Ewan McGregor, Kate Bush on Queen's honour list

Actor Ewan McGregor, fashion designer Stella McCartney and Scottish physicist Peter Higgs, who gave his name to the so-called "God particle," are among the hundreds being honoured by Queen Elizabeth II this New Year.

The list is particularly heavy with Britain's Olympic heroes, but also includes eccentric English singer Kate Bush, author Roald Dahl, illustrator Quentin Blake, and Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, the royal aide who helped organize the watched-around-the-world wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton.

McCartney was honoured with the title of Officer of the Order of the British Empire, or OBE, in part for her work creating the skintight, red-white-and-blue uniforms worn by British athletes as they grabbed 65 medals during the 2012 games hosted by London. McCartney is the designer daughter of ex-Beatle Paul McCartney and his first wife Linda, and has set up a successful business and a critically-acclaimed label.

University of Edinburgh physicist Peter Higgs' achievements examiine the nature and origin of the universe. (Fabrice Coffrini/Associated Press)

Higgs' achievements, which made him a Companion of Honour, touch on the nature and the origins of the universe. The 83-year-old researcher's work in theoretical physics sought to explain what gives things weight. He said it was while walking through the Scottish mountains that he hit upon the concept of what would later become known as the Higgs boson, an elusive subatomic particle that gives objects mass and combines with gravity to give them weight.

For decades, the existence of such a particle remained just a theory, but earlier this year scientists working at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, or CERN, said they'd found compelling evidence that the Higgs boson was out there. Or in there.

All of Britain's gold medallists from this year's games were on the list, with cyclist Bradley Wiggins and sailor Ben Ainslie honoured with knighthoods. Sebastian Coe, who masterminded the games as chairman of the London organizing committee, was made a Companion of Honour — a prestigious title also awarded to Higgs.

Honors lists typically include a sprinkling of star power, and this year was no different. Ewan McGregor, who came to public attention through his role as the heroin-addled anti-hero of British drug drama Trainspotting, was awarded an OBE. The 41-year-old actor is also known for his turn as a young Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequels.

Kate Bush out of public eye for many years

Babooshka singer Kate Bush said she was delighted to be made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, or CBE, for a musical career which has resulted in a string of quirky hits including Wuthering Heights, Cloudbusting, and Man With The Child In His Eyes.

The 54-year-old singer-songwriter has been out of the public eye for almost two decades but recently released a set of new tracks.

Singer-songwriter Kate Bush, 54, has kept out of the public eye for much of the past two decades. Last year, she released an album of new tracks called 50 Words For Snow. (Trevor Leighton/Associated Press)

Other art world honorees included artist Tracey Emin and Quentin Blake, whose spiky, exuberant illustrations are best known through the work of his collaborator Roald Dahl.

Politicians, policemen, and spies got honours too. Scotland Yard chief Bernard Hogan-Howe was awarded a knighthood; former British foreign minister Margaret Beckett was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair's wife Cherie was made a CBE for her charity work. MI5 chief Jonathan Evans was made a Knight Commander of the Order of Bath.

Also honoured was the man credited with helping pull off the wedding of the decade: Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, principal private secretary to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (as Prince William and his wife are formally known) was made a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order.

Britain's honours are bestowed twice a year by the monarch, at New Year's and on her official birthday in June. Although the queen does pick out some lesser honours herself, the vast majority of recipients are selected by government committees from nominations made by officials and members of the public.

In descending order, the honours are knighthoods, CBE, OBE, and MBE — Member of the Order of the British Empire. Knights are addressed as "sir" or "dame." Recipients of the other honours, such as the Order of the Companions of Honour given to Higgs and Coe or the Royal Victorian Order personally picked out by the queen, receive no title but can put the letters after their names.

The New Year's honours carried the usual batch of courtiers — even the royal household's switchboard operator got a medal — as well as senior civil servants, soldiers, charity executives, successful entrepreneurs, established academics, volunteers, and community workers.

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Douglas Leiterman of CBC's This Hour Has Seven Days has died

Canadian television producer and journalist Douglas Leiterman, who co-created the popular and controversial CBC public affairs show This Hour Has Seven Days has died.

He died at his winter home in Vero Beach, Fla., on Dec. 19, according to a death notice. He was 85.

The native of South Porcupine, Ont., got his start in journalism in British Columbia before going on to become a correspondent on Parliament Hill in Ottawa for the Southam News Service.

He then joined the CBC and worked on a number of documentary series, including Document, which he produced with Patrick Watson.

He and Watson would go on to launch This Hour Has Seven Days in 1964, a mix of hard-hitting news and interviews alongside comedy and satire. During celebrations of its 75th anniversary, the CBC called it "the most defiant and controversial program in Canadian broadcasting history."

Despite drawing millions of viewers, the edgy, unpredictable show was cancelled after just two seasons, which caused a public uproar that reverberated all the way up to the office of then-prime minister Lester B. Pearson.

Leiterman left the CBC after the show's cancellation and continued to work on documentaries through his company Hobel-Leiterman Productions.

He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Beryl Fox, his daughters Lachlan, Catherine, Julia and Barbara, and sister Phyllis King.

No funeral service is planned, but a celebration of his life is to be held in May.

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Justin Bieber-chasing paparazzo struck, killed by car

Police say a paparazzo was hit by a car and killed after taking photos of Canadian pop star Justin Bieber's Ferrari sports car in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles police Officer James Stoughton says the man died at a hospital Tuesday evening. Stoughton says Bieber was not in the car at the time.

Sgt. Rudy Lopez told the Los Angeles Times newspaper that the pop star's friend was driving the car when it was pulled over for a traffic stop. It was parked on a busy street when the photographer arrived.

Police say the man was struck by a car as he returned to his own car.

Stoughton says no charges are expected against the motorist who hit the man.

A call to a Bieber publicist was not immediately returned.

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New electronic Oscar voting system prompts deadline extension

Growing concern that problems with the new electronic Oscar voting system could lead to record-low turnout has prompted the motion picture academy to extend the deadline for members to vote for Oscar nominations.

But with next week's highly anticipated announcements looming, the extension is only for a day, until Friday. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said Monday any votes received after the new deadline will not be counted.

"By extending the voting deadline we are providing every opportunity available to make the transition to online balloting as smooth as possible," said the academy's chief operating officer, Ric Robertson, in a statement. "We're grateful to our global membership for joining us in this process."

Some early hiccups

Reports of difficulty accessing the Oscars' first-ever online voting system and fears that it could be hacked have raised questions about balloting for the 85th annual contest. Earlier this year, the academy and its longtime accountants, PricewaterhouseCoopers, partnered with the electronic voting firm Everyone Counts Inc. to develop the system.

"There's considerable concern from many members that voter participation will be at record lows this year because the people who wanted to take a chance on this new cutting-edge system are either giving up on it or worried they won't be able to cast their votes," said Scott Feinberg, awards analyst and blogger for The Hollywood Reporter.

In the past, Oscar voting has been compiled strictly through paper ballots sent through the mail. The new system allows members to choose between voting online or sticking with a traditional mail-in ballot.

Morgan Spurlock, the documentary filmmaker whose 2004 film Super Size Me was nominated for best documentary, posted on Twitter last week that he wasn't able to log on to vote electronically and his ballot was instead mailed to him.

"The password they sent didn't work for my log-in — and they couldn't email me a new log-in, only snail mail," tweeted the 42-year-old director.

The academy said it has made several voting resources available to members, including assisted voting stations in Los Angeles, New York and London, and a 24-hour support line.

A spokesman for Everyone Counts didn't immediately respond to a request seeking comment.

Nomination period changes

Besides online voting, a retooled nomination period could also affect the competition.

Organizers moved up the unveiling of the Oscar nominations to Jan. 10. That change puts the announcement three days before Hollywood's second-biggest awards ceremony, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's Golden Globes, which are scheduled for Jan. 13.

Oscar overseers originally said the switcheroo would give the academy's nearly 6,000 members more time to see nominated films before the Feb. 24 awards ceremony, but Feinberg of The Hollywood Reporter noted that the change gave voters less time to see potential contenders during the first phase of voting, when members decide on nominees.

"If the turnout is lower among older members, more traditional Oscar contenders will probably receive fewer votes, and otherwise edgier films that appeal more to younger people could fare better," said Feinberg. "Because of the way that best-picture voting works, it could increase the chances of a movie like The Master or Moonrise Kingdom getting in."

Ultimately, because of the inherent secrecy involved in selecting Oscar winners, Feinberg said it will be impossible to know what effects — if any — this year's voting changes have on the ceremony, where as many as 10 films could be vying for the best-picture award.

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Twitter followers are up for sale

In an age when having a strong social media profile is a mark of success, some comedians, musicians and artists are turning to services that sell Twitter followers.

It's a new business geared to the digital era – with companies that sell "bots" or computer-generated accounts that pose as Twitter followers. Also on the rise are professional followers, who are paid to tweet and re-tweet for the stars.

Lady Gaga, Mitt Romney and even Barack Obama have all been accused of buying followers, though all have denied it.

As Deana Sumanac reports, many social media experts oppose the practice, saying it is an abuse of Twitter and Facebook's power to represent grassroots popularity.

Steve Dolson says buying followers can skew the impact of social media.

"It was mostly supposed to be equal playing ground, where people who rise to the top will rise to the top and the people who love their fans and engage their fans, they should rise to the top. But now you have people who buy followers that look bigger than they are," he told CBC News.

But comedian Dan Nainan admits he did buy followers at the start of his career and sees it as part of the price of building an image and drawing new audiences.

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Ewan McGregor, Kate Bush on Queen's honour list

Actor Ewan McGregor, fashion designer Stella McCartney and Scottish physicist Peter Higgs, who gave his name to the so-called "God particle," are among the hundreds being honoured by Queen Elizabeth II this New Year.

The list is particularly heavy with Britain's Olympic heroes, but also includes eccentric English singer Kate Bush, author Roald Dahl, illustrator Quentin Blake, and Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, the royal aide who helped organize the watched-around-the-world wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton.

McCartney was honoured with the title of Officer of the Order of the British Empire, or OBE, in part for her work creating the skintight, red-white-and-blue uniforms worn by British athletes as they grabbed 65 medals during the 2012 games hosted by London. McCartney is the designer daughter of ex-Beatle Paul McCartney and his first wife Linda, and has set up a successful business and a critically-acclaimed label.

University of Edinburgh physicist Peter Higgs' achievements examiine the nature and origin of the universe. (Fabrice Coffrini/Associated Press)

Higgs' achievements, which made him a Companion of Honour, touch on the nature and the origins of the universe. The 83-year-old researcher's work in theoretical physics sought to explain what gives things weight. He said it was while walking through the Scottish mountains that he hit upon the concept of what would later become known as the Higgs boson, an elusive subatomic particle that gives objects mass and combines with gravity to give them weight.

For decades, the existence of such a particle remained just a theory, but earlier this year scientists working at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, or CERN, said they'd found compelling evidence that the Higgs boson was out there. Or in there.

All of Britain's gold medallists from this year's games were on the list, with cyclist Bradley Wiggins and sailor Ben Ainslie honoured with knighthoods. Sebastian Coe, who masterminded the games as chairman of the London organizing committee, was made a Companion of Honour — a prestigious title also awarded to Higgs.

Honors lists typically include a sprinkling of star power, and this year was no different. Ewan McGregor, who came to public attention through his role as the heroin-addled anti-hero of British drug drama Trainspotting, was awarded an OBE. The 41-year-old actor is also known for his turn as a young Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequels.

Kate Bush out of public eye for many years

Babooshka singer Kate Bush said she was delighted to be made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, or CBE, for a musical career which has resulted in a string of quirky hits including Wuthering Heights, Cloudbusting, and Man With The Child In His Eyes.

The 54-year-old singer-songwriter has been out of the public eye for almost two decades but recently released a set of new tracks.

Singer-songwriter Kate Bush, 54, has kept out of the public eye for much of the past two decades. Last year, she released an album of new tracks called 50 Words For Snow. (Trevor Leighton/Associated Press)

Other art world honorees included artist Tracey Emin and Quentin Blake, whose spiky, exuberant illustrations are best known through the work of his collaborator Roald Dahl.

Politicians, policemen, and spies got honours too. Scotland Yard chief Bernard Hogan-Howe was awarded a knighthood; former British foreign minister Margaret Beckett was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair's wife Cherie was made a CBE for her charity work. MI5 chief Jonathan Evans was made a Knight Commander of the Order of Bath.

Also honoured was the man credited with helping pull off the wedding of the decade: Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, principal private secretary to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (as Prince William and his wife are formally known) was made a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order.

Britain's honours are bestowed twice a year by the monarch, at New Year's and on her official birthday in June. Although the queen does pick out some lesser honours herself, the vast majority of recipients are selected by government committees from nominations made by officials and members of the public.

In descending order, the honours are knighthoods, CBE, OBE, and MBE — Member of the Order of the British Empire. Knights are addressed as "sir" or "dame." Recipients of the other honours, such as the Order of the Companions of Honour given to Higgs and Coe or the Royal Victorian Order personally picked out by the queen, receive no title but can put the letters after their names.

The New Year's honours carried the usual batch of courtiers — even the royal household's switchboard operator got a medal — as well as senior civil servants, soldiers, charity executives, successful entrepreneurs, established academics, volunteers, and community workers.

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Kanye West, Kim Kardashian expecting 1st child

A kid for Kimye: Kanye West and Kim Kardashian are expecting their first child.

The rapper announced at a concert Sunday night that his girlfriend is pregnant. Kardashian was in the crowd at Revel Resort's Ovation Hall in Atlantic City with her mother, Kris Jenner, and West's mentor and best friend, Jay-Z. West told the crowd of more than 5,000 in song form: "Now you having my baby."

The crowd roared. And so did people on the internet.

The news instantly went viral on Twitter and Facebook, with thousands posting and commenting on the expecting couple.

Most of the Kardashian clan also tweeted about the news, including Kim's sisters. Kourtney Kardashian wrote: "Another angel to welcome to our family. Overwhelmed with excitement!"

West, 35, also told concertgoers to congratulate his "baby mom" and that this was the "most amazing thing."

Representatives for West and Kardashian, 32, didn't immediately respond to emails about the pregnancy.

The rapper and reality TV star went public in March about their relationship.

Kardashian married NBA player Kris Humphries in August 2011 and their divorce is not finalized.

West's Sunday night show was his third consecutive performance at Revel. He took the stage for nearly two hours, performing hits like "Good Life," "Jesus Walks" and "Clique" in an all-white ensemble with two bandmates.

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Douglas Leiterman of CBC's This Hour Has Seven Days has died

Canadian television producer and journalist Douglas Leiterman, who co-created the popular and controversial CBC public affairs show This Hour Has Seven Days has died.

He died at his winter home in Vero Beach, Fla., on Dec. 19, according to a death notice. He was 85.

The native of South Porcupine, Ont., got his start in journalism in British Columbia before going on to become a correspondent on Parliament Hill in Ottawa for the Southam News Service.

He then joined the CBC and worked on a number of documentary series, including Document, which he produced with Patrick Watson.

He and Watson would go on to launch This Hour Has Seven Days in 1964, a mix of hard-hitting news and interviews alongside comedy and satire. During celebrations of its 75th anniversary, the CBC called it "the most defiant and controversial program in Canadian broadcasting history."

Despite drawing millions of viewers, the edgy, unpredictable show was cancelled after just two seasons, which caused a public uproar that reverberated all the way up to the office of then-prime minister Lester B. Pearson.

Leiterman left the CBC after the show's cancellation and continued to work on documentaries through his company Hobel-Leiterman Productions.

He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Beryl Fox, his daughters Lachlan, Catherine, Julia and Barbara, and sister Phyllis King.

No funeral service is planned, but a celebration of his life is to be held in May.

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Katie Holmes' latest Broadway run cut short

Katie Holmes plays Lorna in Dead Accounts by Theresa Rebeck. The plays Broadway run will end Jan. 6. (Joan Marcus/Boneau/Bryan-Brown/Associated Press)

Katie Holmes' latest turn on Broadway has been cut short after the play she starred in, Dead Accounts, received mixed reviews.

Originally scheduled to run another seven weeks, it will close Jan. 6 after 27 previews and 44 performances.

Holmes, formerly married to Tom Cruise, made her Broadway debut four years ago in All My Sons.

After Dead Accounts opened in November, she received a warm reception in her role as the sister of a man who returns to his home in the Midwest with a secret. Norbert Leo Butz plays Holmes' onstage brother in the drama.

"Let me assure you that Holmes, who was a tad unsteady in her Broadway debut four years ago in Arthur Miller's All My Sons, appears much more at ease playing a worn-down country mouse to the hyped-up city mouse of Butz," the New York Times said in its review.

"Holmes suggests what might have happened to Joey Potter, the ultimate girl-next-door she once portrayed on TV in Dawson's Creek had she never found true love or left town."

Criticism centred on the play itself, written by Theresa Rebeck, who created the first season of NBC's Smash.

Although Rebeck has created well-received plays such as Mauritius and Seminar, Dead Accounts was seen by critics as uneven in tone and unfocused in its storytelling.

It's not the only recent Broadway casualty — David Mamet's The Anarchist, starring Broadway legend Patti LuPone and Debra Winger, closed Dec. 16 after only 23 previews and 17 regular shows.

In the December issue of Vogue, Holmes said she was keen to do more theatre.

"It's exciting because there's no close-up, so a person has to use every inch of themselves," Holmes said. "So you're never done — and who wants to be done? It's just another opportunity to keep growing."

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Twitter followers are up for sale

In an age when having a strong social media profile is a mark of success, some comedians, musicians and artists are turning to services that sell Twitter followers.

It's a new business geared to the digital era – with companies that sell "bots" or computer-generated accounts that pose as Twitter followers. Also on the rise are professional followers, who are paid to tweet and re-tweet for the stars.

Lady Gaga, Mitt Romney and even Barack Obama have all been accused of buying followers, though all have denied it.

As Deana Sumanac reports, many social media experts oppose the practice, saying it is an abuse of Twitter and Facebook's power to represent grassroots popularity.

Steve Dolson says buying followers can skew the impact of social media.

"It was mostly supposed to be equal playing ground, where people who rise to the top will rise to the top and the people who love their fans and engage their fans, they should rise to the top. But now you have people who buy followers that look bigger than they are," he told CBC News.

But comedian Dan Nainan admits he did buy followers at the start of his career and sees it as part of the price of building an image and drawing new audiences.

22.19 | 0 komentar | Read More