American blues legend B B King has been admitted to a hospital for diabetes-related dehydration. The 89-year-old Mississippi-born “King of the Blues” is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, has released more than 50 albums and is considered one of the world’s greatest guitar players. He has had type 2 diabetes for more than 20 years. In October, King was taken ill during a gig. He was diagnosed with dehydration and exhaustion and cancelled the rest of his tour. – AFP
Khan hit-and-run witness accused of lying in court
The prosecution in the Salman Khan fatal hit-and-run case on Monday described the Bollywood actor’s driver – who has told the court he was driving the vehicle at the time of the September 2002 accident that left one man dead and four injured – as a “self-condemned liar” who could face perjury charges. Public prosecutor Pradeep Gharat accused Ashok Singh of lying under oath and said that he had been coached by the defence counsel to do so. The driver’s name was introduced last month when Khan testified that he was not behind the wheel of the vehicle at the time of the accident and named Singh as the driver, who later confessed. Gharat described the timing of the driver’s confession as “suspicious”. He told the court there was no doubt that Khan had been driving the vehicle on the night of the accident, when it mounted the pavement outside American Express Bakery in Bandra, a suburb of Mumbai. Khan is facing charges of drunk-driving and not possessing a valid licence, both of which he has denied. The case continues. – IANS
Surgery for Bond star Craig after filming mishap
After more than 50 years of battling criminal masterminds and their henchmen on the big screen, James Bond is virtually indestructible – the actors who play the superspy, however, are a little more fragile. Daniel Craig, who has appeared as 007 in the three latest Bond films, needed arthroscopic knee surgery during a break in filming his fourth outing, Spectre. Producers said he had a "minor procedure" during the Easter break. It is thought he suffered an injury while filming action scenes for the film in Mexico. Eon Productions said the actor will be back at work when filming resumes at the famed Pinewood Studios in England on April 22. — AP
Rancic won’t confirm Fashion Police return
Giuliana Rancic has refused to confirm whether she will return to Fashion Police. When she appeared on the Today show on Monday to promote her new book, Going off Script, host Savannah Guthrie asked the E! Entertainment presenter whether she would be there when Fashion Police returns in September. Rancic said only: "We'll see." The show, formerly hosted by Joan Rivers, has been in turmoil since her death last year, with the abrupt departures of panellist Kelly Osbourne and new host Kathy Griffin soon after the show was relaunched without Rivers. Shortly before it was put on hiatus, Rancic faced criticism for a comment about actress Zendaya's dreadlocks that some viewers, including the actress-singer, denounced as racist. During the Today interview, Rancic repeated her explanation that a joke had been misinterpreted because editing removed the context. – AP
No signs of elder abuse found in Harper Lee case
An investigation into the care of author Harper Lee – sparked by the surprising announcement in February of plans to publish a new book by the To Kill A Mockingbird author – has been closed, with no findings of any abuse. Some in Lee's hometown of Monroeville questioned whether the 88-year-old author had been able to give consent for the publication of Go Set a Watchman. Alabama Securities Commission director Joseph Borg said that his agency looked into the matter at the request of the Department of Human Resources and sent an investigator to speak with Lee, who lives in an assisted-living facility. He said Lee was able to answer questions about the book to the satisfaction of investigators. She seemed aware of what was happening with her book, he added. On Monday, Department of Human Resources spokesman Barry Spear confirmed that the investigation has been closed. Harper Collins has announced a July 14 release date for the new book, which Lee wrote before Mockingbird, itself published in 1960. Lee had long said that she was happy to have Mockingbird – which won a Pulitzer, was adapted as a movie and sold more than 40 million copies worldwide – as her only published book. – AP
New Ricky Gervais film to debut on Netflix
Netflix has acquired a film written and directed by Ricky Gervais, the creator of the original British version of the TV comedy The Office, that will be released next year. The deal is the latest addition to the streaming-video service's growing roster of original films. The film, a satirical comedy called Special Correspondents, is a remake of a 2009 French film and stars Eric Bana as a struggling radio journalist who files fake war reports from New York. Gervais co-stars. Ted Sarandos, the chief content officer for Netflix, called the film "the kind of great grown-up comedy that studios rarely make anymore." Gervais called Sarandos "the new Godfather of entertainment" and said "he made me an offer I couldn't refuse". Netflix also has made deals to premiere films from Adam Sandler and documentaries produced by Leonardo DiCaprio. – AP