Lindsay Lohan and her Hermès handbag are back together, and she's thanking the paparazzi for the reunion. Lohan's attorney said Friday (September 8) that the purse was returned with all of its contents intact -- her rep said she had $1 million in jewelry inside -- after photographer Darryn Lyons and a film crew caught the thief and worked with police to crack the case. "Karma may have played a role in the return of her bag today, given that the paparazzi are usually a pest to her and today they have been a godsend," lawyer Michael David Heller said. ...

Wearing a royal blue Versace gown, Fendi shoes, vintage Paco Rabanne earrings and a David Webb ring, Nelly Furtado announced plans for her world tour at Thursday's Fashion Rocks, event where she and Timbaland performed "Maneater," the second single from her LP Loose. "I'm going to be touring in the new year," Furtado told MTV News. "The U.S., Canada, Latin America, Japan, Australia, the U.K. and Europe right through to summer." She hasn't figured out who her guests will be, but does know what she wants to call it. "The tour will probably be called Loose Ends, because it's all the things I've always wanted to do in a show," she said. "I'm really going to bring the fans a unique package of all my stuff -- from my Latin music to my Spanish music to my Portuguese music to my hip-hop music to my pop music, in a fusion with movement and visuals. I love theater. I love drama. So I'm going to really bring it." ...

Although Paris Hilton said on Ryan Seacrest's radio show Thursday that her arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence was "nothing," her spokesperson Elliot Mintz told New York's Daily News that the singer/heiress does "not take this matter lightly or frivolously. ... Paris regrets getting behind the wheel with even one drink." ... A Dutch priest has admitted to calling in a fake bomb threat to a Madonna concert in Amsterdam, The Associated Press reports. Prosecutors said he was hoping to prevent Madonna from performing her controversial "crucifixion" act at concert Sunday. He was arrested shortly after making the call -- traced to his home phone -- and faced a judge on Friday. He is expected to be sentenced to community service. "We take bomb threats seriously," prosecution spokesperson Robert Meulenbroek said, "but in this case it was clear very quickly that it was not real." ...

Community-service work might not put cash in your pocket, but the efforts of a group of youth volunteers in New York aren't going unrewarded. Rappers T.I. and Young Jeezy will join rockers Panic! at the Disco and Taking Back Sunday on September 23 to perform for up to 5,000 Boost Mobile RockCorps volunteers who logged four hours of community service each to quality for the exclusive concert at Radio City Music Hall. Nick Cannon is hosting the show, and Fabolous and Don Omar are also scheduled to appear. ... New Yorkers will also have the chance to get up close and personal with Beyoncé on Friday. The singer will be meeting fans and signing copies of B'Day from 6-8 p.m. at the J&R Express located in Macy's Herald Square. ...

To commemorate the fifth anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, NFL Total Access will re-air the 2002 Super Bowl halftime show Monday at 5 p.m. ET, featuring U2, who performed "Beautiful Day," "MLK" and "Where the Streets Have No Name" while the names of 9/11 victims scrolled on a floor-to-ceiling screen. ... Arctic Monkeys have already made plans for their Mercury Prize winnings (approximately $37,000): The band will donate the money to "a worthy charity which we would prefer to keep private," according to a post on its Web site. Former Monkeys bassist Andy Nicholson "is happy with our choice," the statement read. Arctic Monkeys signed off by adding that they are "looking forward to taking a break to continue writing our new album." ...

Keane have pulled the plug on their North American tour. Keyboardist Tim Rice-Oxley posted a statement on the band's Web site explaining the group's decision to cancel all dates -- postponed last month when singer Tom Chaplin entered a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program: "His doctors feel there is undue pressure on Tom to rush through rehab and get back out on the road. ... We'd like to apologize to the fans who've bought tickets, but we've done this in the best interests of our friend -- which, ultimately, is in the best interests of the band too." Keane currently plan to go ahead with European shows set for October and November. ... Kenneth Cole and Jon Bon Jovi have teamed up for a menswear line, they announced at Thursday night's Fashion Rocks event. "It's a line of clothes called Jon Bon Jovi, or JBJ," said Cole, who is sitting out New York Fashion Week this time around to work on the new venture. "It's cool rock and roll jackets, but urbanized. It's about who Jon is, and it's not just about his style onstage, but who he is offstage. We've taken a lot of archival clothes that he's worn over the years, and we've made them modern." The line will be available on Bon Jovi's Web site and in Kenneth Cole stores beginning October 1. All proceeds will go to homeless organization Help USA. ...

Does Suge Knight owe you money? If so, it's time to get your paperwork in order. A Los Angeles bankruptcy judge has set an October 31 deadline for financial claims against Death Row Records and Knight. "We believe that it is vital that all parties asserting claims come forward and assert them in a timely manner so that Death Row can come out of Chapter 11 quickly," said Todd Neilson, Death Row's bankruptcy trustee. Knight and Death Row filed for debt relief under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in April. ... Nappy Roots are putting on a free back-to-school concert in Louisville, Kentucky, on Saturday. They're trying to raise awareness of the Nappy Roots Literacy Series, a tutoring program the Grammy-nominated group created for the Jefferson County Public School system. The concert will be held at the Belvedere, and while the Roots go onstage at 8 p.m., other acts will be performing beginning at 6 p.m. ...

If you're already sweating what to get for that indie rocker on your Christmas list, Sufjan Stevens just made it easier. The prolific folk-pop singer is gathering up Christmas EPs he's recorded for friends and family over the past five years into a box set called Songs of Christmas (due November 21), which will include Stevens' versions of holiday staples "Silent Night" and "Jingle Bells," as well as quirky originals such as "Come On! Let's Boogey to the Elf Dance!," "That Was the Worst Christmas Ever!," "Did I Make You Cry On Christmas Day? (Well, You Deserved It!)" and "Get Behind Me Santa!" The box will also contain five Christmas stickers and extensive liner notes as well as short stories by Stevens, an original Christmas essay by writer Rick Moody, an animated music video and comic strip by Tom Eaton and a Christmas songbook with lyric sheets and chord charts. ... Scottish band Arab Strab are splitting up after 10 years, they announced on their Web site Friday. "There's no animosity, no drama, we simply feel we've run our course," the statement read. The band is planning a farewell tour of Europe to follow the anniversary compilation Ten Years of Tears. ...

Ellen DeGeneres has been selected to host next year's Oscars, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced Thursday. The 2007 ceremony will be the talk-show host's first, though she has previously held down hosting duties for both the Primetime Emmy Awards and Grammys. "Ellen DeGeneres was born to host the [the Oscars]," producer Laura Ziskin said in a statement. "I can already tell she is going to set the bar very high for herself and therefore for all of us involved in putting on the show. Now all we need is a lot of great movies." ... If he can't beat him, he might as well outlast him. According to The Hollywood Reporter, David Letterman, who has seen his number of viewers slip in recent years, has inked a four-year extension with CBS that will have the wily talk-show host remaining with the network through the 2009-2010 season. Late-night rival Jay Leno hands his "Tonight Show" reins over to Conan O'Brien in 2009. ... Former Songwriters Guild of America royalty manager Marsha Aiken admitted Thursday that she'd conspired with her daughter and nephew to steal more than $1.2 million from the organization, which aims to promote songwriters and protect copyrights. Aiken pleaded guilty to conspiracy, and could face five years in prison when she is sentenced December 18.

09.07.2006

Lindsay Lohan was robbed of a handbag at London's Heathrow Airport on Thursday (September 7), BBC News reports. The actress/singer noticed that the Hermè's Birkin handbag was missing from her luggage cart when she was exiting the terminal. Police said the bag contained "a quantity of jewelry," and Lohan's publicist said the actress' much-needed asthma medication was also inside. According to her representative, Lohan "is begging for the return of the items." Lohan has been in Italy promoting the Emilio Estevez-directed flick "Bobby," which premiered Tuesday at the Venice Film Festival.

Britney Spears is a tough act for husband Kevin Federline to follow -- "all of her music is just hit, hit, hit after hit," he said on Wednesday's "Ellen DeGeneres Show" -- but K-Fed said he's not competing. "Maybe other people are putting it in that perspective, but I don't see it like that at all. I just have fun." Federline performed "Lose Control" on the show and revealed that he'd like to gain control of his smoking and put quitting on his to-do list now that another baby is joining the family. He revealed that Britney is craving ice chips as her due date draws near, and went home with a ton of baby gifts from DeGeneres, including a mini motorcycle for Sean Preston with a sidecar for the new addition, dubbed "Lil' Fed" by the talk-show host. ...

Jessica Simpson has chosen "I Belong to Me" as the second single from her A Public Affair album. Last month, the singer asked fans to vote on a handful of songs from the LP on her Web site. ... Afeni Shakur has postponed her trip to South Africa to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Tupac's death to June 16, the 30th anniversary of the Soweto uprising as well as Tupac's 36th birthday. ... Stevie Wonder, Joss Stone and Natalie Cole are among the artists performing Friday and Saturday at the United Negro College Fund's annual An Evening of Stars. This year's show is a tribute to Aretha Franklin. ...

Amerie is in the middle of recording her next album, which she's working on in a small studio in Jersey City, New Jersey, with producers including Brian Michael Cox (Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey). "I have another song to record, and then it's done," she told MTV News. She describes the music as her signature style infused with '70s funk and '80s new wave. "I have to say it's hot, and not just because I did it," she said. The singer also revealed that she's taking aim at lipstick on one track, titled "Crazy Wonderful." "My sister and I were talking about how you put it on because you want to look cute when you go out, but then you kiss someone and it's all coming off. So for a six-month period, I swore off lipstick." Amerie anticipates that the still-untitled album will be out next spring. ...

Thrice recently updated their fans on the progress they've been making in the studio on their four-disc concept album. "Each disc [will be] themed sonically and thematically to correspond with the four natural elements -- earth, air, water and fire," reads an online post from the band. "The album will have somewhere between 20 and 25 songs, divided between the four discs. We are approaching the whole project in a new way for us, both writing and recording. Writing with these elements in mind, we are letting them shape the direction of the songs sonically and thematically. And for the first time, we're recording the record ourselves as we write it, freeing us up to change things as we go." ... The soundtrack for Playstation 2's "Guitar Hero II" has been revealed. Look for the game to boast Nirvana's "Heart Shaped Box," Mötley Crüe's "Shout at the Devil," Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child O' Mine," Avenged Sevenfold's "Beast and the Harlot," Alice in Chains' "Them Bones," Stone Temple Pilots' "Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart," Lamb of God's "Laid to Rest" and Every Time I Die's "The New Black." The game is scheduled to be released in November. ...

R.E.M. will get back together with original drummer Bill Berry, who retired from the group in 1997, when the band celebrates its induction into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame on September 16 in Atlanta. The group will play three to-be-announced songs, Reuters reports. ... Black Crowes' manager Pete Angelus announced on the band's message board Wednesday that guitarist Marc Ford has quit the band effective immediately. Angelus said the band received a fax on Tuesday -- two days before the start of its fall tour -- saying Ford was terminating his agreement with the Crowes, despite a clause in his contract that Angelus said stipulates he must give three months notice. Ford played with the Crowes for more than five years in the '90s and was fired in 1997, rejoining the Crowes in 2005. Paul Stacey will step into the breach for the tour while leaders Chris and Rich Robinson interview other guitarists. The split with Ford came less than a week after longtime keyboardist Eddie Hawrysch left the band, which is working on its first studio LP in six years. ...

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers are branching out their Highway Companion Tour -- as well as the eclectic list of acts that will be supporting them. Beck will do the honors at a San Diego gig on September 27, while the Dandy Warhols will kick off shows Tuesday in Madison, Wisconsin, and at the last of three Berkeley, California, gigs on October 27. The Black Crowes will open the Sunday show in Raleigh, North Carolina. ... Former New Kids on the Block member Jordan Knight will be promoting his latest solo album, Love Songs, Friday on QVC. The disc, due in stores Tuesday, will feature new music along with covers of the Wham! hit "Careless Whisper" and Foreigner's "Waiting for a Girl Like You." Why launch the LP on a TV shopping network? The singer said it's an opportunity to "reach a wide variety of fans in a meaningful way." ...

WOXY.com -- the online indie radio station that had been using "The Future of Rock and Roll" as its motto -- is shutting down after two years of operation, barring help from a "significant partner." "It's become pretty clear that operating WOXY.com as a standalone Internet 'radio station' is not going to cut it," reads a post on the station's site. "Our operating costs are higher than you might think, and the revenue we were able to generate from advertising isn't close to supporting what we're doing. ... When your business doesn't make money, you eventually go out of business." The broadcasts will be silenced on September 15. ... Director/screenwriter Rémy Belvaux died Monday in Orry-la-Ville, France, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 38. Belvaux scored a cult hit with his controversial debut film, "Man Bites Dog," a faux documentary about a film crew following a serial killer. "He leaves us one masterpiece and tons of regrets," Belvaux's family said in a statement. No cause of death was given.