Zero Point By Javed Chaudhry

Justin Bieber banned from China because of his 'bad behaviour

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LOS ANGELES: China has banned pop idol Justin Bieber from performing on the mainland because of his "bad behaviour" on and off the stage.</div>
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The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture said the ban was necessary to "purify" the country's entertainment industry but suggested it was not permanent, expressing the hope that Bieber might improve his behavior and earn back the love of his fans.</div>
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The 23-year-old singer-songwriter has had run-ins with the law over alleged drunk driving and drag racing.</div>
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Compared to British alternative rock band Placebo, Bieber was the lucky one. The group has had to cancel its gig at the Summer Sonic Festival in Shanghai in September and faces a lifetime ban from performing in China after posting a picture of the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet, on the band's official Instagram page. China considers the Nobel Peace Prize-winning monk a dangerous separatist.</div>
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The temporary Bieber ban emerged after someone posted a question on the Beijing culture bureau's website on Jul 16 asking why the Canadian singer was not allowed to perform in mainland China as part of his Asia tour in September. The tour, to promote his latest album, "Purpose," takes in Tokyo, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Singapore.</div>
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"Please give a detailed explanation of why Justin Bieber is not allowed to come to China! [He] has won many major awards, which demonstrates his extraordinary talents. Why aren't mainland fans given the right to enjoy his performance?" the questioner wrote.</div>
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The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture replied Tuesday (Jul 18) that Bieber's "bad behaviour" was the reason.</div>
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"We sympathise with your feelings. Justin Bieber is a talented singer but is also a controversial young foreign idol," said the statement. "We understand that there are records of his bad behaviour, whether it is in his private life abroad or on stage.</div>
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"His inappropriate manner has caused public discontent. In order to regulate the market order of show business in China and purify the market environment, it was decided that performers of inappropriate behaviour will not be welcomed."</div>
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Bieber had been to China previously. While touring the country in 2013, he was captured on camera being carried up to the Great Wall of China by Chinese bodyguards. The incident was seen by many Chinese as offensive.</div>
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It's not uncommon for China to ban foreign artists and performers for political reasons. In 2008, Icelandic pop queen Bjork was banned after calling for Tibetan independence during a gig in Shanghai. Maroon 5 and Oasis also faced similar fates after showing support for Tibet.</div>
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Justin Bieber banned from China because of his 'bad behaviour

LOS ANGELES: China has banned pop idol Justin Bieber from performing on the mainland because of his "bad behaviour" on and of...

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World’s first ATM machine turns to gold on 50th birthday

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<strong style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Five decades since it heralded a transformation in the way people obtained and used cash, the world’s first ATM was turned into gold for celebrations of its fiftieth anniversary.</strong></h2>
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The brainchild of Scottish inventor Shepherd-Barron, the first ATM (automated teller machine) was opened on June 27, 1967, at a branch of Barclays Bank in Enfield, north London, the first of six cash dispensers commissioned by the bank.</div>
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English actor Reg Varney, who starred in the British TV comedy show “On The Buses”, was the first person to withdraw cash from the new machine.</div>
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Now there are an estimated three million cash machines across the globe with some 70,000 cash machines in the UK alone which dispensed 175 billion pounds in 2016.</div>
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The world’s most northerly machine is at Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway and the most southerly located at the McMurdo station at the South Pole.</div>
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To commemorate the anniversary, Barclays transformed the ATM at its Enfield branch into gold, added a commemorative plaque and placed a red carpet in front of its users.</div>
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“Even though recent years have seen a huge uptake of digital banking and card payments, cash remains a crucial part of most people’s day-to-day lives,” said Raheel Ahmed, Head of Customer Experience and Channels at Barclays.</div>
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World’s first ATM machine turns to gold on 50th birthday

Five decades since it heralded a transformation in the way people obtained and used cash, the world’s first ATM was turned into gold fo...

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German mini-world park builds a wall around US

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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">HAMBURG, Germany: A German tourist attraction that features miniature models of various parts of the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">world has put up a wall around the United States, in a dig at President Donald Trump's plan to build a full-sized one on the border with Mexico.</span></h2>
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German mini-world park builds a wall around US

HAMBURG, Germany: A German tourist attraction that features miniature models of various parts of the world has put up a wall around th...

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Five on Friday: 5 single-ingredient Singapore restaurants to get you drooling

Five on Friday: 5 single-ingredient Singapore restaurants to get you drooling

In our regular light-hearted look at what's been making the headlines, Hidayah Salamat checks out the restaurants that dish out one mai...

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Indian police bust US$550-million internet scam that duped thousands

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<b><br>NEW DELHI</b>: <b><a href="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/technology/indian-police-bust-us-550-million-internet-scam-that-duped-thous/3490480.html">Indian police</a></b> have busted an internet scam in which around 650,000 people lost a combined 37 billion rupees (US$549 million) after sending money to a company that promised they would earn cash by clicking on web links, police said on Friday.<br>
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Indian police bust US$550-million internet scam that duped thousands

NEW DELHI : Indian police have busted an internet scam in which around 650,000 people lost a combined 37 billion rupees (US$549 million)...

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