Friday, December 27, 2024

Tears and tributes mark Michael Jackson’s final curtain

LOS ANGELES: A gold-plated casket bearing Michael Jackson took centre stage on Tuesday as hundreds of millions worldwide bade farewell to the King of Pop in the final curtain call of his glittering career.
Tears and tributes flowed as mourners gathered at Los Angeles’ Staples Center for a star-studded but sombre celebration of the music superstar’s turbulent life and times.
Jackson’s 11-year-old daughter Paris tearfully addressed mourners in the heart-breaking last act of a two-hour service.
“Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine. And I just wanted to say I love him so much,” she said before dissolving into tears and being hugged by Jackson’s sister, Janet.
Jackson’s poignant journey began with a private service shortly after 8:15 am (1515 GMT) as family and friends gathered at the picturesque Forest Lawn mortuary high in the Hollywood Hills.
As the ceremony ended, pallbearers carrying Jackson’s golden casket swathed with red flowers emerged and loaded it into a black hearse, under the watchful eye of mourners and around 20 media helicopters hovering overhead.
A motorcade of luxury vehicles then made a stately procession to the 20,000-capacity Staples Center, where family, friends and celebrities rubbed shoulders with ordinary fans who had won tickets via an online lottery.
Jackson’s casket was placed at the front of the stage as the service began with Smokey Robinson reading letters of condolence from those unable to attend, including a tribute from former South African president Nelson Mandela.
“Michael was a giant and a legend in the music industry. And we mourn with the millions of fans worldwide,” Mandela’s tribute read.
Motown diva Diana Ross meanwhile – named by Jackson in his will as an alternative guardian to his children – said she had chosen to mourn privately.
“Michael was a personal love of mine, a treasured part of my world, part of the fabric of my life,” Ross’s tribute said. “Michael wanted me to be there for his children, and I will be there if they ever need me.”
Veteran poet and writer Maya Angelou paid tribute to Jackson in a moving elegy read by Queen Latifah. “Sing our songs among the stars and walk our dances across the face of the moon,” Angelou wrote.
Tributes to Jackson from friends and associates were punctuated by performances from Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder and Jennifer Hudson as Jackson’s family looked on approvingly. Jackson’s brothers all wore matching suits and their sibling’s signature solo sequined glove.
Jermaine Jackson later brought the house down with a rendition of Charlie Chaplin’s classic ode to optimism, “Smile,” a song covered by Michael Jackson on the 1995 “HIStory” album.
One of the biggest ovations came after rousing comments remarks by reverend Al Sharpton who told Jackson’s children to disregard the lurid stories that often swirled around their father.
“I want his three children to know – there weren’t nothing strange about your daddy,” Sharpton said. “It was strange what your daddy had to deal with but he dealt with it.”
The service drew to a close with a performance of Jackson’s clarion call to end global suffering, “Heal the World,” before members of the star’s family offered individual tributes.
Streets surrounding the venue had been sealed off before dawn where thousands of police officers were deployed to guard against large crowds of fans without tickets.
A live feed of the service was made available free to television networks, while the event was being streamed via social networking websites Facebook and MySpace, officials said.
Fans gathered to sing Jackson’s greatest hits and watch his videos ahead of the event in cities across the globe such as Tokyo and Hong Kong.
US President Barack Obama meanwhile told CNN in an interview from Russia said Jackson was “one of the greatest entertainers of our generation.”
“I think like Elvis, like (Frank) Sinatra, like the Beatles, he became a core part of our culture,” Obama said, acknowledging the “tragedy” that was a part of the singer’s life.
Jackson sold more than 750 million albums during a four-decade career that was ultimately overshadowed by repeated allegations of child abuse, his startling physical transformation and eccentric behaviour.
Local and federal law enforcement agencies continue to probe the circumstances of his death on June 25 at the age of 50.
The Los Angeles County Coroner’s office has said it will not issue a final cause of death for “several weeks” when the results of exhaustive toxicology tests are known.
Lawyers meanwhile are busy untangling the labyrinth of legal issues that have emerged in the aftermath of Jackson’s death.
On Monday, a Los Angeles judge replaced Jackson’s mother as temporary administrator of his estate with two of the pop icon’s business associates, as instructed by a 2002 will. – AFP/de

Courtesy of AFP/channelnewsasia

Related News

Victory Day celebrated across Bangladesh

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Bangladesh celebrated the 54th Victory Day on Monday amid festivity, remembering the heroic freedom fighters’ supreme sacrifices to free the country from the marauding Pakistani military in the War of Independence. The government, political parties, Bangladesh missions abroad, socio-cultural organisations, educational institutions, professional bodies, and other organisations celebrated the day with ... Read more

Low teacher pay harms education

Shahin Akhter Teachers continue to go underpaid compared with their fellows in other Asian countries which squarely affects the quality of education, the white paper on the state of the Bangladesh economy says. The average salary of a primary school teacher is about 27 per cent less than the average monthly per capita income and ... Read more

Khaleda Zia visits US embassy to complete visa process

News Desk : dhakamirror.com BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia went to the US Embassy in the capital on Wednesday afternoon to give her fingerprints for completing her visa application process. Upon her arrival at the embassy, its officials, including acting ambassador welcomed the BNP chairperson. Khaleda was accompanied by her personal physicians, BNP Standing Committee member ... Read more

Sajek, Khagrachari now open to visitors after being closed for over a month

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The tourism restriction imposed in Sajek valley of Rangamati and Khagrachhari for over a month was lifted today allowing visitors after 45 days. Rangamati Deputy Commissioner Mosharraf Hossain Khan announced the lifting of travel bans at the popular Sajek Union in Baghaichhari Upazila. Similarly, the Khagrachari Deputy Commissioner has also lifted ... Read more

Tourist access to suspend in St Martins in February

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The government has decided that tourist access to Saint Martin’s Island will be suspended in February to protect the island’s fragile ecology and ensure environmental preservation. Tourists will be allowed to visit the island from November to January, with overnight stays prohibited in November. In December and January, tourists can stay ... Read more

Public univs to accommodate 37pc GPA 5 achievers

Shahin Akhter Around 63 per cent of examinees securing a Grade Point Average of 5 in this year’s Higher Secondary Certificate and equivalent examinations will not be able to get admitted to the public universities across the country due to lack of seats. Though the private universities in the country have sufficient seats to accommodate ... Read more

297 killed by lightning in eight months

News Desk : dhakamirror.com At least 297 people have been killed and 73 injured in incidents of lightning strikes across the country between February and September this year, according to Save the Society and Thunderstorm Awareness Forum (SSTAF). In the eight months, lightning strikes killed 152 people while they were doing agricultural works, SSTAF said ... Read more

Flood death toll climbs to 59, over 5.4 million affected

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Fifty-nine people, including 41 men, six women and 12 children, died in the devastating flood as deaths of five more people were reported on Saturday. So far, 14 deaths have been reported in Cumilla, six in Chattogram, 23 in Feni, nine in Noakhali, three in Cox’s Bazar, and one each in ... Read more

Flood death toll reaches 13, 4.5m affected in 11 districts

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Around 13 people have been killed and 4.5 million affected by floods in 11 districts of Bangladesh, the disaster management and relief ministry said Friday, reports AFP. Thousands of people awaiting emergency rescue remained beyond electricity and mobile network coverage as a flash flood unleashed by heavy rains and an onrush ... Read more

Bangladesh ex-prime minister Khaleda Zia freed

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia has been officially released. Former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was released on Tuesday, a day after Sheikh Hasina’s resignation as PM and fleeing the country amid an unprecedented student-led mass uprising against her authoritarian regime. The decision was revealed ... Read more

Eid-ul-Azha on June 17

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The holy Eid-ul-Azha will be celebrated in Bangladesh on June 17 (Monday) as the crescent moon of the Zilhaj month was sighted in Bangladesh’s sky on Friday evening (7 June). The National Moon Sighting Committee came up with the decision after reviewing information about the sighting of the moon at a ... Read more

Cyclone Remal: 40 dead animals found, 17 rescued hurt in Sundarbans

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The forest department officials on Tuesday said that so far they found 39 dead deer and a pig in the Sundarbans after the severe cyclone Remal that hit the forest on Sunday. Primarily they have estimated infrastructural damage of Tk 6.27 crore in the forest while the total damage, including animals ... Read more

Cyclone Remal claims at least 14 lives, affects nearly 37.58 lakh people in 19 districts

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Following its devastating impact into Bangladesh on Sunday night, Cyclone Remal has affected over 37.58 lakh people in 19 districts and taken at least 14 lives. While the cyclone has weakened into a deep depression, hundreds of villages in the southern parts of the country remain submerged. The Bangladesh Meteorological Department ... Read more

Alert issued as Cyclone Remal develops

News Desk : dhakamirror.com A weather alert has been issued by the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) as a low-pressure system in the southwest and west central Bay of Bengal gains strength, potentially developing into Cyclone Remal by Saturday. The system, currently moving northeastward, is expected to transform into a depression by early Friday. By Saturday, ... Read more

Cyclone ‘Remal’ likely to hit Bangladesh coasts on 26 May: Meteorologist

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Cyclone Remal is likely to make landfall between 6:00am and 12:00pm on 26 May in Bangladesh, affecting coastal areas from the Barguna in Barishal Division to Cox’s Bazar in the Chattogram Division, a meteorologist said today (21 May). The front of the cyclone may begin to enter coastal areas after 6:00am, ... Read more

5 consecutive days holiday for Eid-ul-Adha

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Government employees are scheduled to get five consecutive days off on Eid-ul-Azha. This includes two days of weekly holidays (Friday and Saturday) followed by another three days for Eid, according to government holiday list. Eid-ul-Azha is likely to be celebrated on June 17 this year.

Heavy rains, storms forecast for entire week

Schools open today after heatwave closures News Desk : dhakamirror.com The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) forecasts heavy rainfall with thunderstorms across the country this week, starting on Tuesday and lasting through Saturday. As per the analysis of mathematical model of rainfall index, Bangladesh is likely to witness heavy to very heavy rainfall with thunderstorms starting ... Read more

Waiting for the rain

Tawsia Tajmim As the sun blazes relentlessly, desperate craving rises for rain, for nothing soothes Mother Nature quite like its cool embrace. After a brutal month-long heatwave, residents of Chattogram, Sylhet, and Dhaka finally caught a break with some rain on 2 May. However, the downpour was not strong enough to completely wash away the ... Read more

Hajj registration extended till Jan 18

News Desk : dhakamirror.com The government, in a notice issued yesterday, extended the Hajj registration deadline for 2024 until January 18. It said aspiring Hajis would have to primarily deposit Tk 2.05 lakh, while the rest should be paid by February 29 for final registration. One has to pay Tk 5,78,840 under the general package, ... Read more

Dense fog disrupts communications across Bangladesh

News Desk : dhakamirror.com Cold and dense fog continued to disrupt life with road, air and waterways communication remaining suspended in the early hours of Tuesday as Bangladesh braces for this winter’s first cold wave likely to set in today. Authorities also confirmed until Tuesday the death of 14 people in cold-related diseases and road ... Read more