Category Archives: International

International, Sports

SCOTLAND, FIJI, AMERICAN SAMOA SHUT OUT OF SOCHI WINTER OLYMPICS OPENING CEREMONIES

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imageSochi, Russia – When contingents from participating nations march in for the opening ceremonies of the 2014 Winter Olympics on February 7  in Sochi, Russia, spectators will not see the athletes  from Scotland, Fiji and American Samoa.

The reason? Vladimir Putin’s government has banned male athletes from wearing skirts in public. The ban is consistent with Russia’s controversial law prohibiting any public display of homosexuality. image

The Scottish olympians were supposed to wear kilts, traditional attire for men and boys in Scotland, while the Fijians and Samoans were to wear the traditional lava lava, a male version of the female sarong. Fiji and American Samoa are among the few tropical nations that send a delegation to the quadrennial winter competitions.

“These attires closely resemble women’s skirts, and for men to be wearing women’s clothing in public is inconsistent with Russian law,” Putin said in a press conference yesterday at The Kremlin.

Film and TV, Human Interest, International, Law Enforcement, Music, The Media, Travel

WILL THE ‘UNDOCUMENTED’ ROSE FOSTANES PLEASE STEP FORWARD?

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imageTel Aviv, Israel – The  story of  a Filipina caregiver who captivated the world for winning the first-ever X Factor Israel this week is one of “rags to riches.” After winning the singing competition, 47-year old Rose Fostanes is on her way to recording contracts and professional gigs that would pay millions of dollars.

But, STOP THE PRESSES!

While Fostanes the caregiver is documented in Israel, Fostanes the singer is not. Like with most immigration laws anywhere in the world, foreign nationals are granted work permits to get paid for the specific jobs that they were recruited for. In Fostanes’ case, she can legally work in Israel only as a caregiver.

This means that Fostanes cannot get paid for recording contracts or professional concerts and appearances within Israel.  This has become a big dilemma for the producers of X Factor Israel.

But no worries. The producers have come up with a brilliant idea to skirt around the country’s immigration laws.

Beginning next week, Fostanes will go on a road tour throughout Israel, visiting hospitals and convalescent homes, singing for the sick and elderly. All her appearances will be televised and she will get paid for it.

“We will be paying her as a caregiver, not as a singer,” the producers said, “so we will not be violating any Israeli law or the conditions of her legal work permit.

All’s well that ends well.

Film and TV, International, Music

ROSE FOSTANES AND SUSAN BOYLE TO RECORD NEW SINGLE

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Boyle, left, and Fostanes, right
Boyle, left, and Fostanes, right

London, Great Britain – Filipina Rose Fostanes and Scottish Susan Boyle have many things in common. Both have humble beginnings: Rose is a caregiver working in Tel Aviv and Susan was a trainee cook in her native Scotland. They have incredible musical talent and joined television singing competitions at past 40 years old which is really irrelevant to this story. Audiences were skeptical, almost  cynical, about their winning the competitions.

Both are singing champions in countries other than their own: Susan winning in Britain’s Got Talent and Rose winning in this week’s X Factor Israel.

Today, being the entrepreneur that he is, Simon Cowell who originated both shows in Great Britain, announced that he is producing a new single that would feature a duet by both women.

The song was composed by Sir Elton John and is titled “I Dreamed It My Way.” Susan, of course, became famous for her rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” during her audition on Britain’s Got Talent and Rose’s finale song on X Factor Israel was Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.”

Pre-orders of the single, yet to be recorded, have already reached One Million.