Report: Lily Allen Gives Birth

Lily Allen has given birth to her first child, according to a report out of the UK.

The singer, 26, who now goes by Lily Cooper since her summer wedding to Sam Cooper, reportedly gave birth to her little girl on Friday, the UK's Daily Mail first reported.

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"Totes Amaze," Lily Tweeted earlier in the day, although it was not known if her Tweet was directly related to the birth.

Singer Boy George was one of the many who wished Lily well on Twitter.

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"Congrats to Lily Allen on her sprog," the singer wrote.

DJ Seb Chew, a former boyfriend of Lily's-turned-friend, Tweeted, "sending out love to lily, sam and mini cooper...... YES."

A rep for Lily didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Access Hollywood.

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Lily and Sam, a builder, became engaged last Christmas, before marrying in June.

The birth of Lily's baby comes a little over a year after her tragic miscarriage in October 2010, which occurred when she was 6-months pregnant. The singer also had a miscarriage in January 2008.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Celebrity Baby Bumps

Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Report: Feds transferred T.I. over business flap (AP)

ATLANTA – Grammy-winning rapper T.I. was sent back to federal prison after corrections officials discovered a manager and a TV producer were traveling with him on a luxury bus as he transferred to a halfway house in Georgia, according to documents obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.

The two were not authorized to travel or conduct business with T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris, during the 375-mile journey from the Arkansas federal prison, the Department of Justice incident report said. It said T.I. indicated he was discussing a new reality series and book with the individuals but said he wasn't being interviewed.

T.I. was making the journey last week after he had been released a month early from a sentence for violating probation, and a VH1 reality show and book deal were announced within hours of his release. Attorney Steve Sadow said the rapper didn't violate prison rules because those deals already were finalized.

"There wasn't any business to conduct," he said. "These were just two people riding back with him."

The Bureau of Prisons declined to comment. The performer remains in federal custody.

T.I. made the trip from Arkansas to Atlanta with his wife, Tameka Cottle Harris, manager Brian Sher and producer Cris Abrego, the co-president of 51 Minds Entertainment, a company that specializes in reality TV shows, according to letters provided to the AP.

Sher and Abrego said in letters sent to Bureau of Prisons officials that they had visited with T.I. a few times before his release and that no business was conducted during the ride to Atlanta. T.I.'s business attorney, Jonathan Leonard, said in a letter sent Tuesday to federal officials that the TV deal was negotiated and signed in late July and processed through his office. He said the book deal HarperCollins Publishers was sealed in June 2011.

"It appears that some of the information listed in the report was obtained from internet reports and not from Mr. Harris," Leonard said in the letter.

Cottle Harris said in a letter that her husband's team decided the bus would be safer and make it more difficult for paparazzi to pull up next to the vehicle and take pictures or record video.

T.I. had initially served about seven months in prison in 2009 after he was arrested for trying to buy unregistered guns and silencers from undercover federal agents. He was on probation after he was released and ordered not to commit another crime or to illegally possess any controlled substances. He then was arrested in Los Angeles in September 2010 after authorities said he was found with four ecstasy pills.

He was sentenced to 11 months in prison for that violation and had been set for release at the end of September, but he was allowed to transfer to an Atlanta halfway house about a month early. He was returned to federal prison a day later, and Sadow said T.I.'s legal team is fighting the move.

"TI was never told that only his wife was permitted to travel with him and was never instructed or directed to list each and every person that would be traveling with him," he said.

"It is disingenuous at best for BOP to see the private bus, escort T.I. to the private bus, watch him enter the private bus, observe the bus driver and then say the only people authorized to be on the private bus are T.I. and his wife."

___

Bluestein can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/bluestein

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Eddie Murphy high on list to host Oscars: report (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Comedian Eddie Murphy is on an Oscar producer's shortlist to host the Academy Awards in February, showbusiness website Deadline reported.

A meeting is scheduled for this coming Tuesday between Oscar producer Brett Ratner and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, at which Ratner will offer president Tom Sherak the idea of having Murphy host the world's top film honors.

Deadline, citing unnamed sources, said in a report on Saturday night that having the "Shrek" movie star host the show was not a done deal, with many more steps to be completed before Murphy is agreed upon.

The 84th Academy Awards' other producer, Don Mischer, has been approached by several other big names who have expressed interest in the hosting duties.

But according to the report Ratner has focused solely on Murphy, star of such 1980s and 1990s hit comedies as "Beverly Hills Cop," "Trading Places" and "The Nutty Professor."

An Academy spokeswoman was not immediately available to comment on Sunday. The upcoming Oscars will take place on February 26, 2012.

Murphy, whose new film with Ben Stiller opens on November 4, is reportedly interested in the job, Deadline said.

The "Saturday Night Live" alumnus was nominated for a best supporting actor in 2006 for "Dreamgirls."

(Reporting by Chris Michaud; editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Eddie Murphy high on list to host Oscars - report (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Comedian Eddie Murphy is on an Oscar producer's shortlist to host the Academy Awards in February, showbusiness website Deadline reported.

A meeting is scheduled for this coming Tuesday between Oscar producer Brett Ratner and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, at which Ratner will offer president Tom Sherak the idea of having Murphy host the world's top film honors.

Deadline, citing unnamed sources, said in a report on Saturday night that having the "Shrek" movie star host the show was not a done deal, with many more steps to be completed before Murphy is agreed upon.

The 84th Academy Awards' other producer, Don Mischer, has been approached by several other big names who have expressed interest in the hosting duties.

But according to the report Ratner has focused solely on Murphy, star of such 1980s and 1990s hit comedies as "Beverly Hills Cop," "Trading Places" and "The Nutty Professor."

An Academy spokeswoman was not immediately available to comment on Sunday. The upcoming Oscars will take place on February 26, 2012.

Murphy, whose new film with Ben Stiller opens on November 4, is reportedly interested in the job, Deadline said.

The "Saturday Night Live" alumnus was nominated for a best supporting actor in 2006 for "Dreamgirls."

(Reporting by Chris Michaud; editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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No illegal drugs in Winehouse toxicology report (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) – Toxicology tests showed there was alcohol, but no illegal substances in British singer Amy Winehouse's system when she died last month aged 27, her spokesman said on Tuesday.

"Toxicology results returned to the Winehouse family by authorities have confirmed that there were no illegal substances in Amy's system at the time of her death," a spokesman for Winehouse said. "Results indicate that alcohol was present but it cannot be determined as yet if it played a role in her death."

The soul singer, famed for her beehive hairstyle and erratic behavior on and off stage, was found dead at her London home on July 23. The Grammy-winning star behind acclaimed album "Back to Black" had a history of drug and alcohol abuse, and it was widely assumed that they played a part in her death.

Legendary singer Tony Bennett -- who recorded a duet with Winehouse in what was her final session -- will pay tribute to the singer at Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards show in Los Angeles, organizers announced.

Bennett, 85, will introduce footage from the recording session in London in March, where the two sang the duet "Body and Soul". The duet will be released as a charity single in September.

Winehouse's father Mitch said the family was honored by the MTV tribute.

Mitch Winehouse said at his daughter's funeral last month that Winehouse was "the happiest she had been for years" and had conquered her drug addiction three years ago but was trying hard to deal with her drinking.

An inquest into the "Rehab" singer's death is due to resume on October 26 in London.

Winehouse's last filmed performance was in Serbia in June, when she was jeered by the crowd as she struggled to perform her songs and stay upright. Her management then canceled all her scheduled performances.

Mitch Winehouse has announced plans to launch a foundation in his daughter's name to help young people battling addiction. He said however his efforts had been frustrated by "cyber squatters" who had snapped up possible internet addresses for the charity.

(Additional reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Steve Addison and Bob Tourtellotte)

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Tony Iommi denies report of Black Sabbath reunion (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi on Tuesday denied a report that the veteran British rock band was getting back together in its four man original line-up.

British paper The Birmingham Mail had reported that Iommi, singer Ozzy Osbourne, bass player Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward had begun rehearsing for a tour and a new studio album for release next year.

It quoted Iommi, 63, as saying the original foursome, which dates back to 1969, was looking forward to performing together again.

But in a statement on his official website on Tuesday, Iommi said he was just speculating and described the report as "absolute nonsense."

Iommi said the journalist had taken "a conversation we had back in June and made it sound like we spoke yesterday about a Black Sabbath reunion.

"At the time I was supporting the Home of Metal exhibition and was merely speculating, shooting the breeze, on something all of us get asked constantly, "Are you getting back together?"

"Thanks to the Internet it's gone round the world as some sort of "official" statement on my part, absolute nonsense," Iommi said, apologizing to his three bandmates.

Osbourne was fired from the band in 1979, leading to a revolving line-up for a number of years. The original members got back together for the 1998 album "Reunion" but split again afterward.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Strauss-Kahn, wife take in the symphony: report (AFP)

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, battling attempted rape charges in New York, has attended two Boston Symphony Orchestra concerts at the Tanglewood Music Festival, The New York Times reported Saturday.

The first concert was a recital by Danish violinist Nikolaj Znaider on Thursday at Tanglewood, a famed estate that hosts one of the world's premier music festivals every summer in the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts and located 150 miles (225 kilometers) from Manhattan.

On Friday Strauss-Kahn was back at the venue, the Boston Symphony's summer home, for a concert with conductor Kurt Masur and cellist Lynn Harrell, the paper reported.

Strauss-Kahn had orchestra seats with his wife, the former French television journalist Anne Sinclair, who celebrated her 63rd birthday on Friday.

The pair apparently declined to talk to reporters.

The Times published a photograph of the two seated at the venue that showed Strauss-Kahn with a blue sweater casually draped over his shoulders, and Sinclair wearing a white blouse.

Earlier this month Strauss-Kahn was released from house arrest, and the travel restrictions that confined him to a townhouse in New York were lifted, after US prosecutors raised concerns about the credibility of the New York hotel maid who accused him of sexual assault.

But the charges made by the Guinean woman have not been dismissed, and Strauss-Kahn is due back in court on August 1.

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DC report: Charlie Sheen police escort 'routine' (AP)

WASHINGTON – District of Columbia officers who gave actor Charlie Sheen an escort with flashing lights and sirens did not violate department policies, the city's inspector general said in a report this week. The report calls such escorts routine and accepted practice.

The 82-page report appears to conflict with statements from Police Chief Cathy Lanier, who has said the 27-mile escort from Dulles International Airport to a performance in Washington on April 19 broke with police protocol.

The ride attracted attention after the fired "Two and a Half Men" actor wrote about it on his Twitter account. It led to dueling accounts from the chief and department members about whether escorts for celebrities and non-dignitaries were standard practice.

Besides the inspector general review, the police department has been conducting an internal affairs investigation into celebrity escorts and the D.C. Council heard testimony last month from Lanier and the special operations division commander, among others.

The city's Office of Inspector General Charles J. Willoughby concluded that the "approval and performance of the Sheen escort was not extraordinary" and that such security details have been done without fanfare for years. But it faults the overall process for carrying out the details, saying the casual manner in which they're done and documented opens the department to liability if something goes wrong.

The report makes 11 recommendations for escorts of non-dignitaries. It includes ensuring that Washington's police department collaborates with neighboring law-enforcement agencies — which was not done in Sheen's case — and creating a clear, department-wide directive for escorts and reimbursable details.

The Sheen escort was provided after one of his representatives, concerned the actor would be running late for his performance, contacted the police and requested a ride to the concert hall. Two off-duty officers met Sheen at the airport and drove him to the venue. The escort was reimbursed at a cost of roughly $445, representing eight total hours of overtime, police said.

The report's authors said they could not independently verify that the officers who escorted Sheen were speeding, even though the actor posted a picture on his Twitter account that appeared to show a speedometer registering about 80 mph with the message, "(I)n car with Police escort in front and rear! Driving like someone's about to deliver a baby! Cop car lights (hash)Spinning!"

Lanier has said police policy would not generally permit celebrities to be escorted at a high speed with flashing lights and sirens.

She told The Associated Press in an email Wednesday that the department's policy has remained consistent in barring celebrity escorts without the prior approval of an assistant chief. She said she agreed that a single, detailed order was needed "in light of everyone's claim of confusion when they got caught."

"Just because these folks got caught and claimed they didn't know about the General Order does not excuse the fact that they violated the policy," Lanier wrote.

She also took issue with the report's findings that celebrity escorts, if properly organized, can play a part in generating positive attention and revenue for the city.

"Using police cars to escort celebrities, even if we are compensated, is inappropriate and brings unnecessary liability to the city," Lanier said.

The commander of the Special Operations Division, which provided the escort, said he felt that he and his officers had been vindicated by the report. Hilton Burton testified last month that escorts were commonly provided. The lieutenant who approved the Sheen escort and a captain were transferred out of the special operations division last month, though the chief has said the moves were not connected to the escort.

After the Sheen escort was first reported, Lanier said escorts were generally reserved for the president, vice president and visiting heads of state and the mayor, with exceptions made on a case-by-case basis.

But some police officials subsequently criticized Lanier for refusing to acknowledge that escorts were commonly made available upon request for celebrities and other non-dignitaries. The Associated Press reported in May that escorts had been given in the last two years alone to public figures including Bill Gates, rapper Jay-Z, singer Taylor Swift and John Wall of the Washington Wizards.

Lanier said last month her department has identified 17 celebrities, including Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera, who have been escorted by police in the last decade. But records show dozens of other escorts — including to college and professional sports teams and their owners, visiting dignitaries, Santa Claus impersonators and the Cherry Blossom Princess — have been granted during the same time.

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APNewsBreak: DC report says Sheen escort 'routine' (AP)

WASHINGTON – WASHINGTON (AP) — A new District of Columbia inspector general's report says there was nothing unusual about the police escort given to actor Charlie Sheen, even though the police chief said it appeared to violate department protocol.

The report says the officers who used lights and sirens to escort Sheen from Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia to a performance in Washington last April followed department protocol, but should have coordinated with police in Virginia.

The report's authors say they weren't able to independently verify that the officers were speeding on the way to the concert hall, even though Sheen posted a picture on Twitter that appeared to show a speedometer registering about 80 mph.

The report makes 11 recommendations, including ensuring that Washington's police department collaborates with neighboring law-enforcement agencies.

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Monaco royal wedding: live report (AFP)

1617 GMT: "Compared to yesterday's tense ceremony, the Princess seems a little more relaxed," says AFP's Dave Clark.

"But journalists here and -- judging by Twitter responses -- many viewers out there are a little disappointed by the lack of obvious chemistry.

"He did wink at here earlier, and they shared a chat after the vows, but now they seem to be blanking each other.

"Let's hope it's just the solemnity of the moment -- it is after all a religious and political ceremony as well as the wedding of two lovers.

"We might see a kiss later. After all, as part of the ceremony Albert was asked if he "renounces Satan and all evil desires". He said: "I do". Which is reassuring."

And on that note, we're wrapping up this live report. Thanks for reading, and visit our YouTube channel, http://www.youtube.com/user/AFP, for video coverage of the celebrations.

1605 GMT: Communion begins, to strains of Saint-Saens' Symphony Number Three (Poco Adagio).

1603 GMT: Meanwhile, some dark clouds are gathering outside above the Rock of Monaco. Luckily the reception's inside the city's famous casino.

1556 GMT: And there's a final kiss on the lips.

1554 GMT: Back to the service itself. The Archbishop has read the Lord's Prayer, and is blessing the couple.

1548 GMT: And here's some details on the rings: They're 18 carat white gold and platinum, made by the House of Cartier.

1547 GMT: Later on, Princess Charlene is to change into another Armani dress that sounds like a less-formal version of the one she's wearing now -- off-white silk chiffon with a broad neckline and embroidered four-tier train.

The South African princess may be taking her cue from Kate Middleton -- who changed into a simplified version of her Alexander McQueen wedding gown after her marriage to Britain's Prince William in April.

1544 GMT: As this is a Catholic ceremony, the couple will both be taking Holy Communion. The bread and wine are being blessed.

1543 GMT: The soprano Renee Fleming is singing extracts from Mozart's Solemn Vespers.

1542 GMT: Alexandra Hanover reads the Universal Prayers.

1538 GMT: And in a nod to the bride's birthplace, a traditional South African song strikes up, wishing good fortune to the new couple.

1537 GMT: Albert winks at his bride, and seals the deal with a rather awkward kiss.

1536 GMT: Alexandra of Hanover brings the rings.

1535 GMT: The couple are asked to take each other as husband and wife, and both say yes, no doubt to the immense relief of palace officials.

1534 GMT: The witnesses are called... and now it's time for the couple to exchange vows.

1533 GMT: The couple renounce Satan and proclaim their Christian faith.

1532 GMT: Charlene smiles when the Archbishop refers to fidelity and forgiveness, AFP's Laure Brumont can't help noting.

Senior officials in Monaco now privately admit is the "truth" of the rumour that Albert faces a paternity test following a claim by at least one former lover.

There had been claims -- denied by the palace -- that Charlene had threatened to call off the wedding, days before, when she heard about this.

1527 GMT: "It is the god of love that has allowed the meeting of Albert and Charlene," the Archbishop says.

1525 GMT: Later on, Princess Charlene is to change into another Armani dress for the reception -- off-white silk chiffon with a broad neckline and embroidered four-tier train.

It sounds like a less formal version of the one she's wearing now -- in this respect, the South African princess may be taking a leaf out of Kate Middleton's book. Middleton, who married, Britain's Prince William in April,

1523 GMT: The bride looks calm as she listens to the service, kneeling at the altar with Albert.

1520 GMT: Reading in French, the Archbishop begins the marriage service.

1518 GMT: The first reading, the First Letter of St John, is by Charlotte Casiraghi, second daughter of Albert's sister Princess Caroline.

1515 GMT: Charlene's seven young bridesmaids (not six, according to our earlier post), are wearing embroidered taffeta bodices and red and cream striped taffeta skirts with velvet ribbons.

Their outfits are topped off with wide-brimmed straw hats lined with silk and embroidered in cream mimosa, and each has a black velvet choker decorated with a Provencal gold cross donated by the groom.

1513 GMT: We've got some more details on the dress, which has been confirmed as a Giorgio Armani creation -- no surprises there...

Studded in crystal and pearl, it took 2,500 hours to prepare, according to the palace. The embroidery alone took 700 hours, and "kilometres" of platinum-coated thread were sewn into 130 metres of off-white silk.

Charlene's broad swimming champion's shoulders also had to bear the weight of 40,000 Swarovski crystals, 20,000 mother of pearl tear drops and 30,000 "stones in gold shades", the palace announced.

The stones and crystals were arranged in floral patterns and the ensemble was topped off with a long train and subtly embroidered off-white veil made from 20 metres of silk tulle, itself requiring 100 hours of labour.

Albert is wearing the cream summer uniform of Monaco's palace guards, its sleeves embrodered with oak and olive leaves and the front fastened with monogrammed golden buttons.

His chest is emblazoned with medals representing the Order of Saint Charles, the Order of Grimaldi and France's Legion of Honour. His rigid fabric cap is topped off with a rosette representing the Crown of Monaco.

1505 GMT: And the service has begun -- with cries of "Gloria!" from the choir.

1504 GMT: Following her are six bridesmaids, representing the six districts of Monaco.

1503 GMT: Composed and smiling, with her her swept stylishly back, she's now at the altar with Prince Albert.

1501 GMT: Princess Charlene has arrived and is slowly making her way through the chapel on the arm of her father. The sleeveless dress, in ivory, has a long train.

1500 GMT: There's applause as Albert comes down the stairs.

1459 GMT: "We're told that many of Charlene's fellow South Africans have decided to watch the rugby today instead of the wedding, says Dave Clark.

"But there certainly seem to be a lot of them tweeting about it -- so maybe they're not all as tough and sporty as they like to seem, and they're secretly at home enjoying the dresses and the hats?"

1458 GMT: Sarkozy, wearing a black suit without tails, gets a round of applause from the crowd of French tourists watching nearby on big screens.

1456 GMT: France's President Nicolas Sarkozy has arrived, without his pregnant wife Carla Bruni. The cameras have all focused on His Excellency Monsignor Bernard Barsi, Archbishop for Monaco. It looks like the ceremony's about to begin.

1454 GMT: Albert II of Belgium and his wife Queen Paola have arrived, followed by Queen Silvia of Sweden.

1450 GMT: We've had a flood of royal arrivals now: from Monaco, Pierre, Charlotte, Andrea, and Alexandra, all children of Princess Caroline. Following close behind are the Moroccan princesses, Mary, the Crown Princess of Denmark, and Princess Victoria of Sweden.

Representing Queen Elizabeth II of England is her grandson Prince Edward and his wife Sophie. Edward is wearing a Royal Navy uniform -- "Presumably an honorary one," notes Dave Clark, "as he didn't stay long in the forces before leaving to go into television production."

1443 GMT: The bride's family have arrived.

1442 GMT: "We must be getting closer to the wedding itself -- Albert's sisters Princess Caroline and Princess Stephanie and their kids have just arrived, to warm applause from the 3,800 of their fellow Monegasques in the outer courtyard," says AFP's Dave Clark.

"The royals do seem to be genuinely appreciated in Monaco, which is so small -- only 7,800 nationals and 35,000 foreign residents -- that you meet many people who know them personally, or went to school with them.

"Then again, as subjects of a state with no taxes to speak of and a policy of prioritising locals for jobs, why wouldn't they like the bosses?"

1440 GMT: Some more well-bred guests arriving: Princess Madeleine of Sweden, and the Count of Paris. Farah Diba, Empress of Iran before the country's 1979 Islamic revolution, is also here.

1438 GMT: A correction -- it's the Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra that's striking up with Johann Sebastian Bach's Cantata No 35.

1436 GMT: British supermodel Naomi Campbell has arrived in a green off-the-shoulder number.

"I've just learned that some consider it unlucky to wear green at a wedding," says Dave Clark, "but then Naomi is not afraid of causing a fuss.

"Monaco television claims that she turned down an invite to Kate Moss's wedding to come to Monaco. No idea if that's true, but it must have been a tough call if it is.

"The Monte Carlo symphony orchestra has started a sound check. They sound ready.

"It really is very sunny and hot out there. There are protective cloths shading the courtyard where the wedding is taking place, but it must be hot inside some of those outfits."

1434 GMT: Bringing a touch of European aristocracy to the red carpet is Emanuele Filiberto, the Duke of Savoy, and his actress wife Clotilde Courau, who is in red. Emanuele Filiberto is the grandson of Umberto II, the last king of Italy.

1430 GMT: "Many of the guests arriving are instantly recognisable celebrities, but all seem to have to produce their invitation as the arrive at the palace gate," reports Dave Clark.

"Bernadette Chirac has just arrived, escported by elegantly dressed and tough-looking body guards, but not her elderly husband. The former first lady still seems popular with the crowds, who cheer her, and she waves briefly and mouths "bonjour" to onlookers.

"Not many guests have brought their kids, but French style icon Ines de la Fressange did, and is taking pictures of them in the courtyard.

"Another young family just arrived, with three excited but slightly awed looking young girls with pretty dresses. No idea who they were, but I bet they won't forget the day they met the princesses," says Clark. Who adds, uncertainly: "Unless they were princesses."

1427 GMT: World motorsports chief Jean Todt has arrived with his wife, the actress Michelle Yeoh. Along with Roger Moore, Yeoh brings a touch of James Bond glamour to the festivities -- she co-starred with Pierce Brosnan in the 1997 Bond film "Tomorrow Never Dies".

1419 GMT: More details of those latest arrivals from my colleague Dave Clark.

"The guests are pouring in thick and fast now, ferried in from the presitigious Hotel de Paris, near the Casino, and other luxury addresses.

"Lots of sportsmen, models and fashion designers. Former James Bond actor Roger Moore is a Monaco resident and big crowd favourite. Big cheers for Karl Lagerfeld, a good friend of Charlene's, who has shot many of her most famous photo portraits.

"Prince Emmanuel de Svoie and wife French actress Clothilde Coureau are en route.

"Giorgio Armani is tanned a dark teak colour, arriving on the arm of an extraordinary tall woman in sweeping elegant dress. Pre-wedding rumours have been unanimous that Charlene's dress will be Armani, but the details are still firmly under wraps."

1417 GMT: An impressive trio of fashion giants has arrived: Italy's Roberto Cavalli, Germany's Karl Lagerfeld, and Italy's Giorgio Armani.

French model Ines de la Fressange, looking very elegant in black, has also arrived with her two daughters.

1413 GMT: Joining the list of sports stars on the list -- both bride and groom have represented their countries at the Olympics -- is former Romanian tennis player Ilie Nastase, one of the top players of the 1970s.

1410 GMT: Hot on his heels is Michel Roger, Monaco's Minister of State.

1409 GMT: Monaco's mayor, Georges Marsan, has arrived to great applause.

1408 GMT: And we've had the first casualty of the day. Attempting to make a graceful exit from her car, a guest promptly topples over on her high heels.

1405 GMT: With the sun beating down on the crowd, hats are de rigeur. There's a few shouts for water to be handed out, too.

1402 GMT: A few members of the press appear to have forgotten they're here to work. "Some journalists are having their pictures taken in front of the palace by their colleagues," says an AFP correspondent.

1359 GMT: Upon arrival, the VIP guests step onto a red carpet, embroidered in white, and are promptly saluted by the Prince's uniformed guards.

1358 GMT: French electropop pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre, in an open-necked shirt, has arrived to great applause after last night's spectacular light and sound show over the city.

1349 GMT: The weather's looking good: "Warm, with a few light clouds," says my colleague Laure Brumont at the palace.

1345 GMT: "Celebrities have begun to arrive at the palace for the religious ceremony, ferried to the red carpet in a fleet of 200 BMW 7 Series cars," AFP's Dave Clark adds.

"No global stars yet, but we have seen French tennis star of yesteryear Henri Leconte and television quiz show hostess Victoria Silvstedt."

1343 GMT: "A few hundred tourists are scattered along the route between the Rock of Monaco (a 141-metre, or 459-foot tall monolith on the principality's coast) and the chapel, trying to get the best seats," says my colleague at the scene.

"But attendance is very sparse at the moment."

1339 GMT: So what can we expect during Saturday's celebrations?

One thing's for sure, there'll be plenty of glitz, glamour and big names at the wedding feast, which will be held later at Monaco's famous casino.

The most senior guest will be France's President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose pregnant wife Carla Bruni is holidaying at her family's nearby villa.

Britain's royals will be meanwhile be represented by Elizabeth II's son Prince Edward.

Armani-clad Princess Charlene and her new husband plan to cross the city state in an open topped Lexus hybrid, a gesture to the prince's green credentials amid otherwise extravagant scenes of champagne quaffing and fireworks.

Indeed, whatever carbon is offset by the couple's choice of vehicle, will itself be more than compensated for by the 200-strong fleet of BMX 7 Series saloons that will ferry the guests to the ceremony.

Several more European and African kings and princes will be there, along with supermodels such as Naomi Campbell and several sporting friends of Albert and Charlene, who have both represented their countries at the Olympics.

1330 GMT: Welcome to AFP's live coverage of the wedding of Monaco's Prince Albert II and Charlene Wittstock, which has seen hundreds of world leaders, fellow royals and stars of sport and fashion descend upon the tiny Mediterranean realm.

Here's a quick round-up of the celebrations so far:

- Saturday marks day two of the nuptials, after yesterday's civil ceremony in the palace throne room. It's set to be marked with a spectacular open-air religious ceremony in front of 800 guests and 3,500 subjects in the palace courtyard.

- Organisers hope the spectacle will overshadow what senior Monaco officials now privately admit is the "truth" of the rumour that Albert faces a paternity test following a claim by at least one former lover.

- There had been reports in the run-up to the wedding that the new Princess Charlene, a South African former Olympic swimmer, threatened to leave when she learned her prince's latest secret.

- Albert is, at 53, two decades older than his bride. He has two children from previous relationships, but even if a third or a fourth is confirmed he will still not have an official heir until his wife bears him one.

- Charlene appeared tense but poised at Friday's civil marriage ceremony in the throne room, but relaxed slightly at a buffet reception for Monaco's people, where she posed for pictures and hugged babies.

- Later, she and the prince joined an estimated 80,000 people -- double the normal population of the state -- at the waterfront for a spectacular sound and light show by veteran French electropop pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre.

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Chavez in 'critical' condition: report (AFP)

MIAMI (AFP) – Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, who is in Cuba following emergency surgery, is in "critical" but stable condition, Miami's El Nuevo Herald reported Saturday, citing US intelligence sources.

Chavez's government has said he was operated on for a pelvic abscess June 10 and is recovering well; the president's brother has told Venezuelan state media that Chavez could return to Caracas in about two weeks.

But the Venezuelan government has not addressed details of Chavez's condition. And opposition lawmakers are up in arms in Caracas as many think it is unconstitutional for the president to be governing from abroad.

The Spanish-language El Nuevo Herald cited unnamed US intelligence sources as refusing to comment on rumors in Venezuela that Chavez could be receiving treatment for prostate cancer.

Yet one source was quoted as saying that Chavez "is in critical condition; not on the brink of death, but critical indeed, and complicated."

The same sources said Chavez's daughter, Rosines, and his mother, Marisabel Rodriguez, were recently whisked off to Cuba in an air force plane, the report said.

"They took Marisabel and her daughter out urgently," another source told the paper. "That was 72 hours ago."

After almost two weeks of uncharacteristic quiet, Chavez took to Twitter again on Friday, without addressing the controversy over his time spent abroad recovering from surgery in Cuba.

"Good morning to my (Twitter followers). It is my Army's Day, and the sun is shining brightly. I am sending a big hug to my troops and my beloved people," Chavez (@chavezcandanga) tweeted on the microblogging service.

The firebrand leftist leader was hospitalized June 10 in Havana, his top regional ally, for what officials said was an operation for a pelvic abscess, but turned into an uncharacteristically quiet and prolonged absence.

Officials in Caracas have insisted that Chavez, 56, is recovering well and continuing to give orders from Cuba, and keeping abreast of developments in Venezuela.

And relatively few words from someone known for his verbal omnipresence left some foes speculating he might have had plastic surgery or might want to drum up sympathy for his illness ahead of a 2012 election in which he will seek a third term.

Chavez arrived in Cuba on June 8 on the final leg of a trip authorized by the National Assembly that also included Brazil and Ecuador. He was rushed into emergency surgery after suffering sharp pain diagnosed as a pelvic abscess that required immediate surgery.

Opposition legislators, who control 40 percent of Venezuela's single-chamber legislature, argue that his prolonged absence means that Vice President Elias Jaua should replace him.

Chavez is Communist Cuba's main economic and political ally. His cut-rate oil keeps the cash-strapped and isolated Raul Castro regime afloat.

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Popemobile 'to become green machine': report (AFP)

BERLIN (AFP) – Mercedes-Benz is making a greener hybrid Popemobile for Benedict XVI, the Wirtschaftswoche weekly paper said Saturday.

However a Vatican spokesman denied the paper's prediction that it should be ready for Benedict's visit to his native Germany in September.

According to the report, the new Popemobile will be based on the four-wheel drive M Class Mercedes with a hybrid electric-petrol motor.

The rechargeable lithium-ion battery will allow it to drive 30 kilometres (16 miles) without any polluting emissions.

The pope would not be allowed to use a purely electric-driven car as the Popemobile must have the capacity to take off swiftly in case of emergency, the paper said.

A Mercedes-Benz spokesman said the group could give no details on private clients "for reasons of confidentiality".

Marcedes has provided the special cars to successive popes since the 1980s, the special high-sized, reinforced glass design allowing for maximum viewing with high levels of security.

Last December, Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo, president of the governorate of Vatican City State, suggested Pope Benedict was "prepared to use an electric Popemobile," as long as it was efficient and reliable.

Benedict XVI, sometimes labelled "the green pope" in the Italian press, has emphasised the defence of "God's works" and therefore the need to protect the environment.

Vatican spokesman Federicoo Lombardi told AFP Saturday that while the project for new car was under development it was not yet finalised and the vehicle would not be ready before the end of the year.

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Spelling mansion sold to Formula One heiress: report (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The late TV producer Aaron Spelling's mansion and 5-acre estate, ranked as America's most expensive home when it went on the market in 2009, is near the final stages of a sale, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.

The 57,000-square-foot French chateau-style house originally was listed at an asking price of $150 million, though the amount being paid for it has yet to be reported, the Journal said.

The buyer, according to the newspaper, is Petra Ecclestone, a 22-year-old heiress to her billionaire father Bernie Ecclestone's Formula One racing empire.

She plans on splitting her time between London and Los Angeles in advance of her August wedding to businessman James Stunt, the Journal said.

The home, dubbed "The Manor," was built by Spelling and his wife, Candy, in 1991 in Los Angeles' exclusive Holmby Hills neighborhood.

The property sprawls over 5 acres and features more than 100 rooms, a staircase inspired by the sweeping stairway in the film "Gone with the Wind," and multiple flower-cutting and gift-wrapping rooms.

Jeff Highland of the real estate firm Hilton and Highland, which has had the listing of the home since it went on the market, had no comment in response to inquiries.

A publicist for Candy Spelling also declined comment.

Aaron Spelling, who died in 2006 at age 83, was one of Hollywood's most prolific television producers. His credits included such prime-time series as "Beverly Hills, 90210," "Melrose Place," "Dynasty" and "The Love Boat."

(Writing and reporting by Mary Slosson; Editing by Steve Gorman)

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Report: Natalie Portman gives birth to a baby boy (AP)

NEW YORK – Natalie Portman has a baby boy to go along with her Oscar.

The actress gave birth to her first child with fiance Benjamin Millepied, the choreographer of "Black Swan," People magazine reported.

The magazine gave no details. A publicist for Portman did not return a message seeking comment Tuesday.

The 30-year-old actress and Millepied, a well-regarded ballet dancer and choreographer, met during the making of "Black Swan," Darren Aronofsky's psychological thriller that stars Portman as a ballet dancer.

Portman won the best actress Academy Award in February for her performance in the movie.

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Natalie Portman gives birth to baby boy: report (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Actress Natalie Portman has given birth to a baby boy fathered by a choreographer she met while she filmed her Oscar-winning role in "Black Swan," People magazine reported on Tuesday.

The report did not say where or when the birth took place, and there was no immediate comment from Portman's publicist.

Portman, who turned 30 last Thursday, announced in December that she was pregnant and planned to marry her boyfriend, French ballet dancer and choreographer Benjamin Millepied.

The two worked together on "Black Swan," in which Portman played a self-mutilating ballerina. She won the Academy Award for her performance in February.

The Israeli-born, New York-raised actress rose to fame playing the preteen protegee of a hitman in "The Professional," and appeared in the "Star Wars" reboots as Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia's mother. She was most recently in theaters with the romantic comedy "No Strings Attached."

(Reporting by Dean Goodman; Editing by Eric Walsh)

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Sean Kingston injured in Miami crash: report (AFP)

MIAMI (AFP) – "Beautiful Girls" singer Sean Kingston was injured when his personal watercraft slammed into a bridge in Miami, The Miami Herald reported Monday.

Kingston, 21, was riding with a female friend when they crashed into the Palm Island Bridge, and the two were picked up by another boater, authorities told the paper. His condition was not immediately known.

The Jamaican-American singer's "Beautiful Girls"

hit number one in 2007. He recently toured with pop superstar Justin Bieber, the daily said.

Born Kisean Anderson in Miami, Kingston moved to Jamaica as a boy. His stage name is the Caribbean country's capital.

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Sofia Coppola to marry in southern Italy: report (AFP)

ROME (AFP) – US film director Sofia Coppola will marry French rock singer Thomas Mars in August in her family's ancestral town of Bernalda in southern Italy, an Italian newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The wedding will take place in Palazzo Margherita, the 19th-century villa that Coppola's legendary filmmaker father Francis Ford Coppola restructured in the town, La Stampa daily reported without citing a source.

Bernalda is where Sofia Coppola's great-grandfather came from.

Coppola was previously married to director Spike Jonze, whom she divorced in 2003, four years after their wedding. She and Mars, the lead singer in the French rock band Phoenix, have two children and live in Paris.

Hollywood heavyweights Steven Spielberg, Al Pacino, Sylvester Stallone and Nicholas Cage are all expected to attend the wedding, the report said.

The 40-year-old director is a winner of the Golden Lion in Venice for her film "Somewhere" and is perhaps best known for her 2003 work "Lost in Translation" starring Bill Murray which was nominated for four Oscars.

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Advertisers stand by Armstrong after CBS doping report (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) – A day after a "60 Minutes" report claimed that Lance Armstrong took performance-enhancing drugs, Nike has released a statement supporting the cyclist.

"Our relationship with Lance remains as strong as ever," the company told The Hollywood Reporter in a statement. "We are proud to work with him and support his foundation. Nike does not condone the use of banned substances and Lance has been unwavering on that position as well."

A representative for Anheuser-Busch told THR that Armstrong will continue to be a spokesperson for Michelob Ultra.

"Lance has performed as an extraordinary athlete in a demanding sport, making him admired by millions who lead active lifestyles. That was our opinion when we signed him and that is our opinion today," the company says in a statement.

At least three of Armstrong's ex-teammates claimed the cyclist used PEDs. Tyler Hamilton, Armstrong's fellow cyclist for the first three of his seven Tour de France victories, said he even witnessed Armstrong inject the blood-boosting drug EPO.

"You saw Lance Armstrong inject EPO?" correspondent Scott Pelley asked Hamilton, to which he replied, "Yeah, like we all did, like I did many, many times."

Armstrong has long denied doping charges. He has posted a statement on his publicist's Web site, facts4lance.com. He accused the CBS News report of being "replete with broken promises, false assurances and selective reliance on witnesses upon whom no reputable journalist would rely."

(Editing by Chris Michaud)

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Schwarzenegger child report spurs media frenzy (AP)

By GOSIA WOZNIACKA and JOHN ROGERS, Associated Press Gosia Wozniacka And John Rogers, Associated Press – Wed May 18, 10:57 pm ET

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The revelation that Arnold Schwarzenegger has an out-of-wedlock child with a former employee turned into a tabloid frenzy Wednesday as scores of reporters and photographers swarmed a quiet suburban cul-de-sac in the middle of California farm country amid unconfirmed reports it was the home of the child's mother.

The owner of the house, identified in property records as Mildred Patricia Baena, was not at the Bakersfield home when the flash mob arrived, its satellite TV trucks filling her quiet street and spilling onto another one. The media descended after the woman's name was first reported by Radar Online and subsequently by other news outlets including The New York Times, which cited two unnamed friends of the family.

Schwarzenegger's office declined to discuss whether Baena is the mother of the former governor's child.

Baena's adult daughter, Jacqueline Rozo, told The Associated Press her mother had worked for Schwarzenegger until recently, but declined to discuss her further. The AP has not independently confirmed that Baena is the mother of Schwarzenegger's child.

The scandal exploded into public view after Schwarzenegger and wife Maria Shriver announced last week that they were splitting up after 25 years of marriage. Then came an admission by the former two-term governor that he fathered a child with a member of the household staff.

A photo of the boy posted on Baena's MySpace page shows a fairly strong resemblance to Schwarzenegger, particularly when the actor-bodybuilder-politician was younger.

"If I saw him or his picture, I would see the resemblance," next-door neighbor Marilyn Steelman said, adding that she never thought of any connection or resemblance between the boy and former governor after seeing him in the neighborhood.

Steelman told The Associated Press that after moving into the neighborhood about a year ago, the family told her the woman worked for Schwarzenegger and was planning to retire soon.

Until about 2 1/2 months ago, Steelman said, the woman was rarely home except on weekends, and said she lived during the week in an apartment in the Los Angeles area, 100 miles to the south.

Charlene Powers, a real estate agent who represented the seller of the home, said she was told it was being purchased for an employee of Schwarzenegger, and that he was helping her with the down payment. Records show the family took a loan of $219,224 to purchase the home for $268,000.

Real estate records at the county assessor's office make no mention of Schwarzenegger's name.

Another real estate agent, Alex Guerrero, who represented Baena, declined to discuss her.

Steelman said Baena, her husband and 13-year-old son have been fine neighbors.

She said the boy often walks his dog, a white poodle named Sugar, in the neighborhood of fashionable, relatively new homes sporting red-tile roofs and two- and three-car garages. He also plays basketball or swims in his family's backyard pool.

"He's a wonderful kid. Such a nice young man. He's respectful of people and property, very courteous. He's very intelligent. He's just a kid you want to be around," she said.

The Los Angeles Times, which first reported Schwarzenegger had fathered a child with a longtime family employee, has not named the woman but has said she retired in January after working for the former governor and his family for 20 years.

He and his aides have declined to release her name or any details beyond a statement in which he apologized to his wife and four children with her and asked for privacy for his family.

Schwarzenegger has said Shriver didn't learn the child was his until he told her after leaving the governor's office in January.

The birth certificate for the Bakersfield woman's son shows he was born the same week as Schwarzenegger and Shriver's youngest son.

Shriver, who has not discussed the matter since issuing a brief statement Monday, made a quick walk-on appearance that same day at a taping of one of Oprah Winfrey's final shows, telling the talk show host she has "given me love, support, wisdom and most of all the truth." The show is expected to air Tuesday.

One person familiar with the situation said the former governor has been humbled and embarrassed by the ordeal.

"It's been very, very hard for him," said the individual, who requested anonymity out of respect for the family's privacy. "He's embarrassed. He's not focused on what steps he needs to take for himself, but the steps he needs to take for his family."

The incident returned to the public's attention numerous allegations made over the years that Schwarzenegger was a notorious womanizer.

It also threatened to bring forth more women with allegations against Schwarzenegger. On Wednesday, Los Angeles attorney Gloria Allred confirmed she is representing Gigi Goyette, a former child actress who has said she had annual trysts with Schwarzenegger at a bodybuilding competition he sponsored in Ohio.

"I can confirm that I do represent Gigi Goyette," Allred said in an email. "We have no comment at this time and we will also have no comment tomorrow."

Shortly before Schwarzenegger was elected governor in 2003, the Los Angeles Times reported allegations from more than a dozen women who said he had groped them or made unwanted advances. He apologized at the time for having behaved badly in his younger years, and went on to win election.

Schwarzenegger biographer Joe Mathews said the public shouldn't have been all that surprised by this week's revelations. Mathews quoted the former governor's own words, "where there's smoke there's fire" while acknowledging the groping allegations in 2003.

There had also been rumors on the political circuit for years of a Schwarzenegger out-of-wedlock child, Mathews said, although the accounts could not be verified until now. The author of the 2006 book, "The People's Machine: Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Rise of Blockbuster Democracy," noted that both Schwarzenegger and Shriver were careful to parse their words when they addressed the womanizing allegations in 2003, never issuing an outright denial.

"She didn't come out and defend him and say he's a faithful, great husband," he said of Shriver's defense of her husband. "She said he's a person who is really smart and really wants to do this job and has a lot to offer California."

Perhaps more telling, as early as 1999, Mathews said, Schwarzenegger, who was then considering a run for governor, called aides together in Los Angeles and, rather that discuss possible political positions, railed against the impeachment of President Bill Clinton for his sexual liaison with Monica Lewinsky. If that was the way politicians' personal lives were exposed, Schwarzenegger told them, he might not seek office, Mathews said.

Since leaving the governor's office earlier this year, Schwarzenegger has indicated some interest in continuing in politics, perhaps becoming a spokesman for environmental causes, including green energy development, one of the issues he worked hardest for as governor. Mathews noted that Schwarzenegger hasn't flatly ruled out a run for U.S. Senate either, although he speculated it would be hard for him to get elected now.

The former star has also made it clear he wants to return to Hollywood. He recently announced plans to play himself in an animated TV show called "The Governator" and is scheduled to begin filming this summer on "Cry Macho," a film drama in which he would play a horse trainer. The former world bodybuilding champion is also in negotiations to reprise what is arguably his most popular role, as the relentless killer cyborg in the "Terminator" films.

___

Wozniacka reported from Bakersfield and Rogers reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press writers Greg Risling, Thomas Watkins and Christina Hoag also contributed to this report from Los Angeles.

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China piracy cost U.S. firms $48 billion in 2009: report (Reuters)

BIG SKY, Montana (Reuters) – Chinese piracy and counterfeiting of U.S. software and a wide range of other intellectual property cost American businesses an estimated $48 billion in 2009, the U.S. International Trade Commission said in a report released on Wednesday.

It also concluded 2.1 million jobs could be created in the United States if China complied with its current international obligations to protect and enforce intellectual property rights. The most direct jobs impact would come in high-tech and other innovative industries.

The report, requested last year by top Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee, gives the Obama administration additional ammunition to press Beijing for better protections.

More than $26 billion of the losses came from the information and service sector and more than $18 billion came from the high-tech and heavy manufacturing sector in addition to billions more from other sectors, the report said.

"China's unfair practices cost the U.S. billions of dollars and millions of jobs," Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus said in a statement as top U.S., Chinese and other Asia Pacific trade officials gathered in his home state of Montana for an annual meeting.

"Time and time again, China has failed to protect and enforce American intellectual property rights, and it continues to discriminate unfairly against American businesses. We cannot pretend that there aren't real consequences to these violations when these numbers show that millions of American jobs are on the line," Baucus said.

(Reporting by Doug Palmer; editing by Sandra Maler)

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