Sakira had the honor with French Culture Medal: Bieber and Rihana another category

The Colombian singer Shakira was awarded the French culture medal in Cannes, France for her contribution to the world of fine arts on Jan 28. Before hitting the NRJ Music Awards in Cannes,France on Saturday, French minister of culture, Frederic Mitterand in a formal ceremony handed the medal over.

"I am so humbled to receive this honour in a country like France that has shared an important cultural legacy with the rest of the world," she said.

She performed her hit, Je L'Aime A Mourir. Previous recipients of the French cultural honour, titled Chevalier, De L'Order des Arts et des Lettres, are poet TS Eliot, director Clint Eastwood and actor George Clooney. The singer is the first Colombian star to receive the award. The weekend proved to be a huge win for the star, who nabbed the NRJ Female Award of Honor at the evening's awards show.

Justin Bieber took home the male version of the prize and Rihanna was named best international female. Adele won two awards, taking home international revelation of the year and international song of the year for Someone Like You.

Tight End Rob Gronkowski expects to play, though injury, in the big game

American football tight end for the New England Patriots Rob Gronkowski led headlines after the New England Patriots landed in Indianapolis ahead of Super Bowl XLVI Sunday. The tight end  Gronkowski suffered an ankle injury in the AFC Championship Game suffered a high left ankle sprain in the AFC Championship Game. He, on sunday arrived in Indianapolis wearing a protective walking boot.

While Gronkowski, who set single-season records for scoring and receiving yards by a tight end this season, did return and saw playing time after the injury against the Ravens, there is much speculation surrounding his availability and effectiveness given the injury.

With the Patriots --- of course --- not saying much, CBS Sports' Clark Judge took to the medical field to get an opinion. If you're a Patriots fan, you'd better hope he seeks a second opinion. Judge talked with Steven Weinfeld, assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York, who said that he'd be surprised if Gronkowski played.

"This is the kind of thing where trainers could potentially stabilize the ankle externally with tape," Weinfeld said of the injury, "and potentially some type of anti-inflammatory injection could be used to kill the pain. But he's such a big guy who needs to cut sharply that there's much more stress with this type of injury vs. someone who just needs to run straight ahead running without cutting. Even if he is able to play," Weinfeld said, "I would think his effectiveness would be limited."

Judge also offers comparable history as to why Gronkowski will be limited if he plays at all. Last year, Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey suffered a similar injury and didn't play in the Super Bowl. His teammate, Ben Roethlisberger, also experienced a high ankle sprain this season and was extremely ineffective thereafter.

The official word from the Patriots is that Gronkowski is day-to-day. What that means, of course, is anyone's guess. The fact that he hasn't participated in practice since suffering the injury could raise some eyebrows, but since landing in Indianapolis, the tight end has told reporters that he should be on the field Sunday.

News on Gronkowski's injury promises to be one of the main talking points leading up to the game. Interestingly enough, similar injuries were key factors in the last two Super Bowls. Pouncey garnered talk last year while Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney was the subject of ankle injury talk in 2010.

As the USA Today reported, Brady and the Patriots are planning on being prepared for whatever may come from Gronkowski's injury: Brady told the USA Today: "You've got to prepare for every one of these situations that come up. You always have to have contingency plans."

Tom Curran of Comcast New England, however, said flat out that Gronkowski will, in fact, play on Sunday. As Curran explains, the tight end will be ready to play --- thanks to the assistance of pain medication, no doubt --- but the fact that the injury isn't likely to lead to a long-term issue was the biggest question mark surrounding his availability. Once it was determined that playing with the sprain isn't likely to cause long-term injury, it was reported by Curran and others that Gronkowski would play Sunday.

Rob Gronkowski after the ankle injury

Katrina Kaif is back with her romance with once lost boyfriend

Katrina Kaif, the hottest

Bollywood craze Katrina Kaif is back in the concentration of Ranbir Kapur as both are seen recently close in Macau while they were there for an award show in earlier January 2012. It's a love story that was bound to be rekindled as clearly there's unfinished business between them. News of the time they spent together at a private party filtered into Mumbai much before they did. They didn't hide anything this time about their relationship.

They split up because Kat was not ready to look the other way while he played the field with Nargis Fakhri and Anushka Sharma, or accept his "I love you, but give me some time" stance. She made it clear that if he wanted to be in a relationship with her, it had to be exclusive. She asked him to choose her and stop playing the Romeo, but it wasn't a choice he was ready to make. He asked her to be patient and promised that he would change, but Kat wasn't ready to wait in the sidelines while he courted other ladies.

Walking away was the hardest thing she ever did, but Kat knew they had something special and when Ranbir realised that someday, they'd get back together. They began anew last month, and this time are more serious than ever.

The last time they were together, it was under a cloud of broken relationships with Deepika Padukone and Salman Khan. Now they've both been single for a considerable amount of time.News of the time they spent together at a private party filtered into Mumbai much before they did. This time they don't have a reason to hide their relationship.

A diversity for JLO and Mark Anthony in judging the talents

Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony wanted a diversity in judging the talents in the upcoming show "iQ'Viva The Chosen." Instead of judging contestants from behind a panel, spinning around in oversized chairs or rejecting talent with a buzzer, Lopez and Anthony, along with choreographer/creative director Jamie King, traversed Latin America to handpick the talent for "Q'Viva," which premieres Saturday on Univision.

The premise of the series has Lopez, Anthony and King vetting singers, dancers, musicians and artists for a Las Vegas spectacle. The 12-episode series chronicles the multi-country selection process and rehearsals in Los Angeles before a two-hour live finale in April.

During a recent show preview at Soho House in West Hollywood, the question of where "Q'Viva" fits into a landscape of juggernauts that includes "The X Factor," "The Voice," "America's Got Talent" and "American Idol" — where Lopez returned as judge for its 11th season — was quickly answered. In the previewed episode, Lopez assessed a capoeira troupe in Brazil and a malambo group in Argentina, while Anthony ventured into an abandoned warehouse in Colombia to watch salsa caleña dancers.

Though the show is focused exclusively on Latin artistry and culture, "Q'Viva's" ambitions don't wholly lie in the Spanish-language market. To strike a more universal appeal, the show was filmed in three languages: English, Spanish and Portuguese. It will also air in 21 countries across major TV networks in North, South and Central America. And Anthony revealed that Fox, home of "Idol," will broadcast the show in English in the spring, but the network has yet to formally announce any plans.

"American Idol" creator Simon Fuller and his XIX Entertainment will distribute the show outside the U.S. with the help of Dutch reality TV show producer Endemol ("Big Brother"/"Fear Factor").

Mark Anthony and Lopez in Puerto Rico for the reality show "iQ Viva, The Chosen"

The Golf King Tiger Woods is well in the contention in HSBC Championship in Abu Dhabi

The Golf King Tiger Woods is well the contention in the second round of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship with a 3-under 69 Friday. He was ideally placed to put down a huge marker for the season after charging into a share of the lead with a day to go at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. Having ended 2011 with his first victory for over two years, Woods has a great chance to start 2012 with another.

Thanks to a superb bogey-free display, the 14-major winner is on 11 under par and tied with England's Robert Rock, who ensured it was not all about the American when he birdied the final two holes for a matching 66. They are two in front of four Ryder Cup players - Scot Paul Lawrie, Swede Peter Hanson, Italian Francesco Molinari and Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy.

McIlroy, the 22-year-old US Open champion, would of course be sharing top spot if he had not incurred his two-stroke penalty for brushing sand away off the ninth green in his second round, but a 68 kept him firmly in the hunt.

Woods joked that "it will be nice to get rid of him" after playing with McIlroy three days in a row - and also for nine holes of practice. Delighted though he was with his position, the former world number one was not inclined to scream "I'm back" afterwards. Instead Woods told Sky Sports: "I was just kind of consistent. I didn't do a whole lot wrong, I didn't do a whole lot right.

"Six birdies piled up, but I was methodically going about my business and grinding.

"This course is playing difficult enough. You can make birdies, but you can go the wrong way quickly. I've still got to post a good number." There were an amazing 24 changes at the top of the leaderboard during the day and at one point eight players were locked together. Woods made himself the man to catch, however, when he followed his front nine of 34 with further birdies on the 10th, 12th and 14th.

Another came when he found the green in two and two-putted the 567-yard last, but Rock fired in an approach to five feet on the 17th and closed with an eight-footer. The 34-year-old's only European Tour victory in well over 200 starts came at the Italian Open last season. He admitted he was thinking about the possibility of playing the final round with Woods as he entered the finishing stretch. Less than a decade ago Rock was working at the Swingers Golf Centre in Tamworth.

"[I was] selling Mars bars, chatting to my mates, watching him (Woods) winning majors," he said. "I was keeping an eye on the leaderboard wondering if I had a chance to play with him. "It's cool - I can't wait. Maybe not many opportunities will come my way."

McIlroy said: "I've seen up close how Tiger is playing and I feel if I play my best I've got a great chance. "It will be a bit different not playing with him. Tiger will bring most of the crowd and maybe I can go quietly about my business."

Hanson had a best-of-the-week 64, Molinari had a 66 and Lawrie a 68 as he continued to enjoy himself in the desert. Last month the former Open champion, now 43, was runner-up to Alvaro Quiros at the Dubai World Championship.

World number one Luke Donald managed only a 73 after setting off with three birdies in four holes and now finds himself down in joint 55th place on level par. Among those who overtook him was second-ranked Lee Westwood, whose 68 came a day after he was struggling with a neck problem. Halfway leader Thorbjorn Olesen's 71 dropped him into a tie for seventh, while Padraig Harrington found that, like the England cricket team just up the road, a score of 72 was no good.

Good days for Tiger Woods

Waiting for another grand wedding: This time Britney Spears, the femme fatale

Britney Spears Engagement ring

Britney Spears is going to marry her fiance Jason Trawick on the coming Valentine's Day, reports say. The ceremony will take place on the Hawaiian island of Maui.

Jason Trawick became engaged with Britney Spears on December 15 night on his 40th birthday with 3-carat diamond on Spear's finger. Spears hinted about the big news via Twitter in the morning Dec 16. "OMG. Last night Jason surprised me with the one gift I've been waiting for," she wrote. "Can't wait to show you! SO SO SO excited!!!! Xxo."

A source close to Spears tells the Sunday Express that Jamie Spears is looking to end his conservatorship over his daughter's affairs in time for her wedding.

"Jamie wants to go to court in early February so Britney will be a free woman in every sense when she marries," the source tells the paper. While Spears' rep refutes the reports on the wedding date and location, Spears' camp has not responded to claims that her conservatorship may soon end.

Jamie was granted a court-ordered conservatorship over his daughter's life when, following her split with husband Kevin Federline, the pop star had a public meltdown that culminated in her shaving her head and attacking paparazzi photographers with an umbrella. The singer lost custody of her two children, Sean Preston and Jayden James, before her father swooped in to help the singer get back on track in 2008.

According to reports, all major decisions in Spears' life must be approved by her father and brought before a judge. Over the summer, sources told Radar Online that the father-daughter pair wanted to keep the conservatorship in place. But sources say that has changed since Spears got engaged to former agent Trawick.

"OMG. Last night Jason surprised me with the one gift I've been waiting for," Spears tweeted on Dec. 16. "Can't wait to show you! SO SO SO excited!!!! Xxo." Soon after, she posted a photo of herself wearing her engagement ring along with the words, "I can't stop looking at it!"

In 2008, Spears praised her father in the Daily Star for his help, saying that he "saved my life." "My father saved my life," Spears explained. "I probably wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him ... [He] basically gave up his job and his life to look after me at a time when I wasn’t even sure I wanted to go on living." Meanwhile, Federline was hospitalized earlier today in Australia, after complaining of chest pains while filming the reality TV weight loss series "Excess Baggage."

Katherine Haigl's wish to go back at least for a few "Grey Anatomy" episodes

Actress and producer Katherine Heigl left "Grey's Anatomy" in 2010 after six seasons playing Dr. Izzie Stevens on the hit show, and the actress says she would "absolutely" like to step back into her scrubs once again.

But she admitted on Monday that - at times -- she regrets having left "Grey's Anatomy." "I always thought that there would be an opportunity to go back [to the show] for at least a few episodes to sort of wrap it up in a way that everyone could feel good about," Katherine told Access Hollywood at the premiere of her new movie, "One for the Money," in Los Angeles on Tuesday. "As of now, we're like, 'Where did Izzie go? What is she doing?'"So, I would love to kind of go back and have one more crack at her," she added.

While there were rumors that the now-33-year-old was no longer happy playing the quirky young doctor at the time of her exit, Katherine said Izzie will always have a place in her heart."I loved that character and she meant a lot to me," she told Access. Beyond talk of "Grey's," Katherine told Access that a recent trip to "The View" - where she brought adorable 3-year-old daughter Naleigh along for the interview - has revealed that her daughter may want follow in her mother's famous footsteps.

"The whole rest of the day she was like, 'I want to be on TV! I want to go on TV too,'" she told Access of Naliegh's newfound interest. "I was like, 'Oh no, it's over now.'""One for the Money," which also features Jason O'Mara, John Leguizamo and Sherri Shepherd, opens in theaters on Friday.

Rihanna with new tatto: an inspiration from the murdered rappar Tupac Shakur?

The 23-year-old R&B and pop star Rihanna Tweeted a photo of herself on Jan 25 showing off a faint, scar-like, pink-colored imprint of the phrase "Thug Life" on her knuckles. It is the name of the former group of Shakur, who also went by the nickname 2Pac and sported a tattoo on his stomach that read "T.H.U.G. L.I.F.E." He was shot dead at age 25 in 1996. The killer was never found. Perhaps her new tatto is inspired by that slain rapper. Rihanna's picture was taken at the Shamrock Social Club in Hollywood, the tattoo parlor of Mark Mahoney, who also appears in a photo posted by Rihanna.

"All these bitches screaming that 2pac back #THUGLIFE," Rihanna said in a message underneath her photo, quoting a line from the song "Tupac Back," which was released by rappers Rick Ross and Meek Mill in mid-June 2011 on what would have been Shakur's 40th birthday.

The late rapper's "Thug Life" tattoo stood for "The Hate U Give Little Infants (Expletive) Everybody." Like him, Rihanna has several tattoos all over her body, including on her neck, wrist and back.

In another photo posted on her Twitter page around the same time, the singer is seen lying on her stomach on a table, holding a beer bottle, as a man bends over her back. His face is not shown. Rihanna wrote under the picture:

"Tat my (expletive) name on u girl so I know its real!!! #MINE"

The sentence is a lyric from "Free Spirit," a song released last year by hip hop singer Drake, Rihanna's longtime friend and collaborator, that also features Ross.

I #LOVE my new tattoo!!!" she Tweeted. "Can't wait for yall to see it!!! I got it in "Tibetan" this time!!!"

Tupac Shakur

Rihanna with Michale Jackson

 

Helen Hunt: a sex surrogate in the new film "The Surrogate"

American actress, film director, and screenwriter and Academy Award for best actress winner Helen Hunt has appeared with a new role as  a sex surrogate in the new film "The Surrogate." In this film Helen Hunt is working with John Hawkes, and William H. Macy and it has just been picked up by Fox Searchlight for $6 million. Also recently the new installation debuted at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. According to Reuters, it is the largest acquisition at the annual festival so far this year.

The movie is based on the true story of Mark O’Brien, a poet who spent much of his life confined to an iron lung. When O’Brien decides that it’s time to lose his virginity, he hires a sex surrogate, played by Helen Hunt.

“We look forward to working with Searchlight to broaden the conversation of topics that were once considered taboo and that represent what’s going on in society in a much more open way,” producer Judi Levine said.

According to the IndiWire, Fox Searchlight will release “The Surrogate” later this year and is hoping for the movie to pick up a few awards. Hawkes performance, in particular, is gathering a lot of praise. Peter Debruge at Variety writes: “Performances are paramount in a film like this, and Hawkes works some kind of miracle despite the self-evident physical limitations of the role.”

Hunt, who has been out of the spotlight for several years, was also praised for her performance. Slash Film, which is already calling “The Surrogate” an Oscar contender for 2013, said: “While Hunt’s performance as Cheryl requires her to be nude for a large majority of the film, she’s not only beautiful, but incredibly confident with a sublayer of vulnerability.”

Lauren Conrad collaborating with BlueAvocado launces Eco-Friendly Cosmetic

Lauren Conrad hairstyle

The former MTV reality darling Lauren conrad is at the helm of a multimillion dollar empire, thanks to her hair and makeup advice, fashion lines and Forbes column. But that's still not enough to satisfy the ol' LC's cravings for total world domination—she just announced her newest conquest: the eco-friendly industry.

She collaborated with BlueAvocado, a women-founded sustainable lifestyle products company, on a green collection of home, travel, and cosmetic accessories. How sooo fashion-forward yet socially responsible of her! Of the new business venture, LC said: "The BlueAvocado partnership represents a synergy of things I love to do—design great products, enable women to realize their dreams, and inspire thoughtful action.... 

Once you realize the responsibility we have to improve our environment in our lifetime, you feel compelled to act with urgency. BlueAvocado provides a canvas for me to invite change." To show she means business, Conrad will be inviting her 395,000+ Facebook fans to be a part of the BlueAvocado mission. And we can't wait to join the cause! A 2-for-1 deal of helping the environment plus giving our personal beau-tay collection the Lauren Conrad makeover?

Sign us up! With Lauren's perpetually shiny hair and flawless skin, we can only hope a line of organic beauty products comes next. *SQUEAL* LC's first eco-collection won't officially launch until this summer, but, pssssst, you can be the first to hear about exclusive updates by clicking right here! The 25-year-old former star of "The Hills" Tweeted a photo of her "cotton candy bun" on January 21. Previously, the reality star showed off peach-colored dyed ends in October.

$14.3 million lottery win goes to the right but uexpecting person

A 65 year-old vietnam Vet soldier Napolean Elvord wins a $14.3 million Megabucks jackpot after accidentally playing the wrong lottery game, reports the Wisconsin State Journal. He unknowingly needs it as he needs a kidney transplant and needs to spend the money in treatment like the dialysis which has been receiving for five years.

Though he was a regular lottery player, he took three days to claim his prize after mistakenly purchasing a Megabucks ticket instead of his usual Powerball ticket, he told the paper. Had it not been for workers at a Madison, Wisconsin, Mobil gas station asking him if he'd won, Elvord may have missed out on collecting his winnings.

"The first thing they asked me was, 'Did you make up the ticket?'" Elvord told the Journal.

In claiming his prize, Elvord opted for the one-time lump sum payment of $10.2 million, or $6.87 million after taxes, according to The Consumerist.

But the lucky man won't be spending his cash on flashy cars or a huge new house. Instead, the ailing veteran, who's spent five years on dialysis, plans to buy health insurance to help him get a kidney transplant, according to LimeLife.com.

Elvord said he'll also take this opportunity to move back to his native Texas, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. Accidental lottery wins have become something of a trend in recent months. Last November, a clerk accidentally rung up an extra Powerball lottery ticket for a man, an error that caused him to win $1 million instead of $200,000.

Just a few months earlier, a Georgia woman won $25 million after a clerk gave her a winning Powerball ticket instead of a Mega Millions ticket.  "I think it was a mistake," he told the Journal. "Because I was trying to play the Powerball."

Vietnam Vet Napolean Elvord receiving cheque 

Underworld: Awakening has picked the top box office earning, stars Kate Beckinsale

Ageless vampire of "Underworld" 2003, Kate Beckinsale’s Underworld: Awakening has topped the US box office earning $25.4 million in its first weekend. Beckinsale did not star in the third Underworld movie but now she’s back as Selene, and it seems to have had the desired effect. Rory Bruer, the president of worldwide distribution for Sony, had this to say about Beckinsale:

“She is such a force. Her character – you just can’t take your eyes off her. I know the character is very dear to her as well, and she just kills it.”

The plot is as follows: When human forces discover the existence of the Vampire and Lycan clans, a war to eradicate both species commences. The vampire warrioress Selene leads the battle against humankind. Cue action and gore and more action and one incredible looking catsuit.

Unfortunately, while the public and Sony seem to love it, the same can’t be said about the critics. At present, Underworld Awakening has a poor rating of 27% at Rotten Tomatoes, with Thomas Leupp from Hollywood.com saying:

“The carnage occasionally pauses to allow Beckinsale a moment to emote over lost love or seek a fleeting bond with a screen partner, but soon more beasts are on hand, and the soulless slaughter hastily recommences.”

Yeah but what about the catsuit? Maybe the fifth Underworld will pit Selene against movie critics. Still, there’s nothing like a bit of January carnage to get the year started in the right way. See below for the dead cool Underworld Awakening trailer.

NASCAR driver Sebastian Loeb's win continues: this time Monte carlo rally

French rally driver currently driving for the Citroën World Rally Team in the World Rally Championship (WRC) Sebastien Loeb got off to a strong start in his bid for a record ninth world title by winning the season-opening Monte Carlo Rally on Sunday.

The eight-time world champion completed the 18-stage race in 4 hours, 32 minutes, 39.9 seconds. Daniel Sordo of Spain took second place, 28.6 seconds ahead of Petter Solberg of Norway.

Loeb went into the final day with a lead of 2 minutes, 41.6 seconds over Sordo and looked to secure the maximum number of points by winning the last stage. The Citroen driver finished the power stage 1.2 seconds ahead of teammate Mikko Hirvonen of Finland to earn three bonus points and lead Mini driver Sordo by ten points in the standings.

“It’s always a great moment to start the season like this, especially in front of so many fans,” Loeb said. “Full points in the first race is incredible and for sure it’s the perfect start (to my title defence). But Monte-Carlo is my rally and for the others we will have to see.”

Loeb won the Monte Carlo Rally for the sixth time to clinch his 68th career victory. The drivers next compete at the Swedish Rally in Karlstad from Feb. 9-12.

Girl Scout cookies on sale this weekend: some agaist it

Girl Scout Cookies

Girl Scout cookies are going on to start sale this weekend with the organization mixed in a controversy that involves Planned Parenthood. January means Girl Scouts are ringing doorbells, making phone calls and sending order forms to work with mom and dad. Longtime supporters of the Girl Scouts of America are calling on consumers to boycott the sales of its cookies because of the relationship with Planned Parenthood.

The accusations sprung about when several years ago a former CEO of the Girl Scouts of America went on national television and stated that many councils throughout the country have relationships with Planned Parenthood. The Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri, which operates independently, states that those accusations do not pertain to their individual organization.

“Our girls have nothing to do with any of this information.  Our girls are working to sell the Girl Scout cookies to support their troops, to support the activities that they want to engage in to support the camps, and programs we offer to these girls.  And they have no relationship to any of these items,” Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri CEO Donna Martin said. The organization says it is open to meeting or discussing any possible questions about its mission with anyone.

Sharon Stone on AARP The Magazine cover and talks about her life

"Casino" actress Sharon Stone, in an interview published recently in AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) The Magazine, speaks candidly about the brain hemorrhage that nearly killed her, dealing with miscarriages and adopting three children. The 53 year-old actress also appears on the cover of the February/March issue of that magazine, looking stunning as ever.

She talks about the hemorrhage that kept her in and out of a coma for nine days, explaining that she had an excruciating headache when it all began. Doctors discovered that her vertebral artery, which runs through the neck into the base of the skull, had ruptured.

"By then I had bled into my spinal column, my brain, and my facial cavity at a steady pace. My brain was pushed forward into my face. I'd lost 18 percent of my body mass." "The side of my face was falling down," Stone told her AARP. "I thought, 'I'll never be pretty again. Who's going to want to be around me?'"

She's very open about the miscarriages she had as well. "The last time I lost the baby, I went into 36 hours of labor. While we were at the hospital, our adoption attorney called. I thought, 'This is such a godsend. This is so right.' I always thought I would adopt. Even when I was young, I used to look up how to adopt."

Stone has since three adopted sons including Roan, 11, Laird, 6, and Quinn, 5. She says, "I'm loving raising my kids. Quinn is in junior kindergarten, and he's very exclamatory! Like a little FBI agent, he tells you everything that's happening, so I call him Agent Quinn. 'Mom! Toots pooped in the yard!' 'Thank you, Agent Quinn.' I've made humanitarian causes and my children much more my priority than the Hollywood scene, being liked and getting movie parts."

"Today, at 53, she's a woman transformed," the interview states. You know, we always thought she was pretty darn great to begin with.

Mila Jovovich comes again with "Resident Evil" series "Resident Evil: Retribution"

The "Resident Evil" sci-fi film series fifth instalment "Resident Evil: Retribution" kicks off with what appears to be a commercial for some sort of Sony gadget, but the “commercial” quickly switches gears and shows a destroyed planet, with the living undead running rampant with few people to stop them.

But, surprisingly, that apparently isn’t all of the film’s focus. The trailer suggests that Resident Evil: Retribution will have a good many flashbacks for Jovovich’s character that take place just before the incident at Umbrella, giving more backstory for the character. We even get to see a familiar face, with Michelle Rodriguez reprising her role as Rain Ocampo from the first film.

To get you up to speed on the plot of the film before you check out the trailer, see below for a synopsis of Resident Evil: Retribution‘s plot. Otherwise, you can find the first Resident Evil: Retribution at the bottom of the post.

The Umbrella Corporation’s deadly T-virus continues to ravage the Earth, transforming the global population into legions of the flesh eating Undead. The human race’s last and only hope, ALICE (Milla Jovovich), awakens in the heart of Umbrella’s most

clandestine operations facility and unveils more of her mysterious past as she delves further into the complex. Without a safe haven, Alice continues to hunt those responsible for the outbreak; a chase that takes her from Tokyo to New York, Washington, D.C. and Moscow, culminating in a mind-blowing revelation that will force her to rethink everything that she once thought to be true. Aided by newfound allies and familiar friends, Alice must fight to survive long enough to escape a hostile world on the brink of oblivion. The countdown has begun.

Jovovich in "Resident Evil: Resident evil"

Archie Manning denies the retirement of his son Peyton Manning

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Another nude pic scandal: this time Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker.

Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker can now be added to the Celeb list to face a nude pic scandal. Blake Lively, Rihanna, Scarlett Johannsen and Kanye were in the list so far. It all started when website MediaTakeOut published some nude photos of an unnamed musician who had supposedly sent them to a female admirer. Unsurprisingly, readers were quickly able to discern the visible, distinctive tattoos as belonging to Barker and the pictures began circulating quickly.

His lawyers have just fired off a cease and desist letter to MediaTakeOut for posting naked pics of the drummer. Sources close to Travis tell us the photos are more than 5 years old and were "private and never intended for public viewing or to be seen by anyone else."

We're told Barker has hired Evan Spiegel of the law firm of Lavely and Singer, who just sent the cease and desist letter to the website claiming the pics are an "unauthorized use of private photos." more on this story

Costa Concordia cruise ship Capt. Francesco Schettino is a manslaughter- procecutor accused

Passengers first, then crew, then captain is the established rule in Spain, Greece and Italy of abandoning a ship when shipwrecked. Prosecutors Francesco Verusio have accused Costa Concordia cruise ship Capt. Francesco Schettino of manslaughter who, after shipwreck off the Tuscan coast on Friday night, abandoned the ship before passengers.

Although U.S. law doesn't single out abandoning ship as a crime, it's a longtime maritime tradition that the captain be the last one off a sinking ship, according to maritime law professor Craig Allen, visiting professor of law at Yale University Law School and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

"If you're going to be master of a ship, your responsibility is first to your passengers, second to your crew, then you look after yourself," said Allen, a Coast Guard veteran. "It's shameless and dishonorable [for the captain] to take himself out of the mix like that."

After Schettino was interrogated by prosecutors for three hours Tuesday, a judge in Grosseto, Tuscany, ruled that the captain, who had been detained a few hours after he allegedly abandoned the Concordia, should be released from jail and confined to his home near Naples under house arrest, his lawyer, Bruno Leporatti, told reporters outside the courthouse. Prosecutors wanted him kept in Grosseto's prison, and Leporatti had asked that he be freed.

Capcized Costa Concordia  off the Tuscan coast  

The death toll from the tragedy nearly doubled to 11 on Tuesday when divers extracted the bodies of four men and one woman from the ship's wreckage. The victims were in their 50s or 60s and each wore the orange vest that passengers use, indicating they were apparently passengers and not crew Schettino has insisted that he stayed aboard until the ship was evacuated. However, a recording of his conversation with Italian Coast Guard Capt. Gregorio De Falco indicates he fled before all passengers were off - and then resisted De Falco's repeated orders to return.

"You go on board and then you will tell me how many people there are. Is that clear?" De Falco shouted in the audio tape.

 

Costa Concordia, another bad luck dream ship

 

Michelle Williams' successful portrayal of Marilyn Monroe: awarded Golden Glove 2012

Michelle William as Marilyn Monroe

"Deception" actress Michelle Williams took home the 69th Golden Globe Sunday January 15 night for her portrayal of movie legend Marilyn Monroe in "My Week With Marilyn." It is an honor that her 6-year-old daughter Matilda helped her acheive.

"Thank you to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for putting in my hand the same award that Marilyn Monroe herself won over 50 years ago," Williams said as she accepted for best actress in a film comedy or musical.

"I was learning how to be in [Marilyn]... I was getting there and one of the ways that I practiced her was in the princesses in the bedtime stories," the actress told Access Hollywood's Billy Bush, when asked of her process for nailing down Marilyn's voice while reading to her daughter. "[My princesses] all had a kind of breathy quality," she explained. During her acceptance speech on Sunday night, Michelle thanked Matilda - whom she had with the late Heath Ledger - saying her "bravery and exuberance is the example that I take with me in my work and in my life."

"I consider myself a mother first and an actress second," she said on the Globes stage. "I want to say thank you [to Matilda] for sending me off to this job every day with a hug and a kiss." As for her best winglady and former "Dawson's Creek" co-star, Busy Philipps, the Golden Globe winner was happy to have her friend by her side on the big night. "She is [fun.] She's the best date," Michelle added.

Woody Allen won the Golden Globe for best film comedy or musical screenplay for "Midnight In Paris."

On January 15, Michelle William with the award

 

Tim Tebow: a really talentd sportsman having mysterious appeal

Tim Tebow, the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos, is a marginally talented athlete so overhyped. With Tebow routinely falling to his feet on a playing field, the sporting public has fallen to its feet.

The ESPN poll this week revealed the Broncos' QB to be America's favorite active pro athlete. Only 11 athletes total, in the 18 years of this poll, have reached No. 1 status and most of them were in the stratosphere of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Tiger Woods. On the heels of that poll, ESPN did an hour midday special on Tebowmania Thursday as a prelude to Denver's AFC playoff game against New England, which took place Saturday night. Tebow's jersey is the No. 2 current best seller in America, a couple of sleeves behind Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers.

Now I'm not going to go all Charles Barkley on you here - last week on my radio show, Barkley said in reference to Tebow that "the national nightmare continues," prompting an inquiry to me for a comment from something called the Christian Post - but isn't this hype a bit ridiculous? I mean, the same ESPN was skewered for years by sports fans worldwide for overhyping Brett Favre - who, by the way, is a Hall of Famer. And now they worship Tim Tebow?

Just what is it that has made this kid connect with the American public? It's time to put the issue through the Missanelli Analysis Machine.

1. We are sick of the renegade jock. In a world where football players quit on their teammates in the huddle, then rip them anonymously after the game, or take guns into nightclubs and make it rain in stripper joints, or ply themselves with performance-enhancing drugs, Tebow has carved out a persona of everything that's good and right with the sports world.

He's a clean-cut, polite, appreciative kid who honors his Christian faith. He's the boy you want your daughter to date. On that note, another national poll revealed that 43 percent of Americans believe Tebow's success is a product of divine intervention. Christians have been waiting on Tim . . . er . . . Him for a long time.

 

Laura Kaeppeler: the new Miss America 2012

Miss America 2012

Miss Wisconsin 2011 Laura Kaeppeler, one of 53 Miss America pageant queens, becomes the Miss America 2012. A panel of seven judges was set to pick the Miss America on Saturday night during a live telecast on ABC, the culmination of a week of preliminary competitions and months of preparations for the titleholders from all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Miss Winkinson 2011

"There are many of you out there — and I was one of them — but it doesn't have to define you," Kaeppeler told The Associated Press after winning the crown and $50,000 scholarship on Saturday night. To win, she said beauty queens and politicians should remember they represent all Americans, sang an opera song and strutted in a white bikini and black evening gown.

Her looks, smarts and personal vocation impressed a panel of seven celebrity judges enough to give her the next year with the title. Miss Oklahoma Betty Thompson came in second, while Miss New York Kaitlyn Monte placed third.

Kaeppeler, 23, replaces Teresa Scanlan of Nebraska, who won last year at age 17 and plans to use her scholarship to pay for law school. As the new Miss America, Kaeppeler will spend the next year touring the country to speak to different groups and raising money for the Children's Miracle Network, the Miss America Organization's official charity. She now says she intends to use the scholarship money to pursue a law degree and become a family attorney who specializes in helping children of incarcerated adults.