Brit kids ``failing to read books``

London: Most British students fail to read complete novels at school after being presented with short extracts and worksheets to practice comprehension and sentence structure, it was claimed.Kelly Brook excited over ‘natural’ new lingerie pics

London: Kelly Brook is happy to unveil her new lingerie range without the digital tweaking. The English model said she had no qualms to letting her natural pictures get published, insisting she was not absolutely perfect “I’ve been quite heavily retouched in the past. Lads’ mags were always blowing up my boobs. I didn’t mind if someone wanted to make my boobs look bigger and legs longer. But now it’s unrealistic,” The Mirror quoted her as saying. “I want to look like myself. I’m not that skinny, or a 10ft Brazilian, and I think women want something more real,” she added. The star further revealed to Style Magazine that she was initially uncertain to let the snaps be printed: “I was like, ‘Let me have a look at them.’ So I took another look and thought, you know what, I am 30, and not perfect. There are so many ­unrealistic portrayals of women it would be cool to show what I look like in the raw.” ANI //////////////////// Emma Thompson brings pig to premiere London: British actress Emma Thompson decided to bring a pig on a leash for her world premiere of ‘Nanny McPhee And The Big Bang’ in London. The actress, who has also written the film, had a tough time controlling her date. She said controlling a pig was a greater challenge than any previous film role, reported thesun.co.uk. The movie sees the magical nanny come to the aid of a mother struggling to run a farm and look after her children while her husband is at war. IANS ////////////////// `24` to end after current season Los Angeles: The drama ‘24’ won`t be ticking much longer on TV. Fox announced Friday that its action-packed real-time show starring Kiefer Sutherland as anti-terrorism agent Jack Bauer will wind down at the end of its current eighth season on May 24. Sutherland said in a statement that the show`s cast and crew "always wanted `24` to finish on a high note, so the decision to make the eighth season our last was one we all agreed upon." He also said he was looking forward to creating a film version of "24." The show has received 68 Emmy nominations, winning for outstanding drama series and for Sutherland as lead drama actor in 2006. "This has been the role of a lifetime, and I will never be able to fully express my appreciation to everyone who made it possible," Sutherland said. "But when all is said and done, it is the loyal worldwide fan base that made it possible for me to have the experience of playing the role of Jack Bauer, and for that I am eternally grateful." Premiering Nov. 6, 2001, "24" used an innovative real-time, split-screen format to present fast-paced interwoven storylines. Each episode covered one hour of the season`s 24-hour story arc. The first six seasons were set in Los Angeles. Following a one-year break forced by the writers strike, season seven went to Africa and Washington, D.C. The current season has Agent Bauer thwarting a terrorist attack in New York. By the end of this season, "24" will have presented 194 episodes, making it one of television`s longest-running action shows. Bureau Report /////////////////// Date for next year’s Oscars confirmed London: The date for next year’s Academy Awards has been confirmed as February 27, 2011. The event will be held a week earlier than the 2010 Oscars, which was delayed so as not to clash with the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, reports the BBC. Nominations for next year’s awards will be announced on January 25, with final polls closing on February 22. The Kodak Theatre in Hollywood will once again play host to next year’s festivities, to be broadcast live in the US on the ABC network. ANI /////////////// Scotland to be promoted as a film location to Bollywood London: It has emerged that Scotland has plans afoot to promote itself to Indian film production companies as a good filming location. A report revealed that in a bid to secure a slice of the world’s fastest growing economy, the Scottish Government has developed a new "India Plan" that could see a rise in the number of Bollywood films shot in Scotland. In the past, Scotland had been a popular location for Indian film production companies, which used the Highlands as a substitute for Kashmir, as well as filming in Edinburgh. But now many favour locations in eastern Europe and Switzerland, which are cheaper. Developing direct air links to India is another agenda in the strategy document, which is designed to boost links between the two countries in education and science, tourism, trade, and investment and culture. "Work with representatives of the Scottish film industry to develop links with the Indian film industry to demonstrate Scotland’s potential for film production," the Scotsman quoted a section in the document as reading. Since 1997, Scottish Screen has had 155 inquiries for film, TV and adverts from Indian production companies, which saw 19 Bollywood feature films shot in Scotland, with an estimated spend of 775,000 pounds. The most recent was ``The Purple Lake``, which was filmed last year at Urquhart Castle and in Inverness. At the moment staff planning to shoot a feature film and TV commercial are scouting in Scotland this weekend. "We have always had good interest from India to shoot in Scotland, whether it’s idyllic hillside villages, scenic landscapes, or mansions and palaces," a spokeswoman for Scottish Screen said. "We look forward to welcoming and helping many more Indian film-makers find the right location in Scotland," she stated. Plans are also afoot to maximise the opportunities arising from the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. Glasgow will host the 2014 event. To celebrate the two countries`` cultural ties, there will be a focus on the friendship between Scots philanthropist Sir Patrick Geddes and the Nobel laureate, poet Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, on the 150th anniversary of the Bengali poet``s birth in 2011. India has the world’s twelfth largest economy and has invested around 700 million pounds in Scotland in the last five years. Students from India form the second largest group of overseas students in Scotland’s universities and about 3,000 graduates remained in the country after completing their courses. Fiona Hyslop, Scotland’s external affairs minister, said the project aimed to build "sustainable economic growth". "The links between India and Scotland put us in a strong position to benefit from doing business with one of the world’s fastest expanding economies," she said. The Indian Consul General in Scotland, Anil Kumar Anand, added: "It is excellent that the plan is being launched this year when we look forward to Delhi hosting the Commonwealth Games." ANI ////////////////// MJ’s home search reveals ‘skin-whitening cream’ Melbourne: Officials combing Michael Jackson’s home after his death were said to have stumbled on skin-whitening creams. Several skin-whitening tubes and medical items, including four bottles of anesthetic, were found in a cupboard in the star’s room, according to released search warrants. The documents were unveiled following a legal motion, News.com.au reported. Jackson died aged 50 on June 25 last year at his home in Los Angeles. The coroner ruled the case as homicide mainly caused by an overdose of the anesthetic Propofol. His personal doctor Conrad Murray admitted administering Propofol to help Jackson sleep hours before his death but said he gave him nothing to cause his death. Murray has pleaded not guilty to the single charge of involuntary manslaughter over the singer’s death. ANI ////////////////// Woody Allen inspires designer duo Shantanu-Nikhil New Delhi: Oscar-winning filmmaker Woody Allen`s portrayal of women in his movies was the inspiration for designer duo Shantanu and Nikhil`s Autumn/Winter 2010 collection showcased at the Wills India Fashion week here. "We were watching Manhattan and were influenced by the way Allen portrays his heroines. Even `Vicky Christina Barcelona` has the same kind of philosophy. We immediately knew this was what we wanted to do," Nikhil told reporters. Their show, titled `Play Right`, unfolded into three acts with the Swarovski embellished clothes changing the mood of each as scenes from Allen`s film played in the background. The first act was for the woman who is idealistic and ingenue yet naive. Act two painted a mature picture of a woman who understands that life is not liveable in clear strokes of black and white. The third act was about surrender and realisation, where the woman is assertive of her identity. "Woody Allen is a man who has reached out to a lot of people and our show was really about putting together a story," said Nikhil. The designers restricted themselves to the classic red, black and off-white for the and caught the essence of the fifties with evening gowns with ruched capes, cowl necklines, draped off shoulders and halter necklines. "The eveningwear collection is aimed at the Indian women who want to make a statement at the red carpet. Black and red are classic colours which never go out of fashion," said Nikhil. PTI ///////////////// Sai Paranjpe to head Kerala film award jury Thiruvananthapuram: Noted filmmaker Sai Paranjpe has been named the chairperson of jury to choose the Kerala state film awards for 2009. According to Kerala State Chalachitra Academy sources, the other members would be K Madhu, B Ajayan, S Saradhakutty, Mukhathala Sivaji, K G Soman and Vidhubala. A jury chaired by P P Raveendran with Ummer Tharamel and K R Meera as members would select the awardees for books and publications on cinema. Academy Secretary K S Sreekumar would be the Member- Secretary for both the juries. PTI ///////////////// Amy Grant releases first new songs Nashville: Most artists signed to a catalog deal are content to let the label repackage their classic songs, toss in a couple of new tracks and call it a day. But Amy Grant has always been a creative overachiever. So much so that her Tuesday (March 30) release, "Somewhere Down the Road" (Sparrow/EMI Christian Music Group), evolved from a catalog project into the singer-songwriter`s first album of new music since 2003. "The project just morphed as we went along," Grant says of the new album, which now features six new songs, two previously unreleased tracks, a newly recorded version of her 1982 cut "Arms of Love" and three recordings from the Christian/pop artist`s catalog. "We used the original recordings of `Somewhere Down the Road,` `Every Road` and `Imagine` to set the tone for the record. Everything else just nestles in around those songs and, hopefully, makes a project that feels like a journey." Grant`s musical journey began as a teenager when she became the leading face of the burgeoning contemporary Christian music movement of the late `70s. In the `80s, Grant became the first Christian artist to cross over to mainstream pop success. Her 1991 album "Heart in Motion" has been certified five-times-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America and spawned "Baby Baby," which topped the Billboard Hot 100. After 30 years with Word Records, she segued to EMI Christian Music Group (EMI CMG) in 2007, taking her considerable catalog with her. With the exception of an EP last spring that featured two new songs, Grant hasn`t released an album of new music since 2003`s "Simple Things." Her last studio album, 2005`s "Rock of Ages: Hymns & Faith," covered classic hymns. Most of "Somewhere Down the Road" was recorded at the new studio that Grant and her husband, country artist Vince Gill, recently built at their Nashville home. Among the album`s new tunes is the ballad "Unafraid," which examines a woman`s life in different stages from lover to mother to child of an aging parent. "Overnight" is a duet with Grant`s 17-year-old daughter, Sarah. "It talks about if things happened overnight, you wouldn`t appreciate the process," says Grant, who used one of her paintings as cover art for the CD. The set`s lead single, "Better Than a Hallelujah," is No. 24 on the Christian Songs chart. During the album`s release week, Grant will visit radio and host retail in-stores in Atlanta, Dallas and Tampa, Florida. She`ll then hit New York to appear on "CBS This Morning," "Fox & Friends," CNN, ABC`s "Nightline" and other media outlets. All signs point to a strong debut for the album. A week before its release, the label ran out of CDs, EMI CMG director of catalog development Bryan Ward says. "We`re having to make some as fast as possible because the orders quadrupled," he adds. "That`s a great sign." Bureau Report ///////////////// Amy Winehouse feeling broody London: Amy Winehouse’s father Mitch has revealed that she wants to start a family. The ‘Rehab’ singer and ex-husband Blake Fielder Civil have recently reconciled. "She’s become so broody. She loves kids, especially all our little cousins,” the Daily Express quoted Mitch, as saying. He added: "She’s been talking about having a baby and is now at the age where she wants to have a baby. But I can’t see her settling down with 15 children just yet." Winehouse and Fielder Civil had divorced in July last year. ANI ///////////////// Sandra Bullock cancels another public appearance London: Sandra Bullock has scrapped another public appearance in the wake of her husband Jesse James`s cheating scandal, which broke just days the actress won her first Oscar. Bullock has cancelled an appearance at the upcoming Nichelodeon Kids` Choice Awards, the Daily Express reported. The actress cancelled her trip to London for the UK premiere of `The Blind Side` after news of the scandal first broke, and subsequently scrapped her planned red carpet appearance in Berlin for the movie`s official launch in Germany. The 45-year-old star has been keeping a low profile since a US tabloid broke the story in which tattooed model Michelle McGee claimed to have had an affair with the celebrity motorcycle builder. Since then, several other women have come forward with similar allegations. Bullock was expected to attend the Kids` Choice Awards in Los Angeles with her six-year-old stepdaughter Sunny, James` daughter from a previous marriage. But a representative for Bullock confirmed that the actress will no longer be attending. Bullock is nominated for the Favourite Movie Actress award at the ceremony for her role in `The Blind Side`, which won her an Academy Award earlier this month. PTI //////////////// Actor James Franco turns writer, to publish stories London: `Spiderman` star James Franco is all set to publish a collection of short stories. The American actor, who will be seen romancing Oscar-winner Julia Roberts in `Eat, Pray, Love`, has signed a deal with New York book company Scribner to publish a full collection of his work in a tome called `Palo Alto`, which will hit stores in October, the Daily Express reported. Franco, 31, has also published one of his tales titled `Just Before The Black`, in US magazine Esquire. The actor studied English at UCLA in California and later enrolled at New York`s Columbia University in 2008 to take a master`s writing program. Franco achieved international fame with portrayal of Harry Osborn in the Spider-Man trilogy. His other prominent films include `Pineapple Express` and `Milk`. The actor is also a painter and had his work displayed publicly for the first time at the Glu Gallery in Los Angeles in 2006. PTI ////////////// Neha Dhupia turns demure bride at WIFW New Delhi: In a complete departure from her glam doll image, actress Neha Dhupia turned traditional as she walked the ramp for designer Jaya Rathore in a bridal outfit at the ongoing WIFW here. The actress donned a red and orange bridal lehenga with the dupatta over her head, looking very much like a demure bride-to-be. "I was surprised when Jaya mam called me to walk for her very Indian collection, since I am seen wearing more of dresses and western outfits. I am feeling very beautiful, very elegant and ethnic right now. Its something I have never done before, I almost feel like crying," said Dhupia. The designer`s bright and colourful collection was a representative of the Indian vibrant colour palette with more of golden, green and red and orange. "I chose Neha for the showstopper outfit as I needed somebody with very sharp features and she has that," said Rathore. The actress is busy with multiple projects in her hand and never-done-before roles. "I have ‘Action Replay’ in hand which has a completely retro look. Then I am also working in `With Love to Obama` where I play a village girl for the first time, something I didn`t think I could do," said Dhupia. PTI ///////////////// ‘Dragon’ poised to slay box-office competition Los Angeles: Moviegoers who just took off their 3D glasses after seeing ‘Alice in Wonderland’ will put them back on again this weekend as Paramount unleashes DreamWorks Animation`s ‘How to Train Your Dragon.’ At the same time, MGM is hoping that other moviegoers will focus on its time-travel comedy "Hot Tub Time Machine," shifting attention from the embattled studio`s financial duress. Based on a popular children`s book, the first in a series by British author Cressida Cowell, "Dragon" recounts the PG adventures of a Viking teen who befriends a young dragon. Directed by Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders -- the team behind the 2D "Lilo & Stretch" -- the movie makes full use of its 3D vistas as it flies on the backs of airborne dragons high above the Scandinavian fjords. Back on Earth, "Dragon" already has had to find its footing within the universe of existing digital 3D theaters. Right now, there are 2,300-2,400 North American locations that can host the new wave of 3D movies; the number is increasing week by week as new sites come online. Some urban locations like New York even have 3D theaters that sit across the street from each other, which means no one film is likely to command all available 3D sites at any one time. ELBOWING `ALICE` ASIDE The flip side of the question is whether there is enough room for two or even three near-simultaneous 3D releases to co-exist successfully. During the past three weekends, Disney`s "Alice" has reigned atop the box office, grossing more than $270 million domestically. Opening in 2,063 3D sites, it commanded the bulk of the available 3D locations as the run of Fox`s "Avatar" began to wind down. This weekend, "Dragon," positioned to take over the box office`s top spot, will elbow "Alice" off many of the 3D screens. The Paramount release is bowing in 4,055 theaters, and more than half of them -- 2,178 locations -- will offer 3D, including 185 Imax houses. With 3D locations steadily expanding, though, "Alice" will continue to hold forth in 3,384 locations, including about 1,450 3D sites. "I am very pleased by the support that exhibition has put behind installing additional screens before Easter," Disney distribution president Chuck Viane said. By next weekend, when Warner Bros.` "Clash of the Titans," which underwent a late-in-the-game 3D makeover, enters the scene, competition will be even more fierce. If this weekend plays out as expected, it should suggest that the currently installed base of 3D screens can support two big features at a time. But throw a third into the mix and it becomes problematic. During last week`s ShoWest exhibitors` convention in Las Vegas, there was grumbling on the floor that Paramount was muscling "Dragon" into theaters by threatening to withhold its upcoming "Iron Man 2" and "Shrek Forever After" from exhibitors who didn`t play ball. "We never, never said that," said Jim Tharp, Paramount`s president of domestic theatrical distribution, responding to the charge. He pointed to the movie`s potential appeal as the key to achieving its theater count. "Once (DreamWorks Animation CEO) Jeffrey (Katzenberg) started screening the movie, a lot of exhibitors showed up, saw it and liked it." What about the additional charge that Paramount insisted a given theater had to put "Dragon" into its 3D auditorium if it also wanted a 2D print? "We always want the best screens in a theater, so certainly if 3D was the premier auditorium in a theater, we took that tactic," Tharp said. INTEREST GROWING As for the movie`s prospects, interest in "Dragon" has shown a sharp uptick during the past few days. Earlier this week, handicappers placed its three-day take in the mid-$30 million range. Now, it`s looking like it could land anywhere from mid-$30 million to mid-$40 million, with a few outliers predicting even more. It certainly will benefit by replacing "Alice" in 185 Imax theaters, though "Alice" will hang on as a midnight movie in many of those venues. At the Imax sites, which contracted for "Dragon" before "Titans" entered the picture, the toon is guaranteed to play for six weeks and won`t need to surrender screens until "Iron Man 2" arrives. Because Imax commands premium ticket prices, that will also pump up "Dragon`s" gross. As far as its box-office take goes, another unknown is whether exhibitors across the board will take advantage of the public`s fascination with 3D to further increase ticket prices. After surveying 10 theaters, media analyst Richard Greenfield of BTIG predicted that some chains are increasing 3D ticket prices -- which already enjoy an upcharge compared with regular tickets -- by as much as 26 percent, though several circuits queried Thursday would not confirm that strategy. In any event, with "Dragon" flying high, "Alice" and the very different "Hot Tub" should duke it out during the weekend for second and third position. Even if it drops 50 percent during its fourth frame, "Alice" will take home a more-than-respectable $17 million, and it should crest the $300 million mark as it enters next weekend`s Easter holiday. The R-rated "Hot Tub," the first movie released by MGM since "Fame" in September, is taking an entirely different tack. Directed by Steve Pink, the raunchy comedy stars John Cusack, Rob Corddry and Craig Robinson as down-on-their-luck pals transported to 1986, where they face the prospect of living their lives over again. Although advance word has some buzzing that its gross-out humor could turn the movie into another "Hangover," it`s expected to open more modestly, somewhere in the mid-teens. If it does better than that, it could give "Alice" a run for the No. 2 spot. Bureau Report ////////////////////// Sonal Chauhan walks the ramp in `Egyptian style` New Delhi: `Jannat` star Sonal Chauhan sashayed down the ramp in a white Egyptian style dress for designer Charu Parasher at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week, here today. The actress, who has won several beauty contests in the past, was initially nervous on the ramp but seemed relaxed after the show. "My biggest fear while walking the ramp is of tripping over and falling. I have done modelling before but I was still nervous while walking. I am relaxed now," Sonal told reporters after the show. Fashion designer Charu Parasher`s collection took a cue from the Egypt and the Arab world and she admits Sonal was the perfect choice for the show. "I think Sonam has a very Egyptian face and she is an Arabian beauty, so she is best suited for by futuristic collection. It has got a lot of green black and blue in printed lycra tides," Charu said. The 25-year-old actress said Bollywood has a lot to contribute to fashion and celebrities walking the ramp benefits the designers greatly. "In our country Bollywood and cricket sells the most so more celebs walking for designers is great, but they should also do justice to the outfit," Sonal said. The actress will be next seen on the big screen in MF Hussain`s son Owais Hussain`s directorial debut. "Shooting is almost complete for the film . The name is yet to be decided," said Sonal. PTI .////////////// Clever women can’t be beautiful, feels Felicity Kendal London: Actress Felicity Kendal has spoken against the stereotypical attitudes towards women, insisting people still expect the ladies to be ``squeaky clean``. The 63-year-old renowned British TV star, who is presently portraying a 19th century prostitute in the West End revival of George Bernard Shaw’s Mrs Warren’s Profession, said women were still expected to live up to chastity. "Clever women can’t be too beautiful. They’ve got to be perfect and they must be completely squeaky clean. It is nonsense,” The Telegraph quoted her as apparently saying. "If a woman chooses something that isn’t respectable she is still reviled and still accused. It is not fair to judge a woman just because she looks great and uses whatever she’s got to be successful," she was said to have added. ANI //////////// Ronnie Wood’s new girlfriend thrashes him London: Ronnie Wood and his new Brazilian girlfriend Ana Araujo got involved in a row, after the rocker got drunk, it has emerged. The guitarist was reportedly left with a black eye and a fat lip following the incident. The 30-year-old model was miffed at the Rolling Stones member, when she learnt that that he had hit the bottle. She ripped up the two paintings the guitarist had made at his Surrey mansion. “Ana had been keeping him off the bottle. She rumbled him on Wednesday having a drink and an argument escalated quickly,” the Sun quoted a source as saying. The insider added: "He was calling her all sorts of names for criticising his drinking and she just snapped. "Two of his prized paintings, which he had hoped to sell, are ruined. She ripped them to shreds. He crossed the wrong woman." Wood even called up ex-wife Jo later in the night, but wasn’t entertained. The source said: "She’s sick of his nonsense and told him to get a grip. He’s become a sad old man." Wood and Araujo had met at the Royal Opera House in London’s Covent Garden earlier this year. ANI /////////// Jesse James makes citizen’s arrest New York: Actress Sandra Bullock’s husband Jesse James is said to have made a citizen’s arrest after he claimed that a paparazzi photographer was stalking him at his West Coast Choppers store. According to TMZ, police arrived at the Long Beach motorcycle shop following a report that James had vandalized a photographer’s car, reports the New York Daily News. Both James and the photographer proceeded to make citizen’s arrests on one another. But neither was taken into custody, though police say they are investigating the incident. ANI //////////////// Peaches Geldof denies ``sex romp while on heroin`` claims London: Claim of Irish singer Bob Geldof`s daughter Peaches indulging in a heroin fuelled sex romp has emerged. Biker Ben Mills, 23, who claims he met up with Peaches, 21, while sharing a house in Los Angeles, posted an explicit set of nude snaps of her to back up his lurid boasts on an Internet message board. Mills, originally from New Jersey, wrote his account on website Reddit.com which asks readers to reveal their most incredible one-night stands. Using the name thatcoolguyben, he claimed that he and Peaches were both staying at a mutual girl pal`s place while she recorded her debut album and he waited to fly to Chile. He said he got talking to Peaches when she arrived home at 2.30am on America’s Thanksgiving Day, November 26. "She sits next to me and we begin talking about tattoos, which both of us have a good amount of. She had a cute English accent and wasn’t bad looking at all," the Daily Star quoted him as writing. "The tattoo discussion leads to us deciding we should get each other’s names tattooed on each other. "At 3am I grab my friend’s car keys and head out. We drive all over Hollywood looking for a tattoo parlour with no luck. "While driving around we get on the topic of drugs. At this point in my life I was very into all drugs, as was she. "She told me she had a bit of heroin she brought with her from the UK and asked me if I was game," he said. He went on to claim that he and Peaches, 21, bought needles and other ingredients needed to be able to inject the Class A drug. "At about 5am I was high as a kite and we started to watch a movie. Things get hot and heavy and before I know it we’re naked," he revealed. He said they tried to have sex but he had taken too many drugs so decided to pop a pill to help him perform. "She laughs as we continue to have a naked dance party on her bed," he said. "I finally feel the blood rush and the action begins. We did it every way possible and for a young girl she sure knew how to work it," he added. He said they continued to take drugs until 8am at which point she told him someone would come to collect them. He claimed he woke at 1pm dressed in Speedos and was sitting in a sauna at the Scientology Center in Hollywood where he said they had been taken to detox. "I’m standing in the room groggy and confused as hell," he recalled. "This girl ended up being a hardcore Scientologist and a D-List celebrity, and we were doing a process called Purif. "I showered, got my clothes on, got her, and drove back to my friends, nodding out and puking the whole way," he stated. Later on Thanksgiving Day he flew to Chile, where he now lives. To summarise his boasts, Mills wrote: "Did heroin, f***ed a minor celebrity, woke up in a Scientology Center, ruined Thanksgiving, left the country." When challenged by website users to prove his tale, Mills posted five pictures that he claimed showed the pair of them that night. In them Peaches reclines on a bed, topless in some shots and completely naked in others. The claim is said to have left Peaches furious, with her 58-year-old dad, said by pals to be "frantic" and "desperately trying to find out the truth". Her lawyers furiously denied his claims, insisting she had not touched anything stronger than booze. In a statement, they said the pictures had been taken for private purposes but refused to deny the fling took place. "The allegations that our client was carrying and injecting heroin are also denied, our client having consumed alcohol with the other individual leading to the ``highs`` described and portrayed in the photographs," their statement read. And they added Mills`` account was "evidently unreliable", claiming he would not have been allowed inside the Scientology Center. But Peaches has previously admitted to following the religion. She was only 11 when her mum Paula Yates accidentally overdosed in 2000, at the age of 41. ANI ////////////// When Miley Cyrus lost Liam Hemsworth at ‘The Last Song’ premiere Melbourne: Miley Cyrus, who finally opened about her relationship with Liam Hemsworth at the US premier of their film ‘The Last Song’, apparently lost her beau on the red carpet. The couple, who has been dating since they met while filming the movie last summer, were each accompanied by several family members, including proud papa Billy Ray Cyrus. They started walking on the red carpet together only to be drawn apart as they conducted their own interviews. "Actually, I lost him somewhere along the red carpet," the Daily Telegraph quoted Cyrus told People.com. "I don’t even think that I’m here with him anymore,” she added. However, Hemsworth, 20, appeared relaxed and confident, even without his ladylove by his side. In fact, the leading man was probably calmer than his girlfriend because "he’s seen [the movie] more than I have," said Cyrus, 17. "I’m actually more nervous to see it than he is, because he’s seen it with all the reactions of the audience, and I haven’t,” she said. ANI /////////////////// Lady Gaga, Elvis top dream duet list London: Lady Gaga And Elvis Presley duet can be the best collaboration, according to a new poll. The ‘Poker Face’ hitmaker and the ‘Candle in the wind’ singer topped the survey conducted by website Match.com. The voters were asked to select the two singers they would most like to see perform together, reports The Daily Express. Michael Buble and Nina Simone followed them while soul stars Aretha Franklin and Luther Vandross came third. Will Young/Barbra Streisand ranked fourth. And Bonnie Tyler and Meatloaf collaboration was positioned fifth in the list. ANI //////////////// Brit kids ``failing to read books`` London: Most British students fail to read complete novels at school after being presented with short extracts and worksheets to practice comprehension and sentence structure, it was claimed. The National Union of Teachers told the Telegraph that the decline was being fuelled by the widespread closure of school libraries to save money. Next week, the union will use its annual conference in Liverpool to call for dedicated space in the timetable to be created to give children more opportunity to “read for pleasure”. Alan Gibbons, the children’s author, who will address the meeting, said an over-reliance on short extracts risked undermining children’s grasp of classic works by Dickens and Shakespeare. Speaking before the conference, he said: “Schools use extracts to spot the metaphor or the simile, instead of allowing children to read whole books. Gibbons, who wrote the best selling Shadow of the Minotaur, told how one secondary school class he visited was asked to scan part of Macbeth for scenes that “fitted with the theme of ‘ambition’ because the teacher thought it was going to be in their exam”. “There was no attempt to read the thing or understand it,” he said. Gibbons has already led a campaign of children’s authors to protest against Sats tests in primary schools. He has also written to the Government ordering extracts of his books to be removed from worksheets, insisting that novels “should not be used to bludgeon kids with comprehension”. ANI