The English singer-songwriter James Walsh will open for the Manchester rockers The Stone Roses in their February 21 concert, to be held at the Dubai Media City Amphitheatre. Walsh, who has sold more than three million albums worldwide, has supported acts such as The Rolling Stones and Cheryl Crow. For more information, visit www.thestonerosesdubai.com.
Carla Bruni to release new album
Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, France's former first lady, will release a new album, Little French Songs, in the spring. The record is "practically finished", her agent told RTL radio. It will be her first album since 2008, when she married Nicolas Sarkozy. Her agent said that while the former model lived at Elysée Palace, she "suffered from not being able to do her job". Bruni-Sarkozy writes her own lyrics and often also composes the music. The royalties for her last record went to the Fondation de France charity. - AFP
Spielberg dominates directors guild
Steven Spielberg received a record 11th nomination for the Directors Guild of America prize, the latest for his Civil War epic Lincoln. He has won the award a record three times. Also nominated are Kathryn Bigelow for Zero Dark Thirty, Tom Hooper for Les Misérables and Ang Lee for Life of Pi. Ben Affleck is a first-time nominee for Argo. Winners will be announced on February 2. - AP
Twilight leads Razzies
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 leads the Razzies line-up with 11 nominations, including Worst Picture and lead-acting slots for Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. Other Worst-Picture nominees are the naval action tale Battleship, Adam Sandler's That's My Boy and Eddie Murphy's A Thousand Words. Singling out Hollywood's worst of the year, the Razzies will be held on February 23, the night before the Oscars. - AP
No changes on serial killer show
The Fox network says it has not made changes to the content of its forthcoming drama, The Following, since the Connecticut school shooting on December 14, but some advertisements for the show were softened immediately afterward. The drama features Kevin Bacon chasing a killer who recruits murderous disciples. The show debuts later this month. The series opens with a woman committing suicide by gouging her eye with an ice pick. Fox entertainment's president Kevin Reilly said that linking the issue of violence in society to television trivialises the issue. Fox's spokesman Joe Earley said that billboards depicting the woman with an ice pick were changed to pictures of Bacon. - AP
Ryan Murphy directs HBO telepic
Normal Heart, the Tony-winning play that debuted in 1985, is set for an HBO adaptation. The telepic will go into production this year, with plans to broadcast next year. It stars Julia Roberts, Mark Ruffalo and Matt Bomer. Set in New York during the onset of the HIV/Aids crisis in the 1980s, Normal Heart will be directed by Ryan Murphy, marking the first time the Glee creator has worked with HBO. - The National staff
Ryan Lochte diving into reality TV
The Olympic champion swimmer Ryan Lochte is debuting in his own TV series in April. Broadcast on E!, What Would Ryan Lochte Do? will follow the 28-year-old swimmer as he prepares for the 2016 Rio Olympics while developing his fashion line, making media appearances and dealing with his family and friends. He won five medals at the London Olympics. - AP