Friday, February 29, 2008

Clinton may challenge Texas vote rules

Clinton may challenge Texas vote rules

LAREDO, Texas - Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign has raised the possibility of a challenge to Texas' primary and caucus rules just days before the contest, drawing a warning against legal action from the state's Democratic Party.Aides to Clinton said earlier this week they were alarmed at the lack of clarity about many of the caucus rules and expressed their concerns on a conference call with staff for rival Barack Obama and state party officials. Texas has a two-step voting process, with a primary and then caucuses shortly after the polls close.

Specifically, Clinton aides questioned a provision allowing caucus attendees to vote to move the location if they choose to do so, and whether people who had cast so-called "provisional ballots" in the primary would have their votes counted in the caucus.

Clinton political director Guy Cecil said he asked party officials to spell out the rules in memo form and to send them to both campaigns.

"We want to see the results in writing, and we reserve the right to challenge something if we don't believe it reflects something that was discussed on the call," he said.

Cecil on Friday denied that the campaign planned to sue the party, which will manage roughly 8,700 caucuses Tuesday evening.

"There were no veiled threats of lawsuits of any kind," Cecil said of the conference call.

Texas party officials said they believed Cecil was threatening legal action and wrote a letter to him and to Obama senior strategist Steve Hildebrand reflecting that concern.

"If it is true that litigation is imminent between one or both of your campaigns and the Texas Democratic Party, such action could prove to be a tragedy for a reinvigorated democratic process that is involving a record number of participants here in Texas and across the nation," party attorney Chad Dunn wrote. "Litigation regarding the TDP could cripple the momentum of a resurging Texas Democratic Party and ultimately the November 2008 election."

The letter also noted that many of Clinton's senior campaign advisers in Texas had helped to develop the rules governing the state's caucus system. A Texas party official also noted that former President Clinton won the state's caucuses in 1992 and 1996 following the same rules.

Obama has had a clear edge in caucuses, winning 13 to her two.

Texas has 193 delegates up for grabs Tuesday. Of those delegates, 126 will come from the primary, and 67 from the caucus.

Posted by fathima at 8:52 AM | | Comments

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Kim Kardashian's Killer Curves

Kim Kardashian's Killer Curves

Showing the world her shapely form, Kim Kardashian was spotted shopping at Madison on Robertson Boulevard in Beverly Hills yesterday.

The "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" starlet was wearing a cream cashmere dress that laid just right to accentuate her assets. She also rocked a pair of cream-colored knee high leather high heeled boots.

Kim has a lot going on as of late, due to the fact that E! has begun shooting season two of her family's hit reality show.

She also snagged a gig with Bongo jeans as the spokeswoman for their new line of jeans. It's rumored that her booty was a little too bootylicious for Bongo, hence some photoshopping occurred in the new ads.

Fropki

Posted by fathima at 6:52 AM | | Comments

Jessica Alba's Growing Baby Bump

Jessica Alba's Growing Baby Bump

Looking none too happy with the paparazzi following her around, Jessica Alba was spotted out and about in Los Angeles, reportedly shopping for furniture.

She's well into her pregnancy term, and that budding baby bump is really starting to take shape. The "Awake" actress wore a striped henley shirt with jeans, knee-high boots, and a cap.

Earlier this year, Jessica revealed to press that after giving birth, she plans to return to work relatively quickly. "I think it's important to still be your own person. I don't know if it's healthy if you lose yourself completely."

And she's doing what she can to make the Earth a little more kid friendly for her soon-to-be-born. "I'm even taking stuffing from old couches and making my pillows out of that. Kids are going to do just about anything - I've seen them put cockroaches in their mouths - so I want to make things as non-toxic as possible, within reason."

Fropki

Posted by fathima at 6:48 AM | | Comments

The Spice Girls Say Goodbye to New York City

The Spice Girls Say Goodbye to New York City

To wrap up their New York area shows, the Spice Girls were joined on stage by nearly all of the Spice children at Madison Square Garden last night for a special performance of their hit song "Mama".

The only Spice offspring missing from the entertaining family sing-along was Melanie Brown's oldest daughter, Phoenix.

Funnily enough, the event turned into a family dance-along when Victoria Beckham's youngest son, Cruz, started breaking out the moves - including an attempt to spin on his head.

From here, Victoria, Geri, Melanie, Emma and Mel only have a few shows left, performing tonight in Philadelphia and ending the reunion tour next week in Toronto.

Fropki

Posted by fathima at 6:44 AM | | Comments

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Iraq demands Turkish withdrawal


Iraq demands Turkish withdrawal
BAGHDAD - The Iraqi government demanded for the first time that Turkey immediately withdraw from northern Iraq, warning Tuesday it feared the ongoing incursion could lead to clashes with the official forces of the semiautonomous Kurdish region. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the operation would only end "once its goal has been reached."

"The international community has understood well Turkey's need to fight terrorist elements," Erdogan said in a weekly address to ruling party lawmakers. "Everyone has begun to understand well Turkey's rightful cause."

Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said the first confirmed Turkish military ground operation in Iraq in about a decade was a violation of Iraqi sovereignty.

"The Iraqi Cabinet has denounced the Turkish army's incursion," al-Dabbagh said after the government met to discuss the issue. "The Cabinet calls on Turkey to withdraw its troops immediately and stop the military intervention."

Al-Dabbagh warned that tensions could escalate if the Kurdish military forces known as peshmerga were drawn into the fight.

"We want good relations with Turkey and Turkey should understand that the situation is dangerous and could be made worse by any military mistake that could prompt clashes between the peshmerga and Turkish troops," al-Dabbagh said. "Then the military intervention might be widened and civilians might be endangered and infrastructure damaged."

Turkey has assured the Iraqi government and the U.S. military that the operation would be limited to attacks on rebels. But the Kurds have expressed concern that civilians could be caught in the crossfire.

The Kurdish parliament met Tuesday in a special session and unanimously approved a measure authorizing the peshmerga to defend themselves and the Kurdish region if they were attacked by Turkish troops.

It also called on the Turkish government for compensation for material losses sustained as a result of the incursion, according to Kurdish lawmaker Sardar Harki.

Erdogan said the Turkish military was "destroying all terrorist elements on its path of advance," but that, "civilian infrastructure is not being damaged."

A Turkish delegation will visit Baghdad on Wednesday to meet with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, both Kurds, as well as other top Iraqi officials, al-Dabbagh said. Turkish officials confirmed that they were sending a diplomatic delegation to Iraq.

Turkey's Hurriyet newspaper reported that Turkish commandos were at least 15 miles inside Iraq, close to a main guerrilla base in the Zap region. The newspaper said without citing a source that helicopters transported elite units to shut off escape routes south of the Qandil mountain range, 60 miles from the frontier between Iraq and Turkey.

Earlier Turkish media reports had put Turkish troops nine miles inside northern Iraq. The dispatch of units by air to Qandil would be a bold move in line with Turkish military doctrine that highly mobile, special forces can counter the guerrillas in difficult terrain more effectively than a conventional ground force.

Turkish media reports have said that thousands of troops are inside Iraq.

Turkey launched the incursion into northern Iraq on Thursday against separatist rebels from the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK. The PKK wants autonomy for the predominantly Kurdish southeastern Turkey and rebels have carried out attacks in Turkey from bases in Kurdish Iraq. The conflict started in 1984 and has killed up to 40,000 people.

Qandil is a prime target for the Turkish military, which has already launched air strikes there. The PKK's senior leadership is believed to be based there, although some reports indicate that many guerrillas may have fled the area in anticipation of an attack.

Confirmation of Turkish maneuvers in Iraq is difficult because the combat zone is a remote, mountainous area, much of which is still covered in a thick layer of snow.

The U.S. and European Union consider the PKK a terrorist group, and Turkey informed Washington of its ground incursion before it started.

Al-Dabbagh acknowledged the threat to Turkey posed by the rebels and said Iraq stood ready to work through three-way discussions with the United States or any bilateral dialogue to prevent the PKK from using Iraqi territory to attack Turkey.

"The unilateral military activity is an unacceptable deed and endangers the good bilateral relations between our two neighboring countries," he said, promising that Iraq would continue to respect mutual agreements with Turkey.

"The Iraqi Cabinet also understands the legitimate interests of Turkey and we will not allow Iraqi lands to be used as a base from which operations are launched to destabilize security in the region," he said.

Iraqi parliamentary speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, a Sunni, also called on the Turkish government to withdraw its troops, saying the incursion was a "flagrant violation of Iraq's sovereignty."

The Turkish military has said 153 rebels have been killed in the operation. The Kurdish rebels disputed the claim and warned that Turkey had entered a conflict that it cannot win.

A statement posted on the military's Web site Monday also said two more soldiers were killed in fighting, but gave no details. The deaths would bring the total Turkish military fatalities since the start of the incursion Thursday to 17

Posted by fathima at 8:16 AM | | Comments

Clapton invited to play North Korea


Clapton invited to play North Korea
LONDON - North Korean officials have invited rock guitarist Eric Clapton to play a concert in the Communist state, a diplomat at the country's embassy in London said TuesdayThe diplomat confirmed reports in the British media that Clapton had been officially invited to Pyongyang — the first such invitation to a Western rock star to the isolated nation.

"Eric Clapton is a well-known musician and guitarist, famous throughout the world," said the official, who declined to give his name. "It will be a good opportunity for Western music to be understood better by Koreans."

Clapton's spokesman did not immediately return calls seeking comment. The Financial Times newspaper reported Tuesday that Clapton, 62, had agreed in principle and suggested 2009 for the gig.

North Korean authorities have long shunned rock and pop music, although Kim Jong Chol, the Swiss-educated son of national leader Kim Jong Il, is reportedly a huge Clapton fan.

Recently North Korea has begun to build tentative cultural ties with the West. The New York Philharmonic played in Pyongyang on Tuesday, and North Korean State Symphony Orchestra is due to perform in London and the English city of Middlesbrough in September.

The Financial Times said the invitation to Clapton was in return for the Korean orchestra's British tour.

Clapton is regarded as one of rock's greatest guitarists, with a string of hits since the 1960s including include "Layla," "Cocaine" and "Tears in Heaven."

Posted by fathima at 8:07 AM | | Comments

Monday, February 25, 2008

Heigl, Kidman and Alba were among the presenters at the 2008 Academy Awards

Heigl, Kidman and Alba were among the presenters at the 2008 Academy Awards

After a stellar showing on the red carpet, Hollywood's leading ladies continued to light up the night as onstage Oscar eye candy.

Soon-to-be-mommy Nicole Kidman is definitely taking full advantage of her "pregnancy glow," garnering the full and undivided attention as she presented an award tonight. Her black satin dress, peep-toe heels and plentiful diamonds just may win her the best-dressed award in our book.

Fellow preggers actress Jessica Alba scored an honorable mention in her mauve free-flowing strapless gown with feather accents. From her disposition, it was clear that she's getting to that uncomfortable stage of her pregnancy.

And "Grey's Anatomy" babe Katherine Heigl pushed the fashion envelope just a tad in a vibrant red one-shoulder dress, complete with her new short blonde 'do and fabulous teardrop earrings.

Posted by fathima at 8:19 AM | | Comments

Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway: Beauty and the Beast


Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway: Beauty and the Beast
One of the hallmarks of any good awards show is the creative pairing of celebrities to present awards. At tonight's Academy Awards, the "Best Animated Film" award was presented by Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway.

As it turns out the "Get Smart" co-stars ended up giving the trophy to the hilarious film "Ratatouille," but not before they charmed the audience at the Kodak Theatre.

The "Michael Scott" actor looked pretty darn studly in a classic black tuxedo with the traditional bowtie. And his fashion stock went up, given his beautiful co-presenter.

Miss Hathaway donned a ravishing red one-shoulder (looks like this year's Oscar trend!) gown complete with rose-inspired accents, and matching heels.

Posted by fathima at 8:16 AM | | Comments

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Is Obama open to criticism?

Is Obama open to criticism?

WASHINGTON - Sen. Barack Obama's refusal to wear an American flag lapel pin along with a photo of him not putting his hand over his heart during the National Anthem led conservatives on Internet and in the media to question his patriotism.Now Obama's wife, Michelle, has drawn their ire, too, for saying recently that she's really proud of her country for the first time in her adult life.

Conservative consultants say that combined, the cases could be an issue for Obama in the general election if he wins the nomination, especially as he runs against Vietnam war hero Sen. John McCain.

"The reason it hasn't been an issue so far is that we're still in the microcosm of the Democratic primary," said Republican consultant Roger Stone. "Many Americans will find the three things offensive. Barack Obama is out of the McGovern wing of the party, and he is part of the blame America first crowd."

Opponents of Sen. John Kerry proved in the 2004 election that voters are sensitive to suggestions that a candidate is not sufficiently patriotic. The Democratic presidential nominee's campaign was torpedoed by critics of his Vietnam War record called the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, even though he won multiple military honors and was lauded by his superiors.

The Swift Boat campaign started as a relatively small television ad buy that exploded into an issue that dogged Kerry for months. The Massachusetts senator has conceded since losing to President Bush that the campaign and his lackluster response to unsubstantiated allegations he considered unworthy of a reaction likely cost him the election. And the term even became part of the campaign lexicon — swift boating.

Obama already is the subject of a shadowy smear campaign based on the Internet that falsely suggests he's a Muslim intent on destroying the United States. Obama is a Christian and has been fighting the e-mail hoax, which also claims he doesn't put his hand over his heart during the Pledge of Allegiance, and he's been trying to correct the misinformation.

"Whenever I'm in the United States Senate, I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America," Obama frequently tells voters.

"I've been going to the same church for 20 years, praising Jesus," he adds.

Retired Major General Scott Gration, an Obama military adviser, said he expects the attacks will only increase if Obama wins the Democratic nomination.

"People are projecting things and taking things out of context," Gration said. "There's absolutely no question in my mind that Michelle and Barack are extremely patriotic, appreciate our freedoms and our values and everything else that the flag represents."

Officials with the McCain campaign and the Republican Party say they won't be suggesting Obama is less than patriotic, and instead plan to focus their criticisms on his record and inexperience if he wins the nomination. Well-funded outside groups, however, consider anything fair game.

Conservative Republican consultant Keith Appell, who worked with the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, said Obama's opposition to the war will create a "striking contrast between McCain the war hero and Obama the poster child for the anti-war movement."

"If you are McCain, you want to play up the decorated war hero, loves his country, served his country," Appell said. "You want to play those themes up as much as possible, especially in comparison to Obama and his role in the anti-war movement."

On Monday, Michelle Obama told an audience in Milwaukee, "For the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of my country. Not just because Barack is doing well, but I think people are hungry for change."

Cindy McCain, McCain's wife, days later responded by saying, "I have, and always will be, proud of my country." Barack Obama has expressed frustration that his wife's remarks had been taken out of context and turned into political fodder — both the Obamas say she was talking about politics in the United States, not the country itself.

Last summer, Obama was photographed by Time magazine at an event in Iowa standing with his hands folded during the national anthem. His primary rivals Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson appear beside him, with their hands on their hearts.

It has been repeatedly reported that the moment came during the Pledge of Allegiance, but that's not the case.

In October, Obama told Iowa television station KCRG that he decided to stop wearing a U.S. flag lapel pin during the run-up to the Iraq war because it had become "a substitute for, I think, true patriotism."

"I decided I won't wear that pin on my chest. Instead, I'm going to try to tell the American people what I believe will make this country great and, hopefully, that will be a testimony to my patriotism," Obama said.

Obama's comments led conservatives and media commentators to question his patriotism.

"First he kicked his American flag pin to the curb. Now Barack Obama has a new round of patriotism problems. Wait until you hear what the White House hopeful didn't do during the singing of the national anthem," said Steve Doocy, co-host of "Fox and Friends" on the Fox News Channel.

"He felt it OK to come out of the closet as the domestic insurgent he is," former radio host Mark Williams said on Fox.

Gration said he had a copy of the national anthem photo e-mailed to him by a friend who didn't know the facts and questioned how a military man could support someone who doesn't honor the Pledge of Allegiance.

"I go to baseball games and football games and there's just a minority of us who put our hands over our heart. It's not an indication of patriotism," Gration said. Gration said he personally wears a flag pin, but "if I meet someone who doesn't have a lapel pin, it doesn't mean they are more or less patriotic than I am."

And, he added, "I don't think you can find Barack again not putting his hand over his heart at the national anthem."

Posted by fathima at 6:38 AM | | Comments

Biofuels 'need strict standards'

Biofuels 'need strict standards'

Biofuels should only be produced if they meet strict environmental standards, an international group of lawmakers have concluded.

The legislators said the fuels also had to deliver significant savings of greenhouse gas emissions.

If such criteria were met, they said there should be an urgent review of the tariffs that currently block imports into markets such as the EU and US.

The forum was hosted by Brazil, one of the world's biggest biofuel producers.

Biofuels have become a highly controversial issue, with claims that the rapid expansion of energy crops could threaten global food security, and add further pressure to sensitive ecosystems including rainforests.

It is also argued that in some cases the benefits to the climate of burning plant material instead of fossil fuels are outweighed by the energy needed to produce and transport biofuels, and by the release of carbon from soils by changes in land use.

Strong growth

The gathering of legislators from the Group of Eight (G8) richest economies and five key developing countries heard repeated claims from its Brazilian hosts, led by President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, that ethanol made from sugar cane was highly efficient.



They added that it could also be produced without serious negative impacts on ecosystems or threatening food supply.

Brazil has been using ethanol to power its vehicles since the 1970s and is now hoping to reap major economic benefits from global demand for alternatives to oil.

The meeting failed to agree a final policy statement on biofuels, with some delegations led by France and Germany reluctant to abandon trade restrictions before a system of strict certification of sustainability was in place.

But there was consensus on the main elements of the tests that should be placed on biofuels.

These included that they should not be made from materials grown on land with recognised value for biodiversity.

Also, that the greenhouse gas emissions involved in their production and use should be significantly less than those produced by fossil fuels.

That would place in doubt many fuels such as biodiesel from palm oil that has been implicated in the destruction of Indonesian rainforests.

Many forms of biofuel production in colder countries would also be in doubt, where the energy benefits have been questioned.

Although sugar cane is not grown in significant quantities in the Amazon region, some environmental groups will also question whether Brazilian ethanol would meet these criteria.

Much of the recent expansion of sugar cane plantations has been in the highly bio-diverse savannah region of the country


The supporters of Brazilian ethanol argue, however, that huge areas of degraded cattle pasture are available to grow the crop, and that expansion of biofuel production does not require significant conversion of native ecosystems.

The meeting also failed to agree a framework for a new global agreement on measures to tackle climate change beyond 2012, with the Chinese delegation apparently reluctant to pre-empt the position of its government in forthcoming negotiations.

Lord Jay, the former head of the British Foreign Office, who had led the efforts to agree the framework, said there had been consensus over his claim that a massive increase was needed in the funds available to poorer countries to cope with the impacts of climate change.


Posted by fathima at 6:30 AM | | Comments

Japan's Naruhito vows to visit parents after rebuke

Japan's Naruhito vows to visit parents after rebuke

TOKYO (AFP) - Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito, who turned 48 on Saturday, promised he would visit his parents more after a senior palace official rebuked him for not spending enough time with themThe head of Japan's Imperial Household Agency Shingo Haketa said last week in a rare public signal that Naruhito should visit the Akihito and Michiko more frequently.

The Emperor, 74, complained in 2006 that he and his wife had few opportunities to meet Naruhito's only child, Princess Aiko, now six.

But at a press conference before his birthday Naruhito said: "I would like to commit as much as I can to visiting the Imperial Palace" where Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko live.

But he declined to elaborate, saying it was "a private family matter."

According to the Kyodo News agency, on February 13 Haketa said: "I think the emperor and empress are concerned as the number of visits (by the crown prince's family) to the Imperial Palace has not increased."

He added that he had given advice to Naruhito on several occasions, to which he said the Crown Prince responded: "I'd like to make an effort."

Naruhito also said at the press conference that he expected his wife Crown Princess Masako, 44, who suffers from stress as she adjusts to life as part of the world's oldest monarchy, to gradually increase her official duties.

"Masako, while having ups and downs, is taking various initiatives and is doing her best to expand both her private and official activities. Although only little by little, she is resuming her official duties," Naruhito said.

But he added that Masako, a former diplomat educated at Harvard and Oxford, still required treatment.

"Masako has been a strength for me in various aspects and I would like to continue firmly supporting her," he said. The couple will celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary this year.

Masako has been under intense pressure to produce a male heir due to the centuries-old tradition of male-only succession.

But her royal sister-in-law Princess Kiko gave birth in 2006 to a boy making him third-in-line to the Chrysanthemum Throne.

Masako has recently come under fire in tabloid magazines for shunning official duties while dining with friends and family including at a three-star restaurant.

Posted by fathima at 6:26 AM | | Comments

Friday, February 22, 2008

Deal will let Spears visit sons

Deal will let Spears visit sons

Britney Spears will soon be allowed to visit her children after reaching an agreement with ex-husband Kevin Federline, his lawyer said.
The pop star would be granted access to her sons "very soon", said the lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan.

He said both parents had agreed to a revision of a court order stripping the 26-year-old of her visitation rights.

"The process of reinstating the children's mother as a participant in their lives can commence," he said.

Mr Kaplan did not disclose further details of the agreement.

Stand-off

Mr Federline was given sole custody of Jayden James, 1, and Sean Preston, 2, by a court commissioner who suspended the singer's visitation rights on 4 January.



Ms Spears had refused to hand the children back to their father after a visit, resulting in a stand-off with police at her house.

She was admitted to a hospital psychiatric ward following the incident, and spent another six days in a psychiatric unit earlier this month.

Mr Federline had been awarded primary custody of the boys last October.

Posted by fathima at 11:34 PM | | Comments

Snow interrupts mild Northeast winter

Snow interrupts mild Northeast winter

NEW YORK - Up to a foot of snow on Friday interrupted what had been a mild winter in much of the Northeast and created havoc for travelers, forcing the cancellation of more than 1,100 flights in the New York area alone.Roads were slick throughout the region and there were hundreds of accidents, but Mayor Michael Bloomberg urged people to look on the bright side.

"The timing is perfect, if you think about it," he said. "We'll have the whole weekend to clean up the mess."

If that didn't cheer up his constituents, the mayor also announced that free hot chocolate and free sled rentals were available Friday at one park in each of the city's five boroughs.

Half a foot of snow fell in New York City. Up to a foot was forecast in suburban counties, and up to 9 inches fell in parts of Connecticut. Storm warnings extended northward across Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. In many places, snow was changing over to rain, sometimes freezing rain.

The storm was not unusual for mid-February, but it was easily the New York area's most significant storm of the winter. The expansive system, which had brought everything from freezing rain to sleet to snow in parts of Kentucky, Missouri and Illinois on Thursday, lumbered eastward and northward overnight.

In Missouri, where the problem was mostly ice rather than snow, the State Highway Patrol cited slippery roads as factors in accidents that killed five people Thursday and early Friday.

By mid-afternoon Friday there were 548 flight cancellations at New York's LaGuardia Airport, 368 at Newark Liberty International Airport and 197 at John F. Kennedy International Airport, said Steve Coleman, spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Delays at the three airports ranged from one to three hours.

More than a quarter of the flights at Philadelphia International Airport were canceled, and delays there reached up to 4 hours Friday morning, airport spokeswoman Phyllis VanIstendal said.

Many flights also were canceled at Boston's Logan International Airport, where delays ranged from three to six hours.

The Northeast airports' problems caused residual delays of an hour or more for flights across the country headed to the region, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Low visibility at another major airport — Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International — added to the slowdown.

"It's a domino thing," said Phil Orlandella, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Port Authority. "If one airport has a problem, it reflects anything that goes into there or out of there. Logan's at the end of the domino trail."

Some airlines waived their fee for passengers rebooking tickets.

In Philadelphia, Karla Andrews and her group of 40 cheerleaders were told Friday morning that their Southwest Airlines flight to Orlando was going to be delayed at least until late afternoon. In all, 110 cheerleaders aged 8 to 18 from the group were delayed on their three separate flights to Florida.

Andrews, 27, took it in stride.

"That's the good thing about being stuck with cheerleaders," she said. "They're always having fun."

Motorists, too, had problems getting around. The speed limit along the New Jersey Turnpike was reduced to 35 mph, and jackknifed rigs shut down southbound lanes of Interstate 95 for a couple of hours in Greenwich, Conn. One man in Connecticut and two others in Ohio were killed in storm-related car crashes.

"I didn't go over 30 mph on the expressway," said Paul May, whose commute on New York's Long Island on Friday took three times as much as normal. "It's very slippery. The roads are treacherous."

Times Square was a mess of gray slush by afternoon, but that didn't matter to Sydney Cooper of Kingsport, Tenn.

"It's great," said Cooper. "We don't get snow in Tennessee, so I prayed for it. I was supposed to leave this morning but my flight got canceled."

Mark Mathebane, a fashion designer from Brooklyn, was taking it less in stride.

"I hate the snow," he said. "It dirties your shoes, especially when they throw salt on the ground. Salt destroys leather."

In New Haven, Conn., the snow forced Yale graduate student Andrew Goldstone to take cover under an overhang while waiting for a campus bus. Not that he was complaining.

"I'm glad to see it, finally, after such a bland, wet, warmish winter," he said. "This is the kind of weather that I love, which I've been waiting for. Of course, I don't have to drive in it."

Up to 8 inches were expected in New Hampshire's ski country, which unlike areas to the south has seen a winter full of white.

"People coming up from Boston are blown away by how much snow there is," said Alice Pearce, president of SkiNH, a group that represents many New Hampshire ski areas.

Pearce said her family built a snowman on Thanksgiving, thinking it might last a few days. "It's still in the yard, buried under the snow. It's a big mound."

Posted by fathima at 11:28 PM | | Comments

Entertainment king Bruce Forsyth turns 80

Entertainment king Bruce Forsyth turns 80

LONDON (AFP) - Light entertainment king Bruce Forsyth celebrated his 80th birthday in style Friday, vowing to carry on his illustrious career.
The former presenter of Saturday night classics The Price is Right, Generation Game and more recently Strictly Come Dancing kicked off the celebrations flanked by Miss England and Miss Puerto Rico at the exclusive Dorchester Hotel in London.

"If I look as though I'm past it, I'll know it," quipped a defiant Forsyth during a press conference at the venue.

"Senile, yes, but not doddery," he joked. "You try to do live TV for two hours on a Saturday night without mistakes!"

However, the veteran showman -- who has been on TV for 50 years -- did admit that he intended to call it a day at some point and that retirement "had to be around the corner."

Later this evening, nearly 300 guests -- including Shirley Bassey, Vernon Kaye and Rolf Harris -- are expected to join "Brucie" for a star-studded celebration dinner.

Birthday gifts so far include a bottle of Champagne from Judi Dench and a trip to the US Masters golf tournament from his wife and former Miss World, Wilnelia.

A humbled Forsyth said: "I didn't know people would make such a big thing of it . I don't feel any different."

Posted by fathima at 10:29 AM | | Comments

Police to bid UK farewell with London gig

Police to bid UK farewell with London gig

LONDON (Reuters) - Pop star Sting said on Friday that he and his two cohorts from The Police will bid a musical goodbye to Britain with a farewell concert in London's Hyde Park on June 29."England is where we began our career, in London. It has a special place in my heart. I'm English ... We've done over 100 dates. But we're still together, still friends," the group's frontman said.

The band, consisting of Sting, guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland, burst on the scene in the late 1970s and early '80s with a string of hits, including "Roxanne," "Message in a Bottle" and "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic."

Asked if this really were the end for the pop-rock trio, which reunited for a world tour, Sting said, "Yeah, I think it's right. We've been saved from the nostalgia in a bad sense because I think the band sounds fairly contemporary.

"We don't sound like an old tribute band. Considering the songs were written 25 to 30 years ago, they still, to me and most of the audience, sound like today," he said.

So the Police will be putting making their final British appearance at the "Hard Rock Calling" concert in Hyde Park, before wrapping up their reunion with a New York gig

Posted by fathima at 10:26 AM | | Comments

Eric Bana Talks Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman

Eric Bana Talks Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman

With "The Other Boleyn Girl" premiering all over the world, co-stars Eric Bana, Scarlett Johansson, and Natalie Portman are getting all kinds of opportunities to hang out together.

And according to Bana, they all loved working on the film together. At the movie's Berlinale Film Festival premiere on Friday, Eric told press, "I hate to break it to you but actors really do love each other. It's a crazy job and we put ourselves in vulnerable positions. I don't care if it sounds corny but it's true: you're part of a brotherhood, and protect each other."

"Garden State" actress Natalie Portman revealed that while there was tension between herself and Johansson onscreen, that was as far as it went. "People keep asking if the rivalry was real but it was the opposite because we just liked each other so much. It was such a rare opportunity to work with an actress my age who I much admire."

And Scarlett told press that Portman was constantly trying to apologize for her character's mean nature. "Natalie was apologizing all the time. She'd say 'I'm sorry for stealing your baby' or 'I'm sorry for that.' I said 'Don't worry. Let's get dinner later.'"








Posted by fathima at 3:50 AM | | Comments

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Sex, lies and double standards

Sex, lies and double standards

Bollywood stars usually discover on-screen morals late in life. Back in their early days, hunting for a break, our actresses shed their clothes -- and inhibitions -- gladly, but cinema lasts forever, and here's a look at some heroines who now declare they want to behave themselves on screen:

Ayesha Takia

She walked out of a Nagesh Kukunoor film simply because she didn't want to kiss on screen, but what about the time the buxom babe shared a liplock with Vatsal Seth in Tarzan?

She's just refused to wear a bikini for Karan Johar's next production -- claiming she'd rather hang on to her curves instead. While nobody can argue with that logic, we -- and Akshay Kumar -- can sure remember that bod poured into on-screen swimsuits before.

Now that she has schools named after her, we hear Ash is getting all prudish and refusing to do anything steamy on screen. Has she forgotten the Dhoom 2 microminis?

With a bod like that, it's disheartening to hear the Julie girl in her Mithya days, saying she wants to be known for her acting skills. Sigh.

Post the Richard Gere debacle, Shetty has gone on record several times saying she isn't a fan of on-screen intimacy. All we can do is clear our throats -- um, gleefully.

Posted by fathima at 4:39 PM | | Comments

Hollywood's most prized assets revealed!

Hollywood's most prized assets revealed!

Celebs are an eccentric lot. Well, most of them anyway. They can make something as mundane as an insurance policy into news headlines! It is not unusual for some of them to insure their voices (Bruce Springsteen) or hands (Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards) or even one's chest hair (Yes, crooner Tom Jones did just that for a cool $7 million!).

rediff.com takes a look at some Hollywood celebs and their million dollar assets.

Heidi Klum

The supermodel and star of the new hit show Project Runway has her long and sexy legs insured for $2 million.

Now, this may be more fiction than fact. Rumours were rife that the Latino beauty had insured her booty for $1 billion. Her representatives insisted it never happened.

Now these are a pair of drool-worthy legs. But are they worth $1 billion? Yup, that was the amount Miss Carey insured them for after being signed up to front Gillette's Legs Of A Goddess campaign

Ahem, country singer Dolly Parton twin assets are just as responsible for her fame as her voice is. These 42-inch breasts are worth $600,000 (for $300,000 each!).

This singing legend and eight-time Grammy award winner insured her long, well-proportioned legs for a cool 3.5 million dollars

Posted by fathima at 4:32 PM | | Comments

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Bar Refaeli and Friends Celebrate SI Swimsuit Launch

Bar Refaeli and Friends Celebrate SI Swimsuit Launch

Held at 7 World Trade Center in New York City, Sports Illustrated made a splash with the launch of the 2008 Swimsuit issue on Tuesday night.

Bar Refaeli and all of the other SI models were on hand to help usher in another year of beautiful ladies in the tiniest bathing suits imaginable.

According to FOX reports, "A seven-year veteran of the Swimsuit Issue, Marissa Miller made her first cover appearance in a photo taken by Raphael Mazzucco during a two-day shoot on St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, last October."

"Joining Miller in the issue are several other swimsuit favorites, such as Brooklyn Decker, Selita Ebanks, Bar Refaeli, Tori Praver, Daniella Sarahyba, Irina Shayk, Anne V and Jessica White each featured in unique pictorial essays,"








Posted by fathima at 5:40 PM | | Comments

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

911 tape: Renfro's girlfriend tried CPR

911 tape: Renfro's girlfriend tried CPR

LOS ANGELES - According to a 911 call released by fire officials, Brad Renfro's girlfriend tried to revive the troubled actor after finding him unresponsive at his Los Angeles home. On the recording, a woman tells a dispatcher she's been trying to wake up Renfro for an audition but he won't moveShe says Renfro's nose is bleeding and mentions he may have taken a few pills the night before. She tries to give him CPR after being instructed to do so by the dispatcher before paramedics arrive.

Fire officials released the tape Tuesday.

Renfro died Jan. 15 of an overdose of heroin and morphine. He had publicly struggled with drugs and alcohol.

Posted by fathima at 4:03 PM | | Comments

Bar Refaeli and Friends Celebrate SI Swimsuit Launch

Bar Refaeli and Friends Celebrate SI Swimsuit Launch

Held at 7 World Trade Center in New York City, Sports Illustrated made a splash with the launch of the 2008 Swimsuit issue on Tuesday night.

Bar Refaeli and all of the other SI models were on hand to help usher in another year of beautiful ladies in the tiniest bathing suits imaginable.

According to FOX reports, "A seven-year veteran of the Swimsuit Issue, Marissa Miller made her first cover appearance in a photo taken by Raphael Mazzucco during a two-day shoot on St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, last October."

"Joining Miller in the issue are several other swimsuit favorites, such as Brooklyn Decker, Selita Ebanks, Bar Refaeli, Tori Praver, Daniella Sarahyba, Irina Shayk, Anne V and Jessica White each featured in unique pictorial essays," the FOX report adds.

Posted by fathima at 4:01 PM | | Comments

Monday, February 18, 2008

Which Famous Women Do Men Desire?


Which Famous Women Do Men Desire?
AskMen's Description: "When she's not making men throughout the world drool, she's helping Brazilian orphans in her native land."

AskMen's Description: "Who doesn't love a beautiful woman with a great sense of humor?"


AskMen's Description: "Alessandra Ambrosio is as sexy as her name sounds (if not sexier)."

AskMen's Description: "Scarlett Johansson mixes undeniable acting talent with wit and knockout looks to create a truly atypical appeal

AskMen's Description: "We'd go toe-to-toe with Castro himself in order to win the hand of this sexy Hollywood heartbreaker."

Posted by fathima at 4:24 PM | | Comments

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Klum says she wants to help Spears

Klum says she wants to help Spears

HAMBURG, Germany - Heidi Klum wants to help Britney Spears. The 34-year-old model says she'd be willing to open her home to Spears while the troubled pop singer puts her life back together.She can call me and come live in our house with us for a couple of months," said Klum, a mother of three who is married to the singer Seal and lives in Beverly Hills, Calif. "I would help set her straight."

"I am sorry when a young person gets thrown so off track," Klum said, according to a transcript of an interview that will be aired Monday night by the German broadcaster ARD. "She has, of course, lived an extremely wild life."

After more than a year of bizarre behavior and two stints in a psychiatric hospital this year, Spears was placed under a conservatorship by the Los Angeles County Superior Court commissioner at the beginning of February. Conservatorships are established when a court determines that someone cannot take care of themselves or their affairs.

To hear Klum, the host of Bravo's "Project Runway," describe it, her own life seems like a fairy tale.

"I have never been as happy as I am today," Klum said. "I have found the man of my life and we have three great kids. They are all so different and fantastic that it really can't get better than this."

Posted by fathima at 4:14 PM | | Comments

'Jumper' hurtles competition, earns $27M

'Jumper' hurtles competition, earns $27M

LOS ANGELES - The globe-trotting thriller "Jumper" leaped to a box office win with $27.2 million on a weekend when Hollywood offered something for everyone, with new films for action fans, teens, family audiences and the date-movie crowd. Starring Hayden Christensen and Samuel L. Jackson in the tale of a man who can teleport himself instantly to any spot on the planet, 20th Century Fox's "Jumper" has rung up $33.9 million since opening Thursday, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The new wide releases opened a day early, Valentine's Day on Thursday, to get a head start at what studio executives viewed as a long holiday weekend, with President's Day on Monday.

"Valentine's Day has become a great movie-going day," said 20th Century Fox distribution executive Bert Livingston. "Even though kids are not out of school and people are working, it's still a holiday in the sense that in the evening, men take their wives, or girlfriends and boyfriends go out. Everybody goes to the movies."

Debuting in second place was Disney's teen dance sequel "Step Up 2 the Streets," which pulled in $19.7 million for the weekend and $26.3 million since Thursday.

Paramount's family fantasy "The Spiderwick Chronicles," featuring Freddie Highmore and Mary-Louise Parker in the story of a mom and her kids who move into a house menaced by evil creatures, opened at No. 3 with a $19.1 million weekend. Since Thursday, it has taken in $26.8 million.

Universal's romance "Definitely, Maybe," with Ryan Reynolds as a dad looking back on his romantic life after he's served with divorce papers, premiered at No. 5 with a weekend haul of $9.7 million.

The previous weekend's top movie, the Warner Bros. romantic comedy "Fool's Gold," fell to fourth place with $13.1 million, raising its 10-day total to $42 million.

Despite the rush of solid openings, Hollywood was unable to match the weekend business of a year ago. The top 12 movies took in $119 million, down 16 percent from the same weekend in 2007, when "Ghost Rider" opened with $45.4 million, the best debut ever over President's Day weekend.

"A record-breaking debut for `Ghost Rider' led to a record-breaking President's Day weekend last year. Inevitably, that was going to be very tough to beat," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracker Media By Numbers.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Tuesday.

1. "Jumper," $27.2 million.

2. "Step Up 2 the Streets," $19.7 million.

3. "The Spiderwick Chronicles," $19.1 million.

4. "Fool's Gold," $13.1 million.

5. "Definitely, Maybe," $9.7 million.

6. "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins," $8.9 million.

7. "Juno," $4.6 million.

8. "The Bucket List," $4.1 million.

9. "Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert," $3.3 million.

10. 27 Dresses," $3.2 million.


Posted by fathima at 4:10 PM | | Comments

Friday, February 15, 2008

McCartney, Mills divorce wrangle to continue next week

McCartney, Mills divorce wrangle to continue next week
LONDON (AFP) - Former Beatle Paul McCartney and his estranged wife Heather Mills are set to continue behind-closed-doors court hearings aimed at agreeing a divorce deal next week, court officials said Friday.The five-day hearings were to have ended Friday, but court officials said the room where the couple have been meeting with lawyers and a judge has been booked for Monday.

The deal could be the highest divorce settlement in Britain, outstripping the 48 million pounds businessman John Charman was told to pay his former wife last year.

McCartney is estimated to be worth 825 million pounds, but last year's Sunday Times Rich List, billed as the definitive guide to wealth, had made a 100-million-pound allowance for a possible divorce settlement.

The 65-year-old pop legend and the 40-year-old former model have remained tight-lipped all week since the hearings began Monday at the High Court in central London.

Entering court Friday both looked relaxed, Mills -- who is representing herself -- clutching a red file, while McCartney maintained an enigmatic expression as he talked with his lawyer.

Court officials cited by the Press Association confirmed that Court 34, where the hearings have been taking place, has been booked again for next week.

Press reports mid-week said they were close to clinching a deal after both McCartney and Mills were seen smiling and looking relaxed as they emerged from the top-secret talks.

But since then hopes have faded again, and Friday's announcement of an extension to the five-day hearings appeared to confirm their difficulty in reaching agreement.

The judge in the case would normally be expected to rule in the case within a few weeks, but details of any settlement would remain confidential.

The Daily Mail reported that McCartney could offer Mills 55 million pounds (74 million euros, 107 million dollars).

She would take a 20-million-pound lump sum and a further 2.5 million pounds each year for 14 years until their four-year-old daughter, Beatrice, turns 18, with a substantial amount set aside for security, it said.

If they fail to agree a private accord, the case would go to appeal and be heard in the full glare of publicity.

"It is possible that if the matter is not settled by agreement, (the judge) will make an order and if Miss Mills is not happy with the terms, she can apply to take her case to the Court of Appeal," said lawyer David Ruck.

"If she is given permission, she can go to the Court of Appeal and then the whole matter will be in public," added Ruck, of law firm Gordon Dadds.

McCartney and Mills were last in court in October but failed to agree a financial settlement in what could be one of the costliest divorces in British legal history.


Posted by fathima at 8:28 AM | | Comments

McCartney divorce fight looks set for second week

McCartney divorce fight looks set for second week

LONDON (Reuters) - The divorce battle between Paul McCartney and former model Heather Mills looked set on Friday to run into a second week. At stake is a slice of the former Beatle's 825 million pound ($1.6 billion) fortune and a decision that could establish an important legal precedent about the short-lived marriages of the super-rich.

After five days of legal argument, any sign of a breakthrough were dashed when officials revealed that Court 34, scene behind closed doors of one of the most high-profile show business splits, had now been booked through until Monday.

The 40-year-old Mills, whose marriage to the 65-year-old pop icon lasted less than four years, is representing herself in the high stakes case against McCartney, represented by big-money divorce lawyer Nicholas Mostyn.

Mills, who sacked her own lawyers, is believed by legal experts to be asking for 50 million pounds but McCartney, one of the founders of the world's most famous pop group, is said to be offering less than half that sum.

On arrival at the Royal Courts of Justice on Friday, both Mills and McCartney remained tight-lipped as trolley loads of legal files and documents were wheeled into court by each side.

McCartney, wearing a light grey suit, gave no clue on the case's progress. Mills, in a black velvet pin-striped suit and scarlet silk blouse, was equally reticent.

With the courtroom clear for continued action next week, any Beatle-inspired tabloid headlines about "We Can Work It Out" looked doomed.

McCartney married Mills in 2002, four years after his first wife Linda died of breast cancer. Their daughter, Beatrice, is four.

When the case does finally end, the judge will then reserve his judgment and give a ruling at a later stage.

If either side disputes his decision, they can take the case to the Court of Appeal and even onto the House of Lords, the highest court in the land.

Posted by fathima at 8:19 AM | | Comments

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Britney Spears Hits the Beverly Hills Hotel


Britney Spears Hits the Beverly Hills Hotel

Back on the scene after being released from the UCLA psych ward earlier today, Britney Spears has left her house and checked into the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Followed to the hotel by a convoy of 20+ paparazzi, Spears was "promptly escorted inside the hotel with help of local police and, according to ExtraTV, she even came face to face with Arnold Schwarzenegger's wife Maria Shriver."

Also of note, Britney has a new chauffeur - Lindsay Lohan's former bodyguard, who just so happens to be an ex-Israeli Army soldier.

According to insiders, "It's understood Spears' parents, who have taken control of her legal, financial and security affairs, hired the new minder."

Update: Britney has left the hotel with paparazzo Adnan Ghalib. Stay tuned for more from Gossip Girls!

Posted by fathima at 8:02 AM | | Comments

Jennifer Lopez Drops By NYC Fashion Week

Jennifer Lopez Drops By NYC Fashion Week

Dressed in a lovely blue maternity gown, Jennifer Lopez made an appearance at the Marchesa Fall/Winter 2008 fashion show at Bryant Park in New York City on Wednesday.

Accompanied to the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week event by husband Marc Anthony, J Lo was all smiles as she made her way past photographers to check out the clothier's latest line.

As previously reported by Fropki, Jennifer's dad, David Lopez, told Latino television show Escandalo TV he has two grandkids on the way during an interview, which aired on Tuesday.

He said, "It's twins. The thing is in my family, my sister also had twins, so it's a hereditary thing. I'm very proud. Jennifer has yearned to be a mother for many years."

Posted by fathima at 7:55 AM | | Comments

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Bruni says marriage with Sarkozy is 'till death'

Bruni says marriage with Sarkozy is 'till death'

PARIS (AFP) - In her first interview since marrying French President Nicolas Sarkozy, singer Carla Bruni on Wednesday described their love-affair as instantaneous, said her husband was much misunderstood, and pledged they would be together "until death"I am Italian by culture and I would not like to divorce. So I shall be the first lady till the end of my husband's mandate and his wife up until death," she told L'Express magazine, 11 days after the couple's wedding at the Elysee palace on February 2.

The 40 year-old ex-model sought to dispel charges that they have put their romance on public display, and promised to apply herself seriously to her new role as first lady.

The interview was seen as an attempt to woo public opinion at a time when her husband's poll ratings have slumped badly -- largely as a result of the perception that he is too preoccupied with his glamorous new bride.

But Bruni's hopes of winning hearts and minds were knocked off course by a row over her remarks comparing a French magazine to the wartime anti-Semitic press.

The president's wife was forced to issue an apology to Le Nouvel Observateur, which is being sued by the Elysee over the publication on its Internet site of a text message purportedly sent by Sarkozy to his ex-wife Cecilia asking her to come back.

In the interview with L'Express Bruni asked, "If this kind of site had existed in the war, what would have happened with the denunciation of the Jews?". Later she issued a statement, saying that "If I have offended anyone, I am extremely sorry."

An Italian heiress who made a fortune in modelling before a second successful career as a pop-folk singer, Bruni said she was smitten by Sarkozy, 53, the moment that they met.

"When I am near him, the anxiety I have had since being a child disappears. People tell me it all happened too quickly. It's not true. Between Nicolas and me, it wasn't fast, it was instantaneous... Lovers have their own rhythm. Ours is up-tempo," she said.

Bruni said she had felt "submerged" by the "tidal-wave" of interest sparked by their affair, which was like nothing she had experienced in her life as a super-model, but she rebutted accusations that they actively courted media attention.

"Whatever is not secret is immediately said to have been 'put on display'," she said.

Bruni said she had expected before meeting Sarkozy to be impressed by his "courage and energy", but instead found herself admiring his "flexibility of spirit, which comes perhaps from the fact that he is sure of his identity and values."

"I would not have married a man who would not let me think freely, speak freely, be who I am," said Bruni, who has been identified with the political left.

Describing him as "brave", "protective" "unconventional" and "uncorruptible", she said Sarkozy was "a man on the move, who is only happy when advancing. Life with him is always going somewhere ... he is a singular personality, quite different from his public image."

Asked about her role as first lady, Bruni said that when she has finished recording her current album of songs, she will stop work as a musician till Sarkozy's mandate is finished.

"It is a great adventure to be with the man who governs France ... I don't know yet what I can make of the job of first lady, but I know how I am going to do it: seriously," she said.

"I can see that people are concerned about who I am, especially after all these far-fetched and often terrible profiles that have been done of me. But I want to reassure the French. I am 40, I am normal, serious, aware, simple, even if I have had a life of privilege.

Posted by fathima at 7:37 AM | | Comments

Drunk driving charge for Hilton brother

Drunk driving charge for Hilton brother

MALIBU, Calif. - Another Hilton has landed in the gray-bar hotelParis Hilton's younger brother, Barron, was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of drunken driving, authorities said.

Barron Hilton, 18, was stopped after a witness reported seeing a black Mercedes-Benz weaving on the Pacific Coast Highway, at times drifting into the oncoming lane, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Deputies arrested Hilton after he pulled over and got out of the car. He was booked in Malibu, where he registered a blood-alcohol level of 0.14 percent, authorities said. The legal limit in California is 0.08 percent.

He had a female passenger in the vehicle who had apparently been driving earlier and might have been involved in an accident, the Sheriff's Department said. She was not identified, and a call to the California Highway Patrol, which was investigating the woman's role, was not immediately returned.

Hilton was carrying a fake driver's license and was also arrested for investigation of carrying a falsified state document, said sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore.

The Sheriff's Department did not know whether he had a lawyer. There was no immediate response to a telephone message left for a Pasadena attorney who represented Paris Hilton in her drunken-driving case.

Barron Hilton was released from jail shortly before 6 p.m. Tuesday on $20,000 bail and was to be arraigned in April, Sgt. Diane Hecht said.

As word of his arrest spread, nearly a dozen paparazzi photographers swarmed the sheriff's station.

Paris Hilton pleaded no contest last year to alcohol-related reckless driving and was sentenced to 45 days in jail. The 26-year-old reality show star and hotel heiress served a little more than two weeks.

Posted by fathima at 7:33 AM | | Comments

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

The best Grammy acts

The best Grammy acts

What's age got to do with it?

The diva who redefined 'Short Skirts' in the '80s, can easily redefine the meaning of age too. At 70 Tina moved her hips with Ms Bootylicious Beyonce so gracefully, she effortlessly put everyone else to shame. They burned the stage together with songs like What's love got to do with it and Rolling on a River

Her song Umbrella was number one in the US and UK for 10 consecutive weeks at the Billboard. It surpassed all the records including Whitney Houston's I'll always love you. She performed the same song along with Morris Day and his band, The Time.

This American Idol set the stage on fire with her brand new single hit Before He Cheat. The song was brilliant but Simon Cowell was right - leather pants are not for her! Stick to your country frocks, baby

She opened the Grammy night with the song Learning the Blues with Frank Sinatra. The legend was revived with an earlier video of the same song. Well, just wanna say that we'll never learn the blues of losing a star like Frank Sinatr

The Queen of Soul, as she is fondly called has won 18 Grammies and added one more to her collection for the song Never Gonna Break My Faith in the category of Best Gospel Performance.

Posted by fathima at 7:33 AM | | Comments

Amy Winehouse leads with five nominations

Amy Winehouse leads with five nominations

The newest sensation on the music scene leads the pack with five nominations including Best New Artiste and Best Album of the Year. Amy was initially denied a visa and was not going to attend the final ceremony. The US Authorities made an exception to the Narcotics Act and issued her a visa. But no one knows whether Amy will be there on the big night

Last year's winner for Best R&B Performance, Beyonce will be competing with Rihanna and Winehouse for Record Of The Year. Her track Irreplaceable was among the chartbusters of last year and is tough one to beat. Beyonce is expected to team up with Tina Turner for an exclusive Grammy act.

Posted by fathima at 7:22 AM | | Comments

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Juno,' `No Country' honored by WGA

Juno,' `No Country' honored by WGA

LOS ANGELES - "Juno" and "No Country for Old Men" won top honors Saturday at the Writers Guild of America Awards. The guild announced the winners after canceling its awards ceremony set for Saturday night because its members were on strike. Writers on both coasts were meeting to review a tentative agreement that could end a walkout that began Nov. 5.

Diablo Cody won the original screenplay prize for "Juno," a tale of a wisecracking teen who gets pregnant and decides to give her baby up for adoption.

Brothers Ethan and Joel Coen received the adapted screenplay award for "No Country for Old Men," which features a relentless hit man played by Javier Bardem searching for Josh Brolin, who makes off with a fortune left behind at a drug deal gone awry.

Cody and the Coen brothers are nominated in the same categories for the Academy Awards later this month. Both films also are competing for the best-picture prize.

Alex Gibney won the WGA's documentary screenplay award for "Taxi to the Dark Side," which is nominated for best documentary at the Oscars.

In the television categories, "The Wire" won for dramatic series, while "30 Rock" earned an award for best comedy series.

Posted by fathima at 8:10 AM | | Comments

Stars come out to Davis pre-Grammy bash

Stars come out to Davis pre-Grammy bash

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Whitney Houston's appearance at Clive Davis' celeb-soaked, pre-Grammy concert party fueled speculation that the diva would be among the night's performers — but her only time in the spotlight came when the music mogul introduced her in the auHouston, who is working on her comeback album, didn't get on stage Saturday night, but the event didn't lack for all-star performers — Alicia Keys, the Foo Fighters, Daughtry and Akon were among the Grammy-nominees who sang at the VIP event. Others there from music and Hollywood's A-list included Janet Jackson, Quincy Jones, new mom Nicole Richie and boyfriend Joel Madden and Richie's father, Lionel.

Carrie Underwood showed up with "Gossip Girl's" Chase Crawford, while Ashlee Simpson and boyfriend Pete Wentz walked in arm-in-arm. Other couples included comedians Sara Silverman and Jimmy Kimmel, and Usher and his wife, Tameka, who recently gave birth to the couple's first child, a son.

Rihanna and Chris Brown chatted together at one of the front tables, while Super Bowl champ Michael Strahan of the New York Giants joined tennis champion Serena Williams at another table (Strahan got a huge cheer from the crowd when he was singled out by Davis).

"American Idol" judges Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson mingled while last year's champ Jordin Sparks chatted with past finalist Chris Daughtry.

And Fantasia was sporting a new hairstyle, which could best be described as bangs in the front and sheared sides, including one section dyed silver. Asked to explain her new 'do,' the former "American Idol" champion, who recently wrapped up a run playing Celie in "The Color Purple" on Broadway, told The Associated Press: "It's something different, post-Celie."

Daughtry's two-song set included guitarist Slash and Nickelback lead singer Chad Kroeger. Lead singer Chris Daughtry said performing at the event, perhaps the music industry's most coveted invite, is an enviable position to be in.

"I was here last year, and I had to sit in the audience, and it sucks watching everyone else perform," he told the audience.

The show also featured British newcomer Leona Lewis, Fantasia, and Josh Groban and Andrea Bocelli, who got a standing ovation after performing "The Prayer."

"My teachers told me always, don't sing after dinner," Bocelli joked. "But this was a special occasion."

Akon joined friend and collaborator Wyclef Jean onstage to close out the party. Jean started off his performance with a rendition of a new song, "President," with a revised lyric: "Obama, Hillary Clinton, they got competition ... vote for me for president."

Jean and Akon both traded hits before the last verse, coming out into the audience and dancing with the crowd. But Jean didn't want to end it there: "I'm not gonna end until we flip," he sang to Akon, who shook his head and shrugged.

dience.

Posted by fathima at 8:03 AM | | Comments

Friday, February 8, 2008

Probe: Bhutto killed by blast not bullet

Probe: Bhutto killed by blast not bullet

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Scotland Yard said in a report released Friday that Pakistan's opposition leader Benazir Bhutto died as a result of a suicide bomb blast, not a gunshot — findings that support the Pakistani government's version of the events. Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party immediately rejected the British conclusion and repeated its demand for a U.N. investigation.

The party says Bhutto was shot and suspects a government cover-up because Bhutto had accused political allies of President Pervez Musharraf of plotting to kill her.

The British probe also found that a single attacker both fired the shots at Bhutto and detonated the blast by blowing himself up moments later.

The death of the former prime minister sparked violent unrest across the country and forced a six-week delay in parliamentary elections, now set for Feb. 18. The continuing dispute over exactly how she died will do little to ease Pakistan's political turmoil.

Musharraf has rejected the call for a U.N. probe but invited Scotland Yard to help establish the cause of death. After a two-and-a-half week investigation, their findings were released Friday in a summarized report issued by the British High Commission in Islamabad.

British Home Office pathologist Dr. Nathaniel Cary was quoted in a report as saying that "the only tenable cause" for Bhutto's fatal head injury was the impact of the blast that went off as she waved to supporters from the hatch of her vehicle after an election rally.

"In my opinion Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto died as a result of a severe head injury sustained as a consequence of the bomb-blast and due to head impact somewhere in the escape hatch of the vehicle," Cary said in the report.

Pakistan's government announced a similar conclusion shortly after Bhutto's killing, which took place in the garrison city of Rawalpindi. It says the attack was orchestrated by a top Taliban militant commander with links to al-Qaida, Baitullah Mehsud.

Mehsud leads Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, a coalition of Islamic extremist groups fighting Pakistani forces in the lawless tribal area along the border with Afghanistan. On Wednesday, Mehsud's coalition announced an indefinite cease-fire with the government forces.

Pakistan army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas confirmed Friday that there had been a lull in the fighting in South Waziristan over the past 72 hours, although the military did not formally recognize any cease-fire.

Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, arrived in Pakistan on Friday and was expected to discuss the security situation with senior Pakistani officials.

Many Pakistanis reacted to the government finding in Bhutto's death with skepticism since the bomb site was hosed down within hours of the attack and the conclusions were announced with haste.

"We disagree with the finding on the cause of the death," said Sherry Rehman, spokeswoman for the Pakistan Peoples Party, who escorted Bhutto to hospital after the Dec. 27 attack. "She died from a bullet injury. This was and is our position."

The Scotland Yard report said that despite the lack of a detailed search of the crime scene or autopsy of Bhutto's body "the evidence that is available is sufficient for reliable conclusions to be drawn." Investigators had relied considerably on X-rays and detailed examination of video footage of the attack, it said.

The report concluded that there had been a lone attacker, though earlier there had been suggestions that a separate bomber had lurked behind the gunman.

"In essence, all the evidence indicates that one suspect has fired the shots before detonating an improvised explosive device," the report said.

Before the findings were officially released, Rehman called into question Scotalnd Yard's ability to fully investigate the killing.

"Their terms of reference were limited," Rehman said of the British. "They were working under the Pakistani police. Their investigation was limited only to finding the cause of her death."

Police officer Chaudhry Abdul Majid, who is heading Pakistan's own investigation, said they agreed with British findings. He said that a gun was fired but the bullets did not hit Bhutto.

Pakistani police said they were also close to finalizing their investigation into who carried out the attack — a field of inquiry beyond the remit of the Scotland Yard team.

During a televised press conference, Majeed confirmed that police had arrested two "important" suspects in the killing based on information from a 15-year old boy apprehended last month in northwestern Pakistan. The boy told police he was among a five-man suicide squad charged with assassinating Bhutto.

The two suspects, identified only as Husnain Gul and Rafaqat, appeared in court Friday and were ordered held for 12 more days. Majeed said they appeared to have provided help to the bomber.


Posted by fathima at 5:27 AM | | Comments

Congress sends economic aid plan to Bush

Congress sends economic aid plan to Bush

WASHINGTON - Congress, facing the prospect of an election-year recession, passed an emergency plan that rushes rebates of $600 to $1,200 to most taxpayers and $300 checks to disabled veterans, the elderly and other low-income people. President Bush indicated he would sign the measure.
House passage by a 380-34 vote Thursday came a few hours after Senate leaders ended a drawn-out stalemate over the bill. Still, by congressional standards, lawmakers approved the legislation with exceptional speed to jolt the weak economy. The plan, which adds $168 billion to the deficit over two years, is intended to provide cash for people to spend and tax relief for businesses to make new investments — boosts for an economy battered by a housing downturn and credit crunch.

Rebate checks could begin arriving in May. They would be based on 2007 tax returns, which are due April 15.

The Senate's 81-16 vote capped more than a week of political maneuvering. The logjam broke when majority Democrats dropped their demand that rescue proposal offer jobless benefits, heating aid for the poor and tax breaks for the home building and energy industries.

GOP senators blocked those ideas, but agreed to add $300 rebates for older people and disabled veterans to a $161 billion measure the House passed last week.

Bush called the bill "robust, broad-based, timely, and it will be effective." The compromise, he said in a statement after the Senate acted, was "an example of bipartisan cooperation at a time when the American people most expect it." The White House said Bush would sign the bill sometime next week.

The legislation would deliver rebates — $600 for individuals, $1,200 for couples — to most taxpayers, plus an additional $300 per child. Individuals making up to $75,000 a year and couples earning up to $150,000 would get the full rebate, with those making more than that or too little to owe taxes getting smaller checks.

People who paid no income taxes but earned at least $3,000 — including through Social Security or veterans' disability benefits — would get a $300 rebate.

"We believe the stimulus, the way it is targeted, will put money into the hands of those who will spend it immediately, injecting demand into the economy and therefore creating jobs," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told colleagues.

The measure also includes steps to boost the ailing housing market. It would temporarily raise the limit on Federal Housing Administration loans and the cap on loans that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can buy to $729,750.

The package was the product of a rare spate of bipartisan cooperation on Capitol Hill, where Democrats and Republicans teamed with the White House on a bill that fell far short of both parties' priorities but could draw broad consensus.

An early agreement forged by Pelosi and Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, along with Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson enjoyed a fast and smooth ride through the House, with lawmakers loath to stand in the way of a plan that could address their constituents' economic worries in advance of November's elections.

But it bogged down in the closely divided Senate, where Democrats were determined to exact a political price from Republicans by forcing them into tough votes on whether to add popular items such as $14.5 billion in jobless aid for those whose unemployment benefits have run out, $1 billion in heating aid for the poor and tax breaks for energy companies, including coal producers.

Senate Democratic leaders paired those items with rebates for older Americans and disabled veterans and threatened that Republicans would have to accept them or risk being blamed for leaving those politically powerful groups out of the stimulus plan.

In the end, though, Democrats couldn't draw enough support for their $205 billion alternative to break a GOP filibuster blocking it.

The turnaround in the Senate came after Democrats on Wednesday fell just one vote short of overcoming the Republican objections and pressing ahead with their more costly plan.

They relented Thursday and allowed a vote on a more limited proposal that included the rebates for the elderly and veterans, plus language designed to prevent illegal immigrants from getting the checks.

"I could have played around with this and tried to pick up that 60th vote, but I made a commitment to get this bill done before (Feb. 15), and we did that," said Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

The retreat came after Pelosi sided with Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, and urged the Senate to stop its infighting and pass the bill.

Thirty-three Republicans joined 46 Democrats and the Senate's two independents to pass the measure. Sixteen Republican senators voted against the plan.

The two Democratic presidential candidates, Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois, skipped the vote. The Republican front-runner, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, cast his first vote of the year on the bill, voting "yes." McCain had missed the vote the evening before.

Reid defended his decision to try to pressure Republicans on the larger proposal by offering it as a take-it-or-leave-it proposition along with the rebates for the elderly and veterans. "I feel very strongly that we did the right thing," Reid said.

Democrats said Republicans would pay a political price for their opposition.

"If today (Republicans) are squirming because they voted 'no,' that's what democracy is all about," said New York Sen. Charles Schumer, the head of the Senate Democratic Campaign Committee. "The political chips will fall where they may."

But Democratic Sen. Max Baucus of Montana, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said: "Discretion is the better part of valor. The best thing for us to do is declare a big victory that we've achieved; namely, getting the rebate checks to 20 million seniors and 250,000 disabled veterans."

Some Republicans expressed reservations that the rebate checks would help much. Other lawmakers worried about expanding the budget deficit.

"We have to remember that every dollar being spent on the stimulus package is being borrowed from our children. And our children's children," said Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., who voted against the bill.

Posted by fathima at 5:01 AM | | Comments

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Aretha looks forward to MusiCares honor

Aretha looks forward to MusiCares honor

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Aretha Franklin feels lighter than air these daysThe Queen of Soul will be honored Friday as Person of the Year for MusiCares, a Recording Academy charity supporting music education. She's also up for her 18th Grammy on Sunday, nominated for best gospel performance for a duet with Mary J. Blige. And she's, well, actually lighter.

Sitting in the lavish presidential suite of the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel on Tuesday, surrounded by fresh white flowers and a tray of fruits, Franklin looks decidedly slimmer in a lavender sweater and dark pants, her long dark hair hanging in loose waves below her shoulders, her nails painted bright silver.

Franklin's busy schedule of late has motivated her to push for change in her life, including weight loss and the first album to be released on her own label, Aretha's Records.

"I've got a new trainer, and she's giving me a lot of good things, really educating me about nutrition and weight loss and how to do it, and cooking stuff for you," the 65-year-old singer said. "I'm not on a diet. It's a lifestyle change. I'm going to be doing it for the long run. And eventually I'll reach my goal."

Though she didn't say what that goal was, it was clear she was happy to cut out heavier foods, fat content and salt.

"I feel lighter. I'm not as heavy, what you get with the red meat," she told The Associated Press. "You dragging yourself along when you have all that red meat. Much lighter. I feel a lot lighter, and a lot better."

Franklin said she's "a very good cook" but noted she's been mixing up her meals with those from weight-loss program Jenny Craig. Still, Franklin said that for one meal a week, she eats whatever she wants, diverging from low-fat, low-sodium meals of turkey, chicken, fish, lobster and crab.

Before leaving for Los Angeles from her hometown of Detroit, "I had turkey wings and dressing, and that was wonderful. My nutritionist would not like that; my trainer, not at all," Franklin said, grinning.

She usually travels by car, bus or train, and hasn't been on an airplane since a bad flight in 1982.

Franklin said she was truly surprised about the MusiCares honor.

"I was stunned, absolutely stunned, absolutely unbelievable. But hey, woo! I love it," she said.

Franklin said she was thrilled with her Grammy nomination with Blige for the duet "Never Gonna Break My Faith" from the soundtrack of the film "Bobby."

"It's the highest level of achievement that you can achieve in the music industry. And it's always wonderful. You don't always have to win. To be nominated is wonderful," she said.

Franklin's upcoming album, "A Woman Falling Out of Love," will focus on a long-standing theme in her music: relationships.

"We've all been there, women, men. Just a relationship that's boding well to begin with, and hit a bad curve, and just downhill all the way from there," Franklin said, her voice trailing off.

Franklin said she decided to start her own record label after she couldn't "come to a meeting of the minds" with Arista Records' Clive Davis.

"I wanted to stay and he wanted me to stay, but we just didn't meet halfway in the middle there," she said. "So I decided not to re-sign and just go ahead and start my own label and be distributed by some fabulous company."

It's been 40 years since her hit "Respect" snagged the ears of listeners, and a Grammy. Will she ever stop singing?

"Music is my thing, it's who I am. I'm in it for the long run," she said. "I'll be around, singing, `What you want, baby I got it.' Having fun all the way."

Posted by fathima at 8:40 AM | | Comments

De Mornay gets 3 years' probation on DUI

De Mornay gets 3 years' probation on DUI

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Rebecca De Mornay must serve three years' probation after a no contest plea was entered on her behalf to a misdemeanor drunken driving charge.Los Angeles Superior Court Judge H. Chester Horn also ordered the 48-year-old actress to complete a three-month program for DUI offenders and pay $350 plus unspecified penalties.

Defense attorney Blair Berk entered the plea on the behalf of De Mornay, who wasn't in the courtroom for the brief hearing Tuesday. A second DUI charge was dismissed as a result of the plea, said Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman with the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.

De Mornay was arrested Oct. 30 for a traffic violation in Beverly Hills when officers smelled alcohol on her breath.

De Mornay is best known for playing the prostitute who befriends Tom Cruise's high school student in the 1983 film "Risky Business." She also starred in the HBO surf drama "John From Cincinnati" and the films "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle," "Lords of Dogtown" and "American Venus."


Posted by fathima at 8:23 AM | | Comments

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Jessica Alba Visits MTV's TRL

Jessica Alba Visits MTV's TRL

Note to movie studios - if you want an actress who will tirelessly promote your films, regardless of pregnancy, Jessica Alba is your woman.

The "Good Luck Chuck" actress was spotted doing promotion for her new gig "The Eye" yesterday at MTV Studios during the taping of Total Request Live.

It's the latest in a long line of promotional stops for the Dark Angel. Earlier this week she stopped by David Letterman's Late Show, as well as The Today Show and Live With Regis and Kelly.

And as always, Jess looked fabulous during her TRL appearance, sporting an off-the-shoulder dark knee-length dress with matching stockings.

Posted by fathima at 8:03 AM | | Comments

Paris Hilton's NYC Media Marathon

Paris Hilton's NYC Media Marathon

Former "Simple Life" starlet Paris Hilton was spotted out and about in New York City yesterday, but it wasn't all fun and games for the heiress.

It turns out she was in town to do a little promotion for her upcoming film "The Hottie and the Nottie," set to release February 8th.

The first stop on the "House of Wax" actress' agenda was MTV's Total Request Live, where she showed up wearing a fabulous blue-with-gold-polka dotted dress.

After her TRL gig, Paris headed over to the Ed Sullivan Theater for an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman. And as you may have guessed, with the new show came a new dress.

The "Stars are Blind" singer paraded around the outside of the theater with a dozen roses, wearing an off-the-shoulder yellow dress and a pair of cute black and white shoes.
And speaking of shoes, Paris has a new line of footwear out on the market. She told press, "I have always loved shoes, and after working on my recently launched sportswear and fragrance lines, this seemed like a natural next step. Paris Hilton Footwear is perfect for the fashion-forward young woman who wants to look and feel great from head-to-toe, without spending a fortune."

Posted by fathima at 7:56 AM | | Comments

Monday, February 4, 2008

Paris Hilton went to a lesbian club with Brittny Gastineau

Paris Hilton went to a lesbian club with Brittny Gastineau

Quickly becoming the party girl she swore she'd never be again, Paris Hilton was spotted amidst a dizzying night of social affairs last night in West Hollywood.

The Simple Life starlet first showed up at the Crustacean for an after-party for the 2008 Screen Actors Guild awards. She was wearing a cute short-sleeved plaid dress complete with a trendy fedora.

After the SAG festivities, Paris headed over to gay night at the Falcon on Sunset Boulevard. This time she was sporting a dark wig, and ended up leaving with reality show star Brittny Gastineau.

The next stop on the "Stars Are Blind" singer's agenda was hot spot Hyde night club, before ending her night partying at the LAX Club.

Posted by fathima at 5:38 AM | | Comments

Keira Knightley's Good Luck Card

Keira Knightley's Good Luck Card


Reportedly a few of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" actress' high school teachers came together to wish her well at the upcoming BAFTAs with a good luck card.

One teacher from Teddington School told press, "We have kindly made a card to send to Keira Knightley, congratulating her on being nominated for a BAFTA for Atonement. We are disappointed that she missed out on an Oscar nomination. I know lots of the staff, who were here when she was a pupil, have very fond memories of her."

And reportedly, the Domino starlet was the model student during her years at Teddington. "She was really hard working and never made a fuss when she was away filming. She just quietly made up the work and slipped back into school life. Most of the students at Teddington are very proud to be associated with Keira through the school. I am always being asked if I taught her and where she sat."

Posted by fathima at 5:33 AM | | Comments

Sunday, February 3, 2008

French leader, wife stay near Versailles

French leader, wife stay near Versailles

PARIS (AP) — French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his new wife, Carla Bruni, spent their wedding night in a former hunting lodge near the palace at Versailles, news reports said Sunday. An Associated Press photographer spotted the newlyweds taking a stroll, hand-in-hand, in Versailles' gardens on Sunday, a day after their small, private wedding at the presidential Elysee Palace.

The two hosted a small wedding dinner Saturday night at La Lanterne, a former hunting lodge in Versailles, outside Paris, that has become a presidential residence, Le Journal du Dimanche newspaper said.

Sarkozy, 53, and Bruni, 40, were married Saturday, less than three months after they reportedly first met, and less than four months after his divorce from the previous first lady, Cecilia. The newlyweds issued a statement saying only that they tied the knot "in the presence of their families in the strictest privacy."

The wedding was the third for Sarkozy, who has three sons. It was the first for Bruni, who has a young son from a previous relationship. A longtime top model, Bruni has reinvented herself as a singer in recent years.

Posted by fathima at 8:53 AM | | Comments

Saturday, February 2, 2008

Abdul says new album expected in summer

Abdul says new album expected in summer

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Paula Abdul, who has a new song with fellow "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson, blames a plane mishap for keeping her out of the musical arena for more than a decade. "I've been really, really blessed and fortunate and it's really, really poignant for me to come back now," Abdul, who is one of the pre-Super Bowl performers, told The Associated Press on Saturday.

Abdul is featured on the first single off the new album from Jackson, due out next month. The song is titled "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow."

Abdul says an emergency plane landing that caused her injury in 1992 — she calls it a "plane crash" — was a key reason why she abandoned her multiplatinum singing career (she hasn't released a new album since 1995).

"I had four plates and fourteen cervical spinal surgeries," Abdul said while she picked up items Saturday at The Retreat at Super Bowl XLII, a celebrity gifting suite. "It all happened during the time that I disappeared and no one knew where I went. For five and a half years, I went through paralsys, the worst experience, and then I came back on `American Idol,' that was my first time back out there."

Abdul decided to return to music when Jackson asked her to be one of the artists on "Randy Jackson's Musical Club, Vol. 1."

"Everything felt right. The song was amazing," said Abdul, who added that she just finished a video for the song: "I'm dancing — wait to you see me," she said. "I'm doing things that you won't believe, that I don't even believe."

She's already started work on a new album that she expects to be released by the summer.

As for her other job, "American Idol," Abdul claims that this season's talent is the strongest yet.

"All the fat is trimmed, meaning that it's prime rib the whole lot," she said. "If we do it right and America does it right there could be a top twelve that are of the likes of Daughtry, Kelly, Carrie, I'm telling, you're in for an amazing season."

Posted by fathima at 10:53 PM | | Comments

Yana Gupta to release English music album

Yana Gupta to release English music album

New Delhi: Yana Gupta is all set to come out with her first ever English music album soon.

"I am working on my first music album very seriously. It will take some time to materialise," says Yana. "I am quite confident about the success of my new project," she added.

Yana says she is busy with the album, for which she is composing, writing and even singing.

"I have taken singing lesson earlier. But as English is not my first language, it is taking some time to grasp," she smiles.

But what has inspired her to make a music album? She says "Someone heard me singing and advised me to come out with an album. It forced me to think about it and I made up my mind to do so."

"I don't claim to be a great artist, but I am confident as a woman, as a human being. I am trying my best to make this a quality one," Yana says


The fitness freak model-turned-actress also aspires to work in Bollywood films and is currently looking for a "good" role there.

"I have got a couple of offers, but not impressed with any scripts so far. Those were not so good for me," she adds.

Posted by fathima at 6:49 AM | | Comments

Kannada cinema's hottest item numbers!

Kannada cinema's hottest item numbers!

Item girls have been an integral part of Kannada films for a very long time. Even during Dr Raj Kumar's times, dancing queens like Vijayalalitha and Jyothilakshmi sizzled in films.

After that, it was the turn of Jayamaalini, Anuradha, Halam and Silk Smitha. Then arrived dancers from Mumbai like Bindu, Jayashree T and Padma Khanna who danced their way into Kannada film industry during their hey day.

Continuing in that tradition, today's item girls are increasing heading down south to add a touch of Bollywood glamour.

While 2007 had its share of item numbers, the three which dominated the scene were Mallika Sherawat's number in Preethi Eke Bhoomi Melidhe, Mumaith Khan's song in Orata and Rakhi Sawant's in Geleya.

Here's a closer look:

Mallika Sherawat

It took a lot of convincing on the part of producer Ram Prasad to make Mallika perform this item number for Prem's Preethi Eke Bhoomi Melidhe.

The actress wanted to know the meanings of the lyrics as well as the outfits she was supposed to be wearing for the song, which was shot in some of busiest roads in Bangalore

Close on the heels of Mallika, comes Rakhi Sawant whose item number in Geleya was a huge hit with the people.

The saucy dancer loved performing it as well. "I would love to dance in films till I become a Naani", she was quoted as saying after the shoot was over.

Another Bollywood starlet who mesmerised audiences with her moves is Mumaith Khan.

Her well picturised item number in the film Orata became one of the biggest hit songs from the film.

Directed by Srinivas, the song took three days to shoot.

Posted by fathima at 6:38 AM | | Comments

Friday, February 1, 2008

Eva Longoria Promotes "Over Her Dead Body"


Eva Longoria Promotes "Over Her Dead Body"
Elegantly dressed, Eva Longoria made her way to a photocall for her latest film, Over Her Dead Body, in London earlier today (January 24).

The Desperate Housewife landed in England from Los Angeles on Tuesday - since then doing a little shopping and sticking near her hotel room in The Claridges.

A synopsis for her latest New Line Cinema release reads: Devastated when his fiancée Kate (Eva Longoria Parker) is killed on their wedding day, Henry (Paul Rudd) reluctantly agrees to consult a psychic named Ashley (Lake Bell) at the urging of his sister Chloe (Lindsay Sloane). Despite his skepticism over her psychic abilities, Henry finds himself falling hard for Ashley, and vice versa. But there is a big snag. Ashley is being haunted by Kate's ghost, who considers it her heavenly duty to break up Henry and Ashley's fledgling romance, if it is the last thing she does on this earthly plane.

Meanwhile, when asked what her reaction was after seeing Over Her Dead Body as a finished product for the first time, Eva replied: "Hilarious. I watched the film for the first time with my husband Tony. He's a big film guy. He's watches everything, everything, because he's always on the road traveling. I was nervous with him watching it because I knew he would be honest. (She laughs) And he loved it and it made me feel good because I was really frightened."

Posted by fathima at 7:27 AM | | Comments

Kim Kardashian Helps Reggie Deal With Paparazzi

Kim Kardashian Helps Reggie Deal With Paparazzi

Getting used to the globe-trotting lifestyle, Kim Kardashian headed to sunny Miami, Florida after a trip to the Sundance Film Festival and quick stop home in Los Angeles.

Swapping boyfriend Reggie Bush for her sister Kourtney, the brunette beauties showed off their ample curves while enjoying a gorgeous day on Miami Beach. Both Kim and Kourtney are quite excited over how big of a hit their show, Keeping Up With The Kardashian's, has been thus far.

Meanwhile, Kim's football-playing boyfriend isn't as keen on the attention that comes with success in Hollywood, telling Sports Illustrated: "I hate the paparazzi. I honestly do. She knows I don't like it, but it comes with the territory. I deal with it. It doesn't make me view her any different, it's part of her life and so you just deal with it, but I hate it. I don't like it all. When I'm not with her, they don't care about me, when I'm with her they're all over us."

Trying to help her man relax, Kim tells: "I'm giving him a few tips here and there. We try not to take it too seriously. The paparazzi are really an invasion of privacy that you're never really used to and ready for but you learn to adapt to it and not really pay too much attention to it."

Posted by fathima at 7:20 AM | | Comments