Siegfried and Roy might want to move the good furniture into storage for a while. The illusionists have welcomed five new tiger cubs to their exotic habitat on the Las Vegas Strip, a move Siegfried Fischbacher said would be therapeutic for Roy Horn , who was critically injured when he was mauled by a 380-pound, or 170-kilogram, white Bengal tiger onstage in 2003. The new cubs give Roy "a reason to get up in the morning," Fischbacher said. Horn did not answer questions from reporters but played with the small tigers, holding them for the cameras, kissing them and nibbling on one's small ear. The playful, 15-pound, 6-week-old cubs were brought to Las Vegas three weeks ago to be part of the longtime duo's animal breeding program. (AP)
The queen of soul, Aretha Franklin , will headline the 2008 JVC Jazz Festival in Rhode Island. Festival organizers say the Grammy winner, whose hits include "Respect," "Chain of Fools" and "I Say a Little Prayer," will perform her gospel-charged soul Aug. 9 at Fort Adams State Park. Other performers include the jazz saxophonists Sonny Rollins and Wayne Shorter , the trumpeter Chris Botti , and the pianist and composer Herbie Hancock . (AP)
The Beirut-born writer Rawi Hage has been awarded one of the world's most lucrative literary prizes for his debut novel "De Niro's Game," about two childhood friends who take different paths to survive amid civil war in the Lebanese capital. Judges from Ireland, Britain, Spain and the United States selected Hage for the $155,000 Impac Dublin Literary Award. His work beat 136 other books from 45 countries, all works published in English in 2006. All the books had been nominated by libraries worldwide.
Sean Connery is set to shake and stir this year's Edinburgh Book Festival by unveiling an autobiography on his 78th birthday. The Scottish actor, who defined the role of the British secret agent James Bond, and his literary collaborator, the filmmaker Murray Grigor , are to discuss the book at the festival on Aug. 25, organizers said. Connery, a passionate Scottish nationalist who has sworn not to live in his home country until it is independent, has titled his memoirs "Being a Scot." The book festival is celebrating its 25th anniversary, with a record 800 authors participating in 750 events from Aug. 9 to 25. (Reuters)
Chris Evans , a BBC pop D.J., accidentally discarded a signed Damien Hirst print while packing to move to a new home, the BBC reported. Evans, 42, told his listeners that the print, one of Hirst's early "dot pictures," had ended up in a charity shop in a small town in Surrey, England, after some boxes were mixed up by his mover. The picture is worth thousands of pounds, Evans said.
The police in London have charged a man and a woman there with supplying drugs to the singer Amy Winehouse , The Associated Press reported. The charges stem from a video that appeared to show Winehouse smoking crack cocaine. John Blagrove and Cara Burton have been charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine and MDMA, also known as ecstasy. They have been released on bail and are due back in court on July 1. The police began investigating after pictures from the video were published in The Sun newspaper in January. Detectives say that Winehouse will not be charged in the case.
The BET Awards has gathered more talent. Rihanna will take the stage June 24, the show has announced. Also added: Ne-Yo, Jennifer Hudson, Terrence Howard and Gabrielle Union . The lineup had already included Alicia Keys, Chris Brown, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Nelly and Usher . Hudson, Howard and Union will help present awards recognizing the year's best musicians, music videos, actors and athletes. Jill Scott will perform a tribute to BET's Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Al Green , and Quincy Jones will receive the network's Humanitarian Award. D.L. Hughley is to play host at the show, which is to be broadcast live from Los Angeles.