Lady Gaga denied permit for concert

JAKARTA: Indonesian police said Tuesday they would not issue a permit for Lady Gaga's June 3 concert in the capital, after Islamic hardliners vowed not to let the provocative performer set foot in the country.

"We will not issue a permit for the Lady Gaga concert in Jakarta," Saud Usman Nasution, a national police spokesman told. "The concert will have to be cancelled," he said.

Indonesia's hardline Islamic Defenders Front has mounted protests in Jakarta against Lady Gaga, vowing to intercept the "Poker Face" singer at the airport and ensure she does not enter the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation.

Another national police spokesman said the force had "no problem with Lady Gaga" but could not issue a permit without a letter of recommendation from the Jakarta police, "and they have decided not to do that".

The Jakarta city police said they had received objections to the show by the National Ulema Council, Indonesia's top Islamic body.

"The first thing we've heard from various public leaders is that Lady Gaga doesn't deserve the attention of so many people," said Jakarta police spokesman Rikwanto.

"They said her outfits are too sexy, indulgent and erotic."

It was not immediately clear whether the organisers will try to obtain a letter of recommendation from police in an alternative location.

Big Daddy Productions, the promoters, have already sold more than 50,000 tickets to the keenly-awaited concert and declined to confirm whether the show, part of Lady Gaga's "Born This Way Ball" tour, had been officially cancelled.

Lady Gaga has faced some opposition on her Asia tour but has not toned down her performances -- at shows in Seoul and Hong Kong she has ridden on to the stage on a mechanical horse, wearing a black bodysuit and an enormous black metal headpiece. (AFP)

Lady Gaga teacup fetches $75,300

TOKYO: Fans of Lady Gaga bidding on a teacup and saucer used only once by the pop diva had offered more than six million yen ($75,000) for the item by the time the hammer fell, a Japanese auction site said Monday.

With more than 1,300 bids, the week-long auction finished at 1400 GMT Sunday, with a top offer of 6,011,000 yen, Yahoo! Japan, which managed the charity event, said.

The cup was used by Lady Gaga at a press conference in Tokyo three months after the massive tsunami of March last year swamped a large stretch of coastline.

Lady Gaga told reporters at the time that she would auction the cup, marked with her lipstick and bearing the Japanese message "We pray for Japan" along with the star's autograph.

All the money raised will be used to help young Japanese artists who want to study in the United States.

The teacup was one of a number of items being sold to raise money for those affected by Japan's worst post-war calamity, and was the second most expensive lot.

The top-priced item was a Kawai crystal piano used by Yoshiki of rock band Japan X, which went for 11,001,000 yen, Yahoo! Japan said.

The natural disaster killed some 19,000 people on Japan's northeast coast and sparked the world's worst nuclear accident since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, leading to a plunge in visitors to the country.

Lady Gaga visited Japan twice after the disaster and called on tourists from around the world to follow suit.

The songstress is due back in Japan this week as part of an Asian tour. (AFP)

Lady Gaga teacup hits $50,000

TOKYO: Fans bidding in a charity online auction to buy a teacup used once by pop diva Lady Gaga had offered more than four million yen ($50,000) by Tuesday, with five days left before the hammer falls.

The china cup and saucer set was used by the star at a press conference in Tokyo three months after the massive tsunami of March last year swamped a large stretch of coastline.

Lady Gaga told reporters at the time that she would auction the cup, marked with her lipstick and bearing the Japanese message "We pray for Japan" along with the star's autograph.

All the money raised will be used to help young Japanese artists who want to study in the United States.

The cup was put on "Yahoo! Japan Auctions" at midday Monday, with the starting price of one yen. The auction is set to finish at 1400 GMT Sunday.

By Tuesday morning, more than 500 bids had been placed, with the top offer at more than 4.1 million yen. The auction can be followed at http://page3.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/c323847712

The quake-tsunami catastrophe killed some 19,000 people on Japan's northeast coast and sparked the world's worst nuclear accident since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, leading to a plunge in visitors to the country.

The songstress visited Japan twice after the disaster and called on tourists from around the world to follow suit.

She is due back in Japan next week as part of an Asian tour. (AFP)

Lady Gaga: Compassion is empowering

Lady Gaga encourages people to 'empower kindness.'

The 26-year-old songstress launched the Born This Way Foundation in February.

The charity created by Gaga and her mother Cynthia Germanotta strives to assist youth who are suffering from bullying and self-confidence problems.

Gaga is unwavering in her commitment to creating dynamic communities amongst young people. Read more