Entertainment
Britney Spears' teen choice surprise
He danced, he clutched his bling, but could he rap?
Apparently the answer is yes.

Britney Spears introduces her husband Kevin Federline’s television
debut on the Teen Choice Awards on Aug. 20, 2006. (AP) |
Britney Spears' hubby Kevin Federline capped off the eighth annual
Teen Choice Awards on Sunday with an enthusiastic version of his single
"Lose Control" - his first time performing on network television. It
wasn't genius, but it wasn't half bad either.
The bigger surprise, however, came in the form of pregnant presenter
Spears, who wore a cleavage-baring dress, and introduced her "man"
onstage with a shout and a giggle. This show has been very good to me
and my career over the years.
And I'm hoping that it will be as good to our next performer," she
said. In a loose white shirt and white hat, Federline prowled and jumped
around the stage, surrounded by young dancers. "I ain't here to brag,"
he rapped in a tough-guy style.
"American Idol" judge Paula Abdul, when asked before the show what
advice she would give the 28-year-old singer and rapper, didn't
hesitate.
"Do what you gotta do and have fun," she said.
Federline, who married Spears in 2004, is expected to release his
debut hip-hop album "Playing With Fire" in August. The tabloid-popular
couple have an infant son, Sean Preston, and they are expecting their
second child.
With celebrities sweating in the late summer heat, the show's mood
was light, and clothing sparse.
Hosts Jessica Simpson and comedian Dane Cook jump-started the
broadcast, aired live on Fox from the Gibson Amphitheater in Universal
City, with riffs on nominees including "Pirates of the Caribbean."
Fans cast votes on various online sites for the hottest celebrities
in television, music, fashion, sports and film.
Reese Witherspoon, who won best actress in a drama for her role in
"Walk the Line," said backstage that her surfboard-shaped green and
yellow award was going to her daughter. "I love the younger fans," said
Witherspoon, who spent the summer hanging out with her kids.
Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, who won for best movie liplock for
their long smooch in "The Lake House," joked backstage about their first
respective kisses.
"I started out young. I was making out at 9 years old like a bandit,"
said Bullock, who added that she "didn't like being a teenager at all."
Girlish screams welcomed the handsome duo of Orlando Bloom and Johnny
Depp, who each snagged an award for their swashbuckling parts in
"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," which picked up seven
honors.
Even potentially uncomfortable moments were smudged with humor. "I
just want to start off by saying, awkward, a little bit," said Nick
Lachey, who won choice love song for "What's Left of Me," his
top-selling number recreating his publicized breakup with Simpson.
Performers other than Federline included breakout female musician
winner Rihanna and V Cast Music winner Nelly Furtado, who donned
snug-fitting jeans and a spangly black top to sing her hit song
"Promiscuous" with producer Timbaland.
"If you truly want to be hot, be yourself," said choice hottie winner
Jessica Alba.
Madonna defies prosecution threat
Madonna has gone ahead with a concert in Dusseldorf despite warnings
that German prosecutors were considering legal action over the show's
content. Prosecutors said they were to monitor the performance after
receiving a complaint that the US pop star's act breached German laws
against blasphemy.
In one scene Madonna is seen in a mock crucifixion, wearing a crown
of thorns. A German Lutheran bishop has called for concert-goers to
boycott all dates on the German leg of Madonna's tour. Madonna says the
performance is part of an appeal for Aids charities.
'Attention seeking' The segment where she appears on a cross has
provoked controversy in several countries and been criticised by the
Vatican and Russian Orthodox Church. But the German prosecutors admitted
they would rely on media reports of the concert rather than send their
own observers to decide whether further action should be taken.
Protestant Bishop Margot Kaesmann told German newspaper Bild am
Sonntag that concert-goers should boycott the show. "I thought Madonna
was better than this because she claims to be a religious person," she
said. "But maybe the only way an aging superstar can attract attention
is to offend people's religious sentiments."
"I advise people to ignore Madonna. Stars come and go, but the
Christian faith endures," Bishop Kaesmann added. Madonna's New
York-based spokeswoman, Liz Rosenberg, denied that the star's show was
insulting. "The context of Madonna's performance on the crucifix is not
negative nor disrespectful toward the church," she said.
(BBC NEWS)
Busta Rhymes arrested in NYC

Busta Rhymes performing on the main stage at AmsterJam Saturday,
Aug. 19, 2006 on Randall’s Island in New York. The rapper, whose
legal name is Trevor Smith, was arrested on assault charges, police
said last week. (AP)
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Rapper Busta Rhymes has been arrested and charged with assault,
police said last week.
Few details about the arrest and the attack that prompted it were
immediately available, although police Officer Martin Speechley said
they occurred about a week apart.
Representatives of the rapper, whose legal name is Trevor Smith,
could not immediately be reached for comment. Messages left for Violator
Management and for a lawyer who once represented him were not
immediately returned.
Police have been wanting to interview Rhymes since the February
shooting death of one of his bodyguards, Israel Ramirez.
Ramirez, 29, was killed outside a Brooklyn studio where Rhymes was
recording a music video. The rapper and another bodyguard were sued the
following month by a fan who says the two men beat him after he asked
for the Rhymes' autograph.
Thousands mourn at poet's funeral
About 5,000 grieving Bangladeshis paid their respects to poet Shamsur
Rahman at his funeral in Dhaka. Rahman, one of Bangladesh's most
acclaimed poets, died on Thursday after being in a coma for more than a
week. He suffered kidney and liver failure. He had 60 poetry books to
his name and was known for his campaign for political and social
justice, which made him an icon among liberals.
His body was laid to rest beside his mother's grave in the capital.
Iconic figure Rahman's body was taken to Shahid Minar (Martyr's
Monument) on Friday morning, where it was kept for public viewing for
two hours. Many leaders were among those who came to pay their respects
to the poet. Following funeral prayers at Dhaka University mosque, he
was buried in the afternoon at a city graveyard.
Rahman was a leading literary figure for more than 30 years and his
works were also critically acclaimed in India.
He began writing poetry at the age of 18, before starting a career as
a journalist which saw him become the editor of a national daily, Dainik
Bangla. Initially a romantic poet, Rahman began writing on political and
social issues after a military coup in Pakistan in 1958. His secular
beliefs almost cost him his life in 1999, when he narrowly escaped
assassination by a group of suspected Islamist extremists.
Shadhinota Tumi (Freedom, you) is considered to be his most famous
poem which he wrote in 1971, during Bangladesh's war of independence. He
won many prestigious awards, including Bangladesh's most prestigious
literary award - the Ekushey Padak in 1977.
(BBC NEWS)
Oscar-nominee in drink and drug charge
Oscar-nominated actor Haley Joel Osment has been charged with
drink-driving and marijuana possession. Osment, 18, could face six
months in prison if convicted of the charges which came about after he
crashed his car in Los Angeles in July this year.
The actor, famed for his role in 1999 film The Sixth Sense, broke a
rib and hurt his shoulder in the accident. A spokeswoman for the actor
was not available for comment. Osment will appear in court on 19
September.
Prosecutors charged Osment with possession of marijuana while driving
and having a blood alcohol level higher than 0.08 percent, including a
special allegation of having a level higher than 0.15 percent, said
Deputy District Attorney Ed Green. Osment achieved fame when he was
nominated for an Academy Award at the age of 11 for best supporting
actor, for his role in The Sixth Sense.
He also appeared in Steven Spielberg's AI and alongside Oscar-winner
Kevin Spacey in Pay It Forward. He will next appear in the sports drama
Home of the Giants, where he plays a high school journalist following a
basketball team's journey to the state championship.
(BBC NEWS)
Parker and Stone to star in South Park
The crass cut-ups behind Comedy Central's South Park, have clinched a
deal with Paramount Pictures to develop two live-action features, their
first outings with flesh-and-blood actors in nearly a decade. The first
project will be a high school comedy titled My All-American; the second,
a spoofy homage to rubber-suited, Tokyo-leveling beasties, Giant
Monsters Attack Japan!
According to Variety, My All-American will be written by Jeff Roda
and Giant Monsters by Under Seige scribe J. F. Lawton. Parker will helm
both pics, while Stone will produce through the pair's newly renamed
Important Pictures shingle. They will also collaborate with the two
screenwriters in honing the stories.
While South Park remains a small-screen hit, and its 1999 movie
version was a critical success and did solid business, the two have had
trouble translating their comic sensibilities to the big screen.
Parker's previous live-action directing credits include the little-seen
Cannibal: The Musical! (1996) and Orgazmo (1997); the pair also wrote
and starred in the live-action 1998 bomb Basketball, which was directed
by David Zucker. Additionally, they codirected, cowrote and provided
many of the voices for 2004's marionette-based spoof Team America: World
Police, which also failed to spark much interest at the box office.
"We learned from the last two films that these can't all be
self-generated," Stone told the trade paper. "Trey and I are script
whores, so we'll be very involved in shaping these projects. We've
averaged a movie every five years. We'd like to make more and produce
films that give other directors a chance." Monsters will also be
supervised veteran producer Sean Daniels and Nickelodeon Movies, which
earlier this month released the animated comedy Barnyard and last year's
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.
There's no word on casting. "Neither of these movies feel like
vehicles for big stars, but this will be our opportunity to find out if
there are any actors left who want to work with us," Stone said in
Variety. As they've done for the past 10 years, Parker and Stone will
work on the films during their hiatus from South Park, which is
currently in the midst of its 10th envelope-pushing, Kenny-killing
season.
Last fall, the cartoon masterminds signed a new pact with Comedy
Central that will keep Cartman and the gang on the air for at least
another three years. That relationship turned rocky for a time when
Comedy Central refused to rebroadcast their Cruise-skewering episode
"Trapped in the Closet," after reportedly fielding pressure from the
star
Bobby does his most tense role in Shaka Laka...
On location in Johannesberg, Bobby screamed non-stop at Upen Patel,
who is playing an important role in the film.
"These are really some of the most dramatic scenes I've done. I've
never done anything like this film before," Bobby told IANS.
Bobby believes in learning on the job.
"I guess I've been waiting for a chance like this. This role gives me
the chance to really sink into something that was a challenge. In fact,
when Suneel narrated it to me I was like, 'Will I be able to do it?' The
entire film hinges on how I carry off my character, my new look and my
new clothes. I've worked on my hair and clothes. I'm wearing more
body-hugging clothes. Generally, I'm in baggy T-shirts." What's exciting
for Bobby is that his director has chosen to switch lanes.
"Suneel made the switch at the right time. It's definitely an
emotional film but very different from anything Suneel has done. I hope
family audiences respond well to Suneel's new avatar; there're some bold
shades in my character that will definitely raise some eyebrows."
Bobby seems to have found new reserves of energy to take on this
role. Generally known to be laidback, Bobby is giving his all to "Shaka
Laka...". He declined Ajay Devgan's role in Mani Ratnam's "Yuva". Ask
him about Upen, who plays his pupil, and Bobby is guardedly positive.
"He's new, raw and eager. He's a young kid. I remember I was like him
once. But I had the advantage of being a part of the industry. He's from
the outside and really working hard. That's important for anyone in this
industry."
(India4U.com)
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