Now Spice Girls reunite

THE Spice Girls returned today to announce their long-awaited reunion as a “thank you” to their fans.

After months of speculation, Victoria Beckham, Mel B, Mel C, Emma Bunton and Geri Halliwell finally announced a comeback tour.

Mel C, 33, (Sporty Spice) said of their reunion: “We wanted to say thank you to our fans. It just feels very right for us.”

The world’s media were treated to a video montage at the 02 Arena, formerly the Millennium Dome, of some of the band’s Number One hits.

Halliwell, 34, (Ginger) enjoyed the moment, taking pictures of her fellow bandmates and the crowd with a camera.

2001

The Nineties girl group, who parted ways in 2001, said they would not be performing at this weekend’s Concert for Diana.

Princes William and Harry were said to have asked them to attend the anniversary event.

But the band said they could not take to the stage so soon because Emma Bunton (Baby) was about to have her baby.

Mel C said: “We would have loved to be there this weekend. It’s just unfortunate timing.”

Victoria Beckham said there would be a creche on the tour to accommodate the seven Baby Spices the band members will have between them once Baby Spice gives birth.

Posh Spice, 33, said: “We’re definitely going to have a huge creche. Our priority is going to be our families. We want to have fun.

“That’s one of the many reasons for this, for our children to see what we used to do.”

Halliwell said of the reunion: “Obviously it’s nostalgic. But equally, if new fans want to come along, that’s fantastic.

“I like to think our songs are universal and they are timeless. Hopefully, the young’uns will like it too.”

Mel B, 32, said of the press conference: “This is very civilised. We’ve really grown up, haven’t we?”

Asked whether it was a comeback, she said: “Where did we go?”

The Spice Girls will play 11 dates on six continents, kicking off in Los Angeles on December 7.

A greatest hits album will be released in time for Christmas.

Today was the first time all five have appeared in public together since Halliwell walked out nine years ago.

Divorced

“Imagine you got divorced and you’ve got back together with your ex-husband,” was Halliwell’s description of being reunited with her band mates.

But Beckham could not resist a dig, quipping: “She just appreciates the fact we’ve let her back in.”

The band famously praised Margaret Thatcher in a 1990s interview, calling her an original Spice Girl.

Today they demonstrated their knowledge of the current political landscape.

Asked about Gordon Brown, Mel B replied: “Who is he?”

Mel C explained he was the new Prime Minister.

Halliwell gave her verdict: “I actually met him the other day. He seems a nice enough fellow.”

Mel C has spent the past few years vowing never to take part in a reunion.

Today she said: “A girl’s allowed to change her mind.”

Bunton explained her reasons for wanting the comeback.

“I wanted to be a Spice Girl again,” she said.

The band insist they are not back for good.

One-night stand

“This is going to be a one-night stand,” Halliwell said.

The girls promised to perform all their classic hits during the show.

But they refused a challenge to sing live at the press conference in response to a report that their voices will be digitally enhanced on the tour.

“We don’t need to prove anything,” Mel C said.

The tour will be supported by a documentary which claims it will show the definitive story of the Spice Girls.

Halliwell said: “It’s going to be the most honest story that you’ve ever heard. You get to see the dark side of the Spice Girls, the gritty side, the tears.”

Tokyo teens enchanted by grown-up Harry Potter

TOKYO (Reuters Life!) - Japanese teens in wizard costumes went into a frenzy at the premiere of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" on Thursday, cheering actor Daniel Radcliffe whose coming of age is a big story on- and off-screen.

Dressed in a white suit, Radcliffe -- who will turn 18 next month and has played boy wizard Harry since 2001 -- looked distinctly grown-up at the red carpet event in Tokyo.

The Order of the Phoenix sees Harry reach greater maturity as he takes a leading role in the fight against the evil Voldemort and experiences his first kiss at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Radcliffe's own rite of passage has not been quite as dramatic: he recently took the role of a disturbed stablehand in the theatre play "Equus" in a break with his child actor image.

Speaking to reporters before a crowd of screaming Japanese fans holding "We love Harry" signs, Radcliffe shrugged off suggestions that the Potter saga defined his adolescence.

"I don't see myself as having grown up on screen. I simply see myself as having grown up. So it's probably stranger for people who have watched all the films," he told Reuters.

The success of the Potter film franchise is one reason why Radcliffe's growing up is a big deal, at least for the movie industry and millions of fans.

The first four Potter films grossed around $3.5 billion, and Radcliffe along with co-stars Emma Watson and Rupert Grint will stick with their parts until the series ends with the seventh film, slated for 2010.


"CHIN UP!"

The continuing popularity of J.K. Rowling's book series may help The Order of the Phoenix repeat that box office success, and Potter producer David Heyman said the actors' personal development also adds a new dimension to the film.

"They really grow up as actors," he told Reuters at the premiere.

"In the first film, Christopher Columbus had to do things like 'chin up' all through the takes if he was not focused, 'come on, don't look away', 'Oh, you are scared'.

"Now they are able to collaborate with the director and create the parts you will see in the film."

Columbus directed the first two Potter films, followed by Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron and Britain's Mike Newell.

David Yates directed the fifth and latest film, in which Harry fends off a gang of dementors with a spell and risks expulsion from school for engaging in "underage magic".

The young wizard then has to defend himself at a court hearing in London before starting another action-packed year at Hogwarts boarding school.

The sixth film, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince", is set for U.S. release in November 2008, while the last book in the series, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", will hit bookstores on July 21.

Shilpa Shetty to act in West End musical

Mumbai: Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty who won fame and fortune in the British show, ‘Celebrity Big Brother,’ will appear on London's West End later this year, a newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Shetty will star in the musical titled "Miss Bollywood" to open in London in September and later travel to Broadway, The Indian Express newspaper said.

"The whole song-and-dance routine of a musical really fascinates me and I think I'm a natural in the art," it quoted Shetty as saying.

She said the musical was about a day in the life of a Bollywood actress and would give Westerners a glimpse of Indian traditions and customs.

"I want foreigners to get familiar with Indian culture. Racism breeds out of ignorance," Shetty was quoted as saying.



During the reality show, "Celebrity Big Brother” , a British contestant mocked her accent
and bad-mouthed her cooking. Channel 4 was forced to apologise for the alleged racist abuse, which sparked a storm of protests.

Shetty has acted in more than 40 Bollywood movies since her 1993 debut. Her latest movie, "Metro," is a Hindi-language film about careers pushing love to second place.

'What I plan never works out'

Bollywood oomph girl Neha Dhupia says her dream at one time was to become an IAS officer.

"What I plan never works out. So I have stopped planning now," Neha told over the telephone. "I wanted to join the civil services and become an IAS (Indian Administrative Service) officer and did not have any plans to model or act.

"But, then, Miss India happened suddenly and now here I am, doing films."

The 26-year-old actress, who bagged the Miss India Universe title in 2002 and a year later made her Bollywood debut in "Qayamat: City Under Threat", is currently shooting for a film "I'm 24", being directed by Saurabh Shukla.

"It is about a guy who is 42 years of age but has to lie that he is only 24 to get something," Neha explains. "The movie will show his struggles and hardships and then he meets me. I play the character of a struggling actress."

The silver screen scorcher, well known for portraying bold characters in films such as "Julie" and "Sheesha", loves to travel, read and takes a keen interest in sports. And she says she would love to be part of a film that would capture and present her real character to the audience.

"I would love it if someone makes a film to showcase who Neha Dhupia really is. What I am, what I like and what I stand for."

Dhupia says her stint at Bollywood has been great so far but adds, "There is still a long way to go and now I want to play different characters."

Cinematographer Jeeva passes away in Russia

Noted cinematographer - director Jeeva passed away after suffering acute cardiac arrest in Russia last night. He was shooting for Dhaam Dhoom starring Jayam Ravi and Kangana Ranaut in Russia.

An acclaimed cinematographer - turned - director Jeeva had worked in over 40 films including Shankar's Gentleman, Kadhalan and Indian.

Jeeva was directed over 50 commercials. He ventured to Bollywood and cranked the camera for several blockbusters including films directed by Priyadharshan. Some of his Hindi movies include Hulchul, Yeh Tera Ghar Yeh Mera Ghar, Run, Kushi, Bhagam Bhag, Hera Pheri among others. A native of Thiruthooraipoondi, Jeeva ventured to direction with 12B. The film featured Jyothika and Simran together opposite Shaam. The latter was introduced by Jeeva.

Jeeva's next was Ullam Ketkumae which featured a host of actresses. Popular stars like Arya, Asin and Pooja made their debut with the movie. Jeeva followed it up with Unnale Unnale and he introduced a Bangalore model Vinay in the lead role. Featuring Sada and Kajol's sister Tanisha, Unnale Unnale was a run away hit.

Jeeva is currently directing Dhaam Dhoom starring Jayam Ravi and Kangana Ranaut. He is survived by his wife Annesha, the costume designer of Jeeva's films and three children.

The body is expected to be flown back to India soon.

Pamela Anderson's bright idea

NEW YORK: Baywatch star Pamela Anderson, who is currently in Finland, has thought of a unique business idea to honour her Finnish heritage - opening a chain of strip clubs!

"I thought of a great way to celebrate my Finnish heritage at home," she wrote on her blog. "I'm going to look into opening a chain of strip clubs and I'll call them Lapland."

Anderson, whose great grand father was Finnish, is touring the Scandinavian country with her dad, Barry Anderson, reports people.com .

"Our heritage is here. We are both excited. We will be taking lots of saunas. Save my liver," Anderson added.

While in Finland, the actress has also appealed for the closure of fur farms.

"Farms are so old fashioned. There are hundreds here. The demand is getting lower for fur coats and they breed foxes here just for fur. Sweden, Austria and England have banned fur farms. Let's hope Finland will too. Other than that I'm very proud of my Finnish heritage."

Inside Paris' Mailbag

Los Angeles (E! Online) - If nothing else, at least Paris Hilton has found the time to catch up on her correspondence.


After crafting her own Father's Day card for dad Rick Hilton over the weekend, the heiress apparently got busy penning letters to the thousands of fans who've been writing her since the beginning of the legal hullabaloo that has ended (for now) with Hilton getting locked up for a full 45 days after briefly being transferred to house arrest.

"I read your letter and just wanted to thank you for your kind words of love and support. The fact that you took time out of your day to write me truly means the world. Especially at such a difficult and scary time in my life," Hilton wrote in a letter obtained Tuesday by E! Online. (View the letter.)

"But I am being strong and trying to make the best out of the situation," Hilton continued. "And the letters I'm receiving really do put a smile on my face as I sit here in my cell, sad and alone. Again, thank you so much and may God bless you and your family."

"Love always, Paris Hilton," she signed, dotting her i's with little hearts and adding "xoxo" at the end.

Although writing letters while suited up in an orange jumpsuit can't really compare to nights spent trolling the red carpet in designer cocktail dresses, at least Hilton seems to be feeling better since being released Wednesday from the medical ward at Men's Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles, after which she was returned to the Century Regional Correctional Facility, where she originally started serving her sentence on June 3.

After visiting Hilton on Sunday, along with husband Rick and Paris' sister Nicky, Kathy Hilton told reporters that her daughter was spending the majority of her days on the inside "looking at the four walls and reading some nice fan mail." (Authorities say she has received over 5,000 letters; Paris' manager tells E! News that the sheriff's department contacted him to haul away nearly two dozen crates of mail.)

Hilton is allowed one hour outside of her cell every day to shower, exercise, watch TV and talk on the phone

Shilpa Shetty- the fragrance this season

Bollywood Trade News Network

Shilpa Shetty has become the latest star to launch her own fragrance in UK. She has named her perfume S2 (pronounced S square) and considers it to be a "cut above the rest" in the sea of celebrity fragrances.

The Bollywood star has become a household name in the UK after winning the reality show Celebrity Big Brother. As her publicist Dale Bhagwagar puts it, "Shilpa has come to be the fragrance of this season and its going to last."

S2 has been created by one of the oldest French perfumers, Robertet, and releases across the UK at most high-street retailers from July. "Each ingredient has been hand-picked by Shilpa with each keynote having an individual importance to her. It is a kaleidoscope of rich floral with a fruity zest including the scent of Mandarin, Bergamot, Peach, Jasmine and Sandalwood among others," informs Bhagwagar.

"With S2, Shilpa joins the likes of Kylie Minogue, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jennifer Lopez and Paris Hilton in launching her own signature scent," he adds.

The actress whose next film APNE is about to release, is all set to write a cookery book, make a DVD video on yoga to be shot in the Himalayas, feature in a Broadway musical, launch a chain of restaurants abroad - starting with one in Central London, and feature as Sita in the international movie HANUMAN.

Final Potter book will only make Rowling richer

London, June 20: The seventh and final Harry Potter book is sure to be a bestseller, but as a result of the discount wars, the only ones to profit from it might be JK Rowling and Bloomsbury.

Small and big book stores insist that the discount wars for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows has become so “ludicrous”, that instead of profiting from Pottermania, they might end up making a loss, or at best, just about covering their costs.

A survey of the UK's 1,400 independent bookshops revealed that most were ordering only a few copies of the eagerly awaited book, for they expected most customers to buy it from online or at supermarket chains that are charging 8 to 9 pounds on discount instead of the nearly 17 pounds that is the price.

Tim Robinson, the manager of Muswell Hill Bookshop, in north London, said that the price war was especially “ludicrous”, as the popularity of the Potter series means that even without offering a discount, sellers could make a tidy profit.

The final book’s cover price has already been cut by half at supermarket Asda and Tesco, five weeks before its release, and bookstore Waterstones have unwillingly followed by slashing their price to 8.99 pounds, while WH Smith will sell it at 9.97 pounds and Woolworths at 9.99 pounds.

The book, which goes on sale at midnight on July 21, is still expected to become the fastest-selling book of all time.

Beckhams and Cruises burn the midnight oil in Madrid

When David Beckham and his wife Victoria went out to celebrate his Real Madrid team's league victory, who better to help get the party started than their new LA neighbours Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. The group painted the Spanish capital red until 7.30am, first enjoying a meal at swanky Madrid restaurant Txistu - where the star midfielder apparently tucked into a hearty meal of steak, while Victoria kept to a fruity plate of pineapple and strawberries.

"A huge cheer went up when David arrived," says a source at the eatery. "The atmosphere was electric - many of the other players had also booked tables here." Afterwards they moved on to trendy nightclub Shabay where they stayed on into the small hours, Spanish style. Fashion designer Victoria was the epitome of glam in a cleavage-boosting little black dress and bright pink belt, while her husband was smart in a designer suit.

Katie, who recently had her hair cut in a similar style to her British pal, and Tom, meanwhile, underlined their Hollywood credentials with dark shades - despite it being night-time. They had earlier watched David's team clinch victory at the city's Bernabeu stadium, where footie fan Tom showed his support by waving a giant Real Madrid scarf above his head.

The pair had flown in from Germany, where Tom spent several days negotiating financing for a new film, and stayed on in Europe for the wedding of the actor's friend, Australian billionaire James Packer. Once back in LA, however, the Mission: Impossible star is set to throw a big welcome bash for David and Victoria

Lindsay Lohan cancels 21st birthday party

Nevada, June 19: Troubled actress Lindsay Lohan has cancelled her 21st birthday party in Las Vegas.

The Mean Girls star was last month charged with drunk driving after crashing her car in Beverly Hills, California. She had checked into a rehab facility shortly afterwards.

Lohan has now called off the two-day bash, which she had planned to hold at the city's Pure nightclub to celebrate her birthday on July 2.

"The party was cancelled officially over two weeks ago. We were confused why Pure was even still promoting it. But Lindsay will not be having the birthday party at Pure and is focusing on her recovery 100 per cent," her spokesperson said.

Missing 2 days, 5-year-old found alive

MOMENCE, Ill. - A 5-year-old girl who was feared drowned with her grandfather on a boating trip startled searchers Friday when she emerged from the woods — naked, scratched and holding raspberries.

Crews had pulled her grandfather's body from the Kankakee River in eastern Illinois just hours earlier.

"People were like, 'Who's that little girl? That can't be her, can it?'" Kankakee Sheriff's Chief Deputy Ken McCabe said. "I went up to her (and) asked, 'How you doing? What's your name?'"

When authorities told Hannah Klamecki's family — already grieving the loss of her grandfather — that she was alive, the home erupted in screaming.

Hannah was taken to a hospital as a precaution. She slept with her parents and a teddy bear at her side before being released. Cradling the bear, she spoke freely of her ordeal Friday evening.

"I was scared last night when everybody was gone," she said. "I went searching all over the world to look for the cottage (where her grandparents live)."

Hannah had scratches on her face and body and thick dirt under her nails. She had poison ivy rashes on her legs and couldn't walk because splinters and thorns cut her feet.

Hannah and her grandfather, David Klamecki, 62, were last seen Wednesday evening on the river near Momence, about 45 miles south of Chicago.

Authorities believe the river current swept the girl away from a small island where she and her grandfather had stopped to swim and to the shore of the mainland where she eventually was found.

She told searchers she was wearing floats on her arms and pulled herself from the water with a branch.

"That's a tough little girl, I tell you," McCabe said.

Hannah said she had taken off her bathing suit because it was muddy and itchy, friends of the family said.

She was also a bit dehydrated and "very, very tired," said Riverside Medical Center in Kankakee spokesman Carl Maronich.

On Friday morning, searchers found her grandfather's body near the island, which is close to a part of the river locals call "Whirlpool Bend" because of strong currents from the union of the river and two tributaries.

The surrounding area is wilderness with no homes, and populated only by coyotes and deer, Momence Fire Chief Dave Horn said.

Richard Wehrle, a friend and neighbor of David Klamecki, said the area is notoriously treacherous.

"Anybody who knows that river knows that that's the deadliest part of the river," Wehrle said.

The girl's footprints were still visible on the island beach. Searchers believed she had drowned and were scouring the area with a team of divers, sonar equipment and a helicopter.

Hannah appeared just before 10:30 a.m., in an area about three-quarters of a mile from where she's believed to have reached the shore, McCabe said.

The girl was reunited with her parents, who were waiting with family and friends at the grandparents' home.

Hannah calmly sat in a rescue vehicle when her parents saw her for the first time, her father said.

"She didn't say much," Mike Klamecki said. "She was eating her banana looking at us. We were jumping around like maniacs."

Tricia Little, a close family friend of Hannah's parents, said David Klamecki taught the girl and her two younger sisters about the outdoors. She credits that instruction — and God — with Hannah's survival.

Hannah's father, Mike Klamecki, is senior pastor at New Hope Community Church in Villa Park. Little's husband, Brian, said parishioners have been "praying for his whole family."

"Obviously, we're giving all the glory to God on this one," Brian Little said

Christina Aguilera's silence fuels pregnancy rumors

Washington, June 15 (ANI): Singer/songwriter Christina Aguilera is fueling her pregnancy rumors by keeping mum about her expected mommyhood.

The 26-year-old is reportedly pregnant with husband Jordan Bratman’s child and the rumors fueled following her visit to maternity doctor recently.

Aquilera’s rep has also denied confirming the reports.

"I cannot confirm (the reports),” the rep said.

The couple visited New York’s Maternal Fetal Medicine Association, which is known for its state-of-the-art ultrasounds and expertise in high-risk pregnancies.

The ‘Dirty’ singer also looked to be donning a small bump while shopping in Soho.

Earlier a pal revealed that “Christina and Jordan adore each other and have tried for a baby for a while to complete the family”.

The singer married marketing manager Bratman in November 2005 after dating for three years and admitted last year that the two are family people and are looking forward to having kids.

"We'd absolutely like to have kids one day. We're both family people. Jordan is from a big Jewish family, so taking care of each other is a big deal." (ANI)

Prince Harry: ‘We will never be normal’

It is difficult to believe that it is already 10 years since Princess Diana died, so quickly has the time gone. But to her sons it has been an eternity.

The time, Prince Harry tells TODAY co-host Matt Lauer in an exclusive interview, has gone by "really, really slowly actually. It's weird because I think when she — she passed away — there was never that time, there was never that sort of lull. There was never that sort of peace and quiet for any of us — the fact that her face was always splattered on the paper the whole time.

"Over the last 10 years I personally feel as though she has been. . . always there. She's always being a constant reminder to both of us and everybody else."

Mom: Spears 'just figuring things out'

NEW YORK - Lynne Spears says her daughter Britney, whose public meltdown included shearing off her own locks, is "just figuring things out." "It's sad that the whole world had to watch her make mistakes that all of us have made at one time or another," Spears is quoted as telling Us Weekly magazine in its latest issue.

The 25-year-old pop star completed a monthlong stay at a luxury Malibu, Calif., rehabilitation treatment facility in March after attracting an onslaught of media attention for wild behavior that included partying with Paris Hilton and a stop at a San Fernando Valley hair salon, where she shaved her own head.

Britney Spears, who reached a divorce settlement with aspiring rapper Kevin Federline in March, recently posted a message on her Web site saying she had been acting like a "bad kid running around with ADD (attention deficit disorder)."

The singer filed for divorce from Federline in November, just two months after giving birth to the couple's second child, Jayden James. Their older son, Sean Preston, was born in September 2005.

"Everything is going to be good," Lynne Spears tells the magazine. "Everything is going to be really good. I can see her life picking up and it's just going to hold great things for her."

"Britney Jean Spears is the sweetest and the most sensitive and loving of all my children," says Spears, the mother of three children with ex-husband Jamie Spears. "She's just figuring things out."

___

DID PARIS REALLY LEARN HER LESSON? AND WHY DO WE CARE?

This will be Paris Hilton’s eighth night behind bars, probably the most-discussed jail term ever.

Monday on “The View,” Barbara Walters talked about the phone call she received from Hilton, who’s in the medical ward of the L.A. County jail.

Harvey Levin, TMZ.com: She’s doing better. She’s adjusting to it. She’s still fragile. But I think, just psychologically, from what I’m hearing, she’s not this ping pong ball anymore. She knows she’s going to be at this facility for awhile.

Last week, Harvey Levin’s TMZ.com was reporting Hilton was disintegrating under the pressures of incarceration...saying she’d become sullen, withdrawn...a train wreck....and being visited by her psychiatrist.

That set up last Friday’s tug-of-war between a sheriff who sent her to home detention and a judge who wanted this Hilton back in the crossbar hotel.

What’s also astonishing about this case is not just the attention it has received, but the venom it’s generated. Browse any Internet board—you’ll find a legion of posters wishing Ms. Hilton a long, unpleasant stay in the hands of the law.

It’s not just the blogosphere—one Web site is selling “Paris Go Away” T-shirts.

And while she’s a familiar target in the late-night cross hairs, the huge audience reaction to any mention of her plight is so enthusiastic, it’s become predictable.

Why do people care so much about her fate? Is it because she’s seen as an emblem for young Hollywood, living fast, loose, and out of control? Or is it simple class warfare, a rage against the rich? Either way, a simple legal two-step, a release from custody into home detention, Became, in the public’s mind, a deal with the devil in a city of angels.

Harvey Levin: It was like throwing stones in, you know, the old Roman town. Everybody felt part of it. Yeah, she’s getting it. I mean, there was a lot of anger toward her because they’ve seen her get away with things. That’s wrong, but that’s the way a lot of people felt.

Over the weekend, the heiress issued a statement saying she would not appeal her sentence, even after she and her family, and her attorney first protested it as being unfair.

Harvey Levin: This judge was a jerk. There was absolutely no basis for what he did. Nobody gets this kind of punishment for what she did. He punished her for who she is, not what she did.

But keep in mind Hilton’s original sentence of 45 days follows this arrest by the LAPD last September for driving under the influence, for which she received probation, a fine, DUI classes, and lost her right to drive.

Then there were two more police stops, each when she was driving under a suspended license. To top it off, she was late to court.

Attorney Lawrence Taylor, who literally wrote the book on DUI legal-defense work says Hilton’s attitude is what really worked against her.

Lawrence Taylor, lawyer: She came in and instead of being contrite and suggesting that she might be sorry for what she did and that it will never happen again, instead said essentially that it was not her fault and blamed some other people, her handlers, whoever those were. That’s not the kinda thing you say to a judge after you’ve just violated probation three times.

Hilton has regularly been depicted as being neither especially virginal nor cerebral. Today Barbara Walters quoted her as saying she’s no longer going to play dumb.

That act, if that’s what it was, was on full display two years ago when the LAPD interviewed Hilton as a witness in an unrelated criminal case.

So tonight, Paris Hilton is on a prison diet, and says she’s learning a bitter, important lesson. She also says she’s shocked that so much public and media attention is being paid to her...instead of to the soldiers serving this country in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It’s probably the first time she’s ever asked for the world’s attention to be focused elsewhere.

Ocean's Thirteen steals the No. 1 spot at US box office

The all-star caper film Ocean's Thirteen made off with $37.1 million in ticket sales during its opening weekend to steal the No. 1 spot at the North American box office, according to studio estimates on Sunday.

The Friday-through-Sunday tally for the latest Ocean's sequel, returning George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Bernie Mac to the scene of their first heist, Las Vegas, was roughly on par with the debut gross of the first two films in the series.

Ocean's Thirteen released by the Warner Bros. Pictures, is the third film to team Clooney and company with director Steven Soderbergh for a franchise inspired by the 1960 "rat pack" adventure starring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr.

And it is the latest in a flurry of big-studio sequels to arrive in theaters since the unofficial start of the summer movie season last month, following Spider-Man 3, Shrek the Third and this week's No. 2 film, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.

"For a third installment, and there's been a lot of them this year, that tells you it's still a solid franchise," Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracking firm Media By Numbers, said of Ocean's performance.

By comparison, Ocean's Eleven and Ocean's Twelve grossed $38.1 million and $39.2 million during their respective first weekends in December 2001 and 2004, and they went on to amass more than $795 million worldwide together.

The top 12 films at the North American multiplex this weekend collectively grossed $133.6 million, down more than 9 percent from the same weekend last year when Disney's computer-animated racing film Cars opened with $60 million.

But overall domestic box office is up more than 10 percent year-to-year since May, a sign that the summer sequel formula is working for Hollywood.

Hilton starts and ends week behind bars

Los Angeles (AP): It will be a week that Paris Hilton - and a celebrity-obsessed nation - won't soon forget.


What started as a graceful attempt by the 26-year-old socialite to accept her punishment for violating probation in a reckless driving case ended Friday when a disheveled and tearful Hilton was ordered back to jail to serve out the remainder of her 45-day sentence.


After Superior Court Judge Michael T. Sauer was apparently unmoved by the pleas of Hilton's three lawyers to keep their client under house arrest, the hotel heiress was led from the courtroom crying out for her mother and shouting, ''It's not right!''


As Hilton sits in the downtown Twin Towers jail where she will undergo a medical and psychiatric examination, one question lingered: Was celebrity justice served?


There was no shortage of twists and turns throughout the week after Hilton made a surprise visit Sunday to the MTV Movie Awards, where she told a throng of media that she was scared but ready to face her sentence.


Hours after the event, Hilton checked herself into jail and was expected to serve only 23 days because of a state law that requires shorter sentences for good behavior.


The ensuing drama erupted Thursday when sheriff's officials released Hilton because of a medical condition and sent her home under house arrest. She had been in jail for three days.


Friday's hearing was requested by the city attorney's office, which had prosecuted Hilton and wanted Sheriff Lee Baca held in contempt for deciding to reassign Hilton to home detention despite Sauer's express order that she must serve her time in jail.


Sauer gave no explanation of his ruling to send Hilton back to jail, but his comments throughout the hearing indicated he was affronted by Baca's decision to set aside his instructions and release the celebutante to her Hollywood Hills home.


''I at no time condoned the actions of the sheriff and at no time told him I approved the actions,'' he said. ''At no time did I approve the defendant being released from custody to her home on Kings Road.''


Hilton's lawyers said the reason for her release was an unspecified medical condition. The judge suggested that could be taken care of at jail medical facilities.

Why home detention

Following the hearing, Baca said he decided to put Hilton under house arrest because he was concerned about a serious medical condition he could not disclose, though his further comments suggested psychological problems.


He said he had learned from one of her doctors that she was not taking a certain medication while she was in custody previously and her ''inexplicable deterioration'' puzzled county psychiatrists.


Baca charged that Hilton received a more severe sentence than normal, which he said would have been either no time in jail or being directly placed in home confinement with electronic monitoring.


''The only thing I can detect as special treatment is the amount of her sentence,'' the sheriff said.


Hilton will likely be held at the Twin Towers facility for at least a couple of days before determining what jail she will be held in, Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said.


Despite being reincarcerated, she could still be released early. Inmates are given a day off their terms for every four days of good behavior and her days in home detention counted as custody days. It appeared that Friday would count as her sixth day. Baca indicated she would serve about 18 more days.


Hilton's path to jail began Sept. 7, when she failed a sobriety test after police saw her weaving down a street in her Mercedes-Benz on what she said was a late-night run to a hamburger stand.


She pleaded no contest to reckless driving and was sentenced to 36 months' probation, alcohol education and $1,500 (euro1,120) in fines.


In the months that followed, she was stopped twice by officers who discovered her driving on a suspended license. The second stop landed her in Sauer's courtroom, where he sentenced her to jail.

'Cannes gives you an indescribable feeling'

Veyil became the first first Tamil film to be screened at the recent Cannes Film Festival. Director Vasantha Balan, along with producer Shankar and lead actor Pasupathi, were there to represent the film at the festival.

Veyil was screened under the Tous les Cinemas du Monde section in a theatre called Le Cinema du Monde on May 19. Looking back on that momentous day, Balan recalls his unforgettable experience in this interview.

What was your reaction when you learnt that Veyil had been invited to Cannes?

On March 30, I got a call from the director of the film festival informing me that Veyil had been selected for Cannes. I thought one of my friends was playing a prank on me. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine my film going to Cannes.

Then I got another call, this time from my producer Shankar sir asking me if the film has been selected for Cannes. I was confused and told him so. Then, Shankar sir confirmed the news. I was speechless.

Did you celebrate?

We didn't but from that moment onwards, I was in seventh heaven. I never imagined that my film would have the logo of Cannes on the cover. It was an amazing feeling.

We spent April subtitling the film, and on May 17, Shankar sir, Pasupathi and I went to Cannes.

How excited were you?

This was my second trip abroad. The first time was for the shooting of Jeans. Coincidentally, I was assisting Shankar sir in that film. Now, this was my second trip with him. Isn't it amazing?

However, when you travel as an independent director, there is a lot of pride in the trip.

As we sat in the plane, I asked myself several times, is it really happening? I come from a small town (Virudhunagar) with no connection with films at all. Coming from such a background, my film being selected by an international film festival like Cannes gives you an indescribable feeling. I couldn't believe it was really happening.

Did you want to meet any internationally known filmmakers there?

I really wanted to meet Alejandro Gonz�lez I��rritu, the director of Babel. His Amores Perros is one of my favourite films. But I couldn't meet him. But I was fortunate to meet Michael Moor.

How was the experience before and after the screening of your film?

My film's show was at 6 pm on May 19. There were about 500 people in the hall. The program director introduced me to the audience as the director of Veyil. Many people asked me the meaning of Veyil. I told them it meant sunshine.

They also wanted to know why I had such a title. I told them that Veyil was not just sunshine but a character in the film. Like sunshine is harsh to human beings, the place where the story unfolds also is very harsh on its people. I told them that the film was about how the harshness affected the mind of a child. I spoke in English which was then translated into French.

How did you feel when your film unfolded onscreen in front of an international audience?

As you know, Veyil is my second film. I would have felt great if my film got screened in Chennai and for it to be screened in Cannes! When my name appeared on the screen, I was overwhelmed.

Did you remove the songs from the film?

The prescribed length was 100 minutes and my film was 120 minutes long. So we cut 40 minutes from it. I removed two songs and retained only the ones that carried the story forward.

People enjoyed the action comedy scenes thoroughly but they were shocked to see the kind of violence that was there in the film.

Were you nervous about the response?

Yes. I knew the audience would be speechless after the climax. There was complete silence after it ended. I could see that they were all disturbed. I saw the same expression on the faces outside the theatres in Tamil Nadu.

An 70-year old lady came over and told me that it was a great film. "It touched my heart but I feel very sad," she said with tears in her eyes. She was sad because her eldest son went missing when he was seven and my film reminded her of him.I spent an hour answering questions. The greatest reward for me as a filmmaker was that old mother's tears.

I had asked you before the release of the film whether the urban audience would identify with the emotions of the characters in the film, and you said that emotions are universal irrespective of the place.

Exactly. A mother in France [Images] could identify with the emotions of a mother in Virudhunagar. That is human emotion; it is universal.

I must add that Veyil has been selected for the competitive section at the Shanghai festival also.

Pasupathi was there with you. How did people react to his acting?

He made a lot of fans there. People were clamouring for his autographs! I was surprised that more people wanted the actor's autograph than the director's! (laughs)

Yours was the first Tamil film that went to Cannes festival. Now, everyone will be anxiously looking forward to your next movie. Does that make you nervous?

The thought has made me more responsible. I know my next film will be scrutinised by everyone. The script is ready and I will announce it when I come back from the Shanghai festival.

Paris Hilton released from LA jail early

Cox tells Jennifer Aniston's fans to 'stop worrying' about her

Washington, June 6 (ANI): Courteney Cox has told fans of Jennifer Aniston to “stop worrying” about her best friend, for the actress is doing “great”.

Fans started worrying about Aniston after she split from hubby Brad Pitt in 2005.

While Pitt has gone on to a relationship with Angelina Jolie, and is now raising four kids with her, Aniston’s only serious relationship so far, with her The Break-Up co-star Vince Vaughn bit the dust late last year.

What’s worse is that the media has been portraying Aniston as a lonely, broken-hearted woman.

However, Cox admits that while she realizes the public interest in Aniston’s life, she insists to Marie Claire magazine that the media reports are just not true.

"I think it might be getting a little better now, but for a while her life was expected to be everyone's life….People should stop worrying about her life," she told the magazine.

"I could talk about just how great she is doing at the moment, but then it's just an interview about her. I understand your position because her world is so public but, well, I can tell you we're both very fortunate to have each other," she added.

Cox and her husband David Arquette were holidaying with Aniston and Pitt on the Caribbean island of Anguilla in January 2005 when the couple announced that they were splitting up.

Cox and Aniston have been friends ever since meeting on the sets of ‘Friends’ in 1994.

Aniston is also godmother to Cox’s daughter Coco. (ANI)

Mallika Sherawat asks big money for a small role

Mallika Sherawat seems to have become pricey ever since she signed her first Hollywood movie three months back.

While Mallika's high-headedness is not something new, the sex kitten has been on a high pedestal since she signed Hollywood movie 'Unveiled', to be directed by Bill Bannerman, who has worked as associate director under Clint Eastwood.

Having clinched such a big project, Mallika has been making quite unreasonable demands for her acting fee in Bollywood.

She is reported to have charge a hefty sum for her rather marginal role in Himesh Reshammiya's movie 'Aap Ka Suroor'.

But nothing comes close to the money she demanded from the makers of 'The Train' for just a small cameo in the film.

Director Hasnain Hyderabadwala had approached Mallika with the offer of just a one-scene appearance at the movie's end. Mallika was not even required to shoot for an entire day. An hour's shooting at the most would have been enough to shoot her scene with Emraan Hashmi.

For this cameo appearance, Hyderabadwala had an offer of Rs 10 lakh for Mallika. But the busty babe gave the director a shock of his life by demanding Rs 1.25 crore.

Hyderabadwala was stunned because even the collective payment to the movie's three actors, Emraan Hashmi, Geeta Basra and Sayali Bhagat, doesn't come anywhere close to the sum quoted by Mallika.

And when producer Shyam Bajaj heard about Mallika's demand, he had a hearty laugh.

The cameo was eventually shot with another girl.

Priyanka signs a three-film deal with UTV

She is perhaps the first Bollywood actress to have been considered for a multiple film deal by a corporate company. UTV claims this is one-of-its-kind for a leading lady in Bollywood and marks a significant move by the company to drive the corporatisation of the movie business.

Priyanka says she is excited about the contract because apart from obviously doing good films under the banner, she will also have the freedom to choose the films. She says, “There are no binding conditions in the contract. I will have the full freedom to choose scripts, directors and even the technicians.”

When asked how much the contract was worth, she just smiled and said, “I don’t discuss money.” While the UTV guys also refused to disclose the amount promised to Priyanka, the buzz is that the contract would be worth something around 4 - 5 crores.

Interestingly, Priyanka’s co-stars Akshay Kumar and Hrithik Roshan were offered such multiple film corporate contracts, which later didn’t work out.

Cameron can't understand plastic surgery

Hollywood actress Cameron Diaz is not able to understand why people want to have plastic surgeries to change their looks.

The Charlie's Angels actress recently said that going under the knife "destroys people's character."

"Urgh! Have you seen those shows where ordinary people want to look like Britney Spears or Brad Pitt? The Daily Express quoted her, as saying.

"What on earth possesses them to want to destroy their own character? To go under the knife to do that, well, it's sick," she added.

Diaz, who was forced to have her nose fixed last year after she started to experience breathing problems, insisted that she will never opt to modify her features, even when she grows older.

"I had to have work on my nose for a deviated septum but I would never do anything else. I think beauty comes from the inside. When I see women who have had plastic surgery I find it unnerving. All I can see is the surgery. The person who has had it has vanished. I don’t want to look like that," she said.

Diaz also divulged that she had no worries about turning 35 soon and added that being in the 30’s is much easier.

"When I was in my 20s, I couldn't wait to be in my 30s – and I was totally right. It's so much easier being in your 30s. You have a lot more experience and you know, if you behave in a certain way, what the outcome is going to be," she said.

"When you're in your 30s, you have enough restraint to rethink that impulse. And you have the strategy of how to get to where it's a happier place," she added.

Media in frenzy over jail-bound Paris Hilton

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Nothing quite stirs a media frenzy like an heiress to a hotel fortune preparing to surrender all the trappings of luxury for a three-week stay in the county jail.

The countdown to Paris Hilton's incarceration next week has sent the tabloid press into overdrive with stories alternately portraying her as a newly tearful, spiritual socialite or an unrepentant party girl kicking up her heels with the likes of Lindsay Lohan at Hollywood nightspots.

Either way, Hilton is in for a change of pace during the jail time she was ordered to serve after police caught her behind the wheel of her Bentley without a valid license earlier this year, violating probation for a prior drunken-driving offense.

The 26-year-old "celebutante" has been ordered to report to the Century Regional Detention Facility near Los Angeles by Tuesday to start serving her term, which already has been cut from 45 days to 23 days under state sentencing guidelines.

Once she reports, Hilton will forsake her designer clothes, cell phone and other accessories -- along with her freedom and privacy -- for an orange jumpsuit and a small, Spartan cell with twin bunks and metal toilet (no seat, no lid).

County Sheriff Lee Baca told the Los Angeles Times that steps have been taken to ensure no one smuggles in a camera to get pictures of the jailed Hilton, which would be of immense value to the tabloid media.

But a shortage of cameras behind bars doesn't necessarily mean Hilton is ready to surrender her vanity or fashion sense.

Under the headline: "Before the slammer, Paris planning some glamour," the New York Daily News reported that designers were ordered to Hilton's home on Monday to give her a pre-jail makeover.

PERP WALK ON THE CATWALK

"It's understood that the glamorous inmate-to-be plans to turn the perp walk into a catwalk and she wants the media to see her looking her best," Daily News columnists George Rush & Joanna Malloy wrote.

Hilton, who lampoons her public persona as a clueless, child of privilege on the reality TV show "The Simple Life," has succeeded in parlaying faux pas into greater fame since a sex video of her surfaced on the Internet some years ago. Several media outlets have suggested she is laying the groundwork to cash in on her incarceration.

Rush & Malloy reported Hilton plans to keep a jailhouse diary to be published after her release.

There were other indications that Hilton was turning to a higher power to pull her through. Her mother, Kathy, told celebrity Web site TMZ.com that her daughter was "preparing and praying" and last week Hilton was widely photographed toting copies of the Bible and "The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment."

Days later Us Weekly magazine reported she was spotted living it up in Hollywood with troubled actress Lindsay Lohan the night Lohan was busted for drunken driving.

People magazine, meanwhile, reported Hilton has been spending time with close friends, including her "Simple Life" co-star Nicole Richie, and has grown increasingly fretful about her upcoming jail term.

"She breaks down crying a lot because she just can't deal with the reality and pressure of everything that is happening," People quoted one unnamed source as saying.

Hilton's publicist, Elliot Mintz, who she famously blamed in court for misinforming her about the status of her own driver's license, was not immediately available for comment.