Los Angeles  - The former financial manager of actor Nicolas Cage has fired back at the Hollywood movie star, claiming in a lawsuit that Cage was a compulsive spender who ignored all warnings to rein in his lavish lifestyle, People reported Tuesday.

Cage sued Samuel Levin last month for 25 million dollars, claiming that the accountant led him on a path to financial ruin that included the foreclosure of many of his houses.

Los Angeles  - The new Porsche Boxster Spyder, which celebrates its world debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show in December, takes its design cues from the legendary Porsche 550 in which actor James Dean died.

Two humps stretching over the rear create the illusion of a longer body and are a reminder of the days of the Carrera GT. Designed mainly for open-top travelling, a simple vinyl construction operated by hand shields the two occupants from rain if necessary.

Los Angeles - Television icon Farrah Fawcett left long-time companion Ryan O'Neal out of her will, according to a copy of the document obtained Monday by celebrity website Radar Online.

The actress and swimsuit model died on June 25 after a long battle with anal cancer. She was 62.

According to Radar Online, the actress left 4.5 million dollars to son Redmond O'Neal. Additionally, she left 500,000 dollars to nephew Greg Walls, 500,000 dollars to father James Fawcett and 100,000 dollars to ex-boyfriend Greg Lott.

Los Angeles, Nov 16 - Hollywood couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were here together for Moca's new 30th anniversary exhibition and contrary to rumours they looked very much in love with each other.

Imdb. com. reports that Jolie, 34, looked stunning in a strapless Armani Prive dress, while her 45-year-old partner Pitt suited up nicely in black slacks, a jacket and a tie.

Los Angeles, Nov 16 - The CIA has paid millions of dollars to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) since 9/11, "accounting for as much as one-third of the foreign spy agency's annual budget", says a media report.

The ISI also collected "tens of millions of dollars through a classified CIA programme", which pays for the capture or killing of wanted militants, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday citing current and former US officials.

An intense debate has been triggered within the US government due to "long-standing suspicions that the ISI continues to help Taliban extremists who undermine US efforts in Afghanistan and provide sanctuary to Al Qaeda members in Pakistan".

Los Angeles, Nov 16 - The mere thought of loved ones can help reduce pain, according to a new study by US researchers.

The result underscores the importance of social relationships and staying socially connected, according to the study by researchers at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA), Xinhua reported Monday.

In the study, 25 women were asked if simply looking at a photograph of their loved ones reduces pain.

Los Angeles  - End-of-the-world disaster flick 2012 opened over the weekend with three-day ticket sales of 65 million dollars, according to preliminary studio estimates issued Sunday.

With a production budget of at least 200 million dollars, the film stars John Cusack. The story postulates that the end date of the ancient Mayan calendar, which runs out in 2012, will bring a worldwide catastrophe.

2012's haul easily topped the Friday-Sunday box-office rankings. (dpa)

Los Angeles, Nov 14 - Former Spice girl Victoria Beckham is proud of her son Brooklyn Beckham for undertaking charity work.

Brooklyn, 10, her eldest child with husband David Beckham, had visited poverty-stricken state Kentucky after learning about the situation there.

He played soccer with local children and presented them with shoes and backpacks, reports femalefirst. co. uk.

Los Angeles, Nov 13 : Former American boxing legend Mike Tyson, who became the youngest heavyweight world champion at the age of 20, has been arrested on charges of beating up a photographer at the Los Angeles International Airport.

Police confirmed that Tyson has been held on suspicion of battery following a scuffle with a snapper.

The victim says he was hit once and was treated afterwards in hospital for a cut to his forehead.

Los Angeles  - The video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 racked up 310 million dollars in its first day of sales in the United States and Britain, game publisher Activision said Thursday.

Enthusiasts snapped up 4.7 million copies of the 60-dollar game, which can be played on PCs, the Sony Playstation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360.

The sales figure from those two countries alone matched the previous record holder, Grand Theft Auto IV, which brought in 310 million dollars worldwide on its first day of sales in April 2008.

Los Angeles - Byron Scott is out as New Orleans Hornets head coach after the team announced his firing on Thursday. He has been replaced by team general manager Jeff Bower.

"I want to thank Byron for the hard work he has put in during his time with the Hornets," team owner George Shinn said in a statement on the team's website.

Los Angeles  - Singer Darius Rucker was named new artist of the year Wednesday at the Country Music Awards, only the second time an African-American artist has been recognized at the event.

"What a year," said a jubilant Rucker, whose first country album, Learn to Live, sold more than 1 million copies. "First of all, to the fans, thank you all for accepting me, and I think most importantly, to country radio, you took a chance on a pop singer from Charleston, South Carolina. Thank you so much for that!"

Los Angeles - Michael Jackson's often estranged father Joe Jackson lost a legal bid Tuesday to challenge the executors of his son's will.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff ruled that because he had does not stand to inherit any of his son's assets, Jackson, 80, has no standing to challenge the executors.

But Jackson can pursue a motion to receive a family allowance from the estate because he claimed his son had been supporting him, Beckloff said.

Los Angeles, Nov 10 - A judge here has stopped Jennifer Lopez's first husband from releasing a so-called mockumentary featuring the ex-couple's short-lived love life and an expose of her allegedly cheating ways.

Ojani Noa, who has been trying to milk his role as Lopez's husband No. 1 ever since their marriage broke more than a decade ago, has been pitching "How I Married Jennifer Lopez: The J. Lo and Ojani Noa Story", for a couple of weeks.

Los Angeles - Landmark children's television show Sesame Street is celebrating its 40th anniversary on Tuesday with a special guest: First Lady Michelle Obama is set to appear on the programme and will tout the benefits of fresh and healthy food.

Obama plants a mini vegetable garden on the show, to mirror the one she planted on the White House grounds. "Veggies taste so good when they come fresh from the garden, don't they?" she says. "If you eat all these healthy foods, you are going to grow up to be big and strong."

Los Angeles - Memphis Grizzlies guard Allen Iverson, unhappy with his role as a bench player, has been given permission to leave the team to deal with a personal issue, a newspaper reported.

Iverson, a 10-time All-Star signed as a free agent during the off season, met with Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley in Los Angeles after a 114-98 loss to the Lakers, the Memphis Commercial Appeal reported Saturday.

According to the report, Iverson again met with Heisley Saturday morning before leaving for Atlanta, where he lives in the off season.

Los Angeles  - It has won over 100 Emmys, been shown in more than 125 countries and on Tuesday it will celebrate a rare achievement in an age of ever-shifting tastes: Sesame Street will be 40 years old.

"Sesame Street is one of the five most influential television shows of all time," says popular culture professor Bob Thompson of Syracuse University. "It had an enormous social influence as well as artistic. In fact there's nothing like it on the air to this day."

Los Angeles  - R&B singer Usher is a single man again. According to court documents the split was finalized by a Georgia court on Wednesday.

Usher Raymond filed for divorce from Tameka Fisher in June, citing "irreconcilable differences" and declaring they had lived apart since July 2008 and their marriage was "irretrievably broken."

The couple were married in August 2007 and have two sons under the age of two. (dpa)

Los Angeles - Michael Jackson's brothers are to debut a new reality television show starting in December, E Online reported Friday.

The entertainment news site said that Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Randy Jackson would star in the show, which will be screened on the cable channel A&E.

Los Angeles  - No sooner have the pumpkins of Halloween disappeared than the mighty marketing machines of the United States are turning their attention to the holiday season.

Christmas lights may not yet be up on most people's houses but Disney doesn't need any prompting to appeal to the seasonal spirit. On Friday, it launches A Christmas Carol, an animated version of the classic Charles Dickens novel about the trials and tribulations of Ebenezer Scrooge.