hHappy with partnership, Elton feels bittersweet
hHappy with partnership,Elton feels bittersweet
LONDON -- Elton John said forming a civil partnership with his longtime lover David Furnish in England this week will be "the happiest day of my life."
But, the pop star added, he will feel sorry for the many gay couples who live in countries that prohibit such unions.
"It has been a long struggle for equal rights to gay people in Britain, but now, in the 21st century, we have real civil rights, tolerance and final acceptance in our lives," John wrote in The Observer, a Sunday newspaper.
"Next Wednesday, on the happiest day of my life, when I celebrate a civil partnership with David, I will be thinking, however, about those less fortunate than we are. In many countries, having a same-sex partner is still outlawed."
Quoting Amnesty International, John said an estimated 80 countries still have laws that criminalize adult same-sex relations. He also cited specific cases of abuse in countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Jamaica, Uganda, Iraq and Poland.
"Throughout history, gay people such as myself and David have often been made scapegoats by those who fear that we are a threat to the status quo," John said.
More than 600 same-sex couples plan to form civil partnerships in England and Wales on Wednesday, the first day that such ceremonies become possible.
In order to get the law passed that allow such unions, the British government avoided potential opposition by avoiding the term "marriage."
Simpson files for divorce,asks not to pay support
LOS ANGELES -- There will be no romantic reunion -- Jessica Simpson filed for divorce Friday from former boy band star Nick Lachey.
The couple jointly announced their separation Nov. 23 following months of rumors that their tabloid-friendly relationship had soured.
Simpson cited irreconcilable differences in a divorce petition filed in Los Angeles Superior Court. The couple had no prenuptial agreement and in the petition, Simpson asked the court not to grant Lachey spousal support.
They have no children.
Lachey, 32, had more earning power when the couple wed in October 2002.
However, Simpson's star power skyrocketed during her three-year marriage.
The 25-year-old singer-actress earned more than $30 million last year.
Simpson's publicist, Rob Shuter, confirmed the filing but declined further comment.
An after-hours call to Lachey's publicist was not immediately returned.
The photogenic pair starred in their own MTV reality show, "Newlyweds." They also hosted a 2004 television special, "The Nick & amp; Jessica Variety Hour."
Simpson's 2004 album, "In This Skin," went platinum, and she released a Christmas album last year.
She made her big-screen debut this year, playing Daisy Duke in "The Dukes of Hazzard."
She also lent her name to a line of cosmetics and fragrances.
Lachey gained fame as a member of the boy band 98 Degrees. He released his solo album "SoulO" in 2003. Lachey also appeared in episodes of "Charmed" on the WB and is scheduled to star in a pilot for the network next year.
Geldof: Arabs should givemore to poor in Africa
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Live 8 organizer Bob Geldof is keeping up with his money-raising campaigns, this time chiding the Arab world for not donating more money to ease poverty in Africa.
Geldof says the Middle East, as a region, does "very little" to help alleviate African poverty.
"I am here today to encourage the business, humanitarian and the arts sectors to do a little more for that continent that lies less than 150 miles from where we now stand," Geldof said at a news conference Friday.
He said that if Dubai hopes to blossom into a multicultural, model economy, it must start shouldering its responsibility to the world's less fortunate.
"We cannot leave Africa suspended and outside the economic net of the planet," he said.
Geldof has dedicated himself to African issues, calling for debt cancellation and fair trade. He organized the Live 8 concerts in July in cities across the world to raise awareness about Third World poverty, and was the mastermind behind the 1985 Live Aid concerts that raised money for famine victims in Ethiopia.
Today's birthdays
Singer-songwriter Charlie Ryan is 90. Country singer Little Jimmy Dickens is 85. Composer-lyricist Robert Sherman ("Mary Poppins") is 80. Actress Cicely Tyson is 72. Rhythm-and-blues singer-musician Maurice White (Earth, Wind and Fire) is 64. Actor Tim Reid is 61. Paleontologist Richard E. Leakey is 61. Rock singer Alvin Lee (Ten Years After) is 61. Actress Elaine Joyce is 60. Musician John McEuen is 60. Singer Janie Fricke is 58. Actor Mike Lookinland is 45. Actress Jennifer Beals is 42. Actor Robert McNaughton is 39. Rock musician Kevin Shepard is 37. Actress Kristy Swanson is 36. Actress Amy Locane is 34. Actress Rosa Blasi is 33. Actress Alyssa Milano is 33. Actor Jake Gyllenhall is 25. Actress Marla Sokoloff is 25.