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Nevada (US), June 27 (ANI): Hindus have applauded French actress Fanny Ardant (Ridicule) for defending Roma rights.

Addressing the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe in Strasbourg (France) on June 22, Lumiere Award winner Ardant, 61, declared: ‘We say Dosta! (which means enough) To injustice, humiliation, ignorance and violation of human rights.” She further said that society had proved to be barbarian to Roma people.

Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that Roma people were facing apartheid conditions in Europe and it was a wonderful gesture for Ardant to come out in their defense.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, urged other celebrities like Oscar winner Angelina Jolie (Changeling), Oscar nominated singer-musician Bono, Golden Globe winner entertainer Madonna (Evita), His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, Nobel Peace Prize winners Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, etc., to undertake the cause of apartheid of about 15-million Roma people of Europe.

Many Hollywood and other celebrities had successfully worked against South Africa’s apartheid in the past. (ANI)

London, June 27 (IANS) Veteran singer Elton John has presented pop sensation Lady Gaga with an antique tea-set as a token of thanks for performing at his charity ball.

John gave the 24-year-old singer — whose real name is Stefani Germanotta — some of his favourite crockery after she sang at the White Tie and Tiara Ball at his mansion in Windsor Thursday.

“Gaga had a tour of his home and was awestruck by his collection. She kept complimenting him on it,” thesun.co.uk quoted a source as saying.

“He was so tickled by her fascination that he presented her with a vintage set. She was over the moon after receiving the present,” the source added.

Guests at the bash included comedian David Walliams and wife Lara Stone, actress Myleene Klass, singers Kerry Katona, Peter Andre and model Alex Curran.

They raised $8.4 million for Elton’s AIDS Foundation, which is using football as a means to educate young Africans about the risk of HIV.

Washington, June 27 (ANI): The US Embassy in Islamabad is having a tough time countering the continuous anti-American campaign being carried out by the Pakistani media.

Embassy officials have been engaged in a herculean task of countering every major attack on US strategy in the country, as the Obama administration views Pakistan as a crucial partner in the fight against Islamist terrorism.

In the past eight months, Embassy officials have described Pakistani media reports against the US’ policies as “false and malicious”.

Officials said that nowhere else in the world U.S. policies face such disdain and misrepresentation, The Washington Post reports.

“The United States, which is expanding its footprint here, often features as an all-powerful schemer, a depiction embassy officials complain is exacerbated when Pakistani journalists do not seek the American side of the story,” the paper added.

However, it is hard to determine whether the counter statements issued by the US embassy succeed in what they actually intend to do.

Pakistani journalists also believe that the official embassy denials carry little weight.

“Our government does not have a history of giving out information. If the U.S. pulls another Pakistan on the Pakistani media . . . it’s only natural they would be hostile. The hostility stems from this space where secrecy is the norm,” said media analyst Adnan Rehmat.

Officials mainly concentrate on reports published in English dailies, but the market for English-language newspapers is small.

Television, where 70 percent of Pakistanis get their news and anti-Western venom flows, is the biggest arbiter of public opinion, and the embassy rarely issues corrections about television reports, which are too numerous to monitor, the paper said.

Rehmat pointed out that the embassy, instead of corrections, should focus on getting more American scholars, scientists, artists and athletes into Pakistan to mingle with journalists.

“For us, America is either Obama or Bush, or it’s 50 Cent and Michael Jackson.We’re missing all the other amazing spectrum,” he said.

Huma Yusuf, a columnist for Dawn newspaper, highlighted that the generation of journalists, in their bid to earn publicity for them and their organisation, mint sensational stories, and its nothing better than lashing out the US in a country where only 8 percent of people have faith in President Obama’s policies.

“If you can take even the slightest thing and turn it into a story that proves the U.S. is the evil demon . . . it’s going to sell papers,” Yusuf added. (ANI)

London, June 27 (IANS) Pop singer Amy Winehouse’s ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil has been bombarding her with phone calls in a desperate attempt to get her back.

“Blake is driving Amy mad by constantly ringing her. He’s desperate to get her back and keeps saying: How could you do this to me? We’re soulmates. I love you,” dailystar.co.uk quoted Amy’s close friend as saying.

“Amy doesn’t know what to do as she’ll always love Blake. But her new boyfriend- Reg has been given the thumbs-up from her family and is keeping her on the straight and narrow path.”

Winehouse took her filmmaker boyfriend Reg Traviss to meet her entire family in London.

“Blake saw the photos of Amy and Reg in the paper and watching them all sitting together has driven him nuts,” said a source.

“He (Blake) loves her and wants her by his side. He’s dying with jealously, especially as he’s stuck up in Sheffield due to his drug rehab and can’t come to London to win her heart,” source added.

Amy and Blake married in Miami May 2007.

New York, June 26 (IANS) Pop star Britney Spears and her ex-husband Kevin Federline came together for their sons’ pre-school graduation.

Spears, who formally separated from Federline in 2007, was accompanied by her parents.

Federline arrived separately at their sons’ school, but the two met up briefly.

Their children – Preston, 4, and Jayden, 3, – were later treated to Happy Meals at the McDonald’s after the ceremony, says people.com quoting a source close to the family.

Spears, 28, “was very excited about her boys’ graduation and she dressed them up for the festive occasion”, added the source.

The duo had tied the knot in 2004, but split in late 2006 before finalising their divorce a year later.

A custody settlement in 2008 gave Federline, 32, sole custody of the children while Spears was allowed several weekly visits.

Melbourne, June 26 (ANI): ‘Mad Max’ star Mel Gibson has reportedly filed a restraining order against his ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva, who is the mother of his seven-month-old daughter.

According to People magazine, Gibson, 54, and Russian musician Grigorieva, 40, broke up in April after being together for a year, News.com.au reported.

At the time of the spilt, a friend of the couple had revealed they intend to raise their daughter, Lucia, together, but the relationship has since become strained.

Legal documents were filed this week in the Los Angeles Superior Court, but website RadarOnline reported that the case is sealed, which means contents of the documents cannot be released to the public.

But the website added that sources revealed there were three key issues in the case.

Gibson filed a temporary restraining order, a notice about a forthcoming court hearing and a notice of visitation rights and child custody. (ANI)

London, June 26 (ANI): ‘Poker Face’ singer Lady Gaga has been branded as “the devil’s spawn” and “a whore face” by a religious group for promoting homosexuality.

The Westboro Baptist Church, which is known for its hatred of homosexuals, targeted the 24-year-old bisexual pop singer over her sizzling, lesbian-themed video ‘Telephone’.

The extremist church group, which has already caused uproar by picketing the funerals of US servicemen and whose slogan is “God Hates Fags”, claimed Gaga’s image, clothes, songs and pop videos are “blasphemous”.

Followers have picketed the singer’s gigs with placards saying “God Hates GaGa”, and group members Megan Phelps Roper, 24, and cousin Sara Phelps, 29, have even filmed foul-mouthed parodies of ‘Telephone’ and ‘Poker Face’, called ‘Ever Burn’ and ‘Whorish Face’.

Their controversial lyrics include “Go devil’s spawn to the hell where you will forever burn”, and “You ain’t got no poker face, you just got your whorish face”.

“Lady GaGa is a sleazy God-hater. She has the face of a proud whore and something needs to be done about it. She is teaching the boys and the girls to be proud whores,” the Daily Star quoted campaigner Megan as saying.

“GaGa is promoting homosexuality and bisexuality and God hates her. God hates all fags and fag enablers,” she stated.

The group even claimed GaGa was responsible for contributing to the deaths of soldiers in Afghanistan and the Mexico oil spill.

“For the way that you fake pray all the time will just kill soldiers faster, spread that oil faster, bring the fire faster,” they chanted. (ANI)

Los Angeles, June 26 (IANS) “Beautiful Girl” singer Sean Kingston says he regrets his decision to turn down a dance date with R&B singer Rihanna — simply because he had no ironed clothes.

“Rihanna asked me to go clubbing with her. Looking back I can’t believe I said no just because I didn’t have any clothes ironed. But I couldn’t go out with a superstar looking bad,” aceshowbiz.com quoted Kingston as saying.

London, June 27 (ANI): While Michael Jackson’s mum Katherine has decided to send the singer’s kids to school, the King of Pop’s sister Latoya is against the idea.

Jackson’s mother Katherine who was named the youngsters’ guardian has agreed to their request to start school in September (10).

However, Latoya wishes her brother’s children would ‘wait a bit longer’ before starting school – because the trio will find the experience completely ‘foreign’.

‘It is going to be difficult (starting school). It’s a private school and we know the school very well because all of my nieces and nephews basically went there,” the Daily Star quoted La Toya Jackson as telling GMTV.

“Actually, they (Jackson’s kids) wanted to go, so my mother said yes to them. I wish that they’d maybe wait a little bit longer before because this is something… it’s a territory that’s very foreign to them. They have never been amongst other children at school,’ she added. (ANI)

Melbourne, June 26 (ANI): Michael Jackson’s 12-year-old daughter Paris is struggling the most with her father’s death, it has emerged.

‘She has pictures of Michael plastered over all her walls and is really attached to all his memorabilia,’ News.com.au quoted a family insider as telling Foxnews.com.

‘In time, it’s very much expected that they will go into the entertainment industry to some capacity,’ added the insider. ‘Could be music or acting — it was really embedded in them from day one,’ the insider added.

Although MJ died a year ago, it’s only now the biological mum of Prince and Paris, Debbie Rowe, has been in contact with the children.

MJ’s three children have also infact thrived in having the opportunity to interact with their cousins.

‘Katherine is really carrying the torch as a mom and hasn’t missed a beat,’ said an old Jackson family friend and biographer, Stacy Brown.

‘But she has a lot of things in common with Joe – Katherine is a strong, stern disciplinarian. They wouldn’t want to misbehave,’ she added. (ANI)

London, June 26 (IANS) Megan Fox admits that she is praised for her beauty and not her acting talent, but she has no complaints.

“I’m totally aware that I’ve never given anyone a reason to praise me for my acting talents. So to sit here and complain, ‘Why don’t people recognise me as an actress?’ would be outrageous,” contactmusic.com quoted her as saying.

“It’s my responsibility to prove that they should (praise me for acting),” she said.

London, June 26 (ANI): Enrique Iglesias had rubbished reports that he lost his temper with Amy Winehouse at a private party in London.

According to press reports, Winehouse talked over the Spanish star’s performance of ‘Hero’, prompting Iglesias to ask her to be quiet.

However, the star has asserted that the whole story was ‘completely made up’.

‘The story came from ‘a source’. How come they always say ‘a source’? I didn’t even know Amy Winehouse was there,’ the BBC quoted him as saying.

‘The thing that makes it even funnier is I told my manager that I’d do an interview with the paper to show that it was not true, or ask them to retract the story, but it’s funny how the media will never retract something. They will never want to prove they’re wrong,’ he added. (ANI)

Washington, June 26 (ANI): Lady Gaga is now US President Barack Obama’s fiercest competitor – not in elections, but in the number of fans on Facebook.

The US president and the pop phenomenon are deadlocked in a competition to become the first living person to hit the record-busting 10-million fan mark on Facebook.

On Friday, Lady Gaga’s 9,126,024 fans had surpassed the president’s 9,104,015.

While Obama’s page lists ‘Basketball, writing, and spending time with kids’ as President Obama’s interests, ‘Sportscenter’ as his favorite television show and ‘Michelle Obama’ as a favourite page, Lady Gaga ’s page lists her upcoming concerts and includes an article about her rise to fame.

This is not the first time the two have engaged in a competition for public attention, though. They were seen at a dinner for LGBT rights group Human Rights Campaign in Washington, D.C., where the President Obama spoke and Lady Gaga performed.

“It’s a privilege to be here tonight to open for Lady Gaga…I’ve made it,” Fox News quoted Obama as saying.

The following day at a gay rights rally on the West Front of the Capitol, Lady Gaga yelled, “Obama, I know that you’re listening. Are you listening? We will continue to push you and your administration to bring your words of promise to a reality. We need change now.” (ANI)

Mumbai, June 25 (IANS) Composer Bappi Lahiri has released two singles – “Don’t say goodbye” and “Michael O’ Michael” to pay tribute to Michael Jackson on his first death anniversary Friday.

“I felt I should give something as respect to Michael Jackson from India. That’s why I have recorded these two songs. It’s my privilege and heartfelt respect to MJ as I have seen him personally and have met the whole Jackson family,” Bappi told reporters here.

“I have really done this with my heart,” he added.

The composer announced the worldwide digital release of the tracks in association with MusicBizPro.

He has decided to donate the royalty of the songs to the Maharashtra government for the welfare of poor children.

Recalling Michael’s 1996 visit to India for a concert, he said: “I had met MJ personally when he had come for the performance. He really liked my chains especially the one with Ganpati. He told me that he had heard my song ‘I am a disco dancer’ and he loved it.”

Jackson died following cardiac arrest June 25 last year at his Los Angeles home.

By Satyen K. Bordoloi

Film: “Edge Of Darkness”; Cast: Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston, Bojana Novakovic; Director: Martin Campbell; Rating *** 1/2

“There’s a point where anyone can become an activist. You see something so wrong, you have to act. Even if it means the end of you,” says a character in ‘Edge of Darkness’. How far would you indeed go to right the wrongs around you?

Yet, detective Thomas Craven (Gibson) is no activist. He is a police officer who believes in being good and doing as much good as he can in his own power. However, the murder of his daughter (Novakovic) pushes him to the edge. He simply wants to know the truth. But being a simple man, is he ready for the truth yet? That too a truth that involves political intrigue, governmental cover-ups, and national security?

But then a man who has nothing to lose is a dangerous man. And even though everyone he talks to ends up dead or attacked, he doggedly works to uncover the truth and gets help from a strange, witty and surreal character Jedburgh (Winstone), who has been sent to assassinate him, but ends up helping him instead.

It is hard for people to imagine today what the paranoia surrounding a nuclear washout was on the minds of people during the Cold War. But back then, it was perceived as a real threat. It was these ideas and the secrecy of the British government over it that inspired Troy Kennedy Martin to start penning a TV series for BBC way back in the 1980s without really hoping it would be made. But it was made into one of the most critically acclaimed and popular series of all times.

Directed by Martin Campbell, it proved to be his trump card, years later paving his way to become a successful director of action film, especially bond movies. Martin Campbell returns with the story, this time in a film and does a commendable job of it.

The edginess, wit and sarcasm of the series are maintained, and so are the elements of surrealism.

Mel Gibson returns to his angry avatar that made him famous with films like ‘Mad Max’ and ‘Payback’. He shows he has not lost the edge, despite his age.

For a political film though, the only problem with ‘Edge of Darkness’ is its failure to take the leap of political intrigue. The conspiracy in today’s world is of giant corporations and governments that act as stooges to them. It is way too bigger for the level of senators as depicted in the movie. It involves the office of the presidents and rulers of the nations. Taking the politics of the film and conspiracy to that level, would perhaps have made more sense.

Despite these issues, the film is an edge-of-the-seat thriller, with its quite moments of introspection and surrealism and sudden bursts of actions that audience’s demand of thrillers.

In simply trying to stay true to the memory of his daughter, Craven becomes an activist hero. Perhaps you too would become one if you care enough to look a little deeper at the world around you and all that is wrong with it. And perhaps unlike Craven, you’d have the sense to do it before your family is threatened. The future of a good world depends on it.

Nevada (US), June 25 (ANI): MusicBizPro today announced the worldwide digital release of two singles composed by India’s very own “Disco King” Bappi Lahiri, dedicated in the honor of King of Pop, late Michael Jackson.

The tracks, which feature vocals from Michael Jackson’s very own backup singers Ricky Nelson, Terry Young and Glenda, are titled ‘Don’t Say Goodbye’ and ‘Michael O’ Michael’ (a remix).

Planet M, Phoenix Mills, Mumbai hosted a launch party late evening for the release, which featured a live performance by Bappi Lahiri.

‘Michael O’ Michael’ has an infectious groove which makes you want to shake a leg. But that’s not all – Bappi Lahiri has even rendered his own version of Michael Jackson’s trademark squeal.

“The soulful rendition on ‘Don’t Say Goodbye’ is sure to touch the hearts of millions of Jackson fans across the world. A perfect example of East meets West, this track melts R&B and Soul with Classical Indian overtones. Not only that, Bappi sings the chorus in Hindi which re-emphasizes the impact Michael created on all of us, world over,” said Neli Kools, CEO, MusicBizPro, on the occasion of the launch.

Michael Jackson’s millions of Indian fans across the world will be able to instantly relate to Bappi’s inimitable voice and composition along with the mesmerizing recitals from international yoga teacher, Rajashree Chaudhary featured in the tracks. (ANI)

London, June 25 (IANS) Pop singer Amy Winehouse says she is happier than ever with her filmmaker boyfriend Reg Traviss as he takes good care of her.

“Yeah, yeah it’s going good. He’s a lovely man and he’s looking after me,” a website quoted Winehouse as saying.

The troubled singer has moved on from her failed marriage with Blake Fielder-Civil. She recently asked Traviss to move in with her.

–Indo-Asian Nes Service

abhi/ar/dg

London, June 25 (ANI): Pop singer Lady Gaga has been slammed by the anti-drugs campaigners after she admitted to her fans that she loves ecstasy.

“It’s deeply irresponsible for Lady GaGa to advocate ecstasy use, especially as she influences so many impressionable young people,” the Daily Star quoted spokesman for charity addiction as saying.

The chart-topping star thinks that the killer party drug is all right to take every now and then.

She ‘liked’ the banned high because it helped expand her mind, and compared her drug-taking to binges by legendary caners Andy Warhol, David Bowie, 63, and Rolling Stones legend Sir Mick Jagger, 66.

The New Yorker, 24, admitted to Rolling Stone magazine that she used to get off her face so often it “petrified” her. (ANI)

New Delhi, June 25 (IANS) Bollywood’s singing legend Lata Mangeshkar has expressed her regrets over not being able to meet late King of Pop Michael Jackson.

Remembering the “Thriller” hitmaker on his first death anniversary Friday, Lata wrote on her Twitter page: “My humble tribute to one of the greatest pop artists ever, Michael Jackson…may his soul rest in peace… I never got opportunity to meet him… I’ll always have this regret in my heart…”

Jackson died after cardiac arrest June 25, 2009 at his Los Angeles home.

London, June 25 (IANS) Pop star Britney Spears is making secret phone calls to ex-boyfriend Adnan Ghalib.

The singer, who dated the British photographer for about three months, has contacted her ex-love in recent weeks.

“She says she’s not living the life she wants. She really wants to get back together with Adnan,” femalefirst.co.uk quoted a source as saying.

If she has made contact with her ex-love, it goes against the restraining order placed upon Ghalib and her former manager Sam Lutfi in January 2009, after the duo were allegedly found plotting to take over her affairs.

Spears has been dating her former manager Jason Trawick, 38, since March 2009.