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New York, July 31 (IANS) Pop diva Madonna, who turned guest writer for Israel’s Yediot Ahronot newspaper, has in her article revealed her spiritual awakening upon discovering Jewish mysticism called Kabbalah.

Bearing the “Music” hitmaker’s byline, the story describes her awakening after which, she says “all the puzzle pieces started falling into place”, reports The New York Times.

The singer is bringing her ‘Sticky & Sweet’ tour to Israel in September, which explains the timing of her journalism debut there. But she also has ties to Israel and Judaism through her involvement with the Los Angeles-based Kabbalah Center, whose new-age version of Judaism’s ancient mystic tradition has become popular among members of Hollywood’s A-listers.

The 50-year-old pop icon has taken the Hebrew name Esther. She came to Israel on private pilgrimages in 2004 and 2007 along with other Kabbalah devotees.

In the article, Madonna, who was raised Roman Catholic, describes hearing about Kabbalah for the first time at a dinner party in Los Angeles while pregnant with her daughter Lourdes, who is now 12.

She wrote: “Still felt like something was missing in my life” and so she went to her first class, taught by a teacher named Eitan, after years of practicing Yoga and reading about Buddhism, Taoism and early Christianity.

“I heard what he had to say and I knew at this moment my life would never be the same,” she wrote in the article, which the paper published both in Hebrew and in the original (apparently unedited) English.

“Life no longer seemed like a series of Random events… I also began to see that being rich and famous wasn’t going to bring me lasting fulfilment and that it was not the end of the journey,” she wrote.

London, July 31 (IANS) Spanish actress Penelope Cruz was left shame-faced as she walked down a red carpet in a scarlet suit and blamed losing her luggage on a flight to London for the fashion faux pas.

The “Volver” beauty jetted in to the British capital from Madrid to attend a glamorous event at the city’s Somerset House with her “Broken Embraces” director, Pedro Almodovar and instead of donning a full-length gown for the glitzy bash, Cruz was forced to pull on a red suit she kept in her hand luggage – after the airline she was travelling with misplaced her bags, reports contactmusic.com.

But she wasn’t fazed by blending in with the garish red carpet, and seemed more concerned with the unpredictable English weather.

She told reporters at the event: “I looked up at the sky and said, ‘Don’t you rain on me – I’m Penelope Cruz!’”

However, filmmaker Almodovar was sure a conspiracy was at work – he is convinced an avid fan is behind Cruz’s missing possessions.

“‘I think it’s a plot. I think someone take it (sic). They bring it with him or her to home (sic). I think it was stolen for a fetishist,” he said.

London, July 31 (ANI): Penelope Cruz does not quite like British weather.

Dressed in a red trouser suit and heels for the UK premiere of her latest film Broken Embraces, she said that the English climate didn’t suit her.

‘I love London… but I have difficulties with the rainy weather,’ the Telegraph quoted her as saying.

However, the weather remained fine despite earlier showers.

Broken Embraces is the fourth collaboration between Cruz and director Pedro Almodovar.

And the ‘Woman on Top’ star can’t choose her best movie among it.

She said: ‘That’s hard, it’s like choosing one of your kids.’

The plot revolves around a filmmaker who goes blind after an accident and struggles to re-engage with life. (ANI)

London, July 31 (ANI): Pop star Amy Winehouse’s intimate wedding album was found lying in tatters just days after her quickie divorce with Blake-Civil Fielder was finalised.

The grubby, stained album, packed with loved-up and never-seen-before shots, has been discovered by Dermot O’Regan in Kilburn, north London.

Some pages of the silk album were torn with gaping holes where the pair have shared out their favourite snaps.

O’Regan found the lying beside a smashed up guitar, a pile of records, a broken TV and dozens of used needles, syringes and drug paraphernalia.

There are 27 pictures in the album showing the couple on their hotel balcony overlooking the turquoise sea and around the hotel grounds.

In some shots they are kissing and look madly in love. In others she is straightening his tie and stroking his chest.

“I couldn’t believe it when I pulled the book out. It was a dodgy area and we had got used to finding horrible stuff, but this looked more interesting,” the Daily Star quoted Dermot, 49, as saying.

“I felt quite sad that it could just be dumped like that. I would like to see Amy get it back. Whatever went on between them, it is your wedding album and you should always keep something like that.

“I tried contacting her management but no-one has bothered to call me back,” he added. (ANI)

London, July 31 (ANI): Hollywood actor Mel Gibson will not be charged for battery after police found no evidence that he attacked a paparazzi photographer at a Los Angeles nightclub.

According to TMZ.com, police are not expected to interview Gibson, reports the Daily Express.

The ‘Die Hard’ star, who’s set to become a father for the eighth time, made a rare public appearance with pregnant girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva at the launch of Playhouse on July 29.

The Hollyscoop reported that the couple looked happy and relaxed. However, things turned sour after magazine reporter, posing as a fan, took pictures of them.

Gibson’s security guards were said to have confiscated the camera and deleted the photos, prompting the relentless journalist to send a male friend to get another shot.

The unidentified man filed a report against the actor, alleging Gibson flew into a rage and attacked the clubgoer before storming out, tearing the man’s shirt.

However, police have found no evidence of battery in the case after witnesses protested Gibson was not in close enough proximity to grab the alleged victim.

His security team had wedged him in a booth after several attempts were made to get close to the actor. (ANI)

Washington, July 31 (ANI): If sources are to be believed, Kanye West’s attachment to Kim Kardashian is the reason behind her split with Reggie Bush.

The American Football player reportedly read the rapper’s messages to his socialite lover which were apparently more than just friendly.

“Reggie saw text messages on Kim’s phone from Kanye West and flipped out on her,” Fox News quoted a source as saying.

The insider said: “The texts referenced a night they hung out, how much fun he had, how hot Kim was, and more racy things that got Reggie’s imagination running.”

The New Orleans Saints’ star player questioned the reality star about it leading to a huge blow-up and consequently jealousy issues, which eventually killed their love.

The source added: “They realized there were trust issues on both sides, and couldn’t go forward.”

However, both West and Kardashian’s reps maintained silence over the information.

Earlier, the reason behind the break up was speculated to be that they couldn’t meet each other too often as Kim’s increasing fame and their separate job commitments kept them apart most of the time. (ANI)

Los Angeles, July 31 (DPA) Movie star and director Mel Gibson has been cleared by police of claims that he assaulted a man who tried to take a picture of him in a nightclub.

The photographer, named as Karlis Gajevskis, posed as a fan and tried to snap a picture of the newly-divorced Gibson and his girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva at the opening of the Playhouse nightclub.

Security personnel repeatedly distanced him from the couple but the photographer filed an assault charge with police claiming that Gibson ripped his shirt.

Police quickly concluded however that he was making the story up, telling celebrity website TMZ.com that witnesses had seen him leaving the venue with his shirt intact.

London, July 30 (IANS) Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio is having so much fun filming new movie “Inception” here that he is seeking British filmmaker Guy Ritchie’s advice to buy a home in England, according to reports.

The “Titanic” star turned to Ritchie for property advice after deciding to purchase a country mansion in Britain and was spotted asking the latter about moving abroad during a night out at the director’s London pub The Punchbowl, reports imdb.com.

“I love England. I’ve got so many friends here and I’m fed up of going between hotels all the time while I’m filming,” an onlooker quoted DiCaprio as saying.

The onlooker said he overheard the actor sharing his newfound fascination for the city to Ritchie.

The 34-year-old, who split from supermodel girlfriend Bar Refaeli this summer, showed an interest in the country’s women as well, allegedly asking the “Snatch” director: “Can you find me a British lady too?”

Washington, July 30 (ANI): Amy Winehouse’s father Mitch has revealed that the singer wanted to have a baby with ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil but was shattered when could not conceive.

He said that her daughter’s poor health stopped her from having a baby.

‘She was desperate to have children with Blake and she told me they were trying but they couldn’t. Thank God!’ Contactmusic quoted him as saying.

He also added that the troubled singer had quit drugs on her eight-month Caribbean break and conquered her bulimia, and also regained health which could help her conceive now.

Mitch said: ‘Now her body is in full working order again she’d love to be a mum.’ (ANI)

London, July 30 (ANI): Megan Fox has reportedly struck a deal with her alleged boyfriend Brian Austin Green resulting in the couple having an ‘open relationship’.

The Transformers actress, who has purportedly been with the former Beverly Hills, 90210 star since 2004, was said to have bagged the better side of the agreement.

‘They’ve agreed to an open relationship where Megan can see other men but Brian can’t date anyone else,’ The Sun quoted a source as telling the New York Daily News.

It was further alleged that the beauty has ‘six months’ to decide if she wants to tie the knot with her “lover”. (ANI)

Washington, July 30 (ANI): Madonna’s publicist has slammed recent “muscly” pictures of the Queen of Pop, insisting the photographs appear to be digitally edited.

The ‘Material Girl’ hitmaker was said to have sparked health fears after she was snapped in an unflattering light that showed veins running along her sinewy muscular arms.

But a spokesperson for the superstar said the snaps were far from the real picture, saying the star ‘does not look like that in real life.’

‘Madonna’s arms in the most recent photos have absolutely been altered by Photoshop or some other means,” Contactmusic quoted the rep as telling GossipCop.com.

Madonna’s personal trainer, Tracy Anderson, also slammed the photos, insisting the musician was perfectly healthy.

She added” ‘She’s strong, healthy, and gorgeous. She looks like she’s 18.’ (ANI)

Washington, July 30 (ANI): Brad Pitt has revealed that he ends partying at 6 in the evening because of his daddy status.

‘I’m a dad now – my partying ends at 6 p.m.,’ People magazine quoted him as telling the Daily Mail.

The ‘Troy’ star added that stardom does not necessarily mean an easy life.

He said: ‘It’s so tough being an actor. Sometimes they bring you coffee, and sometimes it’s cold, and sometimes you don’t have a chair to sit on.’

Pitt, who was in Berlin- where his new Quentin Taratino directed movie was filmed, said that he loved the place.

He told a reporter from Bunte magazine: ‘It’s always great to be here and I have a lot of friends here’. (ANI)

Melbourne, July 30 (ANI): Paris Hilton has said that she was humiliated and embarrassed after her sex tape became public.

Therefore, she has warned girls against any x-rated footage.

‘I want young girls to never put themselves in that situation I was in. Don’t ever let someone talk you into doing something you don’t want to do,’ the Herald Sun quoted her as telling in a documentary about her rise to fame.

The socialite’s explicit video with ex-boyfriend Rick Salomon surfaced in 2003 which was later released as a DVD entitled One Night In Paris.

She said: ‘I was humiliated, embarrassed and in shock that it happened. It wasn’t my fault, it was something that someone did to me, so I’ve just learned to be a strong woman and nothing can hurt me at this point.

The hotel heiress revealed that after the incident, she was left heartbroken.

She added: ‘It was definitely very painful. When you trust someone and love someone – for them to do that to you, it’s really hard. It’s something that bothers me everyday.’

However, she receives a percentage of profits from the sale of her sex-video.

Now, the stunner apparently wants to clear up misconceptions about her party-girl lifestyle through the new documentary Paris, Not France.

She explained: ‘I think there are a lot of people that have misconceptions about me. They assume I’m just a party girl and they don’t realise there’s a business behind it. I’ve created this over the past 10 years.

‘I think when people haven’t met me they might think that I’m spoiled, that I’m a brat, that I haven’t worked for what I have. I’ve worked very hard for what I’ve achieved. None of this was given to me. I’ve done it all by myself.’

London, July 30 (ANI): Actress Jennifer Love Hewitt is ready to scare her fans – she is set to publish her own graphic horror comic book series.

She has signed up a deal with IDW Publishing to publish her work ‘The Music Box’.

“The chance to create my very own comic, and a horror/thriller at that, is like a very fun nightmare come true,” the Daily Express quoted her as saying.

She added: “I’ve always been fascinated by the notion that an inanimate object can hold as much malevolent energy as a human being can.

“And when the two meet, or are at cross purposes, very bad things can happen. I’m so proud of The Music Box and can’t wait for people to read it… with the lights on, of course!?”

It is scheduled to hit stores this November. (ANI)

London, July 30 (ANI): The editors of America’s biggest male websites seem to believe that they have given fans an overdose of Megan Fox this summer, so they’ve decided to boycott news related to her for a day.

Section of the media has vowed to disengage her from the limelight and not cover any news related to her nor publish her pictures on one particular day.

‘We’re joining in the media blackout and giving our readers a one-day reprieve from the woman we’ve been drowning in all summer,’ the Daily Express quoted James Bassil, AskMen.com editor, as saying.

The ‘Transformers’ star has made a lot of news in the past year and has been regularly voted as the sexiest women in the world.

Now, websites serving men fantasies are planning to replace Fox with some other hottie as the pin-up girl.

Eric Rogell at TheBachelorGuy.com said: ‘It’s time to give another young actress a shot at the attention. We’re taking a one-day break from covering Megan’s latest nail polish colour and instead promoting another Next Big Thing.’

The Megan Fox ‘media blackout’ will take place on 4 August. (ANI)

New York, July 30 (IANS) Saying that internet is the future of entertainment, popular Bollywood singer Sonu Nigam has entered into a partnership with media and software company Cinsay to bring the star closer to his fans and consumers in the United States.

“The Internet is clearly the future of entertainment, and I am very excited to be collaborating and working with such a progressive team as Cinsay,” said Sonu Nigam announcing the partnership in New York City Tuesday.

“In addition to creating original content which will help my fans see me in different situations than they are used to, Cinsay and I are working together to create a line of apparel and merchandise which reflects my passion for performing. I hope fans around the world will enjoy these new designs.”

In conjunction with Sonu Nigam’s latest US concert tour Explosion 2009, the content-to-commerce partnership enables Cinsay to bring access to exclusive performance, rehearsal and behind-the-scenes video footage, music videos and branded consumer products, including new clothing and merchandise line, to fans in the US and elsewhere.

The concert tour takes him to Washington, DC, Atlantic City, Los Angeles, Houston, Oakland, Denver and Orlando. The footage and the merchandise line will be available at www.cinsay.com/sonu.

The collaboration was facilitated by Music is Nirvana, a leading content aggregator of South Asian music and movies in the US.

As part of its joint venture with Cinsay, Music Is Nirvana will bring on board more South Asian talent to create music portals and merchandising opportunities.

“The time has come for a huge explosion of Bollywood entertainment and merchandise to hit the US, thanks to the success of films like ‘Slumdog Millionaire,’ and stars like Sonu already have tremendous fan bases throughout the world,” Matthew Papish, president and chief executive Officer of Cinsay

“We are pleased to be working with Sonu to help bring his talent and passion to existing fans, as well as an entirely new audience through Cinsay’s hugly popular enterprise software platform “content-to-commerce” and vast digital network,” he said.

“We are very committed to promoting South Asian talent on various platforms across America. With our partnership with Cinsay, we are very excited to promote Sonu’s merchandise and content and plan to sign on more leading artists,” said Nick Rajsakha, CEO of Music Is Nivana,

New York, July 30 (ANI): Model Bar Refaeli has fuelled rumours she isn’t dating actor Leonardo DiCaprio anymore.

The Israeli beauty is believed to have been recently spotted in St. Tropez with Brazilian playboy Ricardo Mansur, a polo-playing nightclub owner, reports the New York Post.

According to Brazilian Web site Glamurama, ‘On Saturday, they were all over each other at Hotel Byblos at the swimming pool bar, and then in a club later that night.’

Mansur has previously dated Gisele Bundchen, Isabeli Fontana, and Leticia Birkheuer. (ANI)

London, July 29 (IANS) Pop diva Madonna has turned reporter for Israel’s biggest-selling newspaper Yediot Ahronot.

The superstar, an avid follower of the Kabbalah faith, has joined the editorial team of the Israeli publication for a one-off special piece on her religious beliefs, reports contactmusic.com.

The “Music” hitmaker’s byline appeared on the front page of the newspaper Wednesday, along with an excerpt from her article, “How My Life Changed”, which is due to be published in full Friday.

The piece was translated from English to Hebrew, and explains the star’s religious experience and how she became more spiritually aware 14 years ago.

London, July 29 (IANS) Veteran actress Meryl Streep has not forgiven late director Sydney Pollack for unleashing a lion on her while shooting the Oscar-winner “Out of Africa” though the filmmaker had denied doing so.

Streep was assured the beast would be tethered while she fought it off with a whip, during one of the 1985 movie’s most infamous scenes but decades later the actress admits she’s still stunned for her life was put in jeopardy, after Pollack devised a dangerous way to get the shot he wanted, reports contactmusic.com.

“It was the last day of shooting. They imported all the lions from California; they were kind of (lazy). They weren’t charging me in the right way… this lion was sitting there (yawning) and she had a leash on. She was supposed to charge me with the camera covering her side with her leash. And she just wouldn’t do it,” Streep recalled.

“So the last take, Sydney told them to take the leash off because it was a wrap the next day – so if they got the shot, they got the shot. No (they didn’t tell me). So I whipped and she kept coming at me. Sydney says that didn’t happen, but it did happen,” she said.

Washington, July 29 (ANI): Pop queen Madonna has sparked rumours of reunion with ex-hubby Guy Ritchie after writing a song about him.

The Material Girl has called Ritchie her ‘eternal love’.

The singer – who divorced the British film director earlier this year after almost eight years of marriage – is said to have written a track about a couple who loved, fought and loved again.

She has even ordered Guy a special personalised rifle for his birthday in September.

‘The whole relationship now is just unbelievable. Not long ago, people wouldn’t even dare bring up his name because it was so bad. When they did talk, all they did was scream abuse at each other down the phone,” Contactmusic quoted a source as telling Britain’s Grazia magazine.

‘Madonna has met few people in her life she truly respects and one of them is Guy. Forgetting everything else, she admires his intellect and cares about what he thinks.

‘No one ever expected they could go from lovers to enemies and then back to incredibly close friends,’ the source added.

Friends of the ‘Sherlock Holmes’ filmmaker have also claimed he still refers to Madonna as if they are married.

One source said: ‘He’ll often say, ‘My wife is in great shape.’ ‘

The couple is believed to have agreed to resolve their differences after Madonna’s 12-year-old daughter Lourdes from a previous relationship told her mother she wanted the pair to get along. (ANI)