Bieber sings Christmas carols to ‘Yolanda’ survivors in Tacloban

MANILA, Philippines — Pop megastar Justin Bieber sang to young survivors of the Philippines’ deadliest typhoon Tuesday after he flew into the disaster zone to boost an international relief effort.

Bieber flew unannounced to Tacloban City just over a month after it was devastated by Super Typhoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) and sang Christmas carols to children at a local school amid tight security, witnesses said.

“He sang Holy Night for the children,” said Kate Donovan, a spokeswoman for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), one of three aid agencies expected to benefit from Bieber’s charity work.

Photos posted on social media showed young fans with mobile phones snapping away at the Canadian teen heartthrob, who has more than 46 million followers on Twitter.

Prior to visiting the Philippines, Bieber had posted a message on fund raising website Prizeo.com urging his millions of fans to donate to the victims of the typhoon, the strongest to ever hit land.

Yolanda cut across the central Philippines on November 8, destroying scores of communities along its path.

Tsunami-like storm surges it triggered also swallowed up many coastal areas, and were blamed for majority of the nearly 6,000 deaths.

More than 1,700 others remain missing and about four million have been displaced.

In his message on Prizeo, Bieber said those donating to his cause could win a chance to personally see him record music next year.

“In the wake of Typhoon Haiyan, its victims in the Philippines need our help — and they need it now,” he said in his appeal.

Many other international celebrities have also lent their voices to the massive rehabilitation effort, including Grammy-award winning singer Alicia Keys who visited victims airlifted to Manila two weeks ago.

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Justin Bieber in Australia graffiti row

SYDNEY – Teen heartthrob Justin Bieber was Thursday told to clean up his mess after the pop star was accused of spraying graffiti on the wall of an Australian hotel.

Furious Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate said the Canadian had been disrespectful and “really, really silly,” and sent a graffiti removal kit to the exclusive QT Hotel on the Sunshine Coast so he could repair the damage.

“If a normal person did that they’d be serving 80 to 100 hours of community service,” Tate told the Nine Network.

“Just come and clean it up and we’ll be happy with you.”

In a separate interview in the Brisbane Courier-Mail, Tate said: “We’ve all been young once. But by the sounds of it, he’s gone and done something really, really silly.”

“But he’s got an opportunity to make good … I urge him to treat this city the way Gold Coast fans treat him.”

Bieber’s handiwork includes a Pacman ghost, which was reportedly painted in the early hours of Wednesday morning after the star’s sell-out Brisbane show.

Pictures of the graffiti were posted online, including on Instagram, with reports saying Bieber and his entourage left the cans of spray paint behind for staff to clean up.

Bieber was believed to have left the hotel for Sydney, where he performs later Friday and Saturday, with Tate demanding he return.

“I know he’s got beautiful eyes. I’ve got some goggles for him, and some gloves because I know he doesn’t want to get his hands dirty,” he said.

“Do your business in Sydney and come on back and I’ll give you a chance to clean it up.”

Brisbane was the first of eight shows by Bieber across Australian cities.

source: entertainment.inquirer.net