After Bollywood superstars Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, it is playback singer Shreya Ghoshal’s turn to make it to Madame Tussauds, with her wax figure is set to be showcased at the upcoming Delhi wing of the museum.
Ghoshal’s statue will be seen striking a singing pose, making her the first Indian singer to grace the Madame Tussauds.
“I am thrilled to be a part of history here at Madame Tussauds and it is an honour to be featured among such talented stars, artists, historians and renowned celebrities. To be immortalized forever is a fabulous feeling. With its brilliant concept, Madame Tussauds has always been famous for bringing joy all across the world,” she said.
The installation of Ghosal’s wax figure seeks to celebrate her 15-year illustrious career since her debut in 2002 with songs like “Silsila Ye Chahat Ka” and “Bairi Piya” from the film “Devdas”.
The museum, which will be housed in the iconic Regal Building in the heart of Delhi, will also have wax statues of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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Donald Trump wax figure unveiled at Madame Tussauds wax museum in D.C.
The two young Thai girls were accused of being pickpockets after posing for a picture with a British woman who visited Wat Phra That Doi Suthep temple in Chiang Mai.
Chiang Mai provincial governor Pawin Chamniprasert and Ben Robert Svasti, Britain’s Honorary Consul in Chiang Mai, delivered letters of apology from The Sun, the Daily Mail (Australian edition), The Telegraph, and Daily Express to the Hmong girls’ family.
The papers’ reports were published last October, and affected both the Hmong family and the tourism image of Chiang Mai.
After an investigation, it turned out that the tourist in the article had not lost her watch. The four tabloids then edited the article to note that the allegation was groundless.
Phujaras Jirapakorn, the father of the girls, said he was glad that justice was done for his daughters. He felt relieved after the foreign media outlets had apologised, he said.
He had yet to think about seeking compensation but would discuss that with concerned agencies.
Lau, 55, was thrown off a horse and stomped on while filming the advertisement in Thailand earlier this year. He suffered multiple fractures in his pelvis and strained his tendon and muscle.
However, the commercial, which promotes a green tea drink, did not feature ‘even the shadow of any horse’, Lianhe Wanbao reported.
The clip sees Lau, who plays a cowboy, step onto an open field to show off his shooting prowess. He loads bullets into a rifle before taking aim at multiple discs in the air, with each shot hitting the target.
The scene then changes, showing him sitting in a wooden shed while drinking from a bottle of the green tea.
Various Chinese media outlets pointed out that the 30-second clip did not feature any scenes of him riding a horse. People’s Daily speculated that the scenes may have been edited out and cut from the final version to ensure that fans do not negatively associate the commercial with his injury.
The full commercial was posted on Facebook on Sunday (Mar 20), and has been viewed over 53,000 times so far.
Following the incident, Lau spent 53 days in hospital before he was finally discharged on Mar 10. He is currently recuperating at home.
Last Saturday, he gave fans an update on the progress of his rehabilitation, writing on his personal blog: “Every day I’m sitting a little bit longer. Every day I’m standing a little bit longer. One day I’ll take the first step. I’m tough!”
SEOUL – A new North Korean missile test failed on Wednesday, the South and US said, two weeks after Pyongyang launched four rockets in what it called a drill for an attack on American bases in Japan.
The nuclear-armed North is under several sets of United Nations sanctions over its atomic and ballistic missile programmes.
It is on a quest to develop a long-range missile capable of hitting the US mainland with an atomic warhead, and staged two nuclear tests and multiple missile launches last year.
The North fired one missile from an air base in the eastern port of Wonsan Wednesday morning, but the launch “is believed to have failed”, Seoul’s defence ministry said in a statement, adding it was analysing what type of missile was involved.
The US military said the missile exploded shortly after launch.
“US Pacific Command detected what we assess was a failed North Korean missile launch attempt… in the vicinity of Kalma. A missile appears to have exploded within seconds of launch,” said spokesman David Benham.
Earlier this month Pyongyang launched a flight of four ballistic missiles, with three landing provocatively close to Japan in what the North described as practice for attacks on US military bases in Japan.
On Sunday, its leader Kim Jong-Un personally oversaw and hailed a “successful” test of what Pyongyang said was a new rocket engine – which can be easily repurposed for use in missiles.
Seoul said that experiment showed “meaningful progress” in the North’s missile capabilities.
The developments come as Seoul and Washington hold large-scale annual joint military exercises that always infuriate Pyongyang, which sees them as a rehearsal for invasion.
Analysts’ opinions are varied on how advanced the North’s missile technologies are but many agree that Pyongyang has made significant progress in recent years.
– ‘Option on the table’ – Sunday’s engine test was apparently timed to coincide with a recent Asia trip by new US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who warned that regional tensions had reached a “dangerous level”.
Washington would drop the “failed” approach of “strategic patience” with Pyongyang, Tillerson said, warning that US military action was an “option on the table” if necessary – a sharp divergence from China’s insistence on a diplomatic approach to its neighbour, which it has long protected.
This week the North’s state news agency KCNA boasted that Tillerson had “admitted the failure” of US policy to denuclearise the nation.
Pyongyang insists that it needs nuclear weapons for self-defence against “hostile enemies” including the South and its ally the US.
But it has yet to test an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of flying across the Pacific Ocean.
The country’s long-range Musudan device has a theoretical range of anywhere between 2,500 and 4,000 kilometres (1,500 and 2,500 miles). The lower estimate covers the whole of South Korea and Japan, while the upper range would include US military bases in Guam.
The missile was tested eight times last year – but only one of those was successful, with the others exploding in mid-air shortly after launch.
A Musudan launched in June last year flew 400 kilometres off the east coast of the peninsula and was hailed by Kim as proof of the North’s ability to strike US bases across the “Pacific operation theatre”.
The New York Times reported earlier this month that under former president Barack Obama the US stepped up cyber attacks against North Korea to try to sabotage its missiles before launch or just as they lift off.
THERE was no miracle for Ormsin, the sea turtle that became world-famous after operations by Thai veterinarians to try to save her. The 25-year-old turtle died peacefully yesterday morning, having never woken from a coma after a second round of surgery on the weekend.
Dr Nantarika Chansue.Photo: The Nation/Asia News Network
“At 10.10am, she went in peace,” said a tearful Dr Nantarika Chansue, chief surgeon of the team that removed 915 coins from the turtle. The discovery of so many coins in her stomach led to her being called “Ormsin”, or ‘Piggy bank’ in Thai.
Dr Nantarika Chansue, chief surgeon of the team that removed 915 coins from the turtle.Photo: The Nation/Asia News Network
“She is my friend, teacher and patient. Thank you for being my friend,” she said in a press briefing to announce Ormsin’s death. The turtle had died from a complication from the operations, she said.
The doctor’s Facebook page, which gave updates on Ormsin’s condition from the start of her medical care, was flooded with condolence notes from animal lovers who expressed moral support to Nantarika and the team. One user, Poy Poy, wrote: “Ormsin will not longer be in pain. Thanks to the team that provided care and love for her.”
Another, Jewwy Journey, said that the loss of the turtle would not be wasted, as many people who previously had no idea about the issue – the risks of throwing coins or other objects into turtle ponds or water containing wildlife – would now be aware.
Many users said: “Ormsin, please rest in peace.”
The critically injured turtle was given to the doctor for care by a Navy sea animal hospital in Sattahip. A team of vets decided to perform an emergency operation after a CT scan detected a mass of coins inside her body earlier this month. The team knew her chances of survival were slim, considering the numbers of coins and her condition.
However, her condition took a sudden turn over the weekend due to intestine strangulation – she had more empty space in her torso after the operation and her body had to adjust.
The second operation was unsuccessful, as she had developed blood poisoning from serious intestinal problems. One of the causes of death was the high level of nickel in her bloodstream – 200 times more than normal – because the coins lain in her stomach for a long time.
Ormsin’s plight became a big news item, with daily updates both locally and internationally. Her case was reported by CNN, Time, as well as wire agencies. The turtle lived for two decades in a small pond in a public park in Chon Buri province. Visitors tossed coins into her pond for “good luck” and the hope it might bring them long life.
Yesterday, as the Ormsin saga reached its sad end, Dr Nantarika repeated her call for people to stop tossing coins into ponds or animal shelters, so that other animals do not suffer a similar fate.
A post shared by ak Yip (@akyip) on Mar 21, 2017 at 12:23am PDT
Before you leave, how about taking a selfie with the friendly Sphinx which is already making a victory sign?
Legoland Japan is the eighth Lego theme park in the world. A one-day pass for adults costs 6,900yen (S$87) and 5,300yen for children aged between three and 12.
DENPASAR, Indonesia – Tourists fled their hotels in panic on Bali Wednesday after the popular Indonesian holiday island was rattled by an early morning earthquake.
Foreign tourists past in front a tower warning of tsunami in Kuta near Denpasar, on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali on March 22, 2017. Photo: AFP
The 5.5-magnitude quake struck inland about 10 kilometres (six miles) northeast of the Balinese capital, Denpasar, and not far from the concentration of holiday resorts in the south of the island.
There were no reports of casualties and damage after the quake struck just after 7am (2300 GMT Tuesday) at a depth of 118 kilometres, but some holidaymakers got a shock.
“Dozens of our guests ran out of their rooms when the quake happened,” Nyoman Pasek, a staff member at the Hotel Sayang Maha Mertha in the popular tourist area of Kuta, told AFP.
“Everything is now under control again, back to normal.” Carla Beharry, a Twitter user on the island, wrote: “Definitely felt the biggest EARTHQUAKE I’ve ever felt this morning in Bali.” Local residents also said the quake briefly caused panic on the neighbouring holiday island of Lombok.
National disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said the quake was felt strongly in the capital Denpasar for five seconds.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.
OVERALL happiness in Asia is on the rise, according to a report by the United Nations to mark the International Day of Happiness.
Citizens of New Zealand, Australia and Singapore reported highest rates of life satisfaction, while the world’s second largest nation, India, was ranked the worst in the region.
The World Happiness Report 2017, published by the UN’s Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), ranks 155 countries by their respective happiness levels. This was the fifth report to be released since 2012. Gallup provided data access and assistance to the researchers.
The tiny, wealthy Scandinavian country of Norway topped the list while, perhaps predictably, the conflict-ridden nations of Syria, South Sudan and Yemen Republic all ranked in the bottom ten.
Karen Nerbo (L) and Kristina Davidsen pose for a picture in Oslo, Norway March 20, 2017. Source: Reuters/Lefteris Karagiannopoulos
The report’s analysis is based primarily upon ‘individual life evaluations’ from each of the countries listed. In other words, respondents are asked to rank their satisfaction with their situation at ‘this time’ on a ladder of zero to 10.
In addition, the survey takes into consideration six other variable factors, namely: GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, social freedom, generosity, and absence of corruption.
How Asian countries compare
The World Happiness Index presents good news for the Asia Pacific region, highlighting overall “substantial happiness gains in Southeast Asia [and] East Asia.”
New Zealand and Australia were the happiest countries in the Asia Pacific according to the report being ranked 8th and 9th respectively. However, both saw a decline in its life satisfaction in 2014-2016 compared to 2005-2007. The ‘red dot’ city-state of Singapore was ranked at 26.
After these small, Anglophone advanced economies, the so-called ‘land of smiles’ Thailand was ranked at number 32, whilst neighbouring Malaysia sat at 42.
Interestingly, Thailand and the Philippines were in the top 20 countries to improve happiness – interesting given both nations have politically regressed into more authoritarian states in recent years.
Showing that money isn’t everything, higher income countries Japan and South Korea were ranked at 51 and 56. Sadly, The Japan Times newspaper reported this week that according to a survey by the country’s health ministry, about one in four Japanese people have considered suicide.
At the other end of the spectrum, the second-largest country on earth, India, ranked almost the lowest for life satisfaction in all of Asia at 122, after Ethiopia and Iran.
Indian netizens responded to the low ranking in droves, one claiming that Indians care more about cricket than their own wellbeing.
ppl are more interested in India’s ranking in #ICC rather than #happinessindex
Other South Asian nations also fared worse than countries in East and Southeast Asia, with Nepal at 99, Bangladesh at 100 and Sri Lanka at 120. As relatively poor, repressive countries with politically turbulent and violent histories, Vietnam (94), Myanmar (114) and Cambodia (129) ranked badly compared to their neighbours in Southeast Asia.
Meanwhile the Asian giants of China, Pakistan and Indonesia were middle of the pack, coming in at 79, 80 and 81, respectively.
In a special paper on China featured in the World Happiness Report 2017, researchers argued that China’s exponential economic growth in recent decades has not necessarily drastically improved wellbeing for the average Chinese citizen.
Whilst the ascendancy of China into an economic powerhouse since the introduction of market liberalisation policies in the 1980s has lifted some 800 million people out of poverty, the welfare of the ‘common man’ in China has barely improved.
In fact, between 1990 and 2005, average life satisfaction in China declined.
During China’s transition to a market economy to 2016, the report notes, “the lower income and older segments of the population have suffered most, and their life satisfaction remains below that in 1990.”
As indexed by GDP, wellbeing in China has multiplied over five-fold, yet based on ‘subjective wellbeing’ – i.e. asking people about their satisfaction in life – wellbeing “is, on average, less than a quarter of a century ago.”
Workers work at a construction site in Shanghai, China March 21, 2017. Source: Reuters/Aly Song
Quality of life, corruption and inequality shape happiness
Well-ranked Singapore, Australia and New Zealand are all small, wealthy economies with high rates of employment and quality of life, strong social security nets, and programs that encourage upward mobility for disadvantaged groups.
Interestingly, they are all some of the least corrupt countries on earth. Australia and New Zealand also have lower levels of income inequality than most countries in the Asia Pacific.
In contrast, India has the most billionaires in Asia after China but the World Bank estimates that around 270 million people are still living below the poverty line. Much of Asia is still grappling with rampant corruption.
As researchers Richard A. Easterlin, Fei Wang and Shun Wang note, “the course of the life satisfaction difference by socio-economic status demonstrates the critical importance of full employment and safety net policies.”
This is key for improving the “well-being of the most disadvantaged segment of the population.”
SINGAPORE – At least 53 credit-for-sex scam cases were reported to the police in the first half of March this year, with victims losing at least $304,000 to such scammers since Jan 1.
According to a statement from the police, the victims are usually male, who befriend scammers through social media platforms such as Wechat, Locanto and OkCupid.
The scammers would then communicate with the victims through online messaging and phone calls. Once a certain level of rapport has been established, the scammers would arrange to meet the victims at a certain location, where victims would either call the scammers or receive a call from unknown numbers.
The callers would then claim to be the boss or agent and convince the victims to purchase gift cards or online shopping credits such as iTunes or Alipay Purchase Cards, in exchange for a meet-up, date, or the promise of sexual favours.
They will usually insist that the victims buy the Alipay Purchase cards through AXS machines or iTunes Gift cards from convenience stores before asking them to send the credits directly to the scammers’ email accounts.
Sometimes, other members of the syndicates will also contact the victims and ask for further purchases of online shopping credits. Victims are also threatened at times if they refuse to make further purchases or payments.
While a majority of the scammers adopt largely Chinese-sounding monikers to target Chinese-speaking victims, there have been recent cases where scammers have turned to using English monikers, said the police.
Those who have any information relating to this scam can call the police hotline at 1800-255 0000, or dial 999 for urgent police assistance.
The police advises the public to take certain precautions to avoid becoming a victim of this scam:
– Be wary of strangers who befriend you online such as through social messaging platforms
– Do not provide personal details about yourself when engaging with other internet users
– Do not share with anyone your payment receipts, e-mails or purchase cards containing details such as PIN numbers that can be used to redeem online credits
Guitar legend Carlos Santana recently came under fire for calling Beyonce “not a singer” compared to Adele after last month’s Grammy awards.
But in an interview with The Straits Times recently, he reiterates that his comments were taken out of context and that he has no beef with either singer.
In fact, the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame musician is more than happy to collaborate with both of them.
“Not one is more important than the other, they’re both supremely important. Their music and my music serve a purpose, to bring unity and harmony,” the 69-yearold, who has 10 Grammy awards to his name, says in a telephone call from Tiburon, California.
“I don’t think it’s impossible for us to go into the studio and create some beautiful music.”
Santana will be back in Singapore to perform at Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre on April 4, four years after he sold out the Singapore Indoor Stadium in 2013, his last gig here.
More than 50 years after he started playing music, he is still releasing new works and performing to his fans worldwide.
The upcoming show is part of his Transmogrify Tour, a global trek that has seen him play across the United States as well as in countries including Japan and Australia.
Last year, he released Santana IV, his 23rd album, which went into the Top 10 charts of countries such as the United States, Britain, Germany and New Zealand.
He says fans around the world still listen to his music because his songs serve a higher calling and are not mere entertainment.
“Music is water, I’m like a hose and the people are flowers,” he says. “I am that sound that is in tune with Bob Marley and John Lennon. I am them, they are me and we want the same thing. We want to utilise our music to make the world a better place for everyone to coexist with compassion and kindness and consideration and graciousness.”
Born in Mexico, Santana moved with his family to San Francisco in the 1960s.
Playing a distinctive brand of music that melds Latin rock, jazz, blues and African rhythms, Santana and the band named after him went from playing the city’s club circuit to the iconic Woodstock music festival in 1969.
While their debut album, released soon after his Woodstock performance, peaked in the US at No. 4, his next two releases, Abraxas (1970) and Santana III (1971), went to the top of the charts there, solidifying their reputation as one of rock’s most popular acts.
Santana continued releasing albums regularly in the next few decades, but it was only in 1999 that his popularity saw a resurgence with the release of Supernatural, an album that not only topped the music charts around the world, but also won eight Grammy awards, including Album Of The Year.
Featuring collaborations with singers such as Rob Thomas and The Product G&B, the release, which sold 30 million copies, is also listed by the Guinness Book Of World Records as the best-selling album of all time by a Latin artist.
While he shows no signs of slowing down, he says he would like to focus on spiritual work if he ever hangs up his guitar and stops playing music.
“I would be a minister, I would have a place, I would call it ‘Abode Of Light’,” he says. “It’s not so much a church but a place to rekindle your mind to your own divinity, your own heart.”
dinohadi@sph.com.sg
BOOK IT /SANTANA TRANSMOGRIFY TOUR 2017 –SINGAPORE
WHERE: Halls 601 to 604, Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre, Suntec City, 1 Raffles Boulevard
WHEN: April 4, 8pm
ADMISSION: From $89 to $299 (US$1 or S$1.40 from each ticket will be donated to The Milagro Foundation) through Apactix and SingPost outlets. Go to www.apactix.com or call 3158-8588
This article was first published on Mar 22, 2017. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.
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