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    News of Sinbad's death proves prematureNEW YORK (Reuters) -- NEW YORK (Reuters) - Condolences flowed for U.S. comedian Sinbad after the online encyclopedia Wikipedia announced his death Thursday, but it turned out the grieving was premature and the comic was alive and well. The hoax entry said the 50-year-old entertainer, who appeared in several television series and starred in films including "Houseguest," and "Jingle All the Way," had died of a heart attack on the morning of March 14. The news was quickly picked up by an Internet user who forwarded the e-mail link and prompted widespread mourning. But Wikipedia spokeswoman Sandra Ordonez said the Sinbad entry had been vandalized and although the error was quickly caught and changed, some Internet users had sent e-mails with a link to the old version. "This caused people to inadvertently change the entry throughout the day to the vandalized version," said Ordonez. "We are currently looking into who made this edit, and have protected the page. We regret any confusion or distress this may have caused Sinbad and his fans everywhere." Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia that anyone can edit. Although Sinbad, whose real name is David Adkins, could not be immediately reached for comment, his sister Donna Adkins said in an e-mail to Reuters: "For the record, Sinbad is healthy, well, alive & enjoying life!" Ordonez said there were "various checks and balances" to make sure the information on Wikipedia was correct. "Wikipedia is routinely vandalized and errors are caught quickly," she said. "But we are not familiar with a case that has received as much widespread attention as this one.  DiCaprio's new flame causes stirJERUSALEM (AP) -- Leonardo DiCaprio arrived in Israel with supermodel Bar Refaeli this weekend, creating a paparazzi storm. The 32-year-old Hollywood actor and Refaeli, 21, have been romantically linked for about a year, and Israeli newspapers regularly run updates on their relationship. They apparently hoped to slip into the country unnoticed on a night flight from Frankfurt, Germany, on Sunday, but the plane was also carrying a group of Israeli entertainment reporters on their way back from a press junket in Ireland. By the time DiCaprio and Refaeli headed for her family's home in an upscale Tel Aviv suburb, it had been besieged by dozens of photographers. Guy Pines, host of an Israeli entertainment news show, rented a helicopter to survey the scene from the air, standard paparazzi procedure abroad but a first for Israel, he said. But Refaeli and DiCaprio remained inside, and by Monday morning, all the cameramen had to show for their efforts was a blurry shot of the couple being driven to the home of Refaeli's parents, their faces obscured. DiCaprio has received Oscar nominations for his roles in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape," "The Aviator" and "Blood Diamond." Refaeli is featured in Sports Illustrated magazine's recent swimsuit issue alongside Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler. Pines told The Associated Press the high-profile success both celebrities have enjoyed "turns them into a power couple that grabs a lot of media attention." But more than anything, Israelis are happy for a diversion, Pines said. "The fact that most of the headlines here recently haven't been pleasant turns the interest in this beautiful fairy tale couple into something the media can revel in," he said. Courtney Love sued over alleged nonpaymentLOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- Rock star Courtney Love is being sued by a luxury Southern California rehab center that says she has not paid a $180,000 bill for drug and alcohol treatment in 2005, court document show. The Beau Monde center, which offers massages, gourmet food and whale watching to its predominantly wealthy celebrity clients, said in a lawsuit that the singer paid $10,000 up front but failed to pay the remaining fees. Love, 42, spent four months at the residential facility in 2005 on the orders of a Los Angeles judge after the singer spent months in and out of courts on drug charges and one charge of assaulting a woman friend of her ex-boyfriend. The widow of Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain has publicly spoken about her time at Beau Monde in Newport Beach, south of Los Angeles. Citing client confidentiality, Beau Monde declined comment on the breach of contract lawsuit, filed this month in Orange County Superior Court. "Our program has become highly respected for its ability to ensure absolute privacy and anonymity for our high-profile clients," founder Heidi Kunzli said in a statement Saturday. Love's lawyer, Howard Weitzman, told the Los Angeles Times that there was a difference of opinion over how much money was owed, adding "this matter is in the process of being resolved." Foxx, Blige top Soul Train awardsPASADENA, California (AP) -- Jamie Foxx and Mary J. Blige took best album honors Saturday at the 21st Anniversary Soul Train Music Awards. Foxx won best male album for "Unpredictable" while Blige won best female album for "The Breakthrough." John Legend won best male single for "Save Room," and Gnarls Barkley won for best single in the category for group, band or duo for "Crazy." "I want to thank Soul Train for appreciating my music and black music over the years," said Legend, who did not attend the show, via a television feed. Jennifer Hudson, who last month won a best supporting actress Oscar for the movie musical "Dreamgirls," was given the Sammy Davis Jr. Award for Entertainer of the Year. After receiving her award, Hudson reflected on her rapid rise to stardom after being an "American Idol" finalist a few years ago. "I just can't believe I got the Sammy Davis Jr. award," said Hudson, who also performed during the show. "I'm standing on the same stage where I made the top 32 of 'American Idol.' " Jay-Z won the Michael Jackson award for best soul or rap video for "Show Me What You Got." The Isley Brothers Featuring Ronald Isley won best album for a group, band or duo for "Baby Makin' Music." Ne-Yo was awarded best new soul or rap artist for "Sexy Love." Best soul or rap dance cut went to Webstar & Young B Featuring The Voice of Harlem for "Chicken Noodle Soup." Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds was presented the Stevie Wonder Award for Outstanding Career Achievement in Song Writing. "When you think of songwriting and where it comes from, you go to your space in your room and you write, and you try to write from the heart," Edmonds said. Beyonce won best female single for "Irreplaceable" while best gospel album went to Kirk Franklin for "Sounds from the Storm, Volume 1." LeToya and Omarion were co-hosts of the show at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, which was scheduled to be televised in syndication between March 17-25. The Soul Train Music Awards are sponsored by the syndicated music show "Soul Train" and celebrate artists in R&B, hip-hop and gospel music. Winners are determined by a group of radio-station professionals, talent managers and performers. Copyright 2007 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report. |
 | Gustav grows stronger, approaches CubaGustav's top winds increased to 100 mph (155 km/hr) Saturday, making it a Category 2 storm as it approaches the western tip of Cuba, according to the Nation ... |
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