Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from May 21, 2013

Dark Knight to rise for next James Bond? Christopher Nolan approached to direct next 007 film

Wanted: Christopher Nolan has been approached to direct the next 007 movie Christopher Nolan has been approached to direct the next 007 movie. It’s early days, but informal talks have begun between Nolan, his representatives and the powers behind the James Bond pictures, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G .Wilson. Nolan, who made the Batman trilogy Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises — and had time for Inception in between — would be a cool choice after Sam Mendes decided not to shoot Bond 24. Following the amazing box-office and critical success of Skyfall, Mendes was close to saying ‘yes’ to the next instalment, but had to withdraw because of his theatre commitments Charlie And The Chocolate Factory and King Lear with Simon Russell Beale at the National Theatre. Also, a lot of unconfirmed chatter has started about Mendes running the National Theatre once Sir Nicholas Hytner steps down in March 2015 after a glorious decade at the helm of the theatrical powerhou

Idaho man sentenced to seven years for killing zoo monkey

An Idaho man who admitted to breaking into a Boise zoo last year and killing a monkey was sentenced to seven years in prison on Thursday, court records show. Michael Watkins, 22, of Weiser, Idaho, in March pleaded guilty to attempted grand theft, a felony, and misdemeanor animal cruelty stemming from the break-in and beating death of the monkey at Zoo Boise in November.   The primate was one of the zoo's two Patas monkeys, ground-dwelling animals from Africa that stand more than 2 feet tall and weigh about 35 pounds. They are rare in zoos but not endangered in the wild. The case shook officials at the zoo and triggered an outpouring of sympathy and donations from animal lovers worldwide. Watkins scaled the security fence at Zoo Boise in the pre-dawn hours of November 17 and attempted to steal the monkey, which bit him, police said. Watkins then kicked and hit the animal, severely wounding it, according to police. The monkey later died of blunt force trauma, zoo officials said

Dancer says showgirls dressed as Obama, nuns at Berlusconi party

The nightclub dancer at the center of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's "bunga bunga" sex trial told a court on Friday that guests at the media tycoon's parties dressed as nuns, nurses and U.S. President Barack Obama. Karima El Mahroug, better known by her stage name "Ruby the Heartstealer", spoke as a witness in a trial at which talent scout Lele Mora, television anchor Emilio Fede and former showgirl and regional councilor Nicole Minetti are accused of inducing and aiding prostitution. Berlusconi is being tried separately for paying for sex with El Mahroug when she was a minor and then abusing office by having her freed from police custody after her arrest for theft. Her appearance is nevertheless an embarrassment for the 76-year-old billionaire, serving as a reminder of the legal threats the leader of the center-right and key partner in the governing coalition faces. A verdict in the sex trial is expected in June, and a conviction fo

Robin Gibb's son pays tribute to his inspirational father a year after his death

Just Us Three: Robin Gibb with wife Dwina and son RJ in 1986. RJ said his father would have wanted nothing more than to become a grandad The dark clouds that have hung over Bee Gee Robin Gibb’s magnificent 12th-century Oxfordshire home since his death after a long struggle against cancer almost exactly a year ago have finally lifted. Today, there is light and joy where all too recently there were tears and heartbreak. For had Robin lived, he would have been anticipating one of his dearest wishes: to be a grandfather. His son Robin-John, known as RJ, and his pretty blonde Polish-born girlfriend Megan, are expecting a baby in July. They know the child’s a boy, and have decided Robin’s name will be among those he will be given.‘Now that I’m about to become a dad myself, my sadness has been overtaken by sheer happiness,’ RJ tells me over tea in the family’s timbered sitting room, his father’s Irish wolfhound, Ollie, at his side.  ‘Losing Dad was devastating and I could never have i

Nicole's back-row rendezvous with her singer husband

Nicole Kidman was happy to talk about her children, husband Keith Urban and how she'd 'walk over hot coals' to be in a movie directed by fellow juror Ang Lee Nicole Kidman was choosing her every word extremely carefully. ‘Look, Steven’s been very clear about us not commenting on the films that are in competition,’ she told me as we chatted about her jury duty and Steven Spielberg’s rule as president of the Cannes Film Festival jury. ‘He said: “Just say ‘No comment’ when people start asking you.” He was very strict about it and I’m not going to get into trouble with Steven!’ she giggled, as we sat between courses at the Electrolux Diner d’Ouverture. Scroll down for video... She was happy to talk about her children, husband Keith Urban and how she’d ‘walk over hot coals’ to be in a movie directed by fellow juror Ang Lee, but absolutely nothing about the 20 films in the official Cannes line-up. ‘I think Steven’s right: it’s not fair to the competition film-makers. I hav

Canadian astronaut wrestles with gravity after spaceflight

Back on Earth, Canadian astronaut and cyberspace tweeter Chris Hadfield is getting a rough re-introduction to gravity after a five-month stint aboard the International Space Station, the former commander told reporters during a video webcast from Houston. Hadfield became a social media rock star with his zero-gravity version of David Bowie's "Space Oddity" and a continuous stream of commentary on Twitter about his life in orbit. But living without gravity for five months has left him feeling dizzy, weak and prematurely aged. A veteran of three space flights, he is wearing a pressure suit under his clothes to help his circulation as his body re-adapts to getting blood back to his brain. "Without the constant pull-down of gravity, your body gets a whole new normal, and my body was quite happy living in space without gravity," Hadfield, 53, said in a video conference call with Canadian reporters on Thursday, three days after returning to Earth.   The video con

EastEnders' long-lost relatives and disastrous dinners keep on coming. Jim Shelley on the week in Walford

It's one of the golden rules of EastEnders. Any sighting of a stranger - no matter how fleeting, even in the background in the market or the Queen Vic - can only mean one thing. Another long lost relative storyline is on the way. Dexter's father Sam (centre) pops round to see his son (right) and his ex Ava (left) after walking out 20 years earlier. As you do This week the scriptwriters didn't bother with any preamble as they usually do. Ava's ex-/Dexter's Dad, Sam, simply turned up at their front door ­ even though he had been out of their lives for 20 years and they had only recently moved. When Ava asked how he'd found them, it was noticeable he didn't say - ­ as if even the writers thought he wasn't up to it. Ava and the rest of us should have known something calamitous was going to happen when she decided to make a special meal (for Dexter and Billy). Important meals are the kiss of death in Walford. Dexter (left) realises he's been

EU finds time to tell restaurants how to serve olive oil

Critics ridiculed European Union bureaucrats on Saturday for taking time off fighting the euro zone's debt crisis to impose strict new rules on how restaurants serve olive oil. From January 1, 2014, eateries will be banned from serving oil to diners in small glass jugs or dipping bowls, and forced instead to use pre-sealed, non-refillable bottles that must be disposed of when empty. The European Commission said the move is designed to improve hygiene and reassure consumers the olive oil in restaurants has not been diluted with an inferior product. But critics say the rules are a sop to Europe's olive oil producers, and will only add to the frustration felt by many towards a bloated EU bureaucracy regarded as out of touch with the concerns of ordinary Europeans.   "If the European Union was logical and properly run, people wouldn't be so anti-Europe. But when it comes up with crazy things like this, it quite rightly calls into question their legitimacy and judgmen

Katie Waissel opens up about her marriage breakdown in heartbreaking song I'm Fine... as she admits she feels 'conned and stupid' after divorce

Katie Waissel has opened up about her divorce in a heartbreaking new song, after revealing her short-lived marriage to male model Brad Alphonso has left her feeling 'tricked, conned and stupid'. The 27-year-old singer, who first found fame on The X Factor back in 2010, wed Brad in an intimate ceremony in New Orleans in September 2012 - just 16 weeks after the couple first met. However, the marriage ended just two months later following a series of 'horrific rows', and Katie has been licking her wounds in Los Angeles ever since. Scroll down for video Opening up: Katie Waissel has spoken about her heartbreaking divorce from male model Brad Alphonso &

Powerball jackpot could go higher than $600 million

The Powerball jackpot Saturday night could exceed the $600 million figure being advertised, possibly rivaling the largest lottery payoff in U.S. history, a Texas Lottery official said on Saturday. "Oftentimes, the advertised amount is lower than what the actual jackpot ends up being," said Kelly Cripe, a spokeswoman for the Texas Lottery. "It's entirely possible this $600 million jackpot will end up being a bigger jackpot."   Chances of winning the Powerball on Saturday were one in 175 million, Cripe said, but that did not deter people from buying up tickets at staggering rates. California was selling $1 million in tickets every hour on Saturday, said Donna Cordova, a spokeswoman for the California Lottery, which has only been selling Powerball tickets since April 8. Texas Lottery officials reported $1.2 million in hourly sales between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. local time, with ticket sales for the Saturday draw topping $18.4 million. The ticket sale rate on Satur

Danielle O'Hara reveals she isn't happy with her blossoming pregnancy figure

She has had several breast augmentations as well as an operation to remove her implants after they ruptured but now Danielle O'Hara has revealed that she isn't happy with bigger breasts. The 29-year-old WAG is currently pregnant with her third child with her footballer husband Jamie and her changing shape has made her realise she prefers it when her chest is smaller.  Speaking to Closer magazine Danielle said she hates her bust: 'They've gotten bigger and feel massive now. After having smaller boobs last year, I've realised I prefer them that way.' Chest depressed: Danielle O'Hara has revealed that she is struggling with her blossoming pregnancy shape, particularly the size of her breasts The model also explained that she is struggling to feel good and finding it hard to come to terms with  her mother-to-be shape. She said: 'When I'm naked in a bikini, I'm not confident. Everyone says I look great but my body is getting me down. I feel li

Germans blame euro zone crisis for Eurovision debacle

Germans lamented their unexpectedly poor showing at the Eurovision Song Contest, blaming Chancellor Angela Merkel's tough stance in the euro zone crisis for their failure to win any points from 34 of the 39 countries voting. _0"> Denmark's Emmelie de Forest won the event, watched by around 125 million people across Europe, with 281 points while German act Cascada was 21st out of 26 countries, getting just 18 points from Austria, Israel, Spain , Albania and Switzerland.   "There's obviously a political situation to keep in mind - I don't want to say 'this was 18 points for Angela Merkel'," said Germany's ARD TV network coordinator Thomas Schreiber. "But we all have to be aware that it wasn't just Cascada up there on stage (being judged) but all of Germany ." Merkel is popular in Germany for her firm position during the euro zone crisis. But she is loathed in parts of Europe for her insisting on painful austerity measures

Lady Gaga staggers out in her signature high heels after recovering from hip operation

It must have been agony - months of wearing flat shoes for the flamboyant, platform heel loving star. But Lady Gaga, 27, has been reunited with her favourite heels as she hit the town in New York in her trademark super high boots. Gaga's re-emergence comes after she was seen wheeling around the Big Apple in a gold wheelchair, and then kitten heels. Reunited and it feels so good: Lady GaGa was back in her platform heels in New York as she attended a fashion party last week A brief appearance at the premiere of The Great Gatsby revealed a severe short crop, but it seems that was a side show for the main event as she attended the Versace Versus party back to her usual self complete with long blonde hair and Frankenstein height boots. The singer wore an asymmetric babydoll style minidress, presumably by Versace, which she accessorised with a yellow fur clutch. However she didn't look completely confident, as she reached out to a pole for balance. Need a hand? Gaga