No Doubt's lead singer Gwen Stefani and bassist Tony Kanal will mentor the eight remaining finalists on <em>American Idol</em> this week, as they take on the theme of 1980s tunes. On Friday Stefani and Kanal spent five hours inside the studio with the contestants to advise them on their song choices and performances. Stefani appeared on the show last season to style the contestants in her LAMB clothing line. On Thursday, the show's resident clown Heejun Han, a Korean-American singer from New York, was voted off the show after his performance of Leon Russell's <em>A Song for You</em>. <em>American Idol </em>is broadcast on OSN on Thursday and Friday nights. <strong>Usher sets new album release</strong> Usher announced on Friday he will release his seventh studio album, titled <em>Looking for Myself,</em> on June 12. As the album's lead single <em>Climax</em> climbs the R&B and pop charts, Usher says he is putting the final touches to the disc, which features collaborations with Diplo, Rico Love, Salaam Remi, Jim Jonsin and Max Martin. Expectations are high: the seven-time Grammy winner's past three albums have debuted at number one on the Billboard charts and have all gone platinum. <strong>Bieber, Berry slimed at Kids' Choice Awards</strong> At the 25th annual Kids' Choice Awards, the slime runneth over. The host Will Smith opened the event promising a record amount of the show's trademark green gunk. Though some 20 awards are presented at the KCAs, the real suspense isn't who will take home a "Blimp" (the show's Oscar), it's on whom the slime will spill. Halle Berry was the first to be covered. She was joined by Taylor Lautner, Chris Colfer and Justin Bieber, who was utterly drenched along with Smith at the end of the show. Produced by Nickelodeon, the KCAs are the most-watched children's programme of the year. Selena Gomez won for both favourite TV actress and female singer. Adam Sandler took home the award for favourite movie actor. Katy Perry, shortly after performing, was given the award for favourite voice in an animated movie for Smurfs. <strong>* AP</strong> <strong>Abu Dhabi Film Festival call for entries</strong> The Abu Dhabi Film Festival has announced its call for entries for its sixth edition, to be held from October 11 to 20, welcoming feature-length films, documentaries, non-fiction narratives and short films for its variety of competitive and non-competitive sections. Entries will be accepted until July 1. The festival has cemented its reputation as an event that offers the best of international cinema while championing the regional industry by presenting works by Arab filmmakers alongside those by major global talents. For more information on eligibility, awards and prizes, visit www.adff.ae/submit. <strong>Royal Opera House performs tonight</strong> A stellar cast of opera singers and ballet dancers, accompanied by a world-renowned pianist and a quartet of musicians, will perform tonight at 8pm at the Emirates Palace Auditorium, as part of the Abu Dhabi Festival. The show <em>Beloved Friend</em>, written by the Oscar-winning playwright Ronald Harwood, was inspired by the letters between the composer Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky and his muse Nadezhda Von Meck. It features principal dancers of the Royal Ballet and actors including Simon Russell Beale, one of the most acclaimed talents in theatre. Tickets, priced at Dh495, are available at www.timeoutickets.com. <strong>Lindsay Lohan ends probation</strong> A smiling Lindsay Lohan was released on Thursday from almost five years of formal probation, and told by a Los Angeles judge to grow up and stop clubbing. Lohan, 25, was praised for completing months of community service at a Los Angeles morgue and court-ordered psychotherapy. The Los Angeles Superior Court judge Stephanie Sautner sent Lohan on her way with words of warning: "I know it is kind of hard when people are following you all over the place, but that is the life you chose. You need to live your life in a more mature way. Stop the nightclubbing and focus on your work." Lohan has a forthcoming guest part on <em>Glee</em> and a TV movie role as the screen legend Elizabeth Taylor. <strong>* Reuters</strong> <strong>Scary Spice wants to become an Aussie</strong> The former Spice Girl Melanie Brown says she is considering turning her back on Britain to become an Australian citizen. The singer, 36, has spent much of the past 18 months commuting between London, Los Angeles and Sydney and recently made Australia her permanent base. She is a judge on <em>The X Factor Australia</em>. "I've set up shop here," she told Sydney's Sunday <em>Telegraph</em>, adding that her 13-year-old daughter was at a local school. "Hopefully, you are going to want me here for a long time." <strong>* AFP</strong> Follow <strong>Arts & Life on Twitter</strong> to keep up with all the latest news and events
