Amy Winehouse in again
Amy Winehouse in trouble again
The organisers of a French music festival are threatening legal action against troubled singer Amy Winehouse after she pulled out of the event at the eleventh hour saying she can't perform because of "illness".
Winehouse, 24, was due to perform at the Rock En Seine festival in Paris Friday, but cancelled her appearance after being taken ill at her Camden, London home just hours before she was due to fly to France, reports contactmusic.com.
Commenting on her withdrawal from the Rock En Seine fest, her spokesman said: "Amy Winehouse was regrettably unable to perform at the Rock En Seine show in Paris due to illness. She was taken ill at her house and wasn't able to travel to France for the concert."
But organisers claim they were given just two hours notice and that they were not given an adequate reason for her cancellation.
"There was no explanation of the exact reasons for her absence. We were told by her agent at 8:00 p.m. that she wasn't coming," said a statement from the Rock En Seine organisers.
Festival bosses have released a statement via their website saying they are now considering taking legal action against Winehouse.
Winehouse was hospitalised in June and diagnosed with early stage emphysema before another hospital visit last month after suffering a reaction to medication while at her north London home.
China cannot back Russia in Georgia crisis: analysts
China cannot back Russia in Georgia crisis: analysts
BEIJING (AFP) — China will not endorse Russia in its battle with the West over the Georgia crisis but cannot say so publicly for fear of upsetting Moscow, political analysts say.
Since the Georgia crisis began -- culminating in Moscow recognising the independence of two secessionist regions, South Ossetia and Abkhazia -- China's reaction has been subdued.
It has expressed concern over the issue but has refrained from taking sides in what has become an increasingly strident war of words between Russia and the West.
But analysts said that if push came to shove, China's official stance would not support Russia, whose actions violated Beijing's long-held principles of national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
"The official Chinese position, if it were pushed, would be that this is unacceptable," said Paul Harris, professor of political science at Lingnan University in Hong Kong.
"China doesn't want to give the green light to somebody coming to the side of separatist forces within their troubled regions."
Analysts said that China, with its own regions that want or claim independence -- like Xinjiang or Taiwan -- did not want to make these claims legitimate by supporting Russia's action.
Taiwan in particular was at the centre of China's reluctance as Beijing claims the island for itself, while Taiwan says it is an independent country, though with the recognition of only a few countries.
Moscow has faced fierce condemnation from the West over its recognition of the independence of the two regions.
The UN Security Council is discussing the wording of a resolution on the Georgian conflict, and China normally takes Russia's side in Council matters. But it has been largely silent on the Georgian issue.
Analysts were split on how China might vote if a resolution came to the table, although most agreed it was unlikely to come to that as negotiations would be taking place behind the scenes.
"China will not abstain, China is not going to go for something overturning a sovereign government and a sovereign rule," said Bob Broadfoot, head of the Hong Kong-based Political and Economic Risk Consultancy.
"It's just not going to happen, as China's position on Taiwan would go down the drain."
"If the resolution is focused on the question of sovereignty, China may very well side with the West," said Jean-Pierre Cabestan, professor of political science at Hong Kong Baptist University.
"But China will do its upmost to avoid such a resolution being presented to the Security Council, because it doesn't want to damage its relationship with Russia."
Lingnan University's Harris said that China, which he said has an underlying sympathy with Russia over the break-up of the Soviet Union, would hold back from casting its vote.
"It is always possible that the Western countries will force a vote and if it happens, I think China will abstain," he said.
Cabestan said that China was also concerned about the Georgia crisis because it was worried Russia might exert similar pressure on Central Asian states -- all of which were former Soviet republics like Georgia.
"That's not in China's interest, as it has in the past managed to get some influence in Central Asia, and China and Russia both cooperate and compete in the region for influence."
Ultimately, Broadfoot said, the crisis could push China closer to the West.
"China will try to keep quiet," he said. "But if Russia overplays its hand, they will side with the US."
Jennifer Hawkins presented the Hot In The City Lingerie show during Rosemount Fashion Week
Jennifer Hawkins presented the Hot In The City Lingerie show during Rosemount Fashion Week
She's already attained the coveted title of "Miss Universe" and earlier today Jennifer Hawkins was turning heads again at the 2008 Rosemount Sydney Fashion Festival.
Miss Hawkins donned a number of sexy, stunning looks as part of the Lovable Lingerie showcase during the Hot in the City Lingerie group portion of the show.
The inaugural Rosemount Sydney Fashion Festival is quite a big deal for the Aussie city, offering a fabulous venue for Australia's biggest designers and leading labels to show off their latest looks.
After the show Jennifer raved about her experience, telling press, "It was so much fun, because the public were here you could feel the energy. I loved it."
Enjoy the pictures of Jennifer Hawkins presenting the Hot In The City Lingerie collection (August 15).
Jackson turns to fashion
Jackson turns to fashion
Janet Jackson has teamed up with Australian fashion designer Bruno Sciavo to launch a lingerie collection.Pleasure Principle, inspired by the star's 1987 song, will be available in the US from November before heading to Australia, Japan and Europe.
The singer said: "The collection has been carefully created with some of the finest laces from around the world.
"You will see a lot of satin and lace combined and rich colors such as burgundy and beige, silver and peach as well as your classic black and white. It makes you feel incredible and offers variety as diverse as the women who will wear it."
Schiavi added: "Janet and I wanted to create a collection that empowers women and that makes women feel sexy, flirtatious and provocative. We wanted to make sure we captured the essence of all Janet's favorite colours, laces and making sure that we stay true to who she is and what she loves."
The first collection of Pleasure Principle offers 14 designs and the pair plan to extend their range beyond lingerie in 2009.
Miranda Kerr Glams Up David Jones Runway
Lauren Conrad: "I’m No Actress"
Lauren Conrad: "I’m No Actress"
As the premiere of the new season of "The Hills" inches closer and closer, Lauren Conrad has been busily hitting up the promotional circuit in hopes of boosting her MTV hit reality show's ratings.
The 22-year-old, who was spotted out running errands in West Hollywood earlier today (August 13), recently chatted with Ryan Seacrest and ET about a number of topics - describing her lack of acting skills and what the future holds.
"I tried (acting) when I first moved to L.A.," Conrad said. "I took a couple of classes. Awful. Any opportunity you have to make fun of yourself I think is fun to do, but acting is an art and I don't think I have a talent there."
With this in mind, LC once again resounded her ambitions to get into the clothing business full-time, saying: "I would love to finish out the show and continue doing fashion."
In the meantime, you can catch Ms Conrad and her Hills co-stars in all new episodes beginning on August 18th on MTV.
Enjoy the pictures of Lauren Conrad out and about in West Hollywood (August 13).
Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt’s Family Affair
Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt’s Family Affair
We're so used to seeing them together, and last night Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt were joined by members of Heidi's family for a yummy dinner out.
The peroxide pair enjoyed the company of Heidi's sister Holly (along with Joe Francis of Girls Gone Wild) and her mom Darlene as they all dined at Wolfgang Puck's exclusive restaurant The Cut, located in the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.
Earlier in the day, Heidi showed her mother what it was like to be famous as they waded through paparazzi and fans in an attempt to get some shopping done in Beverly Hills.
They stopped into some swanky boutiques including Kitson, Chanel, Cartier, and Fendi throughout the afternoon, making a final stop at their local Wells Fargo bank to make sure they still had some money left.
Enjoy the pictures of Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt out to eat last night (August 11), along with shots of Heidi shopping it up with Mom earlier in the day.
Tyra Banks Celebrates the "Black Issue"
Tyra Banks Celebrates the "Black Issue"
Filming an episode of "The Tyra Banks Show", model turned talk show host Tyra Banks celebrated Italian Vogue's "Black Issue" - the first issue of any major international fashion publication featuring black models and content throughout - on Tuesday afternoon (August 12).
Banks, along with fellow famous black models of the past and present (some of whom appear in the issue of Italian Vogue), posed for pictures before releasing an array of balloons during a NYC street party.
Always supporting her fellow catwalk queens, Banks also recently voiced her displeasure with "pop stars and Hollywood's leading ladies, accusing them of stealing cosmetic contracts from hard-up supermodels."
According to recent reports, Tyra "claims it's harder for models to land lucrative deals with fashion, make-up and fragrance firms while the big companies turn to beauties like Jennifer Aniston, Eva Mendes and Beyonce Knowles to promote their products."
Of the situation, Tyra disappointingly tells: "I think all supermodels now are losing out to celebrities. It's celebrities who are getting the cosmetics contracts."
Enjoy the pictures of Tyra Banks and her fellow models celebrating the Vogue Italia issue (August 12).
'CSI's' 'Professor' Fishburne Has A Lot to Learn
'CSI's' 'Professor' Fishburne Has A Lot to Learn
Laurence Fishburne is thrilled to be joining the cast of CBS's "CSI," a TV series he'd never been interested in enough to watch, to play a character he doesn't seem to know much of anything about, including the name. The Oscar-nominated actor is supposed to start shooting early next month.
And it was news to Fishburne that taking this role to sorta, kinda replace William Petersen as the lead actor on one of the country's most-watched series would be a rare instance of a minority lead actor cast in a television drama series.
Presumably, he knows how much he'll be making to replace Petersen, who reportedly was one of the best-paid actors working in TV, in the new role that right now is being called just "The Professor."
We're guessing Fishburne's agent also spelled out for him how important the procedural crime drama is to the health of CBS as, with an average audience of about 17 million, it is the network's most watched series. Petersen, who has headlined the show since its debut in October 2000, asked to bow out this coming season, though CBS programming chief Nina Tassler said last month we will not have seen the last of his character on the show.
Fishburne is supposed to make his debut on the upcoming season's ninth episode, which, the producers said yesterday, they had on their books for mid-December. But you and I know CBS would never waste an episode like that on December, and a publicist doused that flame at the end of a news conference call, saying no date had been set for the transition. So expect it to happen in early '09.
So, early yesterday CBS staged this news conference call with The Reporters Who Cover TV to herald the bit of casting and, taking a page from the "How to Undo Spoilers" book of information management, to mostly un-say what Tassler told the news media about the character when she addressed the summer TV press tour weeks earlier.
Fishburne, meanwhile, was on the call, mostly giving out big stage laughs -- hahaHA! -- being extremely affable, and sounding clueless.
At Thank God We're Still Working Summer TV Press Tour 2008, Tassler said the new character -- the one we now know will be played by Fishburne -- "is an outsider coming into the CSI unit. He comes in not immediately as the boss, but he has an interesting genetic profile that in certain sort of medical contexts, they've noticed that many times serial killers have that same genetic profile." She said, "This gentleman knows this about himself and is sort of on this journey . . . to discover who is his true character."
Naturally, reporters on this call wanted more details on this juicy bit of character development.
One reporter asked Fishburne how he would play someone with the same genetic profile as many serial killers.
"Well, let me just say, I have no knowledge of such a biological profile, nor would I be at liberty to discuss it if there were such a biological profile," Fishburne said in response to one such question. "I'm really excited I'm going to be joining this team. We have a lot of stuff to work out," he said, including "what's the character's name?"
Perry stays on top
Perry stays on top
Katy Perry's controversial single I Kissed A Girl has held onto the number one spot for a second week.The former gospel singer held off Kid Rock's All Summer Long at number two, followed by The Script's The Man Who Can't be Moved, which climbed one place to number three.
Love Is Noise by The Verve moved one spot up to number four, while Dance Wiv Me by Dizzee Rascal dropped two places down to number five.
Meanwhile, The Script's self-titled album shot straight in at number one on the album chart, knocking Abba's Gold from the top.
Duffy's album Rockferry and Coldplay's Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends also dropped down one spot each to numbers three and four respectively.
Noah and the Whale's Peaceful The World Lays Me Down snatched the number five spot.
Knowles partied to woo producers
Knowles partied to woo producers
Singer Solange Knowles persuaded superproducer Mark Ronson and Gnarls Barkley's Cee-Lo Green to work on her new album - by impressing them with her hard partyingBeyonce's sister cornered the pair at an aftershow for the Grammy awards earlier this year (08) and convinced them to produce tracks for her second LP Sol-Angel and the Hadley St Dreams.
She had spoken to Ronson on the day of the ceremony and got him to agree to work on the record - but thought he was just trying to get rid of her.
Knowles tells music magazine NME, "Then, after the Grammys I thought, 'I'm not going to hear from this dude for the rest of my life'. But then I ran into him at a party. He was definitely in his celebrating shoes.
"But he said, 'Just because I've won this Grammy it doesn't mean I won't work on your record'. I had to party with Cee-Lo too to get him to work on the record."
BB housemates chew over Roman task
BB housemates chew over Roman task
Big brother housemates have been told to create Roman Mosaics - from masticated bubble gumAs new head of house, Rex does not have to take part in the task, which sees pairs of housemates making the mosaics in his image.
The 24-year-old Londoner will decide on the winning partnership, who will receive a special prize.
The chef and socialite, who sites food and money as his chief interests, informed his fellow housemates: "A mosaic is a picture made up of fragments."
As the task got under way he shouted "Hail Reximus!" to the toga-wearing contestants.
Earlier on day 74 Rex took to the diary room to complain about his 19-year-old student girlfriend Nicole.
"She's struggling in here," he said. "I don't think sticking so close to me is the best thing."
Former gang member Darnell, 26, had his own complaint for Big Brother. "All I've found out is that everyone in the world seems to be better looking that me," he confessed in the diary room.
"None of the girls have fancied me in here so how can I expect any of the women on the outside to like me?
"What the hell is good about me? Nothing."
Geldof's husband 'terrified' of meeting Bob
Geldof's husband 'terrified' of meeting Bob
Peaches Geldof's new husband is "terrified" of meeting her father Bob Geldof.
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American rocker Max Drummey wed Peaches in Las Vegas last week despite only dating for one month.
And Drummey admits he is terrified of meeting his new father-in-law.
He says, "He's always been friendly but as you'd expect, he has what I call a healthy scepticism about me - I think any father would if their daughter got married the way we did.
"I'm terrified of meeting him face to face but that's going to happen soon - it's all been arranged."
The musician also confesses he had never heard of the former Boomtown Rats rocker before he met 19 year old Peaches.
He adds, "Sir Bob is nowhere near as well known in the US as he is in the UK I understand he's a real legend but I don't know much about him.
"I do know he's been knighted though, which is amazing."
My Chemical Romance announce hiatus
My Chemical Romance announce hiatus
Rockers My Chemical Romance are taking a hiatus, so they can seek the inspiration to write a new albumAfter taking two years to tour and promote acclaimed 2006 album The Black Parade, band members complain they are exhausted and short of ideas for a follow-up LP.
Frontman Gerard Way tells MTV, "We can't make any more music unless we live. But I'm already starting to get the ideas and the aesthetics and everything, and it's very different from The Black Parade.
When we get a chance, we're going to get together and do some demos and start rolling. But we're going to take it slow. I feel like we needed to be away for a while. People need to kind of miss us because there was a point in the last two and a half years where you could have seen us at least once a month if you
Potter film release date delayed
Potter film release date delayed
The release date for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has been pushed back by eight months, to July 2009.
The sixth instalment of the teenage wizard's adventures was supposed to have its Royal premiere on 17 November.
Alan Horn, president of studio Warner Bros, said the decision was taken to guarantee the studio a major summer blockbuster in 2009.
He also blamed the Hollywood writers' strike, which hit the film industry hard earlier this year.
Mr Horn said the strike, which ended in February, had "impacted the readiness of scripts for other films."
Fantasy books
He said: "The picture is completely, absolutely, 100% on schedule, on time. There were no delays.
"I've seen the movie. It is fabulous. We would have been perfectly able to have it out in November."
The move will mean a two-year delay between the film adaptations of books five and six in JK Rowling's fantasy series.
But it will shorten fans' wait between Half-Blood Prince and the final two instalments of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which are being shot simultaneously next year.
It is thought actors Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson - who is celebrating getting straight As in her A Levels in English literature, geography and art - will reprise their roles.
The release date for part one is tentatively set for November 2010.
Royal performance
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince had been chosen for this year's Royal Film Performance, on 17 November.
Last year's performance was cancelled amid controversy about the chosen movie, Brick Lane.
It was the first time the annual gala - held in aid of the Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund (CTBF) - had been scrapped since 1958.
CTBF chief executive Peter Hore told BBC News he was "very disappointed" with the decision to shelve the Potter premiere.
But he was hopeful a Royal premiere would still go ahead this year.
He said: "The Royal Film Performance has been around for a long time and has a tradition of showcasing the best films. We are confident we will be able to do that again this year."
Mr Hore added that he expected to make an announcement shortly.
Iranian president in Turkey for nuclear talks
Iranian president in Turkey for nuclear talks
ISTANBUL (AFP) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad began talks here Thursday on closer ties with Turkey and Tehran's controversial nuclear programme on his first ever bilateral visit to a NATO-member country.Heavy security measures were in place for Ahmadinejad's arrival to Istanbul, Turkey's biggest city, with snipers placed on rooftops around the Ataturk airport and police closing off the road leading into the city.
Shortly after his arrival, the Iranian president went into a closed-door meeting with his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul after which the two leaders were expected to hold a news conference.
He will meet Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and address a businessmen's meeting on Friday before leaving.
Ahmadinejad's two-day visit comes amid mounting tension over the Islamic Republic's nuclear drive which the West suspects is a cover for a secret nuclear weapons programme.
Iran is refusing to halt its uranium enrichment activities even though it is facing a fresh round of sanctions after failing to give a clear response to an incentives package offered by six world powers.
It has however agreed to continue talks with the European Union aimed at resolving the dispute.
Turkey, which has significantly improved relations with Iran in recent years, believes it can help resolve the stand-off through its close ties with both its eastern neighbour and Western powers.
Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said last month that Ankara was taking on a role "of consolidating and facilitating" the talks rather than formal mediation.
In a joint television interview with Turkey's NTV and CNN-Turk news channels on Wednesday, Ahmadinejad sounded an upbeat note on the talks with the six powers -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States.
"We think that the question of nuclear power is going in the right direction," he said. "The negotiations are good negotiations and that is going to continue."
Tehran also appreciated Ankara's "efforts to reduce the tensions and establish a constructive dialogue," he added.
Turkey, which itself is seeking to build its first nuclear power plant, says Iran has the right to possess nuclear power for peaceful purposes, but opposes nuclear weapons in the region.
Ahmadinejad's visit, however, has drawn the ire of Turkey's ally Israel which has warned Ankara against "giving legitimacy" to a leader who has called for the destruction of the Jewish state and questioned the Holocaust.
In Wednesday's interview, Ahmadinejad launched his usual attack on Israel, describing it an illegitimate state based on a lie.
"It is an illegitimate regime... The Zionist regime is based on a lie," he charged. "They (Israelis) do not belong to this region. They should go."
Non-Arab and secular Turkey has been Israel's main regional ally since 1996, when the two signed a military cooperation accord, much to the anger of Arab countries and Iran.
It is currently acting as mediator in indirect talks between Israel and its arch-foe Syria.
Turkey and Iran used to have stormy ties, clouded by Turkish accusations that Tehran was seeking to undermine Ankara's secular regime and turning a blind eye to separatist Kurdish rebels active in the region.
But the two countries have boosted security cooperation in the past decade and in 2001 Turkey began buying Iranian gas via a pipeline between the two countries, overriding US discontent.
'Credit crunch', 'wardrobe malfunction' squeeze into dictionary
'Credit crunch', 'wardrobe malfunction' squeeze into dictionary
LONDON (AFP) - Credit crunch, carbon footprint and electrosmog squeezed into Chambers dictionary Thursday, reflecting the world's belt-tightening and ecologically-worried times, its editor said.More prosaically, "wardrobe malfunction," "comfort food" and "nail bars" were also among a raft of new words and and expressions included in the latest print edition of a lexicographical tome.
The war on terror has brought "blue-on-blue" -- "accidental firing on one's allies" -- as well as "IED" (improvised explosive device) and "extraordinary rendition" into the Chambers-defined language.
But economic worries and climate change concerns generate a lot of new terms.
The global credit crunch, defined as "a sudden and drastic reduction in the availability of credit," has helped tip long-booming Britain to the brink of recession in barely 12 months.
Homeowners facing falling property prices for the first time in a decade are also all too familiar with "Hips" -- Home Information Pacs, a new officially-required document blamed with adding red tape and deterring buyers.
Hips in part aim to make houses more environmentally friendly -- a trend also reflected in "carbon footprint" and "eco-village" -- "a small-scale, environmentally friendly settlement designed for sustainable living."
"Electrosmog" -- electro-magnetic fields emitted by computers and mobile phones -- also adds growing environmental threats in the modern world.
On the scientific front "Blu-ray" -- as in the new DVD technology -- and "quantum computer" (one which uses quantum mechanics) joined hundreds of new entries deemed worth of definition.
Meanwhile "Wags" -- "a wife or girlfriend of a professional sportsman, especially one of group accompanying a travelling team" -- received Chambers' thumbs-up.
The dictionary also accepted "wardrobe malfunction" -- "the temporary failure of an item of clothing to do its job in covering a part of the body that it would be advisable to keep covered" -- as part of common language.
"The new words we added to this 11th edition of The Chambers Dictionary paint a vivid picture of current interests and concerns," said its editor-in-chief Mary O'Neill
Lucas on Indy, Star Wars and Red Tails
Lucas on Indy, Star Wars and Red Tails
Legendary film-maker George Lucas has been reflecting on films past, present and future, including Indiana Jones, Star Wars and a new film called Red Tails.After the recent Indiana Jones film, The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Lucas sees a future for Dr Jones and a fifth movie is certainly a possibility.
He said: "The franchise really depends on me coming up with a good idea, you know.
"And that series is very research-intensive. So we're doing research now to see if we can't come up with another object for him to chase. And you know, hopefully we'll come up with something."
Although there were rumours that the last movie set up a passing of the famed fedora from Harrison Ford to Shia LaBeouf - Lucas dismisses that.
"He is Indiana Jones," Lucas says of Ford. "You know if Indiana Jones wasn't in it, you'd have to call it 'Mutt Williams and the Search for Elvis'."
Lucas has been involved in a film project that is ten years in the making, revolving around the black Army pilots of World War II known as the Tuskegee airmen.
He says it's finally getting close to production and the movie's going to be called Red Tails.
Recently he has shared the mantle of his iconic Star Wars universe with director Dave Filoni, which has spawned the animated adventure, The Clone Wars which is released in cinemas this summer.
It will be followed in the autumn with the launch of an animated TV series by the same name
Paris sued for 'poor film promotion'
Paris sued for 'poor film promotion'
Hotel heiress and socialite extraordinaire Paris Hilton is being sued for not doing enough to promote a US campus comedy.Worldwide Entertainment Group filed a lawsuit in Miami, alleging the 27-year-old Simple Life star owes $75,000 (£38,000) in damages for not fulfilling promotional obligations.
Hilton entered into an agreement in 2004 for the production and distribution of the movie National Lampoon's Pledge This! in which she starred and received credit as an executive producer.
She's set to next appear in the movie musical Repo! The Genetic Opera and yet another reality series, Paris Hilton's My New BFF.
The lawsuit comes days after the House of Wax star's tongue-in-cheek online video rebuttal to Presidential hopeful John McCain's claim that rival Barack Obama is nothing more than a celebrity like Hilton and Brittany Spears.
In it, she calls the Republican candidate "the oldest celebrity in the world" and the video is supposed to have amassed an incredible 6.2 million online views within days.
Pamela Anderson was busy filming her new reality tv show
Pamela Anderson was busy filming her new reality tv show
She's the latest actress to try her hand at Reality TV and on Wednesday afternoon, Pamela Anderson was spotted walking around the set of her new show "Pam: Girl on the Loose" in Los Angeles.
And the mother-of-two looked summertime sexy in a wispy white minidress with black flip flops as she carried around some paperwork, smiling for the paparazzi.
Unfortunately for Miss Anderson, her show has failed to perform, bringing in lower numbers than either Dina Lohan's "Living Lohan" or Denise Richards' "It's Complicated."
According to Nielsen Media Research, "Pam: Girl on the Loose" has averaged 1.1 million viewers, whereas the Lohan and Richards gigs both brought in 1.5 million viewers.
Enjoy the pictures of Pamela Anderson hard at work on her new show (August 6).
Brooke Hogan: Sexy in the Sun
Brooke Hogan: Sexy in the Sun
She's no stranger to soaking up the sun on the beautiful Miami beaches. And yesterday (August 7) Brooke Hogan was out and about, working on her tan.
The "Brooke Knows Best" babe donned a super sexy dark grey studded two-piece bathing suit along with a pair of white drawstring shorts and matching flip flops as she meandered about the sand.
Miss Hogan recently told press that her brother Nick has been negatively impacted by his time in jail, noting that his 28 days in solitary confinement was an extra-harsh blow to his spirit.
"They had broken his spirit. When they put him in solitary, he was on the outs. I was worried about him, and his safety, and his well-being."
And now that he's back with other inmates, Brooke says that he's starting to show his personality more. "We get to visit him three times a week like everybody else, but it sucks. I can't just walk over to his room and give him a hug, or talk to him, or confide in him…At least he's not locked in hell, basically. And his personality is slowly coming back. I bring that out of him."
Enjoy the pictures of Brooke Hogan out spending the day at the beach (August 7).
DreamWorks Animation in talks for "Panda" sequel
DreamWorks Animation in talks for "Panda" sequel
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc Chief Executive Jeffrey Katzenberg said on Wednesday the movie studio was in talks to make a sequel to box office hit "Kung Fu Panda" and could make an announcement within two months.
"We've started conversations about it, and I think in the next 30 or 60 days, we'll be able to talk completely about that," Katzenberg told Reuters, when asked about a follow-up to a film that has raked in $560 million in global ticket sales.
Set in China, "Kung Fu Panda" follows the journey of a clumsy-yet-lovable Panda named Po, voiced by Hollywood funnyman Jack Black, in his efforts to become a kung fu warrior.
Katzenberg was speaking to reporters at a screening for portions of the studio's upcoming animated film "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa," set for a U.S. release on Nov. 7.
The original "Madagascar" in 2005, which tells of animals on the loose from New York's Central Zoo, had been DreamWorks Animation's biggest hit for a non-sequel movie with $530 million in global ticket sales until being passed by "Panda" in recent weeks.
A "Panda" sequel will likely come as good news to DreamWorks Animation investors who saw shares in the studio slump in late July after the company warned of higher international marketing costs.
The company's stock had traded above $30 a share in July before slipping to about $28 when the company warned on July 30. Since then, the shares have reclaimed ground and were at $30.44, off 40 cents, or 1.3 percent, in late Wednesday trade.
Madonna to wear Givenchy for Sticky and Sweet tour
Madonna to wear Givenchy for Sticky and Sweet tour
PARIS (Reuters Life!) - Madonna has chosen French Haute Couture house Givenchy to design clothing for her new "Sticky and Sweet" world tour which starts in Britain this month, the fashion firm said on Tuesday.
Two outfits from Givenchy Haute Couture by designer Riccardo Tisci have been created for the "queen of pop". Givenchy described the first as "a reference to 'Gangster Pimp' and Art Deco" and the second as "a Gypsy inspiration".
"I feel incredibly fortunate to have been given the opportunity to offer the world of Givenchy Haute Couture to Madonna the Icon, the Artist, the Woman for whom I have so much respect and admiration, " Tisci said in a press statement.
The first outfit is described as a frock coat in black stretch satin, trimmed with pleated black silk organza embroidered with jet beads and waistcoat in black stretch satin trimmed with black silk fringes embroidered with jet beads and laced up corseted back.
The "Gypsy" outfit consists of a long-hooded cape in black silk taffeta, lined in fuchsia silk taffeta and embroidered with jet stones and a dress in black stretch chiffon trimmed with multicoloured ribbons and fuchsia coloured metal chains worn with a matching necklace.
Disney star Vanessa Hudgens sued by music producer
Disney star Vanessa Hudgens sued by music producer
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Singer-actress Vanessa Hudgens of the made-for-kids TV hit "High School Musical" is being sued by a producer who claims she reneged on a deal to share her earnings with him after he helped make her a star.
In the lawsuit, filed on Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court, plaintiff Johnny Vieira accuses the 19-year-old performer and her manager-father, Greg Hudgens, of breach of contract and fraud, seeking more than $27 million in damages.
Hudgens' record label, the Walt Disney Co.-owned Hollywood Records, also is named as a defendant in the suit.
Vieira, who describes himself as a music producer "engaged in the business of discovering and developing artists in the music industry," claims he and Hudgens agreed in 2005 to share equally in her advances, royalties and merchandising revenues.
That agreement was approved by a court, the suit says.
But Vieira says he was dumped from Hudgens' management team soon after she was cast in Disney's TV movie sensation "High School Musical."
According to the suit, they subsequently reached a settlement under which Hudgens agreed to pay Vieira a percentage of her earnings from her first three albums under her solo recording contract with Hollywood Records.
However, "it became clear that Hudgens and her new 'team' ... all directed by her father ... would take every possible opportunity to deprive Vieira of the benefits to be derived from the settlement agreement," the lawsuit says.
After giving Vieira a share of her first album advance and a portion of merchandising revenues from the first quarter of 2007, "no other monies have been paid to Vieira and no other accounting has been provided," the suit says.
Hudgens' publicist could not immediately be reached for comment. A Disney spokesman said the company had not had a chance to review the lawsuit.
Hudgens sprang to fame in "High School Musical" as Gabriella Montez, the sweet, innocent science geek whose romance with teen athlete Troy Bolton, played by Zac Efron, was chronicled on Disney Channel's hugely popular TV movie.
Weeks after "High School Musical 2" and its soundtrack debuted, the squeaky-clean star raised a furor when a nude photograph of her surfaced on the Web.
Hudgens apologized, and Disney stood by her. Her second solo album, "Identified," debuted last month at No. 23 on the pop charts, with a modest 22,000 copies sold its first week.
Carrying on with her promotional duties for David Jones stores, Miranda Kerr was spotted yesterday (August 13) looking hot on an Aussie catwalk.
