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Paul, Ringo Hail Hometown As European Culture Capital

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 28, 2007

Britons Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr will pay tribute to their native city when Liverpool becomes European Capital of Culture next year.

'I'm very excited about Liverpool being the European Capital of Culture in 2008,' McCartney said in a video message during the launch event Thursday. 'We have a fantastic series of events, which are sure to get you excited, too.'

The ex-Beatle will headline a June 1 concert for more than 30,000 people at the Liverpool Football Club's Anfield stadium.

Starr - along with Eurythmics founder Dave Stewart and the Liverpool Symphony Orchestra - will lead the opening ceremony Jan. 12 with 'Liverpool The Musical,' a tribute to the city's musical heritage.

Each year, two cities in European Union nations hold the title of culture capital, a designation that's a boost for jobs and tourism.

Fox Enters Not Guilty Plea
Vivica A. Fox pleaded not guilty to drunken driving Thursday, six months after she was stopped for allegedly driving 80 mph and weaving in a traffic lane on the Los Angeles area's Ventura Freeway.

Fox wasn't in Superior Court as her attorney entered her plea to two misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence and driving with a blood-alcohol level over the legal limit of 0.08.

If convicted, the former 'Dancing With the Stars' contestant could face up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Fox, 43, was stopped March 20 in the San Fernando Valley after her 2007 Cadillac Escalade passed a California Highway Patrol car, according to a highway patrol report.

Bono Losing Sleep Over Myanmar Unrest

Bono says he had 'slept uneasily' since seeing extraordinary photos and TV footage of the violence in Myanmar, and is praying for the country's pro-democracy demonstrators.

After a month of mostly peaceful demonstrations against Myanmar's military government, security forces opened fire on protesters Wednesday, and witnesses said police beat and detained dozens of Buddhist monks.

'It is extraordinary to see the Buddhist monks, isn't it? Their nonviolence may, I pray, win out over the ugliness of the situation,' the U2 frontman said.

'There is jeopardy. I slept uneasily last night, and I'm sure everyone else that watched did, too,' Bono said. 'How far are they going to have to go?'

The 47-year-old singer said he had met Aung San Suu Kyi, the pro-democracy leader of Myanmar's opposition National League for Democracy Party.

'U2 actually wrote a song - 'Walk On' - for her,' Bono said.

Gere Kiss Still Haunts Indian Actress

Five months later, Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty is still feeling the effects of a kiss from Richard Gere.

Immigration officials at India's airport in Mumbai briefly detained Shetty, saying she was still wanted for obscenity charges filed in the wake of the public kiss with the Hollywood star, her publicist, Dale Bhagwagar, said Thursday.

Shetty was in tears late Wednesday after being stopped at the airport while on her way to Berlin where the musical 'Miss Bollywood' opens this weekend, said Bhagwagar. Shetty plays the musical's lead role.

'She called me in the middle of the night and was in tears,' said Bhagwagar, adding Shetty was finally permitted to join her dance troupe after prolonged questioning.

Today's Birthdays

Blues singer Koko Taylor is 79. Actress Brigitte Bardot is 73. Comedian Janeane Garofalo is 43. Actress Mira Sorvino is 40. Rhythm-and-blues singer Sean Levert (Levert) is 39. Actress Naomi Watts is 39. Rapper Young Jeezy is 30. Actress Hilary Duff is 20.

Source: The Associated Press

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