Prepare for 'darker threats' in 'Stranger Things' Season 2

As far as executive producer Shawn Levy is concerned, the strangest thing about "Stranger Things" has nothing to do with the mysteries that lurk in the Upside Down or the monsters that terrify townsfolk. It's that a series about all of those things has been embraced and celebrated. "I have to tell you, we had a sense that the show was unique and that it was cool. We had no idea whether people would watch, whether it would be embraced by the fancies, if you will," Levy told CNN at a recent event at Netflix's FYSee space, where it highlights its Emmy contenders. To date, "Stranger Things" has walked away with honors from the Producers Guild Awards and the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Now it has the Emmys in its sights. Levy called the possibility of Emmy honors "the top of the mountain top." "It's not what's on our mind when we're making the show, but it sure would thrill us for sure," he said. Levy thinks the secret to the show's success has been honoring "character first." "Stranger Things" might exist in a world where things go bump in the night, but that means nothing if the stories don't "service the warm-hearted center of this show above all else," he said. In the year since "Stranger Things" debuted, stars Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Finn Wolfhard and Millie Bobby Brown have particularly been praised for their portrayals of their young characters. "If you didn't root for these kids the way all of us do, we wouldn't be where we're at -- either commercially or critically," Levy said. Season 2 will give viewers even more reasons to root for the friends, as they will face "more and darker threats" while recovering from Season 1's events. "Trauma is a major theme and frankly the return to normalcy," Levy said. "Is normal ever possible again in Hawkins [,Indiana]? In the Byers family? In the Wheeler family? ... That's a big question that looms over Season 2." Season 2 of "Stranger Things" will release on Netflix on October 31, 2017.

France Bans Captive Breeding Of Dolphins, Killer Whales

France on Saturday banned the breeding in captivity of dolphins and killer whales under tighter rules that campaigners hope will eventually herald the end of shows involving the animals. Environment Minister Segolene Royal had on Wednesday signed a version of the legislation introducing "tight controls on the reproduction of dolphins", her ministry said in a statement. But she has since decided the rules need to be "more radical", her ministry told AFP on Saturday, particularly after learning that "some animals were drugged" in aquariums. The new rules ban the captivity of all whales, dolphins and porpoises, except for orcas and bottlenose dolphins already held in authorized aquariums. Animal rights activists hailed the ban as a "historic French advance". "In plain terms, this means the end of breeding, exchange and import programs," five conservation groups including One Voice and Sea Shepherd said in a joint statement. "Without possible replenishment, this quite simply means the scheduled end of marine circuses on our territory." But the move sparked anger from Jon Kershaw, head of the Marineland Antibes dolphin show park in southern France, who told the Var-Matin newspaper it was a "bombshell" for establishments like his. The new rules notably also require "an increase of at least 150 percent of pools to allow the animals to live in less proximity from visitors and other animals", the ministry said, as well as banning chlorine in treating the water. Direct contact between the animals and the public is also now forbidden. Water parks and aquariums have six months to conform to the new rules, and a three-year deadline for expanding their pools. Parks such as Marineland Antibes -- the biggest attraction of its kind in Europe -- have faced growing criticism in recent years over their animals' living conditions.

'13 Reasons Why' Gets Second Season

The hit Netflix series "13 Reasons Why" has a new reason to celebrate. The series about a teen who leaves behind audio tapes that explain her suicide will be returning for a second season. Singer/actress Selena Gomez serves as an executive producer of the series along with her mother, Mandy Teefey. Gomez announced the return on Sunday using a teaser clip she shared on Instagram. "Their story isn't over," the caption sad. "Season 2 of #13ReasonsWhy is coming." The show is based on a popular 2007 young adult novel by Jay Asher in which teen Hannah Baker details the bullying and trauma that led to her suicide. And while the book doesn't have a sequel, the series co-showrunner Brian Yorkey told the Los Angeles Times prior to the second season pick-up that there was more left to tell. "Hannah's story isn't over — she has parents who still don't have the complete story," he said. "There's a rapist who hasn't been brought to justice and there's a living survivor of that rapist who is just beginning her journey of recovery." While the show has been tremendously popular with fans, there has also been controversy. New Zealand's Office of Film and Literature Classification reportedly advised that young people watch with an adult out of concern over that country's high teen suicide rate. Netflix gave it a TV-MA rating which is for mature audiences and added content warnings given the graphic depictions of rape and suicide. The company also set up a site with crisis information and suicide prevention resources.

Police To Safeguard Offices, Malls During Ahok Verdict Hearing

The Jakarta Police will ramp up security at several government offices and shopping malls across the city during the verdict hearing of Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama in his blasphemy trial on Tuesday. The extra measures will be carried out based on intelligence from the police on the potential for conflict during the hearing session, South Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Iwan Kurniawan said on Monday. “There will be people who are satisfied and not satisfied [with the verdict]. We will prepare maximum security measures for tomorrow,” Iwan said. The police plan to deploy extra officers at several shopping malls, including Blok M Plaza, Cilandak Town Square and Pondok Indah Mall in South Jakarta. Extra officers would also be stationed at several attorney's offices. Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono has said that 13,000 police officers would be stationed at the Agriculture Ministry building in Ragunan, South Jakarta, where the courtroom for Ahok’s trial is located.

'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' Headed to Broadway

That hot "Harry Potter" play is flying across the pond. "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" is coming to North America via Broadway. According to the "Cursed Child" site, the play is set to open in April next year at New York's Lyric Theatre. Based on an original story by "Potter" author J.K. Rowling, along with Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, the play has been a hit in London where last month it won a record nine awards at the UK's equivalent of the Tony Awards. The two-part West End production took home Olivier Awards for best director, best new play, best actor for Jamie Parker, best actor and actress in a supporting role for Anthony Boyle and Noma Dumezweni, best set design, best costume design, best sound design and best lighting design. "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" imagines the characters of Harry, Hermione and Ron as adults, now with children headed to Hogwarts. The Lyric is getting a whole new look in preparation for the U.S. debut of the play. Information on tickets, the performance schedule, casting choices and more details are expected to be announced in the coming months.

Weekly Reflection

Hello! Today I'm going to give comment on "More Albino Orangutan Believed to be Living in Kalimantan Forests."

I'm so glad when I heard this news. They said that the world has discovered a new animal which turns out to be albino orangutan and the happiest fact is they found this animal in Indonesia! Can you imagine how happy I am? Indonesia is very rich on its nature. It has so many kind of plant and animal.

Indonesia To Speed Up Negotiation With Freeport

The government intends to speed up negotiations with gold and copper miner PT Freeport Indonesia, aiming to reach a win-win solution regarding the company’s future operations within the next one or two months. The subsidiary of the United States-based mining giant Freeport-McMoRan has recently obtained a temporary special mining permit (IUPK) by the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry that allows the company to export 1.11 million wet metric tons (wmt) of copper concentrate for a year. On the other hand, both sides have a period of six months, until Oct. 10, to settle various issues, including on investment stability, divestment and smelter construction. “However, [Energy and Mineral Resources] Minister Ignasius Jonan hopes it can be settled within one or two months,” the ministry’s secretary-general, Teguh Pamudji, told reporters on Thursday.  Meanwhile, Freeport-McMoRan president and CEO Richard C. Adkerson said the key issue for his side was the government’s assurance that the company would be able to operate in Indonesia after 2021. Through the assurance, he said, the miner could have the confidence to continue developing an underground mine in Papua with an investment value of around US$15 billion.  “So, we’re going to deal with those issues in a way that is acceptable to the government and the people of Indonesia, as well as to Freeport’s shareholders,” Adkerson said.