Tomb Raider star Angelina Jolie has called on the international community to back Sri Lanka's peace process after two decades of war.
The Oscar-winning actress has spent several days touring the north of the country as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations' refugee body.
Jolie, 27, has also visited war-hit countries in Africa, Latin American and in other parts of Asia, including Cambodia.
She adopted a Cambodian-born baby boy after falling in love with the country
while making Tomb Raider.
Etheridge to marry partner
Rock musician Melissa Etheridge is to marry her partner, actress Tammy Lynn Michaels.
The ceremony will take place in Los Angeles later this year.
Etheridge, 41, has been dating Michaels for two years. She is best known for her Grammy-winning track Ain't It Heavy, and for her work for gay rights organisations.
The musician shares custody of her son and daughter - whose biological father is musician David Crosby - with former partner Julie Cypher.
Braxton back on Broadway
R&B singer Toni Braxton will take the leading role in a new Broadway production of Aida created by Elton John and Tim Rice.
The artist has signed a four-month contract starting on 30 June, when the show opens at New York's Palace theatre.
Braxton made her Broadway debut in 1988 as Belle in Disney's Beauty and the Beast, also at the Palace.
She plans to release an album in September on her new record label, Blackground Records.
Moore continues Bush attack
Oscar-winner Michael Moore, who criticised George Bush in his acceptance speech last month, has repeated his condemnation of the US President at a university lecture in Bush's home state.
The filmmaker told students at the University of Texas that the United States was at war with Iraq because Bush was trying to direct attention away from his domestic failures.
"It's not about the weapons of mass destruction; it's about the weapons of mass distraction," he told 4,400 students and guests.
Moore received a mixture of cheers and boos when he attacked Bush as he accepted the best documentary Oscar for his anti-gun film Bowling for Columbine.
Jean-Yves Escoffier dies
French cinematographer Jean-Yves Escoffier has died of a heart seizure in Los Angeles, aged 52.
Escoffier was most famous for shooting the original Three Men and a Cradle for Coline Serreau.
He was known in Europe for his collaboration with director Leos Carax, with whom he made three films, The Lovers on the Bridge, Bad Blood and Boy Meets Girl.
The filmmaker moved to the US in the early 1990s and shot 14 features, including Good Will Hunting, Nurse Betty and Possession.
McCartney joins Russia's party
Sir Paul McCartney is planning to play in Russia's second city, St Petersburg, for its 300th anniversary celebrations.
His tour organisers told the Itar-Tass news agency the former Beatle was going to head to St Petersburg two days before his Moscow gig on 24 May.
McCartney plans to give a rock master-class in the former imperial capital, as well as returning there on 25 May, in time for the celebrations.
He will be accompanied by members of his longtime group Wings and will perform songs from the Beatles and Wings repertoires together with some new songs.
Cops producer's body found
A body found on an Oregon beach has been identified as that of reality TV pioneer Paul Stojanovich, 47, a former producer of the long-running series Cops.
The remains were found about a mile from where Stojanovich fell from a cliff top on 15 March and were identified through dental records.
He had been hiking with his fiancée when he slipped
while posing for a picture, and although he initially broke his fall part-way down by clutching a tree limb, he then fell down to the surf.
Stojanovich was an early producer of Cops, which was first shown in 1989, and aired its 500th episode last season, having been up for four Emmy awards.
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