LOS ANGELES – Jury selection in the trial of Michael Jackson’s doctor is moving forward with 145 prospective jurors cleared for further questioning after answering an in-depth questionnaire probing their views about the King of Pop and the criminal case against his doctor.

Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor decided Friday that there were sufficient prospective jurors available to go on to the next phase — in-court questioning on Sept. 23.

The 30-page questionnaire, which seeks extensive personal information, challenged prospective jurors to share their feelings about the dead superstar and about the fact that his famous family members will be in court every day for testimony.

They were asked whether they have seen the posthumous Jackson concert movie, “This Is It,” and whether they have bought Jackson CDs, DVDs or memorabilia.

“Have you ever considered yourself a fan of Michael Jackson or the Jackson family?” they were asked.

They were required to specify how much they know about the involuntary manslaughter case against Dr. Conrad Murray, who has pleaded not guilty in Jackson’s death from an overdose of the anesthetic propofol.

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Among the questions: Have potential jurors read newspaper stories about the King of Pop’s death? Have they followed coverage of legal developments? Did they watch the funeral or memorial service for Jackson, who died June 25, 2009?

Lawyers will begin studying the questionnaires, in which participants also disclose their backgrounds and knowledge of Jackson’s career. Some could be dismissed if they expressed extreme bias in the case.

N.Y. gallery to exhibit Dylan’s ‘Asia Series’

NEW YORK – A New York City gallery will be exhibiting 18 drawings and paintings by Bob Dylan created while the musician was touring Asia.

The Gagosian Gallery said Dylan’s “Asia Series” will run from Sept. 20 to Oct. 22.

The gallery said it will be the singer-songwriter’s first exhibition in New York. The works depict landscapes and architecture from his travels in Japan, China, Vietnam and Korea in 2009 and 2010.

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Last year, the Halcyon Gallery in London exhibited his paintings based on sketches he made while on the road from 1989 to 1992.

Controversial show canceled

NEW YORK – The producers of New York’s Fashion Week have canceled a show scheduled for this week by the daughter of the president of Uzbekistan amid pressure from a rights group and a planned protest over child labor in her country.

“As a result of various concerns raised we have canceled the Guli show on September 15th,” IMG spokesman Zach Eichman said in an email Friday.

He did not elaborate on the reasons, but Human Rights Watch had objected to the planned show by Gulnara Karimova because of what it calls widespread human rights abuses in Uzbekistan.

The International Labor Rights Forum had called for a protest to coincide with the Sept. 15 show. While applauding Friday’s decision, the group still plans the rally as a more general protest against child labor in Uzbekistan’s cotton industry.

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Top honor to Russian director

VENICE, Italy – Russian director Aleksander Sokurov’s “Faust,” a new take on the German legend about the quest for knowledge at all cost, won the Golden Lion prize at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday.

The best actor award went to Michael Fassbender for his portrayal as a sex addict in director Steve McQueen’s “Shame,” while the best actress award went to Deanie Yip, who plays an aging domestic servant opposite her master in Hong Kong director Ann Hui’s “A Simple Life.”

The Silver Lion prize for best director went to this year’s surprise entry at the Lido, Beijing-based Shangjun Cai for “People Mountain People Sea.”


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