Angelina Jolie Inspired to Adopt by Tomb Raider

Credit: Getty Images

The actress played a daredevil archaeologist – based on the character from the popular 'Tomb Raider' video game series – in the 2001 movie and she has revealed it was the scenes she shot in Cambodia which convinced her to adopt her first child, son Maddox, from the Asian country.

She said: "A turning point in my life came when I made 'Lara Croft: Tomb Raider', in England. It also involved filming, partly, in Cambodia. I learned that the world is bigger than I thought it was and there were more important things than a film. I did not know much about Cambodia. I did not appreciate how beautiful it was and I had never met such open-hearted people."

Angelina – who went on to adopt two more children, son Pax from Vietnam and daughter Zahara from Ethiopia - also credits the film with helping her turn her back on her hard-partying behaviour and live a healthier lifestyle.

She explained: "That film also helped me get in to shape. I smoked a lot, drank far too much, had way too much coffee and suffered from insomnia. The fitness coaches on 'Lara Croft' adjusted me. I had a certain amount of water, protein checks, vitamins, my cigarettes were taken away and I was not allowed to drink alcohol. As for that role, I was loud and insane. I had too much fire for everyday life, so fitted into Lara Croft's world perfectly."

Although Angelina had to fight robots and dodge booby traps in the adventure movie, the 36-year-old actress insists being a parent to Maddox, now 10, and his five siblings, Pax, seven, Shiloh, five, Zahara, six, and three-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox, is harder than being a Hollywood hero.

She said: "Once I became a mom, I realised it was far harder than being Lara Croft. I want my kids to appreciate how fortunate they are in life, compared with so many people who have nothing.

"If anybody ever tells me that I am a mother to them like my mom (Marcheline Bertrand) was to me, it will be a great compliment."

Michael Jackson's children deliver art by late singer

Updated at: 1047 PST, Tuesday, August 09, 2011
LOS ANGELES: The children of the late "King of Pop" Michael Jackson delivered 10 pieces of art by their famous father to the Los Angeles Children's Hospital on Monday.

Prince, 14; Paris, 13; and Prince Michael -- also known as "Blanket," age nine -- signed some of the artwork by their late father, who died on June 25, 2009 at age 50.

The artwork was donated by Brett-Livingstone Strong, an artist and friend of the Jackson family, who had them in his private collection.

"You look at this, it makes you happy," said Michael Jackson's sister La Toya at a ceremony at the hospital.

"They're whimsical, they're magical and there's just joy and peace," she continued.

"I know that when you see this and the kids see it, it will bring some type of joy to them, and at the same time, I know it will bring joy to my brother as well."

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Jackson's mother Katherine also attended the ceremony. (AFP)

Ekta Kapoor detained at Mumbai airport

Updated at: 1403 PST, Tuesday, August 09, 2011
MUMBAI: Famous Indian television and movie producer, Ekta Kapoor was detained at the Mumbai airport for carrying undeclared items. She was returning to Mumbai from Bangkok and was carrying items worth over Rs. 100,000 for which she had not paid custom taxes.

Ekta in her defense, said that she was not aware of how much cash and items were permissible upon re-entry.

Ekta joins the list of other Indian celebrities such as Anushka Sharma and Bipasha Basu who have been interrogated over undeclared items.

White House rejects claim about bin Laden raid film

Updated at: 1022 PST, Thursday, August 11, 2011 WASHINGTON: Moviemakers producing a film about the US special forces raid that killed Osama bin Laden are getting help from the Pentagon, but the Obama administration dismissed concerns on Wednesday that classified information has been divulged. The film, focusing on one of President Barack Obama's key successes in office, is due to be released in October 2012, less than a month before the election in which the Democrat is seeking a second term. Republican Peter King, chairman of the House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee, called on Tuesday for an investigation into contacts between the administration and the filmmakers. King questioned whether special operations methods had been compromised. "The claims are ridiculous," White House spokesman Jay Carney told a White House briefing. "We do not discuss classified information. And I would hope that as we face the continued threat from terrorism, the House Committee on Homeland Security would have more important topics to discuss than a movie," Carney added. US Marine Corps Colonel Dave Lapan, a Pentagon spokesman, said the Defense Department is cooperating with filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal as they work on a motion picture about the raid that killed bin Laden. The two, who collaborated on the Oscar-winning Iraq war movie "The Hurt Locker," had been developing the bin Laden film even before the al Qaeda leader was killed in May in a raid on a compound in Abbottabad. In a statement, the pair said their movie covered a period of three different US administrations that searched for bin Laden, including those of Presidents Clinton and Bush. "This was an American triumph, both heroic and non-partisan, and there is no basis to suggest that our film will represent this enormous victory otherwise," Bigelow and Boal said in their joint statement. The Pentagon has a two-person entertainment media office that assists makers of films, television shows, computer games and other entertainment media targeting mass audiences. "Mostly when we're contacted by filmmakers they're looking for access to our equipment, our personnel and our installations. Technical advice is kind of a byproduct of that relationship," said Phil Strub, who heads the office. Reacting to a New York Times column saying the film was timed to give Obama a "home-stretch boost" in his re-election bid, King called for an investigation into the assertion that Bigelow had been given "top-level access to the most classified mission in history." On the Bigelow film, Lapan said the Defense Department is "providing assistance with script research, which is something we commonly do for established filmmakers." Lapan said the Pentagon attempts to help filmmakers and authors but "we do not discuss classified information." Carney said information provided to the filmmakers "has been focused on the president's role." "There is no difference in the information that we've given to anybody who's working on this topic from what we gave to those of you in this room who worked on it in the days and weeks after the raid itself," Carney told reporters. (Reuters)

Bollywood's 'Aarakshan' stokes caste controversy

Updated at: 1741 PST, Friday, August 12, 2011
NEW DELHI: A new Bollywood film tackling the thorny issue of caste quotas in Indian government jobs and education is released this week in the face of vocal protests from minorities.

Politicians and interest groups championing low-caste Hindus and other marginalised groups that the system is designed to help have come out in force against "Aarakshan" (Reservation), which hits screens today.

Two north Indian states -- Uttar Pradesh and Punjab -- have even banned the film, with the Uttar Pradesh government, led by low-caste politician Mayawati, saying it "could incite civil disorder and violence".

Critics, including the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, have said Prakash Jha's drama contains "objectionable" references to marginalised groups such as Dalits, the community formerly known as "untouchables".

The ban in Uttar Pradesh, announced late Wednesday, will last two months while Punjab will decide whether to show the film only after a state government panel has reviewed it, officials said on Thursday.

"Aarakshan", which sees screen legend Amitabh Bachchan play the principal of a successful school who has quotas imposed on him, was dogged by controversy even during shooting.

Dalit groups opposed the casting of Saif Ali Khan, who is of Muslim royal stock, as a low-caste Hindu. And the film's set in Bhopal, central India, was deemed illegal and bulldozed.

Publicity material was vandalised and more than a dozen activists arrested for protesting outside Jha's office in Mumbai last weekend, prompting police to give him and the lead actors extra security.

India's Censor Board, which passed the film uncut, has been asked to look at it again.

Jha, known for tackling social issues in his films, denies taking a position on reservation and Dalit rights.

"In India there are people who benefit from this policy and there are those who have missed an opportunity because of the policy. Reservation and the quota system is a hard-hitting reality," he said last week.

"It is almost an India versus India situation and by showing this in my movie, I am trying to bridge the gap."

Reservation refers to the policy of guaranteeing jobs for socially disadvantaged groups, officially referred to as "scheduled tribes, scheduled castes and other backward classes".

The affirmative action aims to provide equal opportunities for the poorest and most marginalised in India's complex and deeply entrenched social hierarchy.

India's 160 million Dalits, many of whom live in rural areas, still face prejudice despite anti-discrimination laws, while harsh retribution is often meted out for flouting caste and sub-caste lines.

The quota system itself is the subject of frequent challenges, with the number of places allocated to disadvantaged groups changing from state to state and sometimes exceeding the legal maximum of 50 percent.

Those who miss out on public sector jobs or education places as a result say the system fails to reward talent or ability.

Some sociologists have suggested that traditional caste notions have been eroded in any case due to India's economic boom, improving wealth and social mobility.

Professor Kamal Mitra Chenoy, a political scientist at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, said the phenomenon was more noticeable in fast-growing cities but the pace of change was slow.

"It's still a major issue," he said but admitted that given the chronic under-investment in state education there was "no alternative" to quotas apart from a concerted government drive to lift millions out of poverty.

Other Bollywood films have faced protests in recent years, most notably Deepa Mehta's "Fire" (1996), for its portrayal of lesbianism, and "Water" (2005), about the treatment of widows in Indian society.

Critics of actor Shah Rukh Khan's support for Pakistani cricketers threatened to disrupt showings of his film "My Name Is Khan" in 2010.

But the objections have mainly been against sex or nudity on moral grounds from conservative Hindu groups, who see themselves as champions of traditional Indian values.

For his part, Jha has accused politicians of playing communal politics in the quest for votes.

"I am just trying to show how it (reservation) has created two Indias," he said. (AFP)

Shammi Kapoor dies at 79

Updated at: 1056 PST, Sunday, August 14, 2011
MUMBAI: Legendary Bollywood actor Shammi Kapoor, whose acting and dancing style heavily influenced modern-day Indian film stars, died on Sunday aged 79.

"Shammi Kapoor ji passed away this morning at 5:15 am," Bollywood veteran Amitabh Bachchan wrote on Twitter, using the Hindi honorific, saying Kapoor brought had "flamboyance and joie de vivre" to the screen.

Nikhil Gangavane, a family friend who headed the official Shammi Kapoor fan club, said the actor was admitted to the private Breach Candy Hospital in south Mumbai earlier this week.

"He was on a ventilator for three or four days. He was having some chest infection, which he had had for the last one or two years. He died of renal failure this morning," Gangavane told AFP.

"He had been undergoing dialysis for the last six or seven years but developed complications."

Kapoor's dance performances in romantic hits like Tumsa Nahin Dekha" (You're One of a Kind, 1957), "Dil Deke Dekho" (Give Your Heart and See, 1959) and "Junglee" (Wild, 1961) earned him comparisons with US singer Elvis Presley.

Key to his success was his avid interest in music. Kapoor personally selected the songs he would dance and mime to, mindful that they needed to fit his exuberant on-screen style.

In doing so, he and singers like Mohammed Rafi provided some of the industry's most popular and memorable tunes.

In later years, as he withdrew from acting and direction, Kapoor became a champion of the Internet and was the founder-chairman of the Internet Users Community of India, maintaining a Facebook page and a Twitter account.

His own web site www.junglee.org.in profiled his famous family, the Kapoors, who have dominated Hindi-language cinema virtually since its inception.

He described himself on his Twitter account profile as a "Renaissance man, retired actor, computer buff". (AFP)

US left wants Matt Damon as next president

Updated at: 1407 PST, Tuesday, August 16, 2011
LOS ANGELES: Even in the increasingly wild world of American politics, it seemed an especially crazy idea: Matt Damon for president? After all, the handsome actor, whose boyish good looks belie the fact that he has just turned 40, is still best known for his early role in Good Will Hunting, where he played a working-class Bostonian.

Since then, he has won plaudits in Hollywood for solid work in films ranging from action flicks to Invictus, which told the story of post-apartheid South Africa’s rugby World Cup triumph.

So why is Damon’s name being mentioned in the context of the 2012 race for the White House and a possible liberal challenge to Barack Obama? The simple answer is to blame leftwing firebrand Michael Moore.

Moore, in a discussion with the liberal politics blog Firedoglake, raised the issue as he talked about his frustration with Obama, who many American leftists see as ignoring them while compromising with the Republican party. Moore called Damon’s political stances in recent years courageous and urged him to run, despite there being no hint from the actor that he would care to.

In a nod to the acting past of two-time Republican President Ronald Reagan, Moore said: “The Republicans have certainly shown the way that when you run someone who is popular, you win. Sometimes even when you run an actor, you win.”

The suggestion quickly spread across the media, generating a lot of chuckles as well as predictable outrage from conservative pundits. But the suggestion showed two things that are not so easily dismissed. First, quietly and with impressive charm, Damon has emerged as an eloquent and fierce spokesman for a slice of liberal America. On everything from the Iraq war to education policy, he has been happy to take a stand and, rather than praise the president, he has come out publicly to say Obama has “mishandled his mandate”.

Second, it showed that US, more than any country in the world, has a fluid boundary between the worlds of entertainment and politics.

From Reagan to Clint Eastwood, Sonny Bono to Arnold Schwarzenegger and Al Franken and many more, the list of US actors and performers turned politicians is lengthy and even distinguished.

“The kind of character that pursues an acting career in U.S. is often the same kind of character that pursues a political career. You have to stand up and make people like you and be good on TV,” said Professor Robert Thompson, a popular culture expert at Syracuse University. So, Matt Damon for president? In 2012, almost certainly not. But one day? You never know.

Salman Khan gets back his lucky charm

Updated at: 1255 PST, Wednesday, August 17, 2011
MUMBAI: Actor Salman Khan and his beloved bracelet are almost inseparable. It was his father, writer Salim Khan who had gifted the turquoise blue bracelet to Salman few years back and the actor has never stopped wearing it since then.

Fans saw it first in the 1998 hit film ‘Pyar Kiya Toh Darna Kya’ and since then we are sure almost all of them have got themselves something resembling it. Sallu considers it to be his lucky charm and has seldom parted with it, both on and off screen.

However, the star had to keep the adored object away for his super hit film ‘Dabangg’. Director Abhinav Kashyap had requested him to part with his bracelet as he felt that it would not go well with the image of a desi cop. As a result, Salman had to remove the bracelet whenever he was called for shots.

In his upcoming film ‘Bodyguard’, Salman portrays the role of a no-nonsense bodyguard and dons a proper stitched suit and glares to get the macho effect. This time again, it was being said that he would have to part with his bracelet for the demand of the script. However, recently few of the posters of film exhibit the bracelet in his hand.

"Apprentice" ends with lowest-ever spring finale

ABC's Billboard Music Awards was all the talk on Sunday, but over on NBC, Donald Trump named the latest winner of "Celebrity Apprentice."

"Celebrity Apprentice" managed to trump the BMAs in viewership, averaging 8.3 million total viewers, but was behind in the adults 18-49 demographic with a 2.9 rating. The two-hour season ender, which saw country star John Rich named the victor, was the franchise's lowest-rated spring finale. The episode dipped 15 percent compared with last season's finale.

"Minute to Win It" (4.2 million, 1.2) and "Dateline" (5 million, 1.3), though, were up double digits. NBC placed third in the demographic.

ABC did top the night in the demographic, averaging a 2.6 rating, with the Billboard Music Awards (7.9 million, 2.9) and "America's Funniest Home Videos" (6.1 million, 1.5), down 17 percent.

Fox's animation block placed second among adults 18-49, with the season finale of "Family Guy" (5.8 million, 3.0) Sunday's highest-rated program. "American Dad" (3.6 million, 1.6) and "Bob's Burgers" (4.3 million, 2.1) slipped slightly, while "The Simpsons" (5.3 million, 2.5) remained steady.

CBS' "60 Minutes" (10.6 million, 1.5), which aired its piece on doping accusations against Lance Armstrong, dipped 12 percent. "Jesse Stone: Innocents Loss" (13.7 million, 1.3), starring Tom Selleck, was Sunday's most-watched program.

(Editing by Chris Michaud)

Airbnb Raises Massive $112 Million Funding Round

Airbnb has raised $112 million in new venture financing led by Andreessen Horowitz. DST Global and General Catalyst Partners also participated.

The valuation was $1.3 billion, according to the Financial Times.

Airbnb has been one of the hottest start-ups recently to come out of the Y Combinator incubator. The company has an interesting and well-chronicled history (by myself and Brian Caufield among others). It started off in 2007 as a way for Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia to make a little extra cash renting out some spare floor space to conference-goers.

The company went through the Y Combinator incubator in 2008 and tried a number of different models before it found its way. From there the company has taken off and become a marketplace for renting out spare rooms, apartments or whole houses for travelers. It has now booked about 2 million nights on the website in total. It now rents out all kinds of space from boats to castles. By next year it could have more rooms than Hilton. The growth Airbnb has seen has been impressive.

Just last year the company has raised $7.2 million in Series A financing. Now, $112 million. The company is a marketplace similar to eBay in its early days, according to Jeff Jordan, general partner at Andreessen Horowitz.

Update: other previous investors include Greylock Partners, Sequoia Capital, SV Angel, Ashton Kutcher and Youniversity Ventures. It's not clear which of those firms and individuals participated in the new round.

The Top-Earning American Idols

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  Wiz Khalifa's High Earnings

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Five years ago Jordin Sparks was just another teenager with dreams of becoming a singer. Then, in the summer of 2006, she auditioned for American Idol--and became the contest's youngest winner at the age of 17.

She's gone on to record two full-length albums, develop her own clothing line and star in Broadway's In The Heights. Her single "No Air," a duet with Chris Brown, has sold 4 million digital copies to date, making it the best-selling single ever by any Idol contestant. Sparks earned an estimated $3 million dollars last year.

"American Idol kick-started me in my career," she says. "It gave me an amazing fan base money can't buy."

In Pictures: The Top-Earning American Idols

As Sparks knows, the exposure offered by Idol is hard to beat—and perhaps nobody understands that better than Carrie Underwood, who leads our list of the top-earning Idols with $20 million over the past year. The country star cashed in on a tour that included over 80 dates in 12 months and banked as much as the rest of the top five on our list, combined.

Adam Lambert and Chris Daughtry share the second spot on our list, each raking in $6 million. Lambert, the runner up in Idol’s seventh season, performed 116 shows around the world in 12 months; Daughtry played 53 dates in support of album Leave This Town. The top ten money-making Idol alums combined to earn $50 million over the past year alone.

These numbers are based on estimated pretax income earned from May 2010 to May 2011, before subtracting agent and manager fees. The totals were compiled with the help of data from Pollstar, RIAA and others, as well as interviews with industry insiders including managers, concert promoters, publicists, agents and, in some cases, the musicians themselves.

When it comes to earnings, winning isn’t everything. Of the top three moneymakers on our list, Underwood is the sole contest winner; only five of the top ten earners are actual Idol champs. One of the show’s most successful alums is Jennifer Hudson, who finished seventh in Season Three but banked $2 million on the strength of new album I Remember Me and a gig as a spokesperson for Weight Watchers.

Though many former Idols are cashing in on their fame, their fortunes are just a small part of the program's economy. American Idol has been the top show in America for eight years in a row and winners’ vote totals often rival those of presidential candidates. Some industry observers have estimated that the Idol generates $1 billion in total revenue per year.

“It’s a money-making machine,” says Adam Kluger, president of brand partnership company the Kluger Agency. “It’s like having the Super Bowl every week.”

Indeed, rates for 30-second commercial spots for Idol have been known to run as high as $1 million, and the show's executives have struck eight-figure advertising deals with the likes of Coca-Cola, Ford, Apple and AT&T. In recent years, though, popularity has showed signs of fading. The 2006 finale’s 36 million viewer total has yet to be eclipsed; this year’s 20 million total represented a 7% dip from 2010.

Perhaps as a result, prize totals have been lower of late. Season Ten champ Scotty McCreery received a $250,000 record deal, less than Season Seven runner-up David Archuleta, who was awarded with a $360,000 check. Idol gets a big piece of recent alums' album sales and the nationwide concert tour that the top contestants embark upon every year after the finale.

"The people that win American Idol are put into 360-degree deals that are much different than a typical deal," says Kluger. "They’re not getting the same situation an artist like Beyonce would ... once you’re hot, though, the dynamic changes."

The real top-earning Idol? Ryan Seacrest, who rode his hosting gig, endorsements and deals with ClearChannel and Comcast to a $61 million payday this year. That’s more than the earnings of the top ten Idols—combined.

ROLL CALL: Gwyneth Paltrow Can't Live Without Her Bathtub

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  Gwyneth Paltrow attends the 3rd annual Bent on Learning benefit at the Urban Zen …

Your Daily Dispatch of Celebrity Shenanigans

Gwynnie Loves To Soak! : When it comes to things Gwyneth Paltrow can't live without, her bathtub made her list of 12 things she needs. The actress told Elle Décor's September issue that she has to have her Antonio Lupi Baia Tub - and it needs to be close by. "It's in the middle of my bedroom - perfect for a relaxing wind-down and for bathing the kids," she told the mag. Find out what else is on the actress' "Can't Live Without" list, HERE!

PLAY IT NOW: Elizabeth Banks: ‘The Fans Are Not Going To Be Disappointed’ With ‘Hunger Games’

Grrrr-ard! : Gerard Butler appears to be very proud of his new toned and ripped body! The actor revealed that he's recently lost some weight after he lost his shirt following a charity soccer match. According to People, he's getting toned for his upcoming surfing movie, "Mavericks." Check out Gerard's new body, HERE!

We Can See Right Through LiLo... Well, Her Shirt! : Lindsay Lohan appears to have forgot about the paparazzi's powerful flashes and the potential problems they can cause while wearing a sheer shirt. See Lindsay's unfortunate wardrobe malfunction yesterday outside of Mr. Chow in Los Angeles, HERE!

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Mug Shot Mania

More Hunger Games Pics! : Images from the set of "The Hunger Games" continue to be revealed. The latest features Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne, check it out HERE!

Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Use Bold, Action-Oriented Words -Media Training

Action movies always outsell foreign art films in which people just sit around and talk. All good storytellers (a.k.a. journalists) want to weave action into their tales. So when you are being interviewed, you enhance your chances of being quoted when you use bold, action-oriented words. Here are some examples: destroy, decimated, ripped off, soared, smacked, attack, hugged.

Any word or phrase that suggests bold movement or action is enticing to the reporter’s ear. Bold, action-oriented words do not have to be negative or attacking. They can be positive, even loving. Of course, if you promise to “rip his lungs out through his nose,” chances are 99 to 1 that you will be quoted. The trick, as always, is to make sure you use action words only if they accurately bring to life your key message points.

For more information on media and presentation training please visithttp://www.mediatrainingworldwide.com, http://www.mediatrainingworkshop.com and continue reading http://www.mediatrainingworldwide.com/blog for news and analysis to help you communicate more effectively.

Math, science focus of new 'Sesame Street' season

NEW YORK (AP) — More than three dozen celebrities, including Nicole Kidman and Robin Williams, athlete Carmelo Anthony and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, are set to appear on the new season of "Sesame Street."

"Sesame Street" begins its 42nd season on PBS on Sept. 26.

PBS said Monday the focus of the preschool educational series will be on science, math and engineering education. That includes age-appropriate experimentation, including designing a launcher to send Hubert the Human Cannonball over a yard and into a bucket of blue gelatin on the season premiere. The orange monster Murray will conduct science experiments in a regular feature.

Other celebrities set to make cameos include Mark Ruffalo, Sofia Vergara and Seth Rogen; talk-show hosts Craig Ferguson and George Lopez; and musicians Jay Sean and Bruno Mars.

CBS most watched TV network; Fox first in 18-49s

CBS on Tuesday again claimed the title of the most-watched U.S. television network, while Fox took the honors in the 18-49 age group most coveted by advertisers.

With two nights to go before the official end of the 2010-11 TV season, CBS is on track to finish with the most overall viewers for the 8th time in 9 years, according to Nielsen ratings.

Thanks largely to new hit comedy "Mike & Molly" and crime series "Hawaii Five-O", CBS will place second to Fox in the 18-49 demographic -- contrary to the perception that its shows attract mostly older audiences.

With a revamped "American Idol" not only holding onto its crown as America's most watched show, but adding three percent in overall viewers, the vibrant "Glee" and the Super Bowl, Fox is headed for its seventh straight win among 18-49 year olds.

According to Nielsen, CBS will end the season with 11.6 million average primetime viewers this season, followed by Fox (9.7 million), ABC (8.5 million) and NBC (7.0 million).

In the 18-49 demographic, Fox is slated to end the season in first place, followed by CBS, ABC and CBS. The 2010-11 season ends officially on Wednesday.

CBS has 12 of the top 20 programs in terms of overall viewers, including crime staple "NCIS", "The Mentalist" and comedy "The Big Bang Theory."

CBS noted that despite having to run repeats of "Two and A Half Men" for half the season after the firing of star Charlie Sheen, the comedy matched NBC's popular "The Office" among adults 18-49.

NBC is still struggling at the bottom of the major four networks despite its new ratings hit "The Voice", which was thought to have premiered too late in the season to have a major impact.

ABC is expected to finish third despite having the top-rated comedy in 18-49 year olds with Emmy winner "Modern Family" and the No. 1 drama "Grey's Anatomy", as well as popular reality show "Dancing with the Stars."

CBS is a unit of CBS Corp, Fox is a unit of News Corp, ABC is part of Walt Disney Co. and NBC is controlled by cable company Comcast Corp.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant, editing by Christine Kearney)

American Idol’ producer says Jennifer Lopez coming back

Updated at: 1111 PST, Thursday, August 11, 2011
LOS ANGELES: It is not quite official, but it is pretty close. Singing star Jennifer Lopez will return as a judge on top-rated TV singing contest "American Idol," the program's lead producer said on Wednesday.

Executive Producer Nigel Lythgoe, in an interview on "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest's radio show, was asked whether Lopez would return for an 11th season, and he said yes. (Reuters)

White House rejects claim about bin Laden raid film

Updated at: 1022 PST, Thursday, August 11, 2011
WASHINGTON: Moviemakers producing a film about the US special forces raid that killed Osama bin Laden are getting help from the Pentagon, but the Obama administration dismissed concerns on Wednesday that classified information has been divulged.

The film, focusing on one of President Barack Obama's key successes in office, is due to be released in October 2012, less than a month before the election in which the Democrat is seeking a second term.

Republican Peter King, chairman of the House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee, called on Tuesday for an investigation into contacts between the administration and the filmmakers. King questioned whether special operations methods had been compromised.

"The claims are ridiculous," White House spokesman Jay Carney told a White House briefing.

"We do not discuss classified information. And I would hope that as we face the continued threat from terrorism, the House Committee on Homeland Security would have more important topics to discuss than a movie," Carney added.

US Marine Corps Colonel Dave Lapan, a Pentagon spokesman, said the Defense Department is cooperating with filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal as they work on a motion picture about the raid that killed bin Laden.

The two, who collaborated on the Oscar-winning Iraq war movie "The Hurt Locker," had been developing the bin Laden film even before the al Qaeda leader was killed in May in a raid on a compound in Abbottabad.

In a statement, the pair said their movie covered a period of three different US administrations that searched for bin Laden, including those of Presidents Clinton and Bush.

"This was an American triumph, both heroic and non-partisan, and there is no basis to suggest that our film will represent this enormous victory otherwise," Bigelow and Boal said in their joint statement.

The Pentagon has a two-person entertainment media office that assists makers of films, television shows, computer games and other entertainment media targeting mass audiences.

"Mostly when we're contacted by filmmakers they're looking for access to our equipment, our personnel and our installations. Technical advice is kind of a byproduct of that relationship," said Phil Strub, who heads the office.

Reacting to a New York Times column saying the film was timed to give Obama a "home-stretch boost" in his re-election bid, King called for an investigation into the assertion that Bigelow had been given "top-level access to the most classified mission in history."

On the Bigelow film, Lapan said the Defense Department is "providing assistance with script research, which is something we commonly do for established filmmakers." Lapan said the Pentagon attempts to help filmmakers and authors but "we do not discuss classified information."

Carney said information provided to the filmmakers "has been focused on the president's role."

"There is no difference in the information that we've given to anybody who's working on this topic from what we gave to those of you in this room who worked on it in the days and weeks after the raid itself," Carney told reporters. (Reuters)

Madame Tussauds to open in Sydney

Updated at: 1302 PST, Thursday, August 11, 2011 SYDNEY: Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman are expected to be among the first Australian stars to feature when waxworks museum Madame Tussauds opens a venue in Sydney next year, the company said Thursday. The world-famous London attraction will begin welcoming visitors in the Darling Harbour tourist district of the city next May. "The latest attraction will reflect the franchise's 200 years of expertise and research, with each figure crafted with both a high level of artistry and accuracy," the company said. "Most contemporary figures are also produced following sittings with the celebrities themselves, and talks are already well advanced with a number of Australian icons." The first Australian to be waxed will be "Home and Away" soap opera actor Ray Meagher, who has played Alf Stewart in the popular series since 1988. Politicians and sports stars are also expected to feature. There are already branches of the museum in cities across the globe, including Hong Kong, Las Vegas, New York, Amsterdam and Bangkok. (AFP)

Bollywood's 'Aarakshan' stokes caste controversy

Updated at: 1741 PST, Friday, August 12, 2011 NEW DELHI: A new Bollywood film tackling the thorny issue of caste quotas in Indian government jobs and education is released this week in the face of vocal protests from minorities. Politicians and interest groups championing low-caste Hindus and other marginalised groups that the system is designed to help have come out in force against "Aarakshan" (Reservation), which hits screens today. Two north Indian states -- Uttar Pradesh and Punjab -- have even banned the film, with the Uttar Pradesh government, led by low-caste politician Mayawati, saying it "could incite civil disorder and violence". Critics, including the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, have said Prakash Jha's drama contains "objectionable" references to marginalised groups such as Dalits, the community formerly known as "untouchables". The ban in Uttar Pradesh, announced late Wednesday, will last two months while Punjab will decide whether to show the film only after a state government panel has reviewed it, officials said on Thursday. "Aarakshan", which sees screen legend Amitabh Bachchan play the principal of a successful school who has quotas imposed on him, was dogged by controversy even during shooting. Dalit groups opposed the casting of Saif Ali Khan, who is of Muslim royal stock, as a low-caste Hindu. And the film's set in Bhopal, central India, was deemed illegal and bulldozed. Publicity material was vandalised and more than a dozen activists arrested for protesting outside Jha's office in Mumbai last weekend, prompting police to give him and the lead actors extra security. India's Censor Board, which passed the film uncut, has been asked to look at it again. Jha, known for tackling social issues in his films, denies taking a position on reservation and Dalit rights. "In India there are people who benefit from this policy and there are those who have missed an opportunity because of the policy. Reservation and the quota system is a hard-hitting reality," he said last week. "It is almost an India versus India situation and by showing this in my movie, I am trying to bridge the gap." Reservation refers to the policy of guaranteeing jobs for socially disadvantaged groups, officially referred to as "scheduled tribes, scheduled castes and other backward classes". The affirmative action aims to provide equal opportunities for the poorest and most marginalised in India's complex and deeply entrenched social hierarchy. India's 160 million Dalits, many of whom live in rural areas, still face prejudice despite anti-discrimination laws, while harsh retribution is often meted out for flouting caste and sub-caste lines. The quota system itself is the subject of frequent challenges, with the number of places allocated to disadvantaged groups changing from state to state and sometimes exceeding the legal maximum of 50 percent. Those who miss out on public sector jobs or education places as a result say the system fails to reward talent or ability. Some sociologists have suggested that traditional caste notions have been eroded in any case due to India's economic boom, improving wealth and social mobility. Professor Kamal Mitra Chenoy, a political scientist at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, said the phenomenon was more noticeable in fast-growing cities but the pace of change was slow. "It's still a major issue," he said but admitted that given the chronic under-investment in state education there was "no alternative" to quotas apart from a concerted government drive to lift millions out of poverty. Other Bollywood films have faced protests in recent years, most notably Deepa Mehta's "Fire" (1996), for its portrayal of lesbianism, and "Water" (2005), about the treatment of widows in Indian society. Critics of actor Shah Rukh Khan's support for Pakistani cricketers threatened to disrupt showings of his film "My Name Is Khan" in 2010. But the objections have mainly been against sex or nudity on moral grounds from conservative Hindu groups, who see themselves as champions of traditional Indian values. For his part, Jha has accused politicians of playing communal politics in the quest for votes. "I am just trying to show how it (reservation) has created two Indias," he said. (AFP)

Evergreen beauty Sridevi turns 48,MUMBAI: The evergreen beauty queen of Indian Cinema Sridevi Boney Kapoor is celebrating her 48thbirthday today (Augu

Evergreen beauty Sridevi turns 48

Updated at: 1311 PST, Saturday, August 13, 2011 MUMBAI: The evergreen beauty queen of Indian Cinema Sridevi Boney Kapoor is celebrating her 48thbirthday today (August 13). Having made impression acting in several hundred films in various languages including Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Malayalam, Sridevi has managed to find a place in the history of Indian cinema with some of her soul-stirring performances. Sridevi started her career as a child artiste in the Tamil movie Kandhan Karunai in 1967. She had also been part of few Malayalam movies then. Winner of Filmfare Awards for Best Actress in Meendum Kokila and Kshana Kshanam, Sridevi ventured to Hindi successfully with Solva Saawan. She followed it up with hits like Himmatwala, Sadma, Tohfa, Nagina, Mr India, Chandni, and Chaalbaaz. Nagina is remembered for her iconic dance sequence in the film's climax. Shekhar Kapur's all-time hit Mr India won her rave reviews. She acted alongside Amitabh Bachachan in movies like Khuda Gawah and Gumrah and movies like Laadla won her acclaims. After the blockbuster hit in Judaai, the actress married prominent producer Boney Kapoor and bid bye to the industry. Sridevi returned to the small screen, briefly, in the popular serial Malini Iyer.