Dome party to go ahead

A New Year's Eve rave inside the Millennium Dome is to go ahead after the plan was approved by the local council.

Nightclub group Ministry of Sound will now host 40,000 people in three purpose-built structures inside the empty former attraction at Greenwich, south east London, as opposed to last year's event in buildings surrounding the Dome.

The event - first announced last month - will last from 1900 GMT on New Year's Eve to 0900 GMT on New Year's Day.

Greenwich Council's planning board has approved a temporary change of use for the Dome to enable the event to go ahead.

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Robbie and Geri lose viewers' vote

Robbie Williams and Geri Halliwell have been dropped from the Record of the Year shortlist following a public vote, but Kylie Minogue is still tipped to win.

ITV1 viewers phoned to vote for their favourite song for the annual Record of the Year competition, but William's Eternity and Halliwell's It's Raining Men did not make the grade.

Bob the Builder, Gorillaz and Afroman were also rejected, leaving the final competition to Blue, Kylie Minogue, S Club 7, DJ Pied Piper & The Masters Of Ceremony, Shaggy, Wyclkef Jean, Hear'Say, Destiny's Child, Wheatus and Atomic Kitten.

Minogue's I Can't Get You Out of My Head is the current bookmakers' favourite.

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The Strokes voted 2001's 'best album'

US guitar act The Strokes have beaten British pop pioneers New Order to become the critics' choice for best album of 2001, acording to a poll.

The US band's debut release Is This It was the favourite of reviewers and writers from leading UK magazines in the survey by online retailer Amazon.co.uk.

New Order's first album in eight years, Get Ready, was runner-up ahead of Australian band The Avalanches.

Critics from publications such as the Uncut, Kerrang! and Gramophone took part in the poll to find the critically acclaimed top 100.

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Coldplay win two US awards

British indie band Coldplay have won two prizes at the My VH1 Awards in Los Angeles.

The quartet were honoured for their international achievements with the Big in Japan prize and the Best Kept Secret award.

The event was overshadowed by the death of George Harrison from cancer on Thursday, with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora opening the event with a rendition of one of the songs he wrote for the Beatles, Here Comes The Sun.

The Dave Matthews Band were the big winners of the night, walking off with four awards, including best album for Everyday.

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NSync synchronize with watchmaker

American boy band NSync have teamed up with Swiss watchmakers to raise money for children orphaned by the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Audemars Piguet has created 200 limited-edition watches, signed by the group, which will benefit needy children through NSync's foundation Challenge for the Children.

"We want to help kids affected by the tragedy as much as we can," said lead singer Justin Timberlake.

The band is also offering tickets to one of their concerts to anyone who buys a watch.

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Oscar-winning designer dies

Danilo Donati, who won two Academy Awards for his costume designs, has died aged 75.

He made his professional debut doing costumes for a Luchino Visconti theatre production in 1954.

He moved into cinema 10 years later and won his two Academy Awards for Federico Fellini's Casanova in 1968 and then Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet in 1976.

His latest film project was designing sets for Roberto Benigni's Pinocchio, which was being shot near Rome.

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Carey to visit Kosovo troops

Singer Mariah Carey is to visit US troops in Kosovo early this week.

The visit is intended to bring some festive cheer to those servicemen and women who will not be able to return home for Christmas.

Her film Glitter was released in the UK earlier this month.

The troubled star, who recently took a break from work after a breakdown, is already in Europe promoting her latest album of the same name as well as her forthcoming Greatest Hits.