March 21, 2011

Rapper Wyclef Jean is "undeterred" with his "commitment" to his native Haiti after he was shot in the hand in the country on Saturday night, March 19. The former The Fugees star's car reportedly came under attack and was peppered with bullets as he was being driven through the city of Port-au-Prince with hip-hop pal Busta Rhymes and record executive Jimmy Rosemond.

Jean's hand was injured in the incident and he was taken to a local hospital for treatment. He was subsequently discharged from the facility and his spokeswoman Cindy Tanenbaum insists the star is still fully committed to his charity work in the country.

Melanie Brown is the latest Spice Girls celebrating baby news - the singer has confirmed she is pregnant. The pop star is set to welcome her first child with husband Stephen Belafonte this summer, joining her former bandmates Emma Bunton and Victoria Beckham in the expectant mums club.

And after marrying Belafonte in Las Vegas in 2007, Brown insists the pregnancy is a dream come true. She tells Britain's Hello! magazine, "We're really thrilled. We wouldn't have planned and waited for four years to have a baby if we weren't excited and ready for it... We're really happily married, and we're both very much in love."

Singer LeAnn Rimes has come together with fiance Eddie Cibrian's ex-wife to urge their online fans to "stop the hate" over the stars' personal lives. Brandi Glanville and Rimes have been locked in a war of words ever since the country star's 2009 affair with the actor helped end the pair's marriages.

Cibrian's ex recently took to her Twitter page to lash out at Rimes after learning that she had signed up to perform for her seven-year-old son Mason's classmates. Glanville declared, "I told Eddie to please tell you that I think it is highly inappropriate for you to sing in my son's class on Friday. Boundaries!!! It's Mason's week [to] share his family with the class. It isn't your place. Let Eddie read a script. You are not his parent."

The first promo of NBC's "The Voice" has been released, revealing the four judges on their rotating seats. From the preview, it is known that Blake Shelton and Adam Levine would sit on the two ends, pitting Christina Aguilera and Cee-Lo.

"What's exciting about 'The Voice' is that we have the best in the business looking for the next best and not willing to just go 'You suck', 'You're great, good luck out there kids'," host Carson Daly gushed as Levine smashed an electric guitar. "It's less about being judgmental and more about helping them out," said the Maroon 5 frontman.

"Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe has expanded his property portfolio after reportedly purchasing a multi-million dollar home in New York, his third in the city. The actor, who has amassed a $63 million fortune since landing the boy wizard role in 2001, purchased the five-bedroom townhouse in Manhattan's West Village for $6.4 million.

Radcliffe's latest acquisition was built in 1847 and is listed as a conservation building, and will earn him an estimated $8,000 a week if he rents it out. The Brit already owns a $4.8 million loft on Mercer Street, which he lets for $4,800 a week, as well as a $5.6 million apartment in the TriBeCa area, where he has been living while performing in the Broadway musical "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying".

Justin Bieber's "Never Say Never" has been crowned the most successful concert movie ever at the U.S. box office after overtaking earnings for Michael Jackson's "This Is It", but he insists the King of Pop is "still the greatest".

The teen idol's film has grossed $72.2 million in tickets sales in America since it was released last month, February 11, taking it just above the $72.1 million Jackson's movie made. And Bieber admits he is stunned by the record.

Actor Ewan McGregor avoids stripping off for movie roles nowadays to keep younger female co-stars from thinking he's "taking advantage of the situation". The Scottish star, who turns 40 later in March, admits he's aware many actresses are considerably younger than him and he wants to avoid any awkward experiences.

"I'm getting older and the actresses stay younger," he says. "I don't want to become Clint Eastwood, where his love interests seem 50 years younger than him. You never want female co-stars to feel like you're taking advantage of the situation. Anyhow, sex scenes are terribly exposing and rarely of any use in learning about character."

Actress Halle Berry was honored for her tireless charity work at a star-studded gala on Saturday night, March 19. Screen stars including Kevin Costner, Billy Crystal and Frankie Muniz flocked to boxing legend Muhammad Ali's Celebrity Fight Night in Phoenix, Arizona.

But the "Monster's Ball" star was the guest of honor at the event, she was handed an award to celebrate her ongoing support for good causes, including St Joseph's hospital in Phoenix.

John Travolta has come under fire for fronting an airline safety video, with Qantas staff calling for "genuine aviation professionals" to hand out advice. The "Grease" star, who is a certified pilot and Qantas' Ambassador-at-Large, has filmed a motivational promo for passengers to view onboard.

In the clip, Travolta says, "This is your captain speaking, well, maybe not today. But I can guarantee that the guys on the flight deck and the greater team care just as much about aircraft safety as I do. I've been flying over 40 years as a pilot and I can tell you, there's no one I'd rather have at the controls than a Qantas pilot."

British singer Kate Nash is launching a new scheme in the U.K. to encourage schoolgirls to take up songwriting. The "Foundations" hit-maker is worried about the lack of emerging female music writers, and she's spearheading the Rock and Roll After-School Music Club initiative in a bid to nurture young talent.

Nash will even visit her own alma mater, Avonbourne Girls School in Bournemouth, south England, on Wednesday, March 23 to encourage pupils to take part.

Lady GaGa should think twice before taking extreme treatments for her hair unless she will become bald soon. The eccentric songstress has reportedly suffered bad hair fall after she spent years dyeing her brunette locks peroxide blond. She also loves to create extraordinary hairdos as part of her crazy fashion styles. The "Poker Face" singer said that from now on she has to "get a chemical haircut because my blond hair is falling out".

Nevertheless, hair experts have warned that women wearing hair up, braided, or scraped into tight pony-tail can develop the condition traction alopecia. The Sun's doctor Carol Cooper said, "The hair literally gets tugged out of the follicle in the scalp, causing hair loss. This is most likely at the front or at the temples, because hairline hair is weaker than hair on the rest of the head. But traction alopecia can happen anywhere on the scalp."

Walt Disney Pictures has just unearthed a new trailer for "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" via Yahoo! Movies. It spills detail on the story, hinting at the mermaid's role on Jack Sparrow's adventure to the Fountain of Youth. It additionally has a lot of new footage, including the one which features Sparrow's father, Keith Richards' Captain Teague.

The fourth "Pirates of the Caribbean" film begins as Sparrow is ordered by King George II to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. He then recruits Barbossa, his old nemesis, to join the mission. Along the way, he will meet a friendly mermaid and be tempted by a wicked former flame, Angelica, and her sadistic father, Blackbeard.

Scarlett Johansson and Sean Penn keep adding fuel to their dating rumor. The alleged lovers were most recently spotted having a dinner at Cecconi's in West Hollywood on Saturday night, March 19, but the 26-year-old movie beauty was seemingly still shy with all the attention given as she kept her head down behind a car's front seat when leaving the restaurant.

But Scarlett might have attracted more people's attention as she was snapped sitting on Sean's lap in the car. On the dinner itself, a source inside the restaurant claimed it was a date, saying "They were definitely on a date - these two are way more than just friends. Sean is known to be a tough guy but Scarlett seems to soften him. He's a boy in love when he's around her - or at least a boy in lust."

Jonas Brothers, Selena Gomez and a number of other young stars were seen supporting Concert of Hope in Los Angeles, California on Sunday evening, March 20. The three brothers opted casual looks when walking down the red carpet, matching a pair of jeans with T-shirts and jackets.

Selena kept it simple as well. The "Wizards of Waverly Place" attended the event with her band The Scene, rocking a short-sleeved top and a red scarf. "So excited!!!!! performing Who Says for the first time tonight at the Concert for Hope," she tweeted hours before coming to the Gibson Amphitheatre.

Actress Robin Wright Penn is single again after reportedly splitting from her producer boyfriend. The "Forrest Gump" star, who divorced Sean Penn last year, ended her romance with Greg Shapiro earlier this month, according to Eonline.com. Ironically, Shapiro is a producer on Wright's new movie "The Conspirator", which was directed by Robert Redford.

The film, about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, premieres at the Ford Theater in Washington, D.C., where the former U.S. President was shot and killed, on April 10.

British boy band star Dougie Poynter is fuming after learning his ex-girlfriend Frankie Sandford has been targeted with death threats after he checked into rehab to recover from their split. The McFly bassist checked into a clinic earlier in March to deal with personal issues stemming from his break-up from The Saturdays singer Sandford in November 2010.

Poynter left the unit on Monday, March 14, after finishing his treatment, and was disgusted to learn Sandford has been subjected to violent messages from McFly fans. He tells Britain's News of the World, "It's out of control really. I think anyone receiving death threats is not a good thing. I don't support anything like that. I don't wish bad things upon anybody."

Much-hyped hip-hop group Odd Future sparked controversy at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas on Saturday night, March 19 by storming offstage just minutes into their Billboard magazine showcase following a series of sound issues.

The group didn't even get through its first song at the Buffalo Billiards venue before rapper Tyler the Creator stopped the show and demanded sound problems on-stage were fixed immediately. He raged, "Mic number two is f**ked up. Fix that s**t." The group then restarted the set, but made it through just three songs before throwing down their microphones and storming offstage.

British actress Kimberly Jaraj has opened up about her experience as a young dancer at the U.K.'s Royal Ballet School, insisting she lived in fear of her strict instructors. Jaraj began attending the prestigious academy when she was just eight years old and admits it wasn't the best environment to grow up in as teachers pitted students against one another.

"Someone would cry every day," she says. "I never felt the pressure for being skinny, but other girls definitely did. They did weigh us frequently and they would say things to me like, 'Your mother's 5ft 6in and your father's 6ft, so why aren't you taller?' I'd think, 'How am I supposed to know?' "

Guns N' Roses are set to headline Brazil's 2011 Rock in Rio festival, according to local reports. Newspaper O Globo has revealed event organizer Roberto Medina has been in talks with frontman Axl Rose and he's ready to make an announcement about the super gig. If the report is true, it'll be Guns N' Roses' third appearance at the festival - the band played Rock in Rio in 1991 and 2001.

Sir Elton John, Katy Perry, Metallica, Motorhead, Coldplay, Shakira, Sepultura, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Slipknot have already been confirmed for the festival, scheduled for September 23 to October 2 in Rio de Janeiro.

Bradley Cooper refuses to reveal too much about his personal life because he's worried opening himself up to audiences will spoil their enjoyment of his movies. The actor of "The Hangover", who is reported to have split from girlfriend Renee Zellweger, has no plans to sign up to any social networking sites and admits he's baffled by stars who open up to fans online.

"It's a taste thing, I see the benefit of it [social networking] for sure," he tells Britain's OK! TV. "It's a great way to promote ideas and projects."

Another "Cars 2" trailer has made its way out on the web. The new international trailer has more scenes set in Japan. It additionally shares fresh footage which offers a glimpse of the action sequence as well as the races.

A sequel to 2006 "Cars", the upcoming film will send Lightning McQueen and Mater the tow truck overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world's fastest car. But Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own and is torn between assisting Lightning McQueen in the high-profile race and towing the line in a top-secret spy mission.

Former Monty Python co-stars Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam are preparing for a stage showdown as they each launch their first operas in London. The funnymen are directing productions at rival venues in the British capital, Jones has adapted his short story "The Doctor's Tale" for the Royal Opera House, while Gilliam's "The Damnation of Faust" opens at the London Coliseum.

The stars insist it is a coincidence that they are both taking on new opera ventures, but Jones reveals he has turned to opera fan Gilliam for support, because he's completely new to the genre. He says, "We've been discussing our operas and how they are going..."

Over the weekend, it was revealed that Stephen King is in talks to write an episode of "The Walking Dead" this upcoming season. Speaking at the show's panel during C2E2 comic and entertainment expo in Chicago, Laurie Holden who played Andrea was the first to announce the exciting news.

For one, executive producer of the zombie show, Frank Darabont has worked with the king of horror in the past. Their joint project included "The Green Mile", "The Mist" and "The Shawshank Redemption". Beyond the hint, there was no further information about King's involvement on the acclaimed AMC series.

Tragic former Alice in Chains rocker Mike Starr was sent off in style on Sunday, March 20 with a stunning water show at the Seattle Space Needle in his native Seattle, Washington. The group's music was played as the city's famous dancing fountains sprayed water in sync at the memorial as family, fans and friends paid their final respects to the bass player.

Starr died from a suspected drug overdose in Salt Lake City, Utah earlier this month. The former Alice in Chains bassist who was arrested for possessing drugs in February appeared on U.S. show "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew" in 2009. He was reportedly trying to avoid a similar fate to former Alice in Chains singer Layne Staley who died from a drug overdose nearly 10 years ago.

Although her father Billy Ray Cyrus has canceled his divorce from her mother Tish, Miley Cyrus apparently still has another trouble in her house. On Saturday morning, March 19, several police officers reportedly responded to a call from the 18-year-old actress' mansion.

Several LAPD patrol cars were seen stopping by the "Hannah Montana" actress' property. A few minutes later, one of the cars was snapped entering the house through the adjoin gate while others were still outside, possibly waiting for any information that hinted them to take other moves. A private black car was also seen leaving the house.

Robert Pattinson could ignite a fan war after sort of calling Justin Bieber a liar. The British actor has reportedly debunked the story told by the teen heartthrob about their meeting at a party. "I've never met this guy," he said in an interview with MTV as quoted by HollywoodLife. "I saw that as well. I was like, 'You're really famous man - what are you doing?' You don't need to use me to make up stories!"

Previously, Justin shared he had a chat with Robert about girls and hair. "One day Robert Pattinson came up to me at a party and said, 'For whatever reason, people love our hair and it's always a great ice-breaker with girls,' " the 17-year-old singer said. "He is like, 'Hey my name's Robert. Want to touch my hair?' I thought he was joking, but it really works."

Hotel heiress Paris Hilton is throwing her support behind a campaign to overturn a law banning ferrets as pets in California. The animal-loving socialite was forced to hand over her two ferrets, Dolce and Gabbana, after letting slip in a 2004 TV interview that she owned the creatures.

Domestic ferrets have been illegal in California for 80 years but residents have launched LegalizeFerrets.org to question the regulation, and Hilton has spoken out to voice her support and push for legalization. She says, "If they are looked after properly, they really are the sweetest, most lovable creatures."

Justin Bieber is interested to take the role as Oliver Twist in a remake of the classic 1968 British musical film "Oliver!". He considers his difficult childhood would help him fit the role better. The pop star believes he has been through enough catastrophes to understand how Charles Dicken's street urchin felt.

The "Baby" singer was raised in a basement council flat in Canada by his reformed junkie mother after his father left them. He remarked, "That place was really dirty. We had mousetraps everywhere because here were mouses, uh, mice, in the house. I didn't have a real bed. I slept on a blue pull-out couch in my room". He added, "We didn't have anything in the fridge, except maybe luncheon meat for school and macaroni and cheese. I'd love to play Oliver Twist". But despite his desire, Bieber is actually about seven years too old for the role.

After rumored as one of the candidates to be Daredevil in "Untitled Daredevil Project", Robert Pattinson has refuted he got involved in the upcoming film. Speaking for an interview on "MTV First: Robert Pattinson", the "Twilight" hunk revealed he had no idea that he has been rumored to play the title character in the movie. "I don't know where that one came from at all," so said Pattinson.

Although he did not know about the rumor, the "Water for Elephants" actor admitted he would love to play a superhero. The 24-year-old actor said, "I'd love [to] definitely." However, he was unsure about what character he will choose. "I don't know what superhero you'd do. Is there any left?" he asked the interviewer.

Niki Taylor essentially fired herself from "The Celebrity Apprentice". In the Sunday, March 20 episode, the celebrities were given an environmental assignment, but not everything turned out successful. Niki stepped up as the project manager for the women while Gary Busey volunteered to be the men's leader.

Donald Trump enlisted an executive from Camping World, the largest motor home retailer in the U.S. to help the stars arrange a camping 'experience' in New York City. The team's task is to create a unique RV display. Although Niki seemed to have a good plan at first, she was overwhelmed by her team who consisted of strong-willed people like Star Jones and NeNe Leakes.

After enjoying a much-needed time off, The Strokes now come back with a new album called "Angles". Two years in the making, the new effort will make its way out across the United States on March 22. "Sonically, I feel it's the album which should have been made between 'Room on Fire' [2003] and 'First Impressions of Earth' [2006]," bassist Nikolai Fraiture once said.

The CD is led by a retro-sounding single "Under Cover of Darkness". Capturing the original feel of the band with a few tweaks to keep it up-to-date, the song got positive reviews from music critics and became a good kick-start for this rock band to introduce the rest of the album.

Snoop Dogg took a moment to pay tribute to his longtime pal Nate Dogg during his South by Southwest festival showcase on Saturday night, March 19, revealing he's struggling to come to terms with the tragedy. He was joined on stage at Austin, Texas' Whitley building by Nate Dogg's sidekick Warren G and P. Diddy for a rendition of the hip-hop anthem "Regulate".

Snoop told fans, "That's, like, my brother. Me and Nate were friends since 1986, so it's a little bit deeper. This is somebody who started with me. We dreamed the same dream and our dreams came true, and now he's no longer with us. So it's a little hard to deal with, but, in the spirit of Nate Dogg, we're dealing with it because we know he would want us to celebrate and have a good time. That's the spirit he possessed."

Shortly after her father Billy Ray Cyrus called off his divorce from her mother Tish, former "Hannah Montana" actress Miley Cyrus announced she's going on a world tour. The "So Undercover" star has revealed the first tour dates of the traveling show.

Miley is set to kick off the gig with a stadium concert on April 29 at Estadio Olimpico Atahualpa in Quito, Ecuador. The "Can't Be Tamed" singer then will fly to Lima, Peru on May 1 to hold another stadium show at Explanada del Monumental.

Actress Jennifer Lawrence has broken her silence after landing the coveted role of Katniss Everdeen in the much-anticipated movie adaptation of bestselling novel "The Hunger Games".

The "Winter's Bone" star beat out fellow 2011 Oscar nominee Hailee Steinfeld and Abigail Breslin to land the lead role in Gary Ross' new drama - based on Suzanne Collins' hit book. The casting was made official on Friday, March 18 when Ross confirmed he had made his pick for leading lady. And now Lawrence has released a statement.

Taio Cruz has premiered a music video in support of "Telling the World", a song recorded for 20th Century Fox's animated movie "Rio". The video is filled with random scenes from the film, including the one which features Blu (Jesse Eisenberg) dancing with Jewel (Anne Hathaway).

Beside featuring Taio's song, the "Rio" soundtrack album also listed will.i.am and Jamie Foxx's duet "Hot Wings (I Wanna Party)", Sergio Mendes' "Mas Que Nada (2011 Rio Version)", and Ester Dean's "Take You to Rio (Remix)". The CD is expected to come out in the U.S. on April 5.

"The Hobbit" production is finally kicked off in Wellington, New Zealand on March 21, Warner Bros. Pictures proudly announces. After several delays with the latest one due to director Peter Jackson's hospitalization, the movie now begins shooting according to the scheduled start date with everyone involved "raring to go," Jackson's assistant Matt Dravitski tells New Zealand media.

Along with the statement posted on Jackson's official Facebook page, two first official pictures from the set are also uploaded. The images feature Jackson on the set of Bag End. One photo captures him standing right inside the entrance of the hobbit's house, while the other one has him sitting in what looks like the dining room.

Charlie Sheen may have made CBS say goodbye with his erratic behavior but it doesn't mean he can't lure other major networks. TMZ is reporting that FOX's top TV executives, including chairman Peter Rice, are looking forward to sign the former "Two and a Half Men" star.

Words are, Sheen had a meeting with them on Thursday, March 17 and tried to come up with a show idea for more than an hour. TMZ heard that one idea is to set up a late-night talk show although in the end of the discussion, nothing came out concrete. The conversation also involved Mike Darnell, President of Alternative Entertainment for FOX and David Hill, President of FOX Sports.

Ricky Martin proudly collected his Vito Russo kudo at the recent GLAAD Media Awards on Saturday night, March 19. The Latin singer, who "came out" as gay last year, said, "I just want to be free. I can say today I'm free. And for that I definitely need to thank my parents for being so supportive, my mother and my dad for their unconditional love, and my friends, my family, my fans. And my partner in crime and my boyfriend Carlos."

At the end of his speech, he added "Let's share the love! Let's go to Mexico! Let's go to Columbia! Let's go to Argentina! Let's go to Chile! Let's go to Brazil! We need you GLAAD - we need you down there," he said at the New York ceremony. "I can help, I can do it! I'll be part of it. I want to be part of it."

As preparations are underway for the royal wedding, Prince William has revealed his plan for honeymoon. During his trip to Australia, the 28-year-old said that he might take Kate Middleton to the country after their wedding, saying "Maybe we'll have a honeymoon in Cairns?"

William, who visited the areas of Australia affected by last month's Cyclone Yasi on Saturday, March 19, is charmed by the warm weather Down Under. "It's much nicer down here; the weather at home is dreadful," he admitted. He added, "I love scuba diving. I have always wanted to dive the Great] Barrier Reef." Even if he and Kate should decide to honeymoon somewhere else, the prince promises to return to Aussie with the princess in several weeks time.

After linked romantically to rocker Jared Followill, Ashley Greene has her representative dismiss the rumor. Greene, who recently broke up from boyfriend Joe Jonas, has sparked rumor that she has found a new love in Followill as she has been spotted together with the Kings of Leon bassist on St. Patrick's Day. However, her rep refutes the speculation.

Speaking about the outing, the representative said that the "Twilight" actress and 24-year-old Followill are "just friends". Similarly, sources told New York Post that they are not dating. The sources revealed to the publication that the Alice Cullen of the hit movie and the "Sex on Fire" rocker have been friends for years.

Executives in charge of Britney Spears' latest music video made sure it was free of all temptation, by ordering staff to ensure the star was not exposed to alcohol or drugs. All performers working with the singer on her latest The World clip were required to sign a six-page agreement banning them from exposing sober Spears to drink or drugs.

The document, obtained by TMZ.com, reads, "Contractor acknowledges that it is essential that (Britney) not be exposed to any alcohol, drugs, or controlled substances." The contract also states that dancers can be subjected to urine testing at any time and dismissed for failing a test or even refusing to take one.

South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Festival is still on going and will come to an end this Monday, March 21. Over the weekend, Kanye West brought his G.O.O.D Music entourage to Austin, Texas for a showcase. There was also Hanson who teamed up with the event organizers to raise fund for Japan relief effort.

Kanye rocked the Vevo Power Plant on Saturday, March 19 with all-star guests like John Legend, Common and Kid Cudi. Opening the show was Mos Def with songs like "Oh No" and "Casa Bey". After his performance, Pusha T, Big Sean, Cyhi Da Prince and Mr. Hudson resumed the show with their own sets.

Pop stars Hanson boosted relief efforts following Japan's earthquake and tsunami disasters by staging a 12-hour telethon in Texas on Saturday, March 19. The "Mmmbop" trio teamed up with organizers behind the South By Southwest festival in Austin for the telethon, which featured performances and appearances from acts including R.E.M. rocker Michael Stipe, The Boxer Rebellion, Bowling For Soup and The Parlotones, among others.

The gig, which was streamed online and coincided with the SXSW festival's close, saw performers urging viewers to donate to the American Red Cross and aid victims in Japan. Songs recorded at the event will later be sold as a part of a benefit project.

A female airline worker who accused actor Jonathan Rhys-Meyers of assaulting her in an incident at New York's JFK International Airport last May 2010 has withdrawn her complaint. United Airlines customer service director Kathryn Williams sued The "The Tudors" star earlier this month, March 11, alleging she suffered permanent physical damage and severe emotional distress when Meyers launched a drunken tirade at staff. Her lawsuit stated, "Defendant Jonathan Rhys-Meyers willfully, maliciously, wantonly and without any just cause or provocation assaulted and battered plaintiff Kathryn Williams."

Williams was seeking damages for assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and outrage. But Meyers' legal tussle has come to a quick resolution, according to PerezHilton.com, Williams has dropped the suit and her lawyer insists allegations of physical contact are "inaccurate". A statement from attorney Elliot Budashewitz confirms, "We have withdrawn her March 7, 2011 Complaint filed against Jonathan Rhys-Meyers in the Supreme Court, Queens County."

While Warner Bros. Pictures is yet to confirm Joseph Gordon-Levitt's casting in "The Dark Knight Rises", a new rumor is swirling around revealing his possible role. Instead of The Riddler or Deadshot as it was reported before, Gordon-Levitt's role according to Variety is Alberto Falcone aka The Holiday Killer.

Alberto is the son of Mafia chieftain Carmine Falcone, who was played by Tom Wilkinson played in "Batman Begins". Alberto is known for killing on holidays and leaving behind a small item representing that holiday at every crime scene.

Stars including Sir Paul McCartney, Justin Bieber, Adele, George Michael and Susan Boyle came together for Britain's Comic Relief fundraiser on Friday night, March 18, and helped raise a massive 118 million dollars. Celebrities rallied to take part in the TV telethon at the BBC studios in London and viewers were treated to an evening of performances and skits.

Adele performed her emotional ballad "Someone Like You", boy band JLS sang their single "Eyes Wide Shut", while Take That danced with British comedy stars who were imitating the band in a skit called "Fake That". Michael poked fun at his public image in a sketch with funnyman James Corden, the pair sang along to Wham! songs while driving to the BBC in a pre-recorded clip. Corden was then seen chairing a star-studded meeting, with Bieber playing the keyboard, as celebrities including McCartney, Keira Knightley and Harry Potter actors Tom Felton and Rupert Grint all offered to head to Africa as an ambassador for the organisation.

Robert De Niro took the stand in a New York courtroom on Friday, March 18 to testify against a gallery director accused of illegally pocketing cash from the sale of paintings by the actor's father. Leigh Morse is charged with grand larceny for allegedly selling two works by Robert De Niro, Sr. and keeping the 77,000 dollars fee without informing the Hollywood star.

It's claimed she ordered staff at an art house in San Francisco, California to wire the money for the paintings, Guitar Case and Landscape With Pink Field, direct to her personal bank account while she was working for Salander-O'Reilly Galleries. The "Cape Fear" star, who administered his late father's estate, gave evidence at the hearing on Friday and told the courtroom he had never received any cash from Morse for the paintings, despite being entitled to 50 per cent of the proceeds. The actor admitted he was angered by allegations Morse took all of the money from one sale to cover commissions on other sales, declaring, "That I have a problem with."

Dr. Dre has emerged victorious in a court battle with cops who sued the star for secretly recording them on 2000's "Up In Smoke" rap tour. Former police commander Gary Brown and other Detroit, Michigan city officials filed suit against Dr. Dre, real name Andre Young, claiming they were filmed as they banned organizers from showing a video featuring naked women and violence at a concert at the Joe Louis Arena.

Brown alleged he was secretly taped during the backstage conversation, despite state laws in Michigan which protect people from being recorded without their knowledge. Brown maintained his privacy was violated by the footage, which later ended up in a DVD film about the tour, but Dr. Dre's attorney Herschel Fink argued there is no privacy for police while they are performing their public duties. On Saturday, 19 March, officials at Michigan Supreme Court sided with Fink by ruling in Dr. Dre's favor and throwing the case out.

Animal loving-actress Kristin Davis was honored for raising awareness of orphaned elephants at Saturday night's, March 19, Genesis Awards. The "Sex and the City" star works closely with wildlife conservationists in Kenya to help rescue elephants who are hunted by poachers for their tusks.

Now her philanthropy efforts have been hailed by organizers of the annual Genesis Awards, which are handed out to those who work to raise public awareness and understanding of animal issues. Davis received the Wyler Award " in recognition of the media attention she has brought to the plight of orphaned African elephants" at the ceremony hosted by the Humane Society of the United States in Century City, California.

Wyclef Jean is OK now after being shot in the hand when visiting Haiti on the eve of the country's presidential elections, Saturday night, March 19. Despite the incident, the former member of The Fugees still voted at the election which took place on Sunday.

He has an elastic bandage covering his right hand, and showed off to Associated Press his ink-stained thumb on the bandaged hand as evidence that he voted. The Hip-Hop star entered presidential race last year, but was disqualified reportedly because he did not fulfill the criteria needed to run for office.

"True Blood" came out as a winner at the 22nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards which was held on Saturday, March 19 in New York. The vampire drama had Denis O'Hare, who portrays gay vampire king on the show, to receive the top drama series award. In winning the trophy, "True Blood" had to beat "Brothers & Sisters", "Degrassi", "Grey's Anatomy" and "Pretty Little Liars".

Another TV winner was "30 Rock" which picked up the honor for Outstanding Individual Episode in a series without a regular LGBT character. Its fourth season's episode called "Klaus and Greta" won against episodes of "Bored to Death", "Law & Order", "Drop Dead Diva" and "Law & Order: UK".

"Limitless" has come out as a winner at North American Box Office on its first weekend. The paranoia-fueled action thriller that stars Bradley Cooper grosses a better-than-expected $18.9 million and earns a respectable B+ grade from CinemaScore moviegoers.

"Rango" manages to maintain its position on number two with $15.1 million, or dropping only about 32.2% from last weekend's revenue. It appears to be benefiting from positive word-of-mouth though it is rated C+ by CinemaScore.