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Rapper JAY-Z has reportedly lost his bid to convince basketball star CARMELO ANTHONY to join his team, the New Jersey Nets.
The hip-hop mogul, who holds a share in the professional team, was said to have met with Anthony and Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov on Saturday (19Feb11) to discuss a move.
Jay-Z was then said to have cornered Anthony the following day (20Feb11) at a party thrown in conjunction with the NBA All-Star game in Los Angeles.
The Big Pimpin’ hitmaker refused to pose for photographers at the Philippe Chow restaurant bash and headed straight for the VIP area where Anthony was seated, according to the New York Daily News.
But the New Jersey Nets’ poor performances on the court haven’t impressed Anthony - he was reportedly "noncommittal" during their discussions.
A source tells the publication, "Jay-Z’s a baller (successful) in everything but basketball players."

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Singer HAYLEY WESTENRA narrowly avoided falling victim to the New Zealand earthquake after jetting out of the country just days before disaster struck.
The Kiwi soprano headed back to her native country earlier this month (Feb11) to visit her family at their home in Christchurch, and returned to the U.K. days before a devastating tremor hit the city on Tuesday (22Feb11).
The panic-stricken star immediately called her relatives when she heard the news - and was relieved to discover the only loss they suffered was her father’s office block.
Westenra tells British TV show Daybreak, "I actually only just got back a few days ago from a little break with my family. Yesterday morning I was up quite early due to jet lag and switched on my laptop and got a real fright.
"I managed to call my family straight away… It was such a relief to hear their voices. My dad’s business was right in the centre of the devastation. The two buildings either side of him were completely demolished." And Westenra is heartbroken the earthquake comes after a similar tremor hit the region in September (10), adding: "(This second one) just had such a devastating effect because it was shallower than the other one, and closer to the centre… My heart goes out to everyone. I just can’t imagine what it’s like." An estimated 75 residents have died in the earthquake and more than 300 are missing.

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LADY GAGA is set to release a limited edition of her new single BORN THIS WAY at U.S. retailer Target after bosses agreed to donate to gay rights groups.
The Poker Face hitmaker met with Target executives to demand they increase their support for equal rights charities, and make amends for previously supporting political candidates perceived as anti-gay.
As a result of their meeting with the pop star, company chiefs have promised to give more to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community - and Gaga will allow them to sell a special edition of her hit.
She tells Billboard.com, "That discussion was one of the most intense conversations I’ve ever had in a business meeting. Part of my deal with Target is that they have to start affiliating themselves with LGBT charity groups and begin to reform and make amends for the mistakes they’ve made in the past.
"Our relationship is hinged upon their reform in the company to support the gay community and to redeem the mistakes they’ve made supporting those (anti-gay) groups."

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SIMON PEGG’s new alien comedy PAUL has proved to be out of this world - after entering the U.K. box office chart at number one.
The extra-terrestrial movie knocked animated hit Gnomeo & Juliet off the top spot, taking in $8.3 million (£5.5 million) in its first week of release.
Gnomeo & Juliet fell to two after grossing $3.3 million (£2.2 million), Colin Firth’s royal drama The King’s Speech came third with takings of $2.6 million (£1.7 million) and its Oscar rival True Grit held steady at four with $2.3 million (£1.5 million).
Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son rounded out the top five as the second highest new entry, scoring $2.1 million (£1.4 million).
Justin Bieber’s tour documentary Never Say Never entered this week’s Top 10 countdown at nine with earnings of $120,000 (£800,000).

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Veteran British TV presenter JIM BOWEN is in hospital after suffering two strokes.
Bowen, 73, who hosted the cult, darts-based quiz show Bullseye for 15 years, was taken to a medical centre near his home in Lancashire, north England, after falling ill last week (ends18Feb11).
A spokesman for the presenter, who now broadcasts a show on a local radio station, says he is recovering and is undergoing physiotherapy.

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HUGH HEFNER’s wife-to-be CRYSTAL HARRIS has spoken out to defend her willingness to marry a man six decades older than herself.
The 84-year-old Playboy mogul is due to marry his model fiancee, 24, in June (11) after two and a half years of dating.
In a candid chat with CNN’s Piers Morgan, the newsman asked her why she would want to marry Hefner when there is such a big age gap.
But Harris is adamant age is irrelevant because they enjoy each other’s company so much - and she actually struggles to keep up with Hefner’s fast-paced lifestyle.
She says, "I love Hef, he’s the nicest person I’ve ever met in my entire life. I have so much fun with him and it’s hard for me to keep up with him. I mean, for my birthday I wanted to go bowling - and for his birthday he wanted to go to two different night clubs. So it’s fun, we laugh. We have so much fun together. It’s the best." Hefner adds, "Age really is just a number. You don’t know how long you’ve got, how long’s an average marriage last?" And the magazine publisher’s 19-year-old son, Cooper, also defended the age gap: "It is what it is. I like Crystal a lot. I’m used to it, I’ve grown up with dad dating younger women so it’s not out of the ordinary… It’s not weird because it’s normality. I’ve not known anything different."

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Celebrated Chinese director HUANG ZUMO has died. He was 90 years old.
The filmmaker passed away in a Shanghai hospital after suffering heart failure on Saturday (19Feb11).
Huang’s best-known film, Romance on Lushan Mountain, holds the record as the longest running in a single cinema anywhere in the world, according to the Guinness Book of Records.
The drama has been screened daily at the Jiangxi Movie Circulation and Screening Co. theatre since it opened in July 1980, and has since become a tourist attraction.

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KIM KARDASHIAN paid tribute to her late father ROBERT by throwing a birthday dinner in his honour on Tuesday (22Feb11).
The socialite and reality TV star invited friends and family to Carousel Restaurant in Los Angeles to mark what would have been the attorney’s 67th birthday.
The Kardashians dined on Robert’s favourite Armenian foods, before bringing out a massive white cake decorated in colourful flowers and butterflies, with the message: ‘Happy Birthday Robert!’ In a post on her Twitter.com page, Kardashian writes, "Happy Birthday Dad! Celebrating at his favorite Armenian restaurant with the family! Armenian food was sooo yummy!" Robert Kardashian was 59 when he died of oesophageal cancer in 2003.

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Actress AMBER HEARD is gearing up to star as a sexy pin-up in a new TV pilot about HUGH HEFNER’s famous Playboy Club.
The blonde beauty will star as a Playboy bunny in the forthcoming drama Playboy, which is set in the Chicago, Illinois hotspot in the 1960s.
But Heard insists her character will be no ordinary model.
She says, "It’s going to be like Mad Men meets the Sopranos meets Moulin Rouge! I’ve never been to the Playboy Mansion and it does sound wild but this is set in the 1960s so it’s a different world to the one that we know of today.
"It’s different kinds of women - pre-surgery, on the eve of women’s lib (the women’s liberation movement). I’m interested in being a character who is a real woman among other real women."

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Longtime DOCTOR WHO star NICHOLAS COURTNEY has died. He was 81.
The British actor, best known for playing Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart in the cult show, passed away in London on Tuesday (22Feb11) after a short illness.
Courtney started his acting career with appearances on U.K. TV series including The Avengers and The Champions before landing his role on Doctor Who.
He made his first appearance in the sci-fi hit in 1965, and went on to star in more than 100 episodes until 1989.
Courtney is survived by his wife Karen and two children, Philip and Bella.

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The CHARLIE CHAPLIN tune CELINE DION will perform at the Oscars on Sunday (17Feb11) will also feature in her new show in Las Vegas - as part of a tribute to MICHAEL JACKSON.
Dion will perform Smile as images of the celebrities and film technicians who have passed away in the last 12 months are flashed onto a screen behind her at the Academy Awards.
But it won’t be a one-off performance - Dion, who was part of a tribute to the King of Pop at the 2010 Grammy Awards, will salute the late star during her new Sin City show with the song, a favourite of Jackson’s.
She explains, "He changed my life. I saw him on TV and I wanted to sing in English because he was, so and I went to learn English and met with him and I (sang) with him and he came to see the show and he had a big impact on my life." Jackson’s brother Jermaine sang the Chaplin song at the King of Pop’s memorial concert in 2009.

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CHARLIE SHEEN’s dad MARTIN has likened his son’s drug addiction to a cancer, insisting the troubled star needs as much "concern and love" as possible.
The Two and a Half Men actor is undergoing rehab treatment at his Los Angeles home, just months after police were called to his New York hotel suite after he allegedly trashed the room in a rage during a night of passion with an adult actress.
Now actor Martin Sheen has spoken out about his son’s demons, revealing he is throwing his support behind the star and willing him to recuperate.
He tells Sky News, "He’s an extraordinary man. You know, if he had cancer, how would we treat him? The disease of addiction is a form of cancer and you have to have an equal measure of concern and love and lift them up and so that’s what we do for him.
"You realise we’re not all on the same journey all the time. We have to love that much more. We have to be that much more present." Meanwhile, his brother, Emilio Estevez, revealed he has become "used to" constant scrutiny over Sheen’s behaviour, adding, "You get used to it though. After 30 years… 40 some years, you build up an immunity, I guess."

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JUSTIN BIEBER asked RIHANNA out on a date when she sat next to him during a recent basketball game - but she turned him down because of his age.
The 16-year-old superstar was pictured joking around with the Umbrella hitmaker during the NBA All-Star game in Los Angeles on Sunday (20Feb11) - and Bieber, who was named the MVP of the weekend’s celebrity game, took the opportunity to make a move on his 23-year-old crush, only to be rejected.
He says, "I asked her out. It didn’t go so well, since I’m not with her. I asked her out and she was basically like, ‘You’re too young’."

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RIHANNA’s representative has shot down DONALD TRUMP’s scathing comments over the star’s failure to play at his fundraiser gig, insisting she was ordered by doctors not to travel.
The Umbrella hitmaker was due to perform at Trump’s show in Palm Beach, Florida on Saturday (19Feb11), but she pulled out due to sickness.
Trump was infuriated when Rihanna went on to sing at the NBA All-Star basketball game in Los Angeles the following day (20Feb11).
The entrepreneur fumed: "I thought that (cancelling) was insulting to everyone. But for Rihanna to go to the (NBA) All-Star game and perform after she told us she was sick, that is just a lack of respect." Now the singer’s rep has spoken out to clarify why she wasn’t able to attend Trump’s bash, telling Access Hollywood, "Rihanna was recovering (from) bronchitis and her doctor advised her not to get on a plane as she would risk losing her voice and damaging her vocal chords. She feels terrible she couldn’t attend but was so grateful Jennifer Hudson graciously stepped in." Rihanna scrapped another fundraising gig earlier this month (Feb11) ahead of her Grammys performance as she battled illness.

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Singer CHERYL COLE has met up with British royal CHARLES, PRINCE OF WALES to discuss the launch of her own charitable foundation in aid of his Trust.
The Girls Aloud star is planning to start up a project in April (11) which will help youths in her native Newcastle, England to fulfil their potential.
Cole’s organisation will be launched in aid of the Prince’s Trust, which was set up to support disadvantaged youngsters, and on Tuesday (22Feb11) the pop star visited the royal to discuss her proposal.
The singer, whose older brother Andrew has endured a series of problems with the police, says, "Too many young people grow up thinking no one cares and don’t believe they can make anything of themselves. They have so much potential - but can go off the rails without the right care and support. I want my foundation to help them realise their potential and get their lives on track.
"I have always been a great admirer of the work of the Prince’s Trust with disadvantaged young people across the U.K. It’s the perfect charity for my foundation to support."

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JUSTIN BIEBER has handed TV chat show host ELLEN DEGENERES a lock of his hair - as a belated birthday gift.
The Baby singer gave the comedienne a lock of hair during his last appearance on the show, but it was a joke.
So, after shearing his famous Bieber ‘do’ at the weekend, the singer made a surprise appearance on DeGeneres’ Tuesday (22Feb11) taping to give her the real thing - so the host could sell it for charity.
During his appearance, which airs on Wednesday (23Feb11), Bieber said, "I wanted to do something good. I’m giving pieces of it to different people.
"We want you to donate it to whatever charity you want." Bieber agreed to add his autograph to his hair gift, so the highest bidder would know they had Bieber’s hair.
DeGeneres revealed she was going to auction the hair off on her website and give the proceeds to California animal organisation the Gentle Barn.

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British singer JESSIE J suffered a panic attack onstage during a recent gig after organisers refused to turn the lights back on following a "black out".
The newcomer, who has previously toured with Chris Brown, suffers from heart problems and had a minor stroke as a teenager.
As a result the Do It Like A Dude hitmaker shuns drugs and booze to look after her body - but she still suffers from heart palpitations when she’s panicked.
She tells Britain’s Now magazine, "At 11 I was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat. I had wires put in my shoulder, groin and heart to try and zap it to a normal rhythm, but it didn’t really work.
"Then, at 18, I suffered a minor stroke. It was scary, but I’m fine now. Having bad health has made me realise I can’t take anything for granted and I must look after my body.
"I’m a clean-living girl, I don’t drink or smoke and would never do drugs. I used to get panic attacks really badly when I was younger. I don’t like not being in control. I’m getting better though. But I did a gig recently and had a panic attack on stage.
"The night was called â��Black Outâ�� and I had to perform in the dark. I asked them to turn on the lights and they didn’t. I was onstage in pitch black and, because I couldn’t see anything, I started to panic. It was awful.â��

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New York fire service officials banned LADY GAGA from using pyrotechnics when she performed in Madison Square Garden on Monday (21Feb11), because they were deemed too risky.
The Poker Face hitmaker took to the stage in her native city, in front of celebrity guests including Sir Paul McCartney.
Gaga was told she wouldn’t be allowed to carry out a stunt involving setting her piano alight during the gig.
But the superstar insisted she didn’t mind following orders for once - and even dedicated the set to the firefighters and victims of the terrorist attacks which hit the city in 2001.
She told the crowd, "I was here on 9/11 in high school so God bless the fire department. I’m usually a jacka** when they tell me I can’t set the piano on fire. So, this is me being a nerd to the town I love." Gaga then dedicated track You and I to "anyone who has lost someone in the last 10 years".

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