Sam Claflin To Play Finnick In 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire'

Sam Claflin has been cast as Finnick in the much anticipated film "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire." Finnick is a charasmatic and clever man who was a District 4 Hunger Games victor when he was 14.
Claflin played the romantic lead in last year's "Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" and starred in the box office smash "Snow White And The Huntsman" playing Prince William alongside Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron and Chris Hemsworth. 
He recently finished filming "The Quiet Ones" opposite Jarred Harris, and "Mary & Martha," in which he co-stars with Hilary Swank.
"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" hits theaters Nov. 22, 2013.

Mariah Carey Already Making Diva Demands And Keeping Nicki Minaj Off 'American Idol'?

Mariah Carey is the newest judge on American Idol, but allegedly that is not stopping her from making some diva demands - especially on who joins her at the judge's table.
TMZ reports that the star was angered by American Idol producers when they told her they were considering Nicki Minaj as a fellow judge - so she hung up the phone with a slam mid-conversation. Allegedly Carey wants to be the only female judge and was disturbed that a younger woman would be joining her.
Despite this, US Weekly says the deal for Minaj is extremely close.
Minaj had promised her fans a surprise the other day, and it was assumed she would be officially announcing her spot on Idol. However, fans were disapointed when it turned out to be a reveal of her upcoming perfume.

Slash Launches Wildlife Charity Down Under

Rocker Slash teamed up with Steve Irwin's father to launch a wildlife foundation in Australia on Wednesday.

The former Guns N' Roses star helped Irwin's father Bob officially unveil the Bob Irwin Wildlife Conservation Foundation at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane, Australia.

Slash is a long-time animal lover and once famously owned a large collection of snakes and other reptiles, but let them go after becoming a father.

He first met Bob Irwin at the Soundwave music festival in Australia in 2010 and they bonded over their shared passion for wildlife - so the star decided to help with the launch of the new organization, which aims to educate children about animals.

The rocker told reporters at the launch, "He brought some animals down to Soundwave so we got to actually meet, so I was really starstruck... Ever since I can remember from childhood I've liked snakes and reptiles and animals in general. But snakes in particular."
Irwin adds, "The best thing about this guy is he's right into conservation and I love him."

Crocodile Hunter star Steve Irwin died 2006 after a fatal encounter with a stingray while filming a documentary at the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia.

Nicole Kidman Is Nearly Naked On The Cover Of V Magazine's Travel Issue

A topless Nicole Kidman graces the cover of V Magazine's Travel Issue in a special fold-out spread. The 45-year-old actress shows off her cheeks in a super short black skirt with gold chains around her waist.
In another shot in the magazine, Nicole wears a skimpy red lace bra with matching panties. She's also featured in a couple of black and white photos, staring seductively at the camera in only a push-up bra. Va va voom!
The actress is currently promoting her upcoming film "The Paperboy." The movie centers on Hillary Van Wetter (John Cusack) who is convicted of killing a seedy sheriff and is given a new life when a pen pal (Kidman) enlists the aid of two journalists to try and get him off death row.
In one much-buzzed about scene, Kidman's character, Charlotte, urinates on Zac Efron's character, Jack, after he gets stung by a jellyfish. Kidman explained, "The peeing thing, I didn't think was that weird, because I was in character. That was for the jellyfish. And for me it said so much about Charlotte. One, she's protecting him. Two, she's tough as nails and no one else is going to pee on this guy. All of that made total sense to me. I just went for it and didn't overthink it."
(For the record, doctors say urinating on a jellyfish sting won't relieve the suffering. Vinegar is a better treatment.)
In another "Paperboy" scene, Kidman and Cusack filmed a brutal sex act on top of a washing machine in which Hillary nearly strangles Charlotte to death.  Director Lee Daniels recalls, "At a certain point, I saw the bruises on her legs. So I said, 'Nicole, are you okay?' She lied. 'I'm fine,' she said. She wasn't fine. I could see the bruises. But she kept going."

Mila Kunis Joins The 'Third Person'

Quick geometry question for you: How many sides does a triangle have? Yes, the answer is three — thank you, "Sesame Street" — so if you're going to make a film about a love triangle, you're going to need three people. It's simple math.
Well, Oscar winning writer/director Paul Haggis just landed one side to his triangle, as The Wrap is reporting that Mila Kunis has signed on to star in "Third Person."
Sexiest. Hypotenuse. Ever.
Of course, there's still the matter of just whose angles she'll be dangling; Liam Neeson, Olivia Wilde and Naomi Watts have already reportedly joined the cast, but with Casey Affleck and James Franco both reportedly in talks to join the project as well, somebody's going to be on the outside looking in. Assuming, of course, that Haggis doesn't decide to make the world's first ever love hexagon, which would almost certainly demand an NC-17 rating.
Whatever the case, we'll find out soon enough, as "Third Person" is set to begin filming in October, with three interconnected love stories — and thus the potential for all sorts of geometric shenanigans — taking place in three of the world's sexiest cities, New York, Paris and Rome.
Looks like it's no longer hip to be square

A Few Minutes With... 'Haunted Highway' Co-Host Dana Workman

"I just kind of knew I was going to be in the industry," says Dana Workman when we connect for our interview. "There really wasn't a thought process. It felt like I was destined for it." She's recently completed the first season of SyFy's paranormal investigation series Haunted Highway, which she co-hosts alongside Jack Osbourne. According to SyFy, the series follows Dana, Jack and a pair of cohorts "as they do their own first-person investigations of the most frightening claims of paranormal activity along America's remote back roads."
For Dana, who has always had an interest in the unexplained (she's a longtime fan of The X-Files), hosting the show was a dream job. "It was nuts to say the least," she explains. "It was a crazy adventure, just filming in the middle of nowhere in the dark. It was everything and then some. My knowledge on anything in the world of the unexplained is so much greater now than it used to be."
Being a television personality is only one part of her diverse portfolio. An actress with parts in series like 8 Simple Rules and Malcolm in the Middle, she didn't anticipate the change. "I started off acting and I kind of fell into hosting," she explains. I didn't know I wanted to do it until I started doing it."
She may not have seen it coming, but she knows what makes her successful as a host. "I was really good at just being relatable to people," she adds. "I think in my normal life I'm always the one making sure everyone's okay and wanting to give advice. It just amplifies me. If I do interview somebody, I just want to make them comfortable."
She's also not putting on an act for the cameras: "I get hired to be me and I am the luckiest person in the world. In everything I do, you're always going to see elements of humor and sarcasm."
In addition to being a host and actress, Dana has also modeled, but contrary to popular opinion, she says being beautiful doesn't necessarily make things easier in show business. "Looks are a dime a dozen in this city. There's a million hot girls who are trying to act or trying to do hosting," she reflects. "I guess it helps if you want to be attractive on camera, but your personality is going to get you the rest of the way.
"I was worried when I got this show that people were going to judge me and think I was just there to be eye candy and not that I actually had a genuine interest in the paranormal," she confided, adding that "I was surprised" when it turned out she had nothing to worry about.

Given everything that she's tried, does she have an idea of what she wants to do with her emerging career? "I've been asking myself the same question since I was like fifteen," she says with a laugh. "I've had my hand in so many different types of jobs. I just tend to figure it out as I go along and find different things I love."
She's currently working on producing her own series, and waiting to find out if SyFy will pick up Haunted Highway for a second season, but there's one thing in particular she'd love to try: stand-up comedy.
"I love stand-up," she tells me, explaining that she goes to comedy clubs "every week. I have a passion for comedy. I know all these up and coming comedians [and] I try to incorporate humor into my hosting." Given the right material, we might see her in front of the microphone someday soon.
For all the differing jobs that Dana has had over her career, there's one thing that is constant: how incredibly genuine and warm she is. She's able to put people at ease and form a rapport, whether it's with a TV audience or the reporter she just met twenty minutes ago. She's not thinking she's amazing or aiming to be a huge celebrity; she's just happy to be here, and sharing that joy with the rest of us.
"I love what I do," she says. "I feel like I'm a pretty tough person, but I think most people also know that I have a huge heart."

P!nk, Alicia Keys & Taylor Swift To Appear On VH1 Storytellers

The new season of VH1's "Storytellers" will feature three Grammy award-winning artists - P!nk, Alicia Keys and Taylor Swift, according to Entertainment Weekly.
The episodes, which will also air online, include performances and stories by the artists in front of a live audience.
The new season will kick off on Sunday, Nov. 11, with Swift. The singer/songwriter recently broke download records with "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," achieving 623,000 paid downloads during its first week of release. She's sold more than 22 million albums and 50 million downloads.
On Nov. 12, 14-time Grammy Award winner Alicia Keys will be featured. The multitalented star is also a producer, actress, author, entrepreneur and humanitarian.
On Nov. 14, "Storytellers" will center on P!nk, who releases her sixth studio album, "The Truth About Love" on Sept. 18.
The show has featured artists such as Elton John, Paul Simon, David Bowie, Green Day and Kanye West.

Check Out An Exclusive Clip From Tonight's Episode Of 'Necessary Roughness'

With just two episodes remaining until the mid-season finale of "Necessary Roughness," the drama is at an all-time high for the NY Hawks.
Tonight's episode features some of the drama that has been brewing all season long. When something important is stolen from TK's (Mehcad Brooks) apartment, Matt (Marc Blucas) finds himself going toe-to-toe with TK's agent, Rob (guest star Rob Estes). Nico (Scott Cohen) uncovers a major security breach at the Hawks, Ray Jay (Patrick Johnson) wants to supplement his college tuition and Jeanette’s (guest star Amanda Detmer) pregnancy panic comes to a head.

Check out an exclusive clip featuring Dani, Matt, and Nico discussing none other than TK and his possible pill addiction:


http://youtu.be/HkKC10qeu88

Angelina Jolie Lands Daughter Vivienne A Role In 'Maleficent'

Angelina Jolie is making her new movie Maleficent a family affair after landing a role for her daughter Vivienne, according to a new report.

The Oscar winner plays Sleeping Beauty's arch-enemy in the new adaptation of the classic tale, and has persuaded producers to use the four year old in the film.

Vivienne, whose father is Jolie's fiance Brad Pitt, will reportedly play the actress' onscreen daughter.

A source tells Britain's The Sun, "Ange thought it would be a fun experience for her and Viv to share, and Viv is a natural."

"The other kids are now nagging Ange and Brad to land them roles."

Vali Corleone me emër pak më ndryshe

Deri më tani të gjithë i jemi dejtuar me emrin Valentino (Vali) Corleone, por po duket që ai emër nuk ka qenë i vërtetë. Kjo pasi që emri i vërtetë në letërnoftimin personit që vetëquhej Valentino është Princvalentino.
Vetë Princvalentino e ka publikuar foton në rrjetin social Facebook, për ta treguar emrin e tij të vërtetë pasi që sipas tij ka pasur kërkesa të mëdha të dihej emri i tij në dokumentet identifikuese.

Avril Lavigne und Chad Kroeger wollen heiraten

New York. Die Sängerin Avril Lavigne (27) und der Frontmann der Band Nickelback, Chad Kroeger (37), haben sich verlobt. Kroeger habe Anfang August um die Hand der Sängerin angehalten, bestätigte eine Sprecherin von Lavigne dem Magazin «People». 
Das Paar sei sich nähergekommen, als Kroeger im Februar gemeinsam mit Lavigne einen Song für deren neues Album geschrieben habe. Bislang war die Beziehung der beiden Kanadier weitgehend unbemerkt geblieben. Lavigne bedankte sich per Kurznachrichtendienst Twitter bei einigen Fans und Freunden, die ihr Glückwünsche geschickt hatten. Die 27-Jährige war zuvor bereits mit dem Sänger Deryck Whibley verheiratet. Kroeger war noch nicht verheiratet. 

Tom Cruise und Katie Holmes offiziell geschieden

New York. Das Hollywood-Paar Tom Cruise (50) und Katie Holmes (33) ist endgültig Geschichte. Ein Richter in New York habe die Scheidungsunterlagen bereits am Montag unterschrieben, berichteten US-Medien unter Bezugnahme auf die amtlichen Dokumente. Damit sei die Scheidung der beiden offiziell. 
Ende Juni hatte das von US-Medien gerne als «TomKat» bezeichnete Paar nach knapp sechs Jahren Ehe seine Trennung verkündet. Wenig später einigten sich beide auf die Bedingungen der Scheidung. Details wurden nicht bekannt. Die beiden haben eine gemeinsame Tochter Suri (6). 

Prinz Harry imponiert mit bloßer Hand

London. Die britische Bahnrad-Olympiasiegerin Laura Trott (20) hat ausgeplaudert, wie unkompliziert sie mit Prinz Harry (27) Bier getrunken hat. 
Über das Kennenlernen auf der olympischen Beachvolleyball-Tribüne erzählte Trott dem «Daily Telegraph» vom Mittwoch: «Wir tranken also Bier, weil meine Wettbewerbe vorbei waren. Und wir hatten keinen Flaschenöffner, weil die auf den Zuschauerrängen nicht erlaubt sind. Also hat er das mit den Händen gemacht.»

Aber damit nicht genug. Dem Prinzen sei ein Fauxpas unterlaufen: «Der Deckel flog und flog und für einen Moment ist er über den Kopf von einem Typen gestreift. Harry meinte so: "Oh, mein Gott".» Von den Royals, die sie als zweifache Goldmedaillengewinnerin kennenlernen durfte, sei Prinz Harry «der Beste»: «Du erwartest nicht, dass er so normal ist.» 

Berliner Riesenpanda Bao Bao gestorben

Berlin. Der Berliner Riesenpanda Bao Bao ist tot. Der 34 Jahre alte Bär, der letzte seiner Art im Zoologischen Garten der Hauptstadt, starb am Mittwochvormittag in seinem Gehege. Das seltene Tier hatte sein Millionenpublikum wie sonst nur Eisbär Knut bis zu dessen Tod im März 2011. 
Nach Angaben von Zoo-Direktor Bernhard Blaszkiewitz war zuletzt bei dem Panda ein körperlicher Verfall zu beobachten. Bao Bao lebte seit November 1980 im Zoologischen Garten. Das Tier sei «ganz ruhig eingeschlafen». Eine Sektion soll die genaue Todesursache klären.

Der zweijährige Jungbär kam als Geschenk der chinesischen Regierung an den damaligen Bundeskanzler Helmut Schmidt (SPD) zusammen mit Tjen Tjen nach Berlin. Seine erste Partnerin starb 1984. Die zweite Pandadame Yan Yan starb ebenfalls.

In Berlin endet mit dem Tod des Pandabären eine Ära. In Europa werden die weltweit vom Aussterben bedrohten Tiere nur noch in Wien und Madrid gezeigt. Das Tier habe ein «stolzes Alter erreicht», sagte Blaszkiewitz der Nachrichtenagentur dpa. Bao Bao galt weltweit als der älteste in einem Zoo lebende männliche Panda.

Pandas können in Gefangenschaft bis zu 35 Jahre alt werden, in freier Wildbahn sind es im Schnitt etwa zehn Jahre weniger. Sie gelten als Einzelgänger und beschäftigen sich bis zu 16 Stunden am Tag mit Fressen. Sie bevorzugen Bambusspitzen und verputzen täglich bis zu 30 Kilogramm der nährstoffarmen Pflanze.

Weibchen sind nur drei bis fünf Tage im Jahr fruchtbar. Normalerweise kommen die Tiere nur zur Paarungszeit zusammen. Sie sind sehr wählerisch bei der Partnerwahl und gelten als Paarungsmuffel. Nach WWF-Angaben sind Pandas vom Aussterben bedroht.

Die Aussichten, in Berlin einmal die Panda-Tradition fortzusetzen, sind gering. Die Chinesen verlangen für die Überlassung der seltenen Art pro Jahr mindestens eine Million Euro. In ihrer ursprünglichen Heimat in den Bergregenwäldern Chinas sollen nur noch etwa 1600 Pandas leben.

Berlins Tierparks - Der Zoologische Garten und der Tierpark Friedrichsfelde - sind in jüngerer Zeit immer wieder von aufsehenerregenden Tierverlusten betroffen gewesen.

Im November vor zwei Jahren starb Kragenbärin Mäuschen, die mehr als acht Jahre mit einer kleinen Katze zusammengelebt hatte. Mitte März 2011 verendete Eisbär-Star Knut, den mehr als elf Millionen Menschen besucht hatten. Dann erlagen zwei junge Elefanten dem Herpes-Virus. Ein Löwenmännchen tötete zwei Löwenbabys. Eine Schwarzbärin musste nach einem schweren Sturz eingeschläfert werden. 

Natalia Wörner würde Schauspielberuf niemanden empfehlen

Hamburg. Schauspielerin Natalia Wörner betrachtet ihren Job kritisch. «Ich würde diesen Beruf trotzdem keinem anderen Menschen empfehlen», sagte die 44-Jährige der Zeitschrift «Grazia» laut Vorabbericht. 
«Weil es heute noch schwieriger ist, seinen Traum damit zu verwirklichen, als damals, als ich angefangen habe. Alles ist jetzt Kalkül, alles ist Strategie.»

Sie selbst könne sich dennoch nichts anderes vorstellen, «auch wenn ich in meinem Leben noch nie so was wie einen Feierabend hatte». Das fordere natürlich einen Preis. «Ich bin glücklich, wenn ich arbeite. Erschöpfung ist dann manchmal meine Erholung.» 

Olympiasieger Ryan Lochte pokert um Fernsehverträge

Los Angeles. Ryan Lochte (28), US-Schwimmstar und Olympiasieger, verhandelt mit den Produzenten der US-Reality-Show «The Bachelor». Rund 600.000 Euro fordere der achtzehnfache Olympiasieger für seine Teilnahme an der Dating-Show, berichtet der Branchendienst «Radaronline.com». 
Die Gage könnte allerdings auch noch in die Höhe gehen, da Lochte derzeit von Angeboten geradezu überhäuft werde. Neben Werbeverträgen seien ihm auch Rollen in Spielfilmen angeboten worden.

Bereits abgedreht ist ein Gastauftritt in der TV-Serie «90210». Zugesagt habe er außerdem seine Teilnahme an der Promi-Tanzshow «Dancing With The Stars». 

Jim Carrey und Jeff Daniels drehen nun doch «Dumm und Dümmer 2»

Los Angeles. Jim Carrey (50) und Jeff Daniels (57), Hollywoodstars, werden noch einmal in ihre Rollen in der Blödelkomödie «Dumm und Dümmer» schlüpfen. 
Vor kurzem hatten die beiden Hauptdarsteller noch ihre Beteiligung an einer Fortsetzung abgelehnt. Nun bestätigte Drehbuchautor und Regisseur Bobby Farrelly dem Internetmagazin «Digital Spy» deren Zusage. Da Daniels allerdings ab Herbst wieder für die TV-Serie «The Newsroom» vor der Kamera stehe, könnten die Dreharbeiten erst im kommenden Frühjahr beginnen.

«Dumm und Dümmer» war eine der erfolgreichsten Kinokomödien des Jahres 1995 und spielte weltweit rund 200 Millionen Euro ein. 

Schauspieler Dan Stevens hat Nachwuchs

London. Dan Stevens (29), britischer Schauspieler, freut sich über einen Sohn. «Baby Nummer 2 ist nun angekommen. Es ist ein Junge und wir sind natürlich sehr beglückt», sagte er der britischen Tageszeitung «Daily Telegraph». 
Stevens hatte seine Ehefrau und Mutter seiner Kinder, Sängerin Susie Harriet, 2006 bei einem gemeinsamen Theaterengagement kennengelernt. Die junge Familie werde in einigen Wochen nach New York ziehen.

Im Oktober wird Serienstar Stevens («Downton Abbey») in dem Bühnenstück «The Heiress» sein Broadyway-Debüt geben. 2009 war Stevens in der Filmbiografie «Hilde» als Hildegard Knefs zweiter Ehemann David Cameron auch in den deutschen Kinos zu sehen.

Mariah Carey Wants Lenny Kravitz On 'Idol'

Mariah Carey is lobbying American Idol producers to hire her rocker pal Lenny Kravitz to join her on the judging panel of the reality show instead of rapper Nicki Minaj.

New reports on Monday suggested rapper Minaj was close to signing a deal with TV bosses to help pick out aspiring singers on the upcoming 12th season of the program.

However, it appears Carey isn't too enthusiastic on the double female combination and she has proposed her own suggestions for the spare seat at the judge's table.

After hearing the Minaj gossip, the Heartbreaker hit-maker took to her Twitter.com blog and uploaded a photo of herself with Kravitz, writing, "@AmericanIdol What's going on? need the info!! What about this combo? if we could ever get him to do it!"

The American Woman rocker seemed more than interested and tweeted back, "@MariahCarey @AmericanIdol Girl, we've known each other since we were teenagers. How fun would that be?!"
The two friends are currently filming director Lee Daniels' new movie The Butler together, while they also co-starred in the filmmaker's 2009 hit Precious.

Nicki Minaj's Big Surprise: Her Fragrance Name & Bottle

This morning Nicki Minaj revealed her fragrance name Pink Friday and the bottle image via Twitter and her fans are already going CRAZY for it! How fierce is it?

An official press release with exact details will be launched within the next two weeks, so all fragrance info as of now is coming directly via Nicki's Twitter page.

But what does the scent smell like?

One fan asked her that, and she simply replied, "Like angels playing."

Nicki tweeted on Monday night that she had a big surprise for her fans and she would announce it Tuesday morning. Speculation led to it being an official announcement that she'd be joining the cast of American Idol for its upcoming season.

But shortly after she tweeted about the surprise, she clarified it for one user, "Barbz."

"[T]he surprise is this: tomorrow morning, I'm tweeting the perfume NAME & BOTTLE!!!!!!!! 9amEST!!!!!!! Mmmmuuuaaaahhhh!!!!!!!" she wrote.

Do you want to smell like Nicki Minaj? Well, you won't have to wait long, her new fragrance launches late next month.

Taylor Swift & Conor Kennedy Visit His Mother's Gravesite

Taylor Swift appears to be getting quite close to her new boyfriend Conor Kennedy. She took time out on Sunday to visit the sight of his mother Mary's grave in Cape Cod, Mass.
Mary Kennedy committed suicide in May, and Taylor, Conor, and his young siblings visited the Xavier Cemetery in Hyannis to pay tribute to his mother. The New York Daily News published photos of Swift wearing a floral dress and black sunglasses, holding Conor's hand and bowing her head in prayer.
Taylor, 22, and Conor, 18, went public with their relationship earlier this month after photos surfaced of the two of them hanging out together and kissing in Massachusettes.
Taylor recently bought a beach home next to the Kennedy compound, and on Saturday was Conor's date at his cousin's wedding.
It looks like things are getting quite serious for the young couple. Since catapulting to stardom in 2006 Taylor has dated several celebrities, including Joe Jonas, Jake Gyllenhaal, John Mayer and Taylor Lautner. Perhaps this one will stick?

Robert Pattinson Denies Canceling 'Twilight' Convention Appearances

 

A representative for actor Robert Pattinson has denied he pulled out of upcoming Twilight conventions in a bid to steer clear of his ex-girlfriend Kristen Stewart.

The actress shocked fans of the vampire franchise last month when she confessed to an "indiscretion" with married moviemaker Rupert Sanders.

Pattinson and Stewart had reportedly decided to avoid each other by pulling out of appearances at four events in the U.S., but a spokesman for Pattinson insists the rumor is untrue, claiming the actor was never scheduled to attend the conventions.

The rep tells GossipCop.com, "We have not cancelled any confirmed professional appearances for Robert. Specifically, he was never invited or set to attend these events."

'Happily Divorced's' Tichina Arnold Ties The Knot

Actress Tichina Arnold has married her fiancé in Hawaii.

The Everybody Hates Chris star exchanged vows with college basketball coach Rico Hines on Saturday at the Oasis Oceanfront Estate in Honolulu in front of 70 guests.

And Arnold, 43, reveals the wedding location had extra special meaning to the couple, which became engaged in March.

She tells lifestyle website Essence.com, "Rico and I enjoyed our first vacation in Hawaii so we knew that we wanted to legalize our love here."

It is Arnold's second union - she was previously married to boxer Lamon Brewster, and she has an eight-year-old daughter, Alijah, with music producer Carvin Haggins.

Enrique Iglesias May Be Joining 'American Idol'

 

On Monday news broke that Nicki Minaj was joining Mariah Carey as a judge on "American Idol." Sources told Us Weekly, "I'm not sure the deal is completely done yet, but yes, she is definitely doing it. A few more slight things to sign off on but it is happening," one of the sources said. The other stated, "100% confirmed to judge American Idol."
Now rumors have surfaced that Enrique Iglesias will also be joining the panel, perhaps sending Randy Jackson into a mentor role. In late July, US Weekly reported Nick Jonas was in lengthy talks to judge talent on the singing competition.
Perhaps ex-judge Jennifer Lopez convinced the Latin superstar to sign up for the reality show, which pays its judges millions of dollars. Lopez and Iglesias' joint tour has been playing to sold out crowds across North America and will conclude in Florida next month before Lopez goes solo in Europe and Asia. That will free up Iglesias for an opportunity to work on "Idol," which kicks off its next season in 2013.
Meanwhile, FOX's other singing show, "The X Factor," premieres Sept. 12 and 13 with Britney Spears, Demi Lovato, Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid as the judges.

Country diary: Prodigal sun raises hopes for harvest

The rain may have stopped – for now – but farmers face abundant longer-term challenges.

In 1976 – Drought Year – we finished harvest, for the first and only time, in July. It was fantastic: the ground was hard and dusty, the sun was hot, and the quality of the grain was excellent. There was not a cloud or a worry on the horizon. But this year, since tenant Tim Scott had not gone over the whole of Lark Rise Farm with a hairdryer (and why should he have one? He’s as bald as a coot), he had only just started harvest by the end of this July. Now we have the frustration of a stop-start harvest courtesy of the showers — some with accompnaying lightning.

I have never known the ground to be so wet at this time of the year, although looking on the bright side I can remember only one harvest when we failed to finish combining altogether. That was way back in the late Fifties when I was still at school. My father had progressed from a “binder”, cutting the corn and tying it into sheaves, to a combine harvester. Well, I call it a combine harvester, but when I compare it with today’s monsters, it was a midget. It was pulled along by a Fordson Major tractor, and its on-board grain bin held a “mighty” half a ton; now Tim’s self-propelled combine has a cutter bar nearly 23ft (7m) wide, the on-combine grain bin can hold seven tons, and the grain trailer, which takes the grain from field to farm, can carry 14 tons.

During the unfinished harvest, the ground became so wet that the little combine simply sank into the saturated clay, and the Fordson Major hadn’t the strength to pull it out – perhaps it should have been demoted to Fordson Private. Two uncles then drove to the rescue with their new self-propelled Massey Harris. The MH succeeded for a time, and then it too sank up to its axles — and it took two tractors to pull that out. So in the rain of November, harvest was finally abandoned. I hope the same doesn’t happen this year, and with the recent arrival of some hot sun, we must keep our fingers crossed.

This summer, many fields are still wet from the earlier soaking, and it will be interesting to see how the heavy modern machinery copes. Certainly the soil structure will not be helped by the monster chunks of machinery compressing the soft ground.

However, despite it being the wettest summer I can remember, the crops look good, and, since the return of the sunshine, the moisture content of the grain has plummeted, so, with luck, driers will be redundant. Then, with droughts hitting the harvests of the US and Russia, cereal prices are higher than they have been for years, and even my father-in-law, a Cambridgeshire smallholder, is smiling.

Peas in our time
Tim Scott has 11 combinable crops this year, planted to create a mosaic across the CRT’s Lark Rise Farm – the exact opposite of “block-cropping”. A mosaic offers wildlife a number of crops and choices, and as a result, bird and animal numbers benefit enormously. This year his 11th crop is an odd one – four acres of sweet peas, flowering in the most spectacular way now. When the flowers have gone and the seed has ripened in the pods, he will combine them, hoping to provide a quarter of Britain’s sweet pea seeds for next year. Apart from looking attractive, sweet peas have other advantages – the plants and peas are poisonous, so pigeons leave them alone.
It can only be a matter of time before health and safety and the EU ban the growing of sweet peas in gardens on the grounds of their being a major threat to life as we know it.
And then, shock, horror, what about bracken? I’ll mention some tit-bits about that in a later Diary.
Dairy diary
Now a serious question: what is the difference between Lord Coe and a dairy farmer? The answer is simple: if Lord Coe needed more money for the Olympics – and this includes the wages of the British Army, the police, extra rockets, helicopters, the whole transport system, and of course, a new hairbrush – the Government (you and me, the taxpayers) paid up.
If dairy farmers want more money, simply for their families to survive, to pay the interest on their overdrafts and for the welfare of their cows, they don’t get it. They simply go bust and become a statistic, and statistics fail to show tears and anguish.
Since my last Diary on the plight of dairy farmers, the wholesalers announced they would cut the price to producers yet again from August 1. Some, thanks to public and farming outrage, have since changed their minds. The situation is a disgrace, and shows the free market at its unacceptable worst.
The free market should involve a willing buyer and a willing seller. With milk it involves a dictating buyer and an unwilling seller.
The price of producing a pint of milk as farmers foolishly intensify production to try to cope is 30p per litre. Yet from the start of this month, many could still receive only 25p per litre. In other words the price of milk should be fixed by the Government, as it was when there was a Milk Marketing Board. Of course, this is not allowed under the rules of the EU superstate, and presents us with yet another reason for getting out of what I call the EEE — the Evil European Empire.
At the same time, the rich wholesalers are spending their millions. The German dairy giant Müller has just bought Robert Wiseman Dairies, one of the worst payers to farmers and a supplier of one third of Britain’s liquid milk. Never again will a Müller yogurt cross my threshold. The giants Arla Foods and Milk Link have merged, creating a business that will have a £2 billion turnover, involving three billion litres of milk. As usual, the farming establishment is claiming that this merger will give farmers more “clout”. Sorry, I’ve heard that before. I wager that in 12 months’ time the only people to have benefited will be the directors of the new company.
To cope with Britain’s rapidly expanding population and increased food security deficit (another masterstroke, courtesy of our dumb, spineless politicians), some Clever Dicks are now saying that the answer is not to feed cattle grass, but to house them for 12 months a year and feed them on “agricultural waste” – in other words, chopped straw, molasses, biscuit meal and imported soya – allowing all our grassland to be ploughed up for cereals and biofuels, so the wildlife wipeout would accelerate.
Readers, please stop reading now and listen: can you hear the howls of protest from the RSPB, the Wildlife Trusts and the National Trust? No, nor can I.
The facts of dairy farming are bleak. Between 1995 and 2010 the number of dairy farmers in Great Britain (including Northern Ireland) — sorry, the United Kingdom — has decreased from 35,741 to 15,716, and in the past 12 months a further 172 herds have gone from England and Wales.
I will give my complete solution to the problems of dairy farming in a Diary soon. In the meantime I am so irritated that I shall take our last ever Müller yogurt from the fridge and hurl it at a magpie. But I suppose that this will be illegal: “disposing of a waste product without a licence”.

Trogloraptor spider discovered in US cave

A new family of spiders named Trogloraptor for its fearsome claws has been discovered in a cave in southern Oregon. 

The spider, which measures up to 3 inches across with its legs outstretched, was found by amateur cave explorers in a cave system outside Grants Pass in southern Oregon in the United States.

It is the first new family of spiders to be found in North America since the 1890s and scientists believe there could be many more similar species hidden in forests and caves in the country.

The new spider has been formally called Trogloraptor marchingtoni, but is commonly being called the cave robber spider.

Scientists who identified the spider as a new family believe it hunts by hanging from strands of silk from the cave roof, snapping up passing prey with its long legs and oversized claws.

Professor Charles Griswold, curator of arachnology at the California Academy of Sciences who helped to identify the new spider, said there was still a lot of work to be done as they have no idea what it eats or exactly how it hunts.

He said: "For a spider, this is a pretty big one. In the torchlight it can look even bigger.
"It has remarkable claws and feet which are like scythes or hooks. We think these work to snap and trap their prey.
"They live in caves and make a few strands of silk from which they hang from the ceiling. They hang legs in air in dark and wait for their prey to come by. We have never seen them eat or catch their prey."
He added that finding a spider of this size suggested there were many more exciting discoveries of species to be made, even in well explored countries like the US.
He compared the discovery of the new arachnid to finding legendary creatures Bigfoot.
He said: "There are still so many habitats to be explored in detail. There may be more species of Trogloraptor as there are many caves and forests that have still to be explored.
"This is a historic moment in arachnology to find a new family of spiders. The last time this happened was in 2000 when a spider was found in South Africa. The last time in North America was in the 1890s."
The formal description of the new species appeared in the scientific journal ZooKeys.
Light brown in colour, it has long legs with large hooked claws on the end of the front six.
It was initially found by a group from the Western Cave Conservancy, who were exploring a cave system in the ancient forests of the Klamath-Siskiyou mountains in southern Oregon.
They sent specimens to the arachnologists at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, where they struggled to identify it.
It is thought the spider has evolved separately inside the caves and so has been given its own family within the Arachnid class of animals – naming it Trogloraptor due to its large claws.
The scientists gave the new spider the name marchingtoni in honour of Douglas County sheriff's Deputy Neil Marchington, who led scientists to the cave where the spider had been found.
They say the spider's impressive claws suggest they are "fierce, specialised predators". They believe it could be a close relative of another family of spiders known as goblin spiders.
Professor Griswold and his colleagues Tracy Audisio and Joel Ledford were so baffled by the new spider that they showed it to arachnologists around the world in a bid to identify it.
They have now produced a detailed guide to help distinguish it from other spider families.

 

Stranded whale put down in Cornwall

A 65ft fin whale had to be "humanely destroyed" after it was washed up on the beach in Cornwall with an injury. 

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The creature was beached at Carlyon Bay in St Austell at around 5pm but attempts to refloat the whale were called off when vets said it was too sick to return to the sea.

Teams from St Austell Coastguard, Devon and Cornwall Police and British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) were called out after the mammal was reported as "live and thrashing about in shallow water". Members of the public also tried to help it.

Emergency services cordoned off the area where around 300 people gathered but rescue teams said its injury meant it was beyond help.

A Brixham Coastguard spokesman said: "The beached whale was first reported to us at 4.54pm and we tasked a coast guard unit from St Austell, Devon and Cornwall Police, and the BDMLR, who all proceeded to the scene.

"It's obviously a very distressing scene and we would ask the public to stay away from the beach to allow the rescue unit to do their work and save the whale from further distress."

 

Britain's Olympic medallists to lose out to mandarins in honours

Britain’s Olympic gold medal winners are likely to lose out to senior civil servants in the New Year’s honours list under a strict quota system.

The Whitehall committee responsible for awarding honours to sports people is allowed to make only one medal winner a knight or dame this year. But as many as four mandarins could be knighted.

More than 20 officials will also become CBEs – the next most highly ranked honour – compared with four sports stars, according to the rules.

There is growing controversy over the quota system, which appears to favour civil servants over the country’s Olympic athletes.

More than 100 Britons won medals at the London 2012 Olympics, with 43 gaining golds, and dozens more Paralympians are expected to follow suit in the coming weeks. Ministers said on Monday that Olympic medal winners should be recognised.

However, they claim that despite popular pressure Whitehall officials are reluctant to overhaul the honours system, in operation for centuries.

Sir Bob Kerslake, the head of the civil service, has warned that Olympians must demonstrate wider community work beyond their performance in sport, as disclosed by The Daily Telegraph in May.
However, critics say mandarins such as Sir Bob should “wait their turn” before receiving honours from the Queen. In the past two years at least six current or retired permanent secretaries have been made knights or dames.
On Monday night MPs and members of the committee urged ministers to ignore the quotas and honour Britain’s Olympians.
Bernard Jenkin MP, chairman of the influential public administration select committee, which next week publishes a report on the honours system, said Olympic stars should be honoured at the expense of civil servants.
“Personally, I see no reason why, if extra sporting knighthoods are recommended, they should not be granted,” he said. “During our inquiry the line of questioning pursued by all members of the committee was in pursuit of a merit-based honours system rather than Buggins’s turn.
“It does no harm for some to have to wait. An Olympic medal is surely worth more than any gong awarded by some mysterious committee.”
Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, a member of the Whitehall “sport committee” which decides which sports star to honour, said she hoped there was an “opportunity for some flexibility” this year.
She said that “lots of people” had told her that Bradley Wiggins, the cyclist who won both the Tour de France and gold in the Olympic time trial, should be made a knight and the Olympic heptathlete Jessica Ennis should become a dame.
People had also told her that Sir Chris Hoy, Britain’s greatest Olympian with six gold medals, should be made a peer.
“In any other year it would be hard to justify arguing for more,” she said. “But because this year has been so extraordinary for British sport, I would be expecting there to be some negotiation at a central committee level.”
The calls were backed by Jeremy Hunt, the Culture Secretary. He said: “I would like to see as many of those medallists rewarded as possible.”
The sport committee, which was established in 2005, is meeting towards the end of next month to decide which athletes it should propose to be honoured. Typically, 1,000 people receive honours every year in either the Queen’s Birthday honours list in June or the New Year’s honours list.
Public expectation of a slew of honours has been raised after two of the cyclists were rewarded after a successful Beijing Games in 2008.
Chris Hoy was knighted and Bradley Wiggins was appointed a CBE in the 2009 New Year’s honours list.
Kelly Holmes was made a dame after winning a double gold in Athens in 2004.
However, Cabinet Office rules state that the sport committee, which is chaired by the Locog chief Lord Coe, can recommend only one knighthood a year, along with four CBEs, 20 OBEs, and 38 MBEs.
In comparison, the state committee — which gives out honours to civil servants from Westminster and the devolved administrations — can give out four knighthoods a year, as well as 22 CBEs, 68 OBEs and 134 MBEs.
The health and education committees can dole out a collective 16 knighthoods, 40 CBEs, 102 OBEs and 206 MBEs.
The sport committee’s recommendations, alongside those from the seven other committees, will be submitted to the main Honours Advisory Committee.
This group then agrees a final list to be submitted through the Prime Minister to the Queen for approval. The rules, published in the “second report on operation of the reformed honours system” on the Cabinet Office’s website, state: “Each of the specialist committees is allocated an annual quota of available awards.
“The quotas are established with reference to the Government’s priorities; the numbers of people employed in the sector and the need to be able to spread knowledge of and access to honours widely across the community.”
The Prime Minister’s spokesman initially denied that the honours quotas existed.
He said: “Honours are awarded on merit not according to quotas. There are different committees that reflect different areas — but there are not quotas.”
Downing Street later appeared to change its stance, insisting that quotas were advisory only, and did not have any force.
Lord Moynihan, the chairman of the British Olympic Association, criticised officials for raising the issue so soon after the end of the Games. He said: “This is not the time to say to turn around and say we have so many quotas for knights, quotas for MBEs and OBEs.”
A Cabinet Office spokesman said: “Honours are awarded on merit and so naturally there will always be some flexibility. While the report sets out guidelines we don’t operate a rigid quota system.”

A pain-free solution for social housing

This is a smart plan and there is surely a lesson here for George Osborne

High-value social tenancies have long been a source of public resentment. The unfairness of council and housing association tenants living at low rents in expensive homes that are way beyond the reach of most people understandably rankles. The think tank Policy Exchange has produced an elegant solution. It proposes that social housing that is classified as “expensive” – worth more than the average for a home of that size in the same locality – should be sold when it becomes vacant, with the proceeds put into building low-cost social housing.

There are more than 800,000 such properties, with a total value of about £160 billion. At current vacancy rates, about £4.5 billion-worth of these flats and houses fall empty every year and selling them would, according to Policy Exchange, raise enough money to build 170,000 new social homes. That would be a bigger social housing programme than at any time since the Seventies. And there will be no need to ease green-field planning laws to achieve such an ambitious goal, for most social housing can be accommodated within town and city boundaries.

Downing Street has rowed in behind the scheme and it is easy to see why. It is a relatively pain-free way of ending an anomaly while making deep inroads into housing waiting lists – and giving our ailing economy a shot-in-the-arm in the process. It also meshes with the Coalition’s existing policies for making social housing fairer and cheaper – capping housing benefit payments at £400 a week for large properties and making high-earning social tenants pay a market rent for their properties.

The Labour Party is clearly rattled by the proposal and has responded with predictable scare tactics, claiming that it would “drive out hard-working families on low wages from whole neighbourhoods”. Labour has deliberately chosen not to notice that these properties will be sold only when they are empty. Such alarmism is par for the course. Labour claimed that the housing benefit cap would lead to the “social cleansing” of high-cost housing areas but that has simply not happened.

This is a smart plan and there is surely a lesson here for George Osborne. He is in danger of appearing impotent against the economic storm. That is not a good look for a chancellor. Policy Exchange has shown that radical ideas do not have to be complex or costly. Mr Osborne needs to start demonstrating the same ingenuity and a lot more energy if this recession is to be beaten. David Cameron’s warning last month that we will have to get used to austerity was defeatist: it is time the Government started fighting back.

David Cameron raises £1.3 million from donor dinners

David Cameron has raised £1.3 million from donors attending private lunches and dinners over the last three months, despite the cash-for-access scandal.

Since April, the Prime Minister and senior ministers have wined and dined 30 business leaders, who donate at least £50,000 per year for the privilege of being in the "leader's group".

These included Sir Paul Ruddock, the hedge fund boss who profited from the collapse of Northern Rock, Ed Wray, the founder of gambling company Betfair, and Roger Nagioff, a former executive at failed bank Lehman Brothers.

Mr Cameron agreed to reveal who pays to spend time with him, after Peter Cruddas, the Conservative co-treasurer, was filmed telling potential donors they could influence policy at meetings with the Prime Minister.

The senior fundraiser ended up resigning over the incident, after the Prime Minister called his comments “unacceptable”.

The Conservative Party consistently maintains that it would never trade policy for access.

However, Mr Cameron continues to accept money from major donors in return for regular dinners, drinks receptions and lunches after his weekly question time in the House of Commons.
The guest list at these events includes property developers, such as John Guthrie and Sir John Hall; oil tycoons, such as Ian Taylor, Ayman Asfari, Jeremy Asher and Abdul-Majid Jafar; and City financiers, including Henry Angest, Michael Farmer and Howard Shore.
The Conservative Party refused to disclose how many events took place and which ministers were present at each.
However, some were also attended by Theresa May, the Home Secretary, Eric Pickles, the Community Secretary and Lord Strathclyde, the Conservative leader in the House of Lords.
An analysis by Labour showed donors who attended private meals and parties at Number 10 and Chequers gave almost £800,000 to the Tories
A spokesman for the Conservatives claimed Labour has raised more money from dinners between donors and its party leader.
"The Prime Minister occasionally has dinner with party donors, as do other party leaders," she said. "There is no suggestion of influence over government policy as a result of donations."
New figures also show the Conservative Party took almost £3.8 million in donations during the last three months.
Mr Farmer, the Christian hedge fund manager who strongly opposes gay marriage, was the top donor with a gift of more than £500,000.
The party also registered more than £150,000 of cash from Westfield, the builder of shopping centres, which benefited from longer Sunday trading hours for retailers during the Olympics.
Two of the £50,000 donations from Westfield, which has a major shopping centre in Stratford, near the Olympic park, were handed over earlier this year, before MPs pushed through emergency laws lifting the trading restrictions in May.
A spokesman for the Conservatives said “no one from the party has spoken to Westfield about Sunday trading hours”.
According to the new figures, the Conservatives also received £25,000 from Naguib Kheraj, a frontrunner to take over from former Barclays boss Bob Diamond, and a total of £200,000 from property developers.
Donations to all political parties slumped by more than £1 million during the quarter, fuelled by a drop in Labour’s funding from trade unions.
The party saw its receipts from the unions fall to just over £2 million, which is £500,000 lower than the previous quarter.
It comes after Ed Miliband, the party's leader, has faced criticism by some of the unions over the last year.
The GMB threatened to sever its ties with the party after Ed Balls, the shadow chancellor, refused to rule out more austerity after 2015.
However, two minority parties saw big windfalls. The far-right British National Party got £100,000 from a single donor, Albert Stanmore, while the Green Party got £150,000 from an activist, Heather Hunt.
A spokesman for the Conservatives claimed Labour has raised more moneyfrom dinners between donors and its party leader.
"The Prime Minister occasionally has dinner with party donors, as do other party leaders," she said. "There is no suggestion of influence over government policy as a result of donations."

Julian Assange threatens to make the EU look good

The case against Europe’s extradition system is being hurt by the WikiLeaks founder's dissembling

Perhaps the most annoying thing about Julian Assange (yes, I know it’s a long list) is that he is in danger of giving the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) a good name. Maybe my memory is failing, but I don’t recall any of his supporters being critical of the EU’s fast-track extradition system when it was being debated 10 years ago. That is hardly surprising, since most of them are the type of people who would be enthusiastic cheerleaders for anything emanating from Brussels. Doubtless, they looked upon those opposed to the creation of a common judicial area in Europe as swivel-eyed Europhobes. But maybe we had a point after all.

What an exquisite pickle they are in, these followers of Julian. They are potentially out of pocket, because the £240,000 they put up for Assange’s bail risks being forfeit. At the same time, they have to pretend the government in Ecuador is a burning beacon for liberty and free expression. Yet journalists there have been jailed and media organisations shut down for filing negative reports about the administration in Quito. So virulent is the anti-Americanism of Assange’s claque, that they are content to overlook the inconvenient truth that if the Wikileaks founder actually lived in Ecuador he would probably be behind bars.

One of his supporters yesterday took issue with these tiresome reminders of Ecuador’s poor record on press freedom, observing that “nowhere is perfect”. Christine Assange, mother of the self-styled martyr, said: “There are much more serious issues than some rumour of poor press freedom in Ecuador.” When you also consider that Assange’s right-on disciples would normally be outraged if a man accused of sexual assault escaped proper investigation, then you have more hypocrisy on show than at any time since the last convocation of the Pharisees. “Ye are like unto whited sepulchres…” (Matthew 23:13). Mind you, it was more like Life of Brian outside the Ecuadorian embassy on Sunday as the faithful and the gullible began shouting “Welease Julian” and “I am Julian”. The only difference is that Mrs Assange really thinks he IS the Messiah, when the rest of us know he’s just a very naughty boy (allegedly).

The dissembling around Assange has done great damage to the argument against the EAW. Amid all the sound and fury about American “witch-hunts” and British post-colonial bullying, we should remember the central issue: here is a man trying to avoid being extradited to face serious allegations of sexual assault. The warrant was issued by Sweden in 2010 and in February last year his “judicial surrender” was ordered by City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court. Assange’s legal advisers began a series of challenges that went all the way to the Supreme Court.

In particular, they questioned the validity of the warrant, because it had been issued by the prosecuting authorities in Stockholm rather than by a judge, as is required under the Extradition Act 2003. This, they said, was indicative of a fishing expedition rather than a proper judicial process, a view that was not accepted by the English courts. The Swedish prosecutor said Assange was not being sought to assist with inquiries but for the purpose of conducting criminal proceedings. Another claim made by Assange’s side is that he is accused of activities that may not be a crime here. It used to be a fundamental protection in British law that no one would be sent to another jurisdiction for something that is not an offence here. It was called the principle of dual criminality.

When the EAW was drawn up, this principle was removed for a list of 32 offences. However, in Assange’s case, the allegations would amount to a crime here, whatever George Galloway, another of his Left-wing cheerleaders, may say. The warrant for his arrest specifies four alleged offences: one of unlawful coercion, two of sexual molestation and one of rape. The latter states that “On 17 August 2010, in the home of the injured party [B], Assange deliberately consummated sexual intercourse with her by improperly exploiting that she, due to sleep, was in a helpless state.” The big problem for Assange is the way he has tried to muddy the legal waters. His Swedish lawyer, for instance, was accused at the original hearing of deliberately attempting to mislead the court by claiming no effort was made to interview his client before he left the country for Britain. Howard Riddle, the district judge, said: “It would be a reasonable assumption from the facts that Mr Assange was deliberately avoiding interrogation before he left Sweden.”
The most fundamental flaw in the EAW is that no one has the power to consider whether the Swedes have made out a prima facie case for extradition. Hearings are supposed to be a formality because the system assumes the legal systems of all signatory countries contain the same safeguards and reflect shared cultural priorities. Yet this is not so, because most continental jurisdictions do not have habeas corpus; so it is possible to be held for months or years while an investigation takes place before a charge is laid.
Here, that cannot happen. In implementing the EAW, the last government set aside a fundamental tenet of British law, something that Assange’s case has once again exposed. But he has not been able to test whether he would have been extradited under the old system. His lawyers should bring a writ of habeas corpus to do just that as soon as he surrenders himself to the police, as he eventually must. If the courts refuse to hear it, we will see how far our ancient protections have been eroded.

Kanye creates horrible heels

One wear ... Kim Kardashian walks in Kanye West's creation in New York but refuses to wear them again

I REPORTED on Friday about the horror Ugg-style heels Kim Kardashian was wearing after getting them as a present from their co-designer, her boyfriend Kanye West.

Now it seems the rapper has inflicted an identical pair on a supermodel.
A source said: “The shoes have caused the couple some trouble since it was brought to Kim’s attention that Kanye previously had Chanel Iman wear the shoes.
“Kim thinks the whole situation is disrespectful and she won’t be wearing them again.”
Not sure why she’s making grand excuses.
A simple “No. They’re horrendous” is fine.

Lady GaGa’s Crete Treat

Lady GaGa is taking her role as godmother to the stars very seriously.

The singer is having an entire wing built for tot Zachary Furnish-John in her new home on the Greek island of Crete.
A source said: “GaGa is going to give Zachary his own nursery which includes a huge bedroom, playroom and bathroom and will overlook the Cretan sea.”
“She’s already flown in special wallpaper and a big boy bed for a toddler because she knows the place won’t be finished for months.”
Proud parents Elton John and David Furnish can’t praise GaGa enough.
David has said: “She’s all about inclusiveness and tolerance.
“She believes you can be whoever you want to be, we don’t have to live in a world of conformity and we can all benefit from individuality.”
Good – then they won’t mind her popping a hamster wheel on Zachary’s head when he goes to visit.

Real ready for tough challenge

Assistant coach Aitor Karanka admits Real Madrid must find their best form immediately as they prepare for a difficult season ahead.

Real ended Barcelona's recent dominance last term by winning the Primera Liga title but the challenge now is to defend their crown.

The UEFA Champions League also promises to be keenly contested as coach Jose Mourinho seeks to win the competition with a third different club, following his successes with Inter Milan in 2010 and Porto in 2004.

His second-in-command Karanka told reporters in Spain: "We have to find our best form because we face a big challenge and it's going to be really tough from day one.

"We're going to need all the players' talent and commitment if we are to succeed."

Tottenham midfielder Modric to fly to Spain to complete Real Madrid move

Luka Modric is poised to fly to Spain on Thursday to finalize a deal worth 30 million pounds to move from Tottenham to Real Madrid.

The Croatian will jet into the Spanish capital after appearing for Croatia in its friendly against Switzerland on Wednesday night.

Sources have told Goal.com that Real has agreed a fee worth 30 million pounds with Spurs for Modric to finally bring an end to the long-running transfer saga.Modric is expected to have a medical with the Spanish champions in the next 48 hours before putting pen to paper on a deal.

The 26-year-old has been in limbo since demanding a transfer to Real earlier in the summer.

He failed to report on time for pre-season training and refused to go on the north Londoners’ preseason tour to the United States.

This came 12 months after he asked for a move from White Hart Lane to Chelsea, which Spurs chairman Daniel Levy refused to sanction despite a £40m bid from the European champions days before the end of the August 2011 window.

John Travolta Pays Tribute To 'Welcome Back, Kotter' Co-Star Ron Palillo

John Travolta has expressed his grief over the loss of his former Welcome Back, Kotter co-star Ron Palillo, calling him a great talent and "a wonderful person."

The actor passed away of an apparent heart attack at his Palm Beach Gardens home in Florida on Tuesday morning, aged 63.

His sudden death prompted many fans of the hit sitcom, in which Palillo played nerdy high school student Arnold Horshack, to recall their love for the series online, and now Travolta, who shared the small screen with the star for five years, has paid tribute to his late pal.

A statement from the Saturday Night Fever star reads, "Ron was a wonderful person and talent. And helped catapult Welcome Back, Kotter to great success. We will miss him."

Palillo is the second star of the popular program to die this year  - Robert Hegyes, who played tough guy Juan Epstein, passed away in January.

Jimmy Kimmel Engaged To Writer Molly McNearney

Late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel is engaged.

The TV personality and comedian proposed to his girlfriend of two years, Molly McNearney, during a recent vacation to South Africa's Kruger National Forest wildlife park and the 34 year old, who is a co-head writer on his show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, said yes.

The funnyman, who previously dated comedienne Sarah Silverman for five years, has been married once before - he wed his ex-wife Gina in 1988.
She is the mother of Kimmel's two kids.

Alicia Silverstone Urges Russian President To Help Imprisoned Vegan Punk Rocker

Actress Alicia Silverstone has written a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin urging him to personally intervene to help a member of jailed rockers Pussy Riot.

Three stars of the all-girl band are facing a potential prison sentence on hooliganism charges for performing a protest song against Putin in a church in Moscow earlier this year.
One of the rockers, Maria Alekhina, collapsed during a court appearance this month, and it emerged she's suffering from malnutrition as her strict vegan diet is poorly catered for behind bars.

Now, Clueless star and animal rights campaigner Silverstone has waded into the  argument, demanding Putin steps in to ensure all custody units in Russia provide plant-based foods for inmates.

In a letter to Putin, sent via People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Silverstone writes, "Regardless of the trial and its outcome, I'm sure you can agree that everyone has the right to show compassion and refrain from harming animals by being vegan."

PETA Associate Director Mimi Bekhechi says, "We hope Putin will give serious consideration to Alicia's request. PETA and Alicia stand ready to help Russian authorities plan nutritious, inexpensive vegan meals for all inmates."

Cristiano Ronaldo 15 Best Free Kicks 2009-2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFCNLJH6ZyU&feature=player_embedded

Snoop no longer a Dogg, now a Lion

SNOOP Dogg has officially dropped the Dogg act and upgraded his name to "Snoop Lion".

The rapper says he underwent a spiritual and artistic rebirth while in Jamaica where he was given the new moniker by Rastafarian priests.

Legally he isn't any sort of animal, of course, but must go by the name Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr.

"I want to bury Snoop Dogg, and become Snoop Lion" Mr Broadus Jr told journalists at a news conference in New York.

"I didn't know that until I went to the temple, where the High Priest asked me what my name was, and I said, 'Snoop Dogg.' And he looked me in my eyes and said, 'No more. You are the light; you are the lion.' From that moment on, it's like I had started to understand why I was there."

The 40-year-old said as a result of his reincarnation, his new album will be a reggae record as he finds rap no longer "a challenge."

“There comes a point where you say I done it all, or there isn’t much more to do,” he said. “This was like a rebirth for me.

"With no disrespect to other rappers, but they can't f--- with me in rap ... I've won every accolade you can get in rap, they call me 'Uncle Snoop' in rap. When you're an uncle, it's time to find something new ... I want to feel like a kid again."

“I have always said I was Bob Marley reincarnated. I feel I have always been a Rastafari. I just didn’t have my third eye open, but its wide open right now.”

Broadus Jr is currently working on his fifth album, Reincarnated, which is strictly a reggae project.

Rihanna enjoys wild night with Tinie Tempah

RIHANNA reportedly enjoyed a "wild night" with a British rapper while on holiday.

The singer is currently on a break from her busy music career and has been travelling around the Mediterranean on a luxury yacht with a group of friends.

The 24-year-old is said to have invited UK rapping sensation Tinie Tempah to talk about a potential collaboration, but the work discussion soon gave way to a night of partying.

“Rihanna loves Tinie’s music and is fond of him as a person, too. She’s very keen to work with him at some point, which was discussed at length over dinner,” a source told British newspaper The Sun.

“Obviously, eating took up a small part of the night as he joined her crew on yet another wild night. It won’t be one that he will forget in a hurry.”

Tinie joined Ri Ri and her pals last Friday after performing at UK festival Global Gathering.

On the same day, the Bajan beauty tweeted she was enjoying a traditional Italian liquor and working on new sounds.

“Limoncello and my new music!!! I'm zoning (sic),” she wrote

Usain Bolt plans a lock-in with Prince Harry ...if he wins gold

Usain Bolt plans a lock-in with Prince Harry ...if he wins gold

Royal knees-up ... Usain Bolt wants Prince Harry at his Olympics after party

USAIN BOLT isn’t just hoping for a gold medal from London 2012 – he also wants a tear-up with Prince Harry.

The running champ is planning to party once the Olympics are wrapped up and wants the party-loving royal as his wingman.

Usain said: “Harry is fantastic. I will invite him to my Olympic after party.”

The Jamaican sprinter hit it off with Harry in the Caribbean, where the Royal was visiting as part of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee tour earlier this year.

Snaps of them racing — and Usain letting Harry win — went around the world.

Harry is such a fan of the sportsman he’s even named a horse he part owns Usain Colt.

Those two on the town together would be an unstoppable duo.

A source added: “Harry loves to party and Usain’s partial to throwing a shape or two.

“Usain is a huge fan of the monarchy and has extended his invite to Prince William and Kate Middleton to party with him.

“But there’s only one provision — he wins the 100 metres, so it will be a celebration party.” Usain, who is three-time Olympic gold medallist and five-time world champion, split with girlfriend Lubica Slovak to focus on getting another gold.

But perhaps he’s looking for a distraction once it’s all over as he has also extended the invite to Rihanna.

Usain added: “I don’t know if Rihanna will be in London, but I’d like to meet her.”

She has been partying with Tinie Tempah, Chris Brown, Ludacris and Lewis Hamilton over the past week or two, so she would definitely be up for a night out with the fastest man on the planet.

His trademark lightning bolt is bound to impress any girl on the dance floor. Although if all the royals end up going, he’d be competing with Prince Charles.