Angelina Jolie wants to play a Bond girl

Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie was once offered a role in one of the James Bond movies but she turned it down because she wanted to play the super spy herself.

"It started with a call from Amy (Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures). She asked if I wanted to play a Bond girl. I said, 'No, I'm not comfortable with that, but I would like to play Bond'," Jolie said.

Interestingly, Angelina was not the first choice to play the lead in "Salt", a thriller about a CIA agent who's accused of being a Russian spy, reports imdb.com.

Tom Cruise had initially signed on to play the role, but dropped out at the last minute. Producers and screenwriters then rushed to adjust the part for Jolie, since it was originally written for a man.

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Did Davis double-cross America as recruitment point man for Taliban?

American official Raymond Davis, arrested for double murder, had "close links" with Taliban and was "instrumental" in recruiting youths for it, the media here claimed on Tuesday, close on the heels of reports in the US that he was a CIA agent tracking movements of terror groups like LeT.

The "close ties" of 37-year-old Davis, arrested in Lahore on January 27 for killing two men he claimed were trying to rob him, with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan came out during investigations, 'The Express Tribune' reported quoting an unnamed senior official of Punjab Police. "Davis was instrumental in recruiting young people from Punjab for the Taliban to fuel the bloody insurgency (in Pakistan)," the official said.

The report came a day after The NYT, citing US government officials , said that Davis "was part of a covert, CIA-led team of operatives conducting surveillance on militant groups deep inside the country."

Among the groups that Davis was keeping an eye on was the banned LeT, which carried out the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, the NYT said.

Meanwhile, a Pakistani court accepted the government's request to hold the trial of Davis in the heavilyguarded Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore , where he is currently lodged, for security reasons.

The Obama administration on Monday insisted that he still has diplomatic immunity under international law and Pakistan should release him forthwith . Soon after, the US state department wheeled out one of its "foremost experts in international law" to make the case that regardless of Davis' reported affiliation, he was entitled to diplomatic immunity because the US had clearly intimated to Pakistani government that he is a member of the administrative and technical staff under Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

Sources also said that Pakistan had been told he is an intelligence operative working undercover.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF RAYMOND DAVIS
Pakistan & US are at loggerheads over the arrest of Davis, who is facing trial for gunning down two men in Lahore. The two sides differ on diplomatic immunity for Davis. Other disputed points in the case:

THE SHOOTING
Cops say Davis fired at the two motorcycle-borne men when they tried to stop his car; the duo were ostensibly chasing him after his vehicle bumped a rickshaw US says Davis believed his life was in danger after one of the men 'cocked his pistol and pointed towards' him

SELF-DEFENCE
Davis and US say he acted in self-defence after the two men tried to rob him at gunpoint
Punjab law minister says the weapon carried by one of the victims wasn't loaded and thus Davis can't claim selfdefence ; Lahore top cops says Davis fired at one of the men as they were fleeing

THE VICTIMS
Davis and US say the two men were robbers Pak media & politicians dismiss suggestions that the duo were ISI operatives and term them 'innocent youths' with no criminal record.

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Prince William and Kate Middleton: Invitations On The Way

They’re tying the Royal knot on April 29th, and Prince William and Kate Middleton have sent out the wedding invitations.

A St. James’ Palace spokesperson told press, "The invitations to the wedding have gone out. By now, Friday afternoon, I can confirm that they will have all gone out by now."

The rep also shared that there were around 1,800 invitations distributed which was why it took a little longer than usual to get them all in the mail.

And celebrities like President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama, David and Victoria Beckham, and Sir Paul McCartney should all be checking their mailboxes in the days to come, says an insider.

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Britney Spears' Femme Fatale Is 'All Club Bangers Pauly D Says

The hands immediately go up when that beat kicks [in],' the 'Jersey Shore' DJ tells MTV News live about 'Hold It Against Me

MTV News caught up with the "Jersey Shore" DJ via Skype to gauge his reaction to Britney Spears' hotly anticipated new track, "Hold it Against Me," and the accompanying video, which premiered Thursday on MTV. He was feeling under the weather during our live "MTV First: Britney Spears' 'Hold It Against Me' Video Premiere" discussion but kept his appointment: "It's all good, man," he said. "I'm a warrior!"

Increasingly known for his night job as a DJ, the reality-show star gave a strong endorsement for the track's club-worthiness.

"It's a major, fist-pumping track," he said of the reactions the song has gotten when he's put it on. "The hands immediately go up when that beat kicks [in]. It's such a hard beat. It's like 'ba-ba-ba,' they're fist-pumping to that track. It has energy. I love it!"

When Pauly is working a room, he's careful to stay in tune with the vibe of the crowd. A track like Britney's latest single is exactly the type of song he prefers to keep in his arsenal as a secret weapon. It's the type of song he's dubbed a "go-to" track when DJing.

"I don't make any set [lists]," he explained. "I read the crowd. And then if I'm playing something and I'm kind of losing them a little bit, I know if I dropthat track, I bring 'em right back!"

So how might a great DJ follow up a "go-to" song like "Hold it Against Me"?

"You gotta keep that momentum after that track, so I drop my track immediately after that, 'Beat Dat Beat (It's Time To),' " he offered, in something of a good-natured plug for his own single.

Pauly D's position of privilege as an MTV star and budding DJ has, in addition to the obvious perks, afforded him an opportunity Britney fans would salivate over: the chance to hear much of her forthcoming new album, Femme Fatale, which doesn't drop until March 29.
"Seriously, it's all full of club bangers," he revealed. "And I'm so excited about it, because I cannot wait to play 'em in the club. Literally, you can play the majority of that album in the club. I love the way she went to that route."

In a move that displayed his increasing media savvy, Pauly refused to let any song titles slip, but he did reiterate that "they're all club bangers. They're a lot like 'Hold it Against Me.' [Femme Fatale is full of] major, major, club-banging tracks."

Do you agree with Pauly's "club banger" assessment of "Hold It Against Me"? Let us know in the comments!

Don't miss "Jersey Shore," airing Thursday nights at 10 p.m. ET on MTV.

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Jennifer Lopez Brings Style To American Idol?

Jennifer Lopez - Does the newest host of American Idol Jennifer Lopez bring style to the show? Yes, Yes, and Yes.

Jennifer Lopez is undoubtedly a fashion diva! The singer/actress/judge hasn't skipped a beat in her stylish ensembles and likely won't stop any time soon.

Many style blogs such as Style Binge are gushing over Lopez's fashion choices,

Big fan of Jen's choices overall -- clean, simple and muted seems to be the mantra. She's flaunting less cleavage than Simon Kara and hasn't opted for anything so flashy it borders on distracting.

What do you think of Jennifer Lopez's fashion choices on American Idol compared to the other female judges?

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Lady Gaga had designers up all night for Grammy costumes

Pop icon Lady Gaga caused her fashion designers to stay up all night preparing costumes for her Grammy performance.

The singer threw her design team into a panic in the run-up to her performance at the Grammy Awards - as she scrapped all the costumes two days before the ceremony because she didn't like them.

The 'Poker Face' hitmaker played her recent single, 'Born This Way, live for the first time at the Grammys.

She admitted that her own sci-fi inspired look during the set and the nude-coloured outfits her dancers sported onstage were last minute decisions causing her fashion designers at Haus of Gaga to stay up all night preparing the costumes.

"I actually designed all the clothes for myself and the dancers, and it was two days before the performance, I changed everything because I didn't like the clothing," the Daily Star quoted her as saying in an interview.

"And I felt so bad because the Haus of Gaga was all red-eyed and up all night and I would be like, 'I hate it, we have to change everything!' And they would be like (squeaking), 'OK, OK,'" she said.

But Gaga insisted she only changed her mind at short notice because she wanted everyone to look part of one big team to emphasise the meaning behind 'Born This Way.'

She said, "You know because they looked like dancers in the outfits we had and I'm so close with them, and Laurieann Gibson, my choreographer, everyone that's in the Haus of Gaga, all the creators, we're so close, everyone in the band, and I don't want them to feel like, the band and dancers behind me, because the performance of 'Born This Way' is nothing without all of them, it's about togetherness."

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Valentines Day for Lovers

Valentine's Day is a festival that cherishes love and romance. The festival falls on February 14 every year and is celebrated in several countries across the world including US, UK, Canada, Japan, France, China and India. Though the festival commemorates the martyrdom of a Christian saint called St Valentine, the festival as it is celebrated today has little religious significance. In present times, Valentine's Day has assumed a secular and global flavor and is celebrated by people of all ages and races.

Another noticeable factor in Valentine's Day celebration of present times is that the festival celebrates love in all its forms and is not just restricted to romantic love. People therefore exchange Valentine's Day greetings with their parents, teachers, siblings, friends, sweethearts or anyone special or close to them. The commonest way of expressing love on Valentine's Day is through exchanging cards, flowers and chocolates.

Valentine's Day History and Legends
The romantic festival of Valentine's Day is said to have originated in pagan times in Rome when people celebrated annual fertility festival called Feast of Lupercalia in mid-February. A unique custom of the festival was the mating of young boys and girls for a year through a lottery system. Quite often the couple would fall in love and marry.

Strongly associated with the festival of Valentine's Day are the legends of three or more Saint Valentine of Rome. One of the most popular legends says, Valentine or Valentinus lived in Rome when the country was under the reign of Emperor Claudius II. It is said that Claudius engaged Rome in several unpopular and bloody campaigns. To maintain a strong army, Claudius continuously needed to recruit soldiers. But to his disappointment Claudius found that most men were unwilling to join army because of their strong attachment with their wives and their families. To get rid of the problem, Claudius banned all marriages and engagements in Rome. A romantic at heart priest, Valentine, secretly arranged marriages of young boys and girls and defied this unjustified and callous order of Claudius. When the Emperor discovered this defiance, he put Valentine behind bars and he was finally executed on February 14, about 270 AD. For his great service, Valentine was named a saint after his death.

By Middle Ages, Saint Valentine became the patron saint of love and lovers in England and France. In 498 AD, when Pope Gelasius decided to put an end to pagan celebration of Feast of Lupercalia, he declared that 14th February be celebrated as St Valentine's Day.

Some scholars however, say, romance was linked with Valentine's Day because of the popular belief in England and France during the Middle Ages that birds began to start looking for their mate from 14th February.

Valentine's Day Traditions and Customs
One of the most important customs of Valentine's Day festival is the exchange of love notes called ‘Valentines' by lovers. The tradition is said to have initiated in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans who sent the first known Valentine Day card to his wife from prison. In present times, Valentine's Day is the second biggest Valentine's Day card-giving holiday after Christmas. There is also the tradition of gifting flowers, chocolates besides other gifts of love on Valentine's Day as an expression of love.

Going on a date with one's Valentine is another popular tradition of Valentine's Day festival. Candle light dinners or evening together in a park are an all-time favorite dating idea in present times.

Valentine's Day Celebration
Valentine's Day is celebrated in a big way in several countries across the globe. Days before the festival markets wear a festive look. Shops selling gifts and cards are especially decorated with Valentine's Day symbols of roses, hearts, cupids and lovebirds. Aggressive marketing campaign by cards and gift marketers create hype for the festivals. On February 14, the spirit of love pervades the very atmosphere. One can find couples thronging parks, restaurants, malls and multiplexes holding hands and expressing love for each other.

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Singer Rahat detained in Delhi under customs act

New Delhi: Noted Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was detained at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport in New Delhi on Sunday by revenue intelligence officials after he and two of his troupe members were caught allegedly carrying US $1.24 lakh in undeclared foreign currency.

Thirty-seven-year-old Rahat and his entire troupe, numbering around 16, including his manager Maroof and event manager were detained and their interrogation were underway, several hours after they were held by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials.

A nephew of Pakistani singing legend Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Rahat is a top Bollywood playback singer and has several hit numbers to his credit. He won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer this year for 'Dil To Bachcha Hai Ji' from the movie 'Ishqiya'.

The foreign currency was not declared to Customs officials after the immigration checks, a DRI official said. The troupe was on in its way to Lahore via Dubai by an Emirates flight, the official added.

The recovered foreign currency included US $10,000 and US $8,600 in demand drafts and some Traveller Cheques, a DRI official said.

"Law will take its own course. Rahat and his troupe members are still being interrogated and depending upon their statement and the gravity of the offence we would decide whether to arrest them or not," Majumdar said.

Khan was intercepted by DRI personnel aroaund 4 pm acting on some prior information, official sources said.

As per norms, a foreign national cannot carry beyond US $5,000 in cash and US $5,000 in other instruments. The person has to declare the amount if he is carrying more than this to the Customs Department.

According to DRI sources, the payments by the event manager to Rahat was made in Indian currency and US dollars and these people were allegedly found converting the dollars to Indian  rupees "through unauthorised channels".

Khan was earlier too involved in a controversy when organisers of a concert in Gurgaon filed a police complaint against him in July last year for his failure to turn up for a show.

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Records did not support diplomatic status for ( American ) Davis: Qureshi

ISLAMABAD:Former Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that according to official records and experts in the foreign office, the US official arrested for gunning down two men in Lahore is "not a diplomat and cannot be given blanket diplomatic immunity".

"The kind of blanket immunity Washington is pressing for (US official Raymond) Davis is not endorsed by the official record of the foreign ministry," said Qureshi, who declined to join Pakistan's new cabinet last week after he was not reallocated the foreign affairs portfolio.

"On the basis of the official record and the advice given to me by the technocrats and experts of the foreign office, I could not certify him (Davis) as a diplomat," Qureshi told The News daily.

Qureshi skipped the swearing-in ceremony for Pakistan's new cabinet on Friday after he learnt that the leadership of the ruling Pakistan People's Party had decided not to reallocate the foreign affairs portfolio to him.

Reports have suggested that the PPP decided to remove him from the foreign ministry because of his decision not to back the party's top leadership's move to grant diplomatic immunity to Davis, who was arrested in Lahore last month after he shot and killed two men.

Qureshi also spoke on the issue of Davis during his farewell speech in the foreign ministry, The News quoted its sources as saying.

The foreign ministry, on the basis of its records, had concluded that Davis was "neither a diplomat nor enjoying blanket diplomatic immunity," the sources told.

The sources contended that Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had asked the foreign ministry not to "utter a word on the issue".

One source was quoted as saying: "Even in an inter-ministerial meeting held at the foreign office, it was agreed that Davis could not be handed over to America".

Davis was never registered in the Foreign Office's records "even as a non-diplomatic staff" as queries sent to the US Embassy remained unanswered.

The US mission had on January 25 sent a list of outstanding cases regarding the status of officials and diplomats but it did not include the name of Davis.

On January 28, a day after Davis killed the two men in Lahore, the US Embassy sent the list of outstanding cases to the foreign ministry and included Davis' name in it, the sources were quoted as saying by The News.

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Lindsay Lohan To Be Charged With Grand Theft

One would think that if a person spends enough time in jail and in rehab, then sooner or later they should be able to re-enter the outside world with a pretty good sense of what was belongs to them and what doesn't.

I mean, tough people are in jail, right?! That's where they live! Have you seen that show on A&E called Beyond Scared Straight? Yes! Jail is full of roughers and toughers! In Beyond Scared Straight, the girls and guys who are in prison for life take it upon themselves to SCAAAAAARE troubled little kids (who beat their moms and skin cats to make yoyo covers) into getting their acts together so they'll stay AWAYYYYY from jail by saying "YOU WANNA BE LIKE ME? I'LL KILL YOU IF YOU COME HERE SO YOU'LL NEVER BE LIKE ME!" Right, so if that's what jail's like, AND THAT'S WHAT JAIL'S LIKE, how come Lindsay Lohan can't get her shit together enough to take a $2,500 necklace off of her neck before she leaves a store in Venice, California? Oh, right. Because even though the state of California considers her a criminal, they don't expose her to real prison life because even though she commits the crimes that violent people commit, a cell in general pop (that's an abbreviation for "general population," everyone) is too dangerous for her celebritydom! So they keep her in ad seg (administrative segregation), where she never learns how stealing hinders one's efforts to keep one's arms attached to one's body. 

Seriously, A&E isn't just good for documentaries that chronicle the life of a huffer that's narrated by Meredith Vieira!

But anyway, it seems like Lindsay Lohan has learned nothing from any of her experiences behind closed doors since today, she's being charged with felony grand theft for supposedly "stealing" that $2,500 necklace. She plans to plead not guilty to the charges and even if she didn't intend to "steal" anything, the court plans to enter into evidence the almost half a million dollars worth of things that she's taken from photo shoots, NYC nightclubs, and from friends. So that's bad. If she's convicted, she could be sent to California State prison, where she'll do whatever it is she does in place of learning lessons.

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Salman Khan wants to let Katrina go

There is a lot of ambiguity about when Bollywood’s most desirable woman Katrina Kaif and her boyfriend Salman Khan called it splits. One of the reasons for this confusion is because this time around, Alpha-male Salman didn’t react to their parting as he has done in the past. On earlier occasions when Salman split with his girlfriends, Somy Ali or Aishwarya Rai, the star usually made a public display of his displeasure. This time he is all quiet and dignified; in fact he hasn’t even shown his remorse to anyone except to very close family and one friend.

Bollywood waited with bated breath for Salman to pour a soft drink in public over Katrina’s head or go below her Bandra home and holler, but the actor has chosen to maintain a safe distance from Katrina. As a result with each passing day there is a lot of curiosity building up.

Says a top actress, “Even now people are wondering if Kat and Salman are together. Or has she really moved on?” In answer to this, an insider told us, “Salman knows that Katrina has moved on. However, he has decided not to react. He just wants to let go.”

One hears from close sources that Salman’s closest friend and adviser, who is also Katrina’s agent, and a couple of family members have reportedly advised the actor not to speak about their split. The insider says, “Katrina and Salman sat down and spoke about their moving on like two mature individuals would.

Both of them are riding a wave of super-success and they have decided to maintain a dignified silence on the whole split issue.

Both are intelligent and they know that any tamasha would tarnish their images and take away from their brand equity.

In fact this time Salman has endeared himself to the public even more because of the mature manner in which he has conducted himself.

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Paris Hilton Converts to Islam

JEDDAH – Saudi Arabia – Former American socialite, Paris Hilton has converted to Islam, her spokesman, Ian Brinkham, has revealed to CBS news.

“She has been toying with the idea for quite a while now and when she was imprisoned at Century Regional Detention Facility in 2007, she encountered a few people who had already converted,” Mr Brinkham said.

By converting to the Muslim faith, Paris Hilton has decided to shun her old life as a celebrity skank.

Speaking from an Islamic study retreat in Jeddah, she said: “I have now found total peace in my life. Before, I used to be known as an STD-ridden streetwalker , a ‘hoe’ and a person of loose morals, but now, things have changed. Allah be praised.”

Hollywood JihadMs Hilton plans to return to Los Angeles next week to start her own Islamic school in the middle of Beverly Hills.

“Forget Scientology or Kaballah. This is the religion to be in now. I’m not going to be wearing a piece of red string on my wrist or walk around like a robot talking to Xenu. Islam is the new must-have religion. and I’m going to spread the word of the Koran to everyone,” an excited Paris Hilton said.

Paris Hilton also plans to change her name to ‘Tahirah’ which means ‘Pure, chaste’ in Arabic. Her Islamic school will open in July and is set to become a popular Hollywood spiritual haunt for many celebrities.

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