Judge delays Madonna's adoption hearing
A judge at Malawi's High Court has postponed Madonna's adoption hearing until next week (begs19May08).
The pop superstar and her director husband Guy Ritchie's adoption of two-year-old David Banda was expected to be finalized on Thursday (15May08).
But the judge overseeing the case has cancelled Thursday's court date in order to allow him more time to liaise with adoption officials.
Madonna's lawyer, Alan Chinula, says, "We are finished with the proceedings today from our side, and the judge has decided to reserve his ruling on the case until next week because he has to review the recommendations from the Malawi Human Rights Commission on the adoption laws of Malawi."
A new date for the court hearing - which Madonna and Ritchie are not required to attend - is due to be announced in the next few days.
The judge's final ruling will end a 20-month long saga, since Madonna brought Banda back to the U.K. from a Malawian orphanage in October 2006, when he was just 13 months old.
Penn: 'I will not favor Eastwood'
Actor Sean Penn has refuted reports he will be biased towards friend Clint Eastwood's film entry for the Palme D'Or award at this year's (08) Cannes International Film Festival.
The Hollywood star is the 2008 jury president, and has come under fire from internet bloggers who believe he will use his powerful position to ensure Eastwood's film Changeling will come out on top.
Actor-turned-director Eastwood is competing for the prestigious Palme D'Or award at this month's (14-25May08) festival for the 1920s thriller - which stars Angelina Jolie, Amy Ryan and John Malkovich.
Rumors of Penn's alleged favoritism towards Eastwood stem from their time spent filming 2003's Mystic River - which won Penn an Academy Award for Best Actor in 2004.
But Penn has angrily refuted the accusations, insisting the winning film will stand triumphant on its own merits - and not because the director has pals on the judging panel.
He says, "It is an emotional impossibility for people on this jury to favor films by friends of ours. But we will not be biased against, either.
"If Clint Eastwood has done a film worth awarding, we're going to award it. It is not going to serve anyone to be a friend, or not to be a friend, or any member of the jury."
Penn adds, "This won't be a competition. Between us we will come to a consensus that some films that deserve it will get a leg-up and be shared with a wider audience."
The Palme D'Or judging panel will be headed up by Sean Penn, Natalie Portman and former Harry Potter director Alfonso Cuaron.
Quaid campaigns for patients' rights
Actor Dennis Quaid is calling on the U.S. government to preserve patients' rights to sue drugmakers for injuries.
The actor's twin babies had to fight for their lives last year (Nov07) when they were mistakenly given a near-fatal overdose of blood thinner Heparin, and Quaid insists the mishap could have been avoided if there was a better system of marking medicines.
California regulators fined hospital bosses $25,000 after concluding the failure of staff at Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Center to follow their own procedures resulted in incorrect doses of the drug being administered to Quaid's infants and other children.
Quaid and his wife Kimberly Buffington have sued Baxter International Inc, the maker of the blood-thinning drug given to his twins
On Wednesday (14May08), Quaid said victims of harm from medicines should be able to seek damages from manufacturers in state courts.
He says, "I believe if preemption of lawsuits is allowed to prevail, it will basically make all of us, the public, uninformed and uncompensated lab rats."
Dunst axed as Miu Miu spokesmodel
Hollywood actress Kirsten Dunst has been axed by fashion house Miu Miu, according to reports.
The Spider-Man star followed in the footsteps of Selma Blair, Kim Basinger, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Lindsay Lohan when she was unveiled as the spokesmodel for the company in November (07).
But the company has reportedly parted ways with Dunst - and has replaced her with Johnny Depp's girlfriend, Vanessa Paradis.
According to celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, the autumn (08) campaign featuring Paradis will be shot by famous fashion photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Pioggott later this year (08).
A Miu Miu spokeswoman declined to comment.
Jolie + Pitt welcome new babies home with 'sibling party'
Angelina Jolie plans to host a "sibling party" for her four kids when she brings home her unborn twins - so everyone can celebrate the new arrivals.
The actress, who confirmed she's pregnant with twins during a TV interview at the Cannes Film Festival in France on Wednesday (14May08), insists the party idea is a great way of making older brothers and sisters feel good about babies.
She says, "It's like, 'Congratulations, your big brother, cake.' It's a big deal.
"I think it's just mainly so their life doesn't feel like the new baby's made their life feel smaller."
Parker blames male co-star for movie delay
Sarah Jessica Parker has hinted her male Sex And The City: The Movie co-stars were paid more than the film's female actresses.
The 43-year-old reportedly fell out with co-star Kim Cattrall over fees for starring in the big screen adaptation of the hit TV series.
But Parker insists the blame for the movie's delay lies with her male colleagues.
She tells British gossip magazine Closer, "Let this go down in the history books that the men's contracts were far more complicated than the women's contracts. Just so you know.
"I've said enough already."
Reynolds told pals of engagement by text
Actor Ryan Reynolds told pals of his engagement to Scarlett Johansson by sending a text message.
Reynolds' Definitely, Maybe co-star Elizabeth Banks says the couple wanted to send a message, rather than call their pals.
She tells Usmagazine.com, "I texted him to say, 'Are you really engaged or is this a joke?' And he said, 'Yes, we're really engaged!'"
Johansson and Reynolds have been dating since February 2007, shortly after Blade: Trinity star Reynolds broke off his engagement to singer Alanis Morissette.
They announced their engagement earlier this month (05May08).
Ford's mountain rescue role
Indiana Jones star Harrison Ford is transferring his on-screen adventuring skills to real life - he is a voluntary mountain rescue worker in his spare time.
The legendary actor uses his talents as a qualified pilot to rescue lost and injured hikers in the mountains of Wyoming.
But Ford admits he is getting sick of his heroic part-time job - because the rescued hikers always appear on TV to boast about their unexpected celebrity meeting.
He explains, "I've got really tired of picking them up and having them show up on television the following day. The next time I think they're going to do that, I'll maybe push them back out."
Tabloid reports - Foster + partner split
Actress Jodie Foster has split from her longterm partner Cydney Bernard, according to tabloid reports.
The news comes just five months after the intensely private star paid tribute to her alleged partner of 14 years at an award ceremony.
The 45-year-old, who had never before acknowledged Bernard in public, gushed about her during an acceptance speech at a Los Angeles film gala in December (08).
Foster called her friend, "My beautiful Cydney, who sticks with me through with me through the rotten and the bliss."
An insider tells the National Enquirer, "Jodie breaking up with Cydney is shocking. Right now it's the best kept secret in Hollywood, and it's not just because Jodie is legend and an intensely private person, either.
"She and Cydney have been together for so many years and have two children together, the potential fallout and legal wrangling from this split could be monumental."
Foster's publicist was unavailable for comment as WENN went to press.
Carey wants kids soon
Mariah Carey is desperate to start a family with her new husband Nick Cannon before she is too old, according to reports.
The pair married in secret in the Bahamas on 30 April (08) just a month after hooking up on the set of a video, and the 38-yearold pop superstar has made no secret of the fact she wants to start a family.
But friends insist the couple has already started trying for kids.
One source tells the National Enquirer, "Mariah says her biological clock is ticking and she wants a baby immediately."
But insiders tell the Enquirer, Cannon, 27, is not so keen: "Nick tries waving off Mariah's baby fixation as only natural, but he's in a sweat. He expected them to start a family, just not in such a hurry."
Speaking on comedienne Ellen DeGeneres U.S. chat show on Tuesday (13May08), Carey admitted she was ready for kids: "I said, `If I found the right person who I felt would be on the same page as me in terms of raising kids and having the same belief system.'"
And now she appears to have found "the right person" she wants to make sure she can give a child everything he or she needs.
She added, "I've always had a weird thing about it (having kids) because my parents divorced when I was three and I didn't really have many examples of what was the norm."
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