News: Dark Knight, Pope, Lawrence King, Madonna Sex Tape

Australia: Pope's apology for clergy abuse not good enough. Clash between pilgrims and protestors after condoms thrown.

The Dark Knight shatters box office records, taking in $153.34 million. Check out the list of records it broke.

Man claims possession of sex tape featuring A-Rod and Madonna.

Obama campaign snubs New Yorker reporter from foreign trip press plane following Muslim cover flap?: "Forty journalists, including such leading correspondents as Dan Balz of The Washington Post, will be aboard his plane for next week's swing through Jordan, Israel, Germany, France and England. The campaign received 200 requests for press seats on the plane. Among those for whom there was no room was Ryan Lizza, Washington correspondent of The New Yorker. The campaign, which was furious about the magazine's satirical cover this week, cited space constraints in turning him away."

Hundreds of dead baby penguins wash ashore on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro.

George Clooney works mustache for Martini.

Australia's first LGBT retirement village to be built an hour outside of Melbourne: "The estate will feature 120 two and three-bedroom apartments, a tennis court, bowling green, open-air theatre and a multi-million dollar leisure centre with a pool, spa, gymnasium, cafe, restaurant, piano room and business centre. Managing director and major shareholder Peter Dickson said the village filled a gap in the market. 'Whether we're in a relationship or whether we're single, we want to be surrounded by friends,' he said. 'I wanted Linton Estate to be different to other retirement facilities and this has now come about.'"

Young, gay, and murdered: Haven't had a chance to dive into this yet, but here's Newsweek's take on the Lawrence King tragedy.

Following registrar Lillian Ladele's lead, a Christian policeman says he's been victimized over his opposition to Gay Pride: "Graham Cogman, a constable with 15 years experience, is taking action against Norfolk Police as he claims he was victimised for refusing to wear a pink ribbon on his uniform to mark a 'gay pride' event, and for questioning the force's stance towards gay men and lesbians."

Human Rights Campaign hires trans woman Allyson Robinson as new Associate Director of Diversity?

Man dies during New York triathlon: "Race director Bill Burke said other competitors alerted medical personnel to the man during the 1,500-meter swim in the Hudson River, and he was unconscious when he was pulled from the water just before 8 a.m."

University of Maryland swimmer Fred Deal is out and proud.

Ian Thorpe: It's a girl!

Chace Crawford hangs with the international spokesmodel for Ralph Lauren’s Black Label for men and POLO Black fragrances at a Polo match in the Hamptons.

Showtime orders up two new series with significant gay content: "The first announced was the tentatively titled thirty minute dark comedy Nurse Jackie, starring The Sopranos’ Edie Falco as an iconoclastic, opinionated, self-medicating nurse in New York City...Greenblatt also announced that The United States of Tara, starring Toni Collette, had been ordered to series. Based on an idea by Steven Spielberg and written by Academy Award-winning writer Diablo Cody, the comedy features Collette as Tara, a suburban mother suffering from dissociative identity disorder (more commonly known as multiple personality disorder). Her various personalities include a rebellious teen girl, a biker, and others that impact in a variety of ways both her husband (John Corbett) as well as her children including out gay teen Marshall."

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Iceland Shoots Second Lost, Starving Polar Bear in a Month

At the beginning of the month I posted about a lost, starving Polar Bear that had been shot by police in Iceland after it had swam 200 miles from Greenland or the nearest chunk of Arctic ice. They said they were afraid it posed a threat to humans but couldn't wait 24 hours for a "correct tranquilizer" to be flown in. Their excuse was disputed by a local veet who said he could have had the proper tranquilizer flown in in about an hour.

Well, another Polar Bear turned up. They shot and killed it again. What was their excuse this time?

"The chief veterinarian from the Copenhagen zoo had been flown in late Tuesday to help. The police 'tried to get close to (the bear) with our vet, but they did not get close enough to shoot it with the anaesthetiser,' zoo spokesman Bengt Holst told AFP. 'Then the bear started running, so the police were frightened they would lose control. The bear could run very close to the populated area, so they decided to shoot it,' he added. Holst said he believed Icelandic authorities had made the right decision. 'It was a security problem,' he said."

I wonder if they posed smugly with their trophy again?

A news report on the first bear, AFTER THE JUMP...

(via americablog)

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Iceland Police Kill Polar Bear After it Swims 200 Miles to Find Land

This is so sad.

A Polar Bear that swam 200 miles from either Greenland or a "distant chunk of Arctic ice" finally reached land in Iceland, where it was shot by a group of police, They said they were afraid it posed a threat to humans but couldn't wait 24 hours for a "correct tranquilizer" to be flown in.

Actually: "Sveinbjarnardottir's account was disputed by the chief vet in the town of Blönduó, Egill Steingrímsson, who said he had the drugs necessary to immobilise the bear in the boot of his car. 'If the narcotics gun would have been sent by plane, it would have arrived within an hour,' he said. 'They could keep tabs on the bear for that long.'"

And then the pigs posed smugly behind it like some kind of trophy — a starving, exhausted, (not to mention endangered) animal whose life had just ended by their rifles.

Clip AFTER THE JUMP...

(warning: GRAPHIC)

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News: Dolly Parton, Murakami, Polar Bears, Purse, Phillip Bloch

Recently out Degrassi star Adamo Ruggiero to host Canadian talent show The Next Star.

Takashi Murakami sculpture of anime dude ejaculating goes for $15 million at auction: "The winning bid was submitted to Sotheby's by telephone, probably because no one likes to buy this sort of thing in person, even if it's at a classy art auction."

Don't mess with Dolly! Howard Stern alters Parton's audiobook to make her say some disgusting things.

Bee Gees musical to disco up London's West End: "The Bee Gees are still staying alive and, post-Saturday Night Fever, readying another stage attack with a compilation musical based on their greatest hits. Brother Robin Gibb confirmed the status of the project this weekend while unveiling a green plaque at the former London home of the band’s manager and producer Robert Stigwood, where they wrote songs including 'Chain Reaction' and 'Heartbreaker'."

It's a slow news day at the BBC.

Wonder Twin messes activate!

Polar Bears declared a threatened species: "Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne cited dramatic declines in sea ice over the last three decades and projections of continued losses, meaning, he said, that the polar bear is a species likely to be in danger of extinction in the near future. But Kempthorne said it would be 'wholly inappropriate' to use the protection of the bear to reduce greenhouse gases, or to broadly address climate change."

Robert Downey Jr. showcases the season's hottest accessory.

Stylist Phillip Bloch forcibly removed from Madison Square Garden over mistaken marijuana incident: "Bloch, who had earlier lit a cigarette but quickly stubbed it out unnoticed, had been talking to a group of pot-smoking teenagers in the row behind him who were passing a pipe among themselves. 'The whole stadium smelled like pot, and the kids behind us were smoking. I'm sitting there having fun, laughing,' said Bloch. 'Then I get an order to go with this man. They say, 'You're leaving, give us your ticket.' I held it up, they took it. At that point they grabbed me by my arms to take me out, so I threw my hands up and said, 'You've got to keep off me. I'm no threat.'' Page Six witnessed three security guards then spin Bloch around and pin him against the corridor wall."

Chris Carmack's new movie should ensure plenty of shots like this.

Gay kiss heats up South African soap opera: "The protagonists were Stone (played by Zenzo Ngqobe) and Thula (Wright Ngubeni). Thula’s unemployed mother is bedridden by HIV/Aids, and to make ends meet he is selling his body to a married man. Not even his best childhood pal, Charlotte (Stone’s girlfriend) played by Nosipho Nkelemba, knows about the big secret. When Stone confronts Thula about the prostitution, there is an exchange of words and Stone suddenly kisses his friend, Thula. Both are left staring at each other in shock. The kiss did not last longer than five seconds, but is as big a talking point as After Nine – a locally produced short film on black gay men, screened on SABC1 last year."

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News: John McCain, Madonna, Knut, Colombia, Ellen Page, Ireland

California state Supreme Court to hear same-sex marriage arguments this week: "The Supreme Court's intervention has been inevitable since February 2004, when San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom ignited a national furor by giving same-sex couples the short-lived right to marry at City Hall. But now that the justices have the issue in their hands, the outcome is anything but predictable - and the stakes for all corners of the divisive social issue could not be higher."

Madonna/Timberlake single leaks.

PlanetOut posts loss of $51.2 million for 2007: " In 2006, the San Francisco company (NASDAQ: LGBT) lost $3.7 million. Sales fell to $53 million for 2007, down slightly from 2006 sales of $58.8 million. PlanetOut, which owns Gay.com, Advocate.com, Out.com and other web sites, as well as a book publisher, Alyson Publications, recorded a $25.9 million charge for impairment of goodwill and intangible assets in 2007, which contributed to its loss."

Venezuela and Ecuador on brink of war with Colombia? "Venezuela and Ecuador ordered troops to their borders with Colombia, sharply raising tensions after Colombia killed a top rebel leader on Ecuadorean soil. President Hugo Chavez on Sunday promised Venezuela would respond militarily if Colombia violates its border, where he ordered tanks as well as thousands of troops. He also ordered closed Venezuela's embassy in Bogota. Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa said he deployed troops to the border while also withdrawing his government's ambassador from Bogota and expelling Colombia's top diplomat."

At New York's Bailey House Auction, Tim Gunn elaborates on his recent comments regarding Hillary Clinton's 'gender-confused' fashion sense: "Let me put it this way. I believe in the semiotics of fashion."

Ellen Page wants to "hug a woman with her legs in friendship."

Caged animal: Knut in captivity, one year later.

HIV/AIDS infections surge among gay men in Australia: "Based on current trends in condom use, testing for HIV and other epidemiological factors, the centre predicted new infections would increase from the 234 recorded among Victorian gay men in 2006 to 406 in 2015, an increase of 73.5%. For the same period, infections are predicted to decrease in NSW by 12% and increase in Queensland by 20%. If national trends continue, new infections among gay men in Australia overall would increase from 725 reported in 2006 to 786 in 2015, an 8.5% increase."

T.R. Knight and beau Mark Cornelsen appear at UCLA benefit to help crew members affected by the writer's strike. Previously...

John McCain asked to denounce the support of evangelical pastor John Hagee. Shortly after Hurricane Katrina, Hagee said: "All hurricanes are acts of God, because God controls the heavens. I believe that New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God, and they are—were recipients of the judgment of God for that. The newspaper carried the story in our local area that was not carried nationally that there was to be a homosexual parade there on the Monday that the Katrina came. And the promise of that parade was that it was going to reach a level of sexuality never demonstrated before in any of the other Gay Pride parades."

Madonna and Guy Ritchie bought their neighborhood pub, The Punchbowl.

Olivia Newton-John basks in gay love at Sydney Mardi Gras...

San Francisco launches gay tourism campaign.

Weeklong documentary series on photographers begins tonight on The Sundance Channel: "The documentaries, made over the last decade by 10 independent filmmakers and assembled for the series, feature a broad range of photographers including William Eggleston, Tina Barney, Helmut Newton, and Robert Mapplethorpe and his mentor Sam Wagstaff, among other lesser-known artists."

Jason Preston engaged to Marc Jacobs?

After review of the case, cover-up of gay relationship remains at center of mystery over theft of the Irish crown jewels: "The mystery popped back into the news recently after the safe that held the jewels, known as the regalia of the Illustrious Order of St Patrick, was moved to the Irish police, or Garda, museum where it is now on public display. 'It is a never ending and continually fascinating mystery,' said Murphy. His study, which took a fresh look at all available evidence, backed up the notion that there was a whitewash over the theft to cover up a homosexual ring at the centre of the British colonial establishment in Dublin."

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Polar Bear Arrested After Cutest Washington, DC Protest Ever

A Greenpeace activist was arrested last week after peacefully protesting the Bush administration's delay in issuing a final Endangered Species Act listing for polar bears due to global warming. He floated around in a rowboat in front of the Department of the Interior for a while before police came and took him away.

Here's the video:

(via BoingBoing, who have some info on the provenance of the white suit)

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Leonardo DiCaprio Working with Icebergs Again [tr]

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News: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Dirty Laundry, Woody Harrelson

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a blogger.

Movie theater in heart of Chelsea in NYC closes first black gay film to play there in years despite huge gross, according to Keith Boykin: "The news surprised the film's producers, who had set a goal of grossing a respectable $4,000 to $5,000 per theater, or per screen average (PSA). Instead, they were pleased to gross more than $12,000 at the Chelsea Theater alone...The New York theater management expressed concern that 'the producers may have bought the gross.' They expressed suspicion because there were $1,500 in advance ticket sales for Sunday before the theater opened. The theater called this '"highly abnormal for a Sunday movie.' But the advance ticket sales were actually the result of an extensive viral campaign that included Internet postings, blog articles, email campaigns and even text messages. In addition, the producers promoted the movie on radio and television throughout the week leading up to the opening. The real problem is that the theater can't believe that black gay people would actually come to the movies in such numbers because they don't realize we exist."

The Hills' season finale announcement packs about as much punch as the show itself.

Paris Hilton assists in rescue of injured Oompa-Loompa.

Police probe possible gay-bashing in Somerville, Massachusetts: "A man allegedly started taunting Daloia and her group of six friends earlier in the evening at the On the Hill Tavern in Magoun Square. Gorton said the same man then confronted several of the women at a Dunkin' Donuts, saying, 'You're a [expletive] lesbian' and the like while his sister flashed her breasts. Daloia was knocked unconscious, [Don Gorton, chairman of the Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project] said; her friends, he added, received "bruises all over their faces and parts of their bodies." Daloia has been experiencing post-traumatic stress since the incident, he continued. She now fears for her safety and no longer wants to talk to the press."

Director Paul Schrader explains to New York's HX magazine why Woody Harrelson, who plays gay in Schrader's upcoming film The Walker, won't do any press for it: "His agent told me he doesn't like himself in it. I think he wanted the character to be a little more fey than I did, a little more comically fluffy, and I didn't see the character that way."

Surveillance video released by hotel where former Washington Rep. Richard Curtis had his encounter with hustler Cody Castagna: "The video shows both Curtis and beau Cody Castagna entering and leaving the posh Davenport Hotel Towers together the night of October 26, 2007, after meeting initially at a Hollywood Erotique Boutique store. Additional surveillance video shows Curtis leaving an envelope containing the payment for Castagna." (video)

Ancient Polar Bear jawbone discovered: "The find is a surprise because polar bears are a relatively new species, with one study claiming they evolved less than 100,000 years ago. If the Svalbard jawbone's status is confirmed, and further discoveries can show the iconic Arctic beasts have a deeper evolutionary heritage, then the outlook for the animals may be more positive than some believe."

Rare tigers making comeback in India?

Colorado councilwoman resigns rather than remove offensive joke she posted online: "The page-long joke, posted by councilwoman Sandra Tucker, described the tale of a white male who has a 'nightmare' in which he wakes up to discover that he has 'been turned' black, gay, Jewish and disabled. The joke uses terms such as 'negro,' 'queer' and 'fairy,' and also pokes fun at orphans, Mexicans, Jews, HIV-positive patients, drug addicts and those with physical disabilities. The punch line of the joke comes when the person having the nightmare also finds out he is a Democrat, a 'fate worse' than all the rest."

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News: Knut, Diana Ross, Blonde Map, Medical Marijuana

Asian woman becomes Australia's first gay cabinet minister: "South Australia Senator Penny Wong Ying Yen has been appointed minister for water and climate change by new Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. The 39-year-old lawyer is the first Asian-born person to become a Cabinet minister as well as the first gay person of either sex."

World's most famous Polar Bear celebrates first birthday.

Gay marriage bill to be reintroduced in Australian Capital Territory.

Homophobic vandals cause distress at Bard College at Simon's Rock : "Anyone wishing to see the poster and what was written on it can do so, said [residence director] Darcangelo, who keeps it in her office. 'Fags suck (cock)' was written on the poster in black pen, while 'homosexuals? Don't they belong in hell (being facetious)' was written in a nearby spot. Rich Vaden, a senior and president of QueerSA, learned the news from Graves' email. 'My head almost exploded,' he said."

Rainbow Tour: Miss Ross accepts Kennedy Center Honors.

Bill Clinton lashes out at press coverage of Hillary: "Sixty-seven percent of the coverage is pure politics. That stuff has a half-life of about 15 seconds. It won't matter tomorrow. It is very vulnerable to being slanted and rude. And it won't affect your life...I would pick her and be here if we weren't married. One percent of the press coverage was devoted to their record in public life. No wonder people think experience is irrelevant."

The Blonde Map of Europe. Do you really think they have more fun in central Scandinavia?

Kylie Minogue in look-alike strip club scandal.

Soulforce and COLAGE (Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere) plan to target megachurches next year from Mother's Day in May until Father's Day in June: "Through our visibility we hope to peacefully challenge the false stereotypes about LGBT people and same-gender families, and educate the public through authentic and personal conversations - real parents sharing their stories and describing the hurtful effects of prejudice and religious condemnation."

Republican and Democratic candidates get grade on medical marijuana stance.

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News: Giant Bug Fossil, Lourdes, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Egypt

The reason for Jonathan Rhys-Meyers recent arrest for drunk and disorderly behavior in Dublin revealed: his mother's death.

Fossil of world's largest bug discovered: "Found in a German quarry, the claw is 46cm (18ins) long, suggesting the sea scorpion was 2.5m (8ft) long - almost two feet longer that it was previously thought the aquatic creatures grew to. Because land-based scorpions and spiders are believed to have descended from the sea scorpion, scientist believe the discovery means that they also may have been even bigger than had been believed."

Oprah contestants go apeshit over her favorite things - video.

Bush pushing through regulations that will further restrict the ability of HIV-positive people to enter the United States: "This is a big disappointment, given the rhetoric of the Bush administration that the US was making it easier - because the new regs simply add more heavy burdens for the HIV-positive traveler."

Gloves are off. Clinton mocks Obama over foreign policy experience: "Voters will have to judge if living in a foreign country at the age of 10 prepares one to face the big, complex international challenges the next president will face. I think we need a president with more experience than that, someone the rest of the world knows, looks up to and has confidence in." Obama shoots back: "Dick Cheney and Don Rumsfeld have spent time in the White House and traveled to many countries as well, but along with Hillary Clinton they led us into the worst foreign policy disaster in a generation and are now giving George Bush the benefit of the doubt on Iran. The real choice in this election is between conventional Washington thinking that prizes posture and positioning, or real change that puts judgment and honesty first."

Dennis Quaid and Cedars Sinai speak out: Quaid twins tragedy "preventable".

Canadian Polar Bear "harvest" risks population collapse: "In Canada, government hunting quotas encourage killing male polar bears over female ones. The theory is that, because females rear the bear cubs, losing one female polar bear will have a more serious impact on the population's ability to sustain its number. As a result, at least two thirds of polar bears killed in Canada each year are male, according to a separate study that will appear in a forthcoming issue of the journal Wildlife Biology. Research has shown that the policy has significantly reduced the ratio of males to females in polar bear populations across the Canadian Arctic."

Madonna's daughter Lourdes offered part in new Harry Potter film.

Facebook automatically opting in its users to privacy-violating pyramid scheme for its partners?

"Ex-gay" therapy hits Egypt.

Please don't let Santa shoot Brandon Flowers.

Crews mop up oil spill at San Francisco's gay beach.

Two groups of scientists announce they are able to create embryonic stem cells from ordinary skin cells: "The breakthrough marks the beginning of a new era for stem cell biology and could be the end for cloning as an alternative way to produce stem cells. One expert said cloning was now 'dead in the water'. Using the new technique, scientists were able to 'rewind' adult cells back to their embryonic state. The process paves the way for stocks of stem cells that can be turned into any of the 200 or so tissue types in the body."

Lance Bass kicks off the holidays at Bloomingdale's.

Outrageous: U.S. Military demanding that wounded vets give back their signing bonuses because they are unable to serve out their terms due to injury.

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News: Project Runway, Mars vs Iraq, Wes Anderson, Humanity

The Project Runway designers are here! (Bios)

David Beckham rushes back to England after his father suffers a near-fatal heart attack.

''It will take months and years to really see" if Episcopal vote on exercising restraint with regard to gay clergy and same-sex relationships will mend the rift in the Anglican church, according to church leaders.

Milo Ventimiglia's booty makes appearance in new film.

Darren Hayes releases new video for "Me, Myself & I" but his Attitude magazine cover story is nowhere to be found.

Hotel Chevalier, Wes Anderson's 13-minute prequel to his upcoming film The Darjeeling Limited, is now available for download on iTunes.

Fishing Polar Bear spotted for the first time in two centuries: "The Inuit people of the Arctic have always known about it. But no outsiders have witnessed it for 200 years: a polar bear fishing. Not by scooping the fish out of the water like a brown bear - but by plunging in and swimming...Last August, researchers based in Iqaluit, Canada, watched an adolescent polar bear swimming in a river estuary packed with charr, a relative of salmon, that was migrating upstream. It caught about one fish an hour, swimming and peering into the water, then diving. In the two days they saw the bear, it caught three charr and three sculpin, a spiny fish that lives under rocks - which the bear seemed to lose enthusiasm for eating."

Clergy members in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley have come together to urge the Supreme Court to overturn the state's ban on same-sex marriage: "Ahead of what is widely expected to be the next major state Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage, reverends, pastors and rabbis met at St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran Church in North Hollywood to announce they would file 30 amicus briefs, formal documents intended to persuade courts on an issue. The religious leaders, who were joined by 90 civil-rights organizations across the state that also filed briefs, are hoping to influence the court's decision on an upcoming review of a lawsuit seeking to overturn the ban on gay marriage."

The money the U.S. has spent in Iraq could have funded 11 independent missions to Mars.

A map of humanity.

Researchers: Is Alzheimer's memory loss due to a previously unknown third form of diabetes? " Now scientists at Northwestern University have discovered why brain insulin signaling -- crucial for memory formation -- would stop working in Alzheimer’s disease. They have shown that a toxic protein found in the brains of individuals with Alzheimer’s removes insulin receptors from nerve cells, rendering those neurons insulin resistant. (The protein, known to attack memory-forming synapses, is called an ADDL for 'amyloid ß-derived diffusible ligand.') With other research showing that levels of brain insulin and its related receptors are lower in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, the Northwestern study sheds light on the emerging idea of Alzheimer’s being a “type 3” diabetes."

Texas student suspended for wearing John Edwards T-shirt to school.

Elton John defends seized Nan Goldin photo: "The photograph exists as part of the installation as a whole and has been widely published and exhibited throughout the world. It has been offered for sale at Sotheby's New York … and exhibited in Houston, London, Madrid, New York, Portugal, Warsaw and Zurich without any objections that we are aware of."

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News: Polar Bears, Jennifer Hudson, Tron, Sicko, Gay Referee

FOX pans Alan Ball film Nothing is Private for its "graphic sexual, mental and physical child abuse": "If Ball, who regularly toyed with conventions in his TV show and in American Beauty, thought all this would somehow illuminate the tragedy of child abuse, he was wrong. Too much is shown and too many lines are crossed for Nothing Is Private ever to be released by a major studio or distribution company to theatres. If nothing else, the endless 'ick' factor involving nearly every character is a permanent obstacle."

80's cult classic TRON to get sequel: "The original, about a computer programmer thrust into a computer and forced to fight in games he helped create, is remembered for its sci-fi gladiator-style battles and groundbreaking special effects. It was the first movie to use computer-generated images instead of models and other optical effects in conjunction with live action. The arcade game based on the movie was so popular that it earned more than the movie."

In a victory for Evangelical Christians, a judge in Northern Ireland has struck down portions of the UK's Sexual Orientation Regulations protecting LGB people from harassment when accessing goods and services.

Mitt Romney assumes the anti-gay position. And the accompanying article: "Mr. Romney bristles when he is accused of shifting on the issue, as he has on abortion, pointing out that he has been consistent in personally opposing both marriage and civil unions between people of the same sex. On the stump, he usually makes a point of saying that he opposes discrimination against gays. But he refrains from details when pressed as to how he might fight it."

Jennifer Hudson signs on to Sex and the City movie as Carrie Bradshaw's assistant.

Gay referee Nigel Owens takes place officiating at Rugby World Cup.

STUDY: Most Polar Bears gone in 50 years.

Issue of rainbow flags remains unresolved in small Nova Scotia community of Truro. Background.

At $24.2 million domestic, Michael Moore's Sicko is now third-highest grossing documentary of all time, behind Fahrenheit 9/11 and March of the Penguins.

Indian construction worker in Dubai gets 25 years for bludgeoning lover to death with a rock: "The Dubai Court of Appeal increased the 15 years initial sentence of 23-year-old Indian named only as B.A to 25 years, which is life imprisonment here. The appeal's court also awarded him an additional month in jail for consuming liquor. He will be deported after serving his term. The Public Prosecution charged the Indian with consuming liquor and murdering his compatriot, identified as S.D. According to a Yemeni policeman, who questioned B.A., the accused was having a homosexual affair with the deceased. An Indian witness said he saw B.A. committing the crime when he woke up after hearing a commotion in the room at a construction site."

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News: Hairspray, Knut, Day of Silence, Cannes Film Festival

"Day of Silence" tensions, combined with the recent fever over violence at Virginia Tech, lead to lockdown at Indiana High School: "The Day of Silence at New Castle Chrysler High School coincided with a national Day of Silence and aimed to support gay, bisexual and transgender students. 'People were in their shirts for it, people were in their shirts against it, and it just caused a lot of drama that I didn't think was needed,' said student Kayla Boyles."

Berlin's global warming icon, Knut the baby polar bear, is the target of an anonymous death threat.

Middlebury College in Vermont, one of the Advocate's top 100 colleges for gays and lesbians, is tagged with anti-gay graffiti.

Netflix cashes in on Virginia Tech killings, featuring Oldboy, film killer modeled himself after.

Line-up announced for Cannes Film Festival: Wong Kar Wai's My Blueberry Nights to open fest; Gus van Sant back in competition with Paranoid Park...

ERUPTING: Thousands flee Colombian volcano.

Purported David Beckham nude an instant internet hit!

Gaydar founder Gary Frisch, who plunged to his death from an eighth-floor balcony in early February, was found to have raised levels of ketamine in his body: "Estate agent Stephen Ruddock was standing outside a nearby building when he saw Mr Frisch's body hit the ground. He said Mr Frisch shouted 'Waheey' moments before he plunged to his death. Mr Ruddock said: 'It was a celebratory thing. I saw his body come into my line of sight. It arced in the air and hit the ground.' Pathologist Dr Peter Wilkins said raised levels of ketamine were found in Mr Frisch's blood and liver. He added: 'It can have similar effects to LSD, confusion and hallucinations.' Recording a verdict of misadventure, the coroner, Dr Paul Knapman, said: "I don't think that it can be said he intended to kill himself. 'This is not suicide at all. He jumped to his death from the balcony of his flat on the eighth floor while under the influence of drugs.'"

Baby pilot whale found swimming in Brooklyn, dies.

Hairspray trailer hits the internet Aqua Net.

Kathmandu, Nepal gets its first gay beauty salon: "The salon, which offers regular beauty parlour services like haircuts, facials, manicures and pedicures, is also a training academy for members of the gay community who want to train as beauticians. The first batch of 10 young metis - gay men who dress as women - is running the salon under the aegis of the Blue Diamond Society (BDS), Nepal's sole gay rights group." The Blue Diamond Society recently received two awards from the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission for grassroots groups making an impact in gay rights.

The Emma dilemma: "A 7-year-old girl is at the center of a court battle that is equal parts gay rights struggle, jurisdictional quandary and legal ethics question."

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Leonardo DiCaprio Working with Icebergs Again

Leonardo DiCaprio is back on the ice for the "Green Issue" of Vanity Fair. This time his co-star is not Kate Winslet but Knut, the Berlin Zoo's born-in-captivity polar bear cub. The last time we saw DiCaprio clinging to an iceberg the situation was Hollywood from an entirely fictional perspective. Icebergs have driven DiCaprio's career, onscreen and off.

The Annie Leibowitz shoot did have its bit of Hollywood "magic". While DiCaprio was shot at the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, in southeast Iceland, Knut was shot against a green screen in Berlin and inserted into the image.

Knut has become an international star and symbol for the plight of polar bears since his public debut on March 23, with much credit to YouTube.

I just hope that with all the glamming up of global warming, the message doesn't become lost in the trendy landscape. But if this is the only way it's going to grab the public's attention, I'm all for it.

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News: Polar Bears, Tony Blair, Wal-Mart, Hot Brazilians

Tony Blair on celebrity Bee Gee holiday in Miami. Tory Shadow Transport Secretary: "The trouble is that the Prime Minister does not appear to understand the damage his antics do to the reputation of politics in general, and that does no favours for any of us."

Bald Eagle spotted carrying fish in New York City.

United States to spend a year considering whether to place the polar bear on endangered species list as it suffers from loss of Arctic ice due to global warming: "Still, it will take at least another year of official study before the White House makes any decision on the polar bear, so Bush's admission is a small one indeed. But with even the Republican base shifting gears on global warming -- it's no accident that the White House announcement came the day after more than 85 Christian evangelical leaders signed a statement urging the federal government to issue mandatory limits on greenhouse-gas emissions -- even this obstinate administration may be getting the message that its inaction is unpopular and unsustainable."

The sexiest Brazilian of 2006 is...

And meet the celebrity criminals of 2006.

Operation Save America protests in front of Bentonville, Arkansas Wal-Mart, attacking store for disobeying "godly principles" of founder Sam Walton by "promoting homosexual sodomy and the killing of [God's] children." Wal-Mart responds: "Everyone has their own opinions and our focus is on serving our customers. Just as importantly, respect for the individual is one of the core values that has made us into the company we are today. We take pride in the fact that we treat every customer, every supplier and every member of our individual communities fairly and equally."

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