Matt Damon Ready for Douglas Kiss

MATT DAMON READY FOR DOUGLAS KISS
Matt Damon can't wait to lock lips with Michael Douglas in their new movie.

Matt Damon and Michael Douglas The "Adjustment Bureau" star will play the lover of Michael's flamboyant gay pianist Liberace in the biopic of the same name and Matt is delighted the script calls for more than one smooch between the pair.

He told E!: "It's scripted that there's more than one. I never thought I would get to kiss Michael Douglas!"

Michael - who revealed in January he is in remission for stage four throat cancer - is equally enthusiastic about the project and revealed he had been teasing Matt about their love scenes.

He said: "I'm just going to get really comfortable so it's not a caricature. Matt Damon's going to be my younger lover. God bless Matt."

"I saw Matt and I was teasing him. I was saying, 'Bring a lot of ChapStick, babe.'"

The film will be helmed by Steven Soderbergh - who recently announced his retirement from directing - and Matt doesn't think he will reconsider his decision.

He explained: "I've had a lot of conversations with him about it and he is serious about it. He says that this is last one he's going to do."

Michael has two children, Dylan, 10, and seven-year-old Carys, with wife Catherine Zeta-Jones, while Matt raises 12-year-old stepdaughter Alexia and daughters Isabella, four, Gia, two, and four-month-old Stella with his spouse Luciana.

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Chirac ready to go on trial for graft (AFP)

PARIS (AFP) – Jacques Chirac expects to go on trial Monday, the first former French president to face corruption charges, as alleged murky dealings in his office when he was mayor of Paris finally catch up with him.

But the whole proceeding could come to a halt once again, if a lawyer working for one of his co-defendants succeeds in getting a procedural element of the case referred upwards to France's constitutional court.

Now 78, Chirac has become France's most popular politician since leaving office in 2007, despite being accused of using city funds to pay ghost worker salaries to political allies while he was mayor between 1977 to 1995.

If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in jail and a fine of 150,000 euros (210,000 dollars) on charges including embezzlement and breach of trust.

But Jean-Yves Le Borgne, a lawyer working for one of Chirac's former chiefs of staff, argues a ruling allowing the trial to go ahead despite the period of time that has passed since the alleged crimes is unconstitutional.

Earlier, judges had merged two cases -- once begun by magistrates in the Paris suburb of Nanterre, and another in the city itself.

The Nanterre case began in 1995, and was permitted to investigate acts from 1992 onwards, but the Paris case did not begin until 1998. Le Borgne says this means the merged probe ought not therefore to look so far back.

Le Borgne insists his is a genuine claim, not a defensive manoeuvre, but if judges agree to refer the question to the constitutional court, the whole trial will stop for several months -- even before Chirac appears.

Chirac, best known internationally for his opposition to the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, has denied any knowledge of corrupt payments and his lawyers accuse magistrates of harbouring a hidden political agenda.

Despite being linked to a series of corruption scandals, Chirac has never been convicted and as president from 1995 to 2007 was immune from prosecution.

There have also been reports that Chirac's health has deteriorated -- perhaps even to the point where he would be able to avoid trial -- but in January his wife Bernadette denied he was suffering from Alzheimer's.

At the request of his lawyers, Chirac will not attend the first day of the trial, given over to procedural questions, but he is expected on Tuesday.

A comfortable chair has been provided along with a room where he can rest. The court is expected to be crowded, with over 100 media accredited.

The case involves seven alleged ghost jobs for which Chirac is charged with conflict of interest and the other 21 jobs for which Chirac is accused of embezzlement and abuse of trust.

Several people were convicted in connection with the case in 2004, including former prime minister and current Foreign Minister Alain Juppe who was found guilty of mishandling public funds.

Chirac says that contrary to accusations the employees were used to prepare the 1995 presidential election, which Chirac went on to win, they were all legitimate and "useful to the city of Paris".

Nine other people are going on trial alongside Chirac, including two former chiefs of staff and others accused either of having ghost jobs or benefiting from those of town hall employees.

Chirac's political career spanned over 40 years, during which time he acquired a reputation as a formidable and energetic political opponent.

His opponents say he is better at taking power than exercising it, while Chirac himself is perceived as being most at home when shaking hands and eating cheese at an agricultural show.

After losing presidential elections in 1981 and 1988, Chirac was finally elected to the top office in 1995 and again in 2002.

Chirac and his wife now live in a luxurious apartment overlooking the Seine and the Louvre, lent to them by the family of assassinated former Lebanese business tycoon and prime minister Rafiq Hariri.

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Britney Ready to Quit Music

BRITNEY READY TO QUIT MUSIC
Britney Spears will quit music and become a ''full-time mom'' if pop stardom ever makes her unhappy.

The "Hold It Against Me" singer would be prepared to walk away from life as a recording artist if she becomes disillusioned with it and focus on raising her two sons, Sean Preston, five, and four-year-old Jayden James - her children with ex-husband Kevin Federline.

In an interview with V Magazine, she said: "I'll be a full-time mom, which would be cool. I'd miss my fans and all of the love the most, but I definitely would not miss having my picture taken everywhere I go."

One thing the 29-year-old singer loves to do with her kids is cook, and she says nothing makes her happier than enjoying a homemade meal with them.

She said: "I love to cook, especially for my boys. I also make a mean southern sweet tea from a recipe my mom passed on to me. It's really good. I love it. I make it for my boys all the time."

Britney - who endured a public breakdown in January 2008 and has been under the conservatorship of her father Jamie Spears ever since - also claims she made the decision to step away from the fame game years ago because she didn't want her children to be subjected to it.

She explained: "I think it's easier to let people in when you're younger, but when I became a mother I wanted more privacy for myself and my children. A life away from my life."

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Supper's ready

25 February 2011 Last updated at 08:44 GMT Robert Popper says his career highlight was working on South Park Award-winning comedy producer, writer and actor Robert Popper has helped create some of the most popular British shows on TV in recent years.

He has worked on The Inbetweeners, Peep Show, The IT Crowd and South Park.

But he is best known for writing and starring in the mock BBC documentary Look Around You.

Here he talks about his new series, how he almost upset Gordon Brown and how bombarding Steve Coogan inspired him to write comedy.

Friday Night Dinner begins on Friday, what is it about?

The show is about two boys in their 20s who go round and see their family every Friday night for dinner.

It's kind of semi-autobiographical as I used to go and see my parents quite a lot on Friday nights.

What I'm trying to capture is how when you don't live with your parents anymore, you go home and after a while, you just want to leave because of the constant low level annoyance we all have with our parents. They drive us mad.

Have your parents seen it?

Yes, they've been fine with it. The dad in it is quite similar to my dad.

You have worked on a lot of popular shows - what has been your highlight?

South Park was amazing, Just being in a room with Trey Parker talking in a Cartman voice was a highlight.

I didn't tell him that, but I was sat there thinking "I wish my friends were here and I could tape this".

Do you worry with a new show about what the critics will say?

Yeah, I think everyone does. Sometimes I read reviews, sometimes I don't.

Popper says Friday Night Dinner is partly based on his own family

I try and do my stuff with a bit of integrity - I don't want to do things that I do for the sake of it.

Most of the things I do I like myself. That's all you can really do.

Just try and express your comedic voice in whatever way - whether it's a book, a phonecall, or a sitcom, that's what I try and do.

Has there been anything you have found a challenge?

Not for a long time. But there was a thing that I did with Matt Lucas and David Walliams about 12 years ago, which didn't turn out very well.

It was called You Are Here, it was a 45-minute one-off special.

It was done around the same time as The League Of Gentlemen, but they did it properly.

Ours was set in a village but it wasn't very good and theirs was brilliant.

How did you start out writing in comedy?

I used to write mad letters to Steve Coogan who was my hero at the time.

I would write to him as Alan Partridge and send the letters in gold envelopes.

He wrote back and said he really liked my stuff, so it gave me the confidence to try and get a job and I ended up working on the Comic Strip Presents... as a runner.

Do people write to you for help?

Yes they do. I try and help them as much as I can. I'm always keen to help.

Steve Coogan inspired Popper to start writing comedy

Your website has a whole section of prank phonecalls you make, how do you keep your nerve?

I never laugh. I can't remember when I have laughed. I don't plan them, I am just testing my brain and where it will go.

I'm never nasty, I would feel bad if I did that, I never try and put anyone down or make them look like idiots.

One of my favourites is when you see a van or coach that goes past with the sign "how's my driving?"

I phone them up and tell them their driving is very good. I just like the fact that some guy will go back to the depot and say he was told his driving is good.

Has it ever got you into trouble?

I have been banned from one radio station. Actually, I once got called back by Radio 5 live who were really narky with me.

I did a silly phonecall with them and then they phoned me back and said: "we know who you are".

You were responsible for a minor hoax regarding Gordon Brown last year, which has become known as Tangerine gate, what happened?

LBC Radio were talking about Gordon Brown's alleged bullying, so I phoned in and I got through.

I told them I had met Gordon Brown when he came to my work and he lost his temper and picked up a tangerine that was in my fruit bowl and threw it, hitting the lamination machine in the factory and it got stuck and broke the machine.

I told them he got so annoyed that he shouted at the woman that gave him the tangerine and called her a "citric idiot".

It ended up in some of the newspapers, did you get into trouble?

I thought I'd get into trouble, but I didn't.

I basically laughed myself to sleep, I had to take myself swimming to stop myself laughing.

Friday Night Dinner starts on Channel 4 on 25 February.

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Justin Bieber's Hairstylist: He Was Ready for a New Look

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Justin Bieber revealed his newly cropped do earlier this week, inciting a national debate over the singer’s new look (admit, you miss the trademark hair swoosh just a little). To get to the root of the matter, PEOPLE chatted with his longtime hairstylist, Vanessa Price, to see what prompted the change. “He was ready,” she explains of the more mature style. “Cutting your hair is just part of the evolution and growing process for anyone, and I think he was just ready,” she says. But don’t think this was a snap decision. Price reveals, “We’ve been talking about it over the last 6 months or so — more or less, it’s definitely been in the works for awhile.” It is all a collaborative process between the pop mega-star and his trusted stylist. “Justin has always been clear about what he wants done,” Price explains. “That said, he trusts me to make the right judgment with it, we really orchestrate his hairstyle together. He knows what he wants and I know what will work best with his features and hair type.” Paying close attention to his bone structure and extra fine hair, Price employed a method called “fine point cut layering, which gives it a really texturized look.” The resulting style is choppier, but still retains the star coif’s trademark touchability. “It’s like silk,” she admits. “He has very, very soft hair; I hope it stays that way forever.” Tell us: Do you like Justin’s new haircut? —Justine Harman; reporting by Kate Hallett

?WEIGH IN ON MORE CROPPED DOS IN: ‘LONG OR SHORT: WHAT’S HER BEST HAIR?’

Edited by Melissa Liebling-Goldberg

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Richie Sambora Ready to Meet His 'Future Ex-Wife'

By Mary S. Park

Sunday February 20, 2011 10:00 AM EST

Richie Sambora is looking for his Mrs. Right – or at least Mrs. Right, for now.

"I'm on a search for my future ex-wife," the Bon Jovi guitarist, 51, told PEOPLE at the N.Y.C. Fashion Week Style 360 afterparty for his line, White Trash Beautiful.

All joking aside, Sambora – whose 2006 split from Heather Locklear came after 11 years of marriage – is ready to settle down, which can only mean one thing: more kids.

"I'm just looking for the right person to have more children [with]," said the father-of-one, whose daughter Ava (with Locklear) is 13. "I just love being a dad."

He adds: "There's nothing like a love for our children. I love being a papa, and that's the truth."

So what's he looking for in the potential mother of his future kids? Sambora says he doesn't have "any preconceived notions."

"I think it just hits you," he says.

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Kim Sozzi Ready To Release Self-Titled Second Album

She's an original Jersey Shore girl. She didn't need to GTL or puff-her-poof before taking the stage at the legendary D'Jais nightclub in Belmar, New Jersey. All she needed was great music and her loyal fans.

Kim Sozzi has always seemed to have a knack for that true Jersey Shore vibe. Growing up in Long Island, New York, and getting her start in the club scene, Sozzi is one of dance music's most-iconic vocalists. Through various projects, labels and collaborations, she has maintained her position as one of underground dance music's most-sought-after hitmakers, and after two years, is set to release her second studio album, the self-titled Kim Sozzi. While no official release date has been set, Sozzi assured MTV News that the album is complete and ready to go.

"It's totally different from my dance [music] and my previous singles," Sozzi said. "I wanted to do something a little more mainstream. Hopefully my dance fans are going to follow me over, but if not, I have plenty of classic Kim Sozzi songs on the album."

After releasing "Rated R," the album's first single, back in December, Sozzi is gearing up to release the second track, "Little Bird," a cover of the Annie Lennox classic.

"I love, love, love this record. It came out great," Sozzi gushed. "The guys from Beatport actually did the production. They did a killer job. This is definitely going to be a standout track on the album ... It's totally a song for the fans."

Produced by former Beatport staffers Brad Roulier and Shawn Sabo, known as Manufactured Superstars, "Little Bird" shows Sozzi at her best. With her distinctly sexy swagger and stunningly soulful vocal prowess accompanied by clean and crisp production from the Denver duo, this little birdie seems geared to fly up the charts.

Sozzi has been a magnet for producers since she burst onto the scene back in 2001 with the epic Sound Factory NYC anthem "Feelin' Me," produced by Hex Hector and Jonathan Peters. She was launched almost instantly on a path to chart success, becoming a go-to for dance producers and topping the Billboard dance chart several times.

In 2004, she joined the production quintet Mynt, which pumped out classic dance smashes such as "How Did You Know?" "Stay" and "Still Not Sorry." To the dismay of their fans, the group split up in 2006 amid what many speculated were creative differences.

"It's tough because when you're working with producers, it's a double-edged sword," Sozzi explained. "It's great because you have these built-in people working around the clock and playing and producing, but then you also have everyone wanting to be the star, so it's definitely a bit tricky.

"But luckily, since parting ways, we are all friends again, which is nice, but I always wanted to be a solo artist, so I'm happy we did it amicably. It sounds like a divorce, but it kind of was."

Rich "DJ Riddler" Pangilinan, a well-known DJ/producer and former Mynt member, shared a similar sentiment regarding the split, saying he's also glad the past is behind them.

"It's no secret that there were some differences in opinions on that project and some feelings were hurt on both sides," he said. "It took some time to mend those fences, however, we were friends before that project, and we stayed friends after.

"If there was one thing that I regret about that project it is that we never really got to do another album. I think that with what we both know now, we could come up with something very special."

Whether or not a Mynt reunion would ever be in the cards, Sozzi is keeping her eyes and ears open, always seeking to make moves and pair up with the hottest names in dance music.

"I would love to work with deadmau5, David Guetta. I'm a big fan of Kaskade; I've been trying actually to get Ryan to work on one of my tracks. There's so many great people doing great music and great tracks that I would like to work with."

Are you awaiting the release of Kim Sozzi's next album? Tell us below!

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Get Ready for Another Kardashian Wedding!

EXCLUSIVE: Can't get enough of the Kardashian clan on the small screen? Well if the answer is "yes," then you are in luck! Kourtney K. and boyfriend Scott Disick are the latest members of the family to be in talks to get their own spinoff show for E!, and sources tell me it will revolve around their still-secret wedding plans.

"The last episode of 'Kourtney and Kim Take New York' is Scott proposing," an insider tells me. "Then just like sister Khloe and Lamar, Kourtney and Scott will not only get their own show but also a wedding. It's going to be TV gold."

The family already has 'Keeping up with the Kardashians,' 'Kim and Kourtney Take New York, 'Khloe and Lamar' and soon, Scott and Kourtney's untitled show. This will make them arguably of the most prolific TV franchises of all time.

"What is going to make this new show a monster hit is that Scott and Kourtney are actually happier than ever," an insider tells me. "Heading toward the alter is the next step for them with or without the cameras."

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