Alicia Keys to retire music industry

According to contactmusic.com, the one and only talented R&B singer Alicia Keys has decided she wants to retire by the age of 30 from music industry. The 27-year-old Celebrity plans to spend the rest of her life travelling the world and enjoying her time. As a recall, Alicia Keys back in 2006, exasperated by the pressures of fame, she took a break from music and traveled to Egypt to recuperate discovering the power of the nature.

"I am working hard now so I have the choice to retire when I want. I would like to travel the world and stay in places instead of having to move on like I do now. I want to experience difference cultures." - says Alicia Keys

In other Celebrity reports, Alicia Keys joins the ranks of Carrie Underwood and 50 Cent as the latest celebrity to endorse Vitaminwater, with her own limited-edition label for Vitaminwater Multi-V Lemonade, which will reportedly debut in stores later this Summer.

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Uma Thurman gets engaged

The one-year Celebrity couple Uma Thurman and Arpad “Arki” Busson are engaged and soon to be married. The actress reportedly received a big diamond ring, actually it’s so big that “she can’t fit it through the sleeve of her coat”, if that counts for something. Uma Thurman reportedly wore it to a recent Elton John AIDS benefit. Family sources reveal that the engagement it’s a done deal and they’re already planning their wedding.

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Miss Universe 2008 swimsuit photos

Miss Universe 2008 pageant in swimsuit photos at the swimming pool of the New World Hotel in HCM City, Vietnam.

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Britney Spears' return to LA begins with scuffle

LOS ANGELES - Britney Spears is back in Los Angeles, and it didn't take long for trouble to find her.

Within moments of arriving at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday evening, Spears' entourage was involved in a scuffle with a paparazzo.

Between 30 and 35 photographers swarmed her vehicle outside the terminal before a bodyguard pushed a camera into a photographer's face, Los Angeles World Airport Police Sgt. Jim Holcomb said.

Holcomb said the paparazzo complained that the shove left a slight mark on the cheek, but cooler heads prevailed and no charges were filed.

The 26-year-old pop star was unscathed, and Holcomb said officers ensured she was able to leave the airport safely.

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'The Incredible Hulk' smashes box office

A bigger, better "Incredible Hulk" crushed the North American weekend box office with a $54.5 million take, according to studio estimates.

The action-oriented film revival starring the hulking green superhero is the second self-financed production from Marvel Studios, which paid General Electric Co's Universal Pictures a fee to market and distribute the film.

Marvel and Universal brought the first "Hulk" to theaters in 2003, but that more introspective film failed to follow through on its muscular debut after disappointing comic book fans.

The new film stars Edward Norton as former scientist Bruce Banner, who morphs into the green beast when his attempts at anger management fail. Banner's love interest is played by Liv Tyler, while actors William Hurt and Tim Roth take turns as villains.

Marvel Studios had creative control over "The Incredible Hulk," and the film won positive reviews, but critics did question why Marvel was returning to the green monster so soon.

"It seems like 'Hulk' has smashed those questions to pieces," said David Maisel, chairman of Marvel Entertainment division Marvel Studios.

Maisel added that the film was the second-strongest Father's Day weekend open.

"Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer," also starring Marvel superheroes, rode the wave to No. 1 on Father's Day weekend 2007 with box office of $58.1 million, according to tracking firm Media By Numbers.

"Iron Man," Marvel's first self-financed film, came in at No. 7 after hammering home weekend sales of $5.1 million. The film has been in theaters for seven weeks and has pulled in domestic sales totaling $297.4 million.

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Kelly cleared over child sex tape

A Chicago jury has acquitted US singer R Kelly of all 14 charges of child pornography against him.

He was found not guilty of making an explicit sex video that prosecutors had said showed him having sex with a girl as young as 13.

Both Mr Kelly and the alleged victim, now 23, denied they were the people shown on the tape, which the jury saw.

If found guilty, he had faced up to 15 years in prison. His hits include She's Got That Vibe and I Believe I Can Fly.

The Grammy award-winning singer, 41, was arrested in 2002 after the video was leaked to the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper.

The tape, 26-minutes long, showed a man having sex with an underage girl.

Conflicting testimony

The prosecution's chief witness was a woman who said she had had three-way sex with Mr Kelly and the alleged victim from the video, Associated Press news agency reported.

The defence attempted to discredit the witness, saying she had tried to extort money from Mr Kelly.

The defence argued that the man in the tape did not have a large mole on his back as does Mr Kelly, and that the tape could have been doctored.

An FBI expert told the court the tape was not faked but that it was a copy which had been duplicated several times.

During the trial, some relatives of the alleged victim testified that the girl on the tape was not their family member. Other relatives said they recognised the girl.

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Alanis Morissette continues channeling her anger

NEW YORK - Alanis Morissette is not the person Rob Thomas thought she was.

Matchbox Twenty and its lead singer once saw her as a Zenlike soul, Morissette told Newsweek for its issue hitting newsstands Monday.

"He kept saying that whenever I wasn't with him, his imagining was that I was levitating somewhere, meditating," the Canadian singer said.


But then, "we had the most debaucherous, entertaining, hysterical time together, so they were the first to say that their perception of me was a little off," she told the magazine. She did not elaborate on the debaucherous details.

Morissette is in the process of releasing her latest album "Flavors of Entanglement" and writing her first book, a compilation of essays, photographs and mood-boosting exercises.

She uses writing as an outlet for her anger, which she said is not directed toward ex-boyfriend Ryan Reynolds. The actor recently became engaged to actress Scarlett Johansson.

"I'm really happy for him," she said. - AP

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Ashanti makes a comeback

Ashanti was one of music's hottest stars, with two multiplatinum albums and a Grammy under her belt, until her third disc, 2004's "Concrete Rose," landed like a brick on the music charts.

The album came out while the head of her music label, The Inc.'s Irv Gotti, was under investigation by the federal government (he was later charged with money laundering but acquitted of the charges). Ashanti blames the cloud surrounding the label for creating a climate that made it difficult for "Concrete Rose" to bloom.

Ashanti spent the next four years away from the music scene, but she wasn't completely out of the spotlight: She appeared in movies and was often seen on the arm of her beau, rapper Nelly.

This month, however, marks Ashanti's musical return — and she's doing it with "The Declaration." The CD already has a hit on its hands with the dramatic woman-scorned ballad "The Way That I Love You."

In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Ashanti talked about her yearslong absence from the charts, how heartbreak informs her music and why she has no hard feelings against Gotti, who was acquitted.

AP: You say your first single, "The Way That I Love You" was inspired by the television show, "Snapped" (which is about women who are pushed to their breaking points).

Ashanti: I was watching it and feeling the passion in the lyrics of the record. I was like, "Oh my gosh. This is perfect for a woman who has snapped." I wanted to do something to inspire the video and blow it out. We wanted to do something more cinematic as opposed to a regular music video since I have been gone for four years since my last album. It just made perfect sense to make that marriage between the record and the visual.

AP: Is heartache the best source of inspiration?

Ashanti: Definitely. As I said, it is almost like a double-edged sword. You take your pros and cons with it. Me as a writer, any experience is good because it allows people to relate to you. When you write about stuff that is sincere and it really happens to you that is what kind of gets people like, "Wow, she is writing about my situation right now."

AP: You have been away for a while. Were you worried about recapturing your fan base?

Ashanti: I don't think that I went through thinking there is not going to be room. I think it is really important, me as a person and me as an artist that you have to bring your own flavor to the table. Being that I write all my own records, that is my niche. I am never going to have a problem writing. I think that separates me from a lot of the females that are out. It is all about trying something different. Being that it has been four years it was really important to try something out of the box just to see. You have to keep the people interested and intrigued.

AP: A few blogs recently made fun of you, commenting on your weight. How do you deal with the criticism in this Internet/tabloid age?

Ashanti: Again, it is one of those things that is a double-edged sword. If there is something great and it is positive it is all good and with the click of a button, millions of people could know about it and chime in and give you your praises. On the other hand it could be something that is horrible and detrimental and someone could be exploiting you with a rumor or a lie or whatever they do with your picture. It comes with the territory. You have to take the good with the bad.

AP: Did Nelly help you with this album?

Ashanti: He definitely helped. He is a very passionate person when it comes to being in the studio. He likes to have fun, but he is so passionate about what he does and making things perfect and trying it. Just putting everything out there. Musically we come from very, very different places. I actually did learn a lot from him just about trying different things and being willing to do something different.

AP: Why did you decide to take total control of your record this time around?

Ashanti: I would say, if you are on a ship with people and someone picks you up and throws you out of the ship with people, you are either going to sink, or you are going to swim. I decided to swim. That sums up what happened.

AP: What is your relationship with Irv Gotti?

Ashanti: The situation is what it is. I am working on my project. Ja is working on his project. Lloyd is working on his project. I think it has been such a long time that everyone is working on their individuality. The trial took a toll on everyone personally and everyone's careers. This time around it is like focusing on the individual self, the projects and getting that music back out. No beef. I am really in a happier space right now. I have grown up so much and learned so much.

AP: Did you appreciate the break or were you yearning to be back on the music scene?

Ashanti: At times I looked at it like maybe this is a good thing. I got a chance to do "John Tucker Must Die." I got a chance to do "Resident Evil." At times I looked at it as I just want to get into the studio. I have this melody and idea and I think this would be hot. Again, you have to take the good with the bad. It is not like I decided to stop. Everything was yanked from me. When people say, "Did you appreciate it and you had your four-year break?" It wasn't really like that. It was more of (taken away). Now what?

AP: At a time when a lot of people are exploring and discovering their independence, you seem to be doing the opposite. Your mother is you manager. Is it difficult being 27 and having your mother always around?

Ashanti: My family, we are different. It is very close-knit. I can say things in front of my dad and my mom and I don't feel uncomfortable. There are certain things that I won't say. You have to live your life. I happen to have an amazing relationship with both of my parents so it is cool and I am comfortable. Do I tell them every single thing? No. - AP

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Sex Sells: Women give Carrie and Co. $55.7M debut

LOS ANGELES — Sarah Jessica Parker and her gal pals have not lost their sex appeal. The big-screen " Sex and the City " — reuniting Parker and TV co-stars Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon — strutted to a $55.7 million opening weekend, far exceeding Hollywood's box office expectations.

That was nearly twice the forecast by distributor Warner Bros., whose head of distribution, Dan Fellman, said he had hoped the movie might deliver a $30 million debut.

"Women power," Fellman said. "It was outstanding this weekend."

Analysts had figured Paramount's "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" might stay atop the box office heap, but it slipped to second place with $46 million in its second weekend. "Indiana Jones" raised its 11-day domestic total to $216.9 million.

"Sex and the City" put up numbers never before seen for a movie aimed mainly at women, who do not tend to rush out in huge numbers for opening weekends the way males do.

"Sex and the City," released under Warner's New Line Cinema banner, had the best debut ever for an R-rated comedy, topping the $45.1 million opening of "American Pie 2."

The movie landed at No. 5 on the all-time list among R-rated films, behind "The Matrix Reloaded" ($91.8 million), "The Passion of the Christ" ($83.8 million), "300" ($70.9 million) and "Hannibal" ($58 million).

"This is a blockbuster for women. This was to women what `Indiana Jones' and `Star Wars,' let's say, are to men," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracker Media By Numbers.

The movie picks up four years after the series finale, in which Parker's Carrie Bradshaw and her Manhattan buddies left behind their randy ways to settle into monogamous relationships. In the film, they deal with family and commitment issues while still flaunting their bawdy humor and trendy sense of style.

Hollywood skeptics had doubted the commercial prospects for a movie adaptation of "Sex and the City," which ended its six-year run in 2004. Originally airing on premium cable channel HBO, the show had a loyal but limited fan base and held little appeal for young males, the backbone of the box office.

However, "Sex and the City" mania grew as the movie's release approached, with many women organizing girls-night-out parties to see it with friends on opening day Friday.

"That's why Friday was quite a frenzy," Fellman said. "There were women that came in and bought out entire theaters in advance and invited all their friends."

Women made up 85 percent of the audience on Friday, Fellman said.

The movie pulled in $26.9 million on Friday. On Saturday, however, it took a steep drop with ticket sales dwindling to $17.7 million. Most big films take in more money on Saturday than Friday, so the decline was a sign that the audience for "Sex and the City" could dry up quickly.

Still, the film was on its way to becoming a $100 million hit that could spawn more sequels.

The weekend's other new wide release, Universal's fright flick "The Strangers," debuted solidly at No. 3 with $20.7 million. It stars Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman as a couple terrorized by masked invaders at their vacation home.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at US and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Sex and the City," $55.7 million.

2. "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," $46 million.

3. "The Strangers," $20.7 million.

4. "Iron Man," $14 million.

5. "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian," $13 million.

6. "What Happens in Vegas," $6.9 million.

7. "Baby Mama," $2.2 million.

8. "Speed Racer," $2.1 million.

9. "Made of Honor," $2 million.

10. "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," $1 million.

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