing, we will pray together in Jerusalem,8221; he said. In the same speech, Arafat reiterated his intention to unilaterally declare an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital when interim peace accords expire next May.