Oscars to continue on ABC TV through 2020

ABC television will broadcast the annual Oscar ceremony until 2020, extending its current agreement by six years, the TV network and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said on Thursday.

ABC, a unit of the Walt Disney Co, has broadcast the Academy Awards -- traditionally the most-watched non-sporting event of the year -- to U.S. viewers for decades.

"This contract ensures that the Oscar show will be an ABC tradition for 45 consecutive years," Academy president Tom Sherak said in a statement.

ABC television group president Anne Sweeny said that ABC has aired 46 of the annual telecasts honoring the best movies and performances of the year "so we're thrilled to announce that this tradition will continue."

The 83rd Academy Awards will be aired live from Hollywood on Sunday.

Last year, the ceremony was watched by 41.7 million Americans -- the largest TV audience in five years.

The Oscars are also watched by millions of people around the world under a separate agreement with Walt Disney International, which runs through 2014.

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Wedding gift for Prince William and Kate Middleton from old university

Prince William and Kate Middleton will receive an early wedding gift on Friday when the Scottish university where their student romance first blossomed presents them with a scholarship created in their honour.

The couple will make their second official visit together since announcing their engagement in November to St. Andrews University to launch its 600th anniversary celebrations.

They mark the formal charter granted by Bishop Henry Wardlaw in February 1411 and the achievement of full university status conferred by Pope Benedict XIII by Papal Bull in 1413.

William, second in line to the British throne, is patron of the 600th Anniversary Appeal which aims to raise 100 million pounds ($160 million) to secure the university's future and fund scholarships making it accessible to all "regardless of background or circumstance."

The new scholarship, worth up to 70,000 pounds ($112,800), will meet the costs of tuition, accommodation and living expenses for a four-year undergraduate degree in science, the arts, medicine or divinity.

It will be presented as a wedding gift to the couple when they visit the university later on Friday.

St Andrews, located on Scotland's picturesque east coast, enjoys a reputation for being Britain's "top matchmaking university" -- around one in 10 students meet their spouses there, officials say.

With no nightclubs, students tend to socialise at dinner parties or "society" balls, contributing to its reputation as a peculiarly upmarket seat of learning.

William, 28, and Middleton, 29, met in 2001 when they studied art history together.

The prince attended a charity fashion show where Middleton modelled a skimpy outfit, they shared a house on the outskirts of the town and romance bloomed.

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Catherine Zeta Jones receives honor from Prince Charles

Oscar-winning Welsh actress Catherine Zeta Jones was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace in London on Thursday.

The 41-year-old, who wore a cream skirt and jacket, matching hat and gold-colored high heels, was accompanied by her husband Michael Douglas and their two children.

Zeta-Jones, who was born and raised in Wales, was honored for her services to the film industry and charity.

When the award was announced last year, the actress said she was "absolutely thrilled. As a British subject I feel incredibly proud. At the same time it is overwhelming and humbling."

On Thursday, she described receiving the CBE as "very personal."

Zeta Jones began her career as a child working in theater and on television. As an adult, she moved her career to Hollywood and landed leading roles in movies such as "The Mask of Zorro," "Entrapment" and "Traffic." She won a supporting actress Academy Award for her performance in the musical "Chicago."

In recent years, she has lived in New York City with Douglas, a two-time Oscar winner for acting in "Wall Street" and producing "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." He was diagnosed with throat cancer last year but said in January that the tumor was gone and that he was beating the disease.

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Experts React To Beyonce's Black Face Photo Shoot

Even Beyoncé gets bad press, but is it deserved? Yesterday (February 23), photos of the R&B starlet, and Jay-Z’s wife, were revealed of her cover shoot for French fashion magazine L’Officiel Paris. A slight furor has arisen over the images because the fair complexioned singer’s skin was darkened, causing critics to say the look is akin to blackface.

According to L’Officiel Paris, the make up and clothing she donned for the photo shoot was a nod to the music of Fela Kuti (and the magazine’s 90th anniversary). Allegedly, Beyoncé was so moved by Kuti’s music after watching Broadway musical Fela!—Jay-Z is one of its co-producers—that she will be incorporating the late African musicians sounds in her next project.

But considering the hateful and racist imagery many have equated her look too, was it prudent? African-Americans do come in many hues.

“It appears as though Beyoncé and/or the magazine’s intent was to pay homage to her African roots as expressed by a member of her team in a behind-the-scenes video,” Tracey Ford, Editor of AOL’s BoomBox blog says. “She's an African-American woman. Why is it controversial for her to want to honor her roots by highlighting that women come in different shades... If that’s in fact what the shoot was attempting to showcase?”

It’s tough to make a case that L’Officiel and Beyoncé, who has yet to comment on this matter, are simply making excuses for a misstep. To many the photography and art in and of itself is a success.

“The photographs are beautiful—both those where Beyoncé wears brown paint and those without,” Demetria L. Lucas of abelleinbk.com and the author of A Belle in Brooklyn: Advice for Living Your Single Life & Enjoying Mr. Right Now says. “Perhaps if Beyonce’s painted face included an exaggerated mouth and red lips, I would share in the outrage of those who call her look “offensive” or “minstrel-like.” But since it doesn’t, I cannot.”

Lucas continues, “Darker skin isn’t bad, but from the loud reaction to a pale-skinned woman going chocolate for fashion and/or art, you easily could be led to believe that it somehow is. I hear the naysayers of the shoot loud and clear, but their cries sound like a gross overreaction. It’s problematic that so many confuse a boundary-pushing, high- fashion editorial with somehow mocking or diminishing Black people and their hues.”

Color complexes between light, dark and everything in between are nothing new in the African-American community, and society at large.

“Beyoncé is beautiful, talented and a huge American star, so maybe she should have known better, but for all we know the dark make-up on her face that doesn't appear on the rest of her body could be an artistic statement about her ancestral history or an abstract message about the diversity in phenotype in Africa,” Timmhotep Aku, Editor of TheBVX.com says. “Contrary to the popular misconception, Blacks of every hue exist in Africa—even with no 'white blood' coursing through their veins. Honestly, I think this is much ado about nothing.”

This could also be a case of extra scrutiny due to the singer’s immense success.

“Being Beyoncé at this point is both a gift and a curse,” Georgette Cline, Editor at AOL Music and Rap-Up.com says. “The woman can’t really do anything without her actions being scrutinized, even if it’s posing for a magazine’s fashion spread in makeup that darkens her skin complexion. The shoot’s definitely tasteful and has artistic merit but like beauty, art is in the eye of the beholder, which is why she’s coming under fire in the first place.”

Nevertheless, in light of the connotations blackface denotes, even if not intentionally, many believe Beyoncé and her camp, should have known better.

“Given the controversial history surrounding blackface, it’s impossible to believe that both Beyoncé and her team didn’t think of the racial implications in painting her face,” Steven J. Horowitz, Associate Editor at YRB Magazine, says. “In an age when racism is still a prevalent issue, and where other artists like will.i.am have faced backlash for darkening their skin, she should have realized that anything remotely resembling blackface would raise fire from the smoke.”

Besides will.i.am, who was criticized for his all black everything look at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, British singer Estelle also faced criticism for the use of dark black make up in her video for “Freak.” On the opposite end of the spectrum, Beyoncé also faced criticism when the makeup line she endorses, L’Oreal, was accused of lightening her complexion in ads.

“Beyoncé can’t please anyone apparently. When she’s in L’Oreal ads or showing up the Grammy’s she’s too light or ‘trying to be white,’ but when she returns to her roots (no Alex Haley) and honoring a West African icon she's attacked for appearing in 'blackface,'” says Aku. I think we should cut Beyoncé some slack on this one. First of all, I don't think the French are as conscious of racial faux pas as we are and that may've led to the unintentionally insensitive creative direction.”

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Elizabeth Taylor feeling stronger, still in hospital

British-born actress Elizabeth Taylor is getting better in hospital and she has not had a heart attack, a stroke or any kind of heart surgery, her representative said on Thursday.

But the 78-year-old two-time Oscar winner, who has been at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after being admitted with symptoms of heart failure earlier this month, will stay in hospital for now.

“Elizabeth Taylor’s doctors continue to be encouraged by her progress,” her representative said in a statement released on Wednesday. “She is in good spirits and continues to feel stronger every day.” In 2009, Taylor, who has been married eight times, had surgery to replace a leaky heart valve and has been using a wheelchair for more than five years to cope with chronic pain.

A Hollywood star since appearing in “National Velvet” at age 12, Taylor won Oscars for her work in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” and “Butterfield 8.” reuters

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Katrina steps down as IPL Royal Challengers brand ambassador

Actress Katrina Kaif has stepped down as the brand ambassador of Indian Premier League team Royal Challengers Bangalore since she feels she will not be able to do justice to her responsibilities in direction of the workforce because of the clashing of her shooting timetable with IPL-4 matches. The Bangalore IPL workforce had extended her appointment because the brand ambassador for seasons 3 and four, but she is unable to proceed as she would be shooting for Yash Raj Film's "Mere Brother Ki Dulhan" during IPL-4 starting April eight.

The film's shooting is in Agra and, therefore, it won't be doable for her to make appearances to help the group and therefore the choice to phase down as brand ambassador, a press statement said.

"Katrina Kaif is really a thorough professional and believes in giving her one hundred % to all her commitments. She is surely an avid sport's enthusiast and wanted to become present for all of the team's matches to cheer them on," mentioned a supply.

"However, because she is going to be shooting throughout IPL-4, she has made the decision to choose out with the Royal Challengers given that she would not be performing justice to them," the source additional.

"Mere Brother Ki Dulhan" is Ali Abbas Zafar's directorial debut and Katrina has teamed up with actor Imran Khan and Pakistani singer-actor Ali Zafar within the movie.

"Mere Brother Ki Dulhan" is scheduled to launch throughout the world in July. We understand you Katrina but we nevertheless got one solid participant within the form of Ms. Deepika Padukone.

Shah Rukh Khan tells youth to shun corruption

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan Wednesday urged the youth to remain absent from corruption and make India a better place by becoming straightforward citizens. "The negative has to change. There is so much corruption about along with the long term can be bettered by younger boys and ladies only, to ensure that the generations to appear could be proud with the country," Shah Rukh stated whilst addressing college students of the Indian Institute of Organizing and Administration [IIPM].

"It is my earnest plea - do not indulge in scams or corruption. Daily you will discover new scams in newspapers and Tv. So I request the young era to do issues that don't depart the new generations embarrassed. Just make the best of opportunities and I want all of you all the greatest," he additional.

Shah Rukh, who had a huge selection of college students waiting to catch a glimpse of him, had other words of wisdom to share just before hosting IIPM's annual global business enterprise and marketing quiz DARE 2011.

"A lot of folks request me what advice I've to present to them. But I'll let you know honestly. I was at an award perform with Mr. Bachchan as soon as and before heading for the stage, I asked him - 'Sir, do you might have any suggestions to present?' He said- 'Before going towards the stage, just verify in case your zip is up or not!'

"So I did that just before my overall performance! And that's all I've to advise you youngsters - ensure all of your zippers are intact whenever you do anything in life, and all shall be well," said the actor.

The 45-year-old also repeated his dialogue from "Om Shanti Om", and mentioned: "Agar end mein sab kuch theek na ho, to woh the end nahi hain dosto…Picture abhi baaki hai… (If something does not finish effectively, that's not the end, friends…the picture is still pending)".

His practically three-hour delay left the students and media drained, but Shah Rukh's grand entry inside a blue Bentley lifted everyone's spirits in no time. Sporting his lethal, new search for "Don - The Chase Continues" - complete with long, unkempt hair and a beard, the actor left the women asking for a lot more.

The audience at the Parkland Exotica were enthralled as Shah Rukh hosted the quiz show in his trademark, witty model.

He joked, laughed, pulled the contestants' legs as well as took a dig at IIPM dean Arindam Chaudhary's lengthy locks.

"I am sporting long hair for my new film…but I must seriously discover the way to maintain them shampooed and straight like Arindam's hair…," he quipped.

His witty and naughty 1 liners didn't spare some international students also. When 1 younger girl in the US stated she cherished Indian saris, Shah Rukh commented: "Oh well…I am really very good at untying saris!" No physique can compete with SRK with regards to his humor. What do you say folks?

Why Madhuri Dixit said no to Rajinikanth?

As noted before Dhak- Dhak woman Madhuri Dixit was approached through the makers of South Superstar Rajinikanth’s new venture Rana. But the makers couldn’t resolve the Pukar actress, the cause becoming Madhuri was offered the role of Rajini’s sister in the film for which the actress stated a polite “No”.

Tabloids were all more than the location citing personal reasons of Madhuri was the cause for her “No” to Rana however the woman confirmed information on her micro-blogging web site twitter by declaring that “Would have cherished to perform a film with Rajnikanth, however the role was that of his sister...want to watch for the best role”. Both the superstars were when noticed in 1987 movie Uttar Dakshin.

Rana sees Rajini in triple avatar. Deepika Padukone and Asin are currently roped in from the makers to become cast opposite Padayappa Star. Anushka Shetty of Telugu fame is in the news for the third heroine role.

So, filmmakers who want Madhuri to become noticed reverse Rajini, go having a perfect role to her.

Selena Gomez Pregnant ?

Selena Gomez pregnant is being searched right now on the internet and I am really not sure why. I mean I know the 18-year-old Disney star has taken off her purity ring for Justin Bieber but… pregnancy seems a little far-fetched.

Gomez’ parents are already furious that she has taken the ring off, I doubt the onset of a pregnant rumor are going to calm them down.

It turns out that the recent Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez dating news has sparked an outrage with Gomez’ parents.

Ricardo Gomez and Mandy Teefy are PISSED off that Gomez has stopped wearing the purity ring that she has had on since she was 12-years-old.

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Jennifer Lopez to star in Indian reality show?

If rumours are anything to go by then Hollywood hottie Jennifer Lopez may be signed up to judge a reality show in India.
The Indian version of ‘X-Factor’ which is adapted from the international series of ‘The X Factor ‘will be making its grand entry on the Indian tube and rumour has it that music sensation J Lo would judge this one.

However, all such reports were laid to rest later. It all started when a particular section of the media had jumped the gun in announcing that ‘Jenny from the block’ star is set to flag off her telly stint in India but a close source later was quoted as saying, “JLo was to judge the US reality show X- Factor. Now the Pussycat Dolls will be on the panel. There’s no such luck of JLo judging the Indian version.”

Over the last couple of years, International Celebes have become a regular in Indian reality shows. It may be recalled that Baywatch babe Pamela Anderson was featured in Bigg Boss4 and worked wonders for the dwindling TRPs of the show. Other foreign faces like Jade Goody was a part of Bigg Boss2 and Claudia Ciesla added the oomph factor in the third season of Bigg Boss.

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Tariq Anwar in Oscar race

India-born British film editor Tariq Anwar is in the Oscar race with a nomination for his work in the hugely popular historical drama “The King’s Speech”.

This is his second nomination for the prestigious award. In 1999, he was nomianted for “American Beauty”.

Raised in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, Tariq has been working as a film editor in Britain for more than two decades and has worked on films like “The Good Shepherd” and “Sylvia”.

Tariq won two BAFTA awards for “Oppenheimer” and “American Beauty”.

The other Indian name in the Oscar nomination list is, of course, composer A.R. Rahman. The Chennai-based maestro, who won two Oscars for “Slumdog Millionaire” in 2009, has been nominated for two awards for “127 Hours” this year.

Colin Firth starrer “The King’s Speech”, which has been appreciated across the globe, has received 12 Oscar nominations.

Tariq will be competing with Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter (“The Social Network”), Jon Harris (“127 Hours”), Pamela Martin (“The Fighter”) and Andrew Weisblum (“Black Swan”) for the prestigious award, which will be given Sunday at a gala ceremony.

Tariq’s children are also in showbiz – his daughter Gabrielle Anwar plays Fiona Glenanne in “Burn Notice”, while his son Rafiq is also an actor and he directs as well.

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Mary-Kate Olsen dating shoe designer?

Mary-Kate Olsen has been spotted on a string of dates with shoe designer Seth Campbell in New York and even invited him to her younger sister Elizabeth’s 22nd birthday celebrations.

The 24-year-old actress-and-fashion designer who split from artist Nate Lowman in February 2010 after a two-year relationship was spotted with Campbell at Lavo restaurant and nightclub in New York, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

‘Their relationship is fairly new. They’ve been able to have a few dates on the down low. He’s a downtown kind of guy, likes to party every now and then,’ said a source.

‘His company is in the press but he’s not, so it works out that way. They’re both like each other and are just seeing where things go. Having fun,’ he added.

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Ashton Kutcher loves getting naked

Ashton Kutcher likes getting naked in films because it feels natural to ‘have it out’.

The 33-year-old actor who strips off in new movie ‘No Strings Attached’ admitted he enjoys getting naked because he feels natural when he doesn’t have his clothes on, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

‘I don’t know why but I like having it out. I like being naked! We all come into the world this way. There’s very little you can do about it, you are who you are. Doing the scene, it doesn’t matter. It’s infinitely awkward. You have 40 strangers standing around,’ he said.

‘I think it’s less awkward for guys than girls because the crew tends to be slightly more masculine,’ he added.

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Elizabeth Hurley, Shane Warne – True love or publicity stunt?

It’s been some time now, but Elizabeth Hurley and Shane Warne’s “very public” love story doesn’t seem to leave the spotlight or the front pages even for a moment – but some are left wondering – is it true love or just a cheap publicity gimmick?

Warne and Hurley have been very vocal about their mutual affection for each other on Twitter, for the rest of the world to see.

“That’s what was so extraordinary about it – just how open they were in their tweeting,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Fiona McIntosh, the founding editor of Grazia and now a columnist for the London-based Sunday Mirror, as saying.

McIntosh added that Warne and Hurley seemed to be completely unaffected by with the ongoing phone-tapping scandal – where some stars jealously guard their privacy, these two don’t seem to care at all.

“Maybe they were carried away in the first flash of love. That’s what I’m not sure about – if it was a strategy or not,” she said.

Then mid-December saw a complete silence over Twitter but when Hurley got her new parrot Ping-Pong, Warne tweeted, “I’m getting jealous of ping pong ! Think it’s time you left ping pong alone for a while & come visit me in Australia.”

And when she did, the media world was abuzz with activity yet again. It seemed that what had begun as something quite ambiguous and haphazard was now being formalised as a media strategy.

Surprisingly, Hurley has been very private about her life – whether it was ex boyfriend Hugh Grant’s encounter with prostitute Divine Brown or her court case for picture agencies who snapped her, Grant and new husband Arun Nayar while they were on holiday.

“It’s a way of beating [journalists] at their own game. By tweeting, you’re taking power from the journalist. The biggest bugbear to [celebrities] are stories which are damaging and possibly false. But this way, you eliminate that,” says publicist Max Clifford.

Sam Delaney – Heat’s editor until last year – gives another reason.

When celebrities reveal intimate details on Twitter, a la Warne and Hurley, “you think: ‘This is amazing. We’re getting insights into all the dirty laundry our readers want to know about. Oh, but so are our readers.”‘

As a result, he says, “you’re left being an amalgam of stuff that is already out there. Rather like The Week magazine, but for celebrity news.”

But he argues, saying, “People will always enjoy seeing a story printed bigger, and delivered with humour and a bit of editorial comment.”

But the microblogging site seems to have worked wonders for the couple.

Hurley’s Twitter following has almost doubled – from 50,000 in December to over 90,000 now – while the new account she set up last week for her pet Ping Pong has already attracted over 3500 subscribers.

Sadly, her relationship with Warne hasn’t been so successful. “Happy Valentine’s Day!” Hurley tweeted at the end of what turned out to be a disastrous trip to Australia. “Remember, love is like a rollercoaster ride – sometimes it’s exhilarating but sometimes u feel sick and want to get off.”

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Charlie Sheen spotted kissing mystery blonde in California

Charlie Sheen has been spotted kissing a mystery woman in Calabasas, California.

After a stint in rehab, the ‘Two And A Half Men’ actor was back to work shooting a scene at Hipster Kids clothing store, reports the Daily Mail.

But he dashed out to spend time with the blonde between takes and after putting on a public display of affection, the 45-year-old escorted her to his 300,000-dollar Maybach.

Last week during an interview on Dan Patrick’s radio, Sheen revealed he has a new woman in his life, but he declined to reveal her identity.

He said he is ‘100percent’ in love.

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Justin Timberlake insists he’s “not an a**hole”

Justin Timberlake, who is working hard to develop his acting skills, says that the biggest battle for him throughout the process is having to keep reassuring people that he is ‘not an a**hole’!

The six-time Grammy Award winner was interviewing actress Amanda Seyfried for Interview magazine, reports the Herald Sun.

The two star in the upcoming thriller ‘Now’.

“There is a stigma that comes from being onstage and being a musician,” Timberlake said

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Drew Barrymore dating Arie Kopelman

Drew Barrymore has finally moved on from her on-off relationship with Justin Long and is reportedly dating son of former Chanel boss, Arie Kopelman.

Barrymore and Will Kopelman were spotted together at an event earlier this month and on Monday they stepped out in Los Angeles for lunch, Contactmusic.com reports.

At the age of 16, Barrymore became engaged to Leland Hayward but after a few months it was called off. In 1994, she married Welsh bartender-turned-bar owner Jeremy Thomas and the marriage was called off in a month’s time.

In 2001, she got married for the second time to comedian Tom Green, which worked out for a year and later the couple parted ways.

The 36-year-old most recently dated Justin Long, but they confirmed their split in 2008.

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