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African singer MANU DIBANGO has filed suit against MICHAEL JACKSON and RIHANNA, accusing the pair of stealing a hook from one of his songs.
The 75-year-old singer, who hails from the Republic of Cameroon, claims his 1972 song Soul Makossa was used by Jackson for his hit track Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’, from his 1982 album Thriller.
Jackson had reportedly reached a financial settlement with Dibango after accepting he used parts of the song, reports the Associated Press.
But the issue was revisited when pop singer Rihanna obtained Jackson’s permission to use the melody on her Grammy-nominated single Please Don’t Stop the Music - but failed to contact Dibango too.
According to court documents filed in Paris, France on Tuesday (03Feb09), Dibango is seeking $650,330 (500,000 Euros/£464,520) in damages.
His lawyers have also asked the courts to block record labels Sony BMG, EMI and Warner from receiving any income from the songs until courts settle the issue.
French judges will decide on 17 February (09) if Dibango’s case will be heard.

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Six youths have been arrested for allegedly attacking singer LILY ALLEN after a snowball fight in London turned nasty.
The Smile hitmaker was enjoying a day of winter fun at the city’s Primrose Hill park on Monday (02Feb09), playing in the snow and sledging with a group of friends.
Allen was earlier photographed laughing and joking with the paparazzi - even trading a few handfuls of snow with the snappers.
But during the afternoon, a gang of six youngsters began pelting the star with snowballs, and the innocent game soon turned violent, forcing Allen to call police and flee with her bodyguard, according to London’s Evening Standard newspaper.
A source tells the publication, "She took it in good spirits at first, but it got more relentless. Some people told the gang to stop before people started squaring up to them." One man was said to have been badly beaten during the incident.

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Actress MERYL STREEP is finally happy with her appearance at the age of 59 - after spending years envying the beauty of other Hollywood stars.
The Hours star now admits that she shouldn’t have spent so much time worrying about the way she looked - because there are more important things to life than having the perfect figure.
She says, "I wasted so many years thinking I wasn’t pretty enough and why didn’t I have Jessica Lange’s body or someone else’s legs? What a waste of time. Now I’m enjoying the tatters of what’s left and I’m very happy." And Streep credits her three grown-up daughters, with husband Don Gummer, for changing her views on her appearance.
She adds, "Part of it is having beautiful strong daughters and hearing them whine about what’s wrong with them. I’m like, ‘Shut up! You’re lovely!’."

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Stars including GWYNETH PALTROW, KEIRA KNIGHTLEY and SIENNA MILLER have shown their funny side by teaming up for this year’s (09) Comic Relief appeal in Britain.
The three actresses have all been photographed wearing special t-shirts, featuring pictures of Madonna and The Beatles, all designed by Sir Paul McCartney’s daughter Stella, to raise money for the campaign.
The stars’ portraits were all snapped by McCartney’s other daughter, Mary.

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Director DANNY BOYLE’s Oscar-nominated movie SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is leading the way at the U.K. box office - it remains the country’s most popular film for the second week running.
The critically acclaimed drama added another $3.22 million (£2.3 million) to its haul, staying ahead of Tom Cruise’s war drama Valkyrie, which sits at two on the box office chart with $1.68 million (£1.2 million).
Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Revolutionary Road is a new entry at three, with takings of $1.4 million (£1 million).

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British actor JOHN CLEESE has undergone hair transplants and cosmetic surgery on his teeth - because his body needs "running repairs" as he grows older.
The Fawlty Towers actor confesses to several beauty procedures, including teeth capping and scalp treatments.
And he is adamant the adjustments are necessary to keep his body in tip-top condition.
Cleese, 69, tells the U.K.’s Hello! magazine, "When you get to my age, you do running repairs. I had my fourth hair transplant as it means I don’t have to wear wigs in a movie. I hate wigs. It only takes four hours, it’s really easy.
"My teeth were terrible. I had a remodelling of my mouth about two years ago. I can’t tell you how many teeth I’d cracked and had to have replaced - it all works well now."

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Funnyman STEVE MARTIN has vowed to stop taking prescription drugs to help him sleep, after discovering he developed a bizarre online poker habit after dozing off.
The 63-year-old comedic actor sought medical help to cope with his restless nights, when doctors suggested he take prescription drug Ambien, typically used as a short-term treatment of insomnia.
But its hypnotic effects were too much for Martin, who quit the drug after a lucky night of gambling - because he was so stunned he didn’t remember playing the game.
He says, "For a while I played internet poker when it was legal - until I had one of those Ambien experiences. It was late at night and I was playing poker… I took an Ambien to go to sleep and I had $500 (£357) in my account, I quit, and I went to bed.
"I woke up the next morning… and I had $1,500 (£1,070) in my account, and I said, ‘Oh, they made a mistake…’ So I called the guy in Pakistan, and he said, ‘No we have your I.P. (Internet Protocal) address, we have you playing between four and five in the morning…’ I never took an Ambien again."

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Screen Actors Guild (SAG) president ALAN ROSENBERG is heading to court in a bid to reinstate the ousted DOUG ALLEN as national executive director of the union.
Allen, SAG’s chief negotiator in their stalled studio talks, was fired last month (26Jan09) after he was blamed for the lack of progress in the contract discussions with Hollywood heads.
The 120,000 SAG cardholders have been threatening to strike after going without a film and prime-time TV contract since their old labour pact expired in June 2008, after negotiations collapsed and the studios presented what they called their "final" offer.
Talks are scheduled to resume this week (03Feb09) - but SAG president Rosenberg and first Vice President Anne-Marie Johnson are now planning to file a suit demanding Allen’s return.
According to industry paper Daily Variety, the duo submitted a legal document to SAG chiefs on Monday (02Feb09) objecting to Allen’s dismissal, which was voted for by 53 per cent of the union.
Confirming the receipt of the documents, SAG spokeswoman Pamela Greenwalt says, "Screen Actors Guild today received a document that our legal team is reviewing. We have no further comment." SAG screen advisor John McGuire is currently serving as negotiator between the union and Hollywood movie studios.

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CHRISTIAN BALE’s TERMINATOR SALVATION co-star TERRY CREWS has come to the actor’s defence after a taped on-set rant was leaked on the Internet.
The Dark Knight star could be heard angrily reprimanding an assistant director for walking onto the set while Bale was shooting a scene.
Furious Bale demanded the crewmember be fired, while hurling abuse and profanity at the careless assistant.
But co-star Crews insists too much is being made of the actor’s outburst.
He tells HollyScoop.com, "Anyone can have a bad day… I’d get mad too if I was the number one star in the world and people started to mess with me. He is a class act! He is one of the greatest actors ever.
"I’m vouching for him. I know he’s a nice guy. I know he’s all about his work." Bale’s angry rant was caught on tape and sent to the insurance company behind Terminator Salvation - just in case the actor decided not to complete the film following the incident.

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French President NICOLAS SARKOZY has bestowed HARRY POTTER author J.K. ROWLING with the honorary title of knight, the country’s highest honour.
Rowling, 43, became an honorary recipient of the country’s Legion d’honneur (Legion of Honour) in a ceremony at the Elysee presidential palace on Tuesday (03Feb09).
The British writer’s seven-part series about the boy wizard Potter has sold more than 400 million copies worldwide and inspired a series of blockbuster films, launching Rowling to international fame.
Rowling’s fifth book in the series, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, became the first book in English ever to top the French best-sellers’ list in 2003 - before it was translated into the country’s native tongue.
Foreigners cannot be officially inducted, though they are routinely made honorary recipients.
Other foreign recipients include American actor Jerry Lewis, director Steven Spielberg, singer Barbra Streisand and Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer.

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RONNIE WOOD’s girlfriend EKATERINA IVANOVA plans to start a family with her lover - but not for another 10 years.
The Rolling Stones star split from his wife, Jo, last year (08) after his affair with the 20-year-old was exposed in the press.
The new couple was recently rocked by rumours the Russian waitress had fallen pregnant with Wood’s child, but the reports were swiftly denied by the star.
And Ivanova admits that although she has thought about settling down with the 61-year-old, she is too young to start a family just yet.
She says, "Maybe it would be nice (to have a baby with Wood) - but not for at least 10 years. I’m young, so I definitely don’t want a baby yet. And Ronnie’s a great dad, but I don’t know if he’d want any more." Ivanova has also defended the 41-year age difference between the pair, adding: "This whole age thing is irrelevant, because everyone has their own character. Not every 60-year-old is going to be doing what people say 60-year-olds should do, like smoking a pipe, and not every 20-year-old likes to go clubbing either."

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THE FRAY lead singer ISAAC SLADE’s wife hates a song devoted to her on the band’s new album - it’s about the "freak out" the rocker had before the pair moved in together.
Anna Slade left her home in Seattle, Washington to live with her beau in Denver, Colorado when they were dating.
The progression in the couple’s relationship inspired the track Where the Story Ends - but the 27-year-old admits it isn’t a big hit at home because he was too honest about his feelings.
He tells the New York Post, "It was the big step. I had the ‘Oh my gosh, what if this doesn’t work out? I’m ruining this poor girl’s life’. Instead of worrying about how she’s feeling, leaving everybody, I wrote this song - ‘I’m so worried about myself, I’m freaking out right now’." But Slade insists he changed the tune as a compromise since the pair married in 2006.
He adds, "Naturally, (my wife) hates the song. She’s like, ‘Wow, that’s so noble of you, to freak out about yourself’. I rewrote the second verse to make it her side of the story and balance it out a little bit, but that sting is still in there for both of us."

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The widow of rock ‘n’ roll pioneer BUDDY HOLLY still finds it difficult listening to his music, 50 years to the day after his tragic death.
Holly’s singing career lasted only a year-and-a-half before his life was taken in an airplane crash on 3 February 1959, at the age of 22.
His brief success was enough to influence a long list of hitmaking contemporaries, including The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
But for Holly’s widow, Maria Elena, the That’ll Be The Day singer’s music still brings heartache, even as she fights to keep his legacy alive.
She tells Spinner.com, "I can hear it when I go on appearances when they have a special tribute because I see the fans being so energised, but here in the house, it’s sometimes very difficult. I just can not handle it. So even after this day, after 50 years, it’s something.
"People say time cures all and I say it does not, it does not cure that and especially the way I loved him. He was here one moment and he’s gone the next day."

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Rapper RICK ROSS has been accused of stealing a truck belonging to his ex-girlfriend to allegedly spite her for making demands for custody payments.
The Hustlin’ star, real name William Roberts II, shares a son named William Roberts III with Tia Kemp - but she’s claiming their relationship has become increasingly bitter as they battle over custody issues.
And she alleges Ross is behind the disappearance of her vehicle, which went missing from the parking lot of her attorney’s office in Fort Lauderdale, Florida last week (ends30Jan09) after a meeting with their legal aides.
In a video post on ThisIs50.com, she says, "We had a deposition. William is in daycare and has to be picked up before 6pm. I asked the attorneys to wrap it up, …left the attorney’s office, exited to the parkng lot and the truck was gone.
"I was very surprised he (Ross) would take the truck. I went back into the attorney’s office to let them know the truck was gone… Right now I don’t have a car to take the kids to school and pick them up…" Kemp’s revelation comes just after she teamed up with Ross’ rap rival 50 Cent to expose the former correctional officer as a fake gangster who allegedly "leases" his cars and "rents" his jewellery.

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50 CENT has stepped up his rap rivalry with RICK ROSS - he’s recruited the HUSTLIN’ star’s ex-girlfriend to expose him as a fake.
The In Da Club hitmaker, real name Curtis Jackson, has been locked in a bitter war of words with Ross, with both MCs recording tracks lashing out at one another.
But now 50 Cent has turned up the heat and brought in Tia Kemp - the mother of Ross’ son, William Roberts III - to reveal all about the Miami, Florida native’s alleged spending habits and his past as a correctional officer.
And, in a video post on his website ThisIs50.com, Jackson has hinted that he’s helped win Kemp a publishing deal, after introducing her by saying: "She has a great story, and eventually you will read it in her new book." Kemp tells the site, "I’m Tia, the mother of Rick Ross’ son… Here’s my story.
"It’s sort of embarrassing to me… It’s surprising to hear him talk about (how much money he spends)… because his jewellery is rented, possibly not real. His cars are being leased.. I don’t know where the money came from to put a down payment on a $1 million home, and it’s just sad. I just wanna prove the facts today." Kemp goes on to accuse Ross of trying to hide his own past in law enforcement from her - even when confronted with evidence from his own home.
She adds, "He was a correctional officer. I moved in with him when I found out I was pregnant with William, and basically cleaning up the home, I so happened to find a pair of handcuffs and letters showing that he stepped down from the position. I asked him about it and of course he denied it, which his sister confirmed and said he was a correctional officer."

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TV titan OPRAH WINFREY has donated more than $1.5 million (£1 million) to improve the education system in the most populated city in New Jersey.
Winfrey’s donation will be used to fund scholarships and programmes benefiting students in Newark, New Jersey, with $500,000 (£357,145) in grants going to at least three local education and community groups.
In a statement released by Newark Mayor Cory Booker, he says, "Oprah Winfrey is a powerful agent of change in our nation and she is a phenomenal friend to Newark. Her gifts will directly empower hundreds and hundreds of Newark families and help source our city’s success. We rejoice in Oprah’s generosity and celebrate her life commitment to serving others." St. Benedict’s Preparatory School, the North Ward Center and the Integrity House were among several grant recipients, according to the New York Post.
The donation comes nearly two years after Winfrey donated $40 million (£28.6 million) to build an elite girls school in South Africa.
A sex-abuse scandal that rocked the South African Leadership Academy for Girls after its opening in 2007 reportedly prompted the mogul to make the donation closer to home.

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Hollywood action star MARK WAHLBERG will marry his longtime girlfriend RHEA DURHAM in a Catholic ceremony in August (09).
The Shooter actor has three children with Durham - Ella Rae, five; Michael, two, and four-month-old Brendan Joseph - but the couple has only now decided to make their romance official by exchanging vows in a summer ceremony.
However, Wahlberg admits they have yet to finalise the plans - they are still debating over whether to have a big party with friends and family, or just have the kids in attendance.
He says, "If we do it here (in Los Angeles), it’ll probably be just us and the kids.
"If we do it in Boston (Massachusetts), I would say there’d be a lot more family members, so there’ll be some fighting." But, he adds it will "definitely (be) in a Catholic church".

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ANGELINA JOLIE still hasn’t seen all of the films she’s made in her career - because she "doesn’t like to watch movies".
The 33-year-old Oscar-winner made her big screen debut as a child alongside her father Jon Voight in the 1982 film Lookin’ to Get Out and has become one of the world’s most recognisable faces over the years.
But Jolie, who’s made nearly 40 films to date, insists her work takes a back seat to her roles as a mum-of-six and partner to Brad Pitt.
In an interview on U.S. news programme Good Morning America on Tuesday (03Feb09), she says, "A film or two I haven’t seen. Most of them I have seen once. I like the process of doing them more than watching them. I don’t really like to watch movies." But the actress is certain to have reviewed her steamy 2005 film Mr. & Mrs. Smith with Pitt.
She adds of her one exception: "I love to watch Brad’s movies… I say kids first, woman to Brad and then my work internationally; and try to educate myself and learn about the world and do some good things while I’m alive. So what is that (ranking)? Fourth?"

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