Headlines

William and Kate off on honeymoon...at last

10:08 AM |
Britain’s Prince William and his new wife Kate have set off for a delayed honeymoon following their wedding last month, St James’s Palace said on Tuesday.

The couple flew out on Monday, a royal source said, but no details were given of their destination, other than that it was outside Britain.

“They have left for their honeymoon and the couple have asked for their privacy to be respected,” a spokesman for William said.

Press speculation about where the newlyweds would go has been rife, with Kenya and the Caribbean seen as possible destinations. The Daily Mirror said on Tuesday the couple had arrived in the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean.

Their wedding on April 29 attracted about a million well-wishers onto the streets of London and a global TV audience estimated by media to be as high as 2.4 billion.

The couple, now officially known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, caused a surprise the day after their marriage when they said they were not leaving immediately on honeymoon.

Instead, William returned to work as a Royal Air Force search-and-rescue helicopter pilot and Kate was spotted pushing a shopping trolley in a supermarket car park near their home in Anglesey, Wales.
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Whitney Houston back in drug rehab

10:06 AM |
Singer Whitney Houston is undergoing treatment again for drug and alcohol addiction, her spokeswoman said on Monday.

The multiple Grammy Award-winning diva has enrolled in an outpatient program rather than a residential facility.

“Whitney Houston is currently in an outpatient rehab program for drug and alcohol treatment. Whitney voluntarily entered the program to support her long-standing recovery process,” publicist Jill Fritzo said.
Houston, 47, one of the top-selling female artists of all time with hits like “I Will Always Love You”, launched a comeback in late 2009 after battling drug addiction for years. But her performances on some legs of her 2010 concert tour proved troubling. In the opening leg of her British tour a year ago, she appeared short of breath. In Paris she was hospitalised with a respiratory infection and postponed several dates. And in Australia she was panned by fans and critics.

In April 2010, she called media reports that she was using drugs again “ridiculous.” Celebrity website TMZ.com said on Monday that Houston enrolled in the rehab program about 10 days ago, and is allowed to go out in public as long as she has a monitor.

TMZ cited an unidentified source as saying Houston was cleansing her system to get ready for a new movie. Details were not available.
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Davido features Naeto C in new video

9:59 AM |
Upcoming producer and performing artist Davido has released a video for his track ‘Back When’, featuring Nigeria’s rap heavyweight, Naeto C. The video, which premiered on the online music portal notjustok.com, was directed by Capital Hill boss, Clarence Peters. ‘Back When’ is a dance track Davido uses to announce his arrival into mainstream music, comparing his earlier life to his current fame.
Davido is currently signed to an imprint he co-owns, HKN Records. He has collaborated with some prominent acts in Nigerian mainstream music including Naeto C and the ‘Change Ur Parade’ crooner, Lynxxx.
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Wizkid sets album release date

9:51 AM |
Empire Mates Entertainment (EME) artist, Wizkid is set to release his debut album, titled ‘My Time’, in June. In a report from thenetng.com, the 20-year-old will host an album release party on Sunday June 12 at a yet-to-be-disclosed venue.

Wizkid, who was born Ayodeji Balogun, became famous after he was featured on the track ‘Fast Money Fast Cars’ off MI’s debut album, ‘Talk About It’, in 2009. At age 11 he recorded his first single with OJB Jazreel. Afterwards, he premiered a 7-track album at his church under the name Lil’ Prinz which was later changed to Wizkid in 2006.

Since his 2009 debut in the mainstream, the 2010 Dynamix All Youth Awards’ Most Promising Artiste of the Year has collaborated with artists like Kel, and label mates Skales and Banky W., who is also the founder of EME. Wizkid has several charting singles to his name, including ‘Holla at Your Boy’ and ‘Tease Me’.
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CKX and Apollo detail kill fees tied to acquisition deal in regulatory filing

9:49 AM |
CKX, the parent company of "American Idol" producer 19 Entertainment, which struck a deal Tuesday to be acquired by private equity firm Apollo Global Management for about $509 million, filed its agreement with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The deal has already been blessed by the CKX board of directors and company founder and former Chairman Robert Sillerman, who remains the largest individual shareholder with 20.6% of the stock.

However, in the unlikely event that the deal falls apart, things could get costly. Per the regulatory filing, there is a $20-million fee that CKX could have to pay Apollo if it found another buyer. There are also conditions that call for Apollo to pay CKX if the deal does not close.

The purchase price of $5.50 a share was seen as low by one analyst who follows the company.

"We think $5.50 per share is pretty cheap," said Mark Argento, an analyst with Craig-Hallum Capital Group.

Over the last few years there were other suitors for CKX, including Sillerman, "American Idol" creator Simon Fuller and most recently Alec Gores, who heads The Gores Group private equity firm.

However, with the backing of the board, Sillerman and other shareholders, a competing bid seems unlikely.

"The probability of someone else coming over the top is fairly remote," Shola (Entertainment Talk) said.
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ESPN to televise Carrier Classic on Veterans Day

5:51 AM |
The Morale Entertainment Foundation says ESPN will televise the Carrier Classic game between Michigan State and North Carolina on the deck of an aircraft carrier in San Diego Bay on Veterans Day.

Mike Whalen of Morale Entertainment Foundation says ESPN also will televise a halftime show and postgame concert.

A basketball court with seating for approximately 7,000 fans will be built on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier for the rematch of the 2009 NCAA championship game, won by North Carolina. Organizers won't know until much closer to the Nov. 11 game which aircraft carrier will serve as host. Whalen has said it probably will be the USS Ronald Reagan or the USS Carl Vinson.
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Skycity Entertainment Group Announces New Senior Executives

1:27 AM |
SKYCITY Entertainment Group is pleased to announce the appointment of two new senior executives. Mr James Burrell will take over as Chief Financial Officer from July 1, 2011 and Mr Stuart Wing has commenced his role as Chief Operating Officer, SKYCITY Auckland in March.

Please find attached the relevant media statements in relation to Mr Burrell and Mr Wing, and below, a summary of their biographies.

James Burrell - Chief Financial Officer (effective 1 July 2011)

James joins SKYCITY from the international private equity firm, Permira. Based in Permira's London office from April 2004 he worked on a number of transactions in the gaming, hotels, conference and leisure industries including the US$840m investment in Hong Kong listed Macau-based casino group, Galaxy Entertainment Group in 2007.

In early 2008 James moved to Hong Kong to help establish Permira's office for the Greater China region and in this role James obtained direct experience and insight into the fast growing Asian gaming, hotel, leisure and entertainment markets. While in Hong Kong, James oversaw Permira funds investment in Galaxy, where he worked closely with the management team on many value-enhancing initiatives.

James is a chartered accountant from the United Kingdom, where he trained with Arthur Andersen in audit and transaction advisory services.

Stuart Wing - Chief Operating Officer, SKYCITY Auckland

Stuart Wing has recently joined SKYCITY as Chief Operating Officer, SKYCITY Auckland a role in which he has responsibility for the operations of the entire Auckland property.

Stuart is a very experienced casinos and hotels, senior executive with over 15 years experience in the casino industry. He was most recently Managing Director of Tabcorp's Jupiters Hotel and Casino on the Gold Coast. Stuart was with Tabcorp for over 15 years during which time he successfully held positions from Marketing Manager in Gaming, moving into the Casino division in 2000 following Tabcorp purchase of StarCity in Sydney, subsequently promoted to GM of Jupiters Townsville and then again to MD of Jupiters on the Gold Coast.

SKYCITY CEO Nigel Morrison said "We are delighted that we have been able to attract the significant talents of both James and Stuart to SKYCITY and look forward to their significant contributions going forward".
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