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CHRIS BROWN’s lawyers have withdrawn their request for a special court hearing prior to his April (09) arraignment on charges relating to the alleged assault of on/off girlfriend RIHANNA.
The Kiss Kiss singer was charged with two felony counts of assault likely to cause great bodily injury and making criminal threats following the incident on 8 February (09), which reportedly left Rihanna battered and bruised.
Brown was scheduled to appear before a judge on 6 April (09) to enter a plea, but his legal team were granted a request for a private court meeting this month (Mar09) - when they were expected to discuss Rihanna’s account of their fight.
The meeting was due to take place on Monday (23Mar09) but was postponed by Los Angeles Superior Court officials due to a scheduling conflict.
However, the extra hearing has now been cancelled altogether, according to E! Online. A reason for the scrapped meeting has not been given.
A court clerk confirms, "The next date (in Brown’s felony case) is April 6 for the arraignment. The hearing is not being rescheduled." If convicted, Brown faces almost five years behind bars.

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Socialite NICOLE RICHIE has laughed off rumours she is expecting twins with her boyfriend JOEL MADDEN.
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.

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Officials in Florida are to reexamine the circumstances surrounding ANNA NICOLE SMITH’s death - following the arrest of two doctors and her former lover.
Dr. Khristine Eroshevich, Sandeep Kapoor and Smith’s longtime boyfriend and lawyer, Howard K. Stern, have all been charged with conspiring to keep the late model with a steady supply of prescription drugs - despite knowing she was an addict.
Smith died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs in a Florida hotel room in 2007 and now prosecutors are reinvestigating the events leading up to the tragedy - with a view to possibly reopening the case.
Ron Ishoy, spokesman for Fort Lauderdale State Attorney Mike Satz, tells E! online, "Our prosecutors have met with representatives of the Los Angeles District Attorney�s Office and the California Department of Justice and discussed the evidence they have turned up in their investigation. We are now investigating that evidence to see where it might lead in relation to Ms. Smith�s death here in Broward County in 2007.� Stern, Kapoor and Eroshevich have all denied charges felony conspiracy to furnish drugs to Smith and prescribing, administering or dispensing a controlled substance to an addict. They are currently free on bail.

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Animal rights campaigners have urged MICHAEL JACKSON to drop plans to include animals in his live shows - amids rumours he is to feature a variety of exotic creatures onstage during his comeback concerts.
The pop superstar will kick off his This Is It run at London’s O2 Arena this summer (Jul09) and is reportedly working on ideas to make the 50-date tour as memorable as possible.
British newspaper the Daily Mirror reports Jackson is planning a nature theme for the concerts - with live creatures featuring heavily in the shows.
A source tells the publication, "He hopes to make it the most spectacular gig ever. For the jungle section, he wants to ride out on an African elephant with panthers led on gold chains. Parrots and other birds will fly behind him. If it goes to plan it will look incredible.� But the idea has infuriated campaigners at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), who are urging the singer to ditch the plans.
In a statement issued to WENN, they say, "These exotic animals belong in Africa, not the O2 Arena among screaming fans, bright lights and stage explosions. These wild animals are deprived of everything that is natural and important to them when they are forced to perform under stressful conditions. Michael needs to learn to leave exotic animals alone." Jackson has previously come under fire from PETA supporters for the menagerie of animals he kept in his private zoo at his Neverland ranch in California.

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Filmmaker BAZ LUHRMANN is desperate to team BEYONCE KNOWLES and HUGH JACKMAN for a new movie musical after directing the stars for a medley of showtunes at the Oscars.
Knowles and Jackman whizzed through renditions of Lady Marmalade, All That Jazz and Somewhere Over The Rainbow in a performance medley last month (22Feb09) helmed by the Moulin Rouge! filmmaker.
The singer has already enjoyed crossover success with her roles as Etta James in 2008 biopic Cadillac Records and 2006 movie musical Dreamgirls.
And Luhrmann insists Knowles is destined to follow in the footsteps of Hollywood’s greatest leading ladies.
He tells Vogue magazine of his hopes to re-team the pair, saying: "One can only pray. My mind is racing already… I’m sure that there is a dramatic cinematic life for her. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen that kind of performer, like Barbra Streisand and Diana Ross, on the screen." Jackman admits he’d be up for the challenge: "Just watching how she processes everything, she’s so fast… I just found myself going, ‘Oh, my God, I want to do movies with this girl. I want to do a movie musical!’" The X-Men actor insists Knowles has the star quality to make it big in Hollywood too: "I have no doubt she’ll win an Oscar one day. I can see the ambition in her to want to do that, to be in movies and really knock something out of the park. She’s got it. Whatever it is, she’s got it."

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Reformed eighties pop stars SPANDAU BALLET will embark on a world tour to mark their musical comeback.
The Gold hitmakers - Tony Hadley, brothers Gary and Martin Kemp, Steve Norman and John Keeble - split in 1989 but confirmed their reunion plans in London on Wednesday (25Mar09).
The group will kick off the live dates, their first shows together in 20 years, this autumn (09).
They have so far announced eight concerts across the U.K. and Ireland, starting in Dublin on 13 October (09).
Tickets for the shows will go on general sale on 28 March (09).

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British police are investigating the murder of 1990s reggae star IAN NEWTION after he was found with his throat slit after performing a gig in London.
The 45-year-old - who had a hit with Cash Money, under the name Scoobie Santino - was on his way home from a concert at the Scout Hut on Sunday night (22Mar09) when attackers pounced in an underpass in Greenford, north west London.
A London police spokesperson says, "It is unclear at this stage what time he left but it is believed he was making his way home when he was assaulted and received a severe cut to the neck." Newtion’s brother Cleave tells the BBC, "He was a very kind, mild-mannered, amiable and very amenable person, whose philosophy in life was to try to see the best in everyone. What is difficult is trying to imagine anything so violent happening to someone of Ian’s personality."

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Rapper COREY MILLER has been freed on $1 million (£684,930) bail - just weeks after allegedly breaking the rules of his house arrest relating to his upcoming murder trial.
Miller, formerly known as C-Murder, was thrown in jail earlier this month (Mar09) after he was reportedly caught leaving his grandmother’s home without permission.
He was under house arrest at the Kenner, Louisiana house, awaiting a trial hearing on 20 April (09) when he will face a second-degree murder charge relating to the death of a 16-year-old during a 2002 brawl at a New Orleans-area nightclub.
State District Judge Hans Liljeberg doubled his bail to $1 million during a hearing on 11 March (09), but the troubled star has now come up with the cash and was released from jail on Tuesday (24Mar09), reports local newspaper The Times-Picayune.
Miller has denied violating the terms of his house detention, insisting he was asleep at the time and blaming a faulty monitoring device for the mix-up.

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A male employee of R&B star AKON has been robbed at gunpoint at his California home.
The unnamed worker’s house in Van Nuys was targetted by robbers on Tuesday (24Mar09) night, with thieves taking an estimated $300,000 (£205,480)-worth of items, including recording equipment, a top-of-the-range stereo and the keys to a Mercedes-Benz car.
According to TMZ.com, there were four to five attackers, all described as "black males".
Police have launched an investigation into the crime.

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British actor JEREMY IRONS spent six years slaving over the restoration of his Irish castle - because he was so bored of making movies.
Irons bought the 16th century Kilcoe castle in County Cork, Ireland in 1998 and admits he laboured over the old stone mansion merely to pass the time - as he had lost his passion for acting.
He says, "I did the castle because I was getting very bored with my film work, and I thought it was showing. So I wanted to do something that galvanised me, where there was risk and danger, and so I did the castle. After that, I worked up an appetite to go back to filming." (JMA/VG/LR) WENN - FOURTH - INTERNATIONAL MUSIC NEWS - 25 MAR 2009

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Mexican boxing champion RAUL MACIAS has died, aged 74.
Macias, who competed in the 1952 Helsinki, Finland Olympics, lost his battle with cancer in Mexico City on Monday (23Mar09), according to his son Arturo.
The boxer earned his nickname ‘the Mouse’ thanks to his small physical stature at five foot three-and-a-half inches (1.61 metres).
He won the world bantamweight title in the National Boxing Association - which later became the World Boxing Association - in 1955.
He successfully defended the title twice before losing in 1957. Macias retired from the boxing ring five years later at the age of 28.
The star then began working as a trainer and even turned to acting, landing roles in soap operas - most notably appearing in 1990s series Mi pequeña Soledad.
He remained one of Mexico’s top sporting heroes with a boxing record of 41 wins and just two losses, with 25 wins by knockout.

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Former BOND girl DENISE RICHARDS has been forced to hang up her dancing shoes after she was voted off hit U.S. TV show DANCING WITH THE STARS on Tuesday (24Mar09) night.
The actress and her professional partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy found themselves fighting elimination and going head-to-head with Playboy Playmate Holly Madison and Dmitry Chaplin in the weekly dance-off, after earning the fewest number of votes from viewers.
But Richards’ samba failed to impress the panel of judges and she became the second celebrity to waltz off the dance floor - despite scoring two points higher than Madison in the elimination round.
Richards was among the walking wounded on the show after suffering a broken toe during rehearsals - fellow contestant Jewel had to bow out with a leg injury, actor Gilles Marini has a separated shoulder and Steve-O is suffering crippling back pain following a fall.
But her loss came as a surprise for many, as TV prankster Steve-O and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak had both registered the lowest scores of the week with 15 and 10 out of 30, respectively.
However, Richards is remaining upbeat about her short time on the show, insisting she feels sorry for Chmerkovskiy more than anything.
She tells People.com, "I had fun! When else am I going to get to dress up like this, work with someone like Maks and be able to do a family show that my daughters can watch together. I feel bad for him. He hasn�t won and I think this is the first time he�s been eliminated second." Former GoGos star Belinda Carlisle was the first contestant to be kicked off the show last week (17Mar09).

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ROBERT PATTINSON has denied reports of an accident on the set of TWILIGHT sequel NEW MOON - calling stories of him sustaining a head injury during filming "completely false." The British actor was said to have been shooting in Vancouver, Canada when a gust of wind tore a metal advertising sign from its post, hurling it through the air and into Pattinson’s head.
But a spokesperson for the star insists reports about him being involved in a nasty accident are unfounded.
The representative says, "This story is completely false. Robert has not been injured in any way and no version of the story ever occurred."

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BRITNEY SPEARS’ divorce from ex-husband KEVIN FEDERLINE has cost her a staggering $460,000 (£315,000) in legal fees.
Court documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday (23Mar09) by Spears’ attorneys indicate the singer has been forced to pay more than $2.7 million (£1.8 million) to her lawyers over the last 11 months, including the cost of her divorce and custody battle which ended her two-and-a-half year marriage to Federline.
She has also had to part with $113,000 (£77,375) to fight a civil suit against a former manager in a Florida court as well as another $26,000 (£17,800) for a traffic case stemming from August 2007, when she was caught driving without a valid license.
Spears paid an additional $4,600 (£3,148) to hire a private messenger to deliver confidential legal documents as well as another $25 (£17) to book a private courthouse to keep the legal proceedings out of the media spotlight .
Spears previously paid $374,000 (£257,000) to cover Federline�s legal fees, which were not included in the accounts.
Federline, 30, has primary custody of their sons, Sean Preston, three, and two-year-old Jayden James, but Spears has visitation rights.

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RIHANNA is determined to give herself a fresh start following her alleged fight with boyfriend CHRIS BROWN last month (Feb09) - the singer has been spotted househunting in Los Angeles.
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 (£4.3 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).

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Welsh actor RHYS IFANS has no regrets over his failed romance with SIENNA MILLER - insisting he "learnt his lesson" never to get involved in a high profile relationship.
The pair split in June last year (08), despite rumours that Ifans proposed marriage to the Alfie beauty three times during their year-long love affair .
The couple’s romance was big news, regularly making the front pages of the British tabloids and turning the pair into a major target for paparazzi.
And Ifans is happy to be rid of the snappers, who gave up hounding him following the break-up.
He says,"They (paparazzi) don’t bother me anymore now, it’s all about who you’re sh**ging and I don’t do that anymore… I learnt my lesson there, didn’t I? I won’t make that mistake again."

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Actor BRUCE WILLIS met his new bride EMMA HEMING when he hand-picked her to star in his film, according to a new report.
The Die Hard star, 54, was heavily involved in the casting of his 2007 thriller Perfect Stranger - which he starred in alongside Halle Berry - taking it upon himself to sort through resumes and insisting models were recruited to play extras and fill minor speaking parts, alleges New York gossip column Page Six.
A source tells the publication, "He personally went through head shots and when the girls were called in to ‘read,’ he was there in the meeting. It was odd for the star of a movie to do so, but at the time he was single and I guess he needed a date." But the actor reportedly ran into a dilemma after falling for future wife Heming - he was already dating model Tamara Feldman, who he shared a sex scene with in the suspense movie.
The source adds that Willis "started dating both Tamara and Emma but obviously, Emma eventually won out." The couple exchanged vows at Willis’ home on the Turks and Caicos Islands on Saturday (21Mar09).

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Farmer MICHAEL EAVIS has vowed never to allow a pop star to headline Glastonbury festival - insisting not even MADONNA is invited to perform at the famed British music event.
Eavis sparked outrage when he veered from tradition by recruiting rapper Jay-Z to take to the main stage at the famously rock ‘n’ roll gig in England last year (08).
And despite once offering Kylie Minogue a headlining slot in 2005 - which she axed after she was diagnosed with breast cancer - the organiser insists he will never again sign a pop act for his shows.
He says, "I don’t think we’ll ever go down the pop route for getting a headliner for Glastonbury. Madonna hasn’t even been asked by us." And Eavis admits he feared the 2008 festival would be the last - until he managed to hire Bruce Springsteen for the upcoming 2009 extravaganza in June (09).
He adds, "Last year I thought that maybe we’d got to the end and we’d have to bite the bullet and fold it all up… I was prepared to walk away. But to come back from the dead of last year to sell out this year is amazing. Getting Springsteen as a headliner is so exciting. I saw him play two-and-a-half hours in Cardiff and that’s what turned me on to the idea of having him. I was so blown out by him I had to make it happen."

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