klaxi: 07/25/12

Wednesday, 25 July 2012

Jesus second coming in the person of Ben Forster as he is crowned 'Jesus The Superstar'

Ben Forster has been crowned the winner of this year's Superstar.

After a close competition with Rory Taylor and Roger Wright it was the public vote that named Ben as the face of Andrew Lloyd-Webber's musical Jesus Christ Superstar.

Roger moon walked off the stage as he finished third and Rory placed second.

Emotional: Ben Forster was crowned the winner of Superstar tonight

Quick to embrace Rory, Ben was reduced to tears when host Amanda Holden announced him as the winner.

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Saying a few words, the 31-year-old singer said: 'I cannot believe it, I wasn't expecting this to happen in my life.'

Promising to do his best, Ben told the audience, 'I promise if you come and see me I will absolutely do you proud'.

He thanked all members of the production team before he ended the she show with an emotional performance of Hosanna as the former contestants embraced him.

And taking to Twitter, he wrote: 'Thank you ! Thank you! Thank you!! You have made my dreams come true tonight!! Ur support has been amazing!!! Love u all!'

'I wasn't expecting this': The 31-year-old was reduced to tears after he found out he had won

Victorious: Ben promised to make his fans proud when the tour begins

At the very beginning of the show, judge Mel C said that the winner would be determined by only their performances and nothing more.

She said: 'I think whoever wins tonight it will purely be on the strength of their performance.'

Hosanna was the song the finalists opened the show with as they each dressed in black suits accompanied by group of dancers.

Proud: The other contestants gave Ben a warm embrace as he took to the stage on last time

In the beginning: Ben took to the stage with finalists Rory Taylor and Roger Wright to sing Hosanna

Ben was first to give a solo performance with his rendition of Who Wants To Live Forever by Queen.

Despite a problem with timing at the start of his performance, Jason Donovon was still waving the flag for the singer.

He said: 'There was a slight little hitch at the beginning but you are a true pro and you recovered absolutely brilliantly, each night you go up a notch and you’re the benchmark in this competition.'.

When asked what he thought he could bring to the role of Jesus, Ben said: 'I think I'll do it honestly and I wear my heart on my sleeve'.

Up first: Ben suffered a technical glitch when he performed Who Wants To Live Forever by Queen

Rory was second up and he performed Aerosmith's tear jerking song I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing wearing a purple suit.

Following his breathtaking offering Dawn French only had praises for him.

She said: 'There is a complete certainty about your talent.'

Prior to the live show, Rory told of how Sir Paul McCartney had wished him luck earlier in the day.

Rock star Rory: Taylor performed I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing and prior to the show Sir Paul McCartney had wished him luck

Roger sang Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me by Elton John in the final solo performance as he stood centre stage backed by a choir.

Described as a 'fighter' by Jason, Mel C was in awe of Roger and quipped that she wanted to 'bathe' in his voice.

She said: 'Whenever you open your mouth such a wonderful sound comes out of it and I would still like to bathe in it'.

Trying not to sound cliche, when Amanda asked what his experience had been like, Roger said: 'It's almost like a dream come true', and he simply ended by saying, 'it's been amazing'.

Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me: Roger received praise from all judges for his rendition of an Elton John classic

The boys then teamed up again to perform the legendary song, Gethsemane, which they put all their vocal training into.

Having faith in the contestants, Lord Lloyd-Webber said, 'they'll do it' when Amanda asked what was vital to make the performance a success.

The epic performance brought all the judges to their feet, as the crowd burst into a massive cheer and Amanda said: 'It was a privilege to share this stage with you'.

Epic performance: The finalists sang Gethsemane before lines closed

With a world exclusive performance, Mel C took to the stage alongside Andrew Lloyd-Webber who assisted her on the candy red piano.

Singing a song from the show called, I Don't Know How To Love Him, the brunette stunned with her vocal range.

Wearing a mid length black lace dress, the 38-year-old was flawless as she wore her hair back in one and kept her makeup simple.

Before her performance, the Spice Girl admitted she was 'petrified'.

She told Holden: 'It's so easy to tell them how it's done and now I have to prove I know what I'm talking about.'

Spice up your life: Mel C also took to the stage during the final alongside Sir Andrew Lloyd-Webber who assisted her on the piano as she sang I don't Know How To Love Him

Olympic- Greek triple jumper is banned from the Games for mocking Africans

A Greek triple jumper has been expelled from the Olympics after she posted a racist joke on Twitter.

Voula Papachristou was kicked out of her national team for mocking African migrants and expressing support for a far-Right political party.

Her offending message – which was referring to reports of mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus in her home country – read: ‘With so many Africans in Greece, at least the West Nile mosquitoes will eat home made food!’

Greek triple jumper Voula Papachristou, who has been dropped from the country's Olympic squad, for posting a racist message on Twitter

Voula Papachristou in action at the European Athletics Championships in Helsinki earlier this year. She will not participate in the Olympics in London after being dropped from the Greek squad

The comment drew huge criticism from other users of the social networking site. One responded saying: ‘If you are serious, the Greek Olympic Team should put you on the first plane and send you back.’

Another wrote: ‘Xenophobic comments from a Greek athlete in the Olympic mission are unacceptable. We are ashamed.’

After initially insisting her comment had been ‘a joke’, the 23-year-old yesterday issued a lengthy apology. But she was still expelled from the team by the Greek Olympic Committee, who said her statements had been ‘contrary to the values and ideas of the Olympic movement’.

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Papachristou, who had expressed support for an extreme political party on Twitter by reposting their messages and videos, was not responding to requests for comment at her home in Athens last night.

But she said in a statement: ‘I would like to express my heartfelt apologies for the unfortunate and tasteless joke I published on my personal Twitter account.

‘I am very sorry and ashamed for the negative responses I triggered, since I never wanted to offend anyone, or to encroach human rights.

‘My dream is connected to the Olympic Games and I could not possibly participate if I did not respect their values. Therefore, I could never believe in discrimination between human beings and races. I would like to apologise to all my friends and fellow athletes, who I may have insulted or shamed, the National Team, as well as the people and companies who support my athletic career.

‘Finally, I would like to apologise to my coach and my family.’

Voula Padachristou, the Greek triple jumper dropped from the Olympic squad

Padachristou was not among the favourites for gold at the London Olympics

Apology: Papachristou attempted to defuse the situation by apologising on Twitter for her comments

Despite her apology, pressure continued to mount for Papahristou to be removed from the Greek Olympic team

Her coach, George Pomaski, said the expulsion was harsh. ‘It’s too much, the penalty should not have been so strict,’ he said. ‘She has already apologised for her remarks.

‘She did something childish. I respect the decision, but it is a little harsh for a kid we are trying to educate. This is a big disappointment not only for her but for her family and for myself, and anyone involved in the Greek team.’

Papachristou had been described as one of the ‘sexiest’ Olympians by the Greek press. But her support for the far-Right party Golden Dawn made her a controversial figure.

She also posted personal messages to the party’s spokesman and member of parliament Ilias Kasidiaris.

Kasidiaris – who served in the Greek special forces – gained notoriety a few weeks ago when he assaulted two women MPs on camera during a TV talk show. Last Friday, the triple jumper tweeted to Kasidiaris saying: ‘Be always strong and true!’

Shame: Voula Papachristou has removed her Twitter site after bringing 'shame' on her national team

Voula Papachristou has since apologised again on her Facebook page - saying she was 'ashamed'

When she was first criticised for her Twitter comments about Africans, Papachristou replied: ‘That’s how I am. I laugh. I am not a CD to get stuck! And if I make mistakes, I don’t press the Replay! I press Play and move on!’

Following her expulsion, her Facebook page was inundated with messages – with many saying she should not have been expelled.

Giorgos Simeonidis wrote: ‘I do not know whether this decision is best for a girl who has given her soul so many years in the sport and was one of the few hopes for Olympic honours this year.’

Orestis Origin wrote: ‘Should not have apologised after not doing anything wrong.’

But Lobos Djimah wrote: ‘Shame on you. The whole world has finally found out who you really are. Get some help!’

And Paul de Souza wrote: ‘You disgust me, you insulted two billion people on the planet because you thought so little of black people. Now look at your career. You should have studied harder at school.’

Papachristou in action at a recent meet. She had struggled for form in the build-up to the Olympics and was half a metre off the world leaders

Greece's Voula Papachristou competes in the women's triple jump in Athens on July 30, 2011

Voula Papachristou leaps during the triple jump

Jumping the distance: Voula Papachristou, pictured left competing in the women's triple jump in Athens last year, came in eighth place at last year's World Championships in Daegu

Isidoris Kouvelos, the head of Greece’s Olympic mission, defended the decision to expel her last night.

‘It’s the same as violating fair play,’ he told a Greek television station.

‘We are not just here to get medals but to promote the Olympic ideals, to show our character.’

He added that all Greek athletes would now be banned from ‘expressing personal opinions’ on Twitter until the games were over.

As Ghana mourns president, focus turns to election race

Ghanaians are in mourning following the death of President John Atta Mills who was due to seek re-election in December.

The country's main opposition party announced Wednesday that it was suspending its campaign during a period of national mourning.

File - in this file photo taken on Thursday, March, 8, 2012, President Barack Obama, right, speaks as President John Evans Atta Mills of Ghana, left, listens during their meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. State-run television in Ghana is announcing on Tuesday, July 24, 2012, that President John Atta Mills has died at age 68. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, file) Close

Vice President John Mahama was sworn in late Tuesday only hours after Atta Mills passed away, underscoring the West African nation's stability in a part of the world where the deaths of other leaders have sparked coups. No public announcement has been made yet on the cause of his death or funeral arrangements.

Atta Mills was elected in a 2008 runoff vote that was the closest in the Ghana's history.

His party has not yet announced who will run in his place in December's election though some are speculating that Mahama could be chosen.

(Reuters) - Ghana has seen a smooth transition of power after the sudden death of its president, but as the nation mourns attention is already turning to who will replace him as the ruling party's candidate in a December vote.

Vice-President John Dramini Mahama was sworn in hours after the announcement of the death through sudden illness on Tuesday of 68-year-old President John Atta Mills.

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This ensured that the West African oil, gold and cocoa producer, a former British colony once known as the Gold Coast, avoided the kind of messy political transitions that have plagued other states in a coup-prone region.

Ghanaians congratulated themselves on the seamless handover. Mahama, 53, a historian, former minister and communications expert, is expected to bring a steady hand to a fast-growing economy, one of Africa's newest oil producers.

But questions over who will now step into Mills' shoes as the candidate to keep his governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) in power in December's elections will inject some uncertainty into the political outlook.

Analysts say this could drive down the Ghanaian currency, which has lost about 17 percent against the dollar this year as the country's oil-fuelled boom sucks in capital and consumer imports and drives up demand for dollars to pay for them.

Traders said the cedi was relatively stable on Wednesday at 1.9550/1.9600 to the greenback.

"Political disruption is likely to be internal and will focus on who is the NDC's presidential nominee," said Azim Datardina, Ghana analyst at Africa Risk Consulting.

Mills, seeking a second term despite having suffered for years from undisclosed health problems, had already won his party's nomination to run against the opposition New Patriotic Party's Nana Akufo-Addo, defeating a divisive challenge from the wife of still influential ex-president Jerry Rawlings.

Some analysts expect Nana Konadu, Rawlings' wife whom Mills crushed in the NDC primaries, to claim an automatic nomination.

But Alban Bagbin, Ghana's health minister and a member of the NDC legal team, said the party would hold an extraordinary meeting to pick a new candidate for what is expected to be a tight race for the presidency.

"Most likely is a new nomination contest with a number of high-profile challengers who earlier balked at opposing Mills. A likely candidate is John Mahama," said Africa Risk Consulting's Datardina.

GHANA "LOST A FATHER"

Flags flew at half mast on Wednesday as the nation began a week of national mourning for Mills, who had served as president since winning a 2008 presidential contest that won plaudits for going down to the wire but remaining peaceful.

"I am personally devastated - I've lost a father, I've lost a friend, I've lost a mentor and a senior comrade," Mahama said in his first comments after being sworn in before a sombre parliament on Tuesday evening.

"The fine gentleman that he was, President Mills rightly earned the title 'Asomdwehene' (King of Peace). He brought a distinctive insight to Ghanaian politics. He remained humble, honest and modest throughout his years in public service."

That sense of loss was shared by ordinary Ghanaians too.

"I didn't know him personally but he's everybody's father and a peacemaker," said Peter Fiave, a 70-year-old who went to parliament to witness the swearing-in of Mahama.

Tributes poured in from around the globe from heads of state like U.S. President Barack Obama, who had feted Ghana under Mills as a model and "good news story" for Africa.

Rivals were quick to praise the nation's handling of the sudden loss. "We are showing a maturity that must encourage all Ghanaians," said opposition NPP Chairman Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey.

CORRUPTION, EXPECTATIONS

Mahama, fresh from a U.S. tour to promote a recently published personal memoir on Ghana's history, is widely expected to maintain current policies in his caretaker role.

Yet, amid the plaudits for his predecessor, he will inherit the same struggles Mills had faced in managing Ghanaians' high expectations over the flow of crude from the country's Jubilee oil field since 2010, and in tackling corruption scandals that have dogged the NDC administration.

"Given the above, recent momentum has favoured the NPP. Ghanaians also have a history of evicting the ruling party at the ballot box in favour of the opposition," Standard Bank said in a research note on Wednesday.

"Much will hinge on the manner in which the NDC is able to swiftly elect a replacement presidential candidate. Infighting already poses a significant threat to party unity, and any signs of an exacerbation of these tensions will favour the opposition," it added.

Ahead of Mills' death, most analysts had expected a year of election spending testing Ghana's reputation for improved economic management. The government last week sought parliament's permission for extra spending.

"We think heightened uncertainty will result in some foreign investors taking a wait-and-see stance, which would imply a slowdown in FX inflows, which in turn would be negative for the already troubled cedi," Renaissance Capital said.

"We think another 5-10 percent depreciation is likely by (the end of 2012)," it added.

(Additional reporting by Ed Cropley in Johannesburg; Writing by David Lewis; Editing by Pascal Fletcher)

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