will.i.am carries Olympic torch
The Black Eyed Peas star will.i.am has carried the Olympic flame through the English city of Taunton to the cheers of thousands. He was the surprise addition to the torch relay on Monday and performed a short Michael Jackson moonwalk as the crowd roared. The musician, whose real name is William Adams, says he's known for about a year that he'd carry the torch but was told not to reveal it. When it all started, he held his phone in the air, asking residents to follow him on Twitter. * AP
Lady Gaga allowed second Manila show
Lady Gaga was allowed to hold a second concert in Manila last night after state censors ruled her act was within legal bounds. Officials who monitored the first show on Monday found no violations of the permit banning "nudity, blasphemy and lewd conduct". Close to 40,000 fans attended her two dates. Conservative Christians staged protests, calling Gaga's songs blasphemous.At Monday's concert, Lady Gaga said she was "not a creature of your government" before belting out her controversial song Judas. * AFP
Houston's last recording released
Whitney Houston's final recording, a song titled Celebrate, is to be released. The track is a duet with Jordin Sparks from Houston's last movie, a remake of the film Sparkle. The song debuted on Monday on Ryan Seacrest's website and will be available on iTunes from June 5. Sparks performed a tribute to Houston on Sunday night at the Billboard Music Awards, singing I Will Always Love You as Houston's daughter Bobbi Kristina wiped away tears. Sparkle opens in cinemas in August. * AP
Iranian film noir casts spell in Cannes
An Iranian film noir about an academic who returns home after two decades in the West to a family and country he no longer recognises made a splash at the Cannes film festival. A Respectable Family is the feature debut of the 39-year-old Tehran documentary maker Massoud Bakhshi. "I wanted to explore things that are not necessarily shown in the media, things from everyday life," Bakhshi said. His priority is to show the film in Iran. "Maybe it will take time." * AFP