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HEATH LEDGER’s death has topped a poll of the most important showbiz events of 2008.
The Dark Knight star’s death from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs in January (08) came first in a survey of U.S. newspaper and broadcast editors.
The end of the Hollywood writers’ strike in February (08) came second in the vote.

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)

DAVID BECKHAM will reportedly be surrounded by Dubai’s biggest ever security operation when he arrives in the Middle East next week (begs29Dec08).
The soccer star will be accompanied by 24-hour guards on high alert when he flies into the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday amid fears a terrorist attack could occur "at any time", according to a report in U.K. tabloid the Daily Star.
Beckham will be in Dubai to make his debut for soccer team AC Milan, and it is expected that the roads around his training venues will be sealed off.
A security source tells the publication, "We are planning it as if it is a state visit. Security measures could not be any higher. We’re used to stars coming to Dubai but what makes this different are the public appearances he will be making - autograph signing and training sessions." The British Foreign Office increased its threat level to "high" earlier this year (08), with its current alert warning travellers: "We believe terrorists may be planning to carry out attacks in the UAE. Attacks could be indiscriminate and could happen at any time."

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HOUSE OF PAYNE actor LANCE GROSS is set to marry THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS star EVA MARCILLE.
Gross reportedly popped the question on Christmas Day (25Dec08) to model-turned-actress Marcille, who won U.S. TV series America’s Next Top Model in 2003.
A date for the ceremony has not yet been set, according to U.S. website TheYBF.com.

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Hollywood actor JAY MOHR has filed legal papers for an unusual request - the star wants his wife’s surname added to his own.
The funnyman married actress Nikki Cox at the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles on 29 December 2006.
And now he has requested to have his spouse’s name added after his - to officially become Jay Ferguson Cox Mohr, according to TMZ.com.

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Ultimate fighting veteran JUSTIN EILERS has died after he was shot during an argument at a family Christmas party.
Eilers was gunned down at a house in Canyon County, Idaho on Thursday (25Dec08), after a row reportedly broke out between the martial arts expert and his ex-girlfriend.
Emergency crews raced to the scene but were unable to save the 30-year-old’s life. He died from a single gunshot wound to the chest.
James Robert Malec, believed to be the boyfriend of Eilers’ mother, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder.

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MILEY CYRUS’ new version of Christmas classic LITTLE DRUMMER BOY has become an instant hit after the tune was cut from the HANNAH MONTANA holiday special.
The teen sensation and her father Billy Ray gathered around the piano for the sing-song, but the tune failed to make it into the episode, which aired in America on 14 December (08).
But it’s fast becoming one of the most requested new festive tunes online.
Meanwhile, the busy teenager enjoyed taking a break from her jam-packed schedule to enjoy a big family Christmas.
She explains, "We’re never really all home on the holidays, so it’s kinda hard to keep traditions alive, but we make sure we’re together, no matter what."

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BOB GELDOF’s daughter PEACHES has slammed reports she is set to divorce her husband of four months - criticising the press for fabricating stories about her relationship.
The 19-year-old wed New York musician Max Drummey in Las Vegas in August (08) after a two-week road trip together across America.
And the couple’s marriage has been dogged by rumours of an impending split, with internet gossips speculating the pair is set to divorce in the New Year.
But Geldof has hit back at the claims, insisting she is very happy with her partner.
She says, "It was a complete lie (that we are getting divorced). But a lot of newspaper stories are lies. They (rumours) just came out of the blue like a lot of tabloid stories. Just because I got married, they wrote that I was getting divorced. It didn’t really (affect me), because I knew it wasn’t true, so did my husband and my friends. So who else matters?"

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U2 drummer LARRY MULLEN JR
. has risked incurring the wrath of frontman BONO he has reportedly blasted the singer for cosying up to world leaders.
The rocker launched a tirade against former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and outgoing U.S
. president George W
. Bush, branding them "war criminals".
And he is said to have admitted it makes him "cringe" when he sees singer Bono associating with the pair.
In an interview with British music magazine Q, Mullen is quoted as saying: "Tony Blair is a war criminal and I think he should be tried as a war criminal.
Then I see Bono and him as pals and I’m going, ‘I don’t like that’.
"Do I think George Bush is a war criminal? Probably - but the difference between him and Tony Blair is that Blair is intelligent
. So he has no excuse for what he did." Although Mullen admits Bono is "prepared to use his weight as a celebrity, at great cost to himself and his family, to help other people", he adds: "But as an outsider looking in, I cringe."

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Late BEATLE JOHN LENNON will appear in a television commercial for charity - 28 years after his death.
Lennon urges U.S. citizens to support a campaign launched on Thursday (25Dec08) to deliver solar-powered laptop computers to the world’s poorest children.
Promoting the One Laptop per Child Foundation, created in 2005, a voice dubbed over images of Lennon recalls the sentiment of his 1971 hit song Imagine.
The ad says, "Imagine every child no matter where in the world they were could access a universe of knowledge. They would have a chance to learn, to dream, to achieve anything they want.
"I tried to do it through my music, but now you can do it in a very different way. You can give a child a laptop and more than imagine, you can change the world." The foundation began production of the XO laptop late last year (07) at a manufacturing cost per machine of less than $200 (£135).
Lennon’s ad will broadcast on donated cable time.

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COURTNEY LOVE faces possible legal action after accusing socialite KIM KARDASHIAN’s brother ROB of punching one of her gay employees.
In an angry rant on her MySpace page written on Wednesday (24Dec08), Love alleged that Kardashian’s brother Rob Jr. broke the nose of her employee while calling him a "faggot" in September (08).
Love writes: "Rob Jr. cold socked and punched my employee right in his face for no reason and broke his nose after my guy was hanging out with his pal Brody Jenner one night outside Hyde lounge." But furious Kim Kardashian, 28, has blasted the claims as "totally false" and has vowed to consult lawyers over Love’s rant.
Kardashian hit back: "A lot of what she wrote doesn’t even make much sense and doesn’t follow a clear train of thought.
"At one point she says Brody was there too and that someone yelled discriminatory expletives against gay people, but I honestly can’t figure out who she is accusing because her writing is so bad." Kardashian adds: "All I know is that both Brody and Rob didn’t do anything close to what Ms. Love has described… We will forward this terrible nonsense to our attorneys."

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JENNIFER ANISTON’s new family film MARLEY & ME has fought off the Christmas Day competition at the U.S. box-office, earning the highest one-day total ever for a film opening on the holiday at $14.6 million (£9.9 million).
The movie, co-starring Owen Wilson, beat out Brad Pitt’s drama The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which took in $11.6 million (£7.9 million) on its opening day, Thursday (25Dec08), and secured the second-highest Christmas opening to date.
Meanwhile Adam Sandler and Russell Brand’s new Disney movie Bedtime Stories took the third holiday spot at $10.5 million (£7.1 million) with its debut.
Rounding out the top five on Christmas Day were Tom Cruise’s Holocaust drama Valkyrie, which opened at $8.5 million (£5.8 million) in the fourth spot, followed by Jim Carrey’s comedy Yes Man, which took in an additional $6 million (£4.1 million) less than one week after its debut.

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R&B singer BEYONCE KNOWLES is continuing her holiday celebrations after taking the number one spot on two of Billboard’s song charts.
Knowles hit Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It) outshone the competition on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart on Thursday (25Dec08), in its third and sixth week atop the lists respectively.
Rapper T.I. held his spot on the Hot 100 at number two with his track Live Your Life, featuring Rihanna, while Lady GaGa’s Just Dance remains at number three.
Hip-hop star Kanye West surged to number four from seven with his new single, Heartless.
Rounding out the top five is Britney Spears, who continues her comeback with Womanizer, rising from number six to the fifth spot this week.

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British TV star JAMES CORDEN is slated for the role of SHREK when the hit Broadway musical moves to the U.K.
The award-winning funnyman, who appears in BBC comedy Gavin and Stacey, is lined-up to play the loveable ogre when Kate Winslet’s director husband Sam Mendes takes the show to London’s West End next year (09).
A source tells British newspaper The Sun, "Shrek’s a sell-out on Broadway and the producers are after a larger-than-life star for the U.K. transfer. James has everything - great comic timing and a good voice too."

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Real estate tycoon DONALD TRUMP has lost his lawsuit against an Israeli developer he accused of unlawfully using his name to boost sales of a luxury property development.
Trump demanded a share of profits in his suit, filed in May (08) against condo builder Crescent Heights Diamond, which licensed the name Trump Plaza for a 70-storey tower it planned to erect in the Israeli capital of Tel Aviv.
The mogul allegedly signed a deal giving a 25 per cent share on each unit sold in return for the use of his brand name.
Trump insisted he deserved a slice of the $36 million (£24.4 million) profit after the company sold the $44 million (£29.8 million) land to another development firm for $80 million (£54.2 million).
Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Herman Cahn ruled that the contract between Trump and Crescent did not support Trump’s claims, pointing to their contract: "Crescent ‘intends to build’ and never indicated that it promised to build.
Cahn added: "It makes sense there was no promise to build since Crescent did not yet own the parcels of land or have the approvals required." Trump tells the New York Post: "We’re going to appeal."

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Movie bosses have sidestepped releasing record-breaking BATMAN movie THE DARK KNIGHT in mainland China due to "cultural sensitivities", according to reports.
The film, starring Christian Bale and the late Heath Ledger, originally hit the big screen in July (08) and has so far grossed more than $996.8 million (£675.8 million) worldwide.
And despite the movie opening in Hong Kong, bosses at Warner Bros. have decided not to release the film in the country’s mainland, or submit it for censors’ approval.
In a statement on Tuesday (23Dec08), the studio blamed "prerelease conditions" and "cultural sensitivities" for the decision.

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A private memorial service for MARK RUFFALO’s brother SCOTT was held without his remains due to the ongoing police investigation surrounding his alleged homicide.
Scott Ruffalo, 39, was found outside his home in Beverly Hills with a gunshot wound to the head at the beginning of December (08).
He died in hospital a week later (08Dec08) after he was taken off life support.
Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office spokesman Craig Harvey said last week (17Dec08) that the investigation had determined somebody had shot Ruffalo.
And the ongoing probe left family members at the recent gathering in Los Angeles to mourn his death as the body needed to be held "longer than usual", reports the New York Post.
Ruffalo’s body was finally released this week (begs22Dec08) and cremated.
Two persons of interest have been released from police custody without charge..

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Hollywood writer ERIC ROTH has filed suit against his investment manager after reportedly joining STEVEN SPIELBERG as the latest victim of the $50 billion (£33.9 billion) fraud scandal rocking America’s Wall Street.
Roth, who penned Brad Pitt’s new film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, 1994’s Forrest Gump, and The Horse Whisperer, claims he suffered "massive losses" as a result of the Bernard Madoff Ponzi scheme.
The writer filed papers in Los Angeles’ County Superior Court against his "trusted investment manager" Stanley Chais, who he says was responsible for managing hundreds of millions of dollars from his clients.
Roth alleges Chais "simply handed over the entirety of these funds to BMIS (Madoff’s company), all the while collecting enormous fees for his so-called ‘management’ of these investments".
The writer is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages in the case.
Madoff was arrested on 8 December (08) and allegedly confessed to ciphering billions of dollars from his clients in a scam which collapsed after people began asking for their money back due to the global financial crisis.
In addition to director Spielberg, his partner, DreamWorks Animation SKG chief executive Jeffrey Katzenberg, and Uma Thurman’s fiance, hedge-fund tycoon Arpad Busson, are among a list of high-profile investors who reportedly lost hundreds of millions of dollars in the scheme.

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Supermodel GISELE BUNDCHEN is engaged to her sports star boyfriend TOM BRADY, according to new reports.
The Brazilian beauty said yes to Brady’s proposal on a private jet that took off from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey and landed in Boston, Massachusetts on Christmas Eve (24Dec08), reports TMZ.com.
The New England Patriots football star reportedly packed the plane with four dozen white roses and champagne for the joyous event, reportedly witnessed by Bundchen’s parents who were also onboard.
The couple has been dating since Brady split from actress Bridget Moynahan in 2006, with whom he shares a 16-month-old son.

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