celebrity

'Hannah Montana' says mea culpa for racy pics

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Miley Cyrus, the 15-year-old television and pop music sensation revered by little girls around the world as "Hannah Montana" has apologized for a recent racy photo spread of her published this week in a popular glossy magazine"I took part in a photo shoot that was supposed to be 'artistic' and now, seeing the photographs and reading the story, I feel so embarrassed," Cyrus wrote in an apology posted on Sunday on the online edition of People magazine.

The artsy, skin-revealing shots include a picture of Cyrus, draped in a sheet, with her naked back exposed, looking alluringly at the camera.

The photo provocative photo spread threatens to sully her fresh-scrubbed, good-girl image, and could raise doubts about whether she is an appropriate role model in the minds of parents of her impressionable young fans.

She also expressed regret about another series of photos in which she appears partially-clad that have been circulating on the Web.

"The pictures of me on the Internet were silly, inappropriate shots. I appreciate all the support of my fans, and hope they understand that along the way I am going to make mistakes and I am not perfect," she said of the photos taken by celebrated photographer Annie Leibovitz.

"I never intended for any of this to happen and I am truly sorry if I have disappointed anyone," Cyrus wrote.

"Most of all, I have let myself down. I will learn from my mistakes and trust my support team. My family and my faith will guide me through my life's journey."

Cyrus is the star of the wildly popular "Hannah Montana" television series, produced by Disney, a magnet for legions of pre-teenaged fans in the lucrative "tweens" consumer market of preadolescent girls "between" childhood and the teenaged years.

Millions of viewers between the ages of six and 14 watch the weekly show, which also stars her real life father, country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, previously best known for singing "Achy Breaky Heart."

The photo spread appears as part of a major publicity push for Miley Cyrus' sold-out pop music concert series and coincides with the announcement of a billion-dollar deal to publish her memoirs, to appear next spring.

Posted by fathima at 10:09 AM | Permalink | Comments

Is that Miley Cyrus flashing her bra on the Internet?
NEW YORK - Is that Miley Cyrus flashing some skin? Less-than-wholesome photos of a girl bearing a close resemblance to the 15-year-old superstar are making the rounds on the Internet.

One photo shows the Cyrus look-alike tugging at her white tank top to reveal a green bra. In another shot, she flaunts her bare midriff while draped over a young male, who rests his hand on her hip. Another shot shows her cuddling up to the same guy.

This isn't the first time risque photos of someone resembling Cyrus have circulated online. In recent months, shots have surfaced of a girl posing in her underwear and bikini.

Cyrus, star of the TV show "Hannah Montana" and role model for countless young girls, is one of the biggest — and most G-rated — acts in the country. Cyrus' "Best of Both Worlds" tour sold out arenas, and her successful 3-D concert film collected $31.3 million in its opening weekend in February.

The upcoming "Hannah Montana" movie will be filmed in Tennessee and Los Angeles, beginning early next month. The movie is scheduled for release May 1, 2009.

The actress-singer's publicists Jill Fritzo and Meghan Prophet didn't return messages from The Associated Press seeking comment. An assistant to Cyrus' manager, Jason Morey, referred the AP to Prophet.

Posted by fathima at 9:58 AM | Permalink | Comments

Israel says Streisand won't attend 60th anniversary bash
JERUSALEM - Israel says Barbra Streisand has pulled out of a celebration of the country's 60th anniversary next monthStreisand was among the celebrities set to appear at a Jerusalem convention hosted by Israeli President Shimon Peres beginning May 13.

Phone messages left early Tuesday with the singer's publicist and agent weren't immediately returned.

Streisand, who will be 66 on Thursday, was to perform a rendition of the Hebrew prayer Avinu Malkeinu, or "Our Father Our King."

She gave no reason for the cancellation, Peres' office said

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

Pope celebrates first public Mass of US trip in Washington
WASHINGTON - Pope Benedict XVI praised America as a land of opportunity and hope Thursday as he celebrated the first public Mass of his U.S. pilgrimage, but he lamented that the nation's promise fell short for Indians and blacks. But, he said, hope for the future "is very much a part of the American character."

Tens of thousands of worshippers filled Washington Nationals stadium on a clear spring day and cheered Benedict as he arrived in a white popemobile, standing in the back and waving.

A crowd of 46,000 was expected, and the demand for tickets doubled the supply, organizers said.

The pope, wearing scarlet vestments, led the service from an altar erected in centerfield of the recently inaugurated baseball stadium.

"Americans have always been a people of hope," he said. "Your ancestors came to this country with the experience of finding new freedom and opportunity," Benedict said.

"To be sure, this promise was not experienced by all the inhabitants of this land; one thinks of the injustices endured by the native American peoples and by those brought here forcibly from Africa as slaves."

He turned for a third day to the clergy sex abuse scandal that rocked the American church, saying "no words of mine could describe the pain and harm inflicted by such abuse."

He called for healing and reconciliation and assistance to the victims.

Barbara and Michael Loh of Williamsburg, Va., sat alone in the stands taking in the scene. They were among the first to arrive.

"I've been Catholic all my life and ... my dream has always been to see the pope," said Barbara Loh, tearing up.

At 5:45 a.m., more than four hours before the Mass, it was standing-room only on subways. Vendors hawked Vatican flags and souvenir buttons, but there were few takers as people hurried toward the stadium.

For others, there was nothing more important than getting in, and many people without tickets stood outside the subway station with signs pleading for extras.

Patty Trail, 54, pastoral associate at a church in Virginia Beach, Va., drove overnight to bring two priests to the Mass. She didn't have a ticket but said she was happy to at least be in the vicinity of the pope.

"Just to be out here, just to be in the presence," she said. "D.C. feels different."

A number of lawmakers who support the right of a woman to have an abortion attended the Mass, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sen. John Kerry, the former Democratic presidential candidate. During the 2004 campaign, several bishops questioned whether he should receive communion because of his stand on abortion.

On Wednesday, Benedict spent the first full day of his U.S. journey sharing a platform with President Bush and laying out his analysis of the American church to the nation's bishops.

Before Benedict's arrival, polls showed most Americans knew little or nothing about him. Those who have watched him so far have found a German-born pontiff who speaks excellent English, appears vigorous for his 81 years, mostly prefers script to spontaneity and displays a keen sense of the critical issues facing his 65-million member American flock.

One of larger questions hanging over Benedict's first U.S. trip as pontiff was whether and how he would address the clergy sex abuse scandal, which has claimed thousands of victims, cost the church more than $2 billion in court costs and settlements and led six dioceses to declare bankruptcy.

The answer: He talked about it early, often and with conviction, although not to the satisfaction of many victims and their advocates.

In an address to U.S. bishops Wednesday night at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Benedict called the scandal a "deep shame." He decried the "enormous pain" that communities have suffered from such "gravely immoral behavior."

He also said the problem needs to be viewed in the wider context of secularism and the over-sexualization of America, and called for "a determined, collective response."

Bishop Gregory Aymond of Austin, Texas, chairman of the bishops' Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People, said Benedict made it clear that more work remains and that the impact of the scandal damages not just the Catholic church but faith in God.

"Some would say the crisis is over," Aymond said. "As long as victims are still hurting and broken and there is a need for reconciliation, it is still critical. At the same time, we want to recognize that we as a church have moved forward ... The Holy Father gets it."

Aymond also welcomed Benedict's endorsement of Chicago Cardinal Francis George's comment that the crisis had been "very badly handled."

"I believe we have to tell it like it is, and I was glad that he said that," Aymond said. "All of us as bishops, as leaders, have to examine our consciences."

Advocates for victims have complained that no bishops have been disciplined for failing to warn parents and police about abusers.

After his appearance at the stadium, Benedict was to address Catholic educators and meet with leaders of other faiths.

Posted by fathima at 8:02 AM | Permalink | Comments

Digital move for Richard and Judy
Chat show duo Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan will move to digital broadcaster UKTV in the autumn.

The couple, who announced they were quitting their teatime slot on Channel 4 in November, will host an hour-long "high octane" primetime show.

The broadcaster said the duo will make their debut on a "new look channel" later this year.

The married pair gained a following on ITV1's This Morning from 1988 before moving to Channel 4 seven years ago.

Ratings dip

Madeley, 51, said: "We were both hugely impressed by the team at UKTV,and their proposal was attractive and fun and will give us the kind of flexibility in our personal lives we've been looking for."

He added that the pair's popular book club will continue on the new programme, which is also expected to feature celebrity guests.

Finnigan, 59, said: "When we announced our decision to leave our current television series after seven years, we were very touched by the number of people who told us how much they wanted to see us continuing making programmes together."

Their move to a digital channel is likely to mean a dip in ratings. The couple currently attract almost three million viewers to their Channel 4 programme.

UKTV controller Matthew Littleford said: "I am so excited to have signed Richard and Judy - they are truly my TV heroes."

The broadcaster's current portfolio of channels includes Dave, which is watched by three million viewers per day, UKTV Gold and UKTV History.

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

Snipes 'should serve three years'

Film star Wesley Snipes should spend three years in prison and be fined $5m (£2.5m) over tax evasion charges, US prosecutors have said.

The actor was found guilty in February of failing to submit tax returns, although he was cleared of more serious charges, including fraud.

Prosecutors have now recommended that he faced the maximum penalty for a "brazen defiance" of US tax laws.

The 45-year-old star of Blade was not immediately available for comment.

In court papers filed on Monday, US Attorney Robert O'Neill pressed for the heavy penalty because, he said, the case provided a "singular opportunity" to "deter tax crime nationwide".

Snipes and two co-defendants were originally charged with six counts of failing to file tax returns, two of fraudulently claiming tax refunds and one count of conspiracy to defraud the government.

'Not deception'

In court, lawyers for the film star admitted he had been "dead wrong" and should have to pay the money back.

But they denied any crime had been committed, saying Mr Snipes had been open with the government about what he was doing.

"Disagreement with the IRS is not fraud of the IRS, is not deception," argued defence lawyer Robert Barnes.

The actor's first role was in Goldie Hawn's 1986 American football comedy Wildcats, and he later appeared in the video for Michael Jackson's Bad, which was directed by Martin Scorsese.

He also appeared in hit films such as White Men Can't Jump, Passenger 57 and the Blade trilogy.

Posted by fathima at 11:32 PM | Permalink | Comments

2 people investigated for Clooney hoax

ROME - Two people were being investigated for alleged fraud after attempting to launch a fashion line with a brand using George Clooney's name, police in Milan said ThursdayTax police said they seized garments and watches Wednesday, as well as fake documentation. The ANSA news agency said the line was to be launched in Milan next week.

Police said the probe stemmed from a complaint filed by the actor.

"If someone tries to sell you clothes or watches that are based on me, don't buy them," Clooney, 46, told reporters Wednesday in Rome, where he was promoting his new film, "Leatherheads

Posted by fathima at 10:37 AM | Permalink | Comments

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. - Sean Penn and his wife, Robin Wright Penn, have withdrawn their divorce petition.
A Marin County Superior Court commissioner has dismissed the divorce proceedings between the couple, who call the community of Ross, Calif., their home.

Neither attended Tuesday's hearing, and no comment has been released on the latest development.

The dismissal came a day after they attended an Eddie Vedder concert at the University of California at Berkeley, where the actor reportedly went on stage to dedicate a song to Wright Penn.

Posted by fathima at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments

A leader of Colombia's Farc rebel group has ruled out releasing a high-profile sick hostage and cast doubt on a French humanitarian mission sent to treat her.

Rodrigo Granda suggested the Farc had not agreed to grant access to Ingrid Betancourt and would only release hostages through a prisoner exchange.

A former presidential candidate who also has French nationality, Ms Betancourt is said to be seriously ill.

Her son earlier said she needed a blood transfusion within hours to stay alive.

The French mission was sent to Colombia earlier this week after the government promised to suspend military operations against the Farc in the area where many of its hostages are believed to be held.

'Peace gestures'

In a statement posted on the ABP news agency's website, the left-wing rebel group's foreign relations chief suggested he had neither agreed to grant the French mission access to Ms Betancourt nor to release any hostages unilaterally.

Only as a result of a prisoner exchange will those who are held captive in our camps go free

Rodrigo Granda
Farc foreign relations chief

"Only as a result of a prisoner exchange will those who are held captive in our camps go free," Mr Granda said.

He added that the group could not be asked for "more peace gestures", as it had already displayed enough political good will by releasing six political hostages earlier this year.

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe had earlier promised to make "all possible efforts" to help free Ms Betancourt and his country's military chief, Gen Freddy Padilla, has offered to facilitate the French mission.

Gen Padilla said the French team, which includes two doctors and two diplomats, did not know where she was being held, although French officials in Bogota and Paris have refused to confirm this.

Ms Betancourt's husband, Juan Carlos Lecompte, said he hoped the French government knew more about her whereabouts then they were prepared to say.

"Maybe they have information we don't know about," he told the Associated Press.

After the military plane carrying the French mission landed at Bogota's Catam air base, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said: "We have high hopes. We have done all we humanly could and now we need to wait for our envoys, the doctor, to reach the field."

Earlier, Lorenzo Delloye, Ms Betancourt's son, said his mother had hepatitis B and a tropical skin disease that required a transfusion "in the coming hours".

"This is my last appeal. There's no more time. Either we free mum and the other hostages or we'll lose them, and that's a question of hours," he said.

Last week, France offered to take in rebels released from prison in exchange for the 46-year-old, who has been held since 2002.

Ms Betancourt was pictured looking thin and frail in a recent video.

She is one of 39 high-profile hostages whom Farc would like to exchange for 500 rebels currently in prison. The rebel group has been fighting the Colombian government for over 40 years.

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

Pregnant Angelina Jolie’s bizarre candlelit diet is worrying her lover Brad Pitt.

Angelina, who is believed to be expecting twins with Brad, has reportedly sparked health concerns after embarking on a low-fat organic diet and refusing to eat in well-lit rooms. A source said, “Brad is worried that she forgets to eat as much as she should.

She never eats standing up or in bright light. It has to be on a cushion or low stool. Angelina feels that relaxing properly before she eats is incredibly important for how the baby absorbs the food.

She believes that indulging in fatty foods while pregnant can programme babies to crave junk food.” Angelina, 32, is believed to be mainly eating fresh fruit and vegetables, wholegrain cereals, dried fruits and nuts.

Brad has been trying to persuade her to have bigger meals. The source added, “Brad has done a lot of research into the best foods for her and also makes sure she has almonds, tofu and yoghurt. He also makes her dry toast to ease her morning sickness.”

Posted by fathima at 6:54 AM | Permalink | Comments

The English supermodel Kate Moss has adopted a spanking new diet, involving lots and lots of sex. The reason behind Kate’s high libido is her desire to have another baby.

Sources reveal that Moss, who already has a five-year-old daughter Lila Grace from Jefferson Hack, wants to start a family with boyfriend Jamie Hince as soon as possible.

It seems that Kate's really hanging out for another baby and knows that at 34, the biological clock is ticking, besides we guess she also wants to look radiant for the wedding—and it's done a load for her sex drive because Jamie's been smiling lots recently.

Posted by fathima at 6:51 AM | Permalink | Comments