Clarkson makes US chart history

Pop star Kelly Clarkson has made the largest ever leap to number one in US chart history, rising 96 places.

Her single, My Life Would Suck Without You, rose from 97 to the top of the Billboard chart after selling 280,000 downloads in its first week of release.

The success has prompted Clarkson's record label to release her album, All I Ever Wanted, a week early.

Clarkson, a former American Idol winner, has scored UK hits with Because Of You and Since U Been Gone.

A clip from the video for her new single was premiered in the commercial break of this week's episode of American Idol - although a leaked version had appeared online a day earlier.

The song is her first US number one since her debut single, A Moment Like This, in 2002.

X Factor winner Leona Lewis took her version of that song to the top of the UK charts in 2006.

My Life Would Suck Without You is released as a download in the UK on 23 February, with the album following on 9 March.

Madonna announces summer dates

Madonna has confirmed she is to restart her Sticky and Sweet tour and play new dates in Europe this summer.

The singer's website said the star was "looking forward to an amazing summer in Europe, hitting the cities she didn't get a chance to in 2008".

Madonna concluded the South American leg of her world tour in Sao Paulo on 21 December after beginning in Cardiff in August.

Details of the new dates will be revealed in the coming week.

Sticky and Sweet is alreaqdy biggest-selling tour by a solo artist - taking $281.6m (£193m) worldwide, according to music trade publication Pollstar.

It leans heavily on the star's most recent album, Hard Candy, with her back catalogue represented by songs such as Borderline, Like A Prayer and Ray Of Light.

The lavish show features a Ukrainian gypsy band, a vintage racing car and a "virtual" duet with Justin Timberlake.

It kicked off in Cardiff in August before wrapping up in Brazil last month.

Kano refused marriage proposal from British guy

TOKYO — Celebrity Kyoko Kano, 46, says she said no to a marriage proposal from British guy last year because “the British pound was cheaper against yen.” Translation: the guy wasn’t rich enough.

Speaking at a promotional event for American cosmetic brand “Love & Hate,” in which she collaborated, Kano recommended the products for a Valentine’s Day present.

Getting back to her recent love life, Kano said the British man proposed at the end of last year. “I didn’t give him a definite no. I have to see how the yen-pound rate goes this year.” - TJT

Chinatsu Wakatsuki goes topless for charity

TOKYO — “Talent” Chinatsu Wakatsuki, 24, is putting on sale a T-shirt which features her topless, with the proceeds going to building a school in India.

Wakatsuki, who traveled through Asia last year while she was taking a break from work commitments, said: “I wondered if I could be of any help to children in poverty, and decided to go topless for charity. I don’t take my gear off easily though.”

She added that the T-shirts will sell for 2,000 yen each, and that if she can sell 3,000 of them, that will be enough to build a school. The T-shirts will be on sale on Jan 31 and Feb 1 in Tokyo.

Wakatsuki said to watch “Akuma no keiyaku ni sain” on Wednesday nights at 7:56 p.m. on TBS for more details.

Wakatsuki Chinatsu is a popular Japanese gravure idol, actress, former race queen, and former singer. She is not to be confused with the AV star of the same name and spelling.




















Profile

* Name: Wakatsuki Chinatsu
* Real Name: Kurihara Chiharu
* Nicknames: Chii , Chicchi , Chiichan , Chinacchan , Chinatty
* Birthdate: May 28th, 1984
* Birthplace: Yoshimimachi, Hiki-gun, Saitama, Japan
* Blood Type: A
* Height: 160cm
* Bust: 82cm
* Waist: 58cm
* Hips: 84cm
* Shoe Size: 24.5cm

Obama provides competition for American Idol - Malaysiakini

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama dance together at the Obama Home States Inaugural Ball in Washington last week. His oath taking ceremony earlier almost matched ‘American Idol’. If he was a contestant in the show, he’d win even without singing. — AP pic

NEW YORK, Jan 28 — President Barack Obama provided some solid competition for “American Idol” in the prime-time ratings.

ABC’s “Neighbourhood Ball,” with Inauguration Night performances from will.i.am and Stevie Wonder, was seen by 12.6 million people, according to Nielsen Media Research.

It competed directly against “American Idol” on Fox. “Idol” won, but its Tuesday night audience of 22.8 million was clearly affected by interest in the new president. Television’s most popular show rebounded to draw nearly 26 million people the next night.

With an “Idol” lead-in, Fox’s new series “Lie to Me” was watched by 12.4 million people in its Wednesday debut.

CBS won the week with an average of 10.8 million viewers (6.8 rating, 11 share). Fox had 10.5 million (6.1, 10), but dominated among its target demographic of 18-to-49-year-olds. ABC averaged 8.3 million viewers (5.2, 8), NBC had 6.5 million (4.1, 7), and the CW had 1.7 million viewers (1.1, 2) as did My Network TV (1.0, 2). ION Television averaged 690,000 viewers (0.5, 1).

Among the Spanish-language networks, Univision had 4.2 million viewers (2.0 rating, 3 share), Telemundo 1.2 million (0.6, 1), TeleFutura 540,000 (0.3, 0) and Azteca 180,000 (0.1, 0).

NBC’s “Nightly News” topped the evening newscasts with an average of 10.1 million viewers (6.6, 12). ABC’s “World News” was second with 9.2 million (6.1, 11) and the “CBS Evening News” had 7.1 million (4.7, 9).

A ratings point represents 1,145,000 households, or 1 percent of the nation’s estimated 114.5 million TV homes. The share is the percentage of in-use televisions tuned to a given show.

For the week of Jan. 19-25, the top 10 shows, their networks and viewerships: “American Idol” (Wednesday), Fox, 25.9 million; “American Idol” (Tuesday), Fox, 22.77 million; “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”, CBS, 17.57 million; “Two and a Half Men”, CBS, 16.09 million; “House”, Fox, 15.03 million; “CSI: Miami”, CBS, 14.58 million; “Grey’s Anatomy”, ABC, 14.43 million; “60 Minutes”, CBS, 14.21 million; “Criminal Minds”, CBS, 13.82 million; “Cold Case”, CBS, 13.26 million. — AP

Gay and Lesbian Awards

Sally Field from Brothers & Sisters wins an acting award at last Sunday’s Screen Actors’ Guild Awards. Her ABC show is up for more awards at the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation media award ceremony after being nominated today. — AP pic

LOS ANGELES, Jan 27 — For the third year running, the ABC television network leads nominees for awards from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. The network earned six nominations for the 20th annual GLAAD Media Awards, with “Brothers & Sisters,” ‘‘Desperate Housewives” and “Ugly Betty” among its contenders.

The awards recognise fair and inclusive portrayals of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community and issues affecting them.

“How our lives are portrayed in the media doesn’t make a bit of difference, it makes all the difference,” said GLAAD president Neil G. Giuliano.

The organization announced its 185 nominees in 41 categories Tuesday.

CBS earned four nominations and NBC nabbed two. Nominees for feature film in wide release include “Brideshead Revisited,” ‘‘Milk,” ‘‘Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist,” ‘‘RocknRolla” and “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.”

“The nominees this year prove that the stories of LGBT Americans are interesting, compelling and will touch not only LGBT audiences, but broader audiences as well,” Giuliano said.

Special prizes will be presented to Tyra Banks and Suze Orman. Banks will receive the Excellence in Media award, and Orman will receive the Vito Russo award.

The GLAAD Media Awards — which also recognise magazine and newspaper content, theater performances, advertising and Spanish programming — will be presented at three separate ceremonies: in New York on March 28, in Los Angeles on April 19 and in San Francisco on May 9. — AP

Angelina Ready For More Kids

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were in a great mood at the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday night, and family was very much on their minds the entire time.

The couple did their red carpet interviews separately, arriving relatively early (for them) – a full half an hour before the awards show began. Angelina even made one young fan’s night – signing a single autograph during the evening.

Brad was first to talk with Access Hollywood’s Nancy O’Dell

“Last time I talked to Angie she told me that she wanted to have more kids because you’re such a great dad,” Nancy prompted.

“Ha ha… Well, no comment…” Brad joked.

“No, I don’t know… I don’t know,” he continued, grinning. “We average about two a year, so I guess we’re overdue, aren’t we?”

“How does it feel to have so many nominations with the family together?” Nancy asked him.

“That’s REALLY nice,” Brad said. “We haven’t had a whole lot of time to stop and enjoy but it’s a really nice honor for us.”

As Brad moved down the carpet, a jubilant Angelina wearing deep blue Max Azria, also tackled the topic of children with Nancy.

“I was just talking to Brad and he said that you average two kids a year,” Nancy said. “He said that you were kinda due, that it was kinda time…”

“Yeah, I agree!” Angelina replied enthusiastically.

“You say that very emphatically,” Nancy said.

“If they come our way, we’d be happy to have them all. We love children,” Angelina said.

Nancy also asked about the couples’ reaction this past Thursday, when they both learned that they’d been nominated for Academy Awards.

“We both were busy with the kids and doing different things with the day and we weren’t actually together when we heard,” Angelina said. “So he probably first asked about me and I first asked about him, so that makes it so much nicer when you’re rooting for each other.

It will be sweet for our kids to look back on this time.”

Both Brad and Angelina said they were happy to be at the SAG Awards supporting their respective films, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and “Changeling” because it meant that more people would go to the theaters to see them.

“We’re happy for the film to get this sort of attention. It means it’s going to get seen by people,” Brad told Nancy.

Alyssa Milano Engaged

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Alyssa Milano is engaged. The actress is set to wed CAA agent David Bugliari, Access Hollywood has learned.

The couple, who has dated for over a year, got engaged on December 18, a rep for the actress said in a statement to Access.

Alyssa and David have not picked out a date for their wedding yet.

Alyssa was previously engaged to actor Scott Wolf in 1993. She has also been linked to Justin Timberlake, Corey Haim and Eric Dane.

The former child-star, who rose to fame opposite Tony Danza and Judith Light on “Who’s The Boss,” recently had a recurring role on NBC’s “My Name Is Earl.” -

Brazil model dies

RIO DE JANEIRO - A BRAZILIAN model whose feet and hands were amputated following a drug-resistant infection died early on Saturday, health officials said.

Mariana Bridi, 20, died at 2.30 am from complications related to a generalised infection caused by the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the Espirito Santo State Health Secretariat said in a statement.

The bacteria is known to be resistant to multiple kinds of antibiotics.



Bridi had been in the hospital in the city of Serra in Espirito Santo state since Jan 3.


Doctors originally diagnosed her with kidney stones in December, local media said. But as her condition worsened, she was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection that spread.

The cause of the infection was not immediately known.

It reduced the flow of oxygen to her limbs, causing her feet to be amputated last week and her hands this week. Part of Bridi's stomach was also removed as doctors tried to contain internal bleeding, local media said.

Health officials on Friday said Bridi was not breathing on her own and was undergoing hemodialysis at a hospital in the city of Serra. -- AP

List of 81st annual Oscar nominations

(Angelina Jolie)— Complete list of 81st annual Academy Award nominations announced Thursday:

1. Best Picture: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “Frost/Nixon,” “Milk,” “The Reader,” “Slumdog Millionaire.”

2. Actor: Richard Jenkins, “The Visitor”; Frank Langella, “Frost/Nixon”; Sean Penn, “Milk”; Brad Pitt, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”; Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler.”

3. Actress: Anne Hathaway, “Rachel Getting Married”; Angelina Jolie, “Changeling”; Melissa Leo, “Frozen River”; Meryl Streep, “Doubt”; Kate Winslet, “The Reader.”

4. Supporting Actor: Josh Brolin, “Milk”; Robert Downey Jr., “Tropic Thunder”; Philip Seymour Hoffman, “Doubt”; Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight”; Michael Shannon, “Revolutionary Road.”

(Amy Adams)
5. Supporting Actress: Amy Adams, “Doubt”; Penelope Cruz, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”; Viola Davis, “Doubt”; Taraji P. Henson, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”; Marisa Tomei, “The Wrestler.”

6. Director: David Fincher, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”; Ron Howard, “Frost/Nixon”; Gus Van Sant, “Milk”; Stephen Daldry, “The Reader”; Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire.”

7. Foreign Film: “The Baader Meinhof Complex,” Germany; “The Class,” France; “Departures,” Japan; “Revanche,” Austria; “Waltz With Bashir,” Israel.

8. Adapted Screenplay: Eric Roth and Robin Swicord, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”; John Patrick Shanley, “Doubt”; Peter Morgan, “Frost/Nixon”; David Hare, “The Reader”; Simon Beaufoy, “Slumdog Millionaire.”

9. Original Screenplay: Courtney Hunt, “Frozen River”; Mike Leigh, “Happy-Go-Lucky”; Martin McDonagh, “In Bruges”; Dustin Lance Black, “Milk”; Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon and Pete Docter, “WALL-E.”

10. Animated Feature Film: “Bolt”; “Kung Fu Panda”; “WALL-E.”

11. Art Direction: “Changeling,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Dark Knight,” “The Duchess,” “Revolutionary Road.”

12. Cinematography: “Changeling,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Dark Knight,” “The Reader,” “Slumdog Millionaire.”

13. Sound Mixing: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Dark Knight,” “Slumdog Millionaire,” “WALL-E,” “Wanted.”

14. Sound Editing: “The Dark Knight,” “Iron Man,” “Slumdog Millionaire,” “WALL-E,” “Wanted.”

15. Original Score: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” Alexandre Desplat; “Defiance,” James Newton Howard; “Milk,” Danny Elfman; “Slumdog Millionaire,” A.R. Rahman; “WALL-E,” Thomas Newman.

16. Original Song: “Down to Earth” from “WALL-E,” Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman; “Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire,” A.R. Rahman and Gulzar; “O Saya” from “Slumdog Millionaire,” A.R. Rahman and Maya Arulpragasam.

17. Costume: “Australia,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Duchess,” “Milk,” “Revolutionary Road.”

18. Documentary Feature: “The Betrayal (Nerakhoon),” “Encounters at the End of the World,” “The Garden,” “Man on Wire,” “Trouble the Water.”

19. Documentary (short subject): “The Conscience of Nhem En,” “The Final Inch,” “Smile Pinki,” “The Witness—From the Balcony of Room 306.”

20. Film Editing: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Dark Knight,” “Frost/Nixon,” “Milk,” “Slumdog Millionaire.”

21. Makeup: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Dark Knight,” “Hellboy II: The Golden Army.”

22. Animated Short Film: “La Maison en Petits Cubes,” “Lavatory _ Lovestory,” “Oktapodi,” “Presto,” “This Way Up.”

23. Live Action Short Film: “Auf der Strecke (On the Line),” “Manon on the Asphalt,” “New Boy,” “The Pig,” “Spielzeugland (Toyland).”

24. Visual Effects: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Dark Knight,” “Iron Man.”

Milano gets restraining order

Milano wrote in court documents that Turner had hiked miles to try to meet her and repeatedly called to get access to an event where she was appearing. -- PHOTO: ASSOCIATED PRESS

LOS ANGELES - ALYSSA Milano received a restraining order against a man she said had repeatedly tried to contact her and showed up at her home unannounced.




Records show a judge in Ventura County granted Milano a three-year restraining order on Dec 23 against Jeff Turner, who lives in Northern California.



Milano wrote in court documents that Turner had hiked miles to try to meet her and repeatedly called to get access to an event where she was appearing.


Milano, who recently announced her engagement to Hollywood agent David Bugliari, is best known for her roles on television series such as 'Who's the Boss?' 'Charmed' and a recurring role on 'My Name is Earl.' -- AP

Jennifer Lopez wow inaugural gala

WASHINGTON, Jan 20 — Latino entertainers Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony graced “la alfombra roja” — the red carpet — at Union Station on Sunday to give a Hispanic flair to the inauguration pre-celebration on Sunday.

They posed quickly for cameras with no visible signs of the marital distress that tabloids have been buzzing about recently. The two singers entertained the crowd at the end of the night.

Lopez introduced Anthony after making a pitch for the new president.





“Yes we can,” she said to the cheering crowd. “We all stood together and said ‘Yes we will’”.


Lopez, wearing an electric blue strapless gown, towered over her husband Anthony, who wore pinstripes. Her piled-high updo added a few more inches.

The couple said little from the carpet, but Anthony traded a hug with Miami-born Wilmer Valderrama, star of “That ‘70s Show,” as he swiftly moved off the carpet.

Valderrama actively promoted registration and voting among young Latinos during the presidential election.







“All of us performers, not until this election did we really understand what we could do,” Valderrama said.

Though focus of the night was entertainment, the music quickly mixed with politics.

Tony Plana, who plays Betty’s father in the television series “Ugly Betty,” said he was ecstatic about President-elect Barack Obama’s victory. He said an Obama administration could improve the lives of all minorities.

But he also said Hispanics deserved a better spot on the inaugural festivities list.

“It’s a concern this event tonight is not an official event of the administration. It’s a little sad for me Latinos had to organise their own event,” Plana said. He said he hoped it did not mean Hispanics would be relegated to a back seat. The event was organised by the National Council of La Raza and other Hispanic organisations.

“American Idol” runner up David Archuleta kicked off the night with “The Star-Spangled Banner” and he was quickly followed with music by War.

Members of Congress filtered in and mixed in the VIP room with some of the stars.

Other entertainers at the event included Mexican singer Lila Downs, comedian George Lopez, actress Rosie Perez, telenovela actress Angelica Vale and others. — AP

Kelly denies marrying Ken

'I should marry in five years' time. It could be one year, or two, three years later,' the Taiwan-born Hong Kong-based actress, Kelly Lin said. -- PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

TOKYO - ACTRESS Kelly Lin has denied that she married F4 actor-singer Ken Chu in Japan.

In an impromptu interview in the street last Saturday afternoon, the 33-year-old told Apple Daily she was just taking a break in Tokyo. 'I should marry in five years' time. It could be one year, or two, three years later,' the Taiwan-born Hong Kong-based actress said.

But questions remain about the hush-hush party she and Chu, 30, were said to have held that evening. They have been linked since they acted in The Tokyo Trial, a 2006 film on the World War II trials.

According to Apple Daily, their friends were asked to a dinner in Tokyo on Saturday, but not told of the place.

Lin's friend, jewellery designer Cindy Chao, also flew to Japan with a three-carat diamond ring for her, the report said.

When asked if it was a wedding band for Lin, Chao paused before saying: 'It's a belated birthday gift. She was filming in Beijing on her birthday in October last year and I couldn't give it to her in time.'

Asked about the expensive gift, Chao said: 'Friendship is priceless.' A report on China's Sina portal quoted a source as saying the party could have been for Chu, whose birthday was last Friday.