Harry Potter fans can look forward to a magical Halloween treat, courtesy of J K Rowling. The author announced on her website – www.pottermore.com – that she has written a new 1,700 word story about the witch and Hogwarts professor Dolores Umbridge. The story will be published on October 31 on the site. Rowling said it would include her "revealing first-person thoughts" about Umbridge. The character first appeared in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the fifth of the seven books in Rowling's multimillion-selling series. Imelda Staunton played her in the film adaptations. – AP
Arab Idol winner Mohammed Assaf planning arts centre in Gaza
Mohammed Assaf, the winner of last year's Arab Idol television singing competition says he wants to give something back to Gaza, where he grew up, by setting up an arts centre to nurture young musicians, writers and actors. The centre would be funded by Palestinian-Americans who have pledged support, the 24-year-old said. He is waiting for a new Palestinian unity government to establish a foothold in Gaza before moving forward with the plans. Assaf, who grew up in Gaza's Khan Younis refugee camp, has visited Gaza twice this year. "Both times, I found Gazans to be very sad, but this time I see much more sadness," he said. "My generation is frustrated. Everyone I met asked me to help them leave the country. They want to leave because they have no hope. Problems here are so big and complicated. Blockade, division, wars." Assaf said he felt equally hopeless before last year's competition. He couldn't find a job after college and dreamed of a civil-service job for US$300 (Dh 1,100) a month, he said. "Thank God I had this rare opportunity," he said. – AP
Queen Elizabeth takes to Twitter
Queen Elizabeth II has sent her first tweet – though she kept things traditional, signing off with "Elizabeth R". The 88-year-old monarch tried her hand at Twitter at the weekend as she opened a new gallery in central London's Science Museum, taking off a glove to press a tablet screen as 600 guests looked on. The message: "I hope people will enjoy visiting" the exhibition, was sent instantly through the official British monarchy account on the social media website. "Elizabeth R" is how the queen signs official documents. The "R" stands for "regina" – Latin for queen. Officials said the message came "personally" from the queen, although some observers were sceptical – it appeared to have been typed ahead of time and appears to have been sent using the Twitter for iPhone app, even though the video showed the queen was using a tablet device. Officials wouldn't say if the queen personally wrote the message or comment on the electronic discrepancy. In 1976, the queen became the first monarch to send an email. – AP
Goodfellas actor sues Fox over Simpsons’ mafia character
The Goodfellas actor Frank Sivero is suing Fox Television for US$250 million (Dh918m) for allegedly ripping off his cinematic mobster character and using it on The Simpsons. According to a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles last week, Sivero also claims producers of the hit cartoon series promised to make a film with him but backed out and had simply been using him to study his character. Sivero played Frankie Carbone in Martin Scorsese's classic 1990 mob drama Goodfellas. He says The Simpsons stole the character and used it for Louie, a member of the Springfield Mafia. The parent company of Fox Television Studios, 21st Century Fox, did not comment. – AFP
Keira Knightley to make Broadway debut
The British actress Keira Knightley will make her Broadway debut next year in an adaptation of the Émile Zola play Thérèse Raquin. The 29-year-old star of the Pirates of the Caribbean films will take on the lead role in the tale of love, lust, betrayal and guilt, which will open on October 29. Knightley will play Thérèse, who is in a loveless marriage when she embarks on a passionate affair that ends in tragedy. The adaptation of the 19th-century novel is by Helen Edmundson, and the production will be directed by Evan Cabnet. Knightley rose to fame in Britain with the smash-hit football film Bend It Like Beckham. She was nominated for a best-actress Oscar in 2006 for her portrayal of Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. She made her West End theatre debut in London with Moliere's The Misanthrope in 2009. – AFP
William Shatner in talks to return as Captain Kirk
William Shatner may be returning to Star Trek's final frontier one more time. The actor, the original captain James T Kirk, says he is meeting soon with Roberto Orci, the director of the Star Trek 3, the third film in the rebooted franchise focusing on the younger versions of the famous characters, to discuss the possibility of reprising his version of Kirk. "I had a talk with him the other day," says Shatner. "So there's talk – simply talk – about the next movie." Shatner has said J J Abrams, who produced and directed the 2009's Star Trek and its sequel, Star Trek: Into Darkness last year, recently told him Orci had an idea about how Shatner might appear in the next film, which stars Chris Pine as the young Kirk. Shatner says he would do the movie if it was a meaningful part, "a role that had something to do with the turning of the plot." Still, the 83-year-old actor admitted he was not sure how they'd bring him back – 20 years after his character was killed off in the film Star Trek: Generations. – AP
Shakira launching range of baby toys
Shakira is partnering with toymaker Fisher-Price to launch a line of baby toys and a web series for moms. The company, which is owned by Mattel, said that the First Steps collection of toys and baby gear would go on sale in November. The Colombian singer co-developed six products, including a bouncer that plays music, alphabet blocks and a musical football in honour of her boyfriend, Gerard Piqué, who plays for Spanish side Barcelona. All of the profits will benefit her Barefoot Foundation, which provides education and nutrition to children in impoverished parts of Colombia. The Grammy-winning singer, who has a 21-month-old son Milan and is expecting her second child, is the first celebrity Fisher-Price has partnered with. "I saw how important developmental milestones are and how toys can help babies reach them – including with my own son," Shakira said. "I wanted to design a line of toys that stimulated development in the crucial early stages of life, the stages in which learning can be achieved through supervised play, fostering the development of psychological, social and motor skills." The 12-part web series begins on Monday, October 27. Some of the minute-long episodes will feature her son. – AP
John Denver gets star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
The late American singer-songwriter John Denver has been honoured with a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. He received the walk's 2,531st star on Friday, 17 years after he died in a plane crash at the age of 53. Denver's son, Zak Deutschendorf, and daughter, Jesse Belle Denver, attended the ceremony. Denver rose to fame in the 1970s with a series of sunny, optimistic songs that included Rocky Mountain High, Thank God I'm a Country Boy and Annie's Song. Friday's unveiling coincided with the opening of a month-long Hollywood exhibition of his photos, titled Sweet Sweet Life: The Photographic Works of John Denver. – AP
NBCUniversal to pay US$6.4 million settlement to unpaid interns
Nearly 9,000 unpaid interns stand to benefit from a US$6.4 million (Dh25.50m) settlement with television broadcaster NBCUniversal over wages. Unpaid interns who worked on Saturday Night Live and other shows took legal action last July in the Manhattan federal court claiming NBCUniversal had violated the law by classifying them as non-employee interns and paid them nothing or less than minimum wage, when they were actually doing employee work. NBCUniversal said in court documents that even though it was settling the suit, it denied the allegations and did not admit any wrongdoing. The average amount that class-action members of the suit will receive is $505 before taxes, although the main plaintiffs will receive more. The settlement still has to be approved by a judge. Unpaid internships have long been a way for students and young graduates to get a foot in the door in many industries, providing experience and contacts – if they can afford to work for free. But in the last few years, unpaid internships have come under legal scrutiny. Last June, a federal judge in New York ruled that Fox Searchlight Pictures had violated minimum-wage and overtime laws by not paying interns who worked on the 2010 movie Black Swan. Other lawsuits were filed against record companies, magazine publishers, modelling agencies and television talk-show hosts. Some companies, including Condé Nast, subsequently did away with their internship programs. – AP
Las Vegas gives Britney Spears the key to the Strip
The pop star Britney Spears is getting a key to the Las Vegas Strip and a special day dedicated to her. Casino company Caesars Entertainment said it would host Britney Day at The LINQ Promenade starting from 5.30pm on November 5. From 8am, the first 100 people who can prove that their names are Britney will get two tickets to Spears's Piece of Me show at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino and a ride on the High Roller observation wheel. – AP
James Cordon to debut as host of the Late Late Show on March 9
CBS has set March 9 as the date when the comic James Corden will debut as host of The Late Late Show. The English comic is replacing the Scotsman Craig Ferguson, who is leaving the show on December 18 after 10 years. Corden, 36, won a Tony Award in 2012 for his role in the play One Man, Two Guvnors and appeared in the recent film Begin Again with Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo. His arrival is part of CBS's late-night overhaul, which will also see Stephen Colbert replace David Letterman as host of the Late Show. – AP
Tax fraud trial of Jersey Shore star to begin in December
A judge has set a December date for the trial for a former cast member of MTV's reality show Jersey Shore, who is facing federal tax charges. Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino and his brother, Marc, appeared in court on Thursday in Newark, New Jersey, as the judge said their trial would begin on December 2. Last month they were charged with filing bogus tax returns and inflating business expenses to avoid paying taxes on nearly US$9million (Dh33m) in income over a three-year period. They have pleaded not guilty. – AP