Court boost for Penn

A US judge has dismissed part of a legal action against Sean Penn accusing the actor of extortion.

Producer Steve Bing had alleged Penn tried to extort $10m (£6.3m) from him during a row about a film they had planned to make together.

Penn, meanwhile, has accused Bing of reneging on a deal to cast him in Why Men Shouldn't Marry because of Penn's opposition to war against Iraq.

The judge did not dismiss Bing's claim that he never had a contract with Penn.

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Estefan for Francis film

Latino singer Gloria Estefan is to star in a Hollywood biopic of Connie Francis - the biggest female star of the 1950s.

Francis had a string of hits including Lipstick On Your Collar, Stupid Cupid and Who's Sorry Now.

But her life was nearly destroyed in 1974 when she was raped and beaten at knifepoint in a New York motel room.

"Parts of her story are very harrowing but it is ultimately a positive story," said Estefan at the London launch of her new album Unwrapped.

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Special prize for Cosby

Comedian Bill Cosby is to receive the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award at the Emmy Awards later this month.

He will be the second recipient of the award which is given in honour of Hope, who died in July at the age of 100.

"Cosby has used his stardom to shine a light on strengthening the family values which make our country great", a spokesperson said.

The 66-year-old star of The Cosby Show supports education through donations to colleges and scholarships.

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Duff on top

Teenage actress Hilary Duff - star of The Lizzie McGuire Movie - has seen her debut album top the US music charts.

The 15-year-old's Metamorphosis ousted Mary J Blige's album Love & Life from the No.1 spot.

Sales are expected to receive a further boost with a one-hour Duff TV special in the US later this month.

The Texan-born starlet's film credits include Agent Cody Banks, as well as the TV series of Lizzie McGuire.

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Clooney series banned from Senate

A new HBO TV series produced by George Clooney has been banned from filming in the grounds of the US Senate.

K Street - produced by Clooney and director Steven Soderbergh - had been promoted as a "groundbreaking" look at the underbelly of US government.

But plans to film inside Washington's Senate complex have been scuppered by the Senate Rules Committee.

"Use of Senate and Capitol space for the filming of K Street is strictly prohibited," it stated in a letter.

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50 Cent wanted by police

Rap star 50 Cent has been given four days to turn himself in to the police after shots were fired outside a hotel in New Jersey where he was staying.

Soon after the rapper and his entourage arrived at the hotel, an exchange of gunfire was reported before 50 Cent was hurried away in a car.

Shell cases from different guns were found outside the hotel and in a nearby shop, which had a hole in its window.

The rapper has been filming the video for his single Stunt 101.

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New deal for Osbourne

Kelly Osbourne, singing daughter of former Black Sabbath rocker Ozzy, has signed a multi-album deal with Sanctuary Records Group.

The deal will see 18-year-old Kelly re-release her debut album Shut Up under the name Changes on September 30.

The title track, which will also be released as a single, is a reworking of a 1972 Black Sabbath song, with some new lyrics written by Ozzy and Kelly.

Kelly was dropped from her previous record company, Sony.

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Kidman gets fashion thumbs-up

Actresses Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Jennifer Aniston and Halle Berry have taken the top honours in People magazine's Best Dressed of 2003 issue.

Kidman was crowned The Goddess for her elegant style, while Hudson was named Free Spirit for her hippie chic.

Friends star Aniston was praised as The Purist for her no-frills dress sense and figure-flaunting Bond girl Berry was pronounced The Showstopper.

Britney Spears, Lil'Kim and Mariah Carey were named as fashion disasters.