Taiwanese tear-jerker wins 'Chinese Oscar'

TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwan director Leon Dai's harsh real-life drama "No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti" won best feature over the weekend at the Golden Horse Film Awards, regarded as the Oscars for Chinese-language movies.

The black-and-white movie, based on a true story, follows a lone father from the working-class southern Taiwan port city of Kaohsiung in a fight against the government to get his daughter into school. Unsuccessful and clinging to the faithful daughter, he threatens to jump off a bridge.

"No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti" beat four other finalists in a marathon awards ceremony staged on Saturday in Taipei but dominated by entries from economic powerhouse China.

The Golden Horse best director award went to Dai, who cried when accepting the prize. He has directed two other films since 2002 and acted in a series of Taiwan art house productions.

"I'd like to thank the people of Kaohsiung, no matter whether the government or the everyday citizens," said Dai, 43. "We couldn't have been able to finish it without their support."

There is no official explanation for the Spanish film title, but Dai has been quoted saying it sounded more emotionally fitting than the English equivalent, "Can't Live Without You."

Li Bingbing of Chinese spy thriller "The Message" won best actress, while the best actor prize went for the first time to two people, Huang Bo from China's war-themed black comedy "Cow" and Nick Cheung in Hong Kong action movie "The Beast Stalker."

The awards, in their 46th season, judge Chinese-language films from Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore and China, including Hong Kong and Macau. Once open only to Taiwanese films, the Golden Horse began allowing films from outside in the 1990s.

Award winning Quebec filmmaker Gilles Carle dies at 80.

MONTREAL - One of Quebec's greatest filmmakers whose celebrated works won international praise, died early Saturday. Gilles Carle was 80.

He battled Parkinson's disease for a number of years and was recently hospitalized following a heart attack and complications from pneumonia.

"His style and inspiration place Gilles Carle among the pioneers who have given Quebec and Canadian cinema its national and international dimension and luminous modernity,"Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean said in a statement issued Saturday.

A statement from Quebec Premier Jean Charest lamented the death of a man who profoundly influenced Quebec culture.

"Gilles Carle was among the most important filmmakers in Quebec, a man of immense talent and who has been recognized internationally," Charest said.

Parti Quebecois Leader Pauline Marois also sent her condolences to Carle's family Saturday and hailed him as an independent thinker who was unbending in his cinematic vision.

"He was more than a filmmaker," she said. "He unconditionally loved the seventh art."

Carle gave his life to cinema.

The prolific director is known for works like La vraie nature de Bernadette (The Real Bernadette), Maria Chapdelaine, Les Plouffes (The Plouffes) and Pudding Chomeur (Bread Pudding).

Born in Maniwaki, Que., he grew up in Abitibi and later moved to Montreal in the 1940s to study drawing.

But he fell in love with film.

Carle's passion for cinema spawned a decades-long career that produced some 30 works, running the gamut from fiction to documentary and television specials.

The themes of his films often touched on sexuality and the trials of everyday people.

In 1961, he began working at the National Film Board of Canada and co-directed, with Louis Portugais, his first film, Manger (Eat).

With some 25 Genies and other Canadian prizes to his name, he is one of the most awarded filmmakers in Canadian history.

In 1990, he won the Palme d'Or for the short film, 50 ans (50 Years).

He was awarded the Governor General Award in 1997 and the Order of Canada in 1999.

Quebec honoured Carle's contribution to cinema in 1990 with the Albert-Tessier Award for culture and he was made a Grand Officer in the National Order of Quebec in 2007.

But his disease began taking a serious toll on his health in later years.

His last film, Mona McGill et son vieux pere malade, (Mona McGill and her Ailing Father) touched on sickness, aging and death.

Quebec actor Micheline Lanctot remembers Carle as a formidable artist with an extravagant imagination.

"He had a profoundly original spirit," she said.

But his disease left him mute and confined to a wheelchair.

"It was difficult seeing him in that state," said Lanctot.

"When you knew him with his verve and his vigour and his effervescence, it was difficult to see him confined like that."

No date has been set for his funeral.

Officials: 39 dead in Russia train derailment

BOLOGOVSKY, Russia – An express train carrying hundreds of passengers from Moscow to St. Petersburg derailed, killing at least 39 people and injuring scores of others, emergency officials said.

The state-run railway company said the derailment late Friday could have been the result of sabotage, raising fears that the luxury train, popular with business executives and government officials, was the target of a terrorist attack.

The last three cars of the 14-car Nevsky Express left the tracks in the Tver province northwest of Moscow, the Emergency Situations Ministry said. Minister Sergei Shoigu said Saturday morning that 39 people were dead and 18 missing.

Health Minister Tatyana Golikova told reporters at the scene that 95 people were being treated in hospitals in the Tver and Novgorod region.

State-run Vesti-24 television showed grainy footage hours after the derailment of a dented passenger car flipped on its side, laying across the tracks.

A Vesti-24 reporter called the wreck a "terrible catastrophe," saying he was looking at a "warped" carriage and could see other damaged cars as ambulances drove in and out of the cordoned-off site.

Russian Railways said the cause was not yet determined but one possibility was sabotage. Russian agencies cited unidentified officials as saying a small crater was found at the site of the wreck, leading to speculation that the dertailment could have been caused by a bomb blast.

Russian trains have been the targets of bombers in the past.

An explosion on the Moscow-St. Petersburg line in 2007 derailed a passenger train and injured 27 people. Two suspects have been arrested and authorities are searching for a former military officer they believe was behind the blast, but the motive was unclear.

A December 2003 suicide bomb attack on a commuter train near the Russian republic of Chechnya killed 44.

At least 12 people were injured in June 2005 when a bomb derailed a train headed from Chechnya to Moscow. An explosion in a bathroom on a Moscow-St. Petersburg train in 1997 killed five people.

The 14-car Nevsky Express was carrying 633 passengers and 20 railway personnel during its Friday night run to St. Petersburg, the emergencies ministry said.

Terrorism has been a major concern in Russia since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, as Chechen rebels have clashed with government forces in two wars.

Violence connected with conflicts in the Caucasus have repeatedly erupted in other parts of Russia in the past decade, including deadly bombings in the Moscow subway and attacks that brought two passenger jets down in 2004.

But Russia has also been plagued by deadly accidents resulting from its deteriorating Soviet-era infrastructure, a high incidence of alcohol abuse and from negligence.

The derailment occurred near the border between the Novgorod and Tver provinces, about 250 miles (400 kilometers) northwest of Moscow and 150 miles (250 kilometers) southeast of St. Petersburg, authorities said.

Russian news agencies reported that some injured passengers were taken by train and bus to hospitals in the area and to St. Petersburg for medical attention.

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Painting by Group of Seven's Lawren Harris now the 2nd-priciest in Cdn history

TORONTO - An oil sketch by Group of Seven member Lawren Harris sold at auction Thursday night for $3.5 million, the second-highest price ever paid for a painting in Canada.

"The Old Stump, Lake Superior" was one of four Harris paintings that went for over a million dollars - after factoring in a 17 per cent buyer's premium - at the Heffel fall art auction in Toronto, which also ended up ranking as the second-most lucrative sale in Canadian art history.

The 30-by-38-centimetre painting was a sketch for one of Harris's most important works, "North Shore, Lake Superior," which hangs in the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa.

"Going into the auction we knew the quality was so strong and ... when you get paintings that are groundbreaking paintings then the normal rules don't apply," said a clearly happy Robert Heffel, moments after the Harris paintings were sold.

Harris's "Houses, St. Patrick Street" sold for $2.8 million, putting it fourth on the list of the most expensive Canadian works, which is dominated by his paintings.

He commands half the Top 10 list, and also holds the No. 3, No. 6, and No. 8 spots.

"Lawren Harris was one of the truly great North American painters of the first half of the 20th century and Harris deserves the values that we see at auction," said Heffel, who runs the auction company with his brother David Heffel.

He said Thursday's auction proves the recession hasn't put much of a damper on the Canadian art market, which "remains very strong."

Another big sale was the purchase of the Tom Thomson painting "Early Spring, Canoe Lake," which created the first major buzz of the evening as bids soared to more than three times the estimated sale price.

When the gavel finally came down after a spirited round of bidding, the price hit $2.35 million. With the buyer's premium, the price was pushed to almost $2.75 million, the most ever paid for a Thomson painting, according to the Heffel brothers.

It was briefly No. 3 on the list of Canada's most expensive paintings until the Harris sales pushed it down to the fifth spot.

The sale of the Thomson painting was also special because the proceeds will be donated to charities by an anonymous Canadian philanthropist, along with the proceeds from seven other works, said Robert Heffel.

"It's a great story," he said, noting that one of the charities will be the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

"Proceeds go to various different charities and at the same time, the collector got the prize."

The auction was bolstered by a slate of 15 especially impressive works that were put on the block by the estate of Helen E. Band, daughter of Canadian art collector Charles Band.

Among them were the big Harris paintings and one by fellow Group of Seven member A.Y. Jackson.

"We knew the auction was going to do very well because of the quality of the work ... we were honoured they chose us - and they made the right decision," Robert Heffel said, adding that it will be "very difficult" to ever match Thursday's auction.

"A Charles Band collection like that probably comes up once in a lifetime," he said.

The most expensive painting to sell at auction in Canada is still Paul Kane's "Scene in the Northwest: Portrait of John Henry Lefroy," which went for $5.06 million in 2002, including a buyer's premium.

The most lucrative Canadian art auction to date was the Heffel spring auction in 2007, which garnered more than $23 million. Thursday's auction was expected to bring in between $11 million to $15 million but topped $20.8 million.

In recession, `Up in the Air' touches down on time

NEW YORK – "Up in the Air" has undergone the rarest of flights: It was delayed for a long time and its course was altered, yet it has arrived right on time.

"Up in the Air" might be the timeliest movie of the year. Hard times and the frightening prospect of unemployment are at the center of the movie, which many are calling an Academy Award favorite. Regardless of its Oscar prospects, it's unquestionably of the moment.

In the latest film from director Jason Reitman ("Juno," "Thank You for Smoking"), George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, who essentially lives in airports and hotels, contentedly jet-setting around the country as a contractor hired to fire people.

Reitman began writing the screenplay — based on Walter Kirn's 2001 novel by the same name — six years ago when times were flush. He then conceived the film as a comedic satire.

"I wrote the scenes tonally consistent with a booming economy," Reitman said in a recent interview. "By the time we were making the movie, a million people had lost their jobs. It was more appropriate to handle the scenes with a certain amount of gravity and authenticity."

Reitman believes the best filmmaking comes from capitalizing on accidents, and essentially, he had one big, ugly accident in the economic meltdown.

"You have instincts that are driving you and then things happen along the way," says the 32-year-old writer-director. "It's how you react as things happen that determines whether a film turns out to be good."

Other things changed, too. He married the writer Michele Lee in 2004 and the couple had a child two years later. The success of "Juno" (four Oscar nominations, including a win for Diablo Cody's screenplay) also catapulted the career of Reitman, whose father is the esteemed comedy director Ivan Reitman.

"Over the course of writing it, I went from a single guy living in an apartment to a married guy with a kid and a mortgage," says Reitman. "I started to understand the value of companionship. And these are things that my character had to go through himself."

Reitman rewrote his script. One significant addition was inserting testimonials from regular people who had lost their jobs during the downturn. The production placed ads in St. Louis and Detroit newspapers under the guise of a documentary film about the recession.

Hundreds applied and Reitman and his crew interviewed many of them about their experience: "It would get aggressive, emotional, angry, sad," says the director.

One of those that made it into the film was Kevin Pilla of St. Louis, who had lost his job as a design engineer for an electronics company. In the film, he talks about the difficulty of breaking the news to his wife. (Pilla has since gotten a new job.)

"Jason had a really good perspective of what a lot of people were going through with the economy the way it is," said Pilla. "For him to be willing to tell our story was a really exciting thing for me."

That the timing for "Up in the Air" should be so good is ironic considering how poor it was for Kirn's book. It was published shortly before Sept. 11, 2001. Being set so predominantly on airplanes, its sales quickly dropped. The studio that first picked up the option on adapting the book soon dropped it.

"It's very strange that eight years later, it's very timely in another way about another difficult situation," says Kirn. "On both a metaphorical and a literal level, it is a recession-era tale. It was not written during a recession, but it was always a book about what happens when accumulation and business-is-business as an attitude and a lifestyle runs dry."

Films that deal directly with work life and our satisfaction from it are rare. Billy Wilder's "The Apartment" in which Jack Lemmon's insurance man navigates his way in a bureaucracy — is generally viewed a classic.

Reitman, though, intentionally avoided watching it (or any other great film) while making "Up in the Air." He worries that anything so good would leave him too in awe and sap his confidence. (Instead, he watches bad horror films.)

"A lot of movies are about a subgroup — cops and robbers in this part of L.A. or something," says Kirn. "But this movie gives me an expansive feeling that it's speaking for our common experience."

Another aspect of that experience portrayed in "Up in the Air" is the increasingly omnipresence of technology. The characters carry Blackberries like cowboys holstered revolvers. Meaningful events happen by way of text message.

"It's very of the moment not because people are losing their jobs but because it deals with the idea of a lack of human connection on so many levels," says Reitman. "There are so many aspects in which life has become more lonely — some for good, some for bad. That's what the movie really explores and I think that's really an element of 2009 — the amount of friends you have on Facebook that you actually never see."

Filmmaker Tyler Perry donates $1M to NAACP

BALTIMORE – Filmmaker Tyler Perry has donated $1 million to the NAACP to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the civil rights organization.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People says the gift announced Monday is the largest donation from an individual in the organization's history. It will be distributed over four years.

In a statement, Perry says the perseverance of thousands within the NAACP helped pave the way for his success in the film industry.

NAACP leaders say the gift marks a major shift in black philanthropy. They say donations of this size have not typically gone to civil rights groups.

It's also a key time for the NAACP as the group faces questions over whether it remains relevant.

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Information from: The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com

The real Alice in Wonderland's book up for auction

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A copy of the book "Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There" that belonged to the British girl who inspired author Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland" will be sold at an auction next month, the company behind the sale said on Monday.

At its December 16 auction, Profiles in History also will sell a copy of "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" that belonged to its author, Beatrix Potter. The items come from the collection of former U.S. professional football player Pat McInally, the auctioneer said.

"Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There," which belonged to the late Alice Liddell before it came into McInally's collection, has an estimated sales price of $150,000 (90,000 pounds).

When she was 10 years-old in 1862, Alice Liddell went on a picnic with her neighbor, the Oxford mathematician Charles Dodgson, who wrote under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. He told her a story that later became the classic book "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland."

His book "Through the Looking Glass" was a sequel.

Potter's copy of "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" is expected to sell for up to $120,000, Profiles in History said.

The auction, which focuses on children's literature, also includes a first edition copy of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" and signed, limited edition copies of author A.A. Milne's "Winnie the Pooh" and "The House at Pooh Corner."

The auction is expected to generate total sales of $1 million, said Profiles in History (http://www.profilesinhistory.com).

Michael Jackson wins 4 at AMAs; Swift top artist

LOS ANGELES – Michael Jackson made history by posthumously winning four American Music Awards on Sunday night, but he couldn't beat Taylor Swift as the year's favorite artist and the evening's top winner.

The 19-year-old took the show's top award, giving Jackson his only loss of the night, and giving her five trophies in all.

"Music has never been ultimately about competition," she said as she accepted the top prize via satellite from London, where she is to perform Monday. "To even be mentioned in a category with Michael Jackson, who we will miss and love forever, is an unimaginable honor."

Swift was also named favorite female pop/rock and country artist and favorite adult-contemporary artist. Her album, "Fearless," won favorite country album. Jackson was voted favorite male artist in the pop/rock and soul/R&B categories. His 2003 greatest-hits album, "Number Ones," also won favorite album in both categories, bringing his career AMA total to 23, making him the most honored artist in AMA history.

The victories came during a performance-filled show that closed with an S&M-themed, sexually charged performance by Adam Lambert (which included him shoving a male dancer's face into his crotch).

Jackson's trophies were accepted by his brother Jermaine, who paid tribute to his late brother by wearing glittery white glove. He thanked "Allah for blessing my entire family" and named each of his brothers and sisters.

He said the message of Michael, who died in June at age 50, is more important than any award.

"The message that Michael had will live on forever," he said. "He saw good in everyone and he wanted everyone to do good. He always started with love."

Jackson's victories were among the highlights of the evening, which also featured an eye-popping performance by Lady Gaga, a special award for Whitney Houston and that jaw-dropping number from Lambert, who traded in his "American Idol" image for sex, leather and chains Sunday.

On an elaborate set filled with stairs and platforms, Lambert fondled a female dancer, kissed an androgynous band mate and led two leather-clad men across the stage on leashes as he sang the title track from his new CD, "For Your Entertainment," out this week.

Lady Gaga, wearing a "Alien"-inspired headdress and vest filled with lights, performed songs from her new album, "The Fame Monster," also due in stores this week. She used her microphone to break into a glass case where a grand piano stood. It caught fire when she sat down to play.

Whitney Houston made a resplendent return to the AMA stage with an elegant performance of "I Didn't Know My Own Strength." The 46-year-old entertainer also received the International Award of Excellence for her musical and philanthropic contributions. She dedicated the honor to her daughter, music mogul Clive Davis and "everybody who supported me."

The American Music Awards honor the year's top-selling artists in eight popular genres, and fans voted for the winners online. But even more than awards, the AMAs are about performances, and more than a dozen of them filled Sunday's show.

The Black Eyed Peas, voted favorite pop/rock band, energized the crowd when they performed two of the year's most popular hits: "I Got A Feeling" and "Boom Boom Pow."

Rihanna returned to the AMA stage, sporting blonde hair, a skintight, white peek-a-boo bodysuit and a tattoo down the front of her neck that read "Rated R," the name of her new album, out this week.

Janet Jackson opened the show with a medley of some of the biggest hits from her long career — all tracks that appear on her new greatest-hits collection, also called "Number Ones."

Alicia Keys and Jay-Z dueted on their ode to New York City. Shakira was flanked by a dozen dancers in tiny black bodysuits as she sang her new single. Kelly Clarkson performed a stripped down version of her hit "Already Gone," backed by a string quartet.

Jennifer Lopez added a boxing motif to her dance-filled performance, but she slipped during a tricky move and landed on her bottom.

Green Day lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong confessed backstage that the show left him star-struck.

"When you see all the talent that's in the room" like Jay-Z and Lady Gaga, he said, "it's like holy moly, these are huge people."

The band was voted favorite alternative artist. Other winners Sunday included Jay-Z, wife Beyonce, Keith Urban and Rascal Flatts.

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On the Net:

http://ama.abc.com

Halifax's Joel Plaskett takes leading two trophies at Canadian Folk Music Awards

OTTAWA - Halifax singer/songwriter Joel Plaskett led a big night for East Coast musicians at the fifth annual Canadian Folk Music Awards on Saturday.

Plaskett was the only multiple award winner at the gala, earning prizes for contemporary album of the year and producer of the year.

Fellow Halifax native Susan Crowe was named English songwriter of the year while ukulele player James Hill - who is originally from Langley, B.C., but is now based in Brookfield, N.S. - won traditional album of the year for his collaboration with Anne Davison.

Charlottetown's Catherine MacLellan was named solo artist of the year and fellow P.E.I. resident Colette Cheverie won traditional singer of the year.

Ariana Gillis of Vineland, Ont., won young performer of the year over Taylor Mitchell, the 19-year-old songstress who was mauled to death by coyotes while hiking in Nova Scotia last month.

Montreal's Karim Saada won for world solo artist of the year while Quebec City's Mansa Sissoko and Toronto banjo player Jayme Stone took the world group prize.

Montreal's Catherine Durand was named French songwriter of the year.

Toronto's Sultans of String, who had been nominated for three awards, received the trophy for instrumental group of the year, while band member Chris McKhool earned the children's album of the year award for his solo project, "FiddleFire!"

Meanwhile, Saskatchewan's Deep Dark Woods was named ensemble of the year, Winnipeg's Don Amero earned the aboriginal songwriter of the year award and Vancouver bluesman Jim Byrnes took the prize for contemporary singer of the year.

Oprah's departure presents problem for TV stations

CHICAGO – For more than two decades, Oprah Winfrey has been the inspirational, change-your-life champion who reigned over daytime television much like Johnny Carson once ruled late night.

Now she's ready to say goodbye, leaving a huge void for broadcast TV even as she raises the possibility of more Oprah than ever when she starts her own cable network.

Winfrey told viewers Friday that she will dim the lights on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" at the close of its 25th season in late 2011.

"I love this show. This show has been my life. And I love it enough to know when it's time to say goodbye," she said, holding back tears. "Twenty-five years feels right in my bones, and it feels right in my spirit. It's the perfect number, the exact right time."

For the hundreds of network affiliates who depended on Winfrey to deliver millions of viewers every day, Friday's announcement starts an 18-month clock to find a way to fill the space left behind after the end of the most successful daytime talk show in television history.

Winfrey's show "is one of daytime television's very foundations," said Larry Gerbrandt, an analyst for the firm Media Valuation Partners in Los Angeles. "You could, and stations did, build their schedules around her. They gave it the best time period, leading into their news, and used it to promote other shows."

Winfrey cautioned viewers that they would hear "a lot of speculation in the press about why I am making this decision," warning them not to listen to the "conjecture." But she offered no specifics about her plans for the future, except to say that she intended to produce the best possible shows during the final two years.

"I just wanted to say whether you've been here with me from the beginning or you came on board last week, I want you all to know that my relationship with you is one that I hold very dear," she said. "Your trust in me, the sharing of your precious time every day with me has brought me the greatest joy I have ever known."

It has also brought her a fortune estimated at $2.7 billion. As a newcomer, she chipped away at the dominance of Phil Donahue. She flirted with a tabloid format for a time, but gradually reinvented her show to focus on themes of inspiration, hope and the power of positive thinking.

"She's made such an imprint in today's society. She's just part of everyone's lives," said Yasmeen Elhaj, a 19-year-old student from Chicago who was in the studio for Friday's announcement. "People talk about Oprah like that's her friend. So that's why everyone is sad to see her go because she's just a giving person, feels like she's your home girl."

The show has a breadth that no other has been able to match. A serious hour on domestic abuse could be followed the next day by a rollicking party with the Black Eyed Peas.

When Whitney Houston and Sarah Palin wanted to talk this fall, Winfrey's show was their first stop. An endorsement by Winfrey for her book club is a make-or-break opportunity for authors.

But even Winfrey was not immune to the dips in ratings that have plagued broadcasters as viewers flock to specialty programming on cable. Her average audience — easily the largest of daytime talk shows — fell from 12.6 million in 1991-92 to 6.2 million in 2008-2009.

This season, boosted by blockbuster interviews with Palin, Houston and others, the show is doing better, averaging 7.2 million viewers a day.

The decline in audience numbers has long argued for a move to cable, where audiences are increasingly able to finding niche programming.

Winfrey, 55, is widely expected to start up a new talk show on OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, a joint venture with Discovery Communications Inc. that was first announced last year. It will replace the Discovery Health Channel and debut in some 80 million homes.

Discovery is pouring resources into OWN to prepare for its January 2011 launch. Chief Financial Officer Brad Singer told analysts this month that Discovery plans to invest $30 million to $40 million in 2009 on programming, staffing and other costs.

Discovery also is lending the venture $100 million, and OWN hired "Oprah" co-executive producer Lisa Erspamer this month as its chief creative officer. Erspamer is expected to move from Chicago to Los Angeles in January.

Winfrey's move to cable leaves a gap in the afternoon programming at many TV stations, where it leads into the local evening news and is popular with advertisers. At the peak of her ratings in the 1990s, Oprah could almost single-handedly prop up the newscast on WFAA-TV in Dallas, an ABC affiliate, because her fans stayed with the station, said Mike Devlin, the station's president and general manager.

"I hate to see her go. I'm an Oprah fan," Devlin said. "But all things end."

There are other syndicated shows available — "Live with Regis and Kelly," "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," "Rachael Ray Show," "Dr. Phil" and "The Tyra Show" — but none has the reach or influence of "Oprah."

And it's not easy to come up with a winning formula. Magic Johnson, Megan Mullally, Queen Latifah, Tony Danza, Lauren Hutton, Sinbad and Keenen Ivory Wayans are just some of the people who have tried to launch talk shows with abysmal results.

"There's always cycles in the television business," said Emily Barr, the president and general manager at WLS-TV in Chicago. "We are thrilled to have had this long association with Oprah and we will miss her, but we will also move on and see what else is out there."

New mom Heidi Klum returns to the runway at Victoria's Secret show

NEW YORK - Heidi Klum and her post-baby body led the parade at the annual Victoria's Secret fashion show, which returned to New York with some fresh faces after four years on the road.

The lingerie retailer inducted five more women into its "Angel" ranks - a designation reserved for top models - in front of a packed house Thursday night at the Lexington Avenue Armory. They are Emanuela de Paula, Chanel Iman, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Lindsay Ellingson and Candice Swanepoel.

But Klum, who gave birth to a daughter five weeks ago, was the audience favourite in her purple corset covered with a half gown with poufs of tulle. She emerged from the huge, castlelike set to applause.

Musical guest The Black Eyed Peas - especially Fergie, its only female member, who wore a black, jeweled bodysuit - was another crowd-pleaser. Fergie came out later in a green corset gown.

Of course, fashion really is secondary here. Victoria's Secret always puts on an elaborate production (this time with a choir, acrobatic dancers and a giant polka-dot dog balloon) and fuels hype about its models. An online model search started earlier this month and is now down to two contestants, one of whom will be chosen by the public to appear in the televised version of the fashion show that CBS will air Dec. 1.

"I could watch this online, but it's a fun scene," said Russell Simmons from his front row seat. "This show is always fun and a great production."

"It's always a spectacular," agreed costume designer Patricia Field. "Victoria's Secret does that extra thing I like."

Klum, who normally wears the most elaborate outfits, only appeared once, so it was former Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover girl Marissa Miller who had the honour of wearing a $3 million, diamond-encrusted bra.

Splashy jewels, it seemed, were one of the themes of the show with many models dripping in diamonds, crystals and other bling. Others wore faux fur stoles over their bras and panties. Thigh-high boots were the other must-have accessory.

Outfits fell into one of four themes: Star Trooper with breast plates and body armour; Pink Planet, which had a hippie vibe; the ethereal Enchanted Forest; and Romantic Journey that featured a lot of lace.

Compared to previous years, the overall collection didn't seem as skimpy, although Miranda Kerr wore an itsy-bitsy black thong get-up that might have to be edited out of the TV show.

Nicole Richie is hospitalized for pneumonia

LOS ANGELES – Nicole Richie has been admitted to a Los Angeles hospital and is being treated for pneumonia. Her representative says she's doing well.

Publicist Nicole Perna said Wednesday the 28-year-old actress checked herself into Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Richie was in a Los Angeles courtroom earlier this week after asking for a restraining order against two celebrity photographers. A judge granted that request.

Richie costarred with Paris Hilton on the television show "The Simple Life" and is the daughter of singer Lionel Richie. She has since become a fashion and jewelry designer and occasional actress.

Richie gave birth to a son, Sparrow James Midnight Madden, in September. She and her partner, rocker Joel Madden, have a daughter, Harlow, who turns 2 in January.

A model dancer gone: 3 stars advance to finals

LOS ANGELES – Model Joanna Krupa is leaving "Dancing With the Stars."

The Poland-born beauty was eliminated from the hit ABC show Tuesday.

She and professional partner Derek Hough scored an impressive 81 out of 90 points for their performances on Monday's episode of the hit ABC show, but fans failed to keep the couple afloat with their votes.

Viewer votes are combined with judges' scores to determine which contestant is eliminated each week.

Head judge Len Goodman said Krupa and Hough were the "most consistent of all of our couples" throughout the season, regularly landing near the top of the leaderboard.

Singer Mya, reality star Kelly Osbourne and entertainer Donny Osmond will compete for the show's title and accompanying mirrorball trophy next week.

Court officers keep journalists in Las Vegas courtroom after Michael Jackson doctor hearing

LAS VEGAS - A court officer briefly detained a group of journalists inside a Las Vegas courtroom Monday following a hearing involving Michael Jackson's former personal physician.

Reporters, videographers and producers from The Associated Press and several other media outlets were stopped from leaving the courtroom for several minutes while Dr. Conrad Murray and his attorneys left the Clark County Family Court building.

Senior Clark County District Judge Gerald Hardcastle had left the bench when an armed, uniformed court marshal, Dennis Curran, politely declined several requests by journalists to let them leave.

Curran said he was following orders. His supervisor, Sgt. Steve Rushfield, did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

Clark County courts spokesman Michael Sommermeyer was among the people prevented from leaving. He said later he didn't know why a court officer blocked the courtroom exit, but said it might have been to maintain safety and decorum.

"They're police officers," he said. "I guess they can deem what is necessary for public safety."

A lawyer for the AP said the government can't block journalists from lawfully pursuing a story.

"Whoever ordered this improper and possibly unlawful detention has some explaining to do," AP associate general counsel Dave Tomlin said.

Murray is the focus of an investigation into Jackson's death but has not been charged in that case.

He appeared in the Las Vegas court to explain the details of an agreement he made with a California woman over $15,000 in back child support payments. Murray had faced a contempt-of-court arrest on allegations that he failed to pay and failed to appear for previous hearings.

He was shielded from reporters and did not answer any questions when he arrived for the child support hearing.

"Education" star Carey Mulligan enjoying spotlight

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – It takes a lot to frighten Carey Mulligan, the British actress who delivered a fearless performance as a 1960s schoolgirl seduced by an older man in "An Education."

Not even a recent screening of "Paranormal Activity," the low-budget horror of the moment could do it, which was a disappointment.

"I really wanted to be scared -- I like to be scared. But I wasn't," she recalls.

She's equally fearless when it comes to tackling the media firestorm that has accompanied her newfound stardom.

"Shia (LaBeouf) tells me to enjoy it," she says, referring to her "Wall Street 2" co-star and the man she is reportedly dating -- though she's careful to dodge questions about him. "He says I can get upset about the photographers, but by the end of the day 98% of it should be positive."

It certainly is positive compared to the vagabond life the actress knew growing up, as she, her mother and older brother followed her father, a hotel executive, from London to Germany and back.

"My life was kind of weird," she reflects. "My mother would cook, but we would get looked after by lots of maids. It felt like we lived in these big, enormous houses with lots of guests."

When the family returned to London for good, her father became the manager of the Mayfair Hotel -- where, coincidentally, Mulligan did many promotional interviews for "An Education."

She started acting in school plays when she was 6 and appeared in everything from "The King and I" to "Sweet Charity." But when it came time to apply to university, she went against family tradition. While her brother went to Oxford, Mulligan refused to go to college -- the pivotal struggle of Jenny, the 16-year-old character she plays in "An Education."

Says Mulligan: "My parents were completely against it. They wanted me to go to a university. They didn't know any actors; no one in my family was an actor. They were scared."

There's that word again. It seems to be an emotion she doesn't feel, or, if she does, she never lets on. In many ways, she is as defiant and rebellious as Jenny, but much smarter about choosing her path.

Mulligan took her first step toward a career in acting by writing to actor Julian Fellowes (the Oscar-winning screenwriter of "Gosford Park") who had spoken at her school. "I was 17," she recalls. "I wrote to him and said, 'You are the only actor I have ever met. How do I get into drama school?' He took me out to dinner with his wife and they gave me the phone number of a casting agent, Maggie Lunn. And she got me an audition for 'Pride & Prejudice.'"

That 2005 film was her first big break, and she has since become good friends with the movie's star, Keira Knightley. Remembering it still thrills her. "My generation tends to play it cool these days," she says. "But there is no room for cool. You have got to be irritating and desperate, and if you are not it is terribly boring."

She was anything but boring in Chekhov's "The Seagull," in which she starred on Broadway. "It was just enormous for me," she says. "When I was growing up, that was the dream: I had those cliches about lightbulbs around your mirror. That is what I wanted. I came to see plays here in New York with my mom at 14, and one of them was 'Proof' at the Walter Kerr Theater. Standing on that same stage on opening night was as big as anything. Every night I would climb up the fire escape and look at the tall buildings, and as much as I have been wowed by this year, last year was the same."

Life hasn't always been this exciting, though. Mulligan has had to deal with a grandmother who suffers from Alzheimer's, something that stamped her so much, she says, that if she ever does go to university, she'll study psychology.

She also had to deal with an anguishing year-and-a-half wait between her first audition for "An Education" (when the movie was still titled "The Time of Her Life") to the point when it got the green light.

"I loved it, loved everything Nick Hornby has written," she says of the author who adapted Lynn Barber's memoir for the screen. "I auditioned with Peter Sarsgaard (her on-screen lover) and then it just went away. The director changed, it lost its financing."

To pay her bills along the way, Mulligan worked in a pub. Was she ever tempted, like her character, to have an affair with an older man?

"There were older men who used to come in," she remembers. "One guy had a red Ferrari, and one night, when I gave him his check, he signed it 'Dinner?' I freaked out!" She pauses. "I was definitely not Jenny; she was bolder than I was. She had more to escape from."

She also took a job as a runner at a studio, though she admits she took it purely in the hope of being discovered. The closest she got was watching Al Pacino pull up in a car and walk into the building where he was rehearsing "The Merchant of Venice."

She laughs at her own naiveté and how far she has come from then. "I thought, 'Wow! That's why I am here! One day Al Pacino is going to ask me for a cup of tea and notice my potential. And then I am going to skyrocket!'"

Czechs celebrate 20 years since Velvet Revolution

PRAGUE, Czech Republic – Former Czech President Vaclav Havel opened the 20th anniversary celebrations of the Velvet Revolution with a concert attended by celebrities.

Underground rocker Lou Reed, soprano Renee Fleming and folk singer Joan Baez performed to a crowd of about 500 gathered at 13th-century church in downtown Prague.

Baez performed "We Shall Overcome" in both Czech and English to massive applause by an audience that included former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who was born in Prague. Fleming sang "Rusalka" by Antonin Dvorak and "Ave Maria" by Franz Schubert, and was then joined by Reed on his song "Perfect Day."

Video messages from President Barack Obama, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and German Chancellor Angela Merkel were broadcast along with greetings from rock stars Mick Jagger and Bono during the nationally televised concert.

"Your spirit, your courage inspired the world," Obama said, while Gorbachev praised the peaceful nature of the Velvet Revolution.

Earlier Saturday, Havel had harsh words for Russia's current regime while engaging students in a political debate at the Charles University's Faculty of Arts.

"The era of dictatorships and totalitarian systems has not ended at all. It may have ended in a traditional form as we know it from the 20th century, but new, far more sophisticated ways of controlling society are being born," Havel was quoted by the CTK news agency as saying.

He said Russia had developed a special, sophisticated way of general manipulation, and while displaying the attributes of democracy, its practice was limited to a level that would not harm the current regime.

At the concert, Havel also called for international solidarity with the oppressed people around the world from North Korea to Venezuela.

Havel, now 73, was co-author of the Charter 77 human rights manifesto and spent several years in Communist prisons before becoming Czechoslovakia's first president after the peaceful 1989 revolution toppled the Communist regime. Czechoslovakia split in 1993 to form the Czech Republic and Slovakia, which today refers to the 1989 events as the Gentle Revolution.

Havel, also a playwright and essayist, is known for mixing politics with the arts.

"Thank you for coming to remember the fall of the Iron Curtain," he said at the end of Saturday's concert.

The celebrations are expected to peak on Tuesday with music and rallies throughout the country. In Prague, students are expected to re-enact the protest march that led to clashes with the police triggering nationwide protests that ended 40 year of Communist rule.

DJ AM' Goldstein estate sues for wrongful death

LOS ANGELES - Court documents say the estate of Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein is suing several defendants for wrongful death.

Goldstein sustained serious injuries in a plane crash in September 2008 in South Carolina and later died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs and cocaine in August in New York.

Before his death, Goldstein filed a negligence and breach of contract lawsuit.

The amended complaint filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court names several defendants, including Clay Lacy Aviation and Learjet Inc.

The 26-year-old Goldstein was known for his disc jockey skills and his relationships with actress-singer Mandy Moore and reality TV star Nicole Richie.

Attorneys for Clay Lacy Aviation did not respond to a request for comment. A message left with a lawyer for Learjet was not immediately returned.

The Who to perform at SuperBowl: report

NEW YORK (Billboard) - The Who will perform at Superbowl XLIV, marking the British band's first performance in North America since 2008.

According to a report on SI.com, the Sports Illustrated website, the veteran band will take the stage during the halftime show of the 2010 National Football League championship game, scheduled for February 7 in Miami.

The NFL has yet to officially confirm the report, saying, "When we have something to announce, we'll announce it."

During a recent stop on his "Use It or Lose It" solo tour, frontman Roger Daltrey told Billboard.com that he and bandmate/composer Pete Townshend were working on new material for the Who's followup to 2006's "Endless Wire."

"Hopefully if this tour has done it's job, I'll be in really good form as a vocalist," said Daltrey. "And who knows, we might make our best work."

Townshend has acknowledged working on two projects -- a new musical called "Floss" and the Who's next album, which he has said will include some pieces from the "Floss" project.

Harvey Keitel cast in "Little Fockers"

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Harvey Keitel has joined the cast of the "Meet the Fockers" sequel.

Regulars Ben Stiller, Teri Polo, Robert De Niro, Blythe Danner and Owen Wilson are returning, along with newcomers Jessica Alba and Laura Dern.

Paul Weitz ("In Good Company") is directing the Universal Pictures film, which has the working title of "Little Fockers" because it focuses on the central couple's children. Keitel will play a contractor employed by Stiller's character.

Jane Rosenthal and Jay Roach, who directed the first two films in the franchise, beginning with "Meet the Parents," are producing. John Hamburg, who co-wrote the first two pictures, rewrote the original script by Larry Stuckey.

Keitel most recently appeared in "National Treasure: Book of Secrets." He has starred in "Mean Streets," "Reservoir Dogs," "Bad Lieutenant," "Pulp Fiction" and "The Piano" and next will be seen in the indie feature "A Beginner's Guide to Endings."

Christie's auctions off Andy Warhol portrait of Michael Jackson for $812,500 in New York City

NEW YORK - A "Thriller"-era silk-screened portrait of Michael Jackson created by Andy Warhol has sold for $812,500 to an anonymous collector.

The artwork sold at Christie's in New York City Tuesday evening. Christie's estimated that the portrait would sell for $500,000 to $700,000. The 1984 portrait depicts a smiling Jackson in a jacket with squiggles of red and yellow in his hair.

The auction house says the seller is an anonymous private collector based in New York who bought the image from the Andy Warhol Foundation in the 1990s. It did not say who bought the artwork.

The image was one of 47 lots auctioned Tuesday, including two other Warhol paintings.

Lil Wayne's rock album rolling out next month

NEW YORK (Billboard) - After much delay, rapper Lil Wayne's rock-inspired album, "Rebirth," is now slated for a December 15 release date according to Universal Music Group.

The set was originally scheduled for April 7. The first single, "Prom Queen," reached No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. Guest artists include the members of rock band Fall Out Boy, Lenny Kravitz, Travis Barker and Canadian rapper Drake.

Lil Wayne plays guitar on most of the tracks. The leaked song "Fix My Hat" is one of the few rap tracks that made it onto the "Rebirth" set.

In related news at Universal, the new Mary J. Blige album, "Stronger," is due out December 22, while Redman's "9 1/2" is confirmed for a December 15 release date.

New star Taylor Lautner rises in "New Moon"

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Women swooned for Robert Pattinson as vampire Edward Cullen in last year's hit movie romance "Twilight," but in its upcoming sequel Taylor Lautner, who almost didn't make it into the film, is the newest hunk for fan's to feast on.

"The Twilight Saga: New Moon" rises in theaters on November 20 as one of the most-anticipated movies early in Hollywood's holiday season. Predecessor "Twilight" made $384 million at worldwide box offices in 2008, and its young principal actors, Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, shot to overnight stardom.

But in "New Moon," the second romance about the netherworld adventures of teenager Bella Swan (Stewart) and the love of her life Cullen, it is Lautner who grabs the spotlight.

He portrays American werewolf Jacob Black, Swan's protector when Cullen leaves her to go to Italy. Black's devotion to Swan has earned him -- and that means Lautner, too -- the devotion of millions of young girls obsessed with author Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" books on which the movies are based.

"We have fans all the time that will just burst into tears, it's just moving," he said. "It must mean so much for them to meet us, and it's an amazing feeling to know that you can touch someone in that way."

Prior to "Twilight," the 17-year-old Lautner was best known for his starring role in 2005 children's film "The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D." And in 2008's hit vampire film, the Jacob Black role was a small one as Swan's childhood friend. So, Lautner is relatively new to the stardom "New Moon" is bringing, and the teenager seems to be enjoying it.

STARDOM ALMOST FADED

But for a time it appeared the studio behind "Twilight," Summit Entertainment, might not hire him for the sequel.

When Summit left Lautner's name out of a statement announcing the other actors for "New Moon," including Pattinson and Stewart, "Twilight" fans protested stridently, and their Internet-based campaign brought Lautner back from the dead.

"The doubts came up because he had very few scenes in the first movie, and also because he's described as being 6'5'' in the second book, so there were reasonable facts that we had to come to grips with," said "New Moon" director Chris Weitz.

To gain the stature he needed for the role of Black in "New Moon," Lautner set about bulking up. He said he worked out regularly and ate every two hours, which involved carrying around a baggie full of beef, raw almonds and sweet potatoes.

In "New Moon," Black regularly runs, jumps and flexes his muscular frame, and when Bella is wounded, he rips off his shirt to staunch her bleeding head.

Lautner said the last scene -- one of many where he is bare-chested -- makes him laugh. But he knows moments like those are what causes "New Moon's" target audience of teenage girls to swoon. They did for Pattinson in "Twilight", and well before the sequel hits theaters, they are for Lautner, too.

In an online poll last month by AOL's JSYK.com, a website aimed at teens and tweens, Lautner surged past Pattinson in both the favorite male movie star and "cool guy you'd like to hang out with" categories.

When asked by reporters if he thought he could win in a fight with Pattinson -- werewolf against vampire; old teen heartthrob against new one -- Lautner laughed and said: "He actually does a lot of boxing in his time off, so it would be a good match-up."

"A Prophet" nominated for six European film awards

MADRID (Reuters) -The French film "Un Prophete" (A Prophet) has been nominated for six European Film awards, including best film and best director, the European Film Academy announced on Saturday at the Seville Europe Film Festival.

Tahar Rahim was nominated as best actor for his role in the film, which also saw director Jacques Audiard nominated for European Screenwriter 2009 with Thomas Bidegain.

British film "Slumdog Millionaire," directed by Danny Boyle, scooped five nominations, including best picture, best director and best actor for Dev Patel.

Spanish director Pedro Almodovar was nominated for best director for his latest film "Los Abrazos Rotos" (Broken Embraces), which stars his muse Penelope Cruz.

The film is Almodovar's fourth collaboration with Spanish actress Cruz, nominated in the best actress category for her role as Lena, a secretary who ends up in a relationship with her wealthy boss Ernesto. Also an aspiring actress, she is spotted by the charismatic director Mateo Blanco, played by Lluis Homar, with whom she quickly falls in love.

Cruz will compete for the best actress accolade with Charlotte Gainsbourg for her role in "Antichrist" and Kate Winslet for "The Reader."

Other candidates for best film are: "Fish Tank," from British writer and director Andrea Arnold; "Let the Right One In," a Swedish romantic horror film directed by Tomas Alfredson; "The Reader," directed by Stephen Daldry; and Austrian film maker Michael Haneke's "The White Ribbon."

The more than 2,000 EFA members will now vote for the winners, which will be announced at the Awards Ceremony on December 12 in Bochum, Germany.

The Italian film "Gomorra" swept the board at last year's awards, winning best film and best director for Matteo Garrone.

Police: LA celebrity burglaries led by 19-year-old

LAS VEGAS – A young woman broke into the homes of Hollywood celebrities she admired, including Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton and Audrina Patridge, because she wanted to own their designer clothes and jewelry, an informant told police.

According to a Las Vegas police search warrant obtained by The Associated Press on Friday, Nicholas Prugo told Los Angeles police detectives that Rachel Jungeon Lee was the "driving force" behind the break-ins.

Prugo told police Lee, 19, would suggest a target, then Prugo would trawl the Internet for information about where they lived and when they would be away from home. Las Vegas police were involved because Lee lives there.

Police say the pair was part of a group of at least six that stole from October 2008 until September.

After watching a house, they would break into the poorly protected properties, often by simply walking through unlocked doors.

Prugo said they removed cash, narcotics and thousands of dollars worth of jewelry, including family heirlooms.

Acting on a tip, police arrested 18-year-old Prugo on Sept. 17. He initially refused to talk to police but on Oct. 6, he and his attorney met with detectives and Prugo "provided a full confession, and implicated several other suspects," court documents state.

"Prugo admitted to committing all of the burglaries and that Rachel Lee was with him during the residential burglaries of the homes of Audrina Patridge, Lindsay Lohan, Orlando Bloom, Rachel Bilson and the Hilton family," the search warrant states. "Prugo stated that it was Lee who would suggest a target and that he would surf the Internet to learn where the celebrity lived as well as the target's travel itinerary."

Prugo said Lee was motivated by her desire to "own the designer wardrobes of the Hollywood celebrities she admired."

At least six people have been arrested in the case. They include 18-year-olds Courtney Ames and Alexis Neiers, and Diana Tamayo, 19.

Ray Lopez Jr. and Jonathan Ajar, both 27 also were arrested. Ajar faces 10 felony charges after detectives found drugs and weapons at his home during a search. Ajar was convicted of a federal drug charge in 2002 and was not supposed to possess firearms.

The search warrant states Prugo told police he and Lee broke into Hilton's house several times. At the Lohan house, the burglary crew gained entrance by prying open a window with a screwdriver then swiped luggage, clothing and jewelry including a Rolex wristwatch with a blue face, Prugo told police.

He said expensive watches were also a target at Bloom's house, and several were stolen along with artwork and clothing.

Lee's father, David Lee, knew about the burglaries and gave advice about avoiding arrest and prosecution, Prugo said. He allegedly told his daughter to bury the stolen property in the Nevada desert and told Prugo to join the military.

Attempts to find a number for David Lee were unsuccessful.

A search of the Las Vegas home Lee shared with her father turned up a piece of paper with the names of her accomplices which Las Vegas Detective Ethan Grimes confirmed were the other subjects identified in the crime ring.

Police also found three photos of Paris Hilton, designer jeans, three computers, a Korean passport, 204 $100 bills and less than one ounce of marijuana when they arrested Lee at the home in northwest Las Vegas on Oct. 22, according to the warrants.

Lee was booked at the Clark County jail on a charge of possession of stolen property charge and released after posting $3,000 bail, Morgan said. Charges were not immediately filed and prosecutors in Los Angeles asked police to investigate her further.

Morgan said she did not know if Lee was represented by a lawyer. She could not immediately be reached Friday for comment.

Prosecutors have filed felony residential burglary charges against Neiers, Ames, Tamayo and Lopez Jr.

Winfrey takes Winans off her show

NEW YORK – Oprah Winfrey is removing gospel singer BeBe Winans from her show's "karaoke challenge" until charges against him for allegedly pushing his ex-wife to the ground are resolved.

Winans appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" last week and was seen in promos for future appearances. Now he'll be cut out of the segment, said Winfrey spokesman Don Halcombe on Thursday.

Winfrey was criticized by some bloggers this week for including Winans after she had taken a strong stand against domestic violence earlier this year. She did a show on the topic when singer Chris Brown assaulted his then-girlfriend Rihanna.

The daytime TV leader said at the time: "Domestic violence is something that I wouldn't tolerate. Period."

Halcombe would only say that the decision to eliminate Winans was made this week. It was not clear if Winfrey had been aware that Winans was charged with misdemeanor domestic assault in the Feb. 13 incident, where Winans and his ex-wife Debra were allegedly arguing about their children. Winans has a court date set for Jan. 20.

Winans' manager did not immediately return a telephone call for comment.

"Let's just not have a double standard on domestic violence or even accusations of domestic violence," said Joni Reynolds, a woman from the Baltimore area and author of a blog called Ebony Mom Politics.

She had called attention to Winans' participation and wondered if Winfrey had overlooked the charges because the Winans were friends or because there were no photos that had become public as in Rihanna's case.

Reynolds commended Winfrey for deciding to take Winans off the show.

Bachman, Turner being sued by rest of Overdrive over right to band name

VANCOUVER, B.C. — Randy Bachman and Fred Turner fronted one of the hottest rock bands of the 1970's, selling millions of albums under the name Bachman-Turner Overdrive.

Now they're front and centre in a B.C. Supreme Court lawsuit in which Bachman's own brother and another former bandmate are suing the pair for using their own names.

Robin Bachman and Blair Thornton launched the lawsuit claiming Randy Bachman and Fred Turner signed away the rights to the Bachman-Turner Overdrive and BTO names in three separate contracts.

"Much as Coca Cola is synonymous in the world with Coke, so too is Bachman-Turner Overdrive with BTO," says the lawsuit filed last Friday.

The Canadian rock band from Winnipeg was best known for the songs "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" and "Takin' Care of Business."

After the group broke up in 1977, the lawsuit claims Randy Bachman and Turner signed away the rights to the BTO name to their two former bandmates and agreed not to use the Bachman-Turner Overdrive name without the consent of the other parties.

The lawsuit states that Randy Bachman and Turner signed two further deals in 1984 and 2002, saying they wouldn't use the Bachman-Turner Overdrive name in connection to new recordings and live performances.

But in May 2009, the lawsuit claims that Randy Bachman's company, Ranback, registered several names with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the Canadian Intellectual Property Office including the names Bachman-Turner, B.T.U., and Bachman Turner Union.

It said Bachman and Turner have entered into contracts with concert promoters and agents to perform in Canada and Europe without the plaintiffs consent.

The lawsuit alleges the defendants have passed off their services to the public and diverted business that was rightfully theirs, "causing the plaintiffs harm and damage and appropriating to themselves profits which were rightful profits of the plaintiffs."

Robin Bachman and Thornton are asking for a permanent injunction stopping Randy Bachman and Fred Turner from using the BTO and Bachman-Turner Overdrive names.

The pair is also looking for financial damages for loss of market share, income and profit.

No statement of defence has been filed and the allegations in the lawsuit have not been tested in court.

Legal expert Mira Sundara Rajan, the Canada Research Chair on Intellectual Property Law, said such a lawsuit is very unusual.

"That question of not being able to use their own name for musical performances is really dodgy," she said.

Canadian law gives the moral right to the author and Canada has recently signed on to an international agreement that gives moral rights in performances, she said.

"If they perform, or if their work is used, they have a right to be associated with it by their own name, it's basically common sense if you think about it."

Sundara Rajan said if the artists specifically waived their moral right in the contracts, the outcome may be different.

"But what judges sometimes do is they look at contacts and they say 'well this provision is very unfair' and they interpret it some other way," she said. "So no contract like that is going to be iron clad."

She said the name Bachman-Turner Overdrive could be contentious because it is associated with a group that no longer exists.

Rihanna: Chris Brown's assault and aftermath were humiliating but she's stronger, wiser now

LOS ANGELES - Rihanna says dealing with the media attention after being assaulted in February by ex-boyfriend Chris Brown was humiliating. But she now hopes to speak for young women who are afraid to talk openly about domestic violence.

The 21-year-old pop star told Glamour magazine in an interview posted online Tuesday that the police photo of her bruised face that was leaked to reporters added insult to injury.

After the assault, she awoke to find helicopters circling her house and reporters swarming her street. "I felt like I went to sleep as Rihanna and woke up as Britney Spears," she said.

Rihanna said she felt disappointed and taken advantage of, especially when she heard that the two officers under investigation for leaking her photo were women.

"I felt like people were making it into a fun topic on the Internet, and it's my life," she said.

Rihanna said she didn't realize how much her decisions affected people she didn't know, like her many fans. She feels stronger, wiser and more aware now, she added.

"Domestic violence is a big secret," Rihanna said. "The positive thing that has come out of my situation is that people can learn from that. I want to give as much insight as I can to young women, because I feel like I represent a voice that really isn't heard. Now I can help speak for those women."

Brown, 20, pleaded guilty to felony assault in June. He was sentenced to five years' probation, six months of community labour and a year of domestic violence counselling for the attack, in which he was accused of hitting, choking and biting Rihanna in a rented sports car.

TMZ published the photo of Rihanna's bruised face less than two weeks after the beating, and the LAPD immediately launched an internal investigation of the leak.

Big names from Hollywood on Obama's arts committee

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – "Sex and the City" star Sarah Jessica Parker, Oscar winner Forest Whitaker and agent Bryan Lourd were among big Hollywood names named on Monday as members of U.S. President Barack Obama's Committee on Arts and the Humanities.

The panel focuses on arts and humanities education, cultural diplomacy, economic revitalization through the arts and humanities and special events.

First lady Michelle Obama is its honorary chairwoman and film producer George Stevens Jr. and theater producer Margo Lion had already been named as its co-chairs.

Besides Parker, Whitaker and Lourd, who is a partner and managing director of Creative Artists Agency, other Hollywood figures named to the group included actors Edward Norton, Kerry Washington and Alfre Woodard, director George Wolfe, independent filmmaker Liz Manne and publicist Andy Spahn.

The list of 25 people from the worlds of arts and entertainment also included cellist Yo Yo Ma, Vogue editor Anna Wintour, philanthropist Teresa Heinz, architect Thom Mayne and ballet dancer Damian Woetzel. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by John O'Callaghan)

Lil Wayne slapped with copyright lawsuit

Lil Wayne, who faces yet more legal woes, is now being sued for copyright infringement along with fellow rapper Birdman.

Florida resident Thomas Marasciullo says the pair used his voice without permission on several tracks.

The Grammy-winning Lil Wayne, born Dwayne Carter, is already facing a jail term after pleading guilty last week to attempted criminal possession of a weapon. He is slated to be sentenced at New York State Supreme Court in February.

Marasciullo says that back in 2006, he was asked to record "Italian-styled spoken-word recordings" for Cash Money Records, the rappers' record label. Cash Money was co-founded by Birdman, whose real name is Bryan Williams, with his brother, Ronald.

Marasciullo says those recordings were used in four tracks in the rappers' joint album Like Father, Like Son and also on five tracks on Birdman's 5 (Star) Stunna record.

Like Father, Like Son became a gold-selling release in 2006.

Marasciullo is also suing Cash Money Records and Universal Music and is seeking unspecified damages.

In his filing in a Manhattan court Friday, the Florida man contends that after he started to ask for compensation, his son was fired from his job as a recording engineer at Cash Money.

Marasciullo says he only discovered his work had been used when his daughter heard the song Respect from Like Father, Like Son while trying to download a ring-tone version of the Aretha Franklin single of the same name.

Madonna leaves Malawi after week's charity tour

LILONGWE, Malawi – Madonna has left Malawi after a nearly weeklong visit with her family, airport and charity officials said Saturday.

Officials said Madonna flew out of the southern African country on Friday. The 51-year-old celebrity arrived in the impoverished country on Sunday accompanied by her four children — daughters Lourdes and Mercy, and sons Rocco and David. Mercy and David were adopted from Malawi.

While in Malawi, she broke ground for her $15 million Raising Malawi Academy for Girls and visited the orphanage that cared for her son David before she adopted him.

Madonna's Raising Malawi, a charity founded in 2006 when she first visited the country, helps feed, educate and provide medical care for some of Malawi's orphans.

Malawi, a nation of 12 million, is one of the poorest countries in the world. About 500,000 children have lost a parent to AIDS.