T/I: 10:14:35

The so-called Hollywood madam, Heidi Fleiss, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison on Tuesday (7/1) for evading taxes and laundering money she earned from her call-girl ring.

She was also ordered to serve 300 hours of community service after her release and she was fined US$400.

SHOWS:

USA, 7/1 + FILE

FILE

Heidi Fleiss out of court

7/1

VS sketches, Jesse Fleiss - younger brother, Donald Marks, Fleiss's

attorney, Dr. Paul Fleiss, Heidi's father.

SOT, Jesse Fleiss, brother: "She was really apologetic. She apologized to the judge for bringing him in this and she apologized to the prosecution into this and for wasting their time and it was really sad. And she was crying."

courtroom sketches

SOT, Anthony Brooklier, Fleiss's attorney: "We're very happy. We think that what the judge did was very courageous and very correct. We couldn't be happier."

1.07

The stepson of Malaysian ex-Prime Minister Najib Razak pleaded not guilty on Friday to laundering 248 million (US dollars) from the 1MDB state investment fund, becoming the third person in his family to face charges in the scandal.

Hollywood producer Riza Aziz was freed on bail a day after being detained by anti-graft officials.

He was solemn as he appeared in court to be charged with receiving the illicit funds between 2011 and 2012 in the U.S. and Singapore.

The charge sheets said the money was misappropriated from 1MDB and channeled into bank accounts of his Hollywood company Red Granite Pictures Inc., which produced films including the Martin Scorsese-directed "The Wolf of Wall Street."

Riza, 42, was charged with five counts of money laundering, and he could face up to five years in prison, a fine or both, on each count if he is convicted.

Najib is now on trial for graft after his electoral defeat. His wife Rosmah Mansor has also pleaded not guilty to money laundering linked to 1MDB.

Kuala Lumpur - 5 July 2019

1. Wide of media surrounding producer Riza Aziz

2. Various of Aziz leaving the courthouse, escorted by lawyers and security

3. Courthouse lobby glass door

4. Various exteriors of the courthouse

5. Security outside the courthouse

HEADLINE: Vatican in chaos after butler arrested for leaks

---------------------------------------

CAPTION: The Vatican's inquisition into the source of leaked documents has yielded its first target with the arrest of the pope's butler, but the investigation is continuing into a scandal that has embarrassed the Holy See. (May 27)

----------------------------------------

APTN STORY NUMBER: 742985

A SCANDAL WORTHY OF A HOLLYWOOD BLOCKBUSTER IS ROCKING THE VATICAN. THE DETENTION OF POPE BENEDICT'S BUTLER CAPPED ONE OF THE MOST CONVULSIVE WEEKS IN RECENT VATICAN HISTORY.

AP CONFIRMED THIS WEEKEND THAT PAOLO GABRIELE WAS THE ALLEGED MOLE FEEDING DOCUMENTS TO ITALIAN JOURNALISTS IN AN APPARENT BID TO DISCREDIT THE PONTIFF'S NO. 2.

THE TUMULT BEGAN WITH THE PUBLICATION LAST WEEKEND OF A BOOK OF LEAKED VATICAN DOCUMENTS. ON THURSDAY, THE PRESIDENT OF THE VATICAN BANK WAS OUSTED.

THE BANK ISSUED A SCATHING DENUNCIATION OF GOTTI TEDESCHI IN A MEMORANDUM OBTAINED BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. THE BANK SAYS TEDESCHI ROUTINELY MISSED BOARD MEETINGS, FAILED TO DO HIS JOB, FAILED TO DEFEND THE BANK, POLARIZED ITS PERSONNEL AND DISPLAYED "PROGRESSIVELY ERRATIC PERSONAL BEHAVIOR.''

(sot: Carl Anderson, member of board of the Vatican bank)

"I think this, I hope, will be the beginning of a new chapter for the IOR and part of that chapter will be restoring the public image of the IOR. Because I think that the reality is one in which people can have much more confidence than some people have today."

AS FOR THE BUTLER--GABRIELE HAS HELD THAT ROLE SINCE 2006--OFTEN BEEN SEEN BY BENEDICT'S SIDE IN PUBLIC. THE 46-YEAR-OLD FATHER OF THREE HAS BEEN IN DETENTION SINCE WEDNESDAY.

IF THE LEAK ALLEGATIONS ARE TRUE--THERE IS NO KNOWN MOTIVE AS TO WHY GABRIELE MIGHT HAVE PASSED ON THE DOCUMENTS.

MATT FRIEDMAN. ASSOCIATED PRESS.

A day before his 85th birthday, Pope Benedict XVI appeared at his studio window for his usual Sunday Angelus message, looking rested and relaxed.

On April 15th 2012 he addressed the thousands of faithful in St Peter's Square, asking for prayers and for the strength to carry on as he marks his birthday and his seventh anniversary as pope during the same week.

Benedict will turn 85 on April 16th with only one public event on his often-busy agenda - a meeting with a fellow German national, the premier of Bavaria.

Horst Seehofer is coming from the Pope's home state of Bavaria, in Germany, to wish the pontiff a happy birthday.

The rest of Benedict XVI's day will be spent in private with his brother, Monsignor Georg Ratzinger, and is likely to end in dinner with some cardinals and his closest aides.

On April 15th, some of those attending the weekly blessing remarked on Pope Benedict''s ability to carry on in his role.

"He can continue for many years because he is what he is, we see him with his abilities and his strengths, what he does shows that he''s guided by the Holy Spirit," said Sister Emanuela, who came from Como to see the Pope.

Benedict was born and baptised as Joseph Ratzinger on April 16th 1927 in the Bavarian town of Marktl am Inn, Germany.

He has just come out of stamina-taxing Holy Week ceremonies, with public services from Thursday through to Easter Sunday, that drew huge crowds to Rome.

Just before Holy Week, Benedict conducted an exhausting, six-day pilgrimage to Mexico and Cuba, and apparently for the first time in public, he used a cane to help him walk during the airport ceremony before departure.

Benedict leaned on a black cane with his right hand as he walked steadily for about 100 metres (109 yards) to the foot of the Alitalia plane that was carrying him to Latin America.

Benedict then climbed the steps of the aircraft unaided, stopping at one point to wave, before entering the plane and heading for Mexico.

After Mexico, he visited Cuba where he met with former and present Cuban presidents, Fidel Castro and his brother, Raul.

A few months previously, Benedict started using a wheeled platform to save his energy while navigating the vast length of St Peter's Basilica.

Vatican spokesman Reverend Federico Lombardi said no medical condition had prompted the decision to use the moving platform in the basilica.

He said it's merely designed to spare the pontiff the fatigue of the 100-metre (109-yard) walk to and from the main altar.

Given the Pope's age and continued rigorous work schedule, a slowdown is only naturally expected, and some say it's remarkable that he does as much as he does and is in such good health overall.

Earlier in April he confirmed another international trip, a visit to Lebanon in September, and in 2011 he also said he'd like to make it to Rio de Janeiro in 2013 for the next World Youth Day.

But a decline has been noted and that raises questions about the future of the papacy, given that Benedict himself has said that popes should resign if they can't do the job.

"He is the first pope in the history to say openly and to have it written that he would be ready to resign if he was under mental or psychological or physical stress," said pope biographer Marco Politi.

Popes are allowed to resign; church law specifies only that the resignation be "freely made and properly manifested".

Only a handful have done so, however. The last one was Pope Gregory XII, who stepped down in 1415 in a deal to end the Great Western Schism among competing papal claimants.

There are concerns that the existence of two popes - even when one has stepped down - might lead to divisions and instability in the church, and that a new resignation precedent might lead to pressure on future popes to quit at the slightest hint of infirmity.

In November 2011, Benedict had faced another exhausting trip to Benin, West Africa, where, notwithstanding braving temperatures of 32 Celsius (90 Fahrenheit) and high humidity, he managed to deliver a strong message about the future of the Catholic Church in Africa.

Wiping sweat from his brow, he kissed babies who were handed up to him, delivered a tough speech on the need for Africa's political leaders to clean up their act, and visited one of the continent's most important seminaries.

Benedict has a lot of unfinished business on various subject close to his heart: bringing breakaway traditionalists back under Rome's wing, sorting out the fate of the sex abuse-scarred Irish church, and easing tensions with China.

Benedict's papacy has been marked by the sex abuse scandal and the Vatican''s response to it.

Critics say the former Cardinal Ratzinger, both as a former German archbishop and later as a Vatican cardinal who served as the church''s watchdog on doctrinal orthodoxy, was more concerned with saving the church's moral reputation than acting to ensure abusing clergy could no longer harm children.

"Benedict XVI was very clear in condemning the abuses, he was very clear in saying that the priests have also to face their responsibility in front of civil courts, he has met many victims all over the world, but in the same time he has not ordered to open investigations about the past, said Politi.

Only in 2010, at the peak of the latest clerical sex abuse scandal in Europe, did the Vatican explicitly tell bishops to comply with civil reporting requirements where they exist.

The paedophile scandal exploded in recent decades in the United States, but similar clergy sex abuse revelations have tainted the church in many other countries, including Mexico and Italy as well as Ireland.

Benedict has not addressed accusations by many victims and their advocates that church leaders, including at the office in the Vatican that Benedict headed before becoming pontiff, systematically tried to cover up the scandals, and that they have rarely been held accountable for that.

Investigations, often by civil authorities, revealed that church hierarchy frequently transferred paedophile priests from one parish to another.

In his encyclical and on his foreign trips, Benedict has tried to show that Christianity was more than just a set of rules to be followed, clearly aware that the unbending enforcer of Catholic doctrine had to shift gears to be seen as the inspiring spiritual leader of the world''s one (b) billion Catholics.

AP TELEVISION

++16:9++

Vatican City - 15 April 2012

1. Pope Benedict XVI approaching his studio window and cheering crowd

Vatican TV

++16:9++

Vatican City - 15 April 2012

2. Nuns in the crowd waving yellow Vatican flags towards pope in window

AP TELEVISION

++16:9++

Vatican City - 15 April 2012

3. Wide of St Peter''s Square

4. Pope blessing the faithful in the square from his window

5. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Sister Emanuela, nun from Como, Italy:

"He can continue for many years because he is what he is, we see him with his abilities and his strengths, what he does shows that he''s guided by the Holy Spirit."

6. Close of St Peter''s dome top with cross

7. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Grazia Cavallo, pilgrim from Sassari, Italy:

"I find him still very German, very autonomous, given his age."

Vatican TV

++16:9++

Vatican City - 15 April 2012

8. Pope taking eyeglasses off, smiling, blessing faithful in the square and leaving window

AP TELEVISION

++16:9++

FILE: Ciampino airport, Rome, Italy - 23 March 2012

9. Benedict XVI walking with a cane at Ciampino airport ahead of his departure for Mexico and Cuba, walking on tarmac with Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti and Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone

10. Pope getting on board of airplane

CUBAVISION

++4:3++

FILE: Santiago de Cuba, Cuba - 26 March 2012

11. Various of pope descending from plane

12. Benedict XVI being greeted by Cuban President Raul Castro

13. Mid of pope and Raul Castro listening to national anthems

AP TELEVISION

++16:9++

FILE: Havana, Cuba - 28 March 2012

14. Various of Benedict XVI arriving for Mass on popemobile

Vatican TV

++16:9++

FILE: Vatican City - 18 February 2012

15. Various of pope using a moving platform to get to altar in St Peter''s Basilica

AP TELEVISION

++16:9++

Rome, Italy - 12 April 2012

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Marco Politi, Vatican analyst:

"And he is the first pope in the history to say openly and to have it written that he would be ready to resign if he was under mental or psychological or physical stress."

AP TELEVISION

++16:9++

FILE: Cotonou, Benin - 20 November 2011

17. Mid of Benedict XVI greeting crowd of faithful from popemobile at "Stade de l''Amitie"

AP TELEVISION

++16:9++

FILE: Ouidah, Benin - 19 November 2011

15. Mid of pope entering Immaculate Conception Basilica

16. Mid of pope wiping sweat away

AP TELEVISION

++16:9++

Rome, Italy - 12 April 2012

17. SOUNDBITE (English) Marco Politi, Pope biographer:

"There have been rather many mistakes in the leadership of the Holy See in the last years. For instance, with regards to the sex abuse scandal, Benedict XVI was very clear in condemning the abuses, he was very clear in saying that the priests have also to face their responsibility in front of civil courts, he has met many victims all over the world, but in the same time he has not ordered to open investigations about the past."

AP TELEVISION

++16:9++

FILE: Venice, Italy - 8 May 2011

18. Various of pope on gondola

STORYLINE

A day before his 85th birthday, Pope Benedict XVI appeared at his studio window for his usual Sunday Angelus message, looking rested and relaxed.

He addressed the thousands of faithful in St Peter''s Square, asking for prayers and for the strength to carry on as he marks his birthday and his seventh anniversary as pope this week.

Benedict will turn 85 on Monday with only one public event on his often-busy agenda - a meeting with a fellow German national, the premier of Bavaria.

Horst Seehofer is coming from the pope''s home state of Bavaria, in Germany, to wish the pontiff a happy birthday.

The rest of Benedict XVI''s day will be spent in private with his brother, Monsignor Georg Ratzinger, and is likely to end in dinner with some cardinals and his closest aides.

On Sunday, some of those attending the weekly blessing remarked on Pope Benedict''s ability to carry on in his role.

"He can continue for many years because he is what he is, we see him with his abilities and his strengths, what he does shows that he''s guided by the Holy Spirit," said Sister Emanuela, who came from Como to see the Pope.

Benedict was born and baptised as Joseph Ratzinger on 16 April 1927 in the Bavarian town of Marktl am Inn, Germany.

He has just come out of stamina-taxing Holy Week ceremonies, with public services from Thursday through to Easter Sunday, that drew huge crowds to Rome.

Just before Holy Week, Benedict conducted an exhausting, six-day pilgrimage to Mexico and Cuba, and apparently for the first time in public, he used a cane to help him walk during the airport ceremony before departure.

Benedict leaned on a black cane with his right hand as he walked steadily for about 100 metres (109 yards) to the foot of the Alitalia plane that was carrying him to Latin America.

Benedict then climbed the steps of the aircraft unaided, stopping at one point to wave, before entering the plane and heading for Mexico.

After Mexico, he visited Cuba where he met with former and present Cuban presidents, Fidel Castro and his brother, Raul.

A few months ago, Benedict started using a wheeled platform to save his energy while navigating the vast length of St Peter''s Basilica.

Vatican spokesman Reverend Federico Lombardi said no medical condition had prompted the decision to use the moving platform in the basilica.

He said it''s merely designed to spare the pontiff the fatigue of the 100-metre (109-yard) walk to and from the main altar.

Given the pope''s age and continued rigorous work schedule, a slowdown is only naturally expected, and some say it''s remarkable that he does as much as he does and is in such good health overall.

Just this past week he confirmed another international trip, a visit to Lebanon in September, and last year he also said he''d like to make it to Rio de Janeiro in 2013 for the next World Youth Day.

But a decline has been noted and that raises questions about the future of the papacy, given that Benedict himself has said that popes should resign if they can''t do the job.

"He is the first pope in the history to say openly and to have it written that he would be ready to resign if he was under mental or psychological or physical stress," said pope biographer Marco Politi.

Popes are allowed to resign; church law specifies only that the resignation be "freely made and properly manifested".

Only a handful have done so, however. The last one was Pope Gregory XII, who stepped down in 1415 in a deal to end the Great Western Schism among competing papal claimants.

There are concerns that the existence of two popes - even when one has stepped down - might lead to divisions and instability in the church, and that a new resignation precedent might lead to pressure on future popes to quit at the slightest hint of infirmity.

Last November, Benedict had faced another exhausting trip to Benin, West Africa, where, notwithstanding braving temperatures of 32 Celsius (90 Fahrenheit) and high humidity, he managed to deliver a strong message about the future of the Catholic Church in Africa.

Wiping sweat from his brow, he kissed babies who were handed up to him, delivered a tough speech on the need for Africa''s political leaders to clean up their act, and visited one of the continent''s most important seminaries.

Benedict has a lot of unfinished business on various subject close to his heart: bringing breakaway traditionalists back under Rome''s wing, sorting out the fate of the sex abuse-scarred Irish church, and easing tensions with China.

Benedict''s papacy has been marked by the sex abuse scandal and the Vatican''s response to it.

Critics say the former Cardinal Ratzinger, both as a former German archbishop and later as a Vatican cardinal who served as the church''s watchdog on doctrinal orthodoxy, was more concerned with saving the church''s moral reputation than acting to ensure abusing clergy could no longer harm children.

"Benedict XVI was very clear in condemning the abuses, he was very clear in saying that the priests have also to face their responsibility in front of civil courts, he has met many victims all over the world, but in the same time he has not ordered to open investigations about the past, said Politi.

Only in 2010, at the peak of the latest clerical sex abuse scandal in Europe, did the Vatican explicitly tell bishops to comply with civil reporting requirements where they exist.

The paedophile scandal exploded in recent decades in the United States, but similar clergy sex abuse revelations have tainted the church in many other countries, including Mexicoand Italy as well as Ireland.

Benedict has not addressed accusations by many victims and their advocates that church leaders, including at the office in the Vatican that Benedict headed before becoming pontiff, systematically tried to cover up the scandals, and that they have rarely been held accountable for that.

Investigations, often by civil authorities, revealed that church hierarchy frequently transferred paedophile priests from one parish to another.

In his encyclical and on his foreign trips, Benedict has tried to show that Christianity was more than just a set of rules to be followed, clearly aware that the unbending enforcer of Catholic doctrine had to shift gears to be seen as the inspiring spiritual leader of the world''s one (b) billion Catholics.

On Thursday, Benedict will also celebrate his 7th anniversary since he was elected pope.

At the time of his election to the papacy, Benedict was 78 years old, making him the oldest pope elected in nearly 300 years and the first German in nearly 1,000 years.

He had been planning to retire as the Vatican''s chief orthodoxy watchdog to spend his final years writing in the "peace and quiet" of his native Bavaria.

**

Italians gathered at St. Peter's Basilica as a member of the board of the Vatican Bank expressed his opinions over the case of the Pope's butler, Paolo Gabriele, who is under arrest at the Vatican, accused of leaking secret Vatican documents to the press.

The Vatican confirmed on May 26th that the pope's butler has been arrested in its embarrassing leaks scandal, adding a Hollywood twist to a sordid tale of power struggles, intrigue and corruption in the highest levels of Catholic Church governance.

Maria, from Milan stated that this scandal should have been anticipated, "because the church is too rich, handles too much money, there are too many interests behind it."

However, Carl Anderson, an American member of the board the Vatican bank, expressed his concerns at the on-going events at the Vatican and urged the public not to jump to conclusions.

"Well, it is really incredible. If you wrote this in fiction, you wouldn't believe it. No editor would let you put it in a novel. So, it is something I find very unbelievable," he added.

Anderson is head of the Knights of Columbus, a major US Catholic organisation.

Paolo Gabriele, a layman and member of the papal household, was arrested on Wednesday after secret documents were found in his Vatican City apartment and was continuing to be held on May 26th, Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said in a statement.

Gabriele is often seen by Pope Benedict XVI's side in public, riding in the front seat of his open-air jeep during May 23rd general audiences or shielding the pontiff from the rain.

He has been the pope's personal butler since 2006, one of the few members of the small papal household that also includes the pontiff's private secretaries and four consecrated women who care for the papal apartment.

His arrest followed another stunning development at the Vatican this week, the ouster of the president of the Vatican bank, Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, by his board. Sources close to the investigation said he, too, was found to have leaked documents, though the official reason for his ouster was that he simply failed to do his job.

The "Vatileaks" scandal has seriously embarrassed the Vatican at a time during which it is trying to show the world financial community that it has turned a page and shed its reputation as a scandal plagued tax haven.

Vatican documents leaked to the press in recent months have undermined that effort, alleging corruption in Vatican finance as well as internal bickering over efforts to show more transparency in its financial operations.

But perhaps most critically, the leaks have seemed aimed at one main goal: to discredit Pope Benedict XVI's No. 2, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican secretary of state.

The scandal took on even greater weight last week with the publication of "His Holiness," a book which reproduced confidential letters and memos to and from Benedict and his personal secretary. The Vatican called the book "criminal" and vowed to take legal action against the author, publisher, and whoever leaked the documents.

Gabriele is believed to have met with his two lawyers and that the Vatican judicial system was taking its investigative course. He hasn't been indicted.

The Vatican has taken the leaks very seriously, with Benedict appointing a commission of cardinals to investigate. Vatican gendarmes as well as prosecutors are also investigating the sources of the leaks.

**

On May 30th Pope Benedict XVI broke his silence over the scandal of leaked documents that has convulsed the Vatican, saying he was saddened by the betrayal.

He added that he was grateful to those aides who worked faithfully and in silence to help him do his job.

Benedict was speaking to the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square during his weekly audience, while nearby, behind Vatican walls, his butler Paolo Gabriele remained under lock and key.

Gabriele was arrested the previous week after Vatican investigators discovered papal documents in his Vatican City apartment.

He has pledged to cooperate fully with the investigation.

Rumours have been flying in the press about possible cardinals implicated in the investigation, pending resignations and details of the investigation that even Gabriele's lawyers say they haven't heard.

The Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi has spent much of his daily briefings in recent days denying the various reports.

The scandal represents one of the greatest breaches of trust and security for the Holy See in recent memory, given that a significant number of documents from the pope's own desk were leaked to investigative journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi.

Speaking to journalists on May 30th, Nuzzi, who wrote a book entitled "His Holiness, the Secret Papers of Benedict XVI," said that he could count more than ten people who he was sure were involved in leaking the documents.

The Vatican has denounced the leaks as criminal and immoral and has opened a three-pronged investigation to get to the bottom of who was responsible.

The Vatican has warned of legal action for those who stole, received and disseminated the documents.

736843

Vatican - Benedict XVI prepares to mark another milestone: his 85th birthday

AP TELEVISION

Vatican City - 15 April 2012

1. Pope Benedict XVI approaching his studio window and cheering crowd

2. Wide of St Peter''s Square

3. Pope blessing the faithful in the square from his window

FILE: Venice, Italy - 8 May 2011

4. Various of pope on gondola

742914

ITALY - REACTION TO ARREST OF POPE'S BUTLER IN LEAK SCANDAL

AP TELEVISION

VATICAN - 26 MAY 2012

++EXTERIOR SHOTS++

5. Wide of St. Peter's Basilica from behind columns

6. Medium of dome

7. Medium of Pope's apartment

8. VOX POP: (Italian), Giuseppe, from Milan:

"They are all corrupt: politicians, priests... All of them."

9. Medium seal on Vatican

743566

VATICAN - POPE SADDENED BY LEAKS CRISIS IN VATICAN; REPORTS OF MORE THAN 10 INVOLVED

AP TELEVISION

VATICAN - 30 MAY 2012

10. Pope in Popemobile with new butler seated in front passenger seat

SHOTLIST:

++EXTERIOR SHOTS++

1. Wide of St. Peter's Basilica from behind columns

2. Medium of dome

3. Close-up of cross

4. Medium of tourists outside Basilica

5. VOX POP: (Italian) Maria (no family name given), from Milan:

"We should have expected something like this because the church is too rich, handles too much money, there are too many interests behind it."

6. Pan from columns to Pope's apartment

7. Medium of Pope's apartment

8. VOX POP: (Italian), Giuseppe, from Milan:

"They are all corrupt: politicians, priests... All of them."

9. Medium of dome

10. Wide of police and tourists

11. Medium of tourists and Basilica shot from behind railing

++INTERIOR SHOTS++

12. Medium of Carl Anderson, American member of the Board of the Institute for Religious Works (the Vatican Bank), entering office

13. SOUNDBITE: (English) Carl Anderson, American member of the Board of the Institute for Religious Works (the Vatican Bank):

"Well, it is really incredible. If you wrote this in fiction, you wouldn't believe it. No editor would let you put it in a novel. So, it is something I find very unbelievable."

14. Medium of photo of Carl Anderson with Pope Benedict XVI

15. SOUNDBITE: (English) Carl Anderson, American member of the Board of the Institute for Religious Works (the Vatican Bank):

"I think it doesn't reflect well on the individuals involved. I think that, you know, we ought to have a certain reservation, withhold judgement until we learn all the facts, and particularly in the case that might have legal consequences, there may be a trial, there may be criminal charges. We shouldn't rush to judgement, but certainly you could hear jaws dropping all across the city."

16. Close-up of Anderson sliding documents into briefcase

17. Medium of Anderson talking with journalist

++EXTERNAL SHOTS++

18. Medium seal on Vatican

19. Wide of people outside of Vatican

STORYLINE:

Italians gathered at St. Peter's Basilica as a member of the board of the Vatican Bank expressed his opinions over the case of the Pope's butler, Paolo Gabriele, who is under arrest at the Vatican, accused of leaking secret Vatican documents to the press.

The Vatican confirmed on Saturday that the pope's butler has been arrested in its embarrassing leaks scandal, adding a Hollywood twist to a sordid tale of power struggles, intrigue and corruption in the highest levels of Catholic Church governance.

Maria, from Milan stated that this scandal should have been anticipated, "because the church is too rich, handles too much money, there are too many interests behind it."

However, Carl Anderson, an American member of the board the Vatican bank, expressed his concerns at the on-going events at the Vatican and urged the public not to jump to conclusions.

"Well, it is really incredible. If you wrote this in fiction, you wouldn't believe it. No editor would let you put it in a novel. So, it is something I find very unbelievable," he added.

Anderson is head of the Knights of Columbus, a major US Catholic organisation.

Paolo Gabriele, a layman and member of the papal household, was arrested on Wednesday after secret documents were found in his Vatican City apartment and was continuing to be held on Saturday, Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said in a statement.

Gabriele is often seen by Pope Benedict XVI's side in public, riding in the front seat of his open-air jeep during Wednesday general audiences or shielding the pontiff from the rain.

He has been the pope's personal butler since 2006, one of the few members of the small papal household that also includes the pontiff's private secretaries and four consecrated women who care for the papal apartment.

His arrest followed another stunning development at the Vatican this week, the ouster of the president of the Vatican bank, Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, by his board. Sources close to the investigation said he, too, was found to have leaked documents, though the official reason for his ouster was that he simply failed to do his job.

The "Vatileaks" scandal has seriously embarrassed the Vatican at a time during which it is trying to show the world financial community that it has turned a page and shed its reputation as a scandal plagued tax haven.

Vatican documents leaked to the press in recent months have undermined that effort, alleging corruption in Vatican finance as well as internal bickering over efforts to show more transparency in its financial operations.

But perhaps most critically, the leaks have seemed aimed at one main goal: to discredit Pope Benedict XVI's No. 2, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican secretary of state.

The scandal took on even greater weight last week with the publication of "His Holiness," a book which reproduced confidential letters and memos to and from Benedict and his personal secretary. The Vatican called the book "criminal" and vowed to take legal action against the author, publisher, and whoever leaked the documents.

Gabriele is believed to have met with his two lawyers and that the Vatican judicial system was taking its investigative course. He hasn't been indicted.

The Vatican has taken the leaks very seriously, with Benedict appointing a commission of cardinals to investigate. Vatican gendarmes as well as prosecutors are also investigating the sources of the leaks.

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The Vatican confirmed on Saturday that the pope's butler had been arrested in its embarrassing leaks scandal, adding a Hollywood twist to an already remarkable tale of power struggles, intrigue and corruption in the highest levels of Catholic Church governance.

Paolo Gabriele, a layman who lives inside Vatican City, was arrested on Wednesday with secret documents in his possession and was being held on Saturday, Vatican spokesman the Reverend Federico Lombardi said in a statement.

Gabriele is often seen by the pope's side in public, riding in the front seat of the pontiff's open-air jeep during the pope's general audiences.

Lombardi said Gabriele had two lawyers representing him as the Vatican judicial system takes its investigative course.

The "Vatileaks" scandal has seriously embarrassed the Vatican, at a time in which it is trying to show the world financial community that it has turned a page and shed its reputation as a scandal plagued tax haven.

Vatican documents leaked to the press in recent months have undermined that effort, alleging corruption in Vatican finance as well as internal bickering over the Holy See's efforts to show more transparency in its financial operations.

But perhaps most critically, the leaks have seemed aimed at one main goal: to discredit Pope Benedict XVI's No. 2, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican secretary of state.

"It is clear that there is not only one man but a group of Monsignors and employees of the Vatican who are following a line of underground opposition to the Secretary of State Cardinal Bertone," Marco Politi, author of "Crisis of a Papacy" said.

The scandal took on even greater weight last week with the publication of "His Holiness," a book which reproduced confidential letters and memos to and from Benedict and his personal secretary.

The Vatican called the book "criminal" and vowed to take legal action against the author, publisher, and whoever leaked the documents.

The Vatican had already warned of legal action against the author, Italian journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi, after he broadcast letters in January from the former No. 2 Vatican administrator to the pope in which he begged not to be transferred for having exposed alleged corruption that cost the Holy See millions of euros in higher contract prices.

The prelate, Monsignor Carlo Maria Vigano, is now the Vatican's US ambassador.

Nuzzi, author of "Vatican SpA," a 2009 volume laying out shady dealings of the Vatican bank based on leaked documents, said he was approached by sources inside the Vatican with the trove of new documents, most of them of fairly recent vintage and many of them painting Bertone in a negative light.

At a press conference this week, Nuzzi defended the publication and said he wasn't afraid of the Vatican.

In a related case, the president of the Vatican's bank, Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, was ousted on Thursday by his board.

Sources close to the investigation said he too had been found to have leaked documents, though the official reason for his ouster was that he had failed to do his job.

AP TELEVISION

FILE: Vatican - October 12, 2011

1. Pope in pope mobile heading into St. Peter's Square, butler Paolo Gabriele is sitting in the front, on the left (dark hair)

2. Pope in pope mobile going through crowd, Gabriele still seated in front of him

AP TELEVISION

FILE: Vatican - April 4, 2012

3. Pull out from pope to pope mobile and Gabriele in front seat

AP TELEVISION

Rome - May 26, 2012

4. Tilt-up from newspaper headline reading (Italian) "it is always the butler" to Vatican analyst Marco Politi

5. Close of newspaper headline with picture of Gabriele

6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Marco Politi, author of "Crisis of a Papacy":

"The butler has the knife but he is not the mastermind of the plot. Of course it made a great upheaval in the Vatican to know that the personal assistant of Pope Benedict XVI, Paolo Gabriele, is involved in the affair, and in the Vatican they say that they found at his home many documents coming from the Papal apartment. But it is clear that there is not only one man but a group of Monsignors and employees of the Vatican who are following a line of underground opposition to the Secretary of State Cardinal Bertone."

7. Pan right headline Corriere Della Sera reading (Italian) "Butler of the Pope Arrested"

8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Marco Politi, author of "Crisis of a Papacy":

"The personal assistant, as everybody knows in the Vatican, was known as, and is a very loyal person, a very good person, a very honest person, with a lot of integrity. And he began his career from a very low position, he was cleaning in the Vatican and then slowly he came and was brought by the personal secretary of John Paul II, Monsignor Dziwisz."

9. Pan down from St.Peter's Basilica to Vatican press office statement giving the name of Paolo Gabriele

10. Pan right showing words "Paolo Gabriele" and "detenzione"

11. Wide of Cupola on St. Peter's

12. Mid of Papal apartments

13. Wide of St. Peter's Square

Vatican TV

FILE: Rome - December 8, 2009

14. Pope passing through crowd in pope mobile with Gabriele sitting in front, non-driver seat

AP TELEVISION

Rome - May 26 2012

15. Tilt up of St. Peter's Square to Basilica

16. Various of St. Peter's through doorway in the Vatican press office

SCANDAL-HIT WEINSTEIN CO. FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY PROTECTION

The Weinstein Co. filed for bankruptcy protection Monday (19 MARCH 2018) with a buyout offer in hand from a private equity firm, the latest twist in its efforts to survive the sexual misconduct scandal that brought down co-founder Harvey Weinstein, shook Hollywood and triggered a movement that spread out to convulse other industries.

The company also announced it was releasing any victims of or witnesses to Weinstein's alleged misconduct from non-disclosure agreements preventing them from speaking out. That step had long been sought by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who filed a lawsuit against the company last month on behalf of its employees.

"Since October, it has been reported that Harvey Weinstein used non-disclosure agreements as a secret weapon to silence his accusers. Effective immediately, those 'agreements' end," the company said in a statement. "No one should be afraid to speak out or coerced to stay quiet."

In a statement, Schneiderman praised the decision as "a watershed moment for efforts to address the corrosive effects of sexual misconduct in the workplace."

The movie and TV studio becomes the first high-profile company to be forced into bankruptcy in the nationwide outcry over workplace sexual misconduct. Dozens of prominent men in entertainment, media, finance, politics and other realms have seen their careers derailed, but no other company has seen its very survival as tightly intertwined with the fate of one man as the Weinstein Co.

Some 80 women, including prominent actresses, have accused Harvey Weinstein of misconduct ranging from rape to harassment. Weinstein, who was fired as his company's CEO in October, has denied any allegations of non-consensual sex.

The Weinstein Co. said it has entered into a "stalking horse" agreement with an affiliate of Dallas-based Lantern Capital Partners, meaning the equity firm has agreed to buy the company, subject to approval by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware.

Lantern was among a group of investors that had been in talks for months to buy the company outside of bankruptcy. That deal was complicated when Schneiderman filed his lawsuit, citing concerns that the sale would benefit executives accused of enabling Weinstein's alleged misconduct and provide insufficient guarantees of compensation for his accusers. Talks to revive the sale finally fell apart two weeks ago when the group of buyers said they had discovered undisclosed liabilities.

The Weinstein Co. said it chose Lantern as a potential buyer because the firm was committed to keeping on the studio's employees as a going concern.

"While we had hoped to reach a sale out of court, the Board is pleased to have a plan for maximizing the value of its assets, preserving as many jobs as possible and pursuing justice for any victims," said Bob Weinstein, who co-founded the company with his brother Harvey in 2005 and remains chairman of the board of directors.

Lantern co-founders Andy Mitchell and Milos Brajovic said they were committed to "following through on our promise to reposition the business as a pre-eminent content provider, while cultivating a positive presence in the industry."

Under bankruptcy protection, civil lawsuits filed by Weinstein's accusers will be halted and no new legal claims can be brought against the company. Secured creditors will get priority for payment over the women suing the company.

Schneiderman's lawsuit will not be halted by the bankruptcy filing because it was filed by a law enforcement agency. Schneiderman said his investigation would continue and that his office would engage with the Weinstein Co. and Lantern to ensure "that victims are compensated, employees are protected moving forward, and perpetrators and enablers of abuse are not unjustly enriched."

Other bidders also could emerge during the bankruptcy process, particularly those interested in the company's lucrative 277-film library, which includes award-winning films from big-name directors like Quentin Tarantino and horror releases from its Dimension label. Free of liabilities, the company's assets could increase in value in a bankruptcy.

In more fallout over the scandal, New York's governor directed the state attorney general to review a decision by the Manhattan district attorney's office not to prosecute a 2015 case involving an Italian model who said Weinstein groped her.

The bankruptcy process will bring the company's finances into public view, including the extent of its debt. The buyers who pulled out of the sale earlier this month said they discovered up to $64 million in undisclosed liabilities, including $27 million in residuals and profit participation. Those liabilities came on top of $225 million in debt, which the buyers had said they would be prepared to take on as part of a $500 million acquisition deal.

The Weinstein Co. already had been struggling financially before the scandal erupted in October with a news stories in The New York Times and The New Yorker. Harvey and Bob Weinstein started the company after leaving Miramax, the company they founded in 1979 and which became a powerhouse in '90s indie film with hits like "Pulp Fiction." After finding success with Oscar winners "The Artist" and "The King's Speech," the Weinstein Co.'s output and relevance diminished in recent years. The company let go 50 employees in 2016 and continuously shuffled release dates while short of cash.

Last year, the studio sold distribution rights for the movie "Paddington 2" to Warner Bros. for more than $30 million.

THE WEINSTEIN CO. - No re-use/re-sale of any without clearance

1. The Weinstein Company logo

ASSOCIATED PRESS

FILE: New York, 3 Dec. 2012

2. Various shots Harvey Weinstein and wife Georgina Chapman on red carpet

ASSOCIATED PRESS

FILE: Cannes, 24 May 2015

3. Wide shot Harvey Weinstein at closing night of Cannes Film Festival

ASSOCIATED PRESS

FILE: Cannes, 24 May 2013

4. Wide shot Harvey Weinstein climbing steps at Cannes premiere

ASSOCIATED PRESS

FILE: New York, 24 April 2012

5. Medium shot Harvey Weinstein and Georgina Chapman arriving at the Time 100 gala

ASSOCIATED PRESS

FILE: New York, 13 Sept. 2017

6. Medium shot Harvey Weinstein seated at a Marchesa fashion show at New York Fashion Week

MAN WHO HACKED CELEBRITY PHOTOS ASKING FOR LENIENCY

A Connecticut man is asking for leniency while facing sentencing for hacking into more than 250 iCloud accounts of Hollywood stars and other people.

George Garofano, of North Branford, was one of four men arrested in the 2014 hacking scandal that led to private photos of Jennifer Lawrence, Kirsten Dunst, Kate Upton and others being made public. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 29 in federal court in Bridgeport.

Garofano recently filed court documents asking for no more than five months in prison followed by five months of home confinement. That's less than the 10 to 16 months in prison he faces under his felony guilty plea in April.

Garofano says he faces a lifetime loss of rights because of the felony conviction and has ``already suffered'' punishment since his arrest.

FILE: Los Angeles, 11 November 2017

1. Various shots Jennifer Lawrence poses for photos at Academy Governors Awards

FILE: Los Angeles, 16 October 2017

2. Medium shot Jennifer Lawrence talks to reporter at Elle Women in Hollywood event

FILE: Venice, Italy, 4 September 2017

3. Various shots Kirsten Dunst arrives, poses for photos at Venice film festival premiere of "Woodshock"

FILE: Cannes, France, 24 May 2017

4. Wide shot Kirsten Dunst poses for phots with cast of "The Beguiled" at the film's Cannes film festival premiere

5. Close-up Kirsten Dunst wipes away tears

6. Cutaway camera

7. Close tilt Kirsten Dunst, walks up steps

SHOTLIST

APTN File

Hollywood, March 2002

1.Various shots Red Carpet at the Oscars

Pool

Beverly Hills, December 6, 2002

2. Various shots Winona Ryder hearing sentence

3. Music clip 'Feelin' On Yo Booty' by R Kelly

ABC

Florida, 6 June 2002

4. Various shots R Kelly in court

APTN File.

New York, June 6 2002

5. SOT LL Cool J - "As far as R. Kelly I just believe that innocent until proven guilty. One thing about America, our laws are strict but they're compassionate, there's fairness there and I don't want to judge that man, I don't want to kick him when he's down. This is probably the roughest time of his life."

APTN file.

6. B-roll Backstreet Boys

APTN File.

London, 29 September, 2002

7. SOUNDBITE Nick Carter: "I got into a little bit of a depressional state too and started going in the same direction. Then it kicked in and I thought maybe this isn't the right thing to do and only recently I was able to see that it was not the right thing to do and that I was not doing the right thing so I actually stopped. We took some time, I started writing, got into the studio and started writing and things just came out and I was able to take a break from everything, from the whole roller-coaster."

ABC

Los Angeles, September 2002

8. Various shots Nick Nolte under arrest

APTN File.

Toronto, September 2002

7. Various shots Nick Nolte arriving at 'The Good Thief' premiere

CBS Pool.

Atlanta, November 2002.

8. Various Bobby Brown (with Whitney Houston) in court

Whalf Cable

Hong Kong, November 8, 2002

9. Nicholas Tse, his father & mother leaving court after 240hrs community service sentence

File footage

ATV Hong Kong

10. Various shot smashed up Ferrari

11. Gloria Trevi performance

TV Globo - 1 November 2001

12. Shots of Gloria Trevi while pregnant being held in Brazilian prison

TV Globo

Brassilla, 30 May 2002

13. Various of Gloria Trevi arriving at prison after giving birth

APTN File

Chihuahua, Mexico, 22 December 2002

14. A helicopter lands at the prison

15. A second helicopter lands at the prison

16. Gloria Trevi holding baby walks across prison courtyard

17. Trevi walking past cameras

18. Trevi fans outside chanting and dancing

19. Close-up of woman dancing with other fans

20. Fan holds sign that says "We are with you"

21. Set up shot of Karina Yapor, alleged cult vict with father

UNIVISION

Chihuahua, Mexico - 22 December 2002

22. Trevi is read the charges against her and she responds

APTN File

Chihuahua, Mexico, 22 December 2002

23. Night time exterior of prison

APTN

London - September 22, 1999

24. Media scrum

25. Diana Ross being led to car by police

26. Ross gets into car

27. Car driving off

ABC FILE

28. File of Suge Knight smoking a cigar

APTN File - Los Angeles, 10th August 2001

29. VS Old magazines showing former Death Row artists Dr Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog

30. B-Roll - Suge and Tupac mess about on video shoot - Death Row EPK

APTN File - Los Angeles, 10th August 2001

31. Track down Death Row offices to poster of Logo

THE FALLEN OF 2002 - THE UNUSAL SUSPECTS

The 'red carpet' privileges of WINONA RYDER, R KELLY, NIC CARTER, NICK NOLTE, Hong Kong star NICHOLAS TSE and Mexican singer GLORIA TREVI, were all revoked in 2002. It was the year it all went very badly wrong.

Whether it was sex, drugs, fast cars or shopping without paying - they made the mistake of getting caught and had to endure the indignity of being dragged out of the stretch limo and into police car, bounced from the spotlight and into the harsh glare of scandal.

Winona Ryder spent much of the year in a Los Angeles court room as the trial for her shoplifting spree in December 2001 was played out in public.

She was sentenced to three years probation, 480 hours of community service, ordered to pay a 10-thousand US dollar fine and warned by Superior Court Judge Elden Fox that: "If you steal again, you will go to jail."

Ryder made no statement other than to acknowledge the judge's warning.

She also was ordered to participate in a court-approved drug and psychological counseling programme.

The 31-year-old actress had faced up to three years in prison, but prosecutors did not recommend any time behind bars because she had no prior convictions.

The judge ordered Ryder to serve her community service by April 7, saying she would have to spend 240 hours at City of Hope, a major medical centre east of LA specializing in cancer patients, 120 hours at the Foundation for the Junior Blind, and 120 hours at the Caring for Babies With Aids foundation.

Her lawyer, Mark Geragos, suggested that Ryder has been punished more than the average person would be because of the public attack on her character.

But Winona might not do so badly after all. While on trial for stealing items designed by Marc Jacobs, Ryder wore a series of his dresses to court and has been reported as the new celebrity face for his 2003 advertising campaign.

More serious were the charges against rapper R KELLY who was arrested on 21 counts of child pornography.

The hip hop star was hauled before judges in Chicago in June after a video tape surfaced which showed the singer having a sexual tryst with an underage girl. If convicted, he could be sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined 100-thousand dollars.

Kelly has denied he is the man in the video, which has been sold on street corners in major cities and over the internet.

Fellow musician LL Cool J commented on the situation at the 'Windtalkers' premiere:

"As far as R. Kelly I just believe innocent until proven guilty. One thing about America, our laws are strict but they're compassionate, there's fairness there and I don't want to judge that man, I don't want to kick him when he's down. This is probably the roughest time of his life and if you were him, in his house right now you would probably feel really terrible, really horrible and it's really painful for him so I think the best thing we can do is pray for him and pray for everyone involved in the situation and hope that the truth comes out and justice is served."

Kelly also is the focus of at least four lawsuits, three of which accuse him of having sex with underage girls. He has acknowledged settling two of the lawsuits regarding underage sex, but his lawyers have said they will fight the third.

Kelly is married to a former dancer from his touring troupe. They have a newborn son and two young daughters. His brief marriage to the late singer Aaliyah was annulled. Although 15 at the time, she lied about her age in 1994 to get a marriage license.

Kelly rose from childhood poverty on Chicago's South Side. He began singing for change at the city's train stops and went on to sell more than 23 million albums and own a mansion in a Chicago suburb.

The singer is known for hits ranging from the Grammy-winning, gospel-like 'I Believe I Can Fly' to sexually charged material such as 'Bump 'n' Grind' and 'Feelin' on Yo Booty.'

NICK CARTER, the youngest member of the Backstreet Boys, was also arrested in two thousand two, after an argument during a night out in his local city Tampa, Florida, in January (2JAN2001).

The 21-year-old star allegedly refused to follow police orders to leave the "Pop City" nightclub, after a fight broke out inside.

The police were initially called to the club early in the evening to deal with a fight. They came back later in the night to break up another disturbance.

While officers made arrests and tried to restore peace, Carter became involved in an argument with a woman, according to his arrest report.

The tabloid press claimed the boy band idol also exposed himself in front of fellow revellers saying 'I'm Nick Carter'.

But the official arrest report is far less salacious: Carter was told to leave the nightclub more than 10 times until officers told him to go by "the count of 3" or face arrest. The affidavit said Carter carried on arguing and was arrested.

He was handcuffed and driven away in a squad car, and released after being charged early on Wednesday morning.

He faces a misdemeanor count of resisting a police officer without violence.

A spokesman for Tampa Police, Joe Durkin, said Carter's first court appearance is set for March 4.

Carter, who lives outside Tampa, was the second Backstreet Boy to run into trouble in just a few months. In July 2001, A.J. McLean spent time at a rehabilitation center for depression and alcohol abuse, forcing the 5 member group to postpone its U.S. and Canadian tour.

McLean, who turns 24 next week, has said he's been sober ever since. Carter says what happened to McLean was a reality check for him:, "AJ was definitely a big reality check for me because I was like right there next to him, not necessarily doing everything or as bad in a moment that he was in, but I was kind of following, as a younger brother, just looking and seeing and then all of a sudden that thing happened and I got into a little bit of a depressional state too and started going in the same direction."

Also having a bad year was tough-guy actor NICK NOLTE who was arrested for driving under the influence of drugs in September.

Nolte was behind the wheel of his black 1992 Mercedes-Benz on Pacific Coast Highway, swerving into oncoming lanes, when he was stopped September 11 near his west Malibu home. Lab tests showed he was under the influence of the banned depressant gamma hydroxybutyrate, the so-called date-rape drug known as GHB.

He pleaded 'no contest' on to one count of driving under the influence of drugs and was immediately sentenced to three years' probation, which includes counseling and drug testing.

In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dropped a second misdemeanor charge of being under the influence of a controlled substance.

He stood in court as Deputy District Attorney Loni Petersen asked the actor if he understood that a no contest plea means a guilty plea in criminal court.

He answered, "Yes."

Superior Court Judge Lawrence Mira then warned the 61-year-old "48 Hours" star that he would be jailed for six months if he violates conditions of his probation.

Nolte voluntarily entered a Connecticut rehabilitation facility four days after his arrest.

Leaving court after the 15 minute hearing, Nolte told reporters he was relieved that it was all over.

The most extraordinary fallen star story of two thousand two comes from Latin America, where Mexican pop diva GLORIA TREVI is on trial for luring starry-eyed young girls into a sex cult run by her manager.

But like all good South American soap operas, that's only the tip of the ice-berg. Trevi, who was a feminist and intellectual icon as well as a pop star, returns to Mexico under extradition from Brazil, where, despite being jailed for three years, she managed to conceive and give birth to a child.

How she managed this while living in an all-female cell block she is not saying. Despite that, there's no shortage of rumoured explanations. Trevi has alleged that she was ritually raped by prison guards while others suggest she inseminated herself with aid of plastic bags and ball point pens.

Trevi's eventual arrival at the beach resort of Cancun ended the three-year odyssey in Brazil, during which she also vowed to avoid extradition by marrying a Brazilian diplomat.

She was transferred from a commercial flight to a private government jet in Cancun, then whisked off to the northern city of Chihuahua, where she appeared before a judge.

Trevi looked tired, fought back tears at times and struggled to be heard above her 10-month-old son, Angel Gabriel, who wailed and clung to the bars his mother talked through.

When told she had the right to answer questions from prosecutors, the 34-year-old singer said: "I'm not going to answer anything at all."

She refused to disclose her income, and said she had 10 defense attorneys.

At the end of the hour-long appearance, she turned in a written statement with her declaration of guilt or innocence, but it was not made public.

Earlier, a gaggle of fans danced outside the prison and sang Trevi's songs amid a crowd of reporters, who jockeyed for a better view of the singer.

Trevi, her ex-husband and manager Sergio Andrade, and backup singer Maria Raquenel Portillo were arrested in a beach front apartment in Rio de Janeiro in January 2000.

Chihuahua state prosecutors have charged the three with aggravated rape, kidnapping and corruption of minors, saying they recruited adolescent girls for live-in "musical training" that included sex with Andrade.

The accusations have dominated Latin American headlines - even though Trevi hasn't had a hit single since 1996.

The chief accuser is Karina Yapor, a 17-year-old Chihuahuan girl whose parents let her join Trevi's entourage for musical training five years ago.

The girl abandoned a baby in Spain in 1998, claiming Andrade was the father.

In a news conference Saturday, Yapor said she wasn't intimidated by Trevi's return and that she "had no reason to be afraid" of testifying against her in court. She said she had forgiven Trevi.

The Brazilian Supreme Court authorized the extradition of Trevi, Andrade and Portillo in December 2000, but the suspects maintained their innocence and fought their return.

Even Trevi's much-anticipated departure from Brazil was held up for two days by a diplomatic standoff over whether she would take a commercial flight or private plane back home, leaving her stranded in Sao Paulo's international airport.

Last month, Trevi said she would no longer fight extradition, and asked to be returned to Mexico to defend herself.

And more alcohol fuelled stories with Diva Diana Ross arrested in Arizona on suspicion of drink-driving.

A breath test showed she had a blood-alcohol level of 0.20%, more than twice the legal driving limit of 0.08%.

Sgt Judy Altieri of Tuscon police says she was pulled over after someone alerted them to a swerving vehicle. She added that the arresting officer said Ross was polite and co-operative.

Ross, 58, received misdemeanour citations for driving under the influence, driving with a blood-alcohol content over 0.08, and extreme DUI - or having a blood-alcohol level greater than 0.15%. Her initial court appearance is set for January 13.

Ross entered a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre in May to deal with what her publicist, Paul Bloch, at the time said were personal issues.

And a hard Christmas for rap music mogul Marion "Suge" Knight who was arrested for allegedly violating the terms of his parole, sheriff's officials said.

The alleged parole violations involve his alleged association with reputed gang members, according to police. Authorities learned of the possible violations after raiding the rap mogul's office and home last month.

Knight was arrested on Monday (23DEC02) after meeting with his parole officer.

MUSIC CLEARANCE DETAILS

ARTIST: R Kelly

TITLE: Feelin' On Yo' Booty

WRITER: Kelly

PUBLISHER: Zomba Songs

LABEL: Zomba Recording Corporation

SHOTLIST

APTN File

Hollywood, March 2002

1.Various shots Red Carpet at the Oscars

Pool

Beverly Hills, December 6, 2002

2. Various shots Winona Ryder hearing sentence

3. Music clip 'Feelin' On Yo Booty' by R Kelly

ABC

Florida, 6 June 2002

4. Various shots R Kelly in court

APTN File.

New York, June 6 2002

5. SOT LL Cool J: " "As far as R. Kelly I just believe innocent until proven guilty. One thing about America, our laws are strict but they're compassionate, there's fairness there and I don't want to judge that man, I don't want to kick him when he's down. This is probably the roughest time of his life."

APTN file.

6. B-roll Backstreet Boys

APTN File.

London, 29 September, 2002

7. SOUNDBITE Nick Carter: "I got into a little bit of a depressional state too and started going in the same direction. Then it kicked in and I thought maybe this isn't the right thing to do and only recently I was able to see that it was not the right thing to do and that I was not doing the right thing so I actually stopped. We took some time, I started writing, got into the studio and started writing and things just came out and I was able to take a break from everything, from the whole roller-coaster and the big Backstreet Boy thing that was going on at the moment."

ABC

Los Angeles, September 2002

8. Various shots Nick Nolte under arrest

APTN File.

Toronto, September 2002

7. Various shots Nick Nolte arriving at 'The Good Thief' premiere

CBS Pool.

Atlanta, November 2002.

8. Various Bobby Brown (with Whitney Houston) in court

Whalf Cable

Hong Kong, November 8, 2002

9. Nicholas Tse, his father & mother leaving court after 240hrs community service sentence

File footage

ATV Hong Kong

10. Various shot smashed up Ferrari

TV Globo - 1 November 2001

11. Shots of Gloria Trevi while pregnant being held in Brazilian prison

TV Globo

Brassilla, 30 May 2002

12. Various of Gloria Trevi arriving at prison after giving birth

APTN File

Chihuahua, Mexico, 22 December 2002

13. A helicopter lands at the prison

14. A second helicopter lands at the prison

15.. Gloria Trevi holding baby walks across prison courtyard

16. Trevi walking past cameras

17. Trevi fans outside chanting and dancing

18. Close-up of woman dancing with other fans

19. Fan holds sign that says "We are with you"

20. Set up shot of Karina Yapor, alleged cult vict with father

UNIVISION - No Access Telemundo/NBC

Chihuahua, Mexico - 22 December 2002

21. Trevi is read the charges against her and she responds

APTN File

Chihuahua, Mexico, 22 December 2002

22. Night time exterior of prison

THE FALLEN OF 2002 - THE UNUSAL SUSPECTS

The 'red carpet' privileges of WINONA RYDER, R KELLY, NIC CARTER, NICK NOLTE, Hong Kong star NICHOLAS TSE and Mexican singer GLORIA TREVI, were all revoked in 2002. It was the year it all went very badly wrong.

Whether it was sex, drugs, fast cars or shopping without paying - they made the mistake of getting caught and had to endure the indignity of being dragged out of the stretch limo and into police car, bounced from the spotlight and into the harsh glare of scandal.

WINONA RYDER'S FASHION TRIAL

Winona Ryder spent much of the year in a Los Angeles court room as the trial for her shoplifting spree in December 2001 was played out in public.

Footage of her stuffing 5,500 US dollars worth of designer clothes into her bag at Saks Fifth Avenue was given the networks and the actress was eventually convicted of felony grand theft and vandalism, but cleared her of a third charge of commercial burglary.

She was sentenced to three years probation, 480 hours of community service, ordered to pay a 10-thousand US dollar fine and warned by Superior Court Judge Elden Fox that: "If you steal again, you will go to jail."

Ryder made no statement other than to acknowledge the judge's warning.

She also was ordered to participate in a court-approved drug and psychological counseling programme.

The 31-year-old actress had faced up to three years in prison, but prosecutors did not recommend any time behind bars because she had no prior convictions.

The judge ordered Ryder to serve her community service by April 7, saying she would have to spend 240 hours at City of Hope, a major medical centre east of LA specializing in cancer patients, 120 hours at the Foundation for the Junior Blind, and 120 hours at the Caring for Babies With Aids foundation.

Her lawyer, Mark Geragos, suggested that Ryder has been punished more than the average person would be because of the public attack on her character.

But Winona might not do so badly after all. While on trial for stealing items designed by Marc Jacobs, Ryder wore a series of his dresses to court and has been reported as the new celebrity face for his 2003 advertising campaign.

R KELLY VIDEO

More serious were the charges against rapper R KELLY who was arrested on 21 counts of child pornography.

The hip hop star was hauled before judges in Chicago in June after a video tape surfaced which showed the singer having a sexual tryst with an underage girl. If convicted, he could be sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined 100-thousand dollars.

Kelly has denied he is the man in the video, which has been sold on street corners in major cities and over the internet.

Fellow musician LL Cool J commented on the situation at the 'Windtalkers' premiere:

"As far as R. Kelly I just believe innocent until proven guilty. One thing about America, our laws are strict but they're compassionate, there's fairness there and I don't want to judge that man, I don't want to kick him when he's down. This is probably the roughest time of his life and if you were him, in his house right now you would probably feel really terrible, really horrible and it's really painful for him so I think the best thing we can do is pray for him and pray for everyone involved in the situation and hope that the truth comes out and justice is served."

Kelly also is the focus of at least four lawsuits, three of which accuse him of having sex with underage girls. He has acknowledged settling two of the lawsuits regarding underage sex, but his lawyers have said they will fight the third.

Kelly is married to a former dancer from his touring troupe. They have a newborn son and two young daughters. His brief marriage to the late singer Aaliyah was annulled. Although 15 at the time, she lied about her age in 1994 to get a marriage license.

Kelly rose from childhood poverty on Chicago's South Side. He began singing for change at the city's train stops and went on to sell more than 23 million albums and own a mansion in a Chicago suburb.

The singer is known for hits ranging from the Grammy-winning, gospel-like 'I Believe I Can Fly' to sexually charged material such as 'Bump 'n' Grind' and 'Feelin' on Yo Booty.'

NICK CARTER DRUNK AND DISORDERLY

NICK CARTER, the youngest member of the Backstreet Boys, was also arrested in two thousand two, after an argument during a night out in his local city Tampa, Florida, in January (2JAN2001).

The 21-year-old star allegedly refused to follow police orders to leave the "Pop City" nightclub, after a fight broke out inside.

The police were initially called to the club early in the evening to deal with a fight. They came back later in the night to break up another disturbance.

While officers made arrests and tried to restore peace, Carter became involved in an argument with a woman, according to his arrest report.

The tabloid press claimed the boy band idol also exposed himself in front of fellow revellers saying 'I'm Nick Carter'.

But the official arrest report is far less salacious: Carter was told to leave the nightclub more than 10 times until officers told him to go by "the count of 3" or face arrest. The affidavit said Carter carried on arguing and was arrested.

He was handcuffed and driven away in a squad car, and released after being charged early on Wednesday morning.

He faces a misdemeanor count of resisting a police officer without violence.

A spokesman for Tampa Police, Joe Durkin, said Carter's first court appearance is set for March 4.

Carter, who lives outside Tampa, was the second Backstreet Boy to run into trouble in just a few months. In July 2001, A.J. McLean spent time at a rehabilitation center for depression and alcohol abuse, forcing the 5 member group to postpone its U.S. and Canadian tour.

McLean, who turns 24 next week, has said he's been sober ever since. Carter says what happened to McLean was a reality check for him:, "AJ was definitely a big reality check for me because I was like right there next to him, not necessarily doing everything or as bad in a moment that he was in, but I was kind of following, as a younger brother, just looking and seeing and then all of a sudden that thing happened and I got into a little bit of a depressional state too and started going in the same direction."

NICK NOLTE DUI

Also having a bad year was tough-guy actor NICK NOLTE who was arrested for driving under the influence of drugs in September.

Nolte was behind the wheel of his black 1992 Mercedes-Benz on Pacific Coast Highway, swerving into oncoming lanes, when he was stopped September 11 near his west Malibu home. Lab tests showed he was under the influence of the banned depressant gamma hydroxybutyrate, the so-called date-rape drug known as GHB.

He pleaded 'no contest' on to one count of driving under the influence of drugs and was immediately sentenced to three years' probation, which includes counseling and drug testing.

In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dropped a second misdemeanor charge of being under the influence of a controlled substance.

He stood in court as Deputy District Attorney Loni Petersen asked the actor if he understood that a no contest plea means a guilty plea in criminal court.

He answered, "Yes."

Superior Court Judge Lawrence Mira then warned the 61-year-old "48 Hours" star that he would be jailed for six months if he violates conditions of his probation.

Nolte voluntarily entered a Connecticut rehabilitation facility four days after his arrest.

Leaving court after the 15 minute hearing, Nolte told reporters he was relieved that it was all over.

GLORIA TREVI - FOUNTAIN OF MELODRAMA

The most extraordinary fallen star story of two thousand two comes from Latin America, where Mexican pop diva GLORIA TREVI is on trial for luring starry-eyed young girls into a sex cult run by her manager.

But like all good South American soap operas, that's only the tip of the ice-berg. Trevi, who was a feminist and intellectual icon as well as a pop star, returns to Mexico under extradition from Brazil, where, despite being jailed for three years, she managed to conceive and give birth to a child.

How she managed this while living in an all-female cell block she is not saying. Despite that, there's no shortage of rumoured explanations. Trevi has alleged that she was ritually raped by prison guards while others suggest she inseminated herself with aid of plastic bags and ball point pens.

Trevi's eventual arrival at the beach resort of Cancun ended the three-year odyssey in Brazil, during which she also vowed to avoid extradition by marrying a Brazilian diplomat.

She was transferred from a commercial flight to a private government jet in Cancun, then whisked off to the northern city of Chihuahua, where she appeared before a judge.

Trevi looked tired, fought back tears at times and struggled to be heard above her 10-month-old son, Angel Gabriel, who wailed and clung to the bars his mother talked through.

When told she had the right to answer questions from prosecutors, the 34-year-old singer said: "I'm not going to answer anything at all."

She refused to disclose her income, and said she had 10 defense attorneys.

At the end of the hour-long appearance, she turned in a written statement with her declaration of guilt or innocence, but it was not made public.

Earlier, a gaggle of fans danced outside the prison and sang Trevi's songs amid a crowd of reporters, who jockeyed for a better view of the singer.

Trevi, her ex-husband and manager Sergio Andrade, and backup singer Maria Raquenel Portillo were arrested in a beach front apartment in Rio de Janeiro in January 2000.

Chihuahua state prosecutors have charged the three with aggravated rape, kidnapping and corruption of minors, saying they recruited adolescent girls for live-in "musical training" that included sex with Andrade.

The accusations have dominated Latin American headlines - even though Trevi hasn't had a hit single since 1996.

The chief accuser is Karina Yapor, a 17-year-old Chihuahuan girl whose parents let her join Trevi's entourage for musical training five years ago.

The girl abandoned a baby in Spain in 1998, claiming Andrade was the father.

In a news conference Saturday, Yapor said she wasn't intimidated by Trevi's return and that she "had no reason to be afraid" of testifying against her in court. She said she had forgiven Trevi.

The Brazilian Supreme Court authorized the extradition of Trevi, Andrade and Portillo in December 2000, but the suspects maintained their innocence and fought their return.

Even Trevi's much-anticipated departure from Brazil was held up for two days by a diplomatic standoff over whether she would take a commercial flight or private plane back home, leaving her stranded in Sao Paulo's international airport.

Last month, Trevi said she would no longer fight extradition, and asked to be returned to Mexico to defend herself.

CLEARANCE DETAILS

MUSIC CLEARANCE DETAILS

ARTIST: R Kelly

TITLE: Feelin' On Yo' Booty

WRITER: Kelly

PUBLISHER: Zomba Songs

LABEL: Zomba Recording Corporation

SHOTLIST

1. Flight arrival board showing Edison Chen's flight at Singapore Changi Airport

2. Media waiting at Arrival Hall

3. Various of news article on Edison Chen's in Singapore newspaper

4. Media interviewing Edison Chen fan

5. Edison Chen fan holding newspaper

6. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Jiang Ke Liang, Edison Chen's fan:

"Everybody will have sex. As a matter of fact, a lot of lovers will take pictures of each other. He did not release the pictures of his own free will after all. I feel that it was OK. I envy the female artists in the pictures."

7. Various of Edison Chen arriving at Grand Hyatt Hotel

8. Pan shot of crowd outside Grand Hyatt Hotel

9. Edison Chen getting ready for an event

10. Various of Edison Chen launching new Carl's Jr burger

11. Various of Edison Chen at the event

12. Chen leaving

STORYLINE:

Actor Edison Chen arrived in Singapore for a string of product launch events after appearing in a Canadian court on Monday over a sex photo scandal.

Chen appeared at a Carl's Jr. food product launch event in Singapore under heavy security and surrounded by media.

The Chinese-Canadian film star's private sex pictures with several Hong Kong starlets set off an Internet firestorm in 2008.

The scandal dominated headlines for weeks early last year, prompting Chen to make a public apology in February 2008 and take a break from the industry.

Chen resurfaced in Vancouver, Canada on Monday to testify against the computer technician who allegedly stole the photos from his laptop when it was being serviced.

The unusual hearing was held to get Chen's testimony for the trial of Ho Chun Sze in China.

Sze faces three counts of obtaining access to a computer with illegal intent for allegedly stealing the private photos from Chen's computer.

Chen refused to return to Hong Kong to testify.

Some of the pages hosting the photos of Chen received more than 25 (m) million hits, and the fan feeding frenzy crashed the web in Hong Kong.

When he was asked if he will return to the Chinese film business, Chen said he wouldn't until the case was resolved.

Meanwhile his new movie will debut next month. It will be the star's first since the scandal.

The action thriller "The Sniper" will have its world premiere at the Hong Kong International Film Festival on March 24, according to the Hong Kong event's programme released Thursday.

"The Sniper" finished shooting in 2007 and was originally scheduled to be released in March 2008, but was put on hold after Chen's scandal broke.

Another of Chen's Chinese-language movies, the romance "Jump," was also shelved.

The actor also had a brief cameo in the Hollywood blockbuster "The Dark Knight," which was released in July.

English/Nat

The Presidential sex scandal continues to twist and turn in the United States, even though the man at the centre of the allegations took time off to play golf this weekend.

Bill Clinton is at his Camp David retreat with daughter Chelsea after enduring one of the most difficult weeks of his political career.

Meanwhile in the latest development, a New York literary agent is threatening to release audiotapes of her conversations with Linda Tripp, the woman who befriended Monica Lewinsky - the White House intern alleged to have had an affair with Clinton.

Leaving the Monica Lewinsky controversy behind him, President Clinton got out for a five-hour round of golf Saturday with his dog, Buddy, in tow.

Clinton is spending the weekend at the Camp David presidential retreat with his daughter, Chelsea, while his wife, Hillary, is on a three-day visit to Switzerland.

The president played at Maple Run Golf Course with his brother, Roger, brothers-in-law Hugh and Tony Rodham and longtime friend Harry Thomason, a Hollywood producer.

Buddy spent his time darting in and out of the carts as the golfers drove from hole to hole.

On some of the holes, Clinton had to hold the pup back to keep him from interfering.

After nine holes, Clinton stopped to talk with a handful of people near the clubhouse including a 5-year-old boy.

And after what must have been the worst ten days of his Presidency, Clinton does has something to smile about.

The latest opinion polls show he is more popular than ever, despite the accusations of an affair with a former White House intern, Monica Lewinsky.

Linda Tripp is the woman who recorded conversations with Lewinsky in which she is alleged to have detailed her relationship with the President.

Now Lewinsky's lawyer is raising doubt about Tripp's truthfulness, denying assertions Tripp overhead a two a-m phone call between Lewinsky and the President.

Today Tripp's friend, New York literary agent Lucianne Goldberg came out fighting.

Goldberg warned she would back up her friend's claims by releasing her own recordings of conversations she had with Tripp about the alleged affair.

SOUNDBITE:(English)

"What proof do any of us have, except I have those two tapes in which she mentions these details. And if they keep forcing her veracity and keep calling it into doubt, I will release those tapes and let everybody hear them."

SUPER CAPTION: Lucianne Goldberg, friend of Linda Tripp

Leaving his home early Saturday morning, Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr, who is leading the investigation into President Clinton, gave a few brief remarks to waiting reporters.

SOUNDBITE:

"Q: How are things working out ?

A: We are moving forward, trying to gather the facts as quickly as we can.

Q: When will we hear more about the evidence you've got?

A: Well, as you know, it is a Grand Jury investigation. The Grand Jury has been sitting actively, it's very attentive but beyond that I cannot comment."

SUPER CAPTION: Kenneth Starr, Independent Counsel

The woman at the centre of the allegations, Monica Lewinsky, remained out of sight at the exclusive Cosmos Club in Washington D-C, where her lawyer is staying.

Lewinsky is due to leave Washington next week to spend some time with her father in California.

The decision follows a week of negotiations with Whitewater prosecutors, which failed to produce a grant of immunity in exchange for her grand jury testimony.

Lewinsky's attorney, William Ginsburg, will also be heading west.

SOUNDBITE:

"We are not running, we are not being evasive.You know what - she needs a little change of pace too."

SUPER CAPTION: William Ginsburg, Monica Lewinsky's Attorney

At the annual Conservative Political Action conference Saturday, the message for President Clinton was direct - impeachment.

Despite the sex scandal, Clinton's popularity polls are rising to new heights and some of his opponents on the right are divided over how to capitalize on the allegations of an affair and cover-up without appearing too mean-spirited.

But some like republican Bob Barr unleashed tough rhetoric.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"Well my friends, I am here to deliver a message to the President. Character counts, responsibility is required and accountability will be demanded."

SUPER CAPTION: Congressman Bob Barr (Republican - Georgia)

Among cautious Republicans, a new tactic has emerged.

Don't directly comment on Clinton's sex life, but raise doubts about his truthfulness by talking about his lack of integrity on other issues.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"The problem this president faces is that while he can stand before the Congress as he did this week and outline dozens of new programmes, and give us a catalogue of things he wants to do, he doesn't have at this point the political or moral authority to get anybody to do the things that he wants to do."

SUPER CAPTION: David Keene, Chairman, Conservative Political Action Conference

President Clinton has denied all the allegations against him.

Maryland, Washington D-C, New York - 31 January 1998 and recent file

Maryland, 31 January - POOL

1. Various President Clinton playing golf with dog (Buddy)in tow

Maryland, file - WRC

2. Linda Tripp walks to car

New York, 31 January - POOL

3. Two shot Lucianne Goldberg and reporter

4. SOUNDBITE: Lucianne Goldberg, friend of Linda Tripp

Washington D-C, 31 January - CNN

5. Kenneth Starr leaving home

6. SOUNDBITE: Kenneth Starr, Independent Counsel

Washington D-C, 29 January - APTV

7. Exterior Cosmos Club

8. Monica Lewinsky leaving Cosmos Club - 29 Jan 1998

Washington D-C, 30 January - APTV

9. SOUNDBITE: William Ginsburg, Monica Lewinsky's Attorney

Washington D-C, 31 January - APTV

10. Interior shots from Conservative Political Action Conference

11. SOUNDBITE: Congressman Bob Barr (Republican, Georgia)

12. Cutaway to audience

13. SOUNDBITE: David Keene, Chairman, Conservative Political Action Conference

14. Audience

SERIOUS SCANDAL IN 2013

2013 was a bad year for some celebrities, with many of them hitting the headlines for serious reasons.

Pop star Justin Bieber had his fair share of trouble.

The 19-year-old angered authorities in Australia and Brazil after allegedly spray painting graffiti.

He also upset his Argentinean fans by kicking the country's flag off the stage at his Buenos Aires concert.

In addition, Bieber had his pet capuchin monkey confiscated upon arrival at Munich airport in March, because he didn't carry the mandatory documents for bringing the monkey into Germany.

In Amsterdam in June he caused yet more controversy.

He wrote an entry into a guestbook at the Anne Frank House museum, saying he hoped the Jewish teenager who died in a Nazi concentration camp "would have been a Belieber," or fan of his, if history were different.

The message triggered a flood of complaints on the museum's Facebook page.

In July the pop star made a call to Bill Clinton to apologize for cursing the former US president and spraying his photo with cleaning fluid in a New York City restaurant kitchen earlier in the year.

The apology came after a video released by TMZ.com showed the singer urinating in a mop bucket as he and others race through the restaurant kitchen.

Before exiting, Bieber sprays the Clinton photo and drops the f-bomb in reference to the former president.

Bieber was also in the news after traffic cameras caught him speeding in Dubai; US border agents found marijuana on his tour bus; plus for allegedly fighting with his neighbor and supposedly being involved in a nightclub brawl.

Miley Cyrus also got quite a bit of negative press.

The former "Hannah Montana" star been criticized for her risque live performances - including twerking with a dwarf and dancing suggestively with Robin Thicke; appearing to smoke a joint on stage as she accepted an award at the MTV EMAs in Amsterdam and for wearing revealing outfits at events and in her music videos.

Another former child star to have a difficult year is Amanda Bynes.

The 27-year-old was hospitalized in July due to mental health issues.

She hit the headlines after starting a small fire in the driveway of a home in Southern California.

Bynes had had several prior run-ins with the law in California.

Earlier in the year she appeared in a New York court on allegations that she threw a marijuana bong out the window of her 36th-floor Manhattan apartment.

Oscar-winner Reese Witherspoon also had trouble with the police.

She was arrested in April on a disorderly conduct charge after a state trooper said she wouldn't stay in the car while her husband was given a field impairment (sobriety) test in Atlanta.

The state trooper initiated a traffic stop after noticing the car driven by Witherspoon's husband, James Toth, wasn't staying in its lane.

The most serious - and most shocking - celebrity arrest came in February when Olympic and Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius was charged with murdering his girlfriend.

The South African is due to face trial on March 3 2014 for shooting his girlfriend dead, model Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine's Day.

Pistorius has said he shot Steenkamp by mistake believing she was an intruder in his home.

Another athlete to shock the world was cyclist Lance Armstrong.

Despite denying it for years, the seven time Tour de France winner was exposed as a cheat and admitted he used performance enhancing drugs during his career.

Lindsay Lohan had yet another tough year.

She was in court in March over a June 2012 car crash.

Lohan pleaded not guilty to three misdemeanor charges filed after the accident - reckless driving, lying to police and obstructing officers from performing their duties.

She accepted a plea deal in the case, that included 90 days in a rehabilitation facility.

Another star who is never out of the press for long is Chris Brown.

In 2013 the singer and his entourage brawled with fellow singer Frank Ocean and his entourage in a car park and Brown got arrested for another alleged fight with a man in Washington D.C.

In October the R 'n B star announced that he will go to rehab to "gain focus and insight into his past and recent behavior, enabling him to continue the pursuit of his life and his career from a healthier vantage point."

He'll be back in court in 2014 for progress reports.

Michael Jackson's teenage daughter Paris was hospitalized in June.

No official reason was given for her hospitalization but audio of the 911 call was released by authorities, and revealed that paramedics were dispatched to the youngster's home on a report that she had taken 20 Motrin pills and cut herself with a kitchen knife.

The family lawyer Perry Sanders Jr. wrote in a statement to The Associated Press that Jackson received the appropriate medical attention and the family is seeking privacy.

"Being a sensitive 15 year old is difficult no matter who you are," he wrote. "It is especially difficult when you lose the person closest to you. Paris is physically fine and is getting appropriate medical attention. Please respect her privacy and the family's privacy."

Other stars to have a scandalous 2013 are Simon Cowell, who is having a baby with his friend's ex; Kanye West, who has had various run ins with the paparazzi; and actor Josh Brolin who was arrested for public intoxication.

Those in trouble, allegedly over drugs, in 2013 include:

Singer Cee Lo Green who pleaded not guilty in court to giving a woman ecstasy at a Los Angeles restaurant during a 2012 dinner.

He's due back in court in January 2014.

Craig Robinson - the actor was stopped as he tried to board a plane back to the U.S. from the Bahamas because he was found carrying half gram of marijuana and eighteen ecstasy pills.

And 2 Chainz, after police in Oklahoma City discovered weapons and drugs on a tour bus occupied by the rapper and 10 other men.

Two semi-automatic pistols, a shotgun, prescription painkillers and marijuana residue were seized on August 22nd following a traffic stop.

AP Entertainment

FILE: New York, 9 July 2013

1. Tracking shot: Amanda Bynes getting out of car and walking into court

POOL

FILE: New York City, 24 May 2013

2. Mid of Amanda Bynes and lawyer Andrew Friedman

3. Amanda Bynes leaving court

AP Entertainment

FILE: New York City, 24 May 2013

4. Amanda Bynes leaving court

AP Entertainment

FILE: Los Angeles, 22 July 2012

5. Medium Justin Bieber with fans

Interscope Records

6. Music video excerpt: "#thatPOWER," by will.i.am featuring Justin Bieber

AP Entertainment

FILE: New York - 21 April 2013 - from story 888375

7. Various of Oscar-winning actress Reese Witherspoon at premiere for her new movie "Mud"

Georgia State Patrol - from story 890297

8. Clip of dashboard cam video showing Witherspoon's husband Jim Toth talking to state patrolman, Witherspoon enters frame and an argument ensues about her not staying in the car as instructed

AP Entertainment

FILE: Los Angeles, 26 January 2012 From story 725232

9. Wide of left to right, Blanket, Prince Michael and Paris Jackson

10. Various of Prince Michael, Paris and Blanket Jackson putting handprints in cement

Pool

FILE: Los Angeles, 7 July 2009

11. Paris Jackson breaks into tears as she speaks about her father

AP Entertainment

FILE: Paris, France - 24 July 2005

12. Mid of Armstrong with his children and trophy

13. Mid of journalists

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Lance Armstrong, US cyclist:

"There are no secrets: this is a hard sporting event and hard work wins it."

Sony Pictures

15. Film clip: "The Armstrong Lie"

Pool

FILE: Los Angeles, 20 November 2013

16. Various of Cee Lo Green in court, flanked by his lawyers

AP Entertainment

FILE: Newark, New Jersey, 9 June 2011

17. Various of Simon Cowell greeting fans

AP Entertainment

FILE: Hollywood, 14 September 2011

18. Medium of Simon Cowell talking to reporter

AP Entertainment

FILE: Chicago, Illinois, 19 May 2011

19. Wide shot of Simon Cowell arriving

AP Entertainment

FILE: Los Angeles, 20 November 2013

20. LA Superior Court building

21. Chris Brown entering courtroom

LA Superior Court POOL

22. Medium shot Chris Brown in court

AP Entertainment

FILE: Los Angeles, 18 March 2013

23. Wide of Lindsay Lohan as she exits a black SUV, walks toward camera, gets dusted with glitter, then walks past camera and into the courthouse

Los Angeles Superior Court POOL

FILE: Los Angeles, 18 March 2013

24. Medium of Lohan as she pleads UPSOUND "No contest"

AP Entertainment

FILE: Paris, 4 July 2012

25. Various of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West waiting for Valentino's show to begin at Paris Fashion Week

AP Entertainment

FILE: New York, 7 Sept. 2013

26. Zoom in on Kanye West sitting front row at a fashion show with Miguel

AP Entertainment

FILE: London, 14 October 2013

27. Wide Josh Brolin on red carpet

28. Close-up Josh Brolin

29. Medium shot of Josh Brolin talking to reporter

AP Entertainment

FILE: Los Angeles, 3 June 2013

30. Wide of Craig Robinson speaking to reporters

31. Wide shot of cast including director Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Paul Rudd, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson and Emma Watson

AP Entertainment

FILE: Los Angeles, 24 November 2013

32. Medium 2 Chainz talks with reporter

Pool-American Music Awards

FILE: Los Angeles, 24 November 2013

33. Medium 2 Chainz poses for photographers

AP Entertainment

FILE: Pretoria, 19 August 2013

34. Various of Oscar Pistorius holding hands with his brother Carl and sister Aimee appearing to pray

35. Close of Oscar Pistorius leaving court, surrounded by media and police

AP Entertainment

FILE: Amsterdam, 10 November 2013

36. Various of Miley Cyrus arriving

Pool-American Music Awards

FILE: Los Angeles, 24 November 2013

37. Medium tilt down Miley Cyrus

English/Nat

XFA

From the Big Apple to Buffalo, residents of New York State are expressing anger and disappointment toward former President Clinton and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in the wake of revelations about presidential pardons and items they took from the White House.

The Clintons have been surrounded by controversy since the former president granted 140 pardons on his last day in office.

First it was the pardon of fugitive financier Marc Rich.

Then the revelation that Mrs. Clinton's brother received nearly $400,000 from two pardon-seekers.

Now federal prosecutors say they are examining whether Clinton commuted the sentences of four convicted swindlers in exchange for Hasidic Jewish votes that his wife received during her successful Senate run.

Yet another allegation involves Clinton's half brother, Roger Clinton, who has admitted unsuccessfully lobbying the former president to pardon six of his friends.

Mrs. Clinton said she was not aware of her brother's involvement or his $400,000 fee and has previously denied influencing her husband to gain the Hasidic Jewish vote.

Many Hasidic communities tend to vote in blocs, and because of that, politicians aggressively court their leaders.

Mrs Clinton has said previously that she sat in on a December meeting with supporters of clemency for the four Hasidic men.

But she said she played no part in her husband's decision to commute their sentences.

The former president has also denied wrongdoing in the Rich affair.

In interviews conducted Thursday and Friday across the state, New Yorkers, many of them former Clinton loyalists, told The Associated Press the almost daily dose of damaging details surrounding the last days of the Clinton White House had stunned them.

Republican supporters say they feel vindicated, but not all support for the Clintons has vanished and there are still people who feel the allegations are malicious.

Congressman Dan Burton is heading an ever-widening House probe into the pardons.

Other questions are surfacing as to the possible role of Clinton friend and Hollywood producer Harry Thomason who may have made a call to the President about the pardons.

One congressional investigator cautioned on Friday that "the picture is so incomplete" about how the Clinton White House operated in the final days that there may be more yet to uncover.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"I did not have any involvement in the pardons that were granted or not granted."

SUPER CAPTION: Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"I think that any rational analysis of the situation would say that this work that I as an attorney did on behalf of these two individuals really had nothing to do with my role as treasurer of Senator Clinton's campaign. My responsibilities to her were completely independent of this and in the light of day. I see no actual conflict and no appearance of conflict."

SUPER CAPTION: William Cunningham, Hillary Clinton Campaign Treasurer

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"First, did they get money for what they did? Second, was there quid pro quo?"

SUPER CAPTION: Dan Burton, Chairman, Government Reform Committee

New York/Washington DC, USA - Various

APTN

Washington DC - 22 Feb, 2001

1. Hillary Clinton walks down Senate hallway

2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton

ABC

File

3. Roger Clinton singing in a band

APTN

New York - 2 Feb, 2001

4. Clinton walking out of his new office

APTN

New York - 6 Feb, 2001

5. Various shots of Hasidic Jewish community in New York

ABC

New York - 23 Feb, 2001

6. Wide shot of William Cunningham giving presser

7. Cutaway of press

8. SOUNDBITE: (English) William Cunningham, Hillary Clinton Campaign Treasurer

ABC

Chappaqua, New York - File

9. Bill and Hillary Clinton walking their dog

ABC

Washington DC - File

10. Wide shot of White House, zoom in

11. Bill Clinton getting off Marine One and walking towards White House

12. Various Clinton and Rodham family members outside of White House

ABC

23 Feb, 2001

13. Hugh Rodham outside his home in Florida

ABC

File

14. Carlos Vignali

15. Bill Clinton and Roger Clinton in background

ABC

23 Feb, 2001

16. SOUNDBITE: (English) Dan Burton, Chairman, Government Reform Committee

ABC

File

17. Various of Hollywood producer Harry Thomason

18. Tony Rodham

19. Bill Clinton driving a golf cart and waving

English/Nat

A Hollywood television producer spent 90 minutes in front of the grand jury investigating President Clinton's relationship with Monica Lewinsky.

He's one of the Clintons' oldest and closest friends and says he's "always believed the president was telling the truth."

He'll stay over to help Clinton prepare for his own grand jury testimony on Monday.

More comings and goings were under the media spotlight in Washington D-C on Tuesday.

As usual, Kenneth Starr was one of the first players to appear - he had no comment as he headed off for another busy day with the grand jury.

Seen arriving: one of President Clinton's Hollywood buddies, his personal attorney and the Deputy White House counsel.

Presidential friend and T-V producer Harry Thomason may have been asked if Clinton told him anything about the former White House intern.

Clinton's lawyers, meanwhile, are preparing for his testimony on Monday.

A Clinton confidant says one option being considered would have him repeat his denials of sex with Lewinsky.

But, he would refuse to answer specifics about their relationship.

Legal experts say prosecutors could not force Clinton to provide such details since he agreed to testify and Starr withdrew his subpoena.

How the story will unfold is the subject of intense speculation.

Constitutional scholar, practitioner, columnist, and former associate deputy U-S attorney general, Bruce Fein weighed in at the National Press Club.

Do Clinton's alleged misdeeds amount to an impeachable offence?

Fein went on the record with a solid affirmative.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"This investigation is not about marital infidelity it's about constitutional infidelity. A president, unlike others in public life, does set the national standard for honesty, decency, integrity in public life. That is a given fact and when the founding fathers explained that the dispositive question in impeachment was the harm to society they were suggesting -- in my judgement accurately - that the president is held to a higher standard because of his influence on society."

SUPER CAPTION: Bruce Fein

Impeachment of the president is serious democratic business according to Fein.

And there are reasons Congress may not want to deal with impeachment.

But Fein says Congress would have no choice if congressional hearings put the players in front of microphones-- on national T-V.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"I do think that once the witnesses-- and I think this would happen if the inquiry began-- started to appear on television, and you can see as we saw in Watergate the counterparts of the Deans, Haldeman, and Ehrlichmans and Mitchells-- their names would be Lewinsky and Linda Tripp and Kathleen Wiley and maybe even the president himself, then that will so pivotally affect public opinion that Congress would be responsive. And I think that's how this should unfold."

SUPER CAPTION: Bruce Fein

Meanwhile the White House is setting aside minute-by-minute security logs, appointment records, phone messages, diary entries.

President Clinton and a trio of attorneys are expected to spend the weekend poring over volumes and staging mock interrogations as they meticulously prepare for Monday's high-stakes face-off with prosecutor Kenneth Starr.

Washington D-C, U-S-A, August 11, 1998

1. Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr departing from his home

2. Harry Thomason, presidential friend and T-V director, as he arrives to appear before the grand jury

3. UPSOUND: (English) Harry Thomason

4. Arrival of Clinton's personal attorney David Kendall

5. Arrival of Deputy White House counsel Cheryl Mills

6. Wideshot of national Press Club

7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Bruce Fein

8. Cutaway

9. SOUNDBITE: (English) Bruce Fein

10. Cutaway

TI: 10:34:53

9702

Heidi Fleiss / Los Angeles / January 7 - File / Ent 3

Hollywood Madam Sentenced To Three Years Jail

Heidi Fleiss has been sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for

evading taxes and laundering money she earned from her call-girl

ring. The 30-year-old Hollywood Madam was also ordered to serve

300 hours of community service after her release and fined US$400.

Fleiss tearfully told the judge just hours before her sentencing

that she was remorseful.

SHOWS :

FLEISS OUT OF COURT ; VS SKETCHES, JESSE FLEISS, DONALD MARKS. FLEISS ATTORNEY, DR PAUL FLEISS, (DAD), ; SOT JESSE FLEISS (BROTHER) ; COURTROOM SKETCHES ; SOT ANTHONY BROOKLIER, FLEISS ATTORNEY SOT, JESSE FLEISS, BROTHER: "SHE APOLOGISED FOR DRAGGING THE JUDGE INTO THIS, FOR DRAGGING THE PROSECUTION INTO THIS, FOR WASTING THEIR TIME AND MONEY, SO SHE'S REALLY APOLOGETIC, SHE WAS CRYING, REALLY SAD. SOT, ANTHONY BROOKLIER, FLEISS' ATTORNEY: "WE'RE VERY HAPPY. WE THINK THAT WHAT THE JUDGE DID WAS COURAGEOUS, IT WAS CORRECT WE COULDN'T BE MORE PLEASED. WE'RE VERY VERY HAPPY.

T/I: 10:53:57

British actor Hugh Grant was arrested in Hollywood on Tuesday

(27/6), charged with performing an indecent act in public with a

prostitute.

SHOWS:

LOS ANGELES, USA/ LONDON, ENGLAND 27/6-FILE

LOS ANGELES, USA. 27/6

Road at night and girls strolling in minis

Traffic passing

Girls on street corner

More girls and cars

Car passes

Light flashing in car rear seat

Girls on street corner

Police sign

WS of LA police department

FILE 1995 OSCARS, LOS ANGELES, USA.

Hugh Grant and Liz Hurley arriving at Oscars

ACCESS ALL

FILE 1995 BAFTA AWARDS, LONDON, ENGLAND.

Hugh Grant and Liz Hurley arriving

Hugh Grant with award

2:04

Ray Bassett: (212) 621-7537

HEADLINE:

Today in History for Friday, May 25th

CAPTION: (date)

Highlights of this day in history: President John F. Kennedy commits America to landing on the Moon; 'Star Wars' hits theaters; Top Enron execs Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling convicted; Jay Leno becomes 'Tonight Show' host. (May 25)

*****

[Notes:ANCHOR VOICE]

May 25th, 1961:

(AP Photos)

President John F. Kennedy challenges the United States to aim high in its Cold War "Space Race" with the Soviet Union:

(SOT of JFK)

More than eight years later, America reaches the Moon, when Apollo 11's Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on the lunar surface.

1977:

(AP Photos)

(NAT of "Star Wars" theme)

"Star Wars" --- the classic sci-fi movie written and directed by George Lucas --- premieres.

The story of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader reshapes how Hollywood makes movies --- and spawns a wave of sequels.

2006:

(AP Archive Video / AP Photos)

Former Enron execs Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling are convicted of conspiracy and fraud for the energy giant's downfall.

Lay dies from heart disease a few months later, and his convictions are vacated. Skilling is sentenced to 24 years in prison.

And, 1992:

(AP Photos)

(SOT of Leno)

Comedian Jay Leno begins his run as host of N-B-C's "The Tonight Show --- taking over from Johnny Carson.

Today in History, May 25th --- ___ ___, The Associated Press.

b0713 --- Today in History for May 25th --- 05/14/2007

b0194 --- YE-2006 Chronology --- 12/13/2006

e0034 --- Star-Wars-Anniversary --- 04/24/2007

Encarta:

Star Wars: http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_701610336/Star_Wars_(film_series).html

*****

¶ Today is Friday, May 25, the 145th day of 2007. There are 220 days left in the year.

¶ Today's Highlight in History:

¶ On May 25, 1787, the Constitutional Convention was convened in Philadelphia after enough delegates had shown up for a quorum.

¶ On this date:

¶ In 1810, Argentina began its revolt against Spanish rule.

¶ In 1895, playwright Oscar Wilde was convicted of a morals charge in London; he was sentenced to two years in prison.

¶ In 1935, Babe Ruth hit the 714th and final home run of his career, for the Boston Braves, in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

¶ In 1946, Transjordan (now Jordan) became a kingdom as it proclaimed its new monarch, Abdullah the First.

¶ In 1961, President Kennedy, addressing Congress, called on the nation to work toward putting a man on the moon by the end of the decade.

¶ In 1968, the Gateway Arch, part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis, was dedicated.

¶ In 1976, Rep. Wayne L. Hays of Ohio admitted to a "personal relationship" with Elizabeth Ray, a staff member who claimed she'd received her secretarial job in order to be Hays' mistress.

¶ In 1979, 273 people died when an American Airlines DC-10 crashed on takeoff from Chicago's O'Hare airport.

¶ In 1986, an estimated 7 million Americans participated in "Hands Across America," forming a line across the country to raise money for the nation's hungry and homeless.

¶ In 1992, Jay Leno made his debut as permanent host of NBC's "Tonight Show," succeeding Johnny Carson.

¶ Ten years ago: In the first round of parliamentary elections, French voters gave the leftist opposition the biggest share of votes in a surprising setback for President Jacques Chirac's conservatives. Sen. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina became the longest-serving senator in U.S. history, marking 41 years and 10 months of service.

¶ Five years ago: President Bush, during a visit to St. Petersburg, joined Russian President Vladimir Putin in pressuring Pakistan's president to curb cross-border violence in Kashmir and ease tensions with neighboring India. A China Airlines jumbo jet flying to Hong Kong crashed in the Taiwan Strait, killing all 225 people on board. A passenger train and a freight train collided in southern Mozambique, killing 195 people.

¶ One year ago: President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair held a White House news conference in which they acknowledged making costly mistakes in Iraq, but vowed to keep troops there until the fragile new government took hold. Former Enron Corp. chiefs Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling were convicted in Houston of conspiracy and fraud for the company's downfall. (Lay died in July from heart disease and his convictions were vacated; Skilling was sentenced to 24 years in prison.) Pope Benedict XVI began a four-day pilgrimage to Poland, the homeland of his immediate predecessor, Pope John Paul II.

¶ Today's Birthdays: Lyricist Hal David is 86. Former opera singer Beverly Sills is 78. Former White House news secretary Ron Nessen is 73. Country singer-songwriter Tom T. Hall is 71. Actor Sir Ian McKellen is 68. Actress Dixie Carter is 68. Country singer Jessi Colter is 64. Actress-singer Leslie Uggams is 64. Movie director and Muppeteer Frank Oz is 63. Actress Karen Valentine is 60. Rock singer Klaus Meine (The Scorpions) is 59. Actress Patti D'Arbanville is 56. Actress Connie Sellecca is 52. Rock singer-musician Paul Weller is 49. Actor-comedian Mike Myers is 44. Actor Matt Borlenghi is 40. Actor Joseph Reitman is 39. Rock musician Glen Drover is 38. Actress Anne Heche is 38. Actresses Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush ("Little House on the Prairie") are 37. Actor-comedian Jamie Kennedy is 37. Actor Justin Henry is 36. Rapper Daz Dillinger is 34. Actress Molly Sims is 34. Singer Lauryn Hill is 32. Actor Cillian Murphy is 31. Actor Ethan Suplee is 31. Rock musician Todd Whitener (Tantric) is 29. Actor Corbin Allred is 28. Actress-singer Lauren Frost is 22.

¶ Thought for Today: "I hate quotations. Tell me what you know." _ Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist and poet (1803-1882).

*****

†MAY

¶ May 1

¶ The Supreme Court rules Anna Nicole Smith can pursue part of her late husband's oil fortune.

¶ Puerto Rico's government partially shuts down in a fiscal crisis that ends two weeks later when lawmakers agree on an emergency loan.

¶ May 3

¶ Al-Qaida conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui escapes death penalty, taunts "America, you lost" as he leaves courtroom to spend rest of his life in prison for Sept. 11 plot.

¶ May 5

¶ Helicopter crash in Afghanistan kills 10 U.S. soldiers.

¶ May 6

¶ Barbaro wins the Kentucky Derby.

¶ May 9

¶ Freed by rescuers who drilled round-the-clock by hand, two men walk out of the Australian mine where they had been trapped for two weeks by an earthquake.

¶ May 15

¶ U.S. removes Libya from list of terrorist states and says it will restore normal diplomatic relations.

¶ The Pentagon discloses the names of everyone detained at the U.S.'s Guantanamo Bay prison since it opened four years earlier.

¶ May 17

¶ The FBI starts digging at a Michigan horse farm in search of the remains of former Teamsters leader Jimmy Hoffa. The search lasts two weeks, but uncovers no evidence.

¶ Paul McCartney and his second wife Heather Mills McCartney say they will separate; they later start acrimonious divorce proceedings.

¶ May 20

¶ Iraq's new unity government takes office, five months after elections.

¶ New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin is re-elected and says the city will get back the residents who scattered around the country after Hurricane Katrina.

¶ An explosion kills five miners in an eastern Kentucky coal mine.

¶ Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro breaks down at the start of the Preakness; Bernardini wins the race.

¶ May 21

¶ Barbaro undergoes surgery to stabilize multiple breaks in his right hind leg, and a veterinary surgeon says the horse's survival chance is "a coin toss."

¶ May 24

¶ Congressional leaders demands that the FBI return documents seized from Rep. William Jefferson's office in a bribery investigation.

¶ May 25

¶ Former Enron Corp. chiefs Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling are convicted of conspiracy and fraud for the company's downfall. Lay dies in July from heart disease and his convictions are vacated; Skilling is sentenced to 24 years in prison.

¶ May 27

¶ Earthquake flattens buildings and kills 5,800 people in central Indonesia.

¶ Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, daughter of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, is born in Namibia, where the family had traveled for privacy.

¶ May 28

¶ Barry Bonds hits 715th homer to pass Babe Ruth for second place on the career list.

¶ May 29

¶ A U.S. military truck crashes into traffic in Kabul, Afghanistan, sparking violent protests across the country. Eleven people are killed in the crash and violence.

*****

BC-Star Wars Anniversary,0560<

Director George Lucas reflects on 'Star Wars' 30 years later<

By MICHAEL CIDONI=

Associated Press Writer=

¶ BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) _ Dozens of ticket holders wound their way around the building and in from the dark side _ all to see a 30-year-old movie that's been long available on video, released and rereleased to theaters, and shown countless times on TV.

¶ Then again, the film was "Star Wars," which marks its 30th anniversary next month. Director George Lucas and other "Star Wars" principals were in attendance at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences screening Monday night to reflect on the legacy of the film that opened on May 25, 1977.

¶ The event was part of the academy's "Great To Be Nominated" series, honoring top-nominated movies that failed to be named Best Picture. "Star Wars" did, however, take home Oscars in six craft categories. It also was honored with a Special Achievement Oscar for creation of the film's voices.

¶ Lucas said he's still crazy for "Star Wars" after all these years. "The best part of the movies, 'Star Wars' and 'Indiana Jones,' too, is that I still love to watch them, just like anybody else does. If they're on TV and I turn it on halfway through, I can't turn it off, even if I've seen it a million times."

¶ Also present were Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker, as well as Oscar-winning visual-effects creator Richard Edlund and former 20th Century Fox executive Alan Ladd, Jr. They, and others associated with "Star Wars," participated in a panel discussion after the film's sold-out screening.

¶ The just-released book "The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film" reveals Ladd not only green-lit the project, but also successfully fought for Lucas and company when the studio wanted to pull back its support at the 11th hour.

¶ Ladd told AP Television that the film's box-office triumph (it's No. 2 all-time in North America, with a $460-million gross, behind "Titanic," which grossed $600 million) nevertheless came as a huge surprise.

¶ "It opened, I think, in 36, 37 theaters. And it broke 36 house records the first night. I couldn't figure it out," Ladd said.

¶ The film also is widely considered both an artistic and technical landmark. "Well, it was my high dive into the future," noted Edlund. "Interestingly, we used space-race technology, the solid-state circuitry, to develop the motion-control equipment that we were using for the space movie. So, NASA got us into space, but also got 'Star Wars' on the screen."

¶ Lucas has been celebrating the anniversary since the beginning of the year, when the director served as grand marshal of the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, Calif.

¶ Next month, the United States Postal Service plans to celebrate "Star Wars" with a postage stamp _ one of 15 designs that fans can examine and vote for at www.uspsjedimaster.com.

¶ Also coming up for "Star Wars" fans: a new video game, due next year, and a TV series, set for 2009.

¶ "But, this year," Lucas said, "it's mostly celebrating the fact that it's out there for 30 years."

*****

Star Wars

Star Wars, series of motion pictures written and produced by American filmmaker George Lucas, chronicling a drawn-out struggle between good and evil taking place "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away." The highly successful science-fiction series redefined the way movies are made and marketed.

Released in 1977, the first Star Wars movie featured a cast of then little-known actors (Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill) and what were considered state-of-the-art special effects at the time. The movie was subtitled A New Hope and seemed to begin in the middle of a story-Lucas had actually written out material that preceded the events of the movie, but he chose to start by filming "Episode IV" because it had the most compelling storyline. When it became a huge hit, setting box office records, Lucas made Episodes V (The Empire Strikes Back, 1980) and VI (Return of the Jedi, 1983). Both movies were also wildly successful.

After a 16-year break Lucas returned with the long-awaited prequels: Episode I, The Phantom Menace (1999), followed by Episode II, Attack of the Clones (2002), and Episode III, Revenge of the Sith (2005).

Although not universally loved by critics, the six Star Wars films generated billions of dollars in ticket revenue and even more in sales of related merchandise. Lucas said Revenge of the Sith was his final Star Wars feature film. However, he was already planning numerous books, television series, and related spinoffs to the series.

For more information, see the articles on the individual films.