Showbiz: Pop diva heads for Israel

Madonna is to perform in Israel as part of her first world tour in four years, Israel public radio has reported. According to the report, Madonna has her eye on a remote venue called Solomon's Pillars in the southern Arava desert, just outside the Red Sea resort of Eilat.

Although she is not Jewish, the American pop diva has contributed to the growing mainstream popularity of Jewish mysticism through her spiritual flirtations with the Kabbalah, an age-old spiritual tradition.

Epic passions flare

Libidos are aflame on the set of Oliver Stone's swords-and-sandals epic Alexander, reports the New York Post.

Of course. The flick stars Colin Farrell, aka the Lusty Leprechaun. In Thailand, Farrell was seen cuddling Rosario Dawson, co-starring as his wife in the epic about Alexander the Great.

Co-star Angelina Jolie showed up, the insatiable artiste was soon in hot pursuit, and the two are now said to be entwined. Reports of a love triangle are "absolutely not true", Dawson says through a spokeswoman, adding that she and Farrell are "good friends".

Star loses legal battle

Hollywood superstar Catherine Zeta-Jones and her parents are building a home on a fancy estate in a fishing village in southern Wales. But they appear to be losing their battle to force one of their neighbours to stop managing his telecommunications business from the garage of his home. The Swansea Council planning committee has voted to allow Steve Gwynn to keep doing that for the next two years, despite the £1 million ($2.7 million) Zeta-Jones home being built.

Eight letters of objection received by councillors included one from a lawyer representing Zeta-Jones' parents, Dai and Pat.

"Our clients purchased the plot and agreed to the construction of a substantial dwelling on the clear understanding that it would be private, prestigious and exclusive, and extremely safe and secure as it was a gated development," their letter said.

- AGENCIES