LONDON, June 17: Pop sensation Lady Gaga has been slammed by an official at Thailand’s Culture Ministry for parading with the country’s flag during a concert in Bangkok last month.
The ‘Poker Face’ hitmaker is accused of disrespecting the nation by tying the ensign to a motorbike and riding the vehicle across the stage while wearing a provocative outfit, reported Sun online.
“Not appropriate and hurt the feelings of the Thai people,” said the ministry.
The ministry’s Permanent Secretary Somchai Seanglai confirmed that they do not intend to seek legal action against the 26-year-old singer.
Gaga’s Asian tour has been marred with controversy, and a concert in Indonesia was axed following complaints that it breached obscenity laws. (PTI)
Lady Gaga criticised by Thailand authorities
Anna Faris struggled to bond with Sacha Baron Cohen
LONDON, June 17: “Scary Movie” star Anna Faris says she had to struggle to get acquainted with her “The Dictator” co-star Sacha Baron Cohen.
The 35-year-old actress, who plays the comedian’s leading lady Zoe in the outrageous comedy about Admiral General Aladeen, said she failed to develop a close relationship with Cohen because he kept himself shrouded in mystery, reported Daily star.
“He’s shrouded in mystery. He’s hard to just have a casual conversation with. He was always incredibly nice, and such a gentleman, but I still feel like, even having worked with him for four or five months, I still don’t really know who he is,” she said.
Cohen is known for his larger-than-life personas and very rarely comes out of character for interviews. (PTI)
Cox celebrates birthday with ex-husband, daughter
LOS ANGELES, June 17: Courteney Cox, who filed for divorce from David Arquette recently, celebrated her 48th birthday having lunch with the actor and their daughter Coco.
The pair have remained close friends following their 20-month separation. Since parting ways in the fall of 2010, Cox and Arquette, 40 — who met on the set of the first “Scream” film and wed in 1999 — have both spoken out about how their friendship has never been stronger, reported Us magazine.
“Our relationship is probably better than it would be if we lived together. It’s definitely better than it used to be. We communicate better, we have much more respect for each other, we listen,” Cox said in an interview last year.
Though papers have been signed since March, the pair’s formal divorce filing occurred just before what would have been their thirteenth wedding anniversary.
Arquette filed papers first that day, and a source said the actor’s timing wasn’t meant as a cruel dig towards the “Cougar Town” star.
“He’s in love with Christina McLarty,” the insider explained of Arquette’s decision to officially end things now, adding that he is hoping to “build a life” with the TV reporter, whom he has been dating since the fall. (PTI)
Ashley Charles to play Keith Richards in Jimi Hendrix biopic
LOS ANGELES, June 17: British actor Ashley Charles has been roped in to play the role of Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards in the Jimi Hendrix biopic “All Is By My Side.”
Directed by John Ridley, the film, starring Andre Benjamin as Hendrix, is shooting in Dublin.
Newcomer Charles joins an experienced cast including Imogen Poots (‘Fright Night’) and Hayley Atwell (‘Captain America: The First Avenger’).
Atwell plays Linda Keith, Keith Richards’ girlfriend, who discovered Hendrix performing in a nightclub and claimed to have given Hendrix Richards’ Fender Stratocaster and his demo of Tim Rose singing “Hey Joe,” which became Hendrix’s first hit.
“She went to New York and took up further with Jimi Hendrix, who may have broken her heart, as she broke mine,” wrote Richards in his memoir ‘Life’. (PTI)
Justin Bieber wants to perfect his English accent
LONDON, June 17: Teen pop sensation Justin Bieber, who did a convincing imitation of a British person in a recent interview, says he wants to take lessons to perfect his English accent.
The 18-year-old ‘Baby’ hitmaker said he is now thinking of getting professional advice on how to talk like an Englishman, reported Contactmusic.
“I adore the accent, it’s awesome. I’m thinking about having lessons to help me speak like you guys. I would love to be a real English gentleman,” he said.
Bieber also said that by next year he would like to branch his skills out and appear in action and comedy movies.
“By this time next year I’d like to win a Grammy, maybe that will happen and I’d like to do some movies, stuff like that. I actually want to do some comedy movies, as well as some action, some stuff that is going to be challenging.” (PTI)
Woody Allen wanted to work with Princess Diana
LOS ANGELES, June 17: He has worked with various A-list actors throughout his career and legendary actor-director Woody Allen says he wished to work with Princess Diana.
The 76-year-old didn’t name the film he wanted to cast the Princess of Wales in, but said it was a small role and he was looking for a classy face for it, reported Aceshowbiz.
“We wanted to ask her to do something. I needed, you know, a classy woman… It was a small role. It would have been within her capacity to handle it and we thought of her,” Allen said.
The “Midnight in Paris” helmer also talked about his interest to work with Lindsay Lohan in a movie.
“I wouldn’t hesitate to use Lindsay in a movie because she’s a very talented girl. Lohan’s reputation doesn’t concern me. I mean, if there was some reason that I couldn’t, that would be a different story, some legal reason, but it would not concern me personally, no. I think she’d be just fine and she’d do a great job,” he said.
Last month, Allen and Lohan sparked speculations that they would do a movie together after they were spotted having dinner in New York.
But the Allen explained that the dinner was nothing but a casual occasion. (PTI)
Dalai Lama forms unlikely double act on UK tour
MANCHESTER, June 17: The Dalai Lama kicked off a series of talks across Britain, forming an unlikely double act with comedian Russell Brand.
The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader began his week-long programme at the Manchester Arena in northwest England, with a talk to young people entitled “Stand Up And Be The Change”.
The Buddhist monk was in jovial form as he bantered with Brand, 37, the ex-husband of US pop star Katy Perry, who is as well-known for his hedonistic past as he is for his stand-up routines and film roles.
“Day is for work, night is for sleep but you can do what makes you happy,” the 76-year-old said.
“Thank you for sanctioning my lifestyle,” Brand replied.
“Going from junkie to Shagger of the Year…Three times… To now introducing the Dalai Lama. It has been an interesting journey,” the hirsute comic said.
Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, said the future was in the hands of youth.
“The 21st century belongs to you. My generation belongs to the 20th century, it has already gone so my generation are ready to say bye bye,” he said.
“I think quite certain this century can be more pleasant, more peaceful and more equal.”
He said dialogue was the key to avoiding violent conflicts.
“At the age of 16 I lost my freedom. At the age of 24 I lost my own country. During these 50 or 60 years I have faced a lot of problems but I never give up hope. Hope based on truth, hope based on reason,” he continued.
He is due to give further talks and teachings in Manchester before heading to London and then Edinburgh, Dundee and Inverness in Scotland.
Speaking Friday, he was asked about the economic crisis in the European Union.
“It is very, very serious but then if you ask me what my advice is then I say I am not an expert,” he said.
“You have experience of the First World War and the Second World War by rebuilding.
“Looking at Germany they rebuilt their economy as did Japan, so why not?”
The Tibetan leader, who fled his homeland for northern India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, announced last year that he was giving up his political role to focus on spiritual duties.
Despite his calls for autonomy rather than independence for Tibet, Beijing has repeatedly accused him of trying to split Tibet from the rest of China and has stepped up pressure on world leaders not to meet him. (AGENCIES)
Home grown militancy
It is not surprising that some cops have been detained on allegations of being in cahoots with underground militant organizations like HM. Involvement of some cadres in the administration, too, is not surprising. From the very beginning, separatists and their fieldsmen have been successfully making dent in the state administrative structure and have been able to carry forward their subversive agenda. The surprising thing is that the higher echelons in police department are not strictly focusing on their duty and are not putting their professionalism to fullest use. When senior officers indulge in sycophancy and favour-seeking game, lower cadres feel free to do whatever they like. How come immediate superiors in the police are not aware of covert activities of the constables working under them? How come those policemen of constable ranks were able to establish close but clandestine liaison with officials in other departments and a nexus was created that fed the militant organizations with sensitive information? Where were the police and its intelligence chapters all these months and did not report the matter to the seniors? It would be advisable if joint inquiry by State police, Vigilance Organization and National Investigating Agency is conducted to probe not only in the matter of three constables under arrest but the entire gamut of involvement of numerous employees including CID that seem to have formed a nexus of subversives. It is not important who takes the credit of breaking the nexus. Security of the State and maintenance of peace especially when Kashmir is bracing up for Amarnath cave shrine yatra are of vital importance.
Sewer line mismanagement
At a time when lakhs of pilgrims will be travelling to the valley in connection with Shri Amarnath Cave yatra, main as well as some link roads in prestigious areas of the city have been turned into a mess. Roads have been dug with the purpose of laying sewer line and traffic is diverted only to create chaos and confusion. There is total lack of coordination among the departments and agencies involved especially the NBCC and ERA who are trading accusations and counter accusations with no purpose but to pass the buck. This explains government’s utter failure in completing a given task within the stipulated time.
“Not only the stretch from Rehari Chowk to Shakuntala Chowk remains un-motorable, even the second tube of the B C Road, which was blocked for sewer line laying works, would remain in the damaged condition till ending August. Similar would be the fate of 21 roads having aggregate length of 12 kilometers— 9.60 kilometers under ERA and 2.40 kilometers under NBCC, which are presently damaged and yet to be handed over to PWD”, sources informed, adding “in view of the failure of the NBCC and ERA to complete the works in time and as per the specifications, it has been decided that the premixing works will be taken up after monsoon and meanwhile the roads will be maintained for traffic by these agencies”.
It is difficult to understand how lack of coordination among the agencies has been allowed and why there is no accountability whatsoever. The NBCC and ERA both appear to be insensitive to the inconvenience caused to the people by digging the roads and then leaving them half way and incomplete. If the authorities were convinced that laying of sewer line which meant digging up main traffic lines would be completed by June 10, then they are responsible for not keeping the time schedule. If they were in a doubt whether the work would be completed by 10 June, they should not have allowed starting the work before the rainy season was over. On close examination of the situation, one finds that there is something more than what meets the eye. Is it a dispute for sharing the spoils? Even a layman would say that before digging the roads to lay sewer line, the operators should know where underground water pipes or BSNL cables are laid. If they were provided with the lay-out maps in each case, why should they complain of encountering difficulties on account of these underground installations and make it a pretext for delaying the completion of laying sewer line? If they were not provided with the maps, why did they start digging the roads without the map? The chief of BSNL has said that his department was never informed nor asked about the digging and sewer laying work by NBCC or ERA. The result is that damage has been done to cables and people have complained about disconnection of their telephone limes.
One cannot help saying that this indicates utter callousness on the part of PWD, NBCC and ERA and others as well who are directly or indirectly linked to the project of laying sewer lines in the city. Dereliction of duty is inexcusable. Officials responsible for creating the chaos have to be brought to book, charged for negligence or incompetency and thus dealt with in accordance with the law of the land. Chief Minister has been repeatedly speaking about coordination among all concerned departments in certain sensitive and crucial projects. It has been observed that in most cases contractors begin with showing zeal for completing the assigned project within the stipulated time. But once the project is inaugurated by some VIP, the work slows down and the contractor cares for grabbing more contracts rather than bringing the one in hand to completion. In such cases the Government has no option but to follow the law and the rules and make concerned official accountable and answerable. There is every justification for the Government to take stringent action against the defaulters. Putting general public to inconvenience is as good as violating their civic rights. No responsible Government can tolerate it. There have been tall claims from various quarters in the Government that all preparations are in place for smooth Amarnath yatra. Even a joint secretary level of Union Home Ministry was in Jammu recreantly to overlook preparations for the safe conduct of the yatra. Obviously, he was not told about the condition of the roads dug and dismantled in connection with some developmental work. Here everybody seems to be playing tricks with others at the cost of inconvenience to the common people.
Sahil, Pavit guide JKCA Rising Stars to 7 wkts win
JKCA U-16 Cricket Tournament gets underway
Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, June 16: Splendid all-round show by Sahil Lotra and fabulous bowling display by Pavit Singh guided JKCA Rising Stars to 7-wicket win over Laxmi Cricket Club, Jammu in the inaugural match of the Under-16 Boys Cricket Tournament, which got underway at GGM Science College Hostel ground, here today.
Seven teams drawn from Jammu City and adjoining areas are participating in this first of its kind cricket tournament, which is being organized by the Jammu wing of Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA).
Earlier, winning the toss and electing to bat first, Laxmi Club batsmen struggled against the disciplined bowling of the JKCA Rising Star bowlers and the whole side bundled out for a meagre total of 91 runs in 30.1 overs in a 40 overs match. Rakshit was the top scorer with 27 runs, while Rattandeep Sharma and Abhi contributed 15 and 14 runs to the total respectively. Spinners Pavit Singh Ishar and Sahil Lotra plotted collapse of Laxmi Club by taking 4 wickets each. Pavit bowled 8 overs and conceded 14 runs, while Sahil bowled 3 overs for just 2 runs. Sampark Gupta and Rohit also claimed one wicket apiece.
JKCA Rising Stars, in reply chased the target easily by losing 3 wickets, thus won the match by 7 wickets. Sahil Lotra was the top scorer with power-packed 45 runs, while opener Sanchit Dass contributed valuable 15 runs to the total. The duo put on a partnership of 65 runs between them. Vivrant and Vansh remained unbeaten on 9 and 6 runs respectively. For Laxmi Club, Jagteshwar and Ishan claimed one wicket each.
The match was officiated by Sandeep Singh and Paras Sharma as umpires, while Sidharth Magotra was the scorer.
Prominent among those present on the inaugural ceremony were Hardev Singh, Ashok Singh, Shahid Parvez, Prof BD Damral, Dr Vinod Bakshi, Rohit Malhotra, Dinesh Jasrotia, Harsh Nayyar, Ajit Singh Silwal, Ravi Kant, Ramesh Goswami, Prithvi Vaid and BCCI Level-1 coaches Saleem-ur-Rehman and Suresh Singh.