Saturday, May 01, 2010

Swiss don't want secret testimony in Polanski case

GENEVA (AP) - Swiss justice officials pronounced Friday they have been not meddlesome in an attempt by Roman Polanski's U.S. lawyers to unseal tip sworn statement by his original prosecutor in Los Angeles as well as contention which in a director's fight opposite extradition to a United States.

Switzerland works upon a assumption which a extradition ask from a U.S. is based upon correct statements as well as a tip sworn statement wouldn't change that, Justice Ministry orator Folco Galli said.

Polanski's lawyers, in a suit filed Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, pronounced transcripts of sworn statement by retired Deputy District Attorney Roger Gunson would prove which a extradition ask is based upon false as well as incomplete statements by a Los Angeles district attorney's office.

The lawyers claimed they need a sworn statement to contention it to Swiss authorities who have been perplexing to confirm either to extradite Polanski to Los Angeles for having sex in 1977 with a 13-year-old girl.

But Galli pronounced "such documents have been not pertinent for a extradition proceedings."

Countries which have sealed mutual extradition treaties "have to work upon a assumption which a facts in a extradition ask have been represented correctly," he told The Associated Press.

Therefore there is no need for Swiss authorities to ask any kind of proof for a calm of a extradition request, he added.

Switzerland only has to inspect either a facts of a box have been punishable underneath Swiss law as well as if there's any reason to reject an extradition, Galli said. One possible reason not to extradite would be if Polanski, 76, faces a jail sentence of reduction than six months.

It was not rught away well known how a Swiss position might stroke a lawyers' ask to Superior Court Judge Peter Espinoza. Their suit requested a May 10 hearing.

Swiss authorities arrested Polanski seven months ago as he arrived in Zur! ich to r eceive a lifetime feat award during a movie festival. The Oscar-winning executive of "Rosemary's Baby," "Chinatown" as well as "The Pianist" was imprisoned for more than dual months before being transferred upon $4.5 million bail to residence arrest during his Alpine chalet in a oppulance review of Gstaad.

A California court ruling last week pronounced a executive could not be condemned in absentia, seen as a major setback in Polanski's battle to avoid being returned to a United States after decades as a fugitive.

Swiss legal experts believe which Polanski will eventually be extradited to Los Angeles, even if months of further legal wrangling await. The executive can begin a brand new round of appeals in Swiss courts if a supervision decides to extradite him.

Galli pronounced Swiss authorities have been study a California court ruling, dampening expectations for a quick extradition decision.

Polanski was primarily accused of raping a girl after plying her with champagne as well as a Quaalude tablet during a 1977 displaying shoot. He was charged upon six felony counts, including rape by make use of of drugs, child seduction as well as sodomy, though he pleaded guilty to a lesser assign of wrong sexual intercourse.

In exchange, a judge agreed to dump a superfluous charges as well as sent him to jail for a 90-day psychiatric evaluation. According to lawyers, a judge pronounced which would be Polanski's entire sentence, though he afterwards altered his thoughts as well as pronounced he was going to impose an vague longer term in prison.

Polanski afterwards fled a U.S. upon Feb. 1, 1978, a day he was to be formally sentenced. He has lived given afterwards in France, which does not extradite the citizens.

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Saturday, May 01, 2010

'Glee' star Lea Michele makes Time's top 100 list

NEW YORK (AP) -"Glee" star Lea Michele is joining a ranks of Brazil's boss as well as Lady Gaga as an honoree in Time magazine's 100 most successful people issue.

The 23-year-old triple threat co-stars as a annoyingly ambitious Rachel Berry upon a Fox network strike show, a purpose which garnered her a Best Actress nomination during a Golden Globes.

The Time issue, upon newsstands now, honors successful artists, heroes, leaders as well as thinkers.

On Tuesday, Michele will announce a 64th annual Tony nominations along with Jeff Daniels. She's starred upon Broadway in "Spring Awakening" as well as has additionally appeared in "Fiddler upon a Roof" as well as "Les Miserables."

Michele is additionally preparing for "Glee Live," a sold-out, nationwide debate which kicks off in May.

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Saturday, May 01, 2010

Oprah: Drivers, put down your phones

WASHINGTON (AP) - Oprah Winfrey wants America's drivers to declare their cars "No Phone Zones."

"It's like Russian roulette each time we pick up your phone in a car," Winfrey told her viewers from Chicago upon Friday. She dedicated her TV uncover to propelling people to pointer pledges not to discuss or content from at a back of a wheel.

Safety advocates goal Winfrey's star power will move attention to a flourishing scourge of dreaming drivers, who have been blamed for an estimated 6,000 deaths as well as a half-million injuries a year.

The advocates goal to impersonate a success of reserve campaigns in a 1980s which helped reduce inebriated pushing deaths as well as increasing a make use of of chair belts.

"We need to unequivocally mangle people's bad habits," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said during a Washington convene opposite dreaming driving. "Everybody has a bad robe of meditative they can talk upon their phone or content as well as drive, as well as we can't do it safely."

Twenty-four states as well as a District of Columbia demarcate drivers from texting at a back of a wheel; 6 states club drivers from regulating hand-held dungeon phones.

Congress is deliberation legislation to push all states to anathema texting by drivers, as well as a federal government is encouraging all states to restrict dungeon phone make use of at a back of a wheel.

Since Winfrey launched her campaign in January, more than 200,000 people have taken a pledge. They can choose one of three promises for their driving: no texting; no texting as well as only handsfree calling; or no texting or calls.

Friday's broadcast included "No Phone Zone" rallies in Detroit, Boston, Los Angeles, Atlanta as well as Washington.


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Friday, April 30, 2010

Bret Michaels might be ready to rock in weeks

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Bret Michaels could stage nonetheless an additional quip earlier than expected.

Doctors say it is probable that Michaels, a outspoken 47-year-old former Poison frontman currently competing upon "The Celebrity Apprentice," could be healthy sufficient to crop up upon a NBC reality series' live culmination upon May 23. Michaels, one of 7 stars remaining in a competition, has been in complete caring given suffering a brain hemorrhage last week.

"If all a studies he had done uncover no evidence of an aneurysm being found, it would unequivocally only rely upon his energy level," pronounced Dr. Ronald Benitez, executive of cerebrovascular surgery during Overlook Hospital in Summit, N.J. "If all a tests were negative, as good as you was examination a uncover during a finish of May, you personally wouldn't be surprised if he was upon it."

Michaels, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes during age 6 as good as underwent an emergency appendectomy April 12, was rushed to an undisclosed hospital last week with a severe headache. He was later diagnosed with a subarachnoid hemorrhage, that causes draining in a fluid-filled spaces around a base of a brain. The cause of a hemorrhage is still unknown.

"Bret stays in vicious condition in ICU under 24-hour organisation by doctors as good as healing staff," pronounced a matter first posted Thursday upon Michael's website by his debate manager, Janna Elias. "If a patient survives a initial rupture, a first 7 to 10 days after have been a many vicious as an additional detonation or alternative complications may arise."

The matter pronounced doctors have been stability to provide Michaels for hyponatremia, a sodium scarcity ordinarily caused by a brain hemorrhage that can lead to seizures. It additionally pronounced that a press discussion has been scheduled for Tuesday with a doctors currently treating a bandana-clad rocker to further insist Michaels' condition, diagnosis as good as prognosis.

"Wheth er or not a site of a draining can ultimately be identified doesn't necessarily start a march of movement with a subarachnoid hemorrhage," pronounced Dr. Paul Vespa, executive of neurocritical caring during a University of California, Los Angeles. "It's typically a disease that runs a particular march with a beginning, middle as good as finish phase."

Vespa pronounced Michaels' sort of hemorrhage can "wipe a person out for a while" though that liberation could take "just a few weeks, if everything goes positively perfect, or up to several months." He additionally pronounced it is doubtful Michaels would experience further complications, though a many usual have been short-term memory loss, thoroughness problems as good as depression.

The ongoing healing quandary has stirred questions about a future of a third season of "The Celebrity Apprentice," that facilities such stars as cocktail thespian Cyndi Lauper, reality TV diva Sharon Osbourne, luminary cook Curtis Stone as good as actress Holly Robinson Peete competing to one side Michaels in business-themed tasks to win money for their charities.

Michaels already filmed many of "The Celebrity Apprentice" last fall. However, a culmination requires a last dual contestants to debate opposite any alternative live in front of Donald Trump. If Michaels ascends to a last showdown, it would be rare in "The Apprentice" authorization history if he is not benefaction to urge himself in a boardroom.

"We've never been confronted with anything like this," Trump told Matt Lauer upon NBC's "Today" uncover Tuesday. "He is still in a show. He's you do really, unequivocally well, as good as all of sudden ... you can't imagine. It's starting to be live for dual hours, as good as it's starting to be in four weeks. you can't suppose he's starting to be upon a finale, though he very good competence be."

Whether he's dismissed or hired by Trump during a May 23 culmination or in an earlier installment, Michaels' member have bee! n still giving his music fans something to hold in. While his appearances scheduled through May twenty-one have already been postponed, Michaels' alternative concert dates, including his summer debate with Lynyrd Skynyrd, have been starting forward as scheduled.

"At this time, you have been planning to resume a debate May twenty-six in Ft. Smith, Ark., provided there have been no further complications or setbacks," pronounced an additional matter posted Thursday upon Michaels' website. "We will afterwards go upon with all scheduled dates via a summer as good as fall, including a Jun as good as Jul debate with Lynyrd Skynyrd."

It certainly wouldn't be Michaels' first quip tour. After glam-rock was edged out in a 1990s, a "Unskinny Bop" thespian found renewed fame upon reality TV. He starred as a decider upon a third season of USA's singing competition "Nashville Star" in 2005, afterwards as a bad-boy bachelor looking for lust upon VH1's unworthy dating uncover "Rock of Love" from 2007 to 2009.

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Friday, April 30, 2010

Letterman putting life back together after scandal

NEW YORK (AP) - David Letterman says a liaison surrounding his workplace dalliances "knocked him down" as well as depressed him, but which he's putting a pieces of his hold up behind together.

During a guest appearance upon Friday's "Live with Regis as well as Kelly," a CBS late-night star said his function hurt his family as well as himself.

But he sounded hopeful which hold up with his wife as well as young son can "even be better, in a different way" than before a bomb revelations which he had had sex with co-workers.

Letterman done no anxiety to a $2 million shakedown try over his sex hold up which spurred him to acknowledge a affairs upon his uncover last October.

Former television producer Robert Halderman, who pleaded guilty to a blackmail attempt, is scheduled to be sentenced next week.

-Source-

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Film investors: Paris Hilton owes $1 million

MIAMI (AP) - Paris Hilton should return up to $1 million she was paid for a 2006 box-office explosve "Pledge This!" because she didn't plug a movie enough, an attorney for a movie's investors told a federal decider Thursday.

The 29-year-old hotel heiress, singer as well as self-promoting businesswoman refused nine requests for print as well as promote interviews she should have since under her contract, pronounced financier attorney Bryan West.

"We paid her $1 million, as well as we're entitled to get during slightest a portion of that back," West told U.S. District Judge Federico Moreno. "Part of what actors do is promote their films."

But Hilton's attorney, Michael Weinsten, pronounced she took part in multiform high-profile broadside events - including an coming during a Cannes Film Festival - as well as that a stipulate didn't need her to do interviews when she was bustling upon other projects.

Weinsten added that Hilton also had a right to authorize or reject any proposals or offers.

"Paris Hilton is a brand. That is her value, as well as how she makes money," he said. "She did substantial publicity."

Hilton, who testified final summer during a trial over a dispute, did not attend Thursday's hearing. She pronounced formerly that although discontented with a finished "Pledge This!" cut, she wanted a college sorority romp to succeed as well as worked tough to make that happen. Yet a movie only done $2.9 million.

Moreno formerly deserted a investors' effort to sue Hilton for $8.3 million in damages, that included a $1 million she was paid for her behaving as well as as executive producer. But he left open a possibility that she might have to pay off a little or all of that price as restitution if she did not perform her broadside obligations.

Moreno did not indicate when he would rule. The box centers upon last a worth of a appearances Hilton did against a price of those she rejected, that ranged from a proposed co! ming upo n NBC's "Tonight Show" to phone chats with multiform British publications.

"The subject is, what is a worth of what she did do? Because she did do something," Moreno said. "How do I quantify it?"

Hilton was sued by attorney Michael Goldberg, a court-appointed receiver for a now-defunct entertainment company that was a major financier in "Pledge This!" The company, Worldwide Entertainment Group, was close down as a suspected $300-million Ponzi scheme by a Securities as well as Exchange Commission, as well as Goldberg is attempting to recoup waste for a little 3,300 investors in a company.

Both sides admit Hilton's ability to move a product. Goldberg pronounced Thursday that sales of a "Pledge This!" DVD peaked final summer amid broadside surrounding a trial, although he did not provide exact sales numbers.

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Thursday, April 29, 2010

Handwritten Lennon lyrics to be sold at auction

NEW YORK (AP) - For a right price, a little lucky Beatlemaniac will be means to own a lyrics to a final strain upon a classical Beatles album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."

John Lennon's handwritten lyrics to a Beatles classical "A Day in a Life" are being auctioned in June, Sotheby's announced upon Thursday. The double-sided piece of paper facilities Lennon's edits as well as corrections in his own hand - in black felt pen as well as blue ball indicate pen, with a couple of annotations in red ink.

It is expected to fetch between $500,000 as well as $700,000 when it is sole in New York upon Jun 18.

Rolling Stone magazine listed "A Day in a Life" at No. 26 in a gathering of a 500 Greatest Songs of All Time as well as "Sgt. Pepper" won four Grammy awards in 1968.

The lyrics stirred debate when a Beatles released a album in 1967. The strain was banned by a BBC because it twice facilities a line, "I'd adore to spin you on," that was interpreted as ancillary illegal drug use. The strain was also left off copies of "Sgt. Pepper's" sole in multiform Asian countries for a same reason.

The album's "Lucy in a Sky with Diamonds" was purported to have saved a make make use of of of a hallucinogenic LSD, a claim that bandmembers denied.

In addition, "A Day in a Life" facilities a verse "he blew his mind out in a car," that Beatles aficionados claim is a reference to a accidental genocide of Tara Browne, a Guinness successor as well as tighten crony of both Lennon as well as Paul McCartney.

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