celebrity

She’s only been in the States for a few months, and already Victoria Beckham is stirring up trouble. Well, not really, she’s just having to deal with people less fabulous than her.

Reportedly, the Spice Girl is an undesirable customer at Barneys New York in Beverly Hills. And with this girl’s propensity to shop, you’re probably wondering, “why?”

Well, apparently Posh is particular about having her purchases customized to fit her perfectly. A source told press, “She buys so much in every department. But she demands it all be special-ordered. And then she returns tons of it—and they can’t put her altered clothes on the sales floor!”

Of course Barneys is denying the story. A rep for the high-end store said, “I have heard nothing of the sort.”

Speaking of Posh, her reunion tour with the Spice Girls is so popular, even Tom Cruise can’t get a ticket. According to reports, the “Valkyrie” actor put in a special request to the singer, only to be denied.

Cruise told press, “You know what, I phoned Victoria but she said, ‘I’m sorry we’re sold out.’

Posted by fathima at 10:02 PM | Permalink | Comments

Posted by fathima at 9:59 PM | Permalink | Comments

Remember when we all gasped in awe that socialite Paris Hilton was planning a goodwill trip to Rwanda? Well, it’s not gonna happen… yet.

The Simple Life starlet has been given the red light by the Playing For Good Foundation. And it all sounds a little fishy.

An official statement from the organization states, “Due to the restructuring of the Playing For Good Foundation, the philanthropic trip to Rwanda that the foundation had previously planned with Paris Hilton has been postponed.”

The sketchy thing is that they never really say why, as they only offered the following statement: “Paris has been a loyal and gracious supporter of Playing For Good but the foundation has to regrettably reschedule this trip. Playing For Good would like to thank Ms. Hilton for her generosity

Posted by fathima at 9:55 PM | Permalink | Comments

Soon-to-be mother Halle Berry has been continuing on with a promotional tour for her latest flick, Things We Lost In The Fire.

The Academy Award winning actress most recently was spotted attending a photo call during day 9 of the 2007 Rome Film Festival on Friday (October 26).

Meanwhile, Halle recently spoke to press about the wildfires that continue to wreak havoc on Southern California - a place that Halle calls home.

The Monsters Ball actress said: “It’s frightening and I live in Malibu too. So I’m worried about my neighbors, my friends… it’s scary. It’s mother nature and she’s angry.”

Posted by fathima at 9:53 PM | Permalink | Comments

In the battle to maintain her sobriety, Lindsay Lohan has to be careful with each and every decision that she makes.

And now that she’s left the safe zone of her Utah rehab facility, the Georgia Rule actress has opted to stay in the Beverly Hills Hotel, rather than her usual spot at the Chateau Marmont.

According to NY Post reports, “The allure could be that while paparazzi can line up outside the hotel grounds, they’re not allowed onto the property and can’t get a clear shot of her coming or going.”

Meanwhile, others believe that the troubled redhead made the decision based on avoiding relapse triggers that may have been brought about due to past experiences at the Marmont.

Either way, so far everything seems to be in order for Lohan - as there have not been any troubling reports since she completed her treatment three weeks ago. Let’s just hope it stays that way.

Posted by fathima at 9:49 PM | Permalink | Comments

Heidi Klum spent Friday afternoon promoting her new cosmetic line at a Victoria’s Secret store at the Grove in Los Angeles.

And while the German supermodel may be the one in the spotlight, she tells that her three-year-old daughter Leni is the one with the real fashion sense.

Klum told press: “She loves make-up. I get my inspiration from her make-up kit, more than the other way around! She has glitter make-up and it looks great.”

“She doesn’t wear it like a woman, but she’ll do the mouse look with a little black nose and whiskers,” Heidi laughingly added.

On a more serious note, Heidi spoke of the importance to stay stylish and sexy after becoming a mother, saying: “I think it’s important to not completely let yourself go because when you’re a mom, you can go quickly into the sweatpants department. You should go back to your clothes from before. Having a child should not hold you back from being the way you want to be.”

Posted by fathima at 9:45 PM | Permalink | Comments

From Kate Moss to Claudia Schiffer, every international supermodel has breezed down the ramp clothed in sensuous lingerie. However, despite the fact that itsy bitsy couture is rampant both on the runway and in raunchy Bollywood item songs, being a lingerie model is a rarity in India. Fropki.com explores the reluctance of Indian models to pose in bare essentials...

It’s not uncommon to find a Cindy Crawford or a Christy Turlington staring down from a billboard dressed in nothing but sheer linen. Neither is it a secret that Victoria’s Secret, the five billion dollar lingerie giant, has launched the career of dozens of supermodels including Heidi Klum and Gisele Bundchen. Lingerie modelling is big business in glamville - if you are a face of a renowned lingerie brand, you are immediately noticed as the next big thing.

Posted by fathima at 9:32 PM | Permalink | Comments

The Namesake has breathed a new life in Tabu’s diminishing career even as she now prepares to visit Hollywood.

There has been a lot of speculation, debate, and anger over the nominations of Oscar news.

But producer Ronnie Screwvala and Mira Nair have quietly been doing their rounds of screenings of their film, The Namesake for the Oscar jury members and have been aggressively promoting the film.

If the buzz and talk in international papers are to be believed then it looks like Tabu stands a very good chance to get nominated as best actor (female) in the main stream awards for her outstanding performance in the film.

The Namesake had also done very good business in the USA and had managed to impress both, the mainstream and NRI audience.

Let’s wait and watch how far and wide this film actually manages to travel. In the meantime, we are wondering what’s the news on Eklavya? Vidhu?

Posted by fathima at 9:57 AM | Permalink | Comments

Saif’s late arrival had Dhoni and his men giving him the cold shoulder.

Our glamorous T20 cricketers are not used to cooling their heels for the filmi junta. It wasn’t surprising then, that at an ad-film shoot recently, they were furious when Saif Ali Khan walked in four hours late.

Yuvraj Singh, M S Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh and Robin Uthappa reported on time (5.30 pm) to shoot for an ad film, for a premium liquor brand, on Monday. Saif, too, was an important part of the ad film. However, for a long time, there was no sign of him anywhere. The cricketers hung around for a while. After some time, they got restless and demanded to know where the actor was.

The cricketers were aghast at Saif’s late arrival and his disregard for others’ time. After what seemed like an endless wait, the four cricketers started shooting their own portions.
At 9 pm, Saif finally walked in. The angry cricketers refused to take notice of the star. They continued to talk amongst themselves, almost as if Saif didn’t exist. He is not used to going unnoticed, so he looked miffed.

The shoot continued till 12.30 am. The cricketers were heard complaining that they were kept waiting for over three hours, that too, for no fault of theirs. They clearly said that it was Saif who was late. Saif, by then, had had enough. He retaliated, our source adds.

Saif, according to our source, said, Main thode hi na jaan boojhkar late aaya hoon (I did not come late deliberately). I am coming straight from another shoot which got delayed. Apparently, this explanation did not pacify the cricketers and after pack-up, the T20 gang left, still without uttering a word to Saif.

Posted by fathima at 9:50 AM | Permalink | Comments

There’s an increasing number of actresses hooking up with professional athletes. First we saw Eva Longoria marry Tony Parker. And after more examples in between, now Tony Romo is getting up close and personal with Sophia Bush.

The Dallas Cowboys quarterback was seen out with the One Tree Hill actress this past Monday night. And from all angles, there was love in the air.

A source told press, “Tony and Sophia arrived at the restaurant together, just the two of them in the same car. They had drinks in the lounge and awaited the rest of their party to arrive.”

After dinner, the flirting continued. “When they were leaving and chatting with friends and some staff at the bar, Tony was hugging Sophia from behind, and she put her arms around him as well.”

The next day, Sophia and Tony showed up together at Romo’s teammate Terence Newman’s house to try out Guitar Hero III. And the attraction was evident between these two lovebirds.

Posted by fathima at 10:43 PM | Permalink | Comments

Amy Winehouse continues to make her way through her European tour, most recently playing a Muffathalle gig in Munich, Germany on Thursday (October 25).

The Rehab singer, who recently forgot lyrics and stumbled on stage in Berlin, along with being arrested for drug possession in Norway, has vowed to stay sober for the remaining shows.

A tour insider told press: “This tour started pretty much as the last one ended. Berlin was a difficult time for everyone and we thought it was going to turn into another tour full of drunken and missed shows. But she has now said she will not drink before shows for the rest of the tour.”

The source continued, “She stuck to it in Amsterdam, amazingly, and gave her best show of the tour yet. Everyone just hopes she keeps it up.”

And with no complaints out of Munich, it looks like Amy is keeping up her pledge thus far.

Posted by fathima at 10:36 PM | Permalink | Comments

We’ve seen Rakesh Roshan and Hrithik Roshan get together for many films. But that was when both were adults. There have been instances where many Bollywood actors have used an opportunity to cast their children in their films for either their younger versions or a new character altogether. The recent one being Shah Rukh’s son Aryan doing a small bit in father’s Om Shanti Om .

Fropki.com lists you a few more of such pairs from Bollywood..

Anil Kapoor & Sonam Kapoor in Mr. India:
Not many till today know that veteran actor Anil Kapoor’s daughter Sonam Kapoor who is slated to debut in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Saawariya has graced the silver screens as a child artist in her Dad’s film Mr. India which was directed by Shekhar Kapur. Anil Kapoor himself plays an orphan in the movie who looks after other orphaned children and the girl who gets burnt in the climax of the film and dies happens to be none other than Sonam. There were not many scenes between the father and daughter that one could talk about. Quite a tragic entry for Sonam into Bollwyood, we should say.

Posted by fathima at 10:32 PM | Permalink | Comments

Fashion is their game and red carpets, their playground. Slenderly-built, hopelessly attractive and insanely desired, prepare to go weak-kneed for the super-stylish divas of Hollywood at their sexiest, strapless avatar by Fropki.com.

Radiant and regal, the super slim Nicole Kidman is enjoying her 'complicated and beautiful' marriage to country music singer Keith Urban, despite the latter's alcohol issues. The Oscar-winner's fascination for off-shoulder dresses is understandable. The dainty, slim creature she is, Kidman carries them off like a dream.

Posted by fathima at 10:30 PM | Permalink | Comments

EU treaty 'same as constitution'

The new EU Reform Treaty is effectively the same as the constitution it was designed to replace, according to a leading architect of the constitution.
The treaty differs from the abandoned constitution in "approach rather than content", says former French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing.

Mr Giscard d'Estaing led a committee drafting the constitution, rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2004.

Several European governments hope to avoid a referendum on the new treaty.

In an article in the UK newspaper, The Independent, Mr Giscard d'Estaing says the treaty makes important concessions to the UK.

The UK, alongside Denmark and The Netherlands, is among the countries whose governments oppose a referendum.

Mr Giscard d'Estaing points out that the UK will not be bound by the treaty's rules on human rights and judicial harmonisation, and would retain the right to "duck in and out of the system as it pleases".

British Euro-sceptics want the government to hold a referendum on the treaty, arguing it is no different to the constitution.

However, the government of Prime Minister Gordon Brown wants the treaty to be passed by parliament alone.

'Impenetrable'

Mr Giscard d'Estaing says the "proposed institutional reforms" of the rejected constitution can still be found in the new treaty.

The authors of the new treaty, he says, have taken the original draft constitution and "blown it apart into separate elements".

They have then "re-attached them, one by one, to existing treaties".

Changes to the original constitution - such as jettisoning references to a European flag and anthem - were made to "head off any threat of referenda", Mr Giscard d'Estaing says.

The EU Reform Treaty was agreed earlier this month at a summit in Lisbon, Portugal.

The document aims to streamline decision-making within an enlarged EU of 27 member nations.

It was written to replace an EU draft constitution that was overwhelmingly rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2004.

In his article for The Independent, Mr Giscard d'Estaing says the treaty was drafted by legal experts in a process very different from the "public" debates that yielded the constitution.

He describes the treaty as "a catalogue of amendments" that is impenetrable for the public.

Posted by fathima at 11:05 AM | Permalink | Comments

Demand hampers Olympic ticketing

Massive demand has caused the ticketing system for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games to crash.
Organisers said an average of 200,000 applications were being submitted through the website every minute.

There were also long queues outside banks selling tickets, and telephone lines were jammed.

This second round of sales has made 1.8m tickets available to people in China, following a lottery in June which allocated 1.6m tickets.

Tickets are being sold on a first-come-first-served basis through the official ticketing website, run by the Beijing Olympic Games Organising Committee (BOGOC).

The website received 8m hits in the first hour alone.

But by 11am local time (0300GMT) just 9,000 of the tickets had been sold.

Tickets were also on sale by phone and at designated Bank of China branches across the country.

Queuing at dawn

Huge queues built up outside the banks, with some customers starting to queue hours before the branches opened.

The whole system is down, I don't think you can buy any tickets in any way right now

Bank of China employee

At one branch in central Beijing, just four customers were served before the computer system crashed.

The bank staff told everyone else in the queue to go home

"We can't process any orders here," a bank employee told the French news agency AFP. "The whole system is down, I don't think you can buy any tickets in any way right now."

China wants to stage the perfect Olympic Games and would like every seat filled with cheering, patriotic supporters.

Organisers warned that people hoping to see the most popular events, including gymnastics, table tennis and the opening and closing ceremonies, may be disappointed.

A statement on the BOGOC website asked prospective buyers to be patient and not to keep clicking on the site.

Posted by fathima at 11:02 AM | Permalink | Comments

Nigeria speaker goes in graft row


The speaker of Nigeria's House of Representatives, Patricia Etteh, has resigned after weeks of pressure.
An inquiry found her guilty of breaking house rules in awarding contracts worth $5m to refurbish houses and buy cars.

But she had repeatedly refused to step aside and allow a temporary speaker to chair a debate into the findings.

Parliamentary business, including a debate on Nigeria's budget, has been held up for weeks as a result of the affair that has gripped the nation.

The affair has become a major embarrassment for President Umaru Yar'Adua who promised zero tolerance on corruption but failed to intervene, despite increasingly angry protests.

Heated

Mrs Etteh, a former beautician and ruling party member, is accused of irregularities in spending $5m of government money to buy 12 cars and renovate two official residences - her own and that of a deputy.




She had consistently denied any wrongdoing but opponents argued forcibly that she should step aside temporarily to allow someone else to chair the debate into the findings of the panel of inquiry, chaired by David Iroko.

The row became so heated that a brawl broke out in parliament earlier this month, during which one pro-Etteh MP collapsed and died.

Mrs Etteh's aides told the BBC that the speaker had decided that she could no longer continue and that her deputy, Babangida Nguroje, has also resigned.

The lower house elected Terngu Tsegba, an opposition politician from central Benue State, as the acting speaker.

Mr Tsegba will now preside over the Iroko debate, which is expected to take up to a week.

Parliament will then have to elect a permanent replacement to Mrs Etteh.

Posted by fathima at 10:58 AM | Permalink | Comments

Nasa studies solar panel rip


Nasa is trying to assess the damage in a newly unfurled solar wing at the International Space Station (ISS).

The panel is part of an array held inside a girder that was moved on Tuesday from its temporary site on the platform to a new, permanent location.

Ground controllers and two spacewalking astronauts watched with concern as the second of two wings in the array opened to reveal a rip along its edge.

Images are being examined to determine the seriousness of the problem.

The ISS is being visited by space shuttle Discovery. Astronauts from the orbiter have already attached the new Harmony module to the station.

Harmony provides a passageway between three science laboratories: the existing US Destiny lab; the soon-to-launch European Columbus module; and the future Japanese Kibo experimental units.

The Harmony connecting node weighs some 14 tonnes and is 7m by 4.6m (23ft by 15ft).

Posted by fathima at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments

Nancy has big hsoes to fill!

Daughter of renowned actor Eric Roberts and Kelly Cunningham and the niece of Hollywood superstar Julia Roberts, Emma Roberts is all set to star as teen detective Nancy Drew. In an exclusive with BT, Emma talks about her experiences of playing Nancy

Based on characters created by Carolyn Keene, Nancy Drew follows Nancy as she accompanies her father Carson (Tate Donovan) to Los Angeles on one of his business trips and stumbles across evidence about a long-unsolved crime involving the mysterious death of a beautiful movie star. In an exclusive with BT, Emma talks about her experiences of playing Nancy

What attracted you to the role of Nancy Drew ?
I already knew about Nancy Drew and I was just so excited to have the opportunity to bring her to life for kids today. The minute I heard Warner Bros was doing it, I really wanted to play the part.

We heard that you were nervous during the auditions for Nancy Drew because you really, really wanted the role...
To be honest, I wasn’t really that nervous. When I showed up for the test I just felt so right about playing the part. It felt very natural. There were other girls, a lot older than me, so that made me a little nervous. I was just excited about playing Drew.

Are you a fan of Nancy Drew books?
I had not read the books. I read a lot of books, but for some reason ND weren’t books I ever got into. I only worked off the script in preparing for the film. Since then, I’ve gotten so many books as gifts that I have read a couple. I think they are terrific and entertaining, even today.

What’s it like being the star of a feature film like Nancy Drew ?
It’s so exciting! I feel very honoured to be playing this iconic character. Nancy has big shoes to fill!

Do you identify with the character of Nancy Drew ?
I think Nancy and I are very similar in that we are both very ambitious and stick with our goals — she her sleuthing and for me my acting. I suppose we are different in that she is a total perfectionist and I try not to be so hard on myself.

Do you have any funny anecdotes that happened on set that you can share with us?
I had a big celebrity crush on someone during filming (and no, I won’t tell you who) so the director had buttons made and everyone on the set wore buttons with a photo of this person. It was so funny and embarrassing too!

Did you do your own stunts in the movie?
I didn’t get to do too many. They had a great stunt double for me. I got to do a few stunts though. There is a scene where I diffuse a bomb and I got to jump in the air and fall down on a mat. It wasn’t much of a leap, but it was fun!

Nancy Drew doesn’t care about what the fashionable girls say about her. What makes her so cool?
Nancy is so cool because she believes in herself and doesn’t care what other people think of her. I think so many girls today, myself included are worried about what other people think about them and I love that Nancy believes in herself and doesn’t try to fit in, just to please other people. She’s really cool.

What do you think of Nancy’s distinct fashion?
Nancy’s fashion is very hip and timeless. She looks like she stepped out of the 50’s, but it is the type of fashion that always works, even today. Her style is amazing. I think you’ll love it!

How important is it to be popular? How does Nancy manage it that she’s not that popular at first?
I think all kids want to be popular and it can be difficult in school if you’re not. I think this goes back to one of the last questions in that Nancy is really confident and believes in herself so it doesn’t really matter if people don’t like her. I hope this inspires other girls to feel the same. It’s ok if you’re not popular. Just be yourself.

Can you describe some of the other characters in the film?
There are lots of great characters! There is Ned, who is Nancy’s friend from home who has a crush on her. Nancy likes him too, but she’s always too busy sleuthing to really notice Ned. He is played by Max Thieriot and Max is great in the part. He has also become a good friend of mine. There’s also Corky who is her funny side-kick. He is played by Josh Flitter and Josh is hysterical. I think you’ll love them. I became friends with everyone, but am really close with Daniella Monet (Inga) and Max. I still see them often. Everyone on the movie is really cool.

What kind of mystery does Nancy get involved in?
Well, I can’t really say too much, but she and her Dad move to LA because her father has a law case for a couple of months. Nancy chooses an old Hollywood mansion where a famous film star was found murdered and when they arrive at the house, the trouble really begins...

What’s next for you?
I’m filming a new movie called Wild Child . I get to play a spoiled Malibu mean girl who is sent off to a strict all-girls English boarding school. While there, she has a journey of self-discovery. It’s a really great part and I’m so excited to finally play the mean girl! I also hope to do another Nancy Drew soon too!

Posted by fathima at 10:23 AM | Permalink | Comments

Child star Sridevi went on to set afire the screens of the south and then Bollywood, before taking a backseat for marriage, writes Afsana Ahmed

Child stars in Bollywood who go on to become successful actors and actresses of the silver screen,are many. But Sridevi Ayyapan of the South is a different story altogether. At four in 1969, she starred in her first Tamil film Thunaivan then went on to play the main lead at 11 in a Telugu film. “I enjoyed going to work, putting on makeup, because that was a different life altogether,” she recalls. “Of course, there’s a price one always pays for success. And unlike regular kids, films became my best friend in my teens. It was more films, more attention and more adulation. I was basking in a new wave. I didn’t have time to stop and ponder about the years I missed out in school or college. For most stars, films come in the way of life. I would rather believe that work took charge of my life.”

Today, of course, Sridevi lives in an ivory tower with her husband and daughters. Occasionally, she favours the world with a swift darshan by stepping out in style for some social do. Bollywood’s original Queen Bee isn’t like Hollywood’s reclusive Greta Garbo, yet Sridevi’s maintained a distance from the world. This is the same talented actress who stormed and captured Bollywood in the eighties after first making her mark down south. She acted in Telegu films, capturing the No 1 position and acted with the likes of legendary N T Rama Rao, before going on to script a name for herself in Malayalam cinema.

“It looks as if all this was only yesterday,” Sridevi recalls, saying she didn’t realise how her teen years passed by. “Today, when I look at my kids Jahnavi and Khushi enjoying their childhood, I don’t miss my younger days. That’s because I didn’t get to enjoy that phase. You miss something when you have and lose it. For me, I was too busy working. But I cherish every moment life gave me when I was growing up. Today roles are being written with actors in mind, and the actors are not young ones. In my time, roles were written keeping me in mind, even though I was just a teenager. Life can’t be more generous,” says Sri humbly.

She made her debut in Hindi movies with Solva Saawan which didn’t do well at the box office. And then came her master-blaster in the form of Himmatwala, which went on to be a super-duper success and set many trends, including the famous latka-jhatkas of the eighties. Sridevi’s next masterpiece Sadma with Kamal Hasan is hailed as a classic and remains the most definitive child-woman performance of her career. Throughout the 1980s, she starred in a string of superhits including Tohfa, Nagina, Mr India, Chandni, and Chaalbaaz, in which her delightfully crazy performance earned her many awards and a much bigger fan following. Sridevi became the No 1 star and the highest paid actor during this time. She ruled the marquee for several years before finding true love in film producer and the much married Boney Kapoor, and the duo got married on June 2, 1996.

Success, power, money, and a rocking career, Sri has seen it all. What if her daughters wish to join films at a young age like her? “I want them to complete their education first. Other things can follow. When I come to the bridge I will cross it,” she says and adds, “However, I am genuinely happy that they are academically very good. I can’t interpret their enthusiasm to dress up, or ape an actor, or love films as an inclination towards getting into the film industry. All kids, today influenced by television and internet, talk, walk and breathe films. That doesn’t mean they want to become stars. For them it’s all fun,” she says.

Busy as she was, Sri had no time for love, but the profession ensured that the actress had her share of link-ups too. But she went on with life. Like every growing girl, she too wanted to get married and settle down with a home, husband and children. “When I was approaching marriageable age, there were parental concerns like every girl goes through. Even I was willing to settle down then. My mother used to show me pictures of ‘good’ Tamilian boys. I would look at them, but where was the time to think about marriage? I was caught deeply in the whirlwind of work. Or maybe, deep down I wanted to marry for love,” she reveals.

And as fate would have it, she did fall head-over-heels in love with the married Boney Kapoor while filming Judaai. Even today, the couple are very much in love. They travel together, mostly to her Chennai house, where their love blossomed. She calls him Boneyji. “Yes, he is a very devoted husband, a great father and wonderful human being. We ensure that we do everything together, right from travelling to working in his production company,” she says, adding, “He listens to me. These days I am behind him to lose weight. Weight makes you look older than your age. I make his diet plan. He sticks to it for a month and then goes back to his Punjabi khana,” laughs Sridevi sharing details of her everyday life.

What is amazing is that Sridevi managed to turn her back on her own life and career after marriage, declining even an offers from Karan Johar to appear on his show. “I am grateful to my fans for keeping me alive in their minds and hearts,” she says. “It’s been 15 long years that I have been out. But I am not missing the limelight. I wanted to be with my kids when they were growing up. I am glad I did that. Jhanavi is like my best friend today. But yes, to come back again, I need something that will throw me off my gear. I should be like, ‘Wow, This is it!’,” says Sri.

For somebody who has literally conquered the world, is there anything more to achieve? “Lots in the creative world. But most importantly, I love to become a good painter someday,” she says.

From the super sexy siren to supermom, today Sridevi says cinema is going through its best phase. “Look at the actors and actress. They are so good, be it at dance, acting or any aspect of films... they excel. When I look at them, I feel I have to learn so much from them,” she says.

Posted by fathima at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments

Dominicans die in torrential rain

At least eight people have been killed in flooding in the Dominican Republic following torrential rains dumped by Tropical Storm Noel.
The deaths were reported in the Dominican capital Santo Domingo, and along the south coast.

It is feared the death toll will rise, with several others reported missing.

The Dominican Republic and neighbouring Haiti were likely to be deluged by 25-50cm (10-20in) of rain, the US National Hurricane Centre said.

The centre of the storm had passed by midday on Monday, and was set to head north towards the Bahamas.




However, rain continued to fall, forcing river levels higher. Several bridges were reported to have collapsed, cutting off communities.

Several hundred people were being evacuated, amid fears of flash floods and landslides, the Dominican authorities said.

The newspaper Diario Libre said on its website that farmers had suffered big losses and that numerous areas had lost power.

Deforested slopes

The island of Hispaniola - divided between the Dominican Republic and Haiti - is particularly vulnerable to flooding because of its steep hills and because many houses are no more than shacks.

While there were not as yet any reports of fatalities from Haiti, the country often suffers worse from flooding than its neighbour because so much of it has been deforested.

The town of Cabaret, north of the capital Port-au-Prince, where floods killed at least 23 people this month, was being evacuated, said Marie Alta Jean-Baptiste, director of Haiti's civil protection agency.

"We are working hard to make sure everything goes well," he told the Associated Press.

Posted by fathima at 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments

Minister praises UK-Saudi links

Foreign Office minister Kim Howells has called for Britain and Saudi Arabia to work more closely together, despite their differences.
Mr Howells told a conference ahead of a state visit by Saudi leader King Abdullah that the two states could unite around their "shared values".

Earlier, King Abdullah accused Britain of not doing enough in the fight against international terrorism.

The king's arrival marks the first visit by a Saudi monarch in 20 years.

'Working together'

Human rights campaigners have criticised the state visit and have said Britain should do more to highlight human rights breaches under his regime.

We both face the same threats and insecurities

Kim Howells
Foreign Office minister
Saudi king interview


Cable to boycott king visit
Saudi visit to seal UK ties

Downing Street insisted the government would continue to raise the issue with the Saudi delegation during the week.

At the opening of the Two Kingdoms Dialogue between the two countries, Mr Howells told the audience that both the UK and Saudi Arabia respected each other's religious and political traditions and have common reason to work together for increased security.

He said: "Some commentators will focus on our differences and ask how we can talk of shared values."

But, he added, "we both face the same threats and insecurities.

He made no specific reference to King Abdullah's remarks about Britain's role in tackling terrorism, but insisted that both countries understood the threat that groups like al-Qaeda pose.

The king's visit has provoked controversy over Britain's relationship with Saudi Arabia.

A demonstration is planned outside the Saudi embassy in London later in the week in protest at the country's human rights record.

One Briton detained in Saudi Arabia in 2000 labelled the kingdom "morally bankrupt".

Sandy Mitchell was working in Saudi Arabia when he was arrested, tried and found guilty of spying and terrorism charges, before being sentenced to death. He was imprisoned for 32 months before a diplomatic deal secured his release.

"It's absolutely disgusting, sheer hypocrisy," he told BBC News 24. "Its human rights record is atrocious, torture is a systematic tool of investigation."

Acting Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable said he was boycotting the visit, citing the corruption scandal over Al Yamamah arms deal, and the Saudis' human rights record.

"I think it's quite wrong that as a country we should give the leader of Saudi Arabia this honour," he said.

Kate Allen, director of Amnesty International UK, urged Prime Minister Gordon Brown to tell the Saudis that their human rights record was "totally unacceptable".

A Downing Street spokeswoman said Mr Brown would "raise issues he believes to be appropriate" with King Abdullah, but added that Mr Brown recognises that there are developments underway on the human rights front.

Failed to act

Tory leader David Cameron said: "The government is fully engaging with the Saudi government while they are here for their state visit, as I will be."

But he added that Britain should always make it "candidly clear" when it disagreed with the regime.

In a BBC interview, King Abdullah said Britain failed to act on information passed by the Saudis which might have averted terrorist attacks.

BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner says Whitehall officials have strenuously denied this.





Speaking through an interpreter, the Saudi monarch said he believed most countries were not taking the issue seriously, "including, unfortunately, Great Britain".

"We have sent information to Great Britain before the terrorist attacks in Britain but unfortunately no action was taken. And it may have been able to maybe avert the tragedy."

BBC world affairs editor John Simpson says King Abdullah is annoyed that the rest of the world has largely failed to act on his proposal for a UN clearing house for information about terrorism.

The Saudi leadership maintains that it passed the UK information that might have averted the London bombings of 2005 if it had been acted on.

An investigation by Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) found no evidence of any intelligence passed on by the Saudis that could have prevented the 7 July 2005 bombings, the BBC's Frank Gardner said.

The Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, has pulled out of a scheduled meeting with the Saudi delegation to spend time with his wife and their newly-adopted second son.

It is understood that Mr Miliband is returning from the United States, where he was present at the birth of Jacob.

Posted by fathima at 12:14 PM | Permalink | Comments

Million back comic for president

More than a million people have backed comic Stephen Colbert's fake candidacy in the 2008 US presidential election on social-networking website Facebook.
In nine days, more than 1m users joined an online group set up after the Colbert Report host announced his bid.

Tens of thousands of other Facebook users have joined about 500 groups supporting the comic's candidacy.

Colbert says he will run for president in his home state - South Carolina - as both a Democrat and a Republican.

Campaign trail

After Colbert announced on 16 October that he would run, high-school student Raj Vachhani set up a group on Facebook called "1,000,000 Strong For Stephen T Colbert".

The group was growing very quickly and began overloading one of our servers, but we have since resolved that problem

Facebook spokeswoman

The group was inspired by a similar movement in support of Democratic nomination hopeful Barack Obama, called "One Million Strong for Barack".

While the group supporting Mr Obama took more than eight months to gain 380,000 members, Mr Vachhani's group backing a candidate running in just one state has become one of the largest political groups on Facebook in less than two weeks.

The group grew so quickly it caused technical problems for the website, which has nearly 50 million users around the world and is said to account for 1% of all internet traffic.

"The group was growing very quickly and began overloading one of our servers, but we have since resolved that problem," a Facebook spokeswoman told the New York Times.

Colbert has already started his "campaign", appearing before several hundred fans at the University of South Carolina on Sunday.

Playing to interstate rivalry, Colbert vowed: "I promise, if elected, I will crush the state of Georgia."

He has said he will run for both the Democrats and the Republicans because he would "like to lose twice".

Posted by fathima at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments

Dominicans die in torrential rain

At least eight people have been killed in flooding in the Dominican Republic following torrential rains dumped by Tropical Storm Noel.
The deaths were reported in the Dominican capital Santo Domingo, and along the south coast.

It is feared the death toll will rise, with several others reported missing.

The Dominican Republic and neighbouring Haiti were likely to be deluged by 25-50cm (10-20in) of rain, the US National Hurricane Center said.

The centre of the storm had passed by midday on Monday, and was set to head north towards the Bahamas.

However, rain continued to fall.

While there were not as yet any reports of fatalities from Haiti, the country often suffers worse from flooding than its neighbour because so much of it has been deforested.

Posted by fathima at 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments

Argentina's first lady wins poll


Argentina's current first lady, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, has secured victory in the country's presidential election.
With most of the ballots counted, Mrs Kirchner had an unassailable lead with 44.9% of the votes.

Her nearest rival, former lawmaker Elisa Carrio, has admitted defeat, trailing on 23% of the vote.

Mrs Kirchner will succeed her husband Nestor Kirchner and become Argentina's first elected female president.

"We've won by a wide margin," she told supporters in a speech at her campaign headquarters at a hotel in Buenos Aires.

ELECTION ARITHMETIC
27m eligible voters
14 candidates
Winner needs 45%, or 40% plus 10-point lead
New president to be sworn in on 10 December
President serves four-year term
Q&A: Argentine election
Profile: Cristina Kirchner
Keeping politics in the family


"But this, far from putting us in a position of privilege, puts us instead in a position of greater responsibilities and obligations," she said.

As her husband, the outgoing president, stood at her side, she said she would build on his work.

"We have repositioned the country, fought poverty and unemployment, all these tragedies that have hit Argentines," she said, referring to the country's recovery from the 2001 economic crash.

Elisa Carrio, who performed well in the capital Buenos Aires, secured 23% of the overall vote, with ex-economy minister Roberto Lavagna in third place on 17%.

Eleven candidates split the rest of the ballots.

Mrs Kirchner needed more than 45% of the full vote, or 40% with a 10 point lead over the next nearest candidate, to win the presidency without facing a second round of voting.




Polling was extended by one hour in some parts of the country to 1900 local time (2200 GMT) to accommodate a late rush of voters.

Besides a new president, voters were choosing eight provincial governors, a third of the Senate and about half of the Chamber of Deputies.

Some 27 million people were eligible to vote.

Economy and crime

The economy and rising crime have been the two main issues in campaigning.

Mr Kirchner has overseen a return to stability and some prosperity since the economy collapsed six years ago, plunging thousands into poverty, the BBC's Daniel Schweimler reports from Buenos Aires.




But there are fears over how strong the economy really is and general scepticism over official statistics suggesting inflation is under control.

Mrs Kirchner's critics have attacked her for failing to outline exactly what her policies are, but voters who spoke to the BBC's Will Grant in Buenos Aires said the opposition had failed to offer any real alternative.

Surprise candidate

Just a few months ago, Mr Kirchner was riding high in the opinion polls and looked set to continue for a second term.

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However, it was announced in July that his wife Cristina, senator for Buenos Aires province, would stand in his place. No explanation was given.

It is not clear what role, if any, Mr Kirchner will play in his wife's administration.

But Mrs Kirchner, candidate for the governing Front for Victory, has promised to continue her husband's centre-left policies.

As well as facing comparisons with Eva Peron, Argentina's legendary former first lady, Mrs Kirchner has been compared to former US First Lady Hillary Clinton, who is also a lawyer and senator seeking to become the first elected female president of her country.

"I don't want to be compared with Hillary Clinton or with Evita Peron, or with anybody," she said recently.

"There's nothing better than being yourself."

Posted by fathima at 12:05 PM | Permalink | Comments

The 11th Annual Hollywood Awards brought out Tinseltown’s best for a night of glitz and glamor. A-listers such as Casey Affleck, Brad Pitt, Jennifer Connelly, and Megan Fox gave paparazzi something to clamor about.

Casey Affleck took home the award for “Hollywood Breakthrough Acting.” And to sweeten the moment, Casey’s “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” co-star Brad Pitt presented him with the trophy.

Jennifer Connelly raised eyebrows with a salmon-colored minidress and a kinda-sorta-maybe up-do that didn’t “do” too much for her look.

But Megan Fox more than made up for any lacking of hotness elsewhere. The 21-year-old babe showed up in a white dress looking stunning. She’s said to be starring in a new comedic supernatural thriller called “Jennifer’s Body.” But for now, Megan’s Body is doing just fine for itself!

Posted by fathima at 10:40 AM | Permalink | Comments

ROME (AFP) - US actress Sharon Stone was in her element late Friday as she coaxed some 300,000 euros out of guests at a charity auction for AIDS research in Rome.
Don't flirt with me and not mean it," she scolded one bidder at the gala auction for the American Foundation for AIDS Research (AMFAR).

"Romans, countrymen, lend me your wallets," she cajoled.

"Just 50,000 dollars will fund an independent grant for a scientist working on a new initiative," she said as she removed a necklace by British crown jeweller Garrard and offered it for sale.

"I feel practically naked," she teased.

Stone presided over AMFAR's first Cinema Against AIDS event in Rome, coinciding with the second annual RomeFilmFest, which ends Saturday.

Posted by fathima at 10:22 AM | Permalink | Comments

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Whether inspecting the destruction, rallying weary firefighters or consoling people whose homes went up in flames, Arnold Schwarzenegger's action-man leadership style has come to t

he fore during California's wildfire crisis.
The Hollywood-actor-turned "Governator" has received praise from across the political spectrum for the way he has dealt with the biggest test of his four-year spell as leader of the of the richest state in America.

Despite the vast differences between the the two catastrophes, many have been unable to resist comparing Schwarzenegger's handling of the fire crisis to the way that officials in New Orleans dealt with Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

"It makes a significant difference when you have somebody in the statehouse willing to take the lead," President George W. Bush said after accompanying Schwarzenegger on a tour of the worst-hit areas on Thursday.

Orange County fire chief Chip Prather meanwhile praised Schwarzenegger for his "personal attention" saying firefighters would be inspired by "knowing the guy at the top is there with them."

Even California's Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer, a possible future rival if Schwarzenegger decides to run for the US Senate after completing his term as governor in 2011, was reported to have praised his performance, according to Time magazine.

Relief centers crackled with excitement this week whenever Schwarzenegger visited, with evacuees at San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium posing alongside him for photographs as the governor checked to see if every need -- blankets, cots, water -- was being catered for.

At a news conference on Wednesday, Schwarzenegger said he believed it was important "to see firsthand of what's going on, see the fires, see the aftermath, and see the burned-out places, see some of the places where people have to stay overnight."

In some cases, Schwarzenegger had personally requested relief supplies, according to reports.

"That's what action is all about," Schwarzenegger said. "This is what you do where there is a case of an emergency. We all have to work together and I'm a hands-on guy that goes around and does those things."

Sherry Bebitch-Jeffe, a professor of political science at the University of Southern California, said Schwarzenegger's sure-footed leadership through the fire crisis had shown voters the substance beneath his celebrity aura.

"I have really watched him and he has performed very well," Bebitch-Jeffe told AFP. "I don't think he will ever lose his celebrity aura, but the portrait has been filled out a little more because of what he has done this week.

"He has been a leader."

Bebitch-Jeffe said crisis-management suited Schwarzenegger's preferred modus operandi, allowing him freedom from bureaucracy.

"The bottom line is he's an action hero," she said.

"That's not to take away from what he has done, but I think the fact that he feels comfortable doing what he is doing -- being an action hero -- resonates with people."

Rob Stutzman, Schwarzenegger's former director of communications, said that a life spent in the public eye, whether as a body-building Mr Universe or Hollywood action star, had prepared the Austrian-born icon for his latest role.

"It's real-life drama," Stutzman told the Los Angeles Times

Posted by fathima at 10:17 AM | Permalink | Comments

A new trend that has hit the scenes. Our Bollywood Romeos are keen on grooving and gyrating to some fast beat music.

Songs and dance have always been a part of the Bolly-culture and have more often than not been the basic reason for sending an actress to the top league, especially if it's a sensuous number. Helen was one actor who never shied away from these, and in recent times 'item songs' have become a huge hit among the people within the film fraternity. Actors seem to enjoy doing item numbers, as much as the masses love listening and dancing to them. But there's a new trend that has hit the scenes. Our Bollywood Romeos are keen on grooving and gyrating to some fast beat music.

Posted by fathima at 8:19 PM | Permalink | Comments

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Fans and friends turned out to celebrate Carol Burnett at the premiere of her "American Masters" documentary profile. Burnett's career has spanned six decades with work on the stage, in movies and, most notably, TV's "The Carol Burnett Show."
Burnett Show" co-stars Tim Conway and Harvey Korman were among those who attended a preview screening of "Carol Burnett: A Woman of Character."

When Burnett first heard about plans for the show, "I said, `Are they sure?'" she told AP Television News. "And I thought, `Yeah, I think I would love to do this because it's a great living scrapbook for my kids and my grandkids.'"

Others at the screening, held Thursday night at The Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills, included Phyllis Diller, "Burnett Show" costume designer Bob Mackie and Jon Cryer, who revealed he is Burnett's spiritual love child.

"Carol Burnett and Eddie Murphy were the two most influential performers on my type of humor," Cryer explained. "And that's a big deal, when you realize that your whole idea of what is funny was formed by this one person."

"The Carol Burnett Show," one of the last great variety shows to air on prime-time television, ran from 1967-78. "That show never would have been that successful, if it weren't for (Burnett)," Conway said. "She was a star who let you do things. And most people, if something funny comes up, say, `I'll be doing that.' But she just let us do whatever we wanted."

Burnett, 74, next can be heard in the animated "Horton Hears a Who!" also featuring the voices of Jim Carrey and Steve Carell, due in theaters next year.

"I just went in to have fun," Burnett said of her work ethic. "That's the main thing I wanted to do. That's why we all get into show business in the first place. And then we kind of forget that. And I just said to the crew and the cast when we started, I said, `We're here to have fun. We're not here to prove anything. We're just going to have fun and love each other and have a ball for as long as we can last.'"

Posted by fathima at 8:13 PM | Permalink | Comments

LOS ANGELES - The original Capt. Kirk is disheartened he won't get to boldly go anywhere with his old pal Spock in the new "Star Trek" movie. While Leonard Nimoy is reprising his role as the pointy-eared Vulcan in next year's science-fiction flick, William Shatner is not on board as Kirk

I couldn't believe it. I'm not in the movie at all. Leonard, God bless his heart, is in, but not me," Shatner, 76, told The Associated Press on Thursday. "I thought, what a decision to make, since it obviously is a decision not to make use of the popularity I have to ensure the movie has good box office. It didn't seem to be a wise business decision."

Director J.J. Abrams announced last summer that Nimoy would reprise the role he originated opposite Shatner in the 1960s television show and played again in six big-screen adventures.

Abrams said Shatner probably would have a part in the film, which is due in theaters in December 2008. But while Shatner said he had a couple of meetings with Abrams, nothing came of it.

Abrams' "Trek" film, whose plot is being kept under wraps by distributor Paramount, recounts an early adventure for the crew of the starship Enterprise, with Chris Pines as the young Kirk and Zachary Quinto as the young Spock.

The cast includes Karl Urban as Dr. McCoy, Simon Pegg as engineer Scott, John Cho as helmsman Sulu, Zoe Saldana as communications officer Uhura and Anton Yelchin as navigator Chekov, roles respectively originated by DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols and Walter Koenig.

Past "Trek" films presented an obstacle to the revival of Shatner's Kirk, who died at the end of 1994's "Star Trek: Generations."

But in science fiction, you can never truly say die. Spock was killed off in 1982's "Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan" then resurrected in 1984's "Star Trek: The Search for Spock," with Nimoy's Vulcan living on to co-star in three more films, two episodes of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and now Abrams' new movie.

"I've got a lot to do," said Shatner, whose current work includes the TV show "Boston Legal," narration for the Christmas spoof "Stalking Santa" due on DVD on Nov. 6, and the prequel "Star Trek: Academy — Collision Course," a novel chronicling Kirk and Spock's first meeting

Posted by fathima at 8:11 PM | Permalink | Comments

HONOLULU - Actor Daniel Dae Kim was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving early Thursday by Honolulu police — the fourth actor on ABC's "Lost" to run into trouble with the law while filming in Hawaii.
Kim, who plays Korean tough guy Jin-Soo Kwon, was taken into custody before 3 a.m. local time and released after posting bail, police said.

A telephone message left with Kim's publicist after regular business hours was not immediately returned.

Other "Lost" stars facing problems with the police in Hawaii include Michelle Rodriguez and Cynthia Watros, whose characters were killed off in 2005 after they both were arrested and pleaded guilty to drunken driving.

Rodriguez, who played Ana Lucia, was sentenced to five days in jail and $357 in fines. Watros, who played Libby on the show, had her license suspended for 90 days and paid a $312 fine.

A year ago, Adewale Akinnuoye Agbaje, the actor who played "Mr. Eko," was arrested for a traffic violation and accused of disobeying a police officer and driving without a license. The charges were dropped, but his character also was killed off.

Kim, 38, was born in Busan, South Korea, but grew up in Easton, Pa., and has a masters degree from New York University.

Posted by fathima at 9:44 AM | Permalink | Comments

LONDON (AFP) - British rocker Pete Doherty was on Friday handed a suspended jail sentence for a string of drug and motoring offences, just two days after vowing to turn over a new leaf.

A judge at West London Magistrates' Court gave the 28-year-old Babyshambles singer a four-month jail sentence, suspended for two years.

That means he walked free from court but will serve the sentence if he reoffends in the next two years.

Doherty, who recently broke up with supermodel girlfriend Kate Moss, must also undergo treatment for his drug problem for the next 18 months, judge Davinder Lachar said.

She fined him 400 pounds (570 euros, 820 dollars) for driving without insurance and 75 pounds for not having a valid certificate stating his vehicle was roadworthy.

The offences date from May this year when Doherty was arrested in west London and later pleaded guilty to driving illegally while in possession of crack cocaine, heroin, ketamine and cannabis.

They were the latest in a long line of drugs offences, which saw him warned he would go to jail if he did not kick his habit.

On Wednesday this week, a judge at Thames Magistrates' Court, east London, released him from a previous drugs treatment programme after saying he had appeared to have changed his ways.

Doherty told reporters outside court: "I have just had enough really... It's just the beginning, you know what I mean. My life has changed."

Posted by fathima at 9:36 AM | Permalink | Comments

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - She can get out of jail, but Paris Hilton is having a harder time getting to Rwanda.

The charitable organization sponsoring Hilton's planned trip to the African nation, part of her aim to swap partying for philanthropy, said on Thursday it was postponing the journey.

The Spanish-based group, Playing for Good, said it was canceling the trip due to a "restructuring" in its organization.

"Paris has been a loyal and gracious supporter of Playing for Good, but the foundation has to regrettably reschedule this trip," the group said in a statement.

The group said it hoped to reschedule "at a later date."

A spokesman for Hilton was not immediately available.

Earlier this month, the millionaire hotel heiress turned TV personality said in an interview in Newsweek magazine that she hoped to shed her party-girl image and leave a mark on the world. The Rwanda trip was to be a first step on that journey.

Hilton, 26, is a member of the family that founded the Hilton Hotel chain. She gained fame as a celebrity debutante and turned her notoriety into a career as an actress, singer and pitch person for products from perfume to shoes.

But this year, Hilton ran afoul of Los Angeles law enforcement officials and in June served three weeks in jail stemming from a drunken driving incident.

She told Newsweek that "before, my life was about having fun, going to parties -- it was fantasy."

"But when I had time to reflect, I felt empty inside. I want to leave a mark on the world," Hilton said.

Posted by fathima at 10:42 PM | Permalink | Comments

NEW YORK - Halle Berry is the latest celebrity to join the Foot-in-Mouth Club. The 41-year-old actress has apologized for making an inappropriate joke at last Friday's taping of NBC's "The Tonight Show."

Berry, who showed host Jay Leno photos of herself that she had distorted by using computer software, remarked that one snapshot — in which her nose appeared cartoonishly large — made her "look like my Jewish cousin."

After she made the comment, Leno quipped: "I'm glad you said it."

"I so didn't mean to offend anybody — and after the show I realized it could be seen as offensive, so I asked Jay to take it out, and he did," Berry told the New York Post for Tuesday's editions.

"What happened was I was backstage before the show and I have three girls who are Jewish who work for me," she said. "We were going through pictures to see which ones looked silly, and one of my Jewish friends said, `That could be your Jewish cousin!'"

"And I guess it was fresh in my mind, and it just came out of my mouth," said Berry, who was promoting her new film, "Things We Lost in the Fire."

"Tonight Show" publicist Tracy St. Pierre didn't immediately return an e-mail seeking comment Thursday.

Posted by fathima at 10:38 PM | Permalink | Comments

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Hit-and-run charges against Britney Spears were dropped on Thursday, but the troubled pop star will still face a court hearing for an allegation of driving without a valid license.

Spears, 25, was not required to appear at the hearing in Van Nuys Superior Court where her attorney entered a plea of not guilty on the misdemeanor driving without a license charge.

She faces a further hearing on November 26. The hit-and-run charge was withdrawn after Spears reached a financial settlement with the owner of a Mercedes Benz that she had hit in a parking lot on August 6.

The incident was captured by paparazzi photographers and videotaped. Spears was charged with hit-and-run on September 21, adding to her legal woes.

Spears lost custody of her two baby sons on October 4 in the latest twist to her long-running legal battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline.

Posted by fathima at 10:27 PM | Permalink | Comments

With her life getting back to normal, Lindsay Lohan has been getting braver about going out in public and enjoying the weather. And she has a new bodyguard to help keep her safe in her endeavors.

She was seen yesterday at Millennium Dance Studio, as well as shopping and eating lunch at Pit Fire Pizza. And according to sources, it was all under the watchful eye of an ex-Israeli Army specialist.

According to Contactmusic, “Her new bodyguard has no name, and rarely smiles.” Apparently LiLo decided to get more serious about her own personal safety.

A photographer source told press, “This guy means business. He’s deadly serious about his job. He approached me recently while I was waiting for Lindsay outside a dance studio and left me with no doubt that if I didn’t move on, there would be trouble. He’s the real deal.”

Posted by fathima at 12:24 PM | Permalink | Comments

It’s getting to be that time of year again. Hayrides, pumpkin carving and scary costumes… Halloween is coming! And Spike TV is already on top of it.

Last night in Hollywood, California, the men’s cable network celebrated the time-honored tradition of people getting the crap scared out of them. The Spike TV “Scream 2007” Awards took place at the Greek Theatre, and there was no shortage of red carpet A-listers.

Paris Hilton, Jessica Biel, Megan Fox, Jessica Alba, Kristen Bell, Hayden Panettiere, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and the Prince of Darkness, himself, Ozzy Osbourne all made appearances at the event.

“Scream 2007” is the largest televised celebration of horror, sci-fi, fantasy and comic books under one roof. Reportedly, over one billion people worldwide tuned in to see what all the screaming was about.

Posted by fathima at 12:19 PM | Permalink | Comments

The transformation comes a month after the singer said that she looked like a ‘pig’


It looks like troubled singer Britney Spears is back in shape. The mum of two showed off her toned body as she was spotted dancing in her garden in a bikini.

The transformation comes a month after the singer said that she looked like a ‘pig’ in her comeback performance at MTV Video Music Awards, reports the Sun. Apparently, a strict regimen seems to have done the trick, when the singer is gearing up to perform her new single Gimme More.

Posted by fathima at 10:12 AM | Permalink | Comments

Not only has the captain sheared off his locks, his new cut looks almost Zen-like in comparison.




M S Dhoni’s tresses have been more than a rage in the country, they are almost a bilateral issue. After a large number of Indian men followed his example and left their hair long and flowing, Pakistan’s President, General Pervez Musharraf also took a shine to them.

While not exactly following Mahi’s mane idea, he told the One-day International skipper not to chop his long locks off. The good general will be a tad heartbroken now. Not only has the captain sheared off his locks, his new cut looks almost Zen-like in comparison.

It is all the result of a conspiracy hatched by his hair stylist Sapna Bhavnani. Even before Mahi had landed in the country after winning the T-20 World Cup, she had told BT, I want him to change his hairstyle. I will ask him to cut his hair short like John Abraham.

And she made it happen. In the august presence of the Bollywood hunk himself, Mahi got his hair sheared. And Sapna is quite proud of her achievement. She says, Initially, I was a little hesitant about cutting his hair short. But Dhoni was very sure that he wanted short hair and a new look. The cut is short, smart and casual.

And has Dhoni got it coloured too, as is his wont? No, he has not got his hair coloured this time. The main reason he wanted me to cut his short was because his long hair had been damaged and he wanted manageable, yet stylish hair,says Sapna.

John was also present throughout. Yes, John was there, confirms Sapna. While Dhoni was sure he wanted short hair, John was having second thoughts. But once the cut was through, they both admired each other’s looks. Celebs are such trendsetters. So let’s now wait and watch how many fans of Dhoni will follow suit. According to me, the new look is perfectly matching Dhoni’s personality and he is very happy with it.
A certain General Mush of the old, short sides and back commando look, may beg to differ!

Posted by fathima at 10:06 AM | Permalink | Comments

Naomi Watts was looking as lovely as ever at the BFI 51st London Film Festival opening night gala.

The actress, who is coming off of a trip to Lithuania, where husband Liev Schreiber is filming his latest movie, Defiance, is in London to promote her film Eastern Promises.

The 39-year-old actress spoke to People magazine at a Calvin Klein show on Monday about keeping a toned figure after giving birth to son Alexander Pete less than three months ago.

“I’ve got a lot of solid undergarments. Good classic lines can also help cheer up an out of shape body,” she said with a nod to her co-host, Calvin Klein designer Francisco Costa.

Enjoy the pictures of Naomi at the London Film Festival (October 17), along with shots of fellow attendee Elle Macpherson.

Posted by fathima at 11:37 AM | Permalink | Comments

With Hollywood romance as fleeting as it is, sometime you gotta go right to the source to confirm rumors. And Kristen Bell was more than happy to report on the status of her co-stars supposed hookup.

The new Heroes starlet was in attendance for the Alliance for Children’s Rights benefit in Beverly Hills earlier this week. She definitively denied that her co-stars Hayden Panettiere and Milo Ventimiglia were anything more than friends.

Bell told press, They’re just great friends. They’re not dating. And it sounds like singlehood is running rampant on the set of the NBC drama… Bell is without a beau as well.

She commented, “I’m taking single life moment by moment. It’s uncomfortable for me because I haven’t been single in a long time. I’m a homebody. I’m a Blockbuster girl at heart.

Something tells us that with a look as hot as her career, Kristen won’t be single for long.

Posted by fathima at 11:33 AM | Permalink | Comments

The big bad world of Bollywood is a like a mirage, there is always more to it than what meets the eye. Whenever a film is all set to release filmmakers put on their thinking caps and brainstorm for new means of fooling the audience.

Posted by fathima at 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments

It’s hard to imagine having hottie Reese Witherspoon as your mother. But reportedly her kids are more interested in Hannah Montana than they are the Legally Blonde actress.

Witherspoon told press that her kids are obsessed with Miley Cyrus’ Disney Channel Show. On Tuesday night, the “Rendition” actress was on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno promoting her film when the conversation turned to the singer/actress.

Of her daughter Ava, Reese exclaimed, “My daughter’s 8 now so the coolest person in the world right now is Miley Cyrus - Hannah Montana!” Her other child, 3-year-old Deacon, is also said to be a big fan.

And the “Sweet Home Alabama” actress is doing all that she can to cover up the fact that she runs in the same circles as the Disney star. Referring to Ava, Reese told Leno, “She has no idea and I’m trying to keep it that way. I don’t want to get hounded for concert tickets!”

Posted by fathima at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments

Bush pledges to keep Cuba embargo

US President George W Bush has vowed to maintain the trade embargo on Cuba while the government in Havana keeps its "monopoly" on power.
Mr Bush said he looked forward to a world without Cuban leader Fidel Castro and urged greater global action to promote democracy in Cuba.

He denounced present-day Cuba as "a tropical gulag".

Mr Bush was speaking in Washington in front of dissidents and relatives of Cuban dissidents.

Posted by fathima at 11:14 AM | Permalink | Comments

Posted by fathima at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments

The singer was taking part in the country’s millennium celebrations and left over 5,000 eager fans screaming for her performance.

Pop superstar Beyonce Knowles has wowed a concert crowd in Ethiopia — despite the fact Western music is largely unknown in the African nation.

The singer was taking part in the country’s millennium celebrations and left over 5,000 eager fans screaming for her performance.

She told the audience, “I want to thank you.

You have been one of the best audiences of my lifetime. Knowles is currently travelling the globe with her world tour.

Posted by fathima at 9:25 AM | Permalink | Comments

How about applying for a NRI status?

Celina Jaitley is finally going places and far, from her hometown as well.

Posted by fathima at 9:21 AM | Permalink | Comments

Dusky beauty Bipasha Basu is back in the news and this time it’s not her alleged link up with Saif which is hogging the limelight, but the compliments she is getting for her look in Goal.

Posted by fathima at 9:12 AM | Permalink | Comments

Portico also invited leading designers who would like to foray in the home linen category, to design a Spring Summer ’08 bed and bath collection for LFW under Portico’s Dream Catchers Programme.

Portico New York, the leading home category designer brand in India, was the Official Exclusive Home Linen Partner for the Lakmé Fashion Week Spring / Summer ’08, which took place from October 13-17.

Portico New York launched their Urban Monk collection on the ramp on the 17th.

Portico also invited leading designers who would like to foray in the home linen category, to design a Spring Summer ’08 bed and bath collection for LFW under Portico’s Dream Catchers Programme.

This collection will be retailed across all premium retail outlets and Portico’s shop-in-shops across India.

This was the first time that a Home Textile company participated in a Fashion Week.

Speaking on the occasion of their association with the Lakmé Fashion Week, Rajiv Merchant, CEO, Creative Portico India Pvt. Ltd. said, “With the change in lifestyle and increase in disposable income, fashion is no more restricted to clothes, jewellery or accessories. The fashion domain has penetrated well into the home categories in the last three years. We look at making LFW a platform to showcase the best fashion designer for a sophisticated Indian customer who would want his home to reflect the taste for contemporary home fashion trends.”

Posted by fathima at 7:57 PM | Permalink | Comments

We'll soon be seeing Salman Khan - in a children's film. Called Tarzan , and Sallu will of course essay the title role.

"It's going to be directed by Anees Bazmi," he tells us. "It'll be fun. I've grow up on Tarzan films, and it's always lovely to make something the kids will enjoy." So will it have an authentic jungle feel to it? "Yes, it'll be shot in the jungle," confirms Salman.

Well, let's hope that there is no wild life around, lest Salman finds himself on the 'wild side' of the law once again. He simply laughs and lets that one pass.

About his look in the movie, the actor tells us, "We are working on the look, nothing has been decided so far. Let's see what Anees is going to make me do. I'm expecting him to ask me to grow my hair and all that."

So when does this one go on floors. "Only next year, I suspect," says the actor, who is currently having a great time shooting for Subhash Ghai's Yuvraj .

Posted by fathima at 7:55 PM | Permalink | Comments

Californians flee as fires rage



California has evacuated a quarter of a million people as fierce winds fan wildfires in the Los Angeles region, stretching south to the Mexican border.

At least one person has died and thousands of homes are at risk in seven counties, where fires have scorched some 240,000 acres (97,000 hectares).

Firefighters warn that the fires, which are being fanned by hot winds, will get worse in the days ahead.

Hotter temperatures and high winds are forecast for Tuesday.

At least 655 homes have been destroyed, including at least 133 homes in one mountain resort community. Thousands more homes are threatened across the region.


Map: Major wildfires in southern California
President George W Bush has declared a state of emergency in seven counties in California, authorising the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) to tackle the fires.

About 1,500 National Guardsmen have been brought in to help firefighters.

After visiting charred homes in Malibu, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said it was a "tragic time" for California.

It was like Armageddon - it looked like the end of the world

Mitch Mendler
San Diego firefighter


Your pictures: California fires
Readers' experiences
Cruise worry over fires
"We have... the weather conditions that are perfect for huge fires all over the state," he told reporters.

"We have a lot of wind and we have dry weather, and that's the perfect storm."

LA county supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky said emergency workers had been "stressed almost beyond the point of reason".

The ground is tinder-dry after a record summer heat wave.

In San Diego county, ambulances and school buses were used to move hundreds of people from hospitals, nursing homes and prisons threatened by advancing flames.

San Diego Fire Captain Lisa Blake said local firefighters lacked the resources to save all the homes at risk.

Landmark lost

More than 1,500 firefighters have been battling the blazes.

A fire in the town of Potrero, near San Diego, killed one person and injured at least 10 others.


One San Diego firefighter, Mitch Mendler, said: "It was like Armageddon. It looked like the end of the world."

The fire in Malibu is thought to have been caused by a power cable that ignited after being blown over in heavy wind.

Among the buildings destroyed in the town of 13,000 residents were the famous Castle Kashan home and a Presbyterian church.

Thousands of students at nearby Pepperdine University were also evacuated. The coastal area is home to many celebrities, including actor Mel Gibson, rock star Sting and singer Barbra Streisand.





Situation as of 8.31 pm local time, 22 October 2007:
1. Harris fire: 22,000 acres consumed, 5% contained.
2. Rice fire: 1,500 acres burned in San Diego county, 50 houses destroyed
3. Witch fire: 145,000 acres in San Diego County. Some 500 houses and 100 businesses destroyed. 36,000 residents in Ramona evacuated
4. Buckweed fire: 35,000 acres. Mandatory evacuation order of 15,000 local residents in place.
5. Magic fire: 1,200 acres burned, moving towards Ventura but not currently threatening any structures.
6. Ranch fire: 41,000 acres burned, 10% contained. Local evacuation orders in place.
7. Canyon fire: 3,800 acres consumed. 600 houses threatened, some 1,700 firefighters deployed.
8. Slide fire: 1,500 acres burned, 20 houses destroyed and 400 threatened.
9. Santiago fire: 15,200 acres burned, 30% contained. Some 3,000 houses threatened in local area.

Only fires which have consumed 1,000 acres or more are listed.

Posted by fathima at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments

He isn't called the King Khan for nothing, and it's this status which enables him to makes stand and interact with top political leaders and industrialist alike.

Posted by fathima at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments

Sir Roger was snapped with former Bond girls Gloria Hendry, Serena Scott Thomas, Maude Adams and Lois Chiles at the 52nd Annual Thalians Gala Ball at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.

At 80, former James Bond Sir Roger Moore showed that he hasn’t lost his ability to charm the ladies when he was pictured with not one, but four pretty former Bond girls.

Sir Roger was snapped with former Bond girls Gloria Hendry, Serena Scott Thomas, Maude Adams and Lois Chiles at the 52nd Annual Thalians Gala Ball at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.

At the event, the Brit star was awarded with a lifetime achievement award for his services to UNICEF.

The actor said it was quite sad that he had to retire as the Bond hero. "Sadly, I had to retire from the Bond films. The girls were getting younger or I was just getting too old,” the Daily Mail quoted him, as saying.

Posted by fathima at 10:26 AM | Permalink | Comments

Kim Kardashian was busy last night attending a viewing party for her new reality show, Keeping Up With the Kardashian’s.

This was the second Kardashian family get-together in the past week, with American Idol host and show producer Ryan Seacrest attending on both occasions.

In an attempt to stir up a little more drama and gain exposure for her latest endeavor, Kim’s reportedly allowing the release of another sex tape.

A press release from the entertainment company that brought out the Kim Kardashian / Ray J s*x tape earlier this year tells, “Vivid can’t take all of the credit from Kim’s success, we can’t let our fans (and Kim’s) know that we’re not finished with her sexy escapades on tape. New footage has emerged and will soon be making its way to KimKSuperstar.com.”

Posted by fathima at 9:25 AM | Permalink | Comments

Congo warlord appears before ICC

Congolese warlord Germain Katanga has appeared before the International Criminal Court in the Hague - only the second suspect to do so.

Mr Katanga is accused of murder, sexual enslavement and forcing children to fight as soldiers in the Ituri region of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Forces for Patriotic Resistance (FRPI) leader is the second Congolese warlord to be sent to The Hague.

Thomas Lubanga was flown there in 2006, accused of recruiting child soldiers.

War crimes charges

Mr Katanga, 29, was told of the accusations against him and his rights in detention during the procedural hearing.

Prosecutors say Mr Katanga - known as Simba - led the FRPI in north-eastern DR Congo in 2003. He was arrested two years ago.

Judges say there are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Katanga led an attack on the village of Bogoro in which 200 civilians were killed.

The prosecution alleges his fighters, which had the support of the Lendu ethnic group, committed atrocities against civilians of the Hema ethnic group in the Ituri region.

Fighting in the gold-rich Ituri region broke out in 1999 and continued until 2003.

The war, which began as a struggle for control of land and resources, deteriorated as arms proliferated and members of the Ugandan army became involved.

This turned a local dispute into an inter-ethnic war that killed an estimated 50,000 people and left hundreds of thousands

Posted by fathima at 11:41 AM | Permalink | Comments

Wildfires blaze across California

Wildfires burning out of control are continuing to threaten thousands of homes in the US state of California.

At least one person has been killed and thousands evacuated as the fires spread, fanned by fierce winds.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in seven counties, with 40,000 acres (16,000 hectares) burnt from Santa Barbara to San Diego.

Some of the worst damage is in Malibu, where several showbusiness stars, among them Mel Gibson and Sting, have homes.

Officials say the ground is tinder dry after a record summer heatwave.

"The wildfires have caused the loss of human life and serious injuries," Mr Schwarzenegger's office said.


See map of Malibu blazes and nearby celebrity homes
And with forecasters predicting that hurricane-force winds will continue until later in the week, thousands more homes could be at risk, says the BBC's David Willis in California.

I can't ever remember [evacuating the town of Ramona]. This fire is crazy

Phillip Brust
San Diego sheriff's office


Your pictures: California fires
Several new fires were reported to have broken out in San Diego county on Monday morning.

During a long heatwave in July, wildfires scorched thousands of acres across California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, South Dakota, Washington, New Mexico, Oregon, Idaho and Montana.

More than 1,500 firefighters are battling the latest blazes, including one in the town of Potrero, near San Diego.

That fire killed one person and injured four firefighters and at least 10 other people, said Matt Streck, a spokesman for California's Department of Forestry.

It burned more than 14,000 acres (5,700 hectares) just north of the Mexican border town of Tecate, Mr Streck said.

Thousands flee

All 36,000 residents of Ramona, north-east of San Diego, were ordered to leave their homes as another blaze razed more than 5,000 acres (2,000 hectares), said San Diego sheriff's office spokesman Phillip Brust.

"I can't ever remember doing this," Mr Brust said. "This fire is crazy."

In seaside Malibu, several buildings were destroyed and thousands of local residents evacuated as flames swept across the hills overlooking the ocean.

Fanned by winds of up to 80mph (130km/h), the wildfire around Malibu had burnt about 1,250 acres (505 hectares) by mid-afternoon on Sunday (2200 GMT Sunday), officials said.

That fire is thought to have been caused by a power cable that ignited after being blown over in heavy wind.

Among the buildings destroyed in the town of 13,000 residents were the famous Castle Kashan home and a Presbyterian church.

Thousands of students at nearby Pepperdine University were also evacuated.

The coastal area is home to many celebrities, including Barbra Streisand, Richard Gere, Pierce Brosnan, Dick Van Dyke, Ted Danson, Olivia Newton-John, James Cameron and David Geffen.

Posted by fathima at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments

Angelina Jolie looked to be in fine form on the Los Angeles set of the film The Changeling, which is being directed by screen legend Clint Eastwood.

The Mr and Mrs Smith actress underwent extensive wardrobe and makeup routines yesterday (October 15) to get into character for her latest role.

Of the movie, an imdb plot description reads: “A mother’s prayer for her kidnapped son to return home is answered, though it doesn’t take long for her to suspect the boy who comes back is not hers.”

The Changeling also stars Riki Lindhome, Amy Ryan, Devon Gearhart, and Kelly Lynn Warren, and has a scheduled release date of November 7th, 2008.

Labels: Angelina Jolie

Posted by fathima at 9:28 AM | Permalink | Comments

A British computer expert, accused by Washington of "the biggest military hack of all time", was given permission on Monday to take his fight against extradition to the United States to Britain's highest court.

Gary McKinnon was arrested in 2002 after U.S. prosecutors charged him with illegally accessing government computers -- including Pentagon, U.S. army, navy and NASA systems -- causing $700,000 worth of damage.

A district court ruled in May 2006 that he should be extradited, a decision upheld at London's High Court in April this year. But on Monday three of Britain's top judges gave McKinnon permission to take his case to the House of Lords.

McKinnon's lawyers argue that sending him to the United States would breach his human rights, be an abuse of the English court process and should be barred as his extradition was sought "for the purpose of prosecuting him on account of his nationality or political opinions".

Between February 2001 and March 2002, using his own computer in London, McKinnon gained unauthorised access to 97 computers belonging to and used by the U.S. government.

He is accused of causing the entire U.S. Army's Military District of Washington network of more than 2,000 computers to be shut down for 24 hours.

At the time of his indictment, Paul McNulty, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said: "Mr McKinnon is charged with the biggest military computer hack of all time."

In an interview with Reuters last year, McKinnon said he was just a computer nerd who wanted to find out whether aliens and UFOs really existed.

If found guilty in the United States, McKinnon could face up to 70 years in jail and fines of up to $1.75 million.

Posted by fathima at 9:25 AM | Permalink | Comments

As Paris’ (France, not Hilton) Fashion Week came to a close, another Week of Fashion began in Los Angles ( Victoria Beckham can follow the clothes all the way home). And Nicky Hilton was on hand to unveil her latest ambition.

Chick by Nicky Hilton was one of the featured lines being showcased at LA Fashion Week. And the sister-of-a-jailbird showed the world what she’s been working on lately.

This past weekend, Hilton gave spectators a look at her casual, younger range of apparel. There were several high-waisted sailors’ pants intermingled with black and red apple print dresses and crop tops.

Up next for the heiress- her own line of boutiques to open in the Gulf region net year. Hilton plans to sell her Chick line as well as the high-end Nicholai label, in addition to sunglasses, swimwear, handbags, and watches.

Posted by fathima at 9:23 AM | Permalink | Comments

It’s only been a short time since her breakup with Dax Shepard, but the latest reports claim that Kate Hudson already has her eyes set on another relationship.

The You, Me and Dupree babe, who was spotted out to eat with friends in Hollywood on Saturday night and at her high school reunion on Sunday, is said to have “realized that she is still in love with Owen Wilson after his suicide attempt in August.”

In what seems to be an odd way to regain the love of an ex, a source told press: “After Owen’s suicide attempt, she realized how much she loved him, and broke up with Dax.”

Meanwhile, other sources close to Kate insist this story to be untrue, claiming the breakup with Dax was “out of boredom,” not due to ambitions of getting back together with Owen.

Posted by fathima at 9:19 AM | Permalink | Comments

THERE’S no doubting the fact that Twenty20 has captured people’s imagination because of the instant excitement it provides. And when you put a bit of history to it, it only gets better.

The euphoria of India’s Twenty20 triumph in South Africa has fizzled out quite a bit after their defeat at the hand of Australia in the ODI series. But that is not going to take anything away from today’s match — India’s first after they became world champions.

And the fact that the match is against Australia — whom India beat in the semi-final in Durban — had everyone talking about it since the time Ricky Ponting and Co landed in India.

Build-up

“There are a lot of things said in the build up to this game. Probably, there was more talk about this game than the one-dayers,” Ponting said yesterday.

“So, I would expect a good entertaining T20 cricket tomorrow and we are looking forward to it. I think it’s a nice way to win the tour—to tell you the truth—to be playing a game like this around which there has been so much build up and talk,” the skipper added.

Though Ricky Ponting said that the World Twenty20 loss was a thing of the past and the team was looking at today’s game as just another match, it is certain the Australians will be hurting from that loss and will be gunning for a win today.

They might not do it with revenge in mind, but they would be eager to set the record straight and prove that they are a better side in this version too.

Aussie revenge

And the Indians too know that Australians will be coming hard at them.
“I think the Australians have been talking about it a lot more than us probably because they want to beat us in this version too,” said Robin Uthappa.

But, India will go into the match knowing that nothing will take away the fact that they are still world champions.

“Get even or not we’re still the world champions, aren’t we? The young guys are all happy to be back. They’ve had a good break so they’ve come back fresh. Again it’s a new kind of experience.

Playing there in South Africa and playing here are two different things altogether,” Uthappa said.

“It’s a very good feeling to go into this game as world champions. The confidence is high, everyone’s enjoying the game and the atmosphere in the dressing-room is fantastic,” added the youngster.

Short boundaries and a batting wicket make the in-form Australian favourites for the match. And with Matthew Hayden likely to replace Brad Haddin from the side that played the last two ODIs, their stakes go even higher against the Indian bowling that has struggled off late.

But India showed in South Africa that they are more than capable of surprising everyone in this version of the game.

Posted by fathima at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments

As reported previously by the Gossip Girls, Julia Roberts spent Friday evening being honored at the American Cinematheque awards gala.

Dialogue from the evening has now been made available, and the soon-to-be 40-year-old actress seems as happy as ever with her position in life.

"More than anything I am just the most proud wife and mother to three of the most amazing children,” she told the star studded gathering of attendees, adding, “And the widening of my life, and my hips, is really just the true gift of my husband Danny (Moder), who I would be so lonely without.”

Academy Award winning actor Tom Hanks was on hand, and spoke of what he learned by working closely with Julia on the set, saying: “Knowledge that no matter how good of shape you are in, no matter how good of a haircut you are sporting, Julia Roberts is, at the end of the day, going home to a husband way better looking than you will ever be.” Then Hanks joked, “Everybody loves Julia, everybody, everybody.”

Posted by fathima at 10:24 AM | Permalink | Comments

Airmen punished for nuclear error

The US Air Force has relieved several officers of their commands after a B-52 bomber was mistakenly flown across the US loaded with nuclear-armed missiles.

Three colonels, a lieutenant colonel and 66 other personnel were punished following the incident at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, on 29 August.

Maj Gen Richard Newton said ground crews had failed to follow procedures.

The incident has been described as one of the worst known breaches of nuclear weapons procedures in decades.

Six cruise missiles armed with nuclear warheads were mounted on the bomber's wings before it was flown to Louisiana.

The missiles were supposed to have been taken to Barksdale Air Force Base, but the warheads should have been removed beforehand.

'Procedural errors'

Announcing the results of his six-week investigation, Gen Newton said there had been an "erosion of adherence to weapons-handing standards".

They did not follow the formal scheduling processes that would have allowed them to do the proper maintenance and handling of those weapons

Maj Gen Richard Newton
Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff


US embarrassed at blunder

"In the countless times our dedicated airmen have transferred weapons in our nation's arsenal, nothing like this has ever occurred," the Air Force deputy chief of staff for operations said.

Gen Newton said the "unprecedented string of procedural errors" had begun with a failure by airmen to conduct a required inspection of the missiles before they were loaded onto the wing of the B-52 at Minot.

The crew flying the plane were unaware it was carrying nuclear warheads, he said.

Experts have said that if the B-52 had crashed, there would not have been a nuclear explosion. However, there could have been a threat from plutonium leakage from the W80-1 warheads, which have a yield of five to 150 kilotons.

"This was an unacceptable mistake and a clear deviation from our exacting standards," Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne said.

"We hold ourselves accountable to the American people and want to ensure proper corrective action has been taken."

Both Mr Wynne and Gen Newton insisted the case was an isolated incident and that the current procedures for handling nuclear weapons were sound.

Posted by fathima at 6:53 AM | Permalink | Comments

The 22-year-old claimed that she called off the relationship with Ronaldo after she learnt that he was sleeping with hookers.

English glamour model Gemma Atkinson has blown the lid on her romance with Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo.

The 22-year-old claimed that she called off the relationship with Ronaldo after she learnt that he was sleeping with hookers.

“I did go out with Cristiano, but it all ended when he was caught with prostitutes,” she was quoted as saying.

“Neither did he dump me, nor did I dump him – it just sort of ended,” she said. Atkinson also revealed that she is dating someone who is semi-famous. “Now I’m seeing someone else, who is semi-famous,” she said.

Posted by fathima at 12:44 AM | Permalink | Comments

Over the years, Amitabh Bachchan has made his characters immortal. And never mind his age and experience, the actor is still experimenting. He is playing different kinds of roles and also appearing in interesting 'get ups' that fit his character to the T.

Bachchan played a royal guard in Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Eklavya - The Royal Guard. In his more recent Nishabd , he dared to romance a 16-year old. Similarly in Cheeni Kum he played a 64-year-old chef who is elder than his prospective father-in-law. He sportingly sported a pony tail, and wore those funky glasses that made quite a style statement. Also, in RGV Ke Aag he played a dreaded gangster Babban – the very filthy, nose-digging, negative character.

After playing such varied roles, Amitabh now is all set to play gambler in Leena Yadav's forthcoming film titled Teen Patti . Leena, who directed Sunjay Dutt and Aishawarya Rai in Shabd , is happy to have an actor like Amitabh Bachchan in her second film. Produced by Ambika A Hinduja, who also produced Being Cyrus , Teen Patti will have Bachchan in a completely different avatar. When contacted, Leena confirms, "Yes I will be doing a film called Teen Patti with Amitabh Bachchan. I can't talk about the film as it's in its initial stages and it's too early to say anything."

It is believed that the film will commence some time next year. Now, let's wait and watch how Amitabh experiments with his character and look this time round. Will he gel his hair behind in ekdum casino gambler style, or what? Let your imagination take over...

Posted by fathima at 12:29 AM | Permalink | Comments

Posted by fathima at 12:23 AM | Permalink | Comments

urned actor Himesh Reshammiya is on a career high since he made his acting debut. But his new found hero image doesn't seem to impress any of our Bollywood actresses. It is believed that filmmaker Satish Kaushik is having tough time finding an actress opposite Himesh for the Karz re-make.

But when we spoke to director Kaushik, he explained, "We are going to launch a new face opposite him in the film, and the fact is that we haven't yet begun our search for this new lady. So, there is no problem as such. I am on the verge of completing my film Tere Sang . Once that is done, I'll start with the Karz remake." He further continues "We are still working on the script of the film and will be ready with the first draft by next week. We haven't started thinking about whom to cast opposite Himesh as yet."

It is believed that Farah Khan's forthcoming film Om Shanti Om is a spoof on Subhash Ghai's film Karz. About his film, Kaushik says, "My film's soul will be its story. It's going to be a romantic thriller. Though it's a remake of an old film, it will be presented as per the current day and age. Himesh plays a rock star in the movie and he will have a totally different look. He is composing the music for the film and will start recording in few days."

Apart from Tere Sang and the re-make of Karz , Kaushik has a four-film deal with UTV. Their first film Hawai Dada talks about a grandfather-granddaughter relationship and stars Anupam Kher and Tanuja in the main lead, and will be directed by Ajay Kartik. The film will roll in December. The second one is titled Dosti Badi Cheez Hai , which has been written by Anupam Kher and will be directed by him, too. Dosti... will go on floors in January.

Posted by fathima at 9:57 PM | Permalink | Comments

The Monster star believes that the practice is misleading the public

Posted by fathima at 9:52 PM | Permalink | Comments

Lindsay Lohan was spotted out last night enjoying a dinner outing at Japanese restaurant Happy Sumo Sushi Bar.

The Mean Girls actress is already making career moves since completing her third rehab stint, as she has reportedly fired her mother, Dina Lohan.

“Lindsay fired Dina as her manager,” a source claims, adding, “She is livid about all this press her mom is doing on this NYC apartment that she’ll never live in – Dina even gave ‘Access Hollywood’ a tour of the apartment two nights ago.”

One has to wonder whether the recent time spent with her father, Michael Lohan, has helped lead to this decision, as Dina may just be wishing that she never lifted that restraining order.

Posted by fathima at 12:23 PM | Permalink | Comments

Britney Spears was a no-show in court this morning - and who could blame her after the busy day that she had yesterday. The pop tart shopped, ate, shopped some more, and even exposed her privates for all the paparazzi to see.

But getting back to the legal matters, the hearing set for this morning was due to an emergency court motion filed by Spears, seeking to allow for expanded visitation rights with her two boys, including overnight stays.

Federline’s attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan was on the scene this morning, and briefly spoke to press before making his way behind closed doors.

“Please let me in so I can talk to you later,” he said as he made his way through the crowd, adding that K-Fed had no plans of attending.

On Wednesday, Kaplan had criticized Spears’ new motion, pointing out that “the judge’s decision ordering her to relinquish custody of the children was barely a week old.”

“I don’t see any emergency or any new facts (in the case),” said Kaplan, adding, “We are going to oppose this.”

Meanwhile, Britney’s attorney did not immediately return a call for comment - as she’s probably busy explaining to her client the importance of either wearing underwear, keeping the legs closed, or both, if possible.

Update: At the conclusion of today’s meeting, lawyers for both parties have “indicated they need to meet further, and will contact the court at a later date,” according to Judge Scott M. Gordon. So, no sleepovers with Mom and the boys just yet.

Posted by fathima at 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments

There have been almost as many teenage romance movies as there are sands on the beach. But Hilary Duff intends to make “Greta” one to remember.

Duff plays the title role in a move about a white girl waitress who falls in love with a black chef that works in her restaurant. And as the summer romance heats up, Greta’s grandparents start throwing up some red flags.

Apparently, her boyfriend has quite a criminal past, and Grandma and Grandpa aren’t too thrilled about it. The grandparents are played by Ellen Burstyn and Michael Murphy, and Diana Ross’ son Evan Ross plays the cook.

And from the looks of it, Hilary is every bit the Jersey Shore waitress. She was seen shooting scenes for “Greta” yesterday looking very authentic, with a shirt/dress garment accented with stalking and high-tops.

Posted by fathima at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments

After all, she did perform the most famous Beedi Jalai Le in Bharadwaj’s Omkara



Bipasha Basu has done a smoky item number for the John Abraham-starrer No Smoking, and though gossip mongers swear that it was all for John, that she agreed to do it, it was actually Vishal Bhardwaj, who happens to be the co-producer of the film, who managed to rope her into it.

After all, she did perform the most famous Beedi Jalai Le in Bharadwaj’s Omkara. So the damsel isn’t quite dancing to John’s tunes, in case you were wondering.

Posted by fathima at 11:02 AM | Permalink | Comments

Democrats fail to beat Bush veto

The Democratic-led US House of Representatives has failed in a bid to overturn a presidential veto on an expanded child health insurance plan.

The House voted 273 to 156 in favour of the bill, short of the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto.

The vetoed bill proposed higher tobacco taxes to provide an extra $35bn (£17bn) to insure some 10 million children.

Mr Bush argued it took the programme beyond its original purpose of insuring children from low-income families.

The State Children's Health Insurance Programme (SCHIP) currently subsidises health care for some 6.6 million people, most of them children.

It is directed at families who earn too much to qualify for the Medicaid programme for the poor but cannot afford private health insurance cover.

Democrats 'hopeful'

Although Thursday's vote in the House was close, House Democrats failed to persuade enough of their Republican counterparts to back the bill for the veto to be overturned.

Eighteen Republican senators joined Democrats earlier this month in passing the bipartisan legislation by a 67-29 vote.

Mr Bush said he had used his veto - only the fourth of his presidency - to ensure he had a hand in shaping the bill.

"Sometimes the legislative branch wants to go on without the president, pass pieces of legislation and the president can then use the veto to make sure he's a part of the process," he said.

Cigarette tax

Mr Bush has assigned three top advisers, including Mike Leavitt, the US health and human services secretary, to try to negotiate a new deal with Congress.

He has said he would be willing to approve a $5bn increase, bringing total spending over five years to $30bn.

He argues that expanding its coverage further would encourage people currently covered in the private sector to switch to government coverage - and that the proposal is too costly.

Supporters of the bill say the proposed $35bn expansion, paid for by increasing federal cigarette tax by 61 cents to $1 a pack, would help give health coverage to an additional four million children.

Mr Bush has previously used his veto twice to block legislation that would have eased restrictions on federally funded stem-cell research and once to halt a bill linking war funding to a timetable for withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq.

Posted by fathima at 10:49 AM | Permalink | Comments

Unions threaten BBC strike ballot

Broadcasting unions have unanimously voted to ballot for strike action if planned job cuts at the BBC go ahead.
Bectu, NUJ and Unite representatives said plans to close 2,500 posts and make up to 1,800 staff redundant would "undermine quality programming".

NUJ general secretary Jeremy Dear said the BBC "must withdraw these plans, agree a framework for negotiations or face the potential of strike action".

It followed the announcement of plans to reduce the size of the corporation.

BBC TV audiences can expect more repeats and fewer original programmes under plans revealed on Thursday.



The majority of redundancies will come in news, programme-making and regional centres.


Breakdown of BBC redundancies

The BBC will also sell-off its flagship Television Centre as it attempts to make up a £2bn budget shortfall.

The corporation has plans in place to ask staff to volunteer for redundancy and say they will ballot for industrial action if it refuses to suspend the redundancy exercise.

They have given BBC management until 1200 BST on Friday to respond.

Budget cuts

Earlier on Thursday, BBC director general Mark Thompson said his plan would deliver "a smaller, but fitter, BBC" in the digital age.

THE EDITORS' BLOG
Our audiences are changing and we must change with them

Helen Boaden,
director of BBC News


Helen's comments in full
The six-year scheme, called Delivering Creative Future, was prompted by a smaller than expected licence-fee settlement from the government.

Every part of the BBC will be required to make efficiency savings.

The main changes include:


Closing 2,500 job posts over the next six years

Creating about 1,000 new jobs, many of which will be filled internally

Making 10% fewer original TV programmes by 2012/13, focusing on fewer, high-quality shows

Establishing an integrated newsroom - merging TV, radio, and online

Reducing the size of the BBC's property portfolio by selling BBC Television Centre by 2012/13

Scrapping proposals for new activities, including plans for four new local radio stations
Across TV as a whole, the BBC plans to commission 10% fewer hours, saving £100m every year.

Despite press speculation, digital channels BBC Three and BBC Four will remain.

HAVE YOUR SAY
More repeats are fine so long as you show programmes people want to see again

Paul Tapner, Poole, UK


Send us your comments

Up to 370 people will be made redundant in BBC News by 2012, but the process is expected to be pushed through "as fast as possible".

Mr Thompson told staff: "BBC News is, and will remain, the cornerstone of the whole organisation. The proportion of content spend that goes to News will go up not down over the coming years."

Plans for BBC journalism include an enhanced on-demand news, sport and local information for the digital age.

There are also plans to build content for younger audiences, including a multi-media Radio 1 Newsbeat.



BBC NET REDUNDANCIES BY DEPARTMENT Responsible for Redundancies
Vision Factual, children's and entertainment television 640 - 660
Nations and Regions Regional news and programmes 510 - 550
News News for TV, radio and new media 355 - 370
Future Media & Technology Online, mobile, interactive, archives 120 - 130
Audio and Music Music radio, audio on other platforms 65 - 75
Sport Sport on TV, radio and new media Up to 20
Professional Services Marketing, legal, finance etc Up to 75
Total net redundancies of about 1,800 expected

Posted by fathima at 10:40 AM | Permalink | Comments

Miss Universe, Riyo Mori of Japan, vowed Tuesday not to wear fur and declared herself an animal lover after a protest campaign by animal rights activists.

"I will say this out loud: I will not wear fur," Mori told AFP. "I love animals and I agree with those who oppose wearing fur products."

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) launched a campaign last week to press Mori to renounce fur, angered that she went on the catwalk with a full-length fur coat.

Mori and other contestants wore the fur coats during the final round of the preliminary pageant in Japan to select the national candidate, the Miss Universe Organization said.

"At that time I wasn't expecting to face this issue so soon as Miss Universe," Mori said.

But Mori said she felt the need to speak out about after being crowned Miss Universe in Mexico City earlier this year.

"I am invited to Fendi's show in China next week and I was encouraged to pick a coat because it will be very cold when I travel there," she said, referring to the Italian fashion house.

"The entire Fendi collection of winter coats which was offered to me to pick from was fur, but I said I would not wear one made with fur," she said.

"I will wear a white jumper that will be lent by Fendi."

PETA is famous for its publicity stunts and for targeting celebrities who wear fur and companies that sell it.

The US-based rights group wrote Mori a letter asking her to "prove that your beauty is more than skin deep" and encouraged its members to send her emails.

Ines Ligron, Miss Universe Japan national director who helped train Japanese contestants, said she encouraged Mori and other candidates to wear the fur coats in the preliminary contest.

Supporting Mori's decision to decline a Fendi fur coat, Ligron said: "She refused even though she was kind of pressured to wear fur."

Mori, 20, has said she wants to use her tenure as Miss Universe to fight HIV and AIDS and that she hopes one day to perform on Broadway.

She added she also wants to draw the attention of pet lovers in Japan, some of whom go to extremes to put name-brand outfits on their dogs and cats.

"I wonder how many children in Africa would starve to death while some people here spend a lot of money on their pets," she said. "We have to think about more than just what's right in front of us."

Posted by fathima at 9:23 AM | Permalink | Comments

PARIS (AFP) - Alain Delon, the 71-year-old star of French cinema, sold part of his huge art collection for a better-than-expected 8.7 million euros (12.4 million dollars) at a Paris auction on Monday

The most expensive work, a large 1954 painting by Jean-Paul Riopelle titled "La vallee de l'oiseau" (The Valley of the Bird), sold for 882,740 euros (1.25 million dollars), or 750,000 euros (1.06 million dollars) excluding fees, the Cornette de Saint-Cyr auction house said.

An untitled 1950 painting by Pierre Soulages sold for 781,976 euros following a long battle between telephone bidders, while Karel Appel's "La famille" (The Family) went for 658,820 euros (936,000 dollars).

"It's a success, the paintings were rare and beautiful. We sold to China, Venezuela, the United States, everywhere in Europe," said auctioneer Arnaud Cornette de Saint-Cyr, whose father Pierre is one of Delon's oldest friends.

Bidding farewell to the 40 oils from the 1950s -- including works by Hartung, De Stael and Soulages -- a smiling Delon on Thursday night said to AFP: "Why be sad, given it was me that decided they go?"

Delon, an art-lover and keen collector over the last four decades, was accompanied by his 17-year-old daughter Annouchka as he gave the works a last lookover.

Delon refused further comment on why he was selling off part of a wider collection hung in his homes in France and Switzerland, spanning the 17th-20th centuries.

Pierre Cornette de Saint-Cyr said the decision to part with treasures from the Cobra and Ecole de Paris schools followed the recent deaths of other French film stars Jean-Claude Brially, Philippe Noiret and Michel Serrault.

Faced with the notion that his cherished possessions could be sold off one by one some day, "He said 'I can't bear to imagine a sale of the Delon inheritance'," said the auctioneer.

Delon bought his first work of art in 1964, shortly after starring in Luchino Visconti's film "The Leopard." It was a 17th century sketch by painter Micco Spadaro.

Other sketches in his collection, bought with advice from Cornette de Saint-Cyr and others, include a Van Gogh as well as one of the last Durer's on the market.

He bought oils by Millet, Delacroix and Gericault as well as Bugatti sculptures and his 1950s abstracts.

Posted by fathima at 9:20 AM | Permalink | Comments

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Some of Hollywood's leading ladies gathered at a magazine ceremony marking the achievements of six actresses and a director.

Guests at Elle magazine's annual "Women in Hollywood" celebration Monday night included 14-year-old acting newcomer Keke Palmer and 82-year-old screen legend Lauren Bacall.

"It's great that the focus is on women, who are functioning, who are all working, who are productive," Bacall told The Associated Press. "I've always been in favor of that, and I've always known that women are capable of going as high as they want to go."

The seven honorees were: director Julie Taymor ("Across the Universe"), and actors Bacall, Diane Lane ("Unfaithful"), Kate Bosworth ("Superman Returns"), Jennifer Connelly ("A Beautiful Mind"), Amy Adams ("Junebug") and Scarlett Johansson ("Lost in Translation").

"There's this idea (Hollywood) is this deep, dark place. In reality, I think that it's a reflection of society in general," said Johansson, 22, when asked how she has avoided running into trouble like Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan.

Like Johansson, Diane Lane, 41, started her career early on (as a teen in 1979's "A Little Romance"). Over the decades, she has seen improvements for Hollywood women of all ages, she said.

"There's a lot more opportunity for young women, and that's great, and I like to think that I was there to help pave a few stones," Lane said. "It's wonderful to have all the different stages of a woman's life acknowledged and appreciated."

Each honoree, perhaps not coincidentally, has at least one major movie coming soon. Amy Adams has two: the Disney romance "Enchanted" and the action-drama "Charlie Wilson's War" with Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. She said both films are spoils of her 2005 Oscar nomination for "Junebug

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Posted by fathima at 9:12 AM | Permalink | Comments

Smith, who died Feb. 8 in a Hollywood hotel, was the widow of Texas oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall II. She had been fighting Marshall's family for years over his estimated $500 million fortune, which could eventually go to Dannielynn.

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Posted by fathima at 9:02 PM | Permalink | Comments

Some celebrities value their privacy so highly that they seldom tell the press anything about their personal life. And Jennifer Lopez is one of those celebrities.

This morning on Good Morning America, J. Lo showed up to perform in support of her new CD “Brave”. And she didn’t do anything to dispel or confirm rumors that she’s joining the Hollywood mother’s club.

Diane Sawyer treaded lightly so as not to pry into the Latina singer’s private life. “All right, all right, I know what everybody’s asking, and I know you have so little privacy in your life ... so, I’m just going to say, ‘How are you?’ “

And the “Waiting for Tonight” singer replied coyly, “I’m very well, thank you. This is really, really a great, happy time in my life. ... Everything’s great.”

And the charade continues…

Posted by fathima at 8:50 AM | Permalink | Comments

Though it’s recently been trendy for ladies to go out sans panties, Catherine Zeta-Jones is one actress who likes it the good old fashioned way.

The “No Reservations” actress was in New York City last week for the launch of her ad campaign for Di Modolo. She looked ravishing, and was very forthcoming about her attire.

The Welsh actress wore over $2 million worth of jewelry by Di Modolo. She told press, “I carry a lot of jewelry with me, but I often get worried something is going to happen. My mother-in-law says that a woman should never put something on you can’t afford to lose.”

Zeta-Jones wore a Gustavo Cadile dress, Manolo Blahnik shoes, and carried a bag by Tod. In addition, she also wore a very important undergarment.

“Do you want to know my underwear? I am wearing underwear!” she exclaimed, amid the barrage of questions regarding her outfit.

Posted by fathima at 8:47 AM | Permalink | Comments

With gas prices soaring, and the environment languishing from all of the exhaust fumes, you’d think Britney Spears would take heed and try out a bicycle instead of tooling around in her V-8 Mercedes Benz all the time.

Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Yesterday the “Gimme More” singer and her sister Jamie-Lynn took a relaxing Sunday drive. Well, it was relaxing until Brit started getting lost to the point that the paparazzi had to give her directions back to her own house.

Then, later the sisters Spears elected to take a coffee break, stopping at their local Starbucks. But even that turned into a fiasco when a customer shouted, “We don’t want you here!” and tried to get physical with Jamie-Lynn.

Maybe Britney is just excited about her brand new California driver’s license. Or maybe the lack of kids to be responsible for made her feel free to go joyriding. Anything is possible these days.

Posted by fathima at 8:42 AM | Permalink | Comments

Christina Aguilera was spotted out last evening, sticking to her pregnancy routine of shopping and eating.

Accompanied by husband Jordan Bratman, the Genie In A Bottle singer first spent some time at Petit Tresor, a baby and children’s furniture boutique specializing in nurseries.


And after spending a short while exerting energy, looking through the selections the shop had to offer, Christina decided that a little post-shopping meal was in order.

That’s when her and her hubby headed over to Houston’s, a fancy steakhouse in Pasadena, before calling it a night and heading home for the evening.

Posted by fathima at 8:40 AM | Permalink | Comments

Riding high on the success of her hit show Heroes, Hayden Panettiere was spotted out yesterday filling up her Porsche Cayenne before making her way to a Los Angeles studio.

The 18-year-old actress has reason to be cheerful, as Heroes broke into the ranks of TV’s most watched shows - drawing 17 million viewers.

According to the latest Nielsen Media Research rankings, “the NBC program went down in the books as having aired last Monday, having averaged 17 million viewers and having finished in seventh place for the first week of the 2007-08 season.”

To get to 17 million, NBC actually took advantage of a new Nielsen rule, allowing the network to add on about 3 million viewers who watched it’s rebroadcast on Saturday. And in the end, Hayden’s show enjoyed its biggest season premiere yet.

Posted by fathima at 8:17 PM | Permalink | Comments

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MIAMI (AFP) - Grammy-winning, chart-topping "gangsta" rapper TI was arrested on weapons charges late Saturday, just hours before he was due to appear at a music awards ceremony.

TI, 27, the most-nominated artist at the BET Hip-Hop Awards ceremony, was arrested by undercover federal agents in an Atlanta, Georga parking lot, where the performer allegedly tried to complete his illegal purchase of machine guns and silencers.

Despite his absence at the award ceremony, the self-designated "King of the South" won two BET awards, US entertainment media reported Sunday.

He was charged late Saturday with possession of unregistered machine guns and silencers, as well as possession of firearms by a convicted felon.

Posted by fathima at 7:59 PM | Permalink | Comments

Gals who look stunning in black!




After diamonds, the LBD (little black dress) is a girl's next best friend. Especially if you're a celeb.

We take a look at Hollywood's women who look great in black. Nicole Kidman leads the pack.




You need endless legs to be able to carry this look, which Charlie's Angels star Cameron Diaz does so effortlessly.




Halle Berry looks good in everything even lying down in this skin fitting black number!




Penelope Cruz looks delicious in black lace and ruffles



Jessica Alba is the epitome of youth and poise in this black gown.




Still wondering why Salma Hayek is voted one of the sexiest women?




Legally Blonde star Reese Witherspoon strikes a pose in this chic number.




Mischa Barton, the super slender star of The OC looks good enough for the runway.



Looking far from 'desperate' is Teri Hatcher. Not too sure about the shoes, though.



Looks like Jennifer Lopez really cleaned up well. A far cry from the girl who once lived in the Bronx.




Scarlett Johansson looking like a million bucks in this sexy number.




Charlize Theron looks far from 'monstrous' in this outfit.

Posted by fathima at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments

NEW YORK - She won't be singing, but Sigourney Weaver will be surrounded by some of the world's opera greats when she joins mezzo-soprano Susan Graham to host the Opera News awards.
The movie star and opera fan will help deliver the third annual Opera News awards on Jan. 24 during a gala evening at Manhattan's Pierre hotel, Opera News magazine announced. The five winners will be present for spoken and video tributes.

Pianist Van Cliburn will present the honor to soprano Leontyne Price. Also receiving the award for their contributions to opera are baritone Thomas Hampson, conductor Julius Rudel and mezzo-sopranos Stephanie Blythe and Olga Borodina.

The awards are named after the magazine published by the Metropolitan Opera Guild, whose editors select the winners. Editor in Chief F. Paul Driscoll said the 2007 winners "have brought glory to the art form we love."

This year's presenters also include baritone Sherrill Milnes, soprano Deborah Voigt and Tony award-winning director Jack O'Brien, who led last year's Met production of Puccini's "Il Trittico

Posted by fathima at 8:49 AM | Permalink | Comments

LONDON (AFP) - Prince William and Kate Middleton are stepping out again after rekindling their romance, posing a conundrum for the British media: to publish or not to publish photos of the possible future queen?

Reports that the couple, both aged 25, were in Scotland together this weekend have pushed the issue back to the top of the agenda for editors, for whom royal courtship has always been a big seller.

The prince and his girlfriend split in April, but reportedly revived their four-year relationship several months ago and made their first appearance in public together since then earlier this month, leaving a London nightclub.

The outing brought into focus once again the privacy issues which bubbled throughout their time together. It also came at a particularly sensitive time for William, days after the inquest into his mother Diana, princess of Wales' death started.

Diana, her lover Dodi Fayed and their chauffeur Henri Paul, who was over the legal alcohol limit, were killed by a car crash in a Paris tunnel in August 1997 while being pursued by press photographers.

William and Middleton, who met while studying at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, were chased by photographers on motorcycles as they left Boujis nightclub in chic South Kensington in a chauffeur-driven car.

The incident prompted Paddy Harverson, spokesman for the man second in line to the throne, to issue a rare statement condemning the "aggressive pursuit," adding: "It seems incomprehensible, particularly at this time, that this behaviour is still going on."

Most British newspapers declined to publish the pictures of the couple, although Britain's biggest-selling daily, The Sun, was among a handful which did.

Britain has no privacy laws, although an individual can seek redress under human rights legislation -- which also protects the right to freedom of expression -- if they feel their privacy has been infringed.

Patrick Jephson, Diana's former private secretary, raised the possibility that the furore may have been used to push for tougher laws, in an interview with CBS television in the United States.

"There are those who are perhaps rather cynically thinking this is William's press spokesman trying to encourage a bit of favorable publicity for more tight privacy laws here," he said.

Now might be a good time to draw attention to the privacy issue thanks to the judicial hearing in London into the deaths of Diana and Fayed, he added.

"The inquest has been headline news... and shows no sign of becoming less important during the next few months," he said.

"So if you were going to make a point about press relations with the royal family, now is the time to do it."

The British media's behaviour is policed by the Press Complaints Commission, which is bankrolled by newspapers and encourages journalists to follow a voluntary code of practice.

The PCC has urged newspaper and magazine editors not to publish photographs taken as a result of "harassment" and Middleton secured an apology from the Daily Mirror tabloid in March after complaining to it about "intrusive" photographs of her walking to work.

While many of Britain's notoriously-brash tabloids regularly push the boundaries of acceptable behaviour, comments from the editor of one of them earlier this week suggest some may be moderating their attitudes.

The Mail on Sunday's Peter Wright told a committee of lawmakers that it was "not right" for photographers to follow William and Middleton around the clock.

"This is something we all have to look at very carefully," he told a select committee, in comments quoted by The Guardian.

"I have been giving a lot of thought over the last year to the situation of Prince William and Kate Middleton and I think there is a strong case that photographers following somebody all day every day whatever they are doing is not right."

The Mail on Sunday's sister paper, the Daily Mail, withdrew the paparazzi photographs of the couple leaving the nightclub from its front page following Harverson's complaint.

But Wright also said he thought it was fair for William to be photographed in the street in that situation, indicating the fine line which the media will have to tread.

On Friday it was reported that the couple had arrived at Aberdeen airport, before heading off together to Queen Elizabeth II's private Balmoral estate. It was unclear if paparazzi are on their tails in Scotland.

The wrangling over the media rights and wrongs is likely to continue as long as the couple keep dating amid intense press and public speculation about whether they will marry.

Posted by fathima at 8:46 AM | Permalink | Comments

NEW YORK - Terrence McNally's "The Ritz" was born during the 1970s sexual revolution, an era of liberation extravagantly celebrated at the Continental Baths, a gay New York bathhouse where an unknown Bette Midler, Barry Manilow, Wayland Flowers and others once performed fToday, its author calls the play, set in a bathhouse not unlike that exotic establishment, "a period piece."

"There was a time at the height of the AIDS crisis that I would not have allowed a revival ..., but I think we're ready to see it again," McNally says.

Enter the Roundabout Theatre Company, which has revived the comedy at another iconic 1970s landmark, Studio 54, in a production directed by Joe Mantello and starring Kevin Chamberlin and Rosie Perez.

"`The Ritz' is a sex farce, my tribute to Feydeau," says McNally, the author of "Love! Valour! Compassion!" and "Master Class" as well as the books for such musicals as "Kiss of the Spider Woman," "Ragtime" and "The Full Monty," referring to Georges Feydeau, the master of French farce during the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century.

"I always wanted to write in that style, and it's the only play I've done that way. I remember `The Ritz' with great affection and I've often wonder why I never wrote another one (farce). I think part of the reason was that it was just so much work. Farces are really fine-tuned. They are like Swiss watches.

"And they are very hard to get going — all the exposition. But once they do, all you have to say is, `I'll think I'll go in the next room' and the audience gets hysterical. They know what's in the next room."

The plot of "The Ritz" could not be more ready-made for confusion: Straight garbage collector (Chamberlin) from Cleveland on the run from a Mob relative finds refuge in a gay bathhouse where a determined yet talent-free entertainer named Googie Gomez (Perez) mistakes him for a Broadway producer.

Not many theaters could produce "The Ritz" today — making it perfect for the nonprofit Roundabout, according to the playwright.

"It's an ambitious play in terms of its physical size," McNally explains. "A small theater can't do it. There's close to 30 people in it, a lot of people with one or two lines. You can't say it's a bathhouse and only have the principals on stage. Where's everybody else?"

Then there's the large set, designed here by Scott Pask. It's three levels, and has, in keeping with French farce, "a lot of doors," McNally says.

Mantello had always been interested in reviving the play, which had a yearlong run on Broadway in 1975 and won a Tony for Rita Moreno, who originated the role of Googie Gomez. Serious thoughts of resurrecting "The Ritz" first surfaced after Perez went into the Broadway revival of McNally's "Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune," which Mantello directed in 2003.

"We all loved working with her, and Joe said Rosie was the only one who could do Googie Gomez now," McNally says. "Rosie is from Brooklyn. She is of the streets and of the people."

"They didn't have to twist my arm," Perez says with a laugh. She had read "The Ritz" in high school and then again in college. Plus she had been a fan of Moreno's since watching her on "The Electric Company."

"At first, it was a bit of a struggle for me because Rita Moreno is such an icon," the actress recalls. "I was putting a lot of pressure on myself. When I called her to ask her for her blessing in passing the torch, she said, `You don't need my blessing. Just make Googie your own and make her real.'"

The idea for "The Ritz" grew out of McNally's teaching days when he was a playwright-in-residence at Yale University more than three decades ago.

"I was assigned three or four students and I met with them twice a week, kind of a mentor program," McNally recalls. "At the same time, Bob Brustein (head of the Yale School of Drama) asked me to write a play."

Out of that request came what was then called "The Tubs," slang for the baths. The play had a well-received production at the Yale Repertory Theatre and was picked up by Broadway producer Adela Holzer.

"It got its title changed because at the same time a play came along off-Broadway called `Tubstrip,'" McNally recalls. "Everyone thought it would be confusing. At the time, I was very bummed, but now, in retrospect, I'm glad. `The Ritz' is a better title."

The play, a success with most of the critics, became one of the first plays with unapologetic gay characters to reach a mainstream audience.

"I kept thinking, `It's quite subversive. This play's being done on Broadway and no one is saying anything (against it),'" McNally says. "I think the play is about homophobia, and it celebrates liberation, exactly what Stonewall (the start of the gay rights movement in 1969) was all about.

One of the actors in the original Broadway production was F. Murray Abraham, who appeared as a frequent customer at the Ritz.

"I played a very flamboyant, very `out' homosexual," Abraham recalls. "He was someone who made a lot of noise about being gay — in a happy, fun way. But, in fact, he was the sanest person on stage. That was a very important step. I think it's still important for people to understand. If you are gay, then be out. It's much healthier."

And Abraham had no hesitation about playing a gay man.

"Not a chance," he says. "It's a great part. The thing I discovered was how naive I was. Because I'm straight, they said I had to visit gay bars to see what the world was like. ... I had no idea how hot it was. People walking around in towels. All that steam. And there was powerful music happening all the time. It was a very sexy atmosphere."

The setting of "The Ritz," was considered quite exotic in 1975, according to McNally. "But based on rehearsals and a reading we did earlier this year, I think it still works," he says.

"I don't think people go to my plays for their plots. They are not melodramas — `Oh, what's going to happen next.' I am more interested in what happens moment to moment between two people. But `The Ritz' is not like that. It has subplots. There are four different stories in `The Ritz.'"

According to Abraham, McNally "writes for actors. His plays are a pleasure to do, but what he says is important, too. And he's like a fountain — he keeps on writing and writing and writing
or a towel-clad audience.

Posted by fathima at 8:42 AM | Permalink | Comments

ATHENS, Greece — Nia Vardalos, star of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," stood under a big reflector on Saturday, filming a new romantic comedy among the dramatic ruins on the Acropolis.
The scene will appear in "My Life in Ruins," also starring Richard Dreyfuss, and follows a decision by Greek authorities to relax their ban on any commercial use of ancient sites.

Authorities vetted the script for historical accuracy and convened a panel of senior archaeologists to give final approval.

"Imagine how I feel being here shooting a movie ... I can't believe things like this can happen to me," Vardalos said late Friday before the Acropolis shoot.

Released in 2002, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" was a surprise international hit and earned Vardalos an Oscar writing nomination.

On Saturday, dozens of tourists gathered round a tiny set to take pictures of Vardalos. The 45-year-old Canadian actress plays a tour guide and has already been filmed at Delphi and Ancient Olympia, birthplace of the Olympic games — a big deal for a girl brought up Greek.

Director Donald Petrie denied suggestions the script was watered down to secure access to ancient sites, saying restrictions to protect monuments were obvious.

"If the script had had a paintball war in ancient Olympia, I think they would have said no," he said.

"The only major restriction for us is that we treat the sites as they are. We don't bring in fake Roman columns," he said, smiling.

The love interest for the film is Alexis Georgoulis, an actor in a local television series.

"It's a romantic comedy, and we wanted a Greek actor who was experienced but not necessarily well known internationally," Vardalos said. "We found Alexis Georgoulis. He's a great kisser, a great actor and a great guy."

Dreyfuss said he had always wanted to come to Greece and was enjoying his time here.

"This (movie) is about the ever present possibility of love," Dreyfuss said

Posted by fathima at 5:50 AM | Permalink | Comments

BANGKOK (AFP) - Hundreds of well-wishers gathered on Sunday outside a Bangkok hospital where deeply-revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej was recovering after treatment for poor blood flow in the brain.
The 79-year-old king was taken to Bangkok's Siriraj Hospital around 9:00 am (0200 GMT) Saturday after he "experienced a weakness on the right side of his body," the royal household said in a statement.

Scans revealed a minimal cerebral ischemia on the left side of his brain, meaning part of his brain was not receiving enough blood to function normally, the statement said.

The king received eight hours of treatment, and on Sunday dignitaries including coup leader Sonthi Boonyaratglin, now deputy premier, and the new army chief Anupong Paochinda signed a book wishing him a swift recovery.

Thai television showed images of hundreds of Thais gathered at the hospital clad in yellow shirts -- the colour associated with the king -- and holding photographs of their beloved monarch.

After treatment, the weakness in the king's right leg improved, and doctors said on Saturday that the king will be hospitalised for at least three days.

The hugely influential monarch underwent a spinal operation in July 2006, and since then he has rarely appeared in public.

Posted by fathima at 5:39 AM | Permalink | Comments

Britney Spears has finally given a title to her first studio album in four years, appropriately naming her latest work “Blackout”.

According to a Jive spokesperson, the title “refers to blocking out negativity and embracing life fully.” The album is due to hit stores on November 13, and a day earlier internationally.

Besides completing her new disc, Britney has been busy bringing loved ones back into her life.

As reported previously by the Gossip Girls, Britney spent all day Friday with ex-boyfriend JR Rotem.

And since her time with JR, the Gimme More singer has been busy catching up with her mother, Lynne, and younger sister, Jamie-Lynn, who both flew into LAX airport on Friday night.

Posted by fathima at 10:49 AM | Permalink | Comments

As reported previously by Fropki, she spent Friday evening celebrating her sister Nicky’s 24th birthday at Club LAX.

But when it comes to Las Vegas, Paris Hilton doesn’t limit herself to just one stop. The heiress was busy venturing all over the strip on Friday night / Saturday morning, making the most of her time in Sin City.

After the LAX party, Paris, Nicky and friends headed for some time at the Social House at Treasure Island.

Paris was also spotted making a pit stop at the MGM Grand Garden Arena to fit in a little publicity time - as she posed with fans and showed off t-shirts made for Nicky’s birthday.

When it was all said and done, the heiress seemingly fit a week into a single night before calling it quits and retiring to her hotel for a few hours of beauty sleep.

Posted by fathima at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments

While Lindsay Lohan just finished up her third attempt at rehab, Pamela Anderson gave wedded bliss a third try. That’s right, the Baywatch Babe and Rick Salomon are now married.

At least they set aside some special time for the ceremony. Oh, wait… no they didn’t… Pam and Rick rushed to the Chapel during an hour-and-a-half break between Pam’s magic show performances this past Saturday night.

And after the big moment, Anderson went straight back to work, bragging about her new hubby in the magic show. “Hello, I just got married…I did. I’m distracted. It’s a big day. A big day at the office.”

A source told press, “They are head over heels in love. They are really close. They have a relationship already and they have the license. Rick is always with her. He’s backstage when she does her show all the time.”

Hopefully Pammie makes this one last a bit longer than her most recent marriage to Kid Rock. It shouldn’t be too hard… they were only married four months.

Posted by fathima at 10:29 AM | Permalink | Comments

First Lady Laura Bush, who once maintained a low profile when it came to international affairs, has stepped into the diplomatic spotlight by becoming a top US critic of Myanmar's military junta.

Ditching her meek, schoolteacher-librarian image, the president's wife has become increasingly outspoken against Myanmar's crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, and delivered mounting calls for the regime to step aside.

The new role is a marked change for the 60-year-old mother of twins, who has typically stayed with issues such as encouraging young Americans to read books, stay away from drugs and avoid early sexual activity.

With fresh authority in her voice in a series of interviews with major US newspapers this week, the first lady blasted Myanmar military rulers as "friendless," and said the junta had "only days to act" before President George W. Bush's administration ordered fresh sanctions.

The Myanmar regime has sparked international outcry by cracking down on peaceful protests led by Buddhist monks in Yangon, as armed security forces wielding guns and batons attacked civilians and killed at least 13 people.

"Today, people everywhere know about the regime's atrocities. They are disgusted by the junta's abuses of human rights," she told the Wall Street Journal.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said that the first lady's involvement with what the administration still calls Burma, is not new, recalling that she hosted a roundtable talk on the issue at last year's UN General Assembly session in New York.

"Hearing her voice, I think it inspires people to think about what's happening in Burma and to join us in taking some action," Perino said.

The first lady is not solely interested in Myanmar, Perino added. She has also spoken on behalf of women in Afghanistan, fighting HIV/AIDS in Africa, and is planning a trip to raise awareness of breast cancer in the Middle East.

"The president, of course, sees Mrs. Bush as a tremendous asset and a very good spokesperson on some of these issues," Perino said, adding that the couple is "united on this issue."

Carl Sferrazza Anthony, who has written several books on first ladies, said Laura Bush's foreign role has expanded over the past few years.

"If you look at the arc of her interests, speeches and activities on an international front, particularly with developing nations, this is not a left curve," he said.

"Struggling democracies and developing nations have been of general interest to her and that has increased with international trips" she has taken alongside the president.

The first lady admitted in an interview with USA Today that she thought her focus would "be totally domestic," when her husband took office, but has since realized she has leverage to bring awareness to matters in other countries.

"My influence is really in being able to shine a spotlight on human rights situations that I want the American people to look at, and I want the people in those countries to know that the American people are with them," she said.

Her contribution has been hailed by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who "couldn't be more pleased with the role that the first lady has chosen to take," department spokesman Sean McCormack said.

Bush's interest in Myanmar was sparked in 2002 by a cousin of her husband, Elsie Walker, said the first lady's spokeswoman Sally McDonough.

"Elsie told her about Aung San Suu Kyi and shared her book wih her, and that is where she first became aware" of the story of the democracy icon under house arrest by the regime.

She began following the story in the press, and since 2006 has repeatedly consulted with UN chief Ban Ki-moon and UN ambassadors, urging the world body to take action.

"It is not like Laura Bush is way out on a limb with her advocacy," said Bruce Gilley, assistant professor at Canada's Queens University and an expert on Myanmar.

"She is basically a voice reflecting a general consensus, at least in the West."

However, he acknowledged that high-profile voices leading international opposition to a regime "can have an effect, an indirect effect, in how that outcry affects the behavior of other countries in Asia and their policies toward Myanmar."

Posted by fathima at 9:07 AM | Permalink | Comments

October has long been the favorite month of beer drinkers around the globe. Why, you may ask? Oktoberfest, of course!

And Sin City is having a little fun with the German traditional holiday. Among the celeb sightings this week was the magician’s assistant herself, Pamela Anderson.

Anderson lives in Vegas currently, as she is part of one of the shows there. And her address may be more fortunate that she thought, if she decides to marry Rick Salomon. After all, Vegas chapels are open all hours of the day.

But don’t count Pam married thrice just yet. She told press that just because she applied for and was granted a marriage license with Salomon, she’s not necessarily engaged.

She told press, “I’m not really engaged. I don’t know what I am… we may never get that far.” Maybe she should take a lesson from her 4-month marriage to Kid Rock and forgo the nuptials in favor of not having to call her divorce lawyer again.

Posted by fathima at 9:02 AM | Permalink | Comments

You gotta hand it to Anna Kournikova and Enrique Iglesias… no one thought their romance would last this long, or burn this bright. And yet, they’re still going strong five years after they began dating.

Yesterday found the couple boarding a boat in Miami, Florida. And the tennis sweetie was looking fit in her white/floral bikini.

Her beau was outfitted in typical guy attire, including a graphic t-shirt and baseball cap. And it sounds like although their relationship is strong, Enrique isn’t too interested in tying the knot.

He told press, “I think commitment is an important aspect of a relationship for women. When women get to about 29, they start wanting to settle down. As someone whose parents divorced when he was three I’m quite wary of marriage. I don’t believe it is important for a committed relationship.”

Posted by fathima at 8:58 AM | Permalink | Comments

This is killing me! As Sex and the City continues to film in New York City, the public nature of the scenes allows key plot points to be disclosed. And this one’s a zinger!

Yesterday, Sarah Jessica Parker and company were filming scenes for the SATC movie, due out in May of 2008, and her character Carrie Bradshaw had a very interesting wardrobe.

She was donning a wedding gown, of all things, and her friends Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and Samantha (Kim Cattrall) were sporting jewel tone bridesmaid dresses.

The scene had the fabulous four ladies and their two gay friends, Stanford and Anthony, cramming into a black stretch limousine. And they were careful not to scuff up their high-end designer dresses (from designers such as Zac Posen and Vivienne Westwood) and ornate hairdos.

How does this all end? Guess we’ll have to wait to find out.

Posted by fathima at 11:18 AM | Permalink | Comments

Los Angeles (E! Online) - The fold returned to Britney Spears—for a little while, at least.

On Monday, the beleaguered pop star had her first visit with sons Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, since turning custody over to ex-husband Kevin Federline, sources confirmed to E! Online.

A nanny who has also been spotted at K-Fed's house accompanied the boys to their mom's Malibu manse and stayed the afternoon, per the court's order. It's unclear whether the fourth wheel was a parenting coach or other preapproved supervisor.

A family court commissioner ruled that Spears could have monitored visits with her children every other day—again, so long as she complies with a number of court orders, including a previous directive to undergo drug testing twice a week.

At times like these, one might think that the sort of TLC only a mother can give would be in order. Spears apparently felt the same way.

The "Gimme More" chanteuse's reunion with her little ones comes right after her first meeting with mom Lynne Spears since June. At the time, the 25-year-old entertainer told her mom to back off, as Lynne publicly expressed her concern over Britney's seemingly reckless behavior.

Sources told E! Online the mother-daughter reunion was originally scheduled to take place in Kentwood, Louisiana, this weekend but that Spears didn't feel comfortable traveling while the court is "watching like a hawk." Someone from the court was going to be "all over" her and the kids this week, she said.

Instead, mom and younger sister Jamie Lynn flew in to Los Angeles Friday evening, briefly stopping at Spears' Beverly Hills pad at around 3 a.m., before heading out to her Malibu digs.

A source said Britney is, in fact, being kept on a very short leash for now and that if she behaves until her next court hearing, on Oct. 26, the commissioner's supervised visitation order could be relaxed.

The court-ordered monitor also has the authority to "terminate visitation immediately if any conduct or action by [Spears] endangers the minor children."

Meanwhile, Blackout, Spears' first studio album in four years, is on target for a Nov. 13 debut. "Gimme More" topped the digital song charts last week, and its video had its broadcast premiere Monday on MTV's TRL.

Posted by fathima at 11:35 AM | Permalink | Comments

On Saturday night, an always-sexy Shakira showed up at the Apollo Theater with longtime beau Antonio de la Rua not far behind.

The Colombian sensation was there joining U2’s Bono, comedian Chris Rock, and fellow musician Alicia Keys in appearing at a forum for youth activism - which was sponsored by MTV and spearheaded by former president Bill Clinton.

The former president told the crowd, “We’re here tonight because young people here have more opportunity than ever before to change history.”

According to press on the scene, “The night was a mixture of music and also answering questions from the mostly college-age audience.”

Posted by fathima at 3:18 AM | Permalink | Comments

NEW YORK - Martha Stewart says she chose the bonsai as the symbol of a geriatric center that bears her name becaWith the proper care and nurturing, a bonsai tree can live for well over a hundred years," Stewart said in a statement.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Martha Stewart Center for Living at Mount Sinai Medical Center was set to take place Tuesday.

Stewart, 66, donated $5 million for the outpatient clinic in Manhattan, which she is dedicating to her 93-year-old mother, Martha Kostyra.

Stewart said she wanted the center, which is expected to open in November, to encourage older patients to "embrace a healthier lifestyle."

"We all want to live for many, many years but it's important to have a good quality of life, too," she said.

The home decorating diva worked closely with C.C. Pei, the son of I.M. Pei, on the center's design, personally selecting the earth-tone color schemes and stone flooring.

Stewart is the founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc., a multimedia empire dedicated to stylish living.

___

Posted by fathima at 3:04 AM | Permalink | Comments

You’d think that after losing a lengthy, arduous custody trial, Britney Spears would be spending some time getting her crap together. But you’d be wrong.

Sources say that just hours after the “Gimme More” singer dropped her two sons off to their father Kevin Federline’s bodyguards, she was back to life as usual.

Witnesses report that Spears was smiling as she walked into Epitome, her favorite tanning salon in Bel Air. Then, later last night the troubled pop singer hired a driver and was seen gallivanting around Los Angeles.

That’s right; Brit was seen leaving the swanky Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills headed for a night on the town. The fact that she wasn’t driving may mean that she FINALLY got the point about breaking the law leading to losing her children.

Posted by fathima at 9:51 AM | Permalink | Comments

Hollywood's shortest celebrity marriages

Since her divorce from Tommy Lee, Pamela Anderson had become engaged to both the model Marcus Schenkenberg and the singer Kid Rock.




She finally wed Rock on July 29, 2006 on a yacht near St. Tropez, France.They married three times in France, Beverly Hills and Tennessee. By Thanksgiving, the couple had called it quits after less than four months of wedded bliss.




Jennifer Lopez met dancer Cris Judd while filming the music video for her single "Love Don't Cost a Thing". The two were married on September 29, 2001, at a home in a Los Angeles suburb. Their marriage ended in August 2002.



Four months after that, Lopez announced her engagement to actor Ben Affleck. But Lopez eventually called it quits with Affleck and married singer Marc Anthony in June 2004 instead.





Actor and Elvis fan Nicolas Cage tied the knot in a secret ceremony in Hawaii with the King's daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, on Aug. 10, 2002, after a year long courtship.



But the 'Gone in 60 Seconds' star was gone in under four months, citing irreconcilable differences in divorce papers filed in November. "I'm sad about this," Presley said in a statement, "but we shouldn't have been married in the first place. It was a big mistake."




On May 9, 2005, Renee Zellweger married singer Kenny Chesney in a ceremony at the island of St. John. They had met in January at a tsunami relief benefit concert. But Zellweger was down with love when she filed for an annulment four months later, citing "fraud" as the reason. The actress later issued a statement saying the term was "simply legal language and not a reflection of Kenny's character."



Actress Drew Barrymore was head over heels in love with bar owner Jeremy Thomas when they married in March 1994 after a six-week romance. She filed for divorce in April. In July 2001, she wed funnyman comedian Tom Green (pictured). He filed for divorce in December, citing "irreconcilable differences," which happens to be the title of a 1984 Barrymore movie.




American actress and TV director Shannen Doherty (of 'Beverly Hills, 90210' fame) married Ashley Hamilton, son of actor George Hamilton, in September 1993 after a two-week romance. The couple split after six months. In February 2002, the 'Charmed' actress married Paris Hilton's former sex-tape co-star Richard Salomon, but that union also fizzled out in nine months.




Actress Robin Givens achieved prominence as the wife (1988-1989) of heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson with whom she shared a mansion in the affluent suburb of Bernardsville, New Jersey.They divorced, however, after Givens accused Tyson of spousal abuse. Shegave love another shot. She married her tennis instructor Svetozar Marinkovic in 1997, only to find that a love match on the tennis court didn't play out in a court of law. They separated the same day, according to the New York Post, citing "irreconcilable differences."



Colin Farrell married English actress Amelia Warner on a Tahitian island in July 2001 and divorced her four months later. He tattooed her nickname "Millie" on his ring finger, according to USA Today. "I was madly in love. Jesus, it was a whole thing. I asked her to marry me. I had a ring," Farrell told GQ years after the couple split. "There was a time I thought I'd spend the rest of my life with this girl. That time didn't last that long, and that was that." "That" lasted four months.




In 1995, actor Charlie Sheen married model Donna Peele in Malibu after a whirlwind courtship. Sheen said "I do" to Peele and promised to forsake all others, which presumably included the call girls he spent $53,000 to hire, according to his testimony earlier that year at the trial of Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss. The marriage lasted a little more than a year - September 3, 1995 to November 19, 1996. In 1996, Sheen announced that he had become a born-again Christian.




'Baywatch' beauty Carmen Electra achieved publicity during her on-again, off-again marriage to basketball star Dennis Rodman from 1998 to 1999.




Actress Carmen and NBA star Dennis Rodman got hitched in Las Vegas in November 1998. Just nine days later, like Cher and Allman before them, Rodman announced he was seeking an annulment and Electra filed for divorce in April. The odd couple soon reunitedand couldn't seem to leave love alone until a judge ordered them to stay 500 feet away from each other after a nasty lovers' quarrel in their hotel room in November 1999 that left Electra with a swollen lip and Rodman with torn clothes.

Posted by fathima at 10:36 AM | Permalink | Comments

She’s been spending more time in the courtroom than in the recording studio, and now Britney Spears may have yet another legal problem to deal with.

Reports tell that Kevin Federline’s attorney met with Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon on Thursday morning in an in-chambers ex-parte hearing. And while the details of the meeting haven’t been disclosed, there’s plenty of speculation pointing out possible reasons.

Remember back in August when the “Gimme More” singer was involved in the parking lot hit-and-run? She was also charged with not having a valid driver’s license. And if she hasn’t obtained one in the past two months, she could be in serious trouble.

Why, you ask? Well, this past Tuesday, the troubled pop singer was photographed driving a car with her two sons in the back seat. If she’s driving unlicensed with Sean Preston and Jayden James, K-Fed has all kinds of ammo with which to get full custody of the boys.

Posted by fathima at 10:14 AM | Permalink | Comments

With such a busy schedule and a baby on the way, it’s a good thing that Christina Aguilera has been getting in her beauty sleep.

Just yesterday, the pregnant pop diva started off with a filming session for her upcoming “Oh Mother” music video - a track off of her third studio album, Back to Basics.

After wrapping the video shoot for the day, the Tell Me singer was spotted out for a late lunch with husband Jordan Bratman at the Hollywood eatery Magnolia.

How does she keep it all up? By avoiding the Hollywood club scene, of course. Christina recently told press, “We have this new thing about staying in and being cozy. Just the two of us hanging out at home, snuggling up on the sofas.”

Posted by fathima at 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments

It was a momentous occasion for R & B sensation Rihanna on Thursday. The Good Girl Gone Bad made her catwalk debut for Canadian label Dsquared at Milan’s ready-to-wear fashion shows.

The 19-year-old Barbados native worked the runway in a black “baby doll-style dress” while her hit tune Umbrella played in the background.

After Rihanna’s turn, a number of other models took to the stage for the designer brothers, Dean and Dan Caten.

And in the finale, Rihanna hit the stage in a revealing purple gown with cut-out sides, joining the brothers on stage.

Fortunately there were no catwalk mishaps, to which Rihanna said, “That’s the worst thing! You have to go for fittings to make sure the stuff is pretty secure!”

Posted by fathima at 11:14 AM | Permalink | Comments

Britney Spears has received a California driver's license to comply with a court order in her child custody case, a state official said Wednesday.

The temporary driver's license was issued late Tuesday in Santa Monica, said Mike Marando, deputy director of communications for the state Department of Motor Vehicles.

"She has completed her requirements for a driver's license," he said.

Among her recent problems, Spears was charged with misdemeanor counts of hit-and-run and driving without a valid license for allegedly crashing into a parked car in August.

Monday's court order to temporarily surrender custody of her two sons to former husband Kevin Federline came after the 25-year-old pop star failed to produce a California driver's license and allegedly missed a drug and alcohol test as ordered by the court, said her lawyer, Sorrell Trope.

A hearing was scheduled later Wednesday for more custody proceedings between Spears and Federline involving their sons, Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1.

How well the kids will fare with Federline remains to be seen.

The 29-year-old father of four left his girlfriend, Shar Jackson, while she was pregnant with their son, Kaleb. (Federline and Jackson also have a 5-year-old daughter, Kori.)

Federline first met Spears in passing in 1999 when he was a backup dancer for a boy band. The pair married in October 2004, quickly had two children and split just after their second son was born. (Spears filed for divorce last November and it became official in July.)

That track record aside, Dorian Traube, a professor of social work at the University of Southern California, said: "Lately, he's really kind of stepped up as a father. We don't hear much about how he parents his other kids. But with his children with Britney, he's gone to great lengths to keep them out of the public eye and he's gone to great lengths to keep the grandparents involved."

While Spears made her now infamous appearance on the MTV Video Music Awards, Federline hosted a birthday party for the couple's two boys. Spears bounces among houses and high-priced hotels, while Federline keeps a home in the family oriented suburban community of Tarzana, Calif.

"He recently put a safety fence around his pool," said Traube, who has followed the couple's ups and downs closely through news reports. "He is genuinely worried about the welfare of his children and what they might be experiencing when they're with their mother."

It's a change from a year ago, when Federline was a party-circuit regular preparing to release his debut album. Even then, though, he talked about waking up with his children, tucking them in at night and building a home studio so he could stay close to them.

"I would just work out of my house the whole time and I could spend as much time as I needed to spend with my children," Federline told The Associated Press in October 2006. "But it's still never enough."

Spears has been spiraling downward since she and Federline split. She was photographed without underwear and appeared to be drunk and out-of-control. Then she shaved her head, beat a car with an umbrella and ended up spending a month in rehab.

Monday night, after learning she would lose custody of her kids indefinitely, Spears showed up for a stay at a posh Beverly Hills hotel.

"Hopefully this will be the impetus for some positive change for Britney, and then for the kids as a result," said USC sociologist Julie Albright, a marriage and family therapist. "It's really unfortunate because the kids are the ultimate victims."

Posted by fathima at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments

The CW launched its new series Gossip Girl last week and based upon initial reviews, it has the potential for another winner. With a host of fresh new faces, supported by the creative genius that made the O.C. a household name and CW superstar Kristen Bell providing the voice over, Gossip Girl has all the makings for a strong multi-year series.


The first episode of the show lived up to its trailers, as viewers moved from one scenario to the next that featured “young royalty” moving through the NY social and educational sub cultures.

As with all pilots, a lot of information was crammed into the first episode in order to set the tone and define characters for future episodes. And while this fast pace made it feel like the show was whizzing past you, one can only hope that the director slows things down a little for future episodes.

In many ways, Gossip Girl follows the standard plot of once best friends suddenly finding reasons to hate each other and then dragging everyone else into their drama; however it does have one twist that spiced up the show. A central theme of the Gossip Girl show is that there is a mystery person running a gossip website that posts all of the “dirt” about other cast members, and after the first episode, viewers are left with several potential suspects.

Stay tuned as Fropki will provide a more in-depth look at the show and cast members.

Posted by fathima at 9:27 AM | Permalink | Comments

Good things come in threes, right? They always say “Third time is a charm.” Or “Go for the hat trick.” Well, this weekend with mark Lindsay Lohan’s third release from rehab. Let’s hope it’s a lucky one.

The Georgia Rule actress is said to be leaving the Cirque Lodge in Orem, Utah in a matter of days. And according to her mother, Lilo will be working a bit, and then headed off to Europe to travel and study.

Lohan has been a resident of the rehab center since the beginning of August, when she had her most recent drug/alcohol breakdown.

Whether or not she’ll keep herself clean is a widely debated point. On one hand, you gotta hope that she’s FINALLY learned her lesson. But on the other hand, we’re all hoping that she doesn’t get behind the wheel for a few years.

Posted by fathima at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments

Kate Hudson has been keeping herself busy on the set of her latest movie, Bachelor No. 2. The comedy boasts a noteworthy cast including: Kate, Alec Baldwin, Dane Cook, and Jason Biggs.

The “You, Me and Dupree” actress most recently was spotted filming a jogging scene along the city’s streets, drawing the attention of Boston area students and residents.

According to producer Greg Lessans, “Bachelor No. 2 tells the story of Dustin (Biggs) and Tank (Cook), whose the biggest jerk in the world. Dustin hires Tank to take his ex-girlfriend, played by Hudson, on a date. The date is intended to go horribly wrong, causing Alexis (Hudson) to return to Dustin.”

“It’s basically about a guy who is such a jerk, who, if I were to cheat on my wife, I would hire him to take her out and show her the worst night of her life so that she would come running back to me,” Lessans added.

Posted by fathima at 10:10 AM | Permalink | Comments