Summer, who won five Grammys and sold more than 130 million records worldwide, died surrounded by her family in Naples, Florida, publicist Brian Edwards said.

Edwards said she died of cancer but he declined to comment on a report from celebrity website TMZ.com that she had been diagnosed with lung cancer.

“Early this morning, surrounded by family, we lost Donna Summer Sudano, a woman of many gifts, the greatest being her faith. While we grieve her passing, we are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continued legacy,” the singer’s family said in a statement.

Summer, known as the queen of disco, had three children and married twice. Her second husband, musician Bruce Sudano, was at her bedside, Edwards said.

She began her career in Germany where she performed in productions of the shows “Hair” and “Porgy and Bess” and worked as a studio session singer.

But it wasn’t until 1975 that she found fame with the moaning vocals and grinding beat of “Love to Love You Baby” that was a huge, but controversial, hit in European nightclubs.

Summer followed up with a string of other disco tunes in the 1970s and into the mid-1980s, including “Last Dance,” “Hot Stuff,” “Bad Girls,” “I Feel Love” and her cover version of the ballad “MacArthur Park,” which was her first No. 1 record in the United States in 1978.

In 1983, she scored a massive hit with “She Works Hard for the Money,” as she sought to branch out of the disco genre.

Summer’s recording career declined in the 1990s, but she sang at Nobel Peace Prize concert in Norway in 2009 in honor of Nobel laureate, U.S. President Barack Obama.

Her family asked on Thursday that fans make donations in Summer’s honor to the Salvation Army. (Reuters)

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“I won’t deny that I could have said something in a fit of anger, but I will not apologise,” said Shah Rukh Khan Thursday, adding that the security officials from the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) manhandled children and that they should say sorry for their rudeness.

“I don’t think that my behaviour was incorrect or I did something illegal. I think what I did was correct. They are my kids and I have a responsibility towards them. I will not apologise. They (officials) should apologise to me,” Shah Rukh told reporters here.

Co-owner of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the Bollywood superstar’s statement came Thursday as he faced a lifetime ban on entering the Wankhede Stadium after he allegedly turned up drunk at the ground and misbehaved with security guards and cricket officials.

The incident took place Wednesday night after his Kolkata Knight Riders beat Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League match at the stadium.

The 46-year-old allegedly misbehaved and pushed the security guard at the stadium, following which he also abused officials from the MCA when they tried to intervene late Wednesday night.

“I had gone to pick up my children who were there to watch the match. I went there, congratulated my team and when I came back, I saw that there a gentleman was manhandling the children. They were pushing little girls. I just told him that this is not the way to behave,” said Shah Rukh. (Monitoring Desk)

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The actor, who co-owns the Indian Premier League (IPL) team Kolkata Knight Riders, took a group of youngsters including his daughter Suhana onto the pitch of the Wankhede Stadium after a match on Wednesday night.

A security guard tried to stop them from playing, leading the multi-millionaire actor to argue angrily for 10-15 minutes before finally giving up and leaving the stadium

Khan speaking to reporters earlier on Thursday countered claims made by the MCA saying that his children had been manhandled by security officials at the stadium.

He further denied claims of being intoxicated but did admit to misbehaving but only because it was the security officials who misbehaved first.

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The actor, who co-owns the Indian Premier League (IPL) team Kolkata Knight Riders, took a group of youngsters including his daughter Suhana onto the pitch of the Wankhede Stadium after a match on Wednesday night.

A security guard tried to stop them from playing, leading the multi-millionaire actor to argue angrily for 10-15 minutes before finally giving up and leaving the stadium, an AFP photographer witnessed.

“Security officials told him to leave, but Shah Rukh Khan started the brawl,” Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) secretary Nitin Dalal told NDTV news.

“He entered the ground half an hour after the game. The officers told him that this was not the right time. He misbehaved and he used foul language.”

Dalal said the MCA had filed a police complaint and would ban the cricket-crazy star from future attendance at the Wankhede Stadium.

“He’ll not be allowed for any match — Test match, one-day international or any T20 or IPL matches hereafter. That is what we have decided,” said MCA treasurer Ravi Savant.

Savant said MCA president Vilasrao Deshmukh was among the officials and security personnel “abused” by Khan, adding that the stadium ban would be “for life”.

The sweaty and dishevelled appearance of Khan, one of the most popular stars of the nation’s prolific Bollywood film industry, was a far cry from the carefully managed image presented through his advertising and acting roles.

The 46-year-old was embroiled in another ugly row in January after a female director accused him of assaulting her husband at a late-night party.

Khan has also been summoned to appear before a court in Jaipur later this month after he was seen smoking at the city’s main cricket stadium, in violation of anti-smoking laws.

Balbir Punj, a senior leader of India’s political Bharatiya Janata Party, told NDTV that Khan was an icon and public figure who “should know how to behave in public”.

He referred to an incident last month that saw Khan detained by US immigration authorities for questioning on arrival at a New York airport.

“When he was humiliated in America, the entire country stood by him. He should respect others and the law must take its course,” Punj said.

Khan’s agent was unavailable for comment on Thursday. (AFP)

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Spears had barely wrapped up an appearance in New York confirming she is joining the singing contest before the celebrity knives were out, raising the question of how well the singer, who went through a public meltdown in 2007, can handle all the newfound attention.

Her dress, nails, shoes, legs and figure have all come in for scrutiny – most of it negative – in a taste of what may come when the show returns to TV in September for two nights a week over four months.

The New York Daily News ran photos of the “Toxic” singer’s “bloody picked fingernails”. It also showed a close-up of her thighs, commenting that she “appeared in a short white mini dress that showed off her famous pop star legs – and what looks to be a bit of cellulite.”

Spears, famed for raunchy dance routines and music videos in her heyday, is now 30-years-old and a mother of two. Outside her sell-out global concert tours, she has been largely shielded from the media since a career and personal breakdown in 2007 that resulted in her affairs being handed over to her father.

Mary Fischer at The Stir on website cafemom.com, said the singer was “a hot mess” in the cream dress she wore for her New York appearance on Monday before Fox TV network executives and advertisers.

“She might as well have just thrown on a nightgown or racy piece of lingerie. She would’ve achieved the same effect (showing off the fact that she’s shed a bit of weight and gotten her groove back), but she wouldn’t have looked like she was trying so hard,” Fischer said.

She suggested Spears should take a tip from Prince William’s wife and style icon Kate Middleton who “is the definition of being sexy without revealing too much skin.”

DAZZLING RING, LUMPY LEGS

Celebrity magazine Us Weekly was more excited by Britney’s three carat diamond engagement ring, estimated to be worth about $90,000, that boyfriend Jason Trawick slid on her finger in December.

But some readers weren’t dazzled by the ring and focused on Spears’ fashion. Kathleen Tandy commented on the magazine’s website that although Britney looked good in the second, purple dress she wore for photos on Monday “she looked like straight-up trailer trash” in the cream outfit.

Britain’s Sun newspaper said “Britney looked better than she has in years,” when she stepped out in New York. But elsewhere in the tabloid, reporters said her cream mini-dress “hugged her lumpy legs. A pair of tight ankle-strapped heels cut off her pins even more.”

Elsewhere, Spears’ legs were seen as either toned, bruised, dimpled or fat in hundreds of fevered online debates, where the former pop princess was compared (mostly unfavorably) to the demurely-dressed Demi Lovato, 19, who is also joining “The X Factor.”

But the “Baby…One More Time” singer also had plenty of defenders.

“I don’t care for Britney, but seriously what is with all the fat comments? I’d love to see what some of you guys look like or your spouses…” wrote HuffingtonPost.com user Goldie Treasure..

“The only thing that looks kind of weird is her knee, but whatever on that. Christina (Aguilera) and Britney are not little 17 yr old pop princesses anymore they are women in their 30′s with kids, cut them some slack.” (Reuters)

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The 42-year-old singer, actress and dancer, who rose up through the entertainment world ranks from her humble birthplace of the Bronx, New York, surprisingly jumped from 50th place on last year’s list that measures power by entertainment related earnings, media visibility and social media popularity.

Forbes estimated Lopez’ earnings in the past 12 months at $52 million, and her top ranking is powered by her lucrative gig as a judge on popular television show, “American Idol,” a new clothing line at Kohl’s, a top-selling fragrance and millions of Twitter and Facebook followers. She also just announced her first upcoming world tour, joined by Enrique Iglesias.

Winfrey, who has admitted struggling with her OWN TV network after ending “The Oprah Winfrey Show” syndicated TV chat show last year after 25 years, kept her No. 2 slot from last year, earning an estimated $165 million.

Canadian pop star Justin Bieber, 18, also stayed at No. 3 where he debuted last year, earning $55 million, with Forbes reporting he has become a serious investor whose portfolio includes music streaming service Spotify.

Pop star Rihanna landed on the list for the first time with estimated earnings of $53 million due to hits in the past year such as “We Found Love,” and “Talk That Talk,” while also landing lucrative endorsement deals with the likes of Nivea and Vita Coco, Forbes said.

Dropping four places from last year, Lady Gaga was ranked No. 5, earning $52 million, while new “The X Factor” judge Britney Spears returned to the list after a one-year hiatus landing at No. 6, earning an estimated $58 million helped by a successful tour.

Kim Kardashian was also a notable newcomer at No. 7. She earned $18 million – the lowest amount in the top ten – but attracted ample media attention for her splashy wedding and divorce. Pop singer Katy Perry landed at No. 8.

Rounding off the top ten was Tom Cruise at No. 9 with the comeback success of his “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” movie that earned nearly $700 million at the global box office, and Steven Spielberg’s various ventures in TV and movies earned him an estimated $130 million to place him at No. 10.

British singer Adele entered the list at No. 24 after a record-equaling six Grammy haul and returning to live performing after surgery on her vocal chords.

Among big names to drop off the list was Charlie Sheen after his “Two and a Half Men” exit. His replacement on the show, Ashton Kutcher debuted on the list at No. 51.

The collective earnings power of the top 100 dropped slightly in 2012, with this year’s crop earning a collective total of $4.4 billion, down from $4.5 billion in 2011. (Reuters)

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US director Wes Anderson brings his whimsical touch with the opening film “Moonrise Kingdom”, a pre-teen elopement fantasy whose star-packed cast includes Bruce Willis as a small-town cop and Bill Murray as a morose parent.

But as the celebs march up the red carpet for the gala premiere, Sacha Baron Cohen’s zany alter ego General Aladeen, star of “The General”, will try to hijack media attention with a press conference in the nearby Carlton Hotel.

Nicole Kidman, Brad Pitt and Robert Pattinson are among the Hollywood royalty who will join high-brow film-makers at the Riviera resort for the next 12 days at the world’s top film showcase.

This year’s bash features druggy roadtrips, soul-searching drama and stylish gangland flicks and sees the return of such Cannes grandees as David Cronenberg, Ken Loach and Michael Haneke.

Star-wise, the 2012 line-up promises to dazzle with Kidman, Marion Cotillard, Jessica Chastain, Kylie Minogue, Kristen Stewart, Pattinson and Pitt just a few of the A-listers expected in town.

The festival will also feature its usual dose of champagne-fuelled parties, high-stakes movie deal-making, and publicity stunts such as British comic Baron Cohen’s armed intervention at the Carlton Hotel.

The “Ali G”, “Borat” and “Bruno” star, who turned up in military regalia at the Oscars and pretended to pour late North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il’s ashes onto an interviewer, has already premiered his movie and is in Cannes simply to cause a stir.

He turned up at the festival in a “mankini” in 2006 to promote “Borat”.

Twenty-two films — none of which was directed by a woman — are vying for the coveted Palme d’Or award at the festival’s glitzy gala finale on May 27.

Palme d’Or-winner Nanni Moretti of Italy heads up a nine-strong jury — which includes actor Ewan McGregor and fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier — that will pick the winner.

Moretti was due to hold a press conference later Wednesday ahead of the evening opening ceremony.

Two US mavericks are running for Cannes gold: Lee Daniels’s keenly awaited “The Paperboy” stars Kidman opposite John Cusack and Zac Efron in the tale of a reporter investigating a death row case.

The second is Jeff Nichols, whose “Mud”, about two teenage boys who form a pact with a fugitive, was a surprise entry.

Canada’s Cronenberg brings Manhattan thriller “Cosmopolis”, adapted from Don DeLillo’s novel and starring Pattinson as a billionaire asset manager journeying through the city in a stretch limo.

Brazil’s Walter Salles has adapted Jack Kerouac’s cult novel “On the Road”, while Australians John Hillcoat and Andrew Dominik bring two US-set works: bootlegging drama “Lawless” and the mobster flick “Killing Them Softly”.

Among the European giants, Austria’s Haneke will show “Amour” (Love), starring Isabelle Huppert as the daughter of a woman hit by a stroke.

Britain’s Loach returns for the 17th time with the comedy “The Angel’s Share”, about ex-offenders who turn to whisky-making.

One of three French filmmakers in the race, Jacques Audiard has cast Cotillard as a killer-whale trainer hit by a tragedy in “Rust and Bone”.

Romania’s Cristian Mungiu, who scooped the 2007 Palme for a Communist-era abortion drama, returns with “Beyond the Hills” about two orphans, while Italian Matteo Garrone takes on TV culture with “Reality”.

Politics holds a slot in the Palme d’Or race with “After the Battle” by Egypt’s Yousry Nasrallah, about the Arab Spring, while French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy shows an out-of-competition documentary on the Libyan war.

Asia gets a look-in with two South Koreans: Im Sang-soo with erotic thriller “Taste of Money”, and Hong Sang-soo with “In Another Country”.

And Palme-winning Iranian Abbas Kiarostami returns at 71 with “Like Someone in Love”, a Japan-set tale about a student who works as a prostitute.

Last year’s jury chaired by Robert De Niro crowned Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life” starring Pitt and Sean Penn. (AFP)

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Sony Pictures Entertainment on Tuesday unveiled plans to put Sorkin, who wrote Facebook film “The Social Network,” behind the screenplay of what will be a major release for the movie studio.

“There is no writer working in Hollywood today who is more capable of capturing such an extraordinary life for the screen than Aaron Sorkin; in his hands, we’re confident that the film will be everything that Jobs himself was: captivating, entertaining, and polarizing,” Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, said in a statement.

Sorkin will adapt Isaacson’s best-selling biography that topped book charts and became the top-seller of 2011 following Jobs’ death last October after a long battle with cancer.

Sorkin won a best adapted screenplay Oscar for his work on “Social Network” in 2011, and was nominated for a best writing Oscar in 2012 for “Moneyball.”

He also penned TV political drama “The West Wing” and is the creator of upcoming HBO’ “The Newsroom,” a behind-the-scenes look at a fictional cable news channel. (Reuters)

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The unidentified man, referred to as John Doe No. 1, who claimed that the Hollywood star groped him during a massage session in Beverly Hills in January, filed a notice of dismissal with federal court in Los Angeles.

The man was reported last week to have said he got the wrong date of the alleged incident after photos and restaurant receipts surfaced putting the “Grease” actor in New York on the same day.

“The case has been dismissed, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be refiled,” the plaintiff’s attorney, Okorie Okorocha, told Reuters.

Okorocha said he will still be going ahead with the lawsuit against Travolta, representing a second unidentified man, John Doe No. 2, who claimed that Travolta rubbed his leg, touched his genitals and tried to initiate sex at a private appointment inside an Atlanta hotel on January 28.

Travolta’s lawyer Martin Singer has vehemently denied the allegations in the two lawsuits, calling them “absurd and ridiculous.”

Travolta, 58, has been married to actress Kelly Preston since 1991. He found international claim with the movies “Grease” and “Saturday Night Fever” in the 1970s, before going on to grittier roles in “Pulp Fiction”. (Reuters)

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“We will not issue a permit for the Lady Gaga concert in Jakarta,” said national police spokesman Saud Usman Nasution. “The concert will have to be cancelled.” (AFP)

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