OneRepublic to play February gig in Dubai

Plus: the singer Jenni Rivera dies in plane crash; Amour takes top prize from LA film critics; Cheryl Cole sues The X Factor US; Rolling Stones play 50th anniversary gig.

OneRepublic will be among the headline acts of the Emirates Airline Dubai Jazz Festival. Courtesy Chillout Productions

The American pop-rock band OneRepublic will join Deep Purple and 3 Doors Down as the headline acts of the 11th Emirates Airline Dubai Jazz Festival. OneRepublic will perform on February 14 at Festival Park, Dubai Festival City. In August the band released a new track, Feel Again, part of their forthcoming new album. For more information, visit www.dubaijazzfest.com. * The National staff

Singer Jenni Rivera dies in plane crash

The Mexican-American singer Jenni Rivera died in a plane crash after the small jet she was travelling in went down in northern Mexico. Speaking after the wreckage was discovered, the singer's father, Pedro Rivera, told Telemundo television that all seven of the people on board the plane, including two pilots, had died. It was not clear what caused the crash. Rivera, 43, was heading for the city of Toluca in central Mexico after a concert in Monterrey on Saturday. Born in California, she sold some 15 million records in her career and received Grammy nominations. * Reuters

Amour takes top prize from LA film critics

Michael Haneke's French-language drama Amour was chosen on Sunday as the year's best film by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, whose prizes are among a flurry of year-end honours that help sort out the Oscars race. The 1950s-set cult drama The Master earned four awards: Best Director for Paul Thomas Anderson, Best Actor for Joaquin Phoenix, Best Supporting Actress for Amy Adams and Best Production Design. Amour's star Emmanuelle Riva, who plays an elderly woman being cared for by her husband, shared the Best Actress honour in a tie with Jennifer Lawrence of Silver Linings Playbook. The newcomer Dwight Henry was chosen as Best Supporting Actor for Beasts of the Southern Wild. The Best Screenplay award went to Ben Affleck's Iran hostage-crisis thriller Argo. Next up on Hollywood's awards calendar are the Screen Actors Guild nominations tomorrow and the Golden Globe nominations on Thursday. * AP

Cheryl Cole sues The X Factor US over firing

Cheryl Cole has sued The X Factor US for US$2.3 million (Dh8.4m) for not paying dues after sacking her as a judge last year. The British pop star was fired by Simon Cowell after filming just two audition episodes. The lawsuit claims her contract guaranteed remuneration even if she was taken off the show. Aside from the $2m salary she was supposed to receive for the show's second season, Cole is asking for miscellaneous expenses promised, such as wardrobe, travel and living expenses. *IANS

Rolling Stones play first US show of anniversary tour

The Rolling Stones were in rollicking form as they rocked the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Saturday, their first US show on a tour marking 50 years as a rock band. "People ask us why we've been doing this for so long," said Mick Jagger, thanking the crowd for its loyalty. "The answer is we do it for you." Jagger was joined by the guitarists Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood, and the drummer Charlie Watts. Mary J Blige performed Gimme Shelter with Jagger. The band played 23 songs, including two new ones, then closed the show with Satisfaction. * AP

Senator to MTV: cancel Buck Wild series

The US Senator Joe Manchin is asking MTV to cancel the West Virginia-based reality show Buck Wild, scheduled to air on January 3. Manchin said the show profits from "poor decisions of our youth" and plays to inaccurate stereotypes about the people of his home state. A trailer of the series shows the cast driving four-wheelers, fighting and using a dumper truck as a pool. * AP