Entertainment

Britney Spears' teen choice surprise

He danced, he clutched his bling, but could he rap?

Apparently the answer is yes.

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

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)