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Worldwide farewell to Jackson
AFPPIX
PARIS: Michael Jackson fans staged their own
worldwide farewell to their idol yesterday,
organising ceremonies to mark his funeral and
congregating before giant screens to watch the
Los Angeles tribute to the King of Pop.
With many still refusing to believe that 50-
year-old Jackson has died, the grief has taken
Jackson-mania to new heights with the singer
on top of album charts around the world.
In the Asia-Pacific region, an army of Jack-
son fans said they were ready to stay up all
night to watch the tribute concert at the Staples
Center in Los Angeles.
Television channels in nearly every major
country said they would show the event live
because of its importance.
In Tokyo, hundreds of fans flocked to
Tower Records in the Shibuya shopping
district to watch free viewings of Jackson’s
videos, including “Thriller”, “Billie Jean” and
“Bad” on a giant screen.
“I still cannot believe he really died,” said
Eri Kato, 24. “His spirit will live on in his
music.”
In Hongkong, fans were to gather at a
shopping mall to bid farewell to the troubled
pop singer. Organisers asked mourners to
wear black or white – Jackson style – and
bring a red rose. The Los Angeles concert only
starts at 1am Hongkong time.
In the Australian city of Melbourne fans
had to brave pre-dawn darkness and icy tem-
theSun | WEDNESDAY JULY 8 2009
REUTERSPIX
Serial killer slain
in US shootout
WASHINGTON: A suspected
serial killer believed to have slain
five people in a week in South
Carolina was shot to death in
North Carolina. Patrick Burris, 42,
described as a career criminal
released from his last prison sen-
tence in April, was shot to death
on Monday in Gaston County,
North Carolina, the Charlotte
Observer newspaper reported on
its website. Authorities tied the
gun used by Burris to the killing
spree that began when a farmer
was found shot to death in a
robbery on June 27, followed by
four more slayings. Those victims
were an 83-year-old woman and
her 50-year-old daughter, and a
48-year-old man and his 15-year-
old daughter. – dpa
Police rescue
kidnapped toddler
MANILA: Philippine police
officers rescued a 4-year-old
(Left) Fans boy who was abducted last
peratures to watch the Jackson memorial on month in a southern city,
a giant television screen set up in Federation who have
tickets pass a police spokesman said
Square. yesterday. The boy, the son
The Lyric Theatre in London and Alex- through a
barricade as of a Filipino-Chinese trader,
andria Theatre in Birmingham, where the
they arrive at was unharmed when he was
“Thriller” tribute musical about Jackson is
the Staples rescued on Monday evening
playing, said they would dim their lights to
mark the funeral and tribute the singer. Centre, in Datu Odin Sinsuat town
“The entire cast and band will all meet on which is the in Maguindanao province,
stage at both venues to pay tribute to Michael site of the 960km south of Manila, Supt
Jackson, there will be speeches and the cast memorial Danilo Bacas said. He said the
will invite the audience to stand and and hold service, in kidnappers had abandoned
a minute’s silence throughout the auditorium,” Los Angeles the boy at their hideout as
said a statement from the producers. yesterday. police officers surrounded the
Another screen to watch the Los Angeles area. – dpa
events was to be put up at the O2 Arena in (Right) A
London where Jackson had been due to Michael 700-year-old
start a series of comeback concerts this
month.
Jackson look- skull recovered
alike dances
The 17,000 capacity O2 Arena in the during a SYDNEY: Baffled Australian
German capital, Berlin, was also to be tribute to police launched an appeal for
opened up to allow the public to watch the late information yesterday after a
the event. pop icon in 700-year-old skull washed up on
Shaheen Jafargoli, a 12-year-old from a beach. Police believe the skull
Mexico City’s
Wales who appeared on the “Britain’s Got must belong to a private collector
main square
Talent” reality talent show, was to sing at or museum, but are mystified as
the Staples Centre concert alongside stars Zocalo
yesterday. to how it arrived on the Sydney
such as Lionel Richie and Stevie Wonder. beach in September. “Detectives
Media reports said Jackson’s family had are now looking for the owner of
invited Jaragoli because the late singer had the skull, who they believe may
seen videos of the boy singing. – AFP be a private collector or from a
museum or research facility,”
they said. Tests showed the skull
belonged to a child aged between
Obama praises four and six who lived about
seven centuries ago. – AFP
Putin at first meeting Family feared
NOVO OGARYOVO (Russia): Visiting US President Barack slain, buried
Obama yesterday praised Russia’s most powerful politician, HONGKONG: Police said yes-
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, as the two leaders met for terday they believed a missing
the first time, saying there was an excellent opportunity to family of four had been mur-
improve US-Russia relations. Visibly awkward, the two men dered and buried in a trench
exchanged pleasantries at the start of a meeting at Putin’s outside their village hut. Police
forest residence outside Moscow overshadowed by Obama’s and the fire squad are digging
criticism of Putin last week in a pre-trip interview as a man up the ground outside the hut
with one foot stuck in the past. in Ta Kwu Ling – near the city’s
“I am aware of not only the extraordinary work that you’ve border with China – where
done on behalf of the Russian people in your previous role as a man surnamed Tam lived
prime minis-, uh, as president, but in your current role as prime with his wife and their two
minister,” Obama said. daughters. Officers launched
Putin, looking down and mostly avoiding eye contact with an extensive search for the
Obama, said there had been periods of greyish mood and family after they received a
confrontation in US-Russia relations but added: missing person report from a
“We link hopes for development of our relationship with colleague of Tam who said he
your name.” had not shown up at work for
Obama’s meeting with Putin, a former KGB spy who served two days. Police have arrested
as president from 2000-2008 before handing over the top a 42-year-old man in connec-
Kremlin job to his hand-picked successor Dmitry Medvedev, tion with the case. – AFP
follows talks on Monday with Medvedev.
They produced agreements on a target for cuts in nu-
clear arms, a deal to let US troops fly across Russia to fight Iran forced to
in Afghanistan and the establishment of a joint governmental declare holiday
commission to improve relations between the two former TEHERAN: Various parts of
Cold War superpowers. Iran, including Teheran, were
On the second day of his visit to Russia, Obama was also paralysed on Monday by pollu-
due to deliver a major speech on democracy, the global tion forcing the Iranian govern-
economy and the US-Russian relationship to students at ment to declare a public holiday
Moscow’s New Economic School. yesterday, state media reported.
Russian media, which mostly take their cue from the The pollution was caused by
Kremlin, stuck to a low-key factual account of the US leader’s dust sweeping in from Iraq and
visit yesterday, avoiding any kind of “Obamamania” and con- Saudi Arabia, authorities said.
centrating on the agreements reached. Opinion polls show – dpa
that most Russians distrust the United States and are not yet
convinced by Obama. – Reuters