Veteran US newsman Ed Bradley died yesterday of complications from leukemia. He was 65. Two years ago, Bradley was diagnosed with leukemia and was in remission, but he took a turn for the worse two weeks ago. He passed away at Mount Sinai hospital in New York City. Bradley joined news show 60 Minutes during the 1981-82 season and also anchored and reported hour-long specials. Longtime colleague Mike Wallace said, "(He was) a man of gentleness and a man of strength, a man of integrity. Bradley was a complete reporter and a reporter's reporter. He covered the world, really." The newsman began his broadcast career as a radio disc jockey and became a full-time correspondent for CBS in 1973. He covered the fall of Cambodia and Vietnam in 1975 and was named White House correspondent in 1976. Two years later he joined CBS Reports. Bradley was married to artist Patricia Blanchett and lived in Woody Creek, Colorado and New York City.

Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan may be banned in Russia, over fears of upsetting the country's neighbor Kazakhstan. The ban, which would be the first of its kind for a non-pornographic film, would see the Sacha Baron Cohen movie miss its scheduled Russian release later this month because of political ties between Russia and Kazakhstan. Russia's Federal Agency for Culture and Cinematography has told distributor 20th Century Fox it will not grant permission for the "offensive" film to be shown. Vadim Ivanov, theatrical sales director at Twentieth Century Fox says, "The Agency said the film could offend some viewers and contained material that 'might seem disparaging in relation to certain ethnic groups and religions'." But Ivanov is pushing for a governmental U-turn, adding, "This story is not over." The move is believed to be an attempt by Russian authorities to follow a zero-tolerance policy on racial intolerance.

Australian actress Abbie Cornish was a no-show at the New York premiere of her new film Candy, after she was linked to the break-up of Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe. A Good Year star Cornish, 24, has venomously denied rumors she had an affair with the Crash heart-throb, 32, on the set of Stop Loss in Texas earlier this year. At the screening at the city's TriBeCa Grand on Tuesday, Cornish failed to join co-stars Heath Ledger and Claire Danes and director Ron Howard. Witherspoon and Phillippe announced their split last week after seven years of marriage, and Witherspoon officially filed for divorce this week, citing irreconcilable differences and asking the court for joint legal custody of the couple's two children, Ava and Deacon.

Newly-single singer Britney Spears may stage her comeback with a string of gigs in Las Vegas, Nevada. The hitmaker filed for divorce from husband Kevin Federline on Tuesday after two years of marriage and two sons together. Spears announced in 2004 she was putting her career on hold to have a family, but is planning to relaunch herself into the charts next year. Las Vegas deal broker Jack Wishna, who organized deals for Wayne Newton and Donald Trump in Nevada's Sin City, says he met Spears last year to discuss a potential deal, which would see the star perform at a resort over a long period of time, like Celine Dion, Toni Braxton and Sir Elton John. Wishna says, "She wanted to launch her comeback at a major hotel casino here. The deal breaker was she didn't want him (Federline) part of the Vegas scene. Everybody loves a comeback." Federline's love for Vegas is well-known - he was spotted partying on the Strip just weeks after the couple's second son Jayden James was born, while Spears was left at home in California caring for their two babies. The Palms hotel and resort owner George Maloof is enthusiastic about the plans and would welcome Spears as a performer in his new 2,500 seat showroom. He says, "There will always be a standing offer for her to play at the Palms, particularly in our new venue."

Kevin Federline learned of his marriage break-up on Monday when estranged wife Britney Spears dumped him by text, according to newspaper reports. The aspiring rapper was filming a reality TV show for the MuchMusic channel in Toronto, Canada, when cameras caught his mobile phone beeping. He looked visibly shocked as he read the text, and allegedly requested 30 minutes off-set to compose himself. A show source tells British newspaper the Daily Mirror, "His whole mood suddenly changed when the text messages arrived. He had been very upbeat and was saying how Britney was behind his push to make it big in the hip-hop world." Federline had been plugging his new album on the show, which on Wednesday entered the US Billboard 200 chart at a lowly 151.

Hollywood beauty Cate Blanchett and her screenwriter husband Andrew Upton have been named as joint artistic directors of Australia's Sydney Theatre Company (STC). Blanchett started her acting career in Sydney and received much acclaim for her performances with the Stc in the early 1990s. The couple worked together on the Stc production of Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabbler in 2004. In a statement, the couple say, "As a team we come to the role as joint artistic directors first and foremost as an actress and a playwright. Both of us are passionate about the theatrical art form in all its mad variety." Blanchett follows in the footsteps of her The Shipping News co-star Kevin Spacey, who is artistic director of London's Old Vic theatre.

Movie star Dustin Hoffman has signed on as comic Ellen DeGeneres' unofficial Oscars gag writer by urging her to crack jokes about the gold statue's lack of genitalia. Appearing on her chat show to promote new film Stranger Than Fiction yesterday, Hoffman took the opportunity to give the host of the 2007 Academy Awards a few tips. He said, "I challenge you, because I think it will be a wonderful thing to do, that when you host the Oscars... just take a look at that Oscar - it has no genitalia. I think you could say, 'Come on...' And every year it could be changed... If you were an Oscar you'd want something there." A shocked DeGeneres replied, "Let me get asked back for the next year and then I'll bring it up."

Rapper Eminem is set to return to the big screen after signing a movie deal with Hollywood talent agency International Creative Management. The 8 Mile star recently turned down an offer of $8 million to star opposite Samuel L. Jackson in director Doug Liman's upcoming film Jumper. He had previously pledged to stay away from Hollywood, but has apparently had a change of heart and has agreed to play a role in the remake of the 1950s TV Western Have Gun Will Travel. In the new version, the Stan singer will reportedly play professional gunslinger Palladin, who was portrayed by Richard Boone in the original TV series. ICM will also represent Interscope/Shady/Aftermath films, the Paramount Pictures-based production company Eminem runs with Stuart Parr and David Schiff. Paramount is developing the new film along with the rapper, who is reportedly also recording the music for the movie, which will be shot in his home town of Detroit, Michigan.

Supermodel Christie Brinkley and husband Peter Cook faced each other in court for the first time in their divorce case on Wednesday. The estranged couple reached an amicable agreement regarding visitation of their children, Jack, 11 and Sailor, eight, but the pair never spoke or even glanced in the other's direction during the two-hour meeting in Suffolk County Supreme Court in New York. Cook's attorney Norman Sheresky tells American publication People, "They have reached a temporary resolution of visitation through February. Everyone was happy with that agreement." Brinkley, 52, and Cook, 47, also agreed to a judicial order requiring them not to make disparaging remarks about the other or discuss the divorce in front of their children. Since announcing their split on July 11, Brinkley has not spoken publicly about Cook's affair with a then 18-year-old assistant, which ended their 10-year marriage. Sheresky adds, "It's really too early to say they've reached any kind of resolution. They're hoping to reach a resolution that spares the children and themselves any further anguish."

Mariah Carey is suing a consortium of Asian concert promoters after they cancelled a Hong Kong concert she had prepared for. Bosses at One Group Investments Private Limited claim they were forced to pull the plug on the October 28 concert due to the diva's "unreasonable" last-minute demands and poor ticket sales. But Carey's handlers and attorneys insist it was them who prompted the cancellation when the promoter "breached its contractual obligations." Carey's legal team is asking One bosses to reimburse the pop star $1 million for the preparation the singer did before the show was scrapped.