Lana Del Ray postpones Israel show amid row
Los Angeles, Sep 2 : Singer Lana Del Rey has postponed her upcoming performance in Israel after struggling to set up another show in Palestine to appease fans on both sides of the political conflict.
The singer recently sparked a backlash after joining the line-up for the inaugural Meteor Festival in Tel Aviv next week as activists supportive of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which calls for a cultural boycott of Israel, urged her to reconsider the booking, reports aceshowbiz.com.
She initially tried to defend her decision by saying it had nothing to do with politics or picking sides in the long-running conflict between the two nations, but days later, she returned to social media and promised to make amends by visiting Palestine too, before the scheduled Israeli show on September 7.
However, on August 31, she announced her hopes of making stops in both countries have been dashed as she has been unable to make the schedule work.
As a result, Ray has chosen to pull out of the Meteor Festival headlining set, and delay her first gig in Israel until a later date.
She tweeted: "It's important to me to perform in both Palestine and Israel and treat all my fans equally.
"Unfortunately it has not been possible to line up both visits with such short notice and therefore I am postponing my appearance at the Meteor Festival until a time when I can schedule visits for both my Israeli and Palestinian fans, as well as hopefully other countries in the region."
The Meteor Festival is still scheduled to go ahead as planned, with acts including Kamasi Washington, Flying Lotus, Pusha T, and Soulwax on the bill, but organisers have made it clear they do not appreciate the late change of heart, accusing Ray of using the event to increase her media profile.
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Beauty of democracy: Tharoor congratulates BJP on civic body poll win in his constituency
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday, while lauding the win of the UDF in Kerala local bodies elections, also congratulated the BJP for its historic performance in his Thiruvananthapuram constituency, calling it the "beauty of democracy".
In a post on X, he said the people's verdict must be respected, whether for the UDF overall or for the BJP in his constituency.
"What a day of amazing results in the Kerala local self-government elections! The mandate is clear, and the democratic spirit of the state shines through.
"A huge congratulations to @UDFKerala for a truly impressive win across various local bodies! This is a massive endorsement and a powerful signal ahead of the state legislative elections. Hard work, a strong message and anti-incumbency have all clearly paid off to achieve a much better result than in 2020," Tharoor said.
He said he also acknowledges the historic performance of the BJP in Thiruvananthapuram, and "offer humble congratulations on their significant victory in the city corporation - a strong showing that marks a notable shift in the capital's political landscape."
Tharoor said he campaigned for a change from 45 years of the LDF "misrule", but the voters have ultimately rewarded another party that also sought a clear change in governance.
"That is the beauty of democracy. The people's verdict must be respected, whether for the UDF overall or for the BJP in my constituency.
"We will continue to work for the betterment of Kerala, advocating for the people's needs and upholding the principles of good governance. Onwards and upwards!" Tharoor, who is the MP from Thiruvananthapuram, said.
The lotus bloomed in the state capital as the BJP-led NDA achieved a resounding win in the polls for the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, snatching it from the CPI(M)-led LDF and marking an end to 45 years of continuous Left rule in the local body.
The win in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation will act as a boost for the BJP in the 2026 Assembly polls, especially in the state capital.
Of the 101 wards in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, the BJP won 50, LDF 29, UDF 19 and two wards were won by independent candidates.
The BJP is one seat short of a decisive majority in the corporation.
Besides this, the NDA retained the Palakkad municipality after a close battle with the Congress-led UDF and wrested the Thrippunithura Municipality from the grand old party.
In Thrissur, from where Suresh Gopi won in the Lok Sabha polls last year, the BJP won 18 out of the 46 wards in Kodungallur Municipality, eight in Thrissur Corporation, two each in Guruvayoor and Vadakkancherry municipalities, seven in Kunnamkulam Municipality, six in Irinjalakuda Municipality and one in Chalakudy Municipality.
