Headlines

Twilight cast bids farewell at final premiere

3:20 AM |


Thousands of screaming fans lined the black carpet late on Monday for the final "Twilight" film premiere as the cast of "Breaking Dawn - Part 2" bid farewell to the franchise and its loyal followers.

Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner and other cast members greeted fans known as "Twi-hards," many of whom had camped out for days in downtown Los Angeles to catch a glimpse of their favorite actors and see the film before it is released in theaters on Friday.

Breaking Dawn - Part 2 will see the love story of human Bella Swan (Stewart), vampire Edward Cullen (Pattinson) and werewolf Jacob Black (Lautner) come to a tantalizing end, when Bella and Edward are forced to protect their child from an ancient vampire coven.

Stewart, who was finally able to embrace her wild side by playing Bella as a vampire, hoped people would enjoy the ultimate transformation of her character in the film.

"Bella has worked pretty hard to get to the point where they can have it all, and it's fun to be there. She's always been human, but now that she's not, you're just in full blown vampire land and it feels funny in a great way," Stewart told Reuters.

More than 2,200 fans from all over the world came to camp out on a concrete plaza in downtown Los Angeles last week, where Twilight movie studio Summit laid out activities and marathon screenings of the previous movies.

All of the film's main actors spent time signing autographs and posing for photographs with the loyal fans who had camped out in chilly November weather over five days.

Pattinson, who plays vampire Edward Cullen, said he hoped the fans would like the franchise's swan song.

"I hope they feel it kind of respects them, because I think in a lot of ways that's what we were thinking when we were making it," the actor said.

Lautner, who plays werewolf Jacob, said he'd be sad to say goodbye to the films and his character and hoped fans would be happy with the conclusion of the final film.

"I'm feeling fantastic, sad, emotional, there's a lot of things going on inside of me right now but I'm just trying to soak up every moment because this means the world to me," Lautner said.

The three lead stars were joined by fellow cast members including Nikki Reed, Ashley Greene, Kellan Lutz, Jackson Rathbone, Michael Sheen and Dakota Fanning, as well as director Bill Condon and author Stephenie Meyer, whose Twilight novels kicked off the franchise and phenomenon.

Meyer said she would miss watching the three lead cast members evolve as actors and characters in the films.

"It's really been great to watch them grow up, particularly Kristen because her character gets to evolve so much in this film, and to watch her be all powerful and really get to where the character was always meant to go, to be the fiercest of the fierce, was really rewarding for me," the author said.

(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy, editing by Paul Casciato)
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Golconda diamond fetches $21.5 mln

2:49 AM |

A huge, internally flawless diamond from India's fabled Golconda mines was sold at auction in Geneva on Tuesday night for a record 20.355 million Swiss francs, Christie's said.

The rare, colourless stone weighing 76.02 carats, and roughly the size of a large strawberry, once belonged to Archduke Joseph August of Austria (1872-1962), a prince of the Hungarian line of the Habsburgs.

Its pre-sale estimate was 15-to-25 million Swiss francs and it fetched more than double the price paid for it at auction almost two decades ago.

"It is a world record for a Golconda diamond and a world record price per carat for a colourless diamond," Francois Curiel, director of the international jewellery department at Christie's, told reporters.

The previous record was held by the "Beau Sancy", a pear-shaped diamond of 34.98 carats, sold by rival Sotheby's for 9 million Swiss francs last May.

"The market is not on the best form at the moment. The sale tonight was almost flabbergasting," Curiel said.

He added that the buyer, who bid by telephone, wished to remain anonymous, but said the last bidder to drop out of the sale was Fred Mouawad, an international dealer with offices in Dubai, the Middle East and Geneva.

The seller was Black, Starr & Frost, an American jeweller founded in 1810 and based in California.

"My understanding is that this stone is going to a museum and it will probably be the centrepiece," Black, Starr & Frost's chairman Alfredo Molina told Reuters in the Geneva saleroom.

Diamonds and gemstones are a safe refuge for investors in difficult economic times, he said. "There is a crisis and people don't trust governments and banks. Paper money is a depreciating asset," he added.

The diamond was the star lot at Christie's semi-annual jewellery sale in Geneva, which fetched 76.6 million francs, with 290 of 348 lots sold. HEATED BIDDING

Nineteen lots went for more than $1 million each, the auction house said in a statement. They included a brooch with a Ceylon sapphire weighing 60.44 carats, surrounded by diamonds, that went for 1.7 million francs, more than three times its estimate.

The bidding for the Archduke Joseph diamond opened at 8 million Swiss francs but the price swiftly rose amid heated telephone bidding.

Historical diamonds originating in the Golconda mines, virtually exhausted by the 18th century, include the Koh-i-Noor, now in the British crown jewels, and the blue Hope Diamond, part of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.

"The Archduke Joseph Diamond is the finest and largest perfect Golconda diamond ever to appear at auction. It is comparable in its noble lineage and superb quality to the legendary Koh-i-Noor," Rahul Kadakia, head of Christie's jewellery for the Americas and Switzerland, said in a statement.

In 1933, records show the Archduke deposited the stone in the vault of the Hungarian General Credit Bank.

"Three years later it was sold to a European banker, and kept in France, locked away in a safe deposit box, where fortunately it remained undiscovered during World War Two," the auction house said.

Decades later it surfaced at auction in 1961 and again at Christie's in November 1993, netting 9.7 million Swiss francs, equivalent to $6.5 million at the time, the auction house said.

The stone was subsequently "slightly recut". Christie's is privately held by French billionaire Francois Pinault.

(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Michael Roddy)
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Michael Jackson's Assistant Sues AEG

2:40 AM |

Michael Jackson's personal assistant Michael Amir Williams has filed a class action lawsuit against concert promoting company AEG, ET has learned.

In court documents obtained by ET, Williams alleges that he and the crew hired for the This is It tour lost out on wages after Jackson's death.

As Dr. Conrad Murray (who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's case) was reportedly hired and supervised by AEG, the papers go on to ask for unspecified damages from the company.

According to the filings, the plaintiff claims that AEG agreed to pay the crew "up to $7.5 million" for the tour prior to Jackson's passing.

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Selena Gomez is moving on after splitting with Justin Bieber

2:17 AM |

Newly single Selena Gomez is getting on with her life after splitting with superstar Justin Bieber, her boyfriend of nearly two years -- and if her ear-to-ear grin is any indication, she's doing just fine, thank you very much.

On Monday, Nov. 12, the 20-year-old "Love You Like a Love Song" singer walked the red carpet at Glamour's 22nd Annual Women of the Year Awards in New York City, where a source tells Us Weekly she looked "radiant and very happy."

Wearing a white, knee-length Giambattista Valli frock with a deep V-neck and a peplum waist, the Wizards of Waverly Place actress playfully vamped for the cameras.

"She was smiling and laughing between photos and really having a good time posing for the photographers," the witness says of the star, adding that she seemed "bubbly and upbeat" giving interviews. "She looked genuinely happy...not like she was sad or bummed out at all."

Indeed, the December cover girl could barely contain her excitement as she accepted her Woman of the Year award from the magazine.

"I am so honored to be in a room full of women that I can only aspire to be as good as they are one day," she gushed of her fellow attendees, among whom were Chelsea Clinton, Chelsea Handler, Lena Dunham, gymnast Gabby Douglas, and screen legend Lauren Hutton. "I feel so lucky that every day I get to work with interesting people that are way smarter than me, that have taught me so much

"I just want to share with all the girls out there -- you have a voice, you have a chance," she continued. "Just do what you love, whether it's acting or singing and just being true to who you are. The person who has taught me that is my mom. She's so strong and beautiful and has taught me everything."

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Christina Aguilera Advice for Usher and Shakira

1:52 AM |

Get set to dance and cry when Christina Aguilera drops Lotus on November 13.

When it came time to craft new material, the Voice coach, had plenty of experience to draw from, she tells Us Weekly. "I was inspired by all I've been through," the once-divorced single mom, 31, reveals.

Besides sweltering dance grooves and "beautiful ballads," make note of an ultra-funky duet with her Voice costar Cee Lo Green, 37: "The song is pure Cee Lo style!" Aguilera tells Us.

Q: Why title the disc Lotus?

A: It's an unbreakable flower that, even through the harshest weather conditions, remains strong and beautiful. I've been doing this since I was 4!

Q: Besides your tune with Cee Lo, are there any other standout tracks?

A: There are a few that I know people are going to really connect to. Many of my past albums had clear-cut themes and styles, but with this album, I really just put songs on the record that felt good. I can't wait for my fans to hear them!

Q: You're skipping The Voice next season. Any tips for new coaches Usher and Shakira?

A: The blind audition process can be nerve-wracking. But I know they'll have a blast!


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Sexy Madonna Bares Butt to Raise Money for Hurricane Sandy Relief

1:42 AM |

Madonna on stage
Performing at Madison Square Garden on Monday, Nov. 12, the "Give Me All Your Luvin'" singer asked fans to give her something else -- cold hard cash.

But the money wasn't for her. It was for the victims of Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey and New York, where the Material Girl had spent some time earlier in the week.

"I went down to Rockaway Beach yesterday with my children, and we saw what was going on there, we saw the destruction," the 54-year-old mother of four said. "It was really sad, but we also saw amazing acts of humanity. People sharing with other people, people working hard, cleaning houses, handing out food, blankets, giving love."

The superstar then announced that she'd be helping in her own way -- by stripping. Taking off her top to reveal the words "No Fear" written on her back, she encouraged the audience to throw money at the stage as she performed a slowed-down version of "Like a Virgin."

"If you are going to look at the crack of my a--, you better raise some cash!" she yelled at her adoring fans, who responded by showering her with bills.

Of course, Madge isn't the only star putting her talents to charitable use. Other celebs are getting in on the Sandy action, too.

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Finally Out: Watch D'banj New Video - Bachelor

1:41 PM |
That Koko Master loves to spring up surprises is well known to his followers and fans, in fact, his has become a master of that game.

Keeping the anticipation level for his fourth album ‘Mr Endowed‘ on the high, G.O.O.D Music artiste D’banj has concluded the video shoot for his new single ‘Bachelor‘.

The video was shot in Atlanta, US and directed by usual suspect Sesan Ogunro. Ogunro is credited for shooting D’banj’s ‘Oliver twist‘ video and 90% of the defunct Mo’Hits visuals.


Watch D’banj and director Sesan Ogunro talk about The Entertainer’s new music video titled ‘Bachelor‘.

Shot in Atlanta, US, NET gathered the video will tell a story of D’banj’s ‘girlfriend’ storming out of his house for no particular reason but instead of him feeling downcast, he calls a truck load of girls to come party with him…sounds interesting!
Watch the making and other highlights of the video shoot below…


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