Winehouse album is UK top-seller

Amy Winehouse's second album Back to Black is set to be the biggest-selling album of the year.

The troubled singer's soul-tinged CD, released at the end of 2006, has now sold more than 1.5m copies in the UK, achieving five platinum sales awards.

Leona Lewis's Spirit and Mika's Life in Cartoon Motion are currently the second and third best selling albums of the year, with just over a week left to go.

Winehouse was recently nominated for six Grammys including song of the year.

The 24-year-old's debut album, Frank, also sold 300,000 copies in the UK this year, despite being released in 2003.

"Amy Winehouse's Back To Black is in pole position to be the year's biggest seller," British Phonographic Industry spokesman, Matt Phillips said.

"But more than 6 million albums were sold last week, and as this weekend is likely to be the biggest of the year for music sales, Leona may close the gap."

Lewis sold 1.27m copies of her album in just five weeks, becoming the fastest-selling debut in UK history and making the former X Factor winner the fastest female million-seller in the UK, according to the BPI.

Spirit was the second album to sell a million copies in 2007, after Back to Black.

Lewis's single Bleeding Love is also the best selling single of 2007 so far, after spending seven weeks at number one in the charts.

Mika's debut album, released in February, has just passed the one million sales mark.

BBC News

Potter hopefuls lose out on role

Thousands who attended an open audition for a role in the new Harry Potter film have been left disappointed after the part went to an established actress.

Producers held a casting in July for girls aged 15 to 18 to play Lavender Brown in The Half Blood Prince.

But the part went to Jessie Cave, 20, star of new CBBC drama Summerhill and movie Inkheart with Dame Helen Mirren.

The casting stated no acting experience was necessary and attracted 7,000 hopefuls. Cave's agent did not comment.

Lavender Brown is Ron Weasley's girlfriend in the Harry Potter series, and a fellow pupil at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Producers described the character as "a pretty and lively girl who loves to be the centre of attention".

She features in the sixth movie based on the book series, due to be released in November 2008.

'Absolutely credible'

Announcing the auditions in July, director David Yates said: "These auditions are open to everybody and we can't wait to see who comes in the door.

"Normally I have all these casting agents sending me kids who have been to stage school and who come in tap-dancing and singing.

"What we are looking for is someone natural and absolutely credible in their own right."

Tap-dancing is listed among the skills on Cave's CV, published by her agent A&J Management.

Director David Yates was not available for comment.

Open auditions were also held for the character of Tom Riddle, who goes on to become the evil Voldemort. The winner of that role has yet to be announced.

The last Harry Potter film, The Order of the Phoenix, did feature an unknown actress found through a casting call.

Evanna Lunch, 14, from Co Louth, Ireland, beat 15,000 hopefuls to the role of eccentric Hogwarts pupil Luna Lovegood.

Amy's husband in 'trial fixing plot'

Amy broke down in tears as her husband Blake Fielder-Civil was dramatically arrested in front of her over an alleged £200,000 trial-fixing plot.

“I want to go with him,” she begged hysterically as eight plain-clothed policemen handcuffed him in an east London flat, reported the Mirror.

As he was led away, the distraught singer kissed and hugged him repeatedly, sobbing: “Baby, I love you. Baby, I'll be fine.”

The 24-year-old ran out of the flat in Bow to catch a final glimpse of Fielder-Civil who managed to yell out “I love you” before he was taken away in an unmarked people carrier.

Police are investigating allegations following a tip-off by the newspaper that a key witness was offered £200,000 to stay away from the case and refuse to give evidence.

Fielder-Civil was arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice in connection the trial involving assault charges which was due to start next week. There is no suggestion that Amy was involved in the alleged plot although three other men were arrested at addresses in east London.

If Fielder-Civil is convicted the maximum sentence for the offence is life.

Last night, up to 13 officers stormed the house, bursting through the door using a battering ram and crow bar.

Witnesses said three policemen and ten plain-clothed officers searched the property, just an hour after Winehouse's husband Blake Fielder- Civil left in a chauffeur-driven Mercedes.

A police spokesman said four men had been arrested in east London earlier and were being questioned.

The four men, two 25-year-olds, a 22-year-old and a 19-year-old, were all arrested in west London and were being held in an east London police station.

The spokesman confirmed the arrests related to next week's trial involving Mr Fielder-Civil, 25, and a second man, 39, who both face charges of grievous bodily harm.

Fielder-Civil, 25, is at risk of being jailed when he appears before Snaresbrook Crown Court in London on Monday on assault charges.

He was allegedly involved in a bust-up at Hoxton's uber-cool Macbeth pub in London and subsequently charged with grievous bodily harm.

Barman James King required medical treatment following the incident, which was said to involve Fielder-Civil and another man.

Fielder-Civil has pleaded not guilty and has been out on bail since.

The search of the couple's home comes just weeks after they were arrested and held in Norway for the possession of marijuana.

Bergen police held the pair for 12 hours after finding 7g (a quarter of an ounce) on them. On that occasion they escaped with a fine.

Winehouse's latest controversy comes after she has spoken publicly about her drug abuse shame.

Speaking on her European tour the singer confessed she thought she was going to die last August after she was raced to a London hospital following a reported binge on ecstasy and cocaine.

'I really thought I was on my way out,' she admitted. She added: 'Often I don't know what I do, then the next day the memory returns.

And then I am engulfed in shame.

Metro

Beyonce marks Ethiopia millennium

Pop star Beyonce has joined millennium celebrations in Ethiopia with a concert for 5,000 fans.

The concert was part of the country's year-long celebration of its 2,000th birthday according to its ancient calendar.

The star gave a two-hour performance in Addis Ababa, singing songs from her new album, B'Day.

Beyonce told screaming fans that they had been one of the best audiences of her lifetime.

However reaction to Beyonce's opening act, multi-platinum-selling rapper Ludacris, was lukewarm from a crowd that tends to be loyal to music in its national language, Amharic.

"Rap music doesn't suit Ethiopia," said local music promoter Michael Melake.

"Ethiopians need a melody. It's all about the black American experience, and we don't relate to that." he said.

In September, at the start of the year 2000, Ethiopia's capital hosted another concert by Black Eyed Peas, but reception for the hip-hop group was also stilted.

Beyonce, who began her world tour in Moscow last week, will continue on to Romania, Turkey, India, Thailand, Indonesia and China.

BBC News

Britney fingerprinted by police

Britney Spears has visited a Los Angeles police station to be photographed and fingerprinted ahead of her hit-and-run court case.

The 25-year-old singer spent about 30 minutes at the station on Monday evening, after a judge ordered her to submit to the procedures.

Ms Spears was charged last month for allegedly crashing into a parked car while driving without a valid licence.

She could face up to six months in jail for the 6 August incident.

A conviction will also carry a fine of $1,000 (£490).

Ms Spears' first court appearance is scheduled for 25 October.

Personal life

Officer Mike Lopez said Ms Spears, who applied for a California licence earlier this month, was fingerprinted and photographed before leaving, about 45 minutes after having turned herself in.

"She was fine, cooperative, Lopez said. "She did her business and came out."

Ms Spears' career and personal life has recently been beset by a series of incidents.

Last week, a judge granted her permission to spend one night a week with her two young after the singer lost full-time custody to former husband Kevin Federline.

Ms Spears and Mr Federline must appear at a further hearing on 26 October.

Last month, a judge said Ms Spears showed "a habitual, frequent and continuous use of controlled substances and alcohol".

She was then ordered to complete random drug and alcohol tests twice a week, as well as meeting weekly with a "parenting coach", according to court documents.

But she later lost custody after failing to produce her driving licence and missing a test for drugs and alcohol.

BBC News

Charlize Theron crowned Sexiest Woman by Esquire

Charlize Theron seems to have it all: beauty, brains, a high-earning Hollywood career and an Oscar in her hands. Now, the actress has added another coveted description: Sexiest Woman Alive.

Men's magazine Esquire on Wednesday bestowed its annual honor on the South African actress who is currently starring in war film "In the Valley of Elah."

"She combines unbelievable beauty with a smart mind and this attitude like she's almost one of the guys -- like you could hang out and have a beer with -- and all of that adds up to sexy," said Esquire articles editor Ryan D'Agostino.

In its November issue, which hits newsstands on October 16, Theron, 32, talks about her new movie, politics, being from South Africa and her feelings about the United States, where she recently earned dual citizenship.

The long-legged, blonde beauty also shows a penchant for drinking, cussing and smoking, and she tears up when talking about the recent death of her dog.

The issue annually is one of Esquire's most widely read, and it generates debate among readers, D'Agostino said.

He added that every year the Sexiest Woman exudes some sense of individuality, and that there is no set of criteria or rules by which the magazine's editors, writers and other contributors pick the titleholder.

D'Agostino did say the magazine likes to choose someone based on how current they are in pop culture. After taking time off following 2005 film "North Country," Theron is back with two movies, "Elah" and "Battle in Seattle," this year and has several others set for release next year and beyond.

Theron follows a long line of actresses and others claiming the Sexiest Woman title at the 74 year-old magazine. Last year's titleholder was Scarlett Johansson and the year before her, Jessica Biel.

Unlike the others Theron has won the Oscar, the world's top film award, for her role playing a lesbian serial killer in 2003 film, "Monster."

She has also shown a range of talent, working in serious dramas like "The Cider House Rules," thrillers such as "The Italian Job" and special-effects filled "AEon Flux."

Beyond work, the actress is involved in charitable causes working in her home country, for instance, to put mobile health clinics in rural areas where access to care is limited.

And sorry men, this year's Sexiest Woman is taken. Theron's boyfriend is actor Stuart Townsend.

Reuters/Nielsen

Minogue prepares TV spectacular

Pop star Kylie Minogue is to celebrate her musical comeback with an hour-long special on ITV1.

The Kylie Show will feature new songs from her forthcoming album, X, mixed with classics from her 20-year career.

Producers promise a unique "visual experience" to accompany every track, in contrast to ITV's concert-style Audience With Kylie Minogue in 2001.

Minogue picked up Q magazine's icon award on Monday. Her new single, 2 Hearts, has just had its first airing.

The glam rock-tinged song, which is not out until 12 November, is produced by London electro band Kish Mauve.

In the video, which also premiered on Wednesday, Minogue sings into a microphone capped with a diamond-encrusted skull - much like the Damien Hirst creation which recently sold for £50m.

'Surprises'

The star has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide

The single and album mark Minogue's return to music following her diagnosis with breast cancer in May 2005.

She had surgery in Australia two days later and finished her chemotherapy in December 2005.

She returned to the stage in late 2006, performing a string of concerts in Australia and the UK before starting recording sessions for X, her tenth studio album.

Although she worked with famous names like Mylo and Scissor Sisters, the 39-year-old has revealed that none of their collaborations made the final cut.

Speaking about the ITV show, Minogue said: "My creative team and I are preparing a fabulous evening with a mixture of old songs, new songs and lots of surprises thrown into the mix as well."

In a statement, ITV said the programme's producers were "pushing the boundaries to create an original and visually breathtaking piece of entertainment".

It is due to air later this year.

BBC News

Timberlake continues awards run

Singer Justin Timberlake is poised to expand his trophy collection after receiving three nominations for this year's American Music Awards.

The star, who picked up prizes at this year's Grammys, Brits and MTV awards, is up for best R&B album, best pop album and male pop artist of the year.

Other acts with three nominations are Beyonce, Linkin Park and Daughtry.

Fellow nominees Rihanna and Fergie will perform at the ceremony in Los Angeles on 18 November.

Timberlake goes up against his producer Timbaland and hip-hop star Akon in the male pop artist category.

Beyonce leads the nominations in the female pop artist and R&B album of the year, for B'Day.

The former Destiny's Child singer is also up for best female R&B singer, facing competition from Rihanna and former American Idol contestant Fantasia Barrino.

Public vote

Other American Idol graduates on the shortlist include Carrie Underwood, who picks up two nominations in the country section, and Chis Daughtry - whose band, Daughtry, are in the running for three awards.

Rockers Linkin Park compete in the best pop album, best pop group and alternative rock categories.

Nominees were initially chosen based on record sales. Ballots were then sent to 15,000 people to select the top three acts in each category.

For the first time, members of the public will be able to vote for nominated artists online. Winners were previously selected by a US survey of 20,000 people.

Last year, hip-hop quartet Black Eyed Peas went home with three trophies, while the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kelly Clarkson, Mary J Blige and Rascal Flatts took two awards each.

Mariah Carey, who was nominated for three awards in 2006, missed out completely this year.

BBC News

Lindsay Lohan 'is out of rehab'

Actress Lindsay Lohan has checked out of rehab after two months of treatment, according to reports in the US media.

Celebrity magazine People says the 21-year-old has left the exclusive clinic in Utah where she has been staying since August.

"I'm proud of her," said the star's mother, Dina. "Things were getting out of control. She took action."

In August, Lohan admitted her life had become "unmanageable" because she was "addicted to alcohol and drugs".

She entered rehab in the weeks following her arrest for drink-driving in July.

The incident came shortly after a separate arrest in May when she lost control of her car and hit a kerb in Beverly Hills, California.

In both cases, she was found to be in possession of cocaine.

The actress was sentenced to one day in jail after pleading guilty to drink driving and drug charges as part of a plea bargain in August.

She was also put on three years' probation, and ordered to perform community service and complete a drug treatment programme.

In a statement, Lohan said the arrests had followed a "relapse" and that she was "ashamed" of her actions.

"No matter what I said when I was under the influence, I am not blaming anyone else for my conduct other than myself. I thank God I did not injure others, I easily could have," she added.

During her stay in rehab, Lohan was pictured bicycling and white water rafting. She was also visited by her father, from whom she has been estranged for several years.

The actress hit the big time aged 11 in The Parent Trap. She has also starred in films like Freaky Friday, Mean Girls and A Prairie Home Companion.


BBC News

Spice Girls to release new single

Reformed girl band the Spice Girls are to release their first single in seven years, Geri Halliwell has revealed.

The 35-year-old, who originally left the group in 1998, told GMTV the track was a "big love song" called Headlines.

"It's a Spice Girl classic. We are so proud of it," she said. "We started putting words down before we even had the finalised 'yes' from everyone."

The group are going on a world tour, releasing their album in the UK on 12 November and the single a week later.

Halliwell said it was hard to "juggle that balance" between work and friendship.

"It's fantastic hanging with girls you really like but there are pressures of work to go with it so it's about finding that balance," she said.

"It's so amazing. It is like waking up and you get a second chance to be something that is so enjoyable," she added.

The group's worldwide comeback tour, which starts in Canada on 2 December, will be the first time Halliwell has performed with the group since she walked out.

Fans will be given a second chance to get their hands on tickets for the London leg on Saturday, when tickets go on sale for two new dates.

The Headlines single will also be the official song for this year's BBC Children in Need charity fundraising appeal.

BBC News

Britney's new lap dancing video!

The long-awaited video to Britney Spears' panned danced track 'Gimme More', has finally hit the web for all and sundry to have a dig at.

To her credit, the video is slightly less disappointing than her mimed performance of the track at the Video Music Awards last month but it is still smeared with the same smutty hallmarks.

The video kicks off with a blonde prissy Brit sat at a bar sipping cocktails with her girlie friends.

Suddenly she is distracted by 'bad' Britney who emerges swinging round a pole on cue to the lyrics 'It's Britney bitch.'

The video is saturated from this point on with Britney as we know her today – fish nets, bum cheeks, hot pants and plenty of lesbian inferences.

She even chucks in an ogling David Beckham look-a-like for further titillation.

Don't get us wrong though – we are rooting for her all the way. Watch it below and tell us what you think?

The video was on YouTube momentarily but has now been removed.

Metro

Bedingfield win at digital awards

Singer Natasha Bedingfield has won best pop artist at the BT Digital Music Awards 2007 in London.

Rock group Muse won best band at the event, which was held at Camden's legendary Roundhouse, and Lemar walked away with best urban act.

The Chemical Brothers took home the gong for best electronic artist and BBC 6 Music was named best radio station.

A panel of experts chose seven award winners and the public voted online for the remaining 13 gongs.

DJ Steve Lamacq accepted the award on behalf of his station 6 Music.

"It's so reassuring and quite inspiring that there are people who sort of believe in you," he said.

'Cutting-edge'

More than 90% of single sales in the UK are now in digital formats such as MP3s and ring tones. The awards are intended to recognise artists who contribute to this growing market.

Rock band Funeral for a Friend beat Razorlight, Rihanna and Bloc Party to the artist of the year award.

Other winners included Ludacris for best mobile campaign and Keane took the gong for best official website.

As well as winning an award Bedingfield performed her latest single, Say It Again, at the ceremony.

Others who took to the stage included rock group The Rakes, former Sugababe Mutya Buena, The Hoosiers, Newton Faulkner and Amy MacDonald.

Gavin Patterson from BT said the ceremony "continues to recognise the artists and those in the industry, both established and up-and-coming, who are delivering the best in cutting-edge digital music entertainment".

Channel 4 will broadcast the show on 5 October at 0040 BST.

BBC News

Britney loses custody of kids

Britney Spears has lost custody of her children

A judge has ordered the troubled singer to turn over her two children to former husband Kevin Federline until further court order.

Los Angeles Superior Court judge Scott M Gordon has ruled that Mr Federline will take custody of Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, beginning Wednesday 'until further order of the court.'

Representatives for Spears and Federline were not immediately available for comment.

It is the same judge who earlier this month ordered Ms Spears, 25, to undergo random drug and alcohol tests twice a week in her child custody dispute with former her husband.

Judge Gordon said Ms Spears showed 'a habitual, frequent and continuous use of controlled substances and alcohol'.

He also ordered Ms Spears and 29-year-old Mr Federline - who is seeking increased custody of their two young sons - to complete a parenting class.

Mr Federline, 29, is seeking increased custody of their two young sons.

Two weeks ago Ms Spears was charged with hit-and-run and driving without a valid licence.

She is accused of hitting a parked car and driving away from a Los Angeles car park on 6 August, a spokesman for the city's attorney's office said.

She could face six months in jail and a $1,000 (£495) fine if convicted of the misdemeanour charges.

It was also reported on Monday that the star may have been driving illegally for years.

Reports in the US claim the singer does not have a valid California driver's licence.

A Department of Motor Vehicles official told the website TMZ.com: 'At this point, Britney Spears does not have a valid California driver's license. She has an application pending that she never completed.'

The website said she has never had a California license during the years that she has lived in LA.

Ms Spears, whose new album is set for release on 13 November, has also been dropped by her management firm, and her recent performance at this year's MTV Video Music Awards was widely panned.

In February she was admitted to a rehabilitation clinic after being photographed shaving her head, following the collapse of her marriage to Mr Federline.

Ms Spears married Mr Federline in October 2004 and filed for divorce last November. The divorce was finalised on 30 July.

Metro

Pam to wed Paris porn video maker

They have appeared in the two most famous celebrity sex tapes of all.

And now Pamela Anderson and Pamela Anderson – Paris Hilton's other half in the One Night In Paris video – are planning to get hitched after a whirlwind romance.

The couple reportedly obtained a marriage licence over the weekend in Clark County, Las Vegas.

Sources say the couple are not planning to tie the knot straight away but within the next month.

The former Baywatch star, 40, had previously revealed that she was engaged. She did not say who her other half was, except that he was a poker player, which is one of Salomon's pursuits.

The 39-year-old has been married twice – once to actress Shannen Doherty – and has two daughters with first wife Elizabeth Daily. Anderson has previously been married to Tommy Lee and Kid Rock.

The wedding plans were revealed as Anderson blasted Rock over comments he had been left alone to look after her two children, Brandon, 11, and nine-year-old Dylan.

On her website, she said: 'Everyone knows I'm a great mom. He's bitter.

'It's sad to see. I don't want to battle with him. But I'd hate to point out habits I had a hard time with. They are personal to him and that's why we are not together. These are desperate attempts. I've moved on.'

Anderson was married to Rock last year for just four months.

He hit the headlines recently after punching Motley Crue drummer Lee at the MTV Music Awards. He said it was because of 'years of disrespect'.

Anderson has also come under fire for partying too much when she has hepatitis C. But she hit back saying: 'I take care of my health. My children are my No.1 priority.'

She is earning £500,000 a week performing as an assistant to magician Hans Klok in Las Vegas.

Metro

$40m Shakira gift for relief fund

A charitable foundation set up by Colombian pop star Shakira has donated $40 million (£19.6 million) to help victims of natural disasters.

The money will go towards repairing damage caused by an earthquake in Peru and a hurricane in Nicaragua.

A further $5 million (£2.46 million) will be spent on health and education in four Latin American countries.

The singer made the announcement at a New York summit on climate change organised by ex-President Bill Clinton.

Shakira, who has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide, will also host a discussion on youth activism at the Clinton Global Initiative on Saturday.

Her foundation, Latin America in Solidarity Action, was set up with fellow Colombian and Nobel Prize laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez, in a bid to combat the deaths of children.

Shakira also fronts a charity to help children who are victims of violence.

BBC News

Global Pavarotti tributes planned

Italian opera star, Luciano Pavarotti, is to be remembered in a series of commemorations around the world.

The concerts and exhibitions begin on 6 October, a month after the tenor died from pancreatic cancer.

They will be held in more than 90 Italian cultural centres around the world, with footage of the singer provided by Italian state television.

Among the events are a series of screenings of Pavarotti's operas in New Delhi, India.

In a statement, the Italian foreign ministry said the aim of the tributes is "to bring the most important moments of Pavarotti's international career to the largest public audience possible".

The ministry announced that video clips of Pavarotti interviews will be shown at the Italian cultural institute in Lima, Peru and concerts will be shown in Hungary, Denmark and France.

Global audience

Pavarotti, who was 71, was known for bringing opera to the masses, particularly through his signature tune, Nessun Dorma, which became associated with the 1990 football World Cup.

His performances with Domingo and Jose Carerras at this time - in the Three Tenors concerts - were seen around the world.

Among the planned tributes are a commemorative evening organised by South Korea's National Opera, and a screening of Verdi's La Traviata in Uruguay.

A photographic exhibition will be held in New York, as well as a series of concerts to remember Pavarotti's career, in which he sold more than 100 million records worldwide.

BBC News

Sex Pistols reunion is expanded

Punk legends The Sex Pistols have added two additional shows to their reunion tour in November.

They will now play a further concert at the Brixton Academy on 12 November, and one night at Manchester's MEN Arena on 17 November.

The gigs were added after three London concerts on 8-10 November all sold out in just 15 minutes.

The tour was announced to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the band's seminal Never Mind The Bollocks album.

'Benchmark'

The Pistols' debut Manchester gig at Lesser Free Trade Hall on 4 June 1976 has been hailed as one of the most influential gigs of all time.

Tickets for the two new shows will go on sale at 0900 BST on 28 September.

Original members John Lydon, Steve Jones, Paul Cook and Glen Matlock will perform at the concerts.

The group, who split in 1978, first reformed for a world tour in 1996 and last performed together in 2003.

Never Mind The Bollocks... Here's The Sex Pistols, which included God Save the Queen and Anarchy in the UK, caused uproar when it was released in October 1977.

But it was one of the defining records of the punk movement and is now recognised as one of the most influential albums in rock history.

Kerrang! editor Paul Brannigan says the new concerts are causing such a high level of interest because "they are still viewed as the benchmark by which all punk bands are measured".

"Their importance is beyond question, their songs still sound incredible played at loud volume and more than 30 years since their formation John Lydon has lost none of his acerbic bite.

"So it's no surprise that anyone with a passing interest in punk rock is gagging to snap up tickets to see them," he added.

Britney's world's worst mum

Britney Spears has been named the world's worst celebrity mother. The troubled singer won 32 per cent of votes, beating ex-Atomic Kitten Kerry Katona into second place.

The results of the poll come at the worst time for the 25-year-old, who is fighting for custody of her children with 29-year-old ex-husband Kevin Federline.

The world's worst mother's former bodyguard told a newspaper yesterday how the star snorted cocaine and teetered on the brink of suicide after her split from K-Fed.

'Britney has had a rough ride lately, and this isn't going to make it any better for her,' said John Sewell of onepoll.com, which carried out the survey.

'She needs someone to help her get her life back on track so she can concentrate on looking after her children.'

But soul singer Joss Stone has jumped to Spears's defence. 'I think people should shut up and leave her alone,' the 19-year-old thundered. 'She is a young woman, she should be going out.'

A judge is said to be preparing to revoke Spears's temporary custody of her two youngsters after her ex-bodyguard last week claimed she took drugs.

She has also been spotted partying with no knickers on and shaved her head prior to a spell in rehab.

Spears's recent attempt at a pop comeback was panned by critics – she performed new single Gimme More at the MTV awards, but forgot the dance moves and lip-synched out of time.

According to the 2,000 voters who took part in the poll, Spears is not alone in the bad mother stakes.

Katona, who has twice been crowned Mother of the Year, is alleged to have taken drugs and is in the middle of a custody battle with her ex, Brian McFadden, over their daughters, Molly and Lily-Sue.

No. 3 spot went to Jade Goody, who was followed by skinny celebrities Kate Moss and Victoria Beckham in fourth and fifth place.

Metro

Resident Evil captures box office

The latest film in the flesh-eating zombie series Resident Evil has made it to the top of the US and Canadian box office chart in its first weekend.

Resident Evil: Extinction made $24m (£12m) between Friday and Sunday, according to studio estimates.

The film, starring Milla Jovovich and R&B singer Ashanti, is the third in the franchise based on the hit video games.

Jessica Alba's romantic comedy Good Luck Chuck was another new entry at number two, taking $14m (£7m).

It pushed last week's number one, Jodie Foster's revenge drama The Brave One, down to number three.

The critically acclaimed remake of western 3:10 to Yuma, starring Russell Crowe, came next with $6.4m (£3.2m).

Fifth place went to Eastern Promises, David Cronenberg's London-set gangster thriller, which recently won the people's choice award at the Toronto Film Festival.

It was followed by Sydney White, a modern version of Snow White about a girl at sharing a house with seven geeks.

Mr Woodcock, Superbad, The Bourne Ultimatum and Dragon Wars completed the top 10.

A couple of possible Oscar contenders also saw high takings on limited release this weekend.

Into the Wild, Sean Penn's take on the story on a student who gave away his money and possessions and hitch-hiked to Alaska, took $207,000 (£102,000) in ticket sales from just four cinemas.

And The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford, starring Brad Pitt as the legendary outlaw Jesse James, earned $144,000 (£71,000) from five cinemas.

The Bourne Ultimatum was the most popular movie elsewhere in the world, making $13m (£6.5m) in 48 countries, according to industry publication Screen Daily.

US AND CANADA TOP 10 FILMS
1. Resident Evil: Extinction, $24m
2. Good Luck Chuck (above), $14m
3. The Brave One, $7.4m
4. 3:10 to Yuma, $6.4m
5. Eastern Promises, $5.7m
6. Sydney White, $5.3m
7. Mr Woodcock, $5m
8. Superbad, $3.1m
9. The Bourne Ultimatum, $2.8m
10. Dragon Wars, $2.5m
Source: Media by Numbers

BBC News

Kate's stylish resurrection

What a difference 48 hours can make when you're a supermodel.

Kate Moss hit London's fashion scene last night, showing a return to the elegant style that first propelled her to Britain's Queen of Fashion.

Looking radiant in a chiffon blouse and black trouser combo, the 33-year-old was a model of composure at four different parties.

Earlier in the week, a boozy Kate Moss was pictured in a ripped £4,000 Dior dress as she stumbled out of the Golden Age of Couture Gala in London.

But last night a stylish Moss graced Naomi Campbell's Fashion for Relief show at the Natural History Museum, before dashing off to support friend, Stella McCartney's Adidas collaboration.

Earlier she ate with PM Gordon Brown at a dinner hosted by Gordon Ramsay.

Looking markedly happy, the difference was clear to see as she met up with new boyfriend, Jamie Hince, for some drinks at Sadie Frost's party at the Living Room bar in Angel, London.

With her sobriety still in tack for a change, the couple were then pictured leaving together in a black cab.

Moss started dating the Kills guitarist at the beginning of the month.

Their relationship follows Moss' nasty fall out with Pete Doherty, 28, back in July.

The former couple were notorious for their booze and dope sessions in the model's Cotswold hide away.

They made a string of incoherent homemade videos together, with the model swearing at Doherty. Regular images of them inebriated at festivals and images of Doherty hanging the Topshop designer out of windows became a regularity.

Moss ditched Pete after pictures were published of him enjoying a group orgy.

Doherty later verbally attacked the model in the tabloids, branding her a 'nasty old rag' who kicked him in the head.

Metro

Charlotte has a baby girl

CHARLOTTE Church has got her very own Crazy Chick — a baby girl.

The chat show host and singer, 21, who had said she hoped for a boy, gave birth to the 6lb 12oz tot at her new £800,000 home on Thursday night.

Boyfriend Gavin Henson, 24, was there for the arrival of the couple’s first child, which came a few days late.

They haven’t decided on a name yet.

Charlotte, who had a massive hit with Crazy Chick, had said she wanted a boy — because girls are too much trouble.

But a family friend said: “Charlotte and Gavin are over the moon.

She’s everything they wished for. I’m sure Charlotte’s going to be a wonderful mum.”

The party-loving star gave up boozing and smoking to prepare to be a mum.

She and Gavin have just spent tens of thousands on a nursery at their mansion home in the Vale of Glamorgan, near Cardiff.

News of the arrival fuelled claims the pair would finally marry.

But Charlotte laughed last week it was “not on the agenda” yet.

The Sun Online

Britney is dropped by management

Pop star Britney Spears has been dropped by her management company, one month after employing their services.

Los Angeles-based The Firm said: "We have terminated our professional relationship with Britney Spears.

"We believe she is enormously talented, but current circumstances have prevented us from properly doing our job," the statement continued.

Spears hired the company for the run-up to her comeback album, which is due out in the US on 13 November.

Sacked

Meanwhile, Spears has parted company with her lawyer in an ongoing child custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline.

Laura Wasser, who represented the singer until Monday, said she would be in "excellent hands" with her new legal representatives.

No reason was given for the change.

A former bodyguard for the star, who was due to support claims of erratic behaviour in the case, failed to testify at the hearing in Los Angeles.

Tony Barretto arrived in court but was unable to give evidence before lawyers held debates in a closed session.

His lawyer Gloria Allred said: "Our client was prepared to testify on issues of nudity by Ms Spears, drug use and safety issues involving the children."

Mr Barretto was hired by Spears in March after she left a rehabilitation facility, but was sacked two months later.

According to Ms Allred, he lost his job because "he didn't hear her when she asked him to pick up her hat".

Spears' former lawyer Ms Wasser commented that Mr Barretto was a disgruntled employee.

The singer, whose divorce with Federline was finalised in July, currently has joint custody of their two sons Sean Preston and Jayden James.

Madonna's new purple sex toy

What birthday gift do you buy the man who is married to one of the world's richest women and has everything?

Well, it looks like Madonna bought him a 'purple penetrator'.

Guy Ritchie was a little too embarrassed to carry the intriguing gift away from his 39th birthday celebration at Claridges on Monday night.

So his wife, 49, proudly stepped in and did the honours for her husband, carrying the £30 sex aid away from the exclusive London restaurant in a plastic bag for all to see.

Guys, now you know what it's like 'In Bed with Madonna'.

Metro

America remembers 9/11 under specter of Bin Laden

America commemorated six years since the September 11 attacks Tuesday with solemn ceremonies but under the specter of Osama bin Laden, who used the anniversary to praise the Al-Qaeda hijackers.

Families of the 2,749 people killed when two passenger planes plowed into New York's World Trade Center paid their respects at the site, where rescue workers read out the names of the dead in what has now become an annual ritual.

But unlike in past years, most of the ceremony was being held at a park near Ground Zero, the area where the Twin Towers once stood, and not on the site, where a memorial and other new buildings are being constructed.

The ceremony is more muted than in past years. Last year, President George W. Bush visited New York to lay a wreath at the site, but this year attended a private service and observed a moment of silence in Washington.

In Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where hijackers brought down United Airlines Flight 93 in a field after a passenger uprising, tributes were to be held later Tuesday to honor the 40 passengers and crew killed there.

In Washington, Defense Secretary Robert Gates was to lead a memorial ceremony for the 184 people were killed when American Airlines Flight 77 flew into the Pentagon.

As in previous years, Bin Laden used the anniversary to release two video tapes, mocking the United States, threatening to escalate the increasingly unpopular war in Iraq and praising hijacker Walid al-Shehri as a "champion."

Shehri was on American Airlines Flight 11, the first jet to crash into the World Trade Center in New York.

The hijacker was "a young man who personally penetrated the most extreme degrees of danger and is a rarity among men: one of the 19 champions," a US-based monitoring group that obtained the video quoted Bin Laden as saying.

In a reminder of the reality of the post-September 11 age, Turkish police defused a powerful bomb hidden under a bus in central Ankara, while security was tightened at a US military base in Germany in response to a bomb threat.

In an overcast New York, the reading of the names was to pause for four moments of silence to mark the exact times that the planes hit the towers and when the massive buildings collapsed into piles of rubble and dust.

A choir and pipers introduced the ceremony and a bell tolled at the first moment of silence at 8:46 am (1246 GMT) to mark the moment that Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower.

Speaking immediately ahead of the first moment of silence, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg described the day of the attacks six years ago as "a day that tore across our history and our hearts."

Relatives of those killed were then to descend a long ramp into the World Trade Center site to lay flowers and pause momentarily. The decision not to hold the ceremony at Ground Zero itself has stirred controversy.

But Bloomberg justified the decision again on Tuesday, saying people needed to accept the change.

"The place where we used to hold this ceremony is now a construction site. This is probably the last year people will be able to walk down the ramp into the pit," Bloomberg told CNN ahead of the ceremony.

His predecessor, Republican presidential hopeful Rudolph Giuliani, was also due to give a reading, sparking criticism from some of the families of those killed, given his presidential ambitions.

Giuliani has made much of his role as mayor in the aftermath of the attacks, but firefighters especially have criticized the city's response to the disaster and have accused Giuliani of making political capital out of the attacks.

Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton, a New York senator, is also due to take part in the ceremony, reading the names of the dead.

In the evening, a "Tribute in Light" is to project two massive beams of light into the night sky above Ground Zero to symbolize the collapsed towers.

AFP.com

Millionaire boss wins £26m lotto

THE Brit who won the £26million EuroMillions jackpot is ALREADY a multi-millionaire, it was revealed last night.

He is desperately trying to keep his windfall secret from everyone except his family.

But The Sun can disclose he is the owner of a business empire worth millions, with investments in the UK and abroad.

In Britain he is thought to own a £4million gated property on an exclusive private estate and his cars include a luxury Rolls-Royce.

Now he has become the UK’s second-biggest lottery winner ever.

It is believed that the man’s son calmly deposited the winners’ cheque in a High Street bank in Surrey last week on his father’s behalf.

He had patiently waited his turn in a queue of other customers.

The amazing £26,533,767 win came on the night of August 31.

The tycoon successfully picked all five numbers — 6, 18, 22, 23, 37 — and both Lucky Stars, 5 and 6.

That made him the second British EuroMillions mega-winner in just three weeks after Scottish postie Angela Kelly scooped a whopping £35.4million last month.

Just like Angela, 40 — the UK’s biggest-ever lottery winner — the latest lucky punter took several days to come forward and claim his prize.

He only contacted organisers Camelot last Thursday — losing £23,000 just in INTEREST because of his five-day delay.

He then asked lottery bosses to let him remain anonymous.

But our top Euro-Millions source said: “I can reveal he’s already a millionaire — people here are stunned.

“It’s incredible that a millionaire should scoop the jackpot but he’s desperate to keep it a secret.

“I think he’s hoping people will think he’s managed to make the money rather than win it.

“He’s not a very flash guy — so it’s no surprise he wants to keep his good fortune hush-hush.”

A spokesman for Camelot said last night: “The winner has asked for no publicity. We can’t discuss this person’s identity.”

Meanwhile, two people shared Saturday’s £4.8million Lotto jackpot, Camelot said.

The numbers drawn were 4, 10, 20, 24, 39 and 49 and the bonus was 31.

The lucky winners who matched all six balls each won £2,443,024.

The Sun Online

Public can join search for Fossett by scanning satellite images

The search for missing aviator Steve Fossett has gone public — at least for people with access to a computer.

Satellite images of the search area in western Nevada provided by DigitalGlobe, the company that supplies images to Google Earth, are now available online.

An aviation Web site, http://www.avweb.com, provides links to review fresh satellite images and instructions on how to look for Fossett's plane or any image that might resemble a small aircraft.

After being shown a satellite image, viewers will be asked to check one of two boxes.

One says the image "contains foreign objects that should be looked at more closely." Viewers then will be asked to describe them.

IHT

Pavarotti back in charts

Italian opera star Luciano Pavarotti returned to the singles charts for the first time in almost 15 years on Sunday as fans bought his "Nessun Dorma" following his death.

His recording of the aria from Puccini's "Turandot" jumped to number 24 from 160, according to the Official UK Charts Company.

The song, played over loudspeakers at his funeral service in Modena on Saturday, reached number two in June 1990.


It has been an anthem for soccer fans ever since Pavarotti performed it at the 1990 World Cup in Italy.

In the album charts, indie rock band Hard-Fi shot to number one with their new release "Once Upon A Time In The West".

The album, the second from the four-piece act from Staines in Surrey, pushed last week's top seller "Hand Built by Robots" from singer-songwriter Newton Faulkner down to number four.

Fans of Amy Winehouse continued to ignore her father-in-law's appeal to boycott her music in protest at her drug abuse, keeping her album "Back to Black" at number two after 45 weeks in the charts.

U.S. pop band Plain White T's debuted at number three with their album "Every Second Counts" and were one stronger at number two in the singles chart with the track "Hey There Delilah".

Also new in the album charts were London indie band Athlete at five with "Beyond The Neighbourhood".

Reuters

8 things you didn't know about Pavarotti

Yesterday, September 6, 2007, one of the best tenors in history, Luciano Pavarotti, died at 71. As a small tribute, we have compiled a list of 8 facts about his life you might not have known.

1 He raised more than US$1.5 million for refugees worldwide (more than any other individual in the world!)
In 2001, Pavarotti received the Nansen Medal from the UN High Commission for Refugees for his efforts raising money on behalf of refugees worldwide. Through benefit concerts and volunteer work, he has raised more than US$1.5 million, more than any other individual. Other awards he received for charity work include the Freedom of London Award and The Red Cross Award for Services to Humanity, for his work in raising money for that organization, and the 1998 MusiCares Person Of The Year, given to humanitarian heroes by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. In 1998, he was appointed the United Nation's Messenger of Peace, using his fame to raise awareness of UN issues, including the Millennium Development Goals, HIV/AIDS, child rights, urban slums and poverty. He performed at benefit concerts to raise money for victims of tragedies such as an earthquake in December 1988 that killed 25,000 people in northern Armenia. He was a close friend of Diana, Princess of Wales. They raised money for the elimination of land mines worldwide. Pavarotti annually hosted the "Pavarotti and Friends" charity concerts in his home town of Modena in Italy, joining with singers from all parts of the music industry to raise money for several worthy UN causes. Concerts were held for War Child, and victims of war and civil unrest in Bosnia, Guatemala, Kosovo and Iraq. After the war in Bosnia, he financed and established the Pavarotti Music Center in the southern city of Mostar to offer Bosnia's artists the opportunity to develop their skills. For these contributions, the city of Sarajevo named him an honorary citizen in 2006.

2 He was called "The King of Cancellations"
Pavarotti's rise to stardom was not without occasional difficulties. He earned a reputation as "The King of Cancellations" by frequently backing out of performances, and his unreliable nature led to poor relationships with some opera houses. This was brought into focus in 1989 when Ardis Krainik of the Lyric Opera of Chicago severed the house's 15-year relationship with the tenor. Over an eight-year period, Pavarotti had cancelled 26 out of 41 scheduled appearances at the Lyric and the decisive move by Krainik to ban him for life was well-noted throughout the opera world, after the performer walked away from a season premiere less than two weeks before rehearsals began, saying pain from a sciatic nerve required two months of treatment.

3 He almost gave up singing
The first six years of study in music resulted in nothing more tangible than a few recitals, all in small towns and all without pay. When a nodule developed on his vocal chords causing a "disastrous" concert in Ferrara, he decided to give up singing. Pavarotti attributed his immediate improvement to the psychological release connected with this decision. Whatever the reason, the nodule not only disappeared but, as he related in his autobiography, "Everything I had learned came together with my natural voice to make the sound I had been struggling so hard to achieve."

4 He was going to be a Soccer Player
After he graduated from the Schola Magistrale, Luciano faced the dilemma of a career choice. He was interested in pursuing a career as a professional soccer player, but his mother convinced him to train as a teacher. He subsequently taught in an elementary school for two years but finally allowed his interest in music to win out.

5 He debuted as an actor in 1982
Pavarotti's one venture into film, a romantic comedy called Yes, Giorgio (1982), was roundly panned by the critics. He can be seen to better advantage in Jean-Pierre Ponnelle's adaptation of Rigoletto for television, released that same year, or in his more than 20 live opera performances taped for television between 1978 and 1994, most of them with the Metropolitan Opera, and most available on DVD.

6 He had difficulties following orchestral parts
In 2002 Pavarotti split with his manager of 36 years Herbert Breslin. The breakup, which was acrimonious, was followed in 2004 with the publication of a book by Breslin entitled The King & I, seen by many as sensationalist and largely critical of the singer's acting (in opera), his ability to read music and learn parts, and of his personal conduct, although acknowledging their mutual success. In an interview in 2005 with Jeremy Paxman on the BBC, Pavarotti rejected the allegation that he could not read music, although acknowledging he sometimes had difficulty following orchestral parts.

7 He is the only opera singer ever on Saturday Night Live
On December 12, 1998 he became the first (and, so far, only) opera singer to perform on Saturday Night Live, singing alongside Vanessa L. Williams.

8 He married his former personal assistant
On 13 December 2003 he married his former personal assistant, Nicoletta Mantovani, with whom he already had a daughter, Alice.

Oddee

Oasis's Noel Gallagher turns radio DJ

Dave Grohl and Arctic Monkeys are also getting behind the the decks

Oasis' Noel Gallagher is set to become a radio DJ.

The guitarist will be a guest presenter on BBC Radio 1 on October 24 as part of the station's 40th anniversary celebrations.

Foo Fighters singer Dave Grohl will DJ on September 18, while Arctic Monkeys will take to the decks on September 26.

The shows go out between 9pm-10pm each night and the the guest DJs are:

Paul McCartney (September 17)
Dave Grohl (18)
Gwen Stefani (19)
Paul Weller (20)
Paul Oakenfold (21)
Noel Gallagher (24)
Debbie Harry (25)
Arctic Monkeys (26)
Ozzy Osbourne (27)
Norman Cook (28)

'Lord Of The Rings' actor Elijah Wood is set to host a special show dedicated to [a]John Peel[/B] on September 30 at 10pm titled 'Keeping It Peel'.

NME.com

Venice honors Burton

Tim Burton, master of macabre movies like "Corpse Bride" and "Edward Scissorhands", was honored with a career award at the Venice film festival on Wednesday.

Organizers of the festival called Burton "one of America's bravest, most visionary and innovative film-makers".

"I've been to this festival a few times, and each time I've come here I've just had this very special feeling about it," the 49-year-old, sporting his trademark dark glasses, told Reuters in an interview in Venice.

"You grow up in Hollywood and that whole scenario and what you feel here is that there is just passion about movies. So that's what makes it special to me -- it's not about business, it's not about finance, it's about just the love of movies."

Burton was handed a Golden Lion lifetime achievement award by Johnny Depp, star of many of his films, at a glitzy red carpet ceremony.

"He is a rare breed in today's cinema," said Depp, wearing a white tuxedo. "Beyond that he is a true original, a true artist, a true auteur. He's my favorite director and friend."

Burton, watched by his partner and actress Helena Bonham Carter, said the award would be "an inspiration to me forever".

Earlier in the day at a press conference, he had joked that it compared favorably to the famous Oscar statuette, which he has yet to win. "It's actually a lot more beautiful-looking thing than a bald, naked man," he said.

Burton mixes critical acclaim, for titles such as ghoulish animation film "Corpse Bride" and "Big Fish", with box office hits that make him a major Hollywood player.

In 2005, the same year "Corpse Bride" was released, he made "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", again starring Depp, and grossed $475 million worldwide. His "Batman", made 16 years earlier, earned $411 million in global ticket sales, according to movie tracking Web site www.boxofficemojo.com.

Wednesday was dubbed "Tim Burton's Day" on the Lido, with the world premiere of the 3-D version of his 1993 film "The Nightmare before Christmas", an animated musical.

There was also a screening of early clips from his next project, "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street", an adaptation of the hit Stephen Sondheim musical starring Depp as the barber seeking bloody revenge for his wrongful punishment.

The movie also stars Bonham Carter, with whom he has worked on several movies. The couple have one child together and are expecting a second.

Burton's dark but often funny films have been described as fairy tales for adults although his offbeat creatures are also popular with children.

Asked what kind of books and stories triggered his imagination as a child, he said: "Just in terms of fairy-tales, I didn't really read any, in the sense that monster movies and films were sort of fairy tales for me."

Opera great Pavarotti dead at 71

Operatic legend Luciano Pavarotti, whose showmanship and crossover celebrity turned him into a global superstar, died Thursday at his home in northern Italy at the age of 71.

Hailed by many as the greatest tenor of his generation, Pavarotti passed away during the night at his villa near the city of Modena after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

The mayor of Modena, Giorgio Pighi, said Pavarotti, who underwent surgery for cancer in July, 2006, had died shortly before 5:00am (0300 GMT).

Police established a security cordon in front of the villa to keep in line those who had already gathered to pay their respects.

Pavarotti -- known in his prime for the clarity of his voice and ability to hit high Cs with ease -- broke into the opera world when he won a competition in 1961.

He went on to perform across Europe before crossing the Atlantic in February 1965 for a production of Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor" in Miami, co-starring famed Australian soprano Joan Sutherland as Lucia.

It was with Sutherland in February 1972 that Pavarotti truly came of age, taking Covent Garden and the New York Metropolitan Opera by storm with a sparkling production of a Donizetti favourite, "La Fille du Regiment".

"Luciano Pavarotti was one of the finest singers of our time," the Royal Opera House in London said in a statement.

"He had a unique ability to touch people with the emotional and brilliant quality of his voice. He was a man with the common touch and the most extraordinary gift. He will be truly missed by millions," the statement said.

To the shock of some classical music purists, the larger than life singer extended his appeal far beyond the operatic world, collaborating with pop musicians like Sting and U2's Bono.

In 1991, a crowd of 150,000, including the Prince and Princess of Wales, braved the rain and cold in London's Hyde Park to hear him sing.

The previous year Pavarotti hit an even wider audience when his performance of the aria "Nessun Dorma" from Puccini's "Turandot" was chosen as the theme music for football's 1990 World Cup finals, hosted by his native Italy.

Among his best-known initiatives in recent years have been his appearances with two other leading singers, Jose Carreras and Placido Domingo, known as the "Three Tenors", and the annual "Pavarotti and Friends" concerts in Modena.

Sutherland told BBC radio that there was "no question" that Pavarotti ranked among opera's greats, adding: "I'm very sorry to hear he's gone, God bless."

"It was incredible to stand next to it and sing along with it," the 80-year-old Australian star, nicknamed "La Stupenda", said.

"The quality of the sound was quite different -- you knew immediately it was Luciano singing."

She added that she had seen Pavarotti recently and he was "not the same person at all".

Luciano Pavarotti posing before a press conference in Belgrade in 2005
©AFP/File - Andrej Isakovic

Pavarotti's success also attracted the attention of the society columns.

He left his wife Adua in 1996 after 35 years of marriage and three grown-up daughters for his secretary Nicoletta Mantovani, whom he married in 2003, and with whom he had one child.

Since his surgery in 2006, Pavarotti had at least five rounds of chemotherapy. He was hospitalised again on August 8 with a fever, and was discharged more than two weeks later after a battery of tests.

This summer, during a ceremony in honour of the singer on the island of Ischia near Naples, Mantovani said Pavarotti had been feeling well and was preparing a new album.

The same day, July 10, Pavarotti called the ceremony's organisers and concluded by saying he was preparing another "Pavarotti and Friends" album.

Early Wednesday, Pavarotti had expressed his "emotion" following the establishment of a "cultural excellence" prize in Italy that he had been the first to receive.

He said he was "full of emotion and gratitude ... because it gives me the opportunity to continue to celebrate the magic of a life spent in service of art."

The death of Pavarotti is the second to rock the opera world in recent months. Acclaimed American soprano Beverly Sills died of cancer at her New York home in July. She was 78.

In Modena, mayor Pighi said Pavarotti's funeral would probably be held Saturday.

"Pavarotti wanted to die at home. I saw him last week. He was very worn by the illness but he wanted to make conversation. We even spoke in the local dialect," Pighi said.

AFP.com

Pavarotti unconscious, family gathers: report

Luciano Pavarotti's health has deteriorated sharply and the 71-year-old tenor is at home, unconscious and suffering from kidney failure, a television station reported on Wednesday.

Family and friends went to Pavarotti's home to be near the singer, considered one of the greatest tenors of his generation, E' TV Antenna Uno television station in Modena, the tenor's home town, reported.

In July 2006 Pavarotti underwent surgery in New York for pancreatic cancer and retreated to his villa in Modena. He had to cancel his first planned public reappearance a few months later.

Taken to hospital with a fever last month, Pavarotti was released from hospital in Modena on August 25 after undergoing more than two weeks of tests and treatment. Italy's AGI news agency said cancer specialists were treating Pavarotti at home, and described his condition as "very serious."

One of Pavarotti's friends contacted by Reuters said she had also heard the singer was in "serious" condition.

A spokesman at the Modena hospital declined to comment.

Reuters

Rescuers resume search for adventurer Steve Fossett

The search for millionaire aviator Steve Fossett resumed on Wednesday with rescue planes scouring a rugged region of Nevada two days after a light plane piloted by the adventurer went missing.

A spokesman for the Nevada State Police said planes had set out at first light in an attempt to find Fossett, who took off from a private airstrip early Monday and has not been heard from since.

"The search is back on, and we've got several planes in the air already," the spokesman told AFP. "We expect to be flying throughout the day.

Fossett's family raised the alarm when the 63-year-old daredevil failed to return following his departure at around 9:00 am (1600 GMT) Monday in a single-engine Bellanca plane, Federal Aviation Administration officials said.

More than a dozen rescue planes scoured until late Tuesday the remote terrain that Fossett was believed to be flying over before he vanished, officials said.

However Fossett's failure to lodge a flight plan before take-off was complicating efforts to locate him, the FAA said.

Fossett made the first solo nonstop, non-refueled circumnavigation of the world in 67 hours in the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer.

In 2002, he was the first person to fly solo around the world in a balloon.

AFP.com

Star Held On 'Snapper Attack'

Jude Law has been arrested after allegedly attacking a photographer outside his London home.

The Hollywood star is said to have attempted to grab the snapper's camera in the alleged incident yesterday.

Law, 34, was bailed to return to a London police station in October.

A police spokesman said: "A 34-year-old man from Maida Vale was arrested yesterday on suspicion of actual bodily harm after voluntarily attending a London police station.

"The arrest followed an allegation of assault yesterday at a residential address in Maida Vale.

"The 34-year-old man was released on bail to a date in October pending further inquiries."

Law's spokesman was unavailable for comment.

The actor, ex-husband of Sadie Frost, recently returned from the Venice Film Festival.

There, he promoted his new movie Sleuth, in which he co-stars with Sir Michael Caine.

The remake is in competition for the Golden Lion prize for best film in Venice.

In April, actor Hugh Grant was arrested for allegedly hurling a tin of baked beans at a photographer near his London home.

The CPS said it was "not in the public interest" to prosecute the star.

Housekeeper sues Leona Helmsley's £6m dog

A pet dog left £6 million by the late billionaire Leona Helmsley may have to fight for her inheritance after a former housekeeper said she planned to sue the fluffy white heiress for biting her.

Trouble, an eight-year-old Maltese who was Mrs Helmsley's constant companion before her death last month, came out better than nearly all of the billionaire's family in her will.

Money, however, does not always bring happiness, even in New York, and storm clouds are already gathering over Trouble's future.

Not only may Trouble need a lawyer, but she may also need a new owner after it was reported yesterday that Mrs Helmsley's brother, Alvin Rosenthal, to whom the dog was left, does not want her.

Zamfira Sfara, a former housekeeper at Mrs Helmsley's Manhattan home, has previously tried unsuccessfully to sue the hotel and property billionaire, a convicted tax evader and the so-called Queen of Mean, over a bite inflicted by Trouble.

Miss Sfara claims she still suffers from the bite and wears a brace on her right hand.

Her son, Remus Pop, said the family were talking to a law firm about restarting the case, this time against the trust holding Trouble's inheritance. "That dog got money," he said. "That money is going to be taken away from that dog."

Miss Sfara said Trouble bit her dozens of times during the three months she worked for Mrs Helmsley in 2004. Trouble also bit bodyguards, a nurse and a hotel guest, she said.

Telegraph

Guitar Hero III to Feature Tom Morello as Boss

Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello will appear as a boss character in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, joining the previously announced Slash (both pictured) from Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver. Rumored earlier in the week by a German brochure (reportedly from publisher Activision), Morello's appearance was confirmed today via a Rolling Stone blog post, in which the guitarist admitted that his real-life skills don't necessarily carry over when he plays the game.

"Whenever I play Guitar Hero my opponent always kicks my ass on my own riffs," said Morello. "It's embarrassing. Now that I'm actually in the game I hope the digital me will win once in a while!"

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock will hit retail in November for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, and PlayStation 2.

1UP.com

Rock stars more likely to die prematurely

Rock stars -- notorious for their "crash and burn" lifestyles -- really are more likely than other people to die before reaching old age.

A study of more than 1,000 mainly British and North American artists, spanning the era from Elvis Presley to rapper Eminem, found they were two to three times more likely to suffer a premature death than the general population.

Between 1956 and 2005 there were 100 deaths among the 1,064 musicians examined by researchers at the Centre for Public Health at Liverpool John Moores University.

As well as Presley, the toll of those dying before their time included Doors singer Jim Morrison, guitar hero Jimi Hendrix, T Rex star Marc Bolan and Nirvana's Kurt Cobain.

More than a quarter of all the deaths were related to drugs or alcohol abuse, said the study in the Journal of Epidemial Community Health.

"The paper clearly describes a population of rock and pop stars who are at a disproportionate risk of alcohol and drug related deaths," said Mark Bellis, lead author of the study.

He said the study raised questions about the suitability of using rock stars for public health messages such as anti-drug campaigns when their own lifestyle was so dangerous.

"In the music industry, factors such as stress, changes from popularity to obscurity, and exposure to environments where alcohol and drugs are easily available, can all contribute to substance use as well as other self-destructive behaviors," the report said.

FIRST FIVE YEARS RISK

It found that musicians were most at risk in the first five years after achieving fame, with death rates more than three times higher than normal.

Hendrix, Bon Scott of AC/DC and punk rocker Sid Vicious all died within five years of hitting the big time, said Bellis.

Among British artists the risk of dying remains high until around 25 years after their first success, when they return to near normal life expectancy.

That bodes well for rock survivors like The Who's 63-year-old Roger Daltrey, who famously first sang "I hope I die before I get old" in the song "My Generation" back in 1965.

But this trend was not found in North America, where ageing rockers remain almost twice as likely to suffer a premature demise, particularly from heart attack or stroke.

American stars Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead, Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys and Johnny Ramone of the Ramones all died in their 50s.

Bellis suggested that the high death rate among older American musicians could be related to the continent's greater appetite for reunion tours, exposing the artists for more years to an unhealthy "rock'n'roll" lifestyle.

It could also be due to the poor medical outlook for impoverished American ex-pop stars who have no health insurance, he said.

Yahoo News

Final book is top of Potter poll

The seventh and final Harry Potter novel, Deathly Hallows, has been named the fans' favourite just one month after it was released.

JK Rowling's novel, which broke sales records on both sides of the Atlantic, came top of a poll of 45,000 fans conducted by MSN Entertainment.

The third book, The Prisoner Of Azkaban, came second while The Chamber Of Secrets was the least popular.

More than 11 million copies of Deathly Hallows were sold in just one day.

The novel rounds off the Harry Potter series, which follows the boy wizard through his school career.

It is a much darker novel than its predecessors, with several characters coming to a sticky end.

The English language edition was published simultaneously in more than 90 countries when it was released in July.

It smashed single-day sales records by shifting 2.7 million copies in the UK and 8.3 million in the US during its first 24 hours on the shelves.

The previous record for the fastest-selling book was held by the sixth Harry Potter novel, The Half-Blood Prince, which sold nine million in its first day in 2005.

The movie version of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, in which Daniel Radcliffe will appear as the teenage wizard for the final time, is not expected to hit cinema screens until 2010.

BBC News

Joy Division Writer Plots John Lennon Movie

The Writer behind the critically acclaimed film about Joy Division front man Ian Curtis has revealed plans to make a similar film about former Beatle John Lennon.

Matt Greenhalgh has received endless praise for his Joy Division biopic, ‘Control,’ and now wants to make a film showing the teenage years of John Lennon in Liverpool.

"The film is called ‘Lennon’ and details John's adolescent years, pre-Beatlemania,” Greenhalgh told the Manchester Evening News.

"It came to me off the back of ‘Control’ - the producers of Lennon saw ‘Control’ and then asked me if I'd consider doing their script for them. It wasn't a particularly hard decision for me to say yes."

There is no release date for the film, although ‘Control’ will hit cinemas nationwide in October.

GIGWISE

Film academy sues to stop sale of Oscars

The Motion Picture Academy of Arts & Sciences is suing to stop the public sale of two Academy Awards given to silent film star Mary Pickford.

In the lawsuit filed Wednesday, the academy claims it has the right to buy the historic statuettes and one owned by her late husband for $10 each.

The academy contends an heir to the Oscars demanded $500,000 for one statuette alone in July — an offer the academy refused.

Pickford won the Academy Award for best actress in 1930 and was given an honorary Oscar in 1975.

When she died in 1979, they went to her one-time husband, Charles "Buddy" Rogers, the lawsuit said.

In 1986, Rogers won the academy's Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, and when he died all three awards went to his second wife, Beverly.

She died in January, leaving the statuettes to her heirs, who are co-executors of her estate.

The lawsuit names three of the heirs, in their roles as co-executors. It alleges anticipatory breach of contract.

The suit claims that academy bylaws dating from 1950 and agreements signed by Oscar winners give the academy the first chance to buy Oscars for $10 each if they ever go on the market.

"If the public believes that any multimillionaire can buy an Oscar, then it becomes cheapened," David W. Quinto, an attorney representing the academy, said Friday. "It becomes an article of commerce rather than a very prestigious award."

Quinto said Pickford was a founder of the academy and helped approve the Oscar design.

"From the academy's point of view it's just unthinkable that Mary Pickford ... would ever consent to do anything that would ever cheapen it in the eyes of the public," he said.

A call to John Shevlin, an attorney representing Beverly Rogers' estate, was not immediately returned.

Famed 'beer hunter' dies

Michael Jackson, a leading world beer critic who praised the brews of Belgium and acknowledged he would never be as famous as "that Michael Jackson," has died. He was 65.

Jackson, known as "the beer hunter," died Thursday of a heart attack at his home in west London. His body was found by his house cleaner, Paddy Gunningham, his long-term partner, said Friday.

She said he had kept writing and traveling, despite suffering from Parkinson's disease, and that he planned to write a book about the ailment.

"He was simply the best beer writer we've ever known," said Tim Hampson, chairman of the British Guild of Beer Writers.

"He told wonderful stories about beer, breweries and far away places. He told the story of beer through people, and he was humorous and erudite at the same time," Hampson told The Associated Press.

Jackson especially loved Belgian brews. His books "The Great Beers of Belgium" and "World Guide to Beer" introduced them to many export markets, including the United States.

By identifying beers by their flavors and styles, and by pairing them with particular foods and dishes, Jackson helped give birth to a renaissance of interest in beer and breweries worldwide that began in the 1970s, including the North American microbrewery movement.

His TV documentary series, "The Beer Hunter" -- which popularized his nickname -- was filmed around the world and shown in 15 countries.

He worked as a beer critic for more than 30 years, writing in newspapers and gastronomic magazines, holding seminars and giving speeches, appearing on U.S. talk shows and writing books about beer and whiskeys published in 18 languages.

Jackson knew he would never be as famous as Michael Jackson the rock star, and that was reflected on the beer critic's Web site. "Hello, my name is Michael Jackson. No, not that Michael Jackson, but I am on a world tour. My tour is in pursuit of exceptional beer. That's why they call me the Beer Hunter," it says.

Associated Press

Two Who DVDs set for release

Two feature-length DVDs on the Who will reach stores on November 6, one targeted at mainstream fans of the British rock veterans and the other at die-hard aficionados.

"Amazing Journey: The Story of the Who," the film for wide audiences, will receive its world premiere September 12 at the Toronto International Film Festival, 40 years after the group completed its first major North American tour.

The film chronicles the history of the band through fresh interviews with surviving band members Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey, rare concert footage, artist profiles and more.

The companion film, "Amazing Journey: Six Quick Ones" features four segments on the musical abilities of band members Townshend, Daltrey, bass player John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. A fifth part, "Who Art You," explores the Mod culture that spawned the band's visuals, while segment six, "Who's Back," chronicles the 2003 recording of "Real Good Looking Boy," the Who's first new studio recording in more than 20 years.

The two films will be released by Universal Studios Home Entertainment in one two-disc set that also includes a book and bonus content. Extras include a video scrapbook showcasing a dinner with Moon; the tragic 1979 Cincinnati concert in which 11 fans were crushed to death in a rush to get into the Riverfront Coliseum; and the celebrated 2000 Royal Albert Hall concert, in which the Who were joined by such guest musicians as Bryan Adams and Eddie Vedder in a benefit for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter via http://news.yahoo.com

20 Ugliest Celebrities

1 Michael Jackson

Did you really expect anyone else? Michael Jackson used to be a successful black singer, but took it upon himself to destroy his face and reputation. He now looks like an albino alien whose nose appears to change on a daily basis. Just goes to show you what can happen if you are too critical of your looks... you can end up an albino alien like Mike.

2 Marilyn Manson

Seriously ... what the hell happened to this kid? From the ghostly white makeup you can see on his black collar to the funky blue eye and blood red lips ... Marilyn Manson is a freak and there's nothing more to say, he's ugly by choice. And not only is he ugly, but he scares the crap out of us.

3
Jocelyn Wildenstein

Holy crap! This is what happens when you get obsessed with plastic surgery. A wealthy socialite from Switzerland, Jocelyn is actually a celeb for being so ugly. Her extreme appearance has led to the press giving her the nickname "The Bride of Wildenstein," a reference to The Bride of Frankenstein. Wildenstein has allegedly spent almost US$4,000,000 on cosmetic surgery over the years, all payed by her husband, the billionaire international art dealer Alec Wildenstein.

4
Michael Berryman

No, it is not make-up. This actor born in LA, suffers from Hypohidrotic Ectodermal Dysplasia (a rare condition leaving him with no sweat glands, hair, fingernails or teeth). He played Pluto in Wes Craven's 1977 horror film The Hills Have Eyes. He has also appeared in numerous science fiction and fantasy movies such as My Science Project (1985), Weird Science (1985), Armed Response (1986) and Evil Spirits (1990). He also appeared in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and The Devil's Rejects. Berryman generally portrays mutant bikers, evil undertakers, monsters and other frightening characters. He has also starred in episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and The X-Files.

5
DJ Qualls

Ok, we are going to be really mean again, since he's actually ugly for a another terrible reason. We're actually happy to see he has turned it into a good thing, just like Berryman. Qualls also suffered from a rare condition: Hodgkin's lymphoma, a form of cancer, at age 14. After two years of surgery (including the removal of his spleen), chemotherapy, and radiation treatments, Qualls's cancer went into remission, which lent him his famous thin stature. In 1997, he enrolled at Nashville's Belmont University. At a performance in a local theatre he was discovered by David LaChapelle and became... a model!! Yes, a model, for Prada and Calvin Klein. He then got famous for his role on the movie "Road Trip".

6
Marty Feldman

And yet another terrible case. Marty Feldman (1934 – 1982) was an English writer, comedian and BAFTA award winning actor, notable for his bulging eyes, which were the result of a thyroid condition known as Graves Disease. He wrote situation comedies such as The Army Game, Bootsie and Snudge for the BBC and later had a series of his own on the BBC called Marty. He also appeared in The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother and Mel Brooks' Silent Movie, as well as directing and starring in The Last Remake of Beau Geste. He guest-starred in the "Arabian Nights" episode of The Muppet Show.

7
Clint Howard

No weird disease this time, he's just plain ugly. But then, again, it is probably what made him famous.
Born in 1959, the actor appeared in Cocoon, Steve Martin's Parenthood, EdTV, Apollo 13, Austin Powers, That Thing You Do among others. In 1998, Howard was awarded the MTV Lifetime Achievement Award. He got married twice, just to show you that looks don't matter.

8
Shane MacGowan

This Irish musician is best known as the original singer and songwriter with The Pogues, and is considered one of the most important and poetic Irish songwriters of the last thirty years. A great find for our list... he's terribly horrible.

9
Lyle Lovett

Lyle Lovett has to have some good blackmail on someone. Otherwise, how in the hell did he ever get into acting? And the fact that Julia Roberts married this beast makes us think she's not only nuts, but ugly too. Tell us one thing that you find attractive about this man ... go on. Then we'll laugh at you.

10
Kelis

Holy hell ... Kelis is not bringin' any boys to the yard looking like that. There have been rumors that she is really a man, and quite frankly we are thinking something's not right with this chick. Every time we see her she has her mouth open and looks like she's ready to eat us. She's scary. Next time we see her, we are looking for the Adam's apple.

11
Iggy Pop

Rock singer, songwriter, and occasional actor, he is sometimes referred to by the nicknames "the Godfather of Punk". Iggy Pop was the lead singer of The Stooges, a late 1960s/early 1970s garage rock band who were influential in the development of the nascent heavy metal and punk rock genres. The Stooges became infamous for their live performances, during which it was not uncommon for Iggy Pop to leap off the stage (in fact, he was among the first to "stage dive"), smear raw meat (and on one occasion peanut butter) over his chest and/or cut himself with broken bottles. So this is how you get ugly by being nut.

12
Steven Tyler

Dude looks like a zombie. He's a great singer, a cool guy, the daddy of one of the hottest girls on hollywood, plus all the money and women one could ever dream of... and yet... ugly as hell.

13
Courtney Love

Drugs don't make people pretty... and this woman is about as ugly and classless as it can get.

14
Donatella Versace

Oh, how the years go by. Yes, she's talented, famous and rich, but... she's now ugly as hell!

15
Amy Winehouse

English soul, jazz, and R&B singer and songwriter, she's another drug victim. Now, get this: she has a number of "old school" tattoos of naked women on her body. When asked about them, she was quoted as saying "I like pin-up girls. I'm more of a boy than a girl in that way. I'm not a lesbian, though — not before a sambuca anyway. And the she said she would own a beauty salon once her singing schedule calms down... that's a must.

16
Ronaldinho

Probably the world's best soccer player at this time, Ronaldinho might be one of the funniest, honest, and nicest celebs around... but he's also one of the ugliest. This brazilian is certainly saving his huge salary for something other than helping his image.

17
Kelly Osbourne

"Uh, I'm ugly." Yeah, we know Kelly. The British accent is cute and we love that she is all about being an individual, but quite frankly Kelly Osbourne's annoying and a brat. And we're not picking on her weight, because it fluctuates and we don't care. Weight really can't change whether you are ugly or not. And Kelly is on our list!

18
Tori Spelling

Tori Spelling must be thanking her daddy for helping her get into the acting business 'cause there is no other way she would EVER have made it. Thanks Aaron Spelling for ruining our lives! Sometimes you hope someone will grow on you after awhile, but even now when we see Tori on TV we immediately switch the channel. Yeah, it's that bad. And don't even get us started on her acting.

19 Rosie O'Donnell

Rosie O'Donnell is a bully, but it's not the bad temper what got her on our list... she's ugly, plain and simple.

20
Rachel Dratch

Don't get us wrong: we love Rachel. Her SNL sketches are hilarious, she's a great actress. But we are sorry to say she truly earned the last place on our list.

source www.oddee.com