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ORLANDO BLOOM WAS VICTIM OF JEWELLERY HEIST

Hollywood star Orlando Bloom lost jewellery worth an estimated $500,000 when burglars broke into his mansion in the Hollywood Hills on Wednesday night (15Jul09).

Orlando Bloom was in New York when the heist took place.

According to TMZ.com, two pricey watches are among the items stolen by thieves, who reportedly gained access to the Los Angeles property through a window.

Police sources tell the website the break-in did not appear to be "a typical burglary"; no arrests have yet to be made.

PHARRELL WILLIAMS FACES COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT LAWSUIT

Hip-hop star Pharrell Williams has been hit with a copyright infringement lawsuit by little-known band Geggy Tah over a song he produced for rap duo Clipse - adding to his legal problems.

Pharrell Williams is accused of ripping off Geggy Tah's 1996 track Whoever You Are for the rappers' All I Wanna Do (Feel Like Me), which was released in 2007.

According to TMZ.com, the California-based band's co-founder Thomas Jordan filed the suit in a federal court earlier this week (begs13Jul09) and is seeking unspecified damages.

It's the second lawsuit Pharrell Williams has had to deal with in the last few days - he's also been named as a defendant in legal action regarding water leaks from his Miami, Florida penthouse apartment.

MADONNA - MADONNA TO RETURN TO MALAWI NEXT WEEK 'FOR ADOPTION'

Madonna will return to Malawi next week to adopt a second child, according to officials in the African nation.

A year after her adoption of three-year-old David Banda was made official following two years of legal wrangling, the pop superstar will travel to the capital Lilongwe.

An official at the welfare department reveals Madonna has filed adoption papers, and it's rumoured she could appear in court in Lilongwe on Monday.

A spokesperson tells Reuters, "We expect her over the weekend or earlier than that…but without a doubt she is coming before the end of this month."

Banda's father Yohane has also revealed he is expecting a visit from his son, saying, "Someone from (Madonna's charity) Raising Malawi visited me last week and told me that my son may be visiting me sometime next week. I am delighted, I want to see my son."

Madonna herself recently revealed she was "considering" a second adoption from Malawi.

In an interview with a local newspaper, she is quote as saying, "Many people - especially our Malawian friends - say that David should have a Malawian brother or sister. It's something I have been considering, but would only do if I had the support of the Malawian people and government."

The identity of the child in question has not been confirmed, but she has been linked with a custody bid for three-year-old Mercy James for the last year.

The latest bid is not without controversy and critics have questioned the recently-divorced Madonna's right to adopt as a single parent - which is currently not allowed in Malawi.

Children rights activist John Soo Phiri says, "She will have to prove that as a single parent she still has the abilities to raise another child alone."

Besides Banda, Madonna is mother to eight-year-old son Rocco and 12-year-old daughter Lourdes.

FORMER WORLD CHAMPION BOXER PARISI DIES IN CAR ACCIDENT

ROME - Boxer Giovanni Parisi, a former Olympic and world champion, died in a car accident in northern Italy on Wednesday. He was 41.

Parisi died when the car he was driving collided head on with a van on a highway outside the town of Voghera, where he lived, police said. The cause of the accident was under investigation, said police official Alessandro Casanova.

Parisi won the featherweight gold medal at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.

He was the WBO lightweight champion from 1992 to '94, when he stepped up to junior welterweight. Parisi lost a decision to Julio Cesar Chavez for the WBC crown in 1995, but won the WBO version in 1996 and held it for two years.

He was knocked out trying to claim the WBO welterweight title in 2000, then fought only three times before his last reported bout in 2006, a loss for the European welterweight title.

Parisi finished with a pro record of 41-5-1 and 29 KOs.

''He was in a league of his own,'' Italian boxing great Nino Benvenuti told Italy's SKY TV. ''He was very precise, very technically well-prepared, sometimes he just needed to touch his opponents ... so they had watch to out for a surprise punch.''

WORLD SERIES BASEBALL STAR BLANCHARD DIES

New York Yankees baseball legend Johnny Blanchard has died after suffering a heart attack.

Blanchard, who played in five consecutive World Series for the team, died on Wednesday in North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale, Minnesota. He was 56.

The left-handed hitter played primarily in the Major Leagues as an outfielder and catcher until 1965.

He is best remembered for a heroic play in the 1961 World Series, when he hit two home runs against the Cincinnati Reds.

He is survived by his wife, Nancy; his sons, Tim, Paul and John; and six grandchildren.

LINDSAY LOHAN - LOHAN'S FILM FLOP TO GO STRAIGHT TO CABLE TV

Lindsay Lohan's film career has been dealt another blow - her latest movie will not be released to cinemas.

Labor Pains will premiere on cable TV in America in July before going straight to DVD in August.

In the film, Lohan plays a woman who fakes pregnancy in a bid to keep her job.

The actress has completed just one movie since her 2007 flop I Know Who Killed Me, and recently lost out on the lead role in director Tim Burton's forthcoming remake of Alice In Wonderland. She also pulled out of Dylan Thomas biopic The Edge of Love, and was replaced by Sienna Miller.

In a recent interview, the actress revealed she's working on a new movie with Oscar winner Sean Penn.

SHAWN JOHNSON - JOHNSON ARMED 'STALKER' ARRESTED

A crazed fan of Olympic gymnast SHAWN JOHNSON has been arrested for attempting to break onto the set of U.S. TV show DANCING WITH THE STARS to meet the contestant.
Robert O'Ryan, 34, was allegedly caught by security on Monday (23Mar09) as he tried to jump a fence at CBS Studios in Los Angeles, where the show was filming.
Police later searched O'Ryan's car where they discovered a shotgun and handgun as well as duct tape and love letters, reports TMZ.com.
He was arrested in the early hours of Tuesday morning (24Mar09).
O'Ryan later admitted he was attempting to meet the 17-year-old, reportedly telling cops that he had "packed all his belongings and permanently left Florida to drive out here to be with (Johnson)."
Johnson's mother, Teri, requested and received a temporary restraining order from the L.A. Superior Court on Wednesday (24Mar09).
O'Ryan has been ordered to stay 300 feet (91 metres) away from Johnson and not to harass her parents or TV dancing partner Mark Ballas.
His bail has been set at $35,000 (£23,000).
Johnson's representative Susan Madore tells People.com, "The matter has been turned over to the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles District Attorney's office. It is currently an ongoing investigation and we are confident that it will be handled appropriately by all involved."

JEREMY PIVEN - PIVEN CONFIDENT HE CAN PROVE MERCURY POISONING

Actor JEREMY PIVEN is confident he will be cleared of allegations he faked a health scare to allow him to pull out of Broadway play SPEED-THE-PLOW as he prepares to defend his honour in an arbitration hearing.
The Entourage star stepped down from the show in December (08), citing severe fatigue. He claims he was diagnosed with toxic mercury poisoning and blames regular sushi meals for his medical woes.
Broadway bosses, who were forced to replace Piven with William H. MACy at the last minute, are furious with his sudden departure and are not convinced the actor was really ill.
They filed a complaint with the Actors Equity Association, claiming Piven's exit jeopardised show earnings.
The case is due to be heard in an arbitration meeting with union bosses in June (09), and Piven is sure he can prove his illness was serious - because U.S. president Barack Obama has identified mercury poisoning as a "grave chemical problem".
His representative says in a statement, "After Mr. Piven was diagnosed with a potentially toxic Mercury level, he reluctantly left SPEED-THE-PLOW at the insistence of his doctors, who warned him that enforced rest was required to avoid severe medical problems, including a heart attack. Mr. Piven is looking forward to testifying in Arbitration along with his doctors so that the truth comes out about the very health serious risks caused by Mercury exposure, which the Obama administration has recently described as the world's gravest chemical problem."
And Piven is mystified by the theatre executives' decision to share details of the hearing to the press - vowing to keep his medical records private - because he has been open to being reexamined by a doctor from the start.
The rep adds, "Mr. Piven had also repeatedly offered to be examined by a doctor designated by the producers both before, during and after his hospitalisation for toxic Mercury levels. The producers never took him up on that offer.
"The fact that the producers issued a statement announcing the Arbitration dates suggests that this is part of a punitive strategy to intimidate actors so that they ignore serious health symptoms and the advice of medical professionals due to fear that they will be sued."

Director Denies Child Porn Accusations

Welsh filmmaker Karl Francis has pleaded not guilty to eight charges of making an indecent image of a child.

The Rebecca's Daughter director, 66, was arrested and charged after he was allegedly linked to a U.S. website investigated by authorities in Virginia and the South Wales Police.

Francis also denied one count of arranging or facilitating sex causing a child sex offence, when he appeared at a hearing in Wales' Cardiff Crown Court on Monday.

Judge William Gaskell adjourned the case until 27 July to allow the defence team to ready their statement and seek expert evidence.

Francis was released on bail under the condition he attends his next court date.

Wedding Bells For Ashanti And Nelly

R&B star ASHANTI has hinted she will marry her rapper lover NELLY in 2009.
Just four months after the couple went public with its four year romance, the singer has confessed she is planning to walk down the aisle with Nelly.
When asked if wedding bells were on the horizon for her, the Happy hitmaker tells Us Weekly, "Absolutely. It's in the cards for me. I believe that I have a couple more things I need to do before that happens."
But Ashanti urges fans not to believe all the gossip that's written about her and Nelly - despite the media correctly predicting their relationship, years before they admitted it to the world.
She adds, "I should have had six or seven kids, been married three times and secretly engaged now. But none of it's true."

Depp tops dinner date wish list

Johnny Depp is the star most women would love to share a candlelit dinner with.

The Pirates Of The Caribbean actor was first choice in a poll to find the most popular celebrity dates, with women choosing him as their favourite fantasy companion - beating heart-throb George Clooney into second place.

Girls Aloud beauty Cheryl Cole was top amongst the males polled, with Jennifer Aniston and British model Kelly Brook also proving popular.

The survey, for environmental charity WWF, also found that Elvis Presley, Freddie Mercury and Marilyn Monroe were the three late celebrities that would be most welcome at the dinner table. (CL/WNWA/LR)

Penn Narrates Harrowing Documentary About Child Abuse Scandal

Oscar winner Sean Penn has narrated a new TV documentary, which chronicles the injustices surrounding dozens of parents who were jailed on bogus child-abuse charges in Bakersfield, California in the 1980s.The actor didn't hesitate to get involved in the project, called Witch Hunt, because he wanted to expose those in public office who had made decisions that wrecked innocent families. He tells TV Guide magazine, "Lives were shattered for the personal and political gain of the District Attorney's office and the Sheriff's Department in Kern County. Many of those corrupt officials continue to hold those positions today. "There's a very current issue here." Penn hopes the film, which will air in America on 12 April, prompts people to question the evidence in high-profile cases and stand up to those in office who encourage and benefit from public hysteria. He adds, "There are all too many examples of the way in which public opinion is swayed by tainted evidence and emotional and irrational decision making. "The public hysteria that surrounded this case is every bit as essential to discuss as the public corruption. These lightning-rod crimes tend to challenge our lawful assumption of innocence until proof of guilt." In making the film, Penn admits he met many of the victims of the injustice and found them to be full of "unique gentleness and dignity".

BEYONCE FRONTS NEW NINTENDO ADS

R&B superstar BEYONCE has become the latest celebrity to front an advertising campaign for computer game giant Nintendo - she's the spokesmodel for new game RHYTHM HEAVEN.
The Crazy In Love hitmaker appears in TV and print promos for the music-based Nintendo DS game, and she is delighted to have teamed up with the firm - because she was a big fan of its hugely popular Super Mario franchise when she was growing up.
She says, "I have so many memories with Super Mario and of course I know the theme song; I can sing the whole thing all the way through! And now I'm a part of it (the Nintendo brand), so I'm really proud of that."
Beyonce turned the commercial shoot into a family affair by insisting her young nephew Daniel Julez Smith, Jr. - her sister Solange's son - played a part in the project, and he appears in the new ads.
She admits her scenes with the four year old are so realistic because they offer a snapshot of her home life: "Whenever I have down time, I want to have the down time with him, so this is very true to my real life - just relaxing at home with my nephew. It's great to share a little piece of something so intimate with everyone."
Other stars to have featured in Nintendo DS adverts include actors Nicole Kidman, Patrick Stewart and Liv Tyler and singer Carrie Underwood.

Faris Wants to Marry Beau in 2009

Actress Anna Faris and her fiance Chris Pratt are planning a 2009 wedding.

The House Bunny star announced her engagement to actor Pratt in January(09), and the 32-year-old reveals neither wants to wait to tie the knot.

Faris tells Usmagazine, "We're thinking before the end of this year, but we are still sorting that out. "I just don't want anything big or fussy.

I have a good girlfriend who is getting married next month, and she's got 13 bridesmaids.

So that's not quite my style.

"Whatever it is, it is going to require a lot of alcohol".

Faris has been married once before, to actor Ben Indra; a four-year union which ended in divorce in February 2008.

FERGIE BACK TO HER IDEAL WEIGHT

Pop star Fergie is back at her ideal weight after piling on the pounds to play a prostitute in movie musical Nine.

The Black Eyed Peas star was required to gain 15 pounds for the role of Saraghina in the all-star film, and it has taken her four months to shed the weight.

The newlywed tells In Touch magazine, "I’m finally back to the weight that I was before the film. It’s taken me forever!"

Fergie admits she failed to lose the weight in time for her wedding to actor Josh Duhamel in January - but she still managed to squeeze into her designer gown.

She adds, "Now I’m just trying to sculpt and get ready for the (Black Eyed Peas) tour, get my stamina up."

Aniston named Sexiest Woman

The newly-single former Friends star, 40, beat Transformers actress Megan Fox and newlywed Gisele Bundchen to land the top spot in the new poll.

The top five is:

1. Jennifer Aniston

2. Megan Fox

3. Gisele Bundchen

4. Frieda Pinto

5. Kim Kardashian

TIMBERLAKE NOT MAKING NEW MUSIC

The SexyBack hitmaker's last album - 2006's FutureSex/LoveSounds - was a massive hit.

But Timberlake admits he is in no rush to make a new solo record because he is happy producing other artists' songs.

He tells Entertainment Weekly, "Right now, I like the idea that things can just kind of pop up and if they feel right I can do them. Committing to my own sort of project, that’s like, 'Okay, let me block out two years of my life and do it.'

"I was heavily fulfilled with the last one and I always have this thing with myself that if I can’t sleep because I need to do it, then I’m gonna do it. But if I’m not losing sleep over it then…"

Sean Penn, Jim Carrey and Benicio Del Toro have been lined up to star in a new movie based on 1930s comedy icons The Three Stooges.

Director siblings the Farrelly Brothers are behind the new project, about the slapstick antics of Moe and Curly Howard and Larry Fine.

Oscar winner Penn is expected to play Larry, with Carrey and Del Toro taking on the roles of Curly and Moe, respectively, reports Daily Variety.

The project marks 48-year-old Penn's first comedy movie since 1989's We're No Angels.

Lindsay Lohan’s ‘Labor Pains’ Headed Straight To Cable

LOS ANGELES, Calif. --

Fans waiting to see Lindsay Lohan’s latest movie won’t have to leave their living rooms.

Lindsay’s new film, “Labor Pains,” will not be released in theaters, Access Hollywood has learned.

Instead, the comedy will premiere on ABC Family, a source for the film’s production company, Nu Image/Millennium Films, confirmed to Access.

The movie will debut on the cable channel in July 2009, with a DVD release coming in August.

In the film, which wrapped production in August 2008, Lindsay plays a woman who fakes being pregnant to save herself from being fired and is then forced to keep the lie going for nine months.

However, the source did say the movie would hit theaters internationally. No release date was available.

Lindsay was last seen on the big screen in “Chapter 27,” opposite Jared Leto. Her other recent film credits include “Georgia Rule,” “I Know Who Killed Me” and “A Prairie Home Companion.”

She has reportedly lined up a new as-of-yet untitled romantic comedy, alongside Nick Cannon about a girl trying to make it in New York’s fashion world who gets set up on a date with a guy who is blind.

RIHANNA LOOKS FOR NEW HOME

The Kiss Kiss hitmaker has been accused of assaulting Rihanna during the 8 February (09) incident, which left the Umbrella star beaten and bruised.

Rihanna slipped away from the spotlight following the spat, spending time in her native Barbados, a holiday resort in Mexico and Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Florida home before returning to work in L.A.

And now the star is reportedly looking to buy a new home in the city after she was spotted embarking on a househunting tour of properties in the Hollywood Hills on Monday (23Mar09) afternoon.

Rihanna viewed three houses including a $6.25 million home, once owned by Jerry Seinfeld and boasting three bedrooms, five bathrooms, pool and a hot tub, according to Usmagazine.com.

Real estate agent Russell Filice, who showed the star the former Seinfield residence, tells the publication, "Rihanna just started her search. She looked at three homes with three assistants and a driver. Her questions were centred around her lifestyle in the house; how she could entertain, how private it is. She was in a great mood. There were no scars, no bruises, no nothing (relating to her alleged fight with Brown). (She is) very sweet, very pretty."

Brown faces almost five years behind bars if he's convicted of assaulting Rihanna. He's due in court for his arraignment in Los Angeles next month (Apr09).

RICHIE DENIES TWINS RUMOURS

Madden and Richie, who welcomed daughter Harlow in January 2008, are preparing to become parents for the second time, announcing the pregnancy last month (Feb09).

Richie has since been inundated with rumours that she is carrying twins.

But the star has dismissed the talk, telling reporters at a charity event in Los Angeles on Monday (23Mar09) that she is not expecting two children - joking that she "already has twins," referring to her partner and his twin brother, Benji.