TQS Staff
Organisers of the Arab Shooting Championships Award Ceremony in Kuwait have faced criticism after a comedic song from the 2006 film and pop culture phenemenon Borat was played instead of the Kazakh national anthem. Kazakh gold medallist Maria Dmitrienko looked bemused as the song was played in full during the ceremony on Thursday. The comedic lyrics – which include references to Kazakh prostitutes being the “cleanest in region” and offers “come grasp the mighty penis of our leader” – were made famous by comedian Sacha Baron Cohen in the 2006 film Borat: Cultural Learnings of America For Make Benefit Glorious… The grandson of Lawrence of Arabia actor Omar Sharif has shed light on the persecution of gay men in Egypt through his coming out earlier this week…. 
This week in pop culture: The cutting of Adele’s Brits acceptance speech sparks outrage (below), J.K. Rowling reveals the latest on her first novel since the Harry Potter series, and Coronation Street bosses defend controversial Carla Connor rape storyline. Stars and Fans in Uproar after Adele’s Brits Acceptance Speech Cut Short Celebrities have hit back at television bosses after multi-platinum singer Adele had her acceptance speech cut short at Tuesday night’s Brit Awards. The 23-year-old singer, who was picking up the award for Best Album, briefly expressed her gratitude before presenter James Corden apologised for having to cut the speech… 
This week: Madonna’s new video goes viral, The King’s Speech makes its stage debut and Miley Cyrus calls for gay marriage in the USA. Madonna unleashes highly anticipated new video The long-awaited new video from Queen of Pop, Madonna, was uploaded to the internet and screened on billboards in London, Paris and New York on Thursday. The video, entitled Give Me All Your Luvin’, features Nicki Minaj and British recording artist M.I.A dressed as cheerleaders. The release of the video arrived ahead of the Material Girl’s performance during the halftime show at Sunday’s Super Bowl in the US. The official… 
In a new weekly feature on TQS, Jamie Fisher (Twitter: @j_fishman) will be picking three news items or pop culture events that caught his eye and give you his round up and analysis. Etta James dies Music artists across the globe mourned the death of At Last singer Etta James, aged 73, on Friday. BBC News reports that the legendary Chess record label artist – who had been battling leukaemia – passed away in a hospital in Riverside, California with her husband, Artis Mills, and their two sons at her bedside. I’ll admit: I am writing with a lump in… 
In anticipation of the much talked about release of The Hunger Games early next year, a film about the brutal annual fight to the death between children, we thought we’d take a look at some of cinema’s (and other fiction’s) most ultra-violent sports as well as give a survival rating for each one, from Tron’s Disc Wars to the cruelty of Pokemon, fancy your chances?…
