Child social services 'declining' - BBC News

Child social services 'declining' - BBC News
Services for vulnerable children deteriorated last year and remain the weakest area of councils' work, the Audit Commission has said. Haringey, where the Baby P scandal took place, was among four English councils to go from a three star rating to one

Facebook to let users create public versions of pages - Independent
Facebook, operator of the world’s largest social-networking site, is redesigning its service to let people create public profile pages and allow celebrities and businesses to reach users more easily. In the next few months, customers will be able

Government to brief unions, employers on economy - Irish Times
The Government is to brief unions and employer representatives on the state of the economy at a special meeting today. The talks will the first formal contact between the Government and the unions since the collapse of talks on an agreed economic

Europe scraps Microsoft scrutiny - TechWorld
Operating Systems and Servers News 05 March 2009 Europe scraps Microsoft scrutiny By Paul Meller, IDG news service The European Commission is to cease to monitor Microsoft's compliance to the EC's anti-trust ruling, five years after it was first

Chinese premier promises economic growth - CNN Money
BEIJING (CNN) -- The National People's Congress -- the marquee event of China's political calendar -- opened Thursday with Premier Wen Jiabao pledging economic growth amid a growing national deficit and the global financial crisis. But Wen did not

Obama administration goes after cable chatter (AP)

Obama administration goes after cable chatter (AP)

AP - Besides Rush Limbaugh and CNBC's Rick Santelli, the Obama administration has a more generic media target: "cable chatter."

Michael Jackson Is Coming To London, It Says Here

OK, let's play a game - how long before Michael Jackson cancels his big comeback concerts in London? Because, let's face it, he will. Although Michael Jackson is supposedly going to announce a spectacular series of 30 comeback concerts at London's O2 tomorrow, there can't be anyone who's actually expecting them to, you know, happen. So what'll it be? Will Michael Jackson ditch the concerts once he's accepted the cheque? Will he pull out at the last possible second? Or will he perform the shows, regain his place in the pop elite and never look back? No, we're just messing. He won't.

Melissa Sounds Off On 'Bachelor' Split

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Fans may be in an uproar over "Bachelor" Jason Mesnick's dumping of Melissa Rycroft on national TV - but Melissa said she doesn't want anyone to feel sorry for her. In a statement released to Access Hollywood on Wednesday, Melissa said she has no regrets over her "Bachelor" experience. But did she actually know about the breakup before the "After the Rose" taping?

Producer: `Bachelor' finale wasn't fixed (AP)

AP - Was Jason Mesnick's change of heart on "The Bachelor" staged for the cameras to capture big ratings? Not so, according to the show's executive producer.

THU: Exclusive: Rihanna Crime Scene Photos

"Extra" has obtained photos from Rihanna's crime scene -- inside Chris Brown's Lamborghini after the alleged attack. Bloodstains, fingerprints and signs of a struggle -- is this the evidence that can put Brown away?

DA: Chris Brown Expected In Court Thursday

Prosecutors say Chris Brown is expected in a Los Angeles court Thursday, despite that they have yet to file charges.

Angelina Jolie's Evelyn A. Salt Is a Chameleon

A third image of Angelina on the set of Salt is out, showing yet another of Evelyn's mysterious looks. Yesterday you were pretty split, though slightly favoring her brunette hair, so where does this one fall on the scale? I'm not sure it's going to steal any votes for her hottest look. Brad's fellow founders of Not on Our Watch, George Clooney and Matt Damon, have had an active few weeks traveling to Africa and speaking about their experiences, so maybe it's Brad's turn next. Though while he's on a break from filming, Angelina is hard at work on Salt, and it's his turn to play daddy babysitter to their six kids instead of jetting off on an adventure. Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures

Gosh! Angelina Jolie’s Hair! It’s Very Very Slightly Different!

Sit down for this one, it's huge - Angelina Jolie's haircut looks marginally different to how it usually looks.

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JENNIFER Aniston's honey-colored highlights and unadorned 'do on the red carpet only look effort less - in reality, the laid-back-looking locks cost...

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Rumors are flying that Chris Brown and Rihanna got married this past weekend. Keywords: celebrity gossip , celebrity love , celebrity love lives , celebrity rumors , Chris Brown , domestic abuse , rihanna , Rihanna and Chris Brown , rihanna chris brown , rihanna rumors Bookmark/Share this post with: read more

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AP - The executive producer of "The Bachelor" says that Jason Mesnick's change of heart was not staged.

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After four years of shacking up, breaking down, hiding out and a butterfly-like reemergence, Britney Spears took the stage for her first arena tour...

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Virgin Media content chief Malcolm Wall to leave the company - Media Week Online

Virgin Media content chief Malcolm Wall to leave the company - Media Week Online
LONDON - The sale of Virgin Media's content division looks increasingly likely after it was announced today that Malcolm Wall, chief executive of Virgin Media's content division, is to leave the company next month. Malcolm Wall, chief executive of

Ex-Gen Re executive to be sentenced for fraud - Danbury News-Times
HARTFORD, Conn.—A former senior vice president at General Re Corp. is to be sentenced for an accounting fraud scandal that authorities say cost shareholders of insurer American International Group Inc. more than $500 million. Christopher Garand is

Shakespeare & Company announces its 2009 season - Berkshire Eagle
LENOX — "If music be the food of love, play on," Orsino says at the opening of William Shakespeare's comedy, "Twelfth Night." Playing on, says Tina Packer, is what Shakespeare & Company intends to do in its 32nd season — Packer's last as the

St. Paul school board hopes for Carstarphen replacement by fall 2010 - Pioneer Press
But they made no decisions regarding the search process during the first meeting between the board and Superintendent Meria Carstarphen since she announced she was leaving to lead Austin, Texas, schools. Nobody mentioned Austin during the hourlong

Most Emailed Odd News - Yahoo News
Woman wins house in raffle after husband laid off AP - Tue Feb 24, 9:05 PM ET Sent 87 times DANVILLE, Calif. - Susan Wells was thrilled to learn she'd won a $2 million house in a raffle days after her husband had been laid off from his job. "I'm

Hollywood will be watching 'The Watchmen' closely

Midway through the graphic novel Watchmen, someone spray-paints a message on a New York wall about the vigilante superheroes: ...

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Britney Spears descended from the New Orleans Arena ceiling and back into fans' hearts Tuesday night, restarting her career after years of tabloid tumult with a bump-and-grind performance on a Big Top stage. "Ahhh Britney!" gushed one concert-goer via a Twitter message posted on Spears's Web site, which live-blogged the show in words and cell-phone photos. As the pop star launched her first tour in five years, the 16-song set began with Spears, 27, being lowered from the rafters in a cage and breaking into the single "Circus," followed by "Piece of Me" and "Radar" with stripper-pole dancing. "Oh my god, she looks amazing," said Joshua Matassa, 23, from New Orleans. "And the show's a spectacle – it really looks like a three-ring circus."

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E! Online - Usher doesn't approve of Chris Brown's jet-skiing.

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NCAA Basketball 09 has been in stores since November, but for those not quite invested enough in college hoops to drop $60 on the game, EA Sports has another option coming this month. On March 11, the publisher will release NCAA Basketball 09: March Madness Edition exclusively for the Xbox 360 via the Xbox Live Marketplace. The downloadable iteration will be a pared-down edition that initially contains only the teams that made last year's tourney, while a March 18 update will deliver the 65 teams announced for the 2009 tournament. "We really wanted to make our game available to a wider selection of fans that are drawn to college basketball by the passion, excitement and drama that surrounds March Madness," said Connor Dougan, producer on the game at EA Canada. "Fans will be able to experience the tournament, feel the adrenaline rush that comes with a single loss elimination tournament and write their own history." NCAA Basketball 09: March Madness Edition will be available for 1200 Microsoft points ($15).

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Spears' Circus tour kicked off tonight in New Orleans

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Sob-stained reality finales, from Bachelor to Girls Next Door, put up big ratings; American Idol remains TV's No. 1 show

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The Disney Channel is going back to school with "High School Musical 4." The fourth iteration of the popular musical franchise will begin production later this year and premiere in 2010.

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Megan Fox lines up two film projects

Megan Fox lines up two film projects

Megan Fox is ditching the robots and taking her career to Western and underwater frontiers.

Katie Holmes Is Tired Of Lies

Katie Holmes has had enough of the rumors and lies about her family. She tells April's issue of Glamour that "enough is enough" and that no, she's "not pregnant." Keywords: celebrity babies , celebrity love lives , celebrity rumors , Katie Holmes , suri , Tom Cruise , TomKat Bookmark/Share this post with: read more

David Beckham Hates L.A.

Paying mucho money for Milan. It was not so very long ago that David Beckham seemed quite anxious to leave dreary old England for the sunshiny Golden State. But now it seems the hazy days have gotten to the strappin&apos baller. Beckham wants out of L.A. - and quick. And he&aposs willing to fork over big bucks to escape the City of Angels. David is so determined to get out of his contract with the L.A. Galaxy that he&aposs willing to spend his own cash to exercise a buyout clause that would free him from the team and allow him to return to Milan to play with AC Milan. Apparently, Becks will reach into his very deep pockets to be able to continue playing with AC Milan through May. Then, he&aposll return to L.A. to finish out the second half of the Galaxy&aposs season. Then, he&aposll buyout his contract from the Galaxy at the end of their season in November so he can go back to AC Milan. That&aposs a whole lot of back and forth and a whole lot of money - even for a jet-setting, multi-millionaire like David Beckham. Either Milan is really good or L.A. is really bad. Hopefully, David convinced Vicky of the former. She seemed quite sold on life in LaLa Land.

Miley Cyrus Chronicles 'Friendless, Lonely & Miserable' Early Years In New Book

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Miley Cyrus might be an international teen sensation with millions of fans around the world, but life has not always been so sweet for the teen star. According to Miley, her pre-teen years were "friendless, lonely and miserable." In her new book, "Miley Cyrus: Miles To Go," which hit bookstores on Tuesday, the pop star described her tortured pre-teen Tennessee school days, her rise to fame and heartbreak with a fellow Disney star.

It's Britney – One More Time!

Britney Spears descended from the New Orleans Arena ceiling and back into fans' hearts Tuesday night, restarting her career after years of tabloid tumult with a bump-and-grind performance on a Big Top stage. "Ahhh Britney!" gushed one concert-goer via a Twitter message posted on Spears's Web site, which live-blogged the show in words and cell-phone photos. As the pop star launched her first tour in five years, the 16-song set began with Spears, 27, being lowered from the rafters in a cage and breaking into the single "Circus," followed by "Piece of Me" and Radar" with stripper-pole dancing. "Oh my god, she looks amazing," said Joshua Matassa, 23, from New Orleans. "And the show's a spectacle – it really looks like a three-ring circus."

Usher Blasts Jet-Skiing Chris Brown for "Lack of Remorse" (E! Online)

E! Online - Usher doesn't approve of Chris Brown's jet-skiing.

Bachelor Host Dishes on Shocking Finale (E! Online)

E! Online - "You've got to be joking!"

Police: These online deals were really hot - Providence Journal

Police: These online deals were really hot - Providence Journal
Daniel Goldstein in District Court yesterday. The Providence Journal Bob Breidenbach PROVIDENCE –– Jane Dillon knows all about how some great deals on the Web site craigslist.org can be true steals. On Friday, she saw her bass guitar — stolen

Geothermal explorer Panax teams up with Adelaide Energy - Adelaide Now
OTWAY Basin geothermal explorer Panax has teamed up with Adelaide Energy to share data and facilities over commonly explored areas in the Penola region. Panax holds geothermal exploration rights in the area, while Adelaide Energy is exploring for oil

First Qatar-Abu Dhabi coral reef mapping completed - Peninsula
DOHA: The Ministry of Environment and the Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi; with the support of the Dolphin Energy and international agencies have completed the first-ever coral reef mapping of Abu Dhabi and Eastern Qatar. Launched in 2005, the three

India Hot Stocks: Orissa Sponge jumps on raised open offer bid - Reuters India
MUMBAI, March 4 (Reuters) - The following stocks were on the move at the BSE on Wednesday. At 10:24 a.m., the benchmark 30-share BSE index .BSESN was up 0.11 percent at 8,436.34 points. The 50-share National Stock Exchange Index .NSEI was up 0.16

Rival bills pushed on hot language issue - Edmond Sun
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma lawmakers have a choice this year: English as the “official” language of the state versus English as the “common” language. Two measures addressing a touchy subject for many Oklahomans — communications with their

Petrosino propels Centerville into district final - Dayton Daily News
Who : Centerville vs. Dublin Coffman When : 5 p.m. Saturday, March 7 Where : Dispatch Ice Haus at Nationwide Arena Note : Winner advances to the Final Four March 14-15 at Nationwide Arena Nick Petrosino gave a clinic on how a hot goaltender can

Viewers livid over 'Bachelor'

Viewers livid over 'Bachelor'

Women especially have harsh words for Jason, and some accuse the show of staging all of it.

Text Alexander Graham Bell "Hppy Bday" On This Phone

I've been waiting for this day all year. In case you were unaware, today is the birthday of one of the world's greatest heroes - the inventor of the telephone. That's right. That little iPhone or Crackberry you're currently clutching would not be part of your life without this man. In order to properly celebrate his birthday, I thought it would be a good opportunity to take a closer look at some very fashionable phones. What do ya think? Is Alex G. a Prada man? Nah, that beard screams Gucci. We all know the devil wears Prada, but did you know her phone does too? The Italian designer brand - best known for their shoes and handbags - has teamed up with LG Electronics to produce a special edition phone. It comes with a touch screen and Qwerty keyboard, which is pretty nifty. But it's Prada-ness is most nifty of all. Of course, Prada doesn't come cheap. At $817 a pop it's not an impulse buy, but it will make all your fashionista friends green with envy. And who doesn’t want their phone to match their purse?

Penn to lobby for Harvey Milk Day in Calif.

Fresh from his best actor Oscar for his performance as Harvey Milk, Sean Penn is pushing California to officially recognize the late gay politician's birthday.

Octomom 'Fears' Oprah, Nadya Suleman Writes in Radar Blog

Octomom ‘fears’ Oprah Winfrey and was ‘shocked,’ ‘worried and anxious’ when her dad, Ed Doud, appeared on her talk show, Suleman writes in her online blog

'The Bachelor' dumps fiancee Melissa for runner-up (AP)

AP - "The Bachelor" had a change of heart, leaving his fiancee in a lurch and viewers up in arms.

Rihanna’s Family All Narked Off About Her Chris Brown Reunion

Rihanna and Chris Brown are just like Romeo And Juliet - alright, half Romeo And Juliet and half Kickboxer 2. But that's not the point. The point is that Rihanna and Chris Brown's love can't be halted - not by media intrusion, not by tabloid speculation, not by Chris Brown allegedly going berserk, repeatedly punching Rihanna in the face and then choking her into unconsciousness because she discovered he was cheating on her. And now that Rihanna and Chris Brown are apparently back together, guess how Rihanna's family are reacting. Are they thrilled or overjoyed or a little bit arsed off? You'll never guess.

Sean Penn Fights for Harvey Milk Holiday

Hopes his Oscar will help. Sean Penn is hoping to use his Oscar as an agent of change. The actor, who won the Best Actor prize for his portrayal of openly-gay San Francisco Board of Supervisors member, Harvey Milk, is pushing for Milk's birthday to be recognized as a "day of significance" in California. He's facing some tough opposition, however, from California's fine governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Schwarzenegger vetoed the bill last year and maintains that Milk's birthday should only be recognized in San Francisco. However, State Senator Mark Leno plans to reintroduce a bill today that argues that Penn's Oscar win proves Milk has a larger significance. And Penn's going to help him do it. The actor will reportedly be at Leno's side when he introduces the bill. We're of two minds on this issue. On the one hand, Milk certainly deserves to be recognized and honored - officially - for his contribution to gay rights, human rights, and the tolerance he fought so hard to inspire in others. And not just in San Francisco. On the other hand, a day honoring Harvey Milk would mean so much more if the ideals Harvey stood for were fully realized. Until gay marriage is legal in California, it's hard to celebrate the equality, optimism, and opportunity Harvey devoted his life to. But maybe you have to start somewhere. What do you think about honoring Harvey Milk with a "day of significance"?

Spears returns in first concert tour in 5 years (AP)

AP - When Britney Spears kicks off her first tour in five years, it may seem as if she's picking up where she left off in 2004: She'll be promoting a platinum album with a grandiose stage show, a chiseled body and elaborately choreographed moves on display.

Paula Abdul: Ready for a Fashion Refuel?

No one does outlandish fashion better than American Idol judge, Paula Abdul. She's colorful, creative and kooky, and you've gotta love that! Here's a gallery of her wildest, wackiest looks.

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Hopes his Oscar will help. Sean Penn is hoping to use his Oscar as an agent of change. The actor, who won the Best Actor prize for his portrayal of openly-gay San Francisco Board of Supervisors member, Harvey Milk, is pushing for Milk's birthday to be recognized as a "day of significance" in California. He's facing some tough opposition, however, from California's fine governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Schwarzenegger vetoed the bill last year and maintains that Milk's birthday should only be recognized in San Francisco. However, State Senator Mark Leno plans to reintroduce a bill today that argues that Penn's Oscar win proves Milk has a larger significance. And Penn's going to help him do it. The actor will reportedly be at Leno's side when he introduces the bill. We're of two minds on this issue. On the one hand, Milk certainly deserves to be recognized and honored - officially - for his contribution to gay rights, human rights, and the tolerance he fought so hard to inspire in others. And not just in San Francisco. On the other hand, a day honoring Harvey Milk would mean so much more if the ideals Harvey stood for were fully realized. Until gay marriage is legal in California, it's hard to celebrate the equality, optimism, and opportunity Harvey devoted his life to. But maybe you have to start somewhere. What do you think about honoring Harvey Milk with a "day of significance"?

read more...

Rihanna and Chris Brown are just like Romeo And Juliet - alright, half Romeo And Juliet and half Kickboxer 2. But that's not the point. The point is that Rihanna and Chris Brown's love can't be halted - not by media intrusion, not by tabloid speculation, not by Chris Brown allegedly going berserk, repeatedly punching Rihanna in the face and then choking her into unconsciousness because she discovered he was cheating on her. And now that Rihanna and Chris Brown are apparently back together, guess how Rihanna's family are reacting. Are they thrilled or overjoyed or a little bit arsed off? You'll never guess.

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E! Online - Chris Brown has been banned by radio stations, suspended by Wrigley gum and not exactly asked back for a second frosty glass by the "Got Milk?" campaign.

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Host explains how Jason's decision unfolded, what Melissa and Molly knew, and when they knew it

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Jennifer Aniston was back in her comfy jeans making her way through Heathrow airport today after a long week promoting Marley & Me around Europe. Yesterday's stop was in London where she looked as perfect as ever next to her costar Owen Wilson. Back in the states, John Mayer's been hard at work and maintaining his attempts to stay out of the spotlight, but he still has time to keep up his Twitter. Yesterday he even wrote about voting for himself as a keeper in a poll asking whether he and Jen will last. We agree with John's vote as he continues to find sweet ways to let Jennifer know he's thinking about her while she is overseas. View 10 Photos › To see more photos of Jen at the airport just read more. View 10 Photos › INFDaily.com

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AP - Fresh from his best actor Oscar for his performance as Harvey Milk, Sean Penn is pushing California to officially recognize the late gay politician's birthday.

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As Jimmy Fallon prepared to debut as host of NBC’s “Late Night,“ he found his predecessor, Conan O’Brien, in his dressing room, still packing up.

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'The Doll Bachelor': Shocker!

'The Doll Bachelor': Shocker!

Cliff proposes to a lucky lady while juggling a major life event. Plus, talk about tonight's ''Bachelor''

John Mayer Says He's The One for Jen, America Disagrees

Booted out of his own relationship. Sometimes John Mayer makes me laugh. I can't say I'm proud of it. I can't even really explain why. OK, that's a lie - a full-grown man in a very, very, very skimpy suspendered swimsuit is pretty much a guaranteed laugh out loud moment. But this time the face-maker and would-be world-changer had me turning my frown upside down, and no unmentionables were required. Here's why. People magazine recently posted a poll on their website. To commemorate John and Jen's one-year anniversary, they asked the question people the world over are dying to know: "Is John Mayer The One?" They offered two choices: "Love Him" or "Lose Him" and people could vote on whether they thought John was the one for Jen. And vote people did. People, including John Mayer himself. John weighed in on the fate of his own relationship. And while Jen will be happy to know he voted "Love Him," she may be dismayed to find out that the rest of America came in on the "Lose Him" side.  John sure was. He posted the following to his Twitter (with a hint of irony, we hope): "I just voted on People's "Is John Mayer a Keeper?" poll. I clicked "Love Him" but "Lose Him" is winning at 63%." I realize it's probably odd that someone wants to join total strangers in voting on the future success of their own relationship and even stranger that they then go on to Twitter about it, but it's also kind of funny. It's just the kind of thing I can see Rachel Green doing, actually - if Friends had lasted long enough to see the days of blogs, Twitter and the like. And that kind of makes me feel warm and fuzzy about the allegedly happy couple. Or maybe that's just the wine. Either way, I say "Love Him," at least for today.

Jimmy Fallon: How'd he do?

Ken Tucker cuts the host some slack, but he seemed nervous -- and very grateful for Justin Timberlake

Jimmy Fallon Pulls His First Late Nighter

Late Night With Jimmy Fallon kicks off with Robert De Niro, Justin Timberlake and Van Morrison

The Bachelor chooses...

ABC touted the "Bachelor" finale as the most shocking ever, but did it live up to the hype?

Stars Get Ripped

Ripped jeans are back in fashion thanks to celebs from Miley Cyrus to Katie Holmes.

What to TiVo: Tuesday

Fox is new with American Idol NBC is new with Biggest Loser: Couples and has a repeat of Law and Order: SVU CBS has repeats of NCIS, The Mentalist, and Without a Trace ABC is new with Homeland Security USA, has repeats of Scrubs, and is new with The Bachelor: After the Final Rose The CW is new with the season premiere of Reaper and has a repeat of 90210 Bravo is new with Real Housewives of New York MTV is new with Dogg After Dark TNT is new with Trust Me FX is new with Nip/Tuck Comedy Central is new with The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report Late-night highlights include on Bob Newhart, Rachel Maddow, and Bettye Lavette on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on NBC; Felicity Huffman, Artie Lange, and U2 on Late Show with David Letterman on CBS; and Tina Fey, Jon Bon Jovi, and Santigold on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on NBC

Charm Schooler Accuses Osbourne of Bad Form

Megan Hauserman sues for battery and negligence over alleged hair-pulling incident during taping