British rock star David Bowie unveiled his first new single in ten years to coincide with his 66th birthday on Tuesday, and will release a fresh album in March.

The outlandish icon broke his musical silence by posting a video for the single, entitled "Where are We Now?", on his website (www.davidbowie.com), and it will also be available to download on iTunes.

The new album, "The Next Day", will be released on March 11, containing 14 tracks.

Bowie has released no new music since his last album, "Reality", in 2003, and he has not performed live since 2006. He underwent a medical procedure for a blocked artery in 2004.

"January the 8th is of course David Bowie's birthday, a timely moment for such a treasure to appear as if out of nowhere," a statement on his website said.

The video for the single harks back to Bowie's time in Berlin in the 1970s and features his face projected onto the body of a puppet. A woman's face appears on another puppet next to him.

It was directed by his long-term collaborator, artist Tony Oursler.

Bowie's son, the film director Duncan Jones, who was formerly known as Zowie Bowie, said on Twitter: "Would be lovely if all of you could spread the word about da's new album. First in ten years, and its a good 'un!"

Published: 08 January 2013

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Gerard Depardieu, embroiled in a high-profile tax row that saw the French actor take Russian nationality and angrily vow to quit France, failed to turn up Tuesday in a Paris court to face drunk driving charges.

The 64-year-old "Cyrano de Bergerac", "Green Card" and "Asterix & Obelix" star, who has admitted driving his scooter while intoxicated, would have escaped with a small fine and penalty points on his driving licence if he had appeared.

He had been due to appear for sentencing Tuesday but now faces a criminal court hearing which may lead to a fine of 4,500 euros ($5,900) and a possible prison sentence of up to two years.

He was detained in the French capital in November after falling off his scooter, which he had been riding while more than three times over the legal alcohol limit.

Published: 08 January 2013

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French electronic composer Jean Michel Jarre has held talks with Downing Street officials in recent months, the British premier's office confirmed Tuesday, about setting up business operations in London.

The talks come after France's highest court struck down a proposed 75 percent tax rate on individual income above a million euros ($1.3 million) a year, a plan which saw the republic's biggest film star Gerard Depardieu relocate to Belgium.

"Jean Michel Jarre visited Downing Street to meet with officials about 'Tech City', London's media and technology hub," a spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron's office told AFP.

"There are a growing number of businesses and entrepreneurs from across the world who want to be part of the technology cluster in east London and we are keen for that to continue."

The 64-year-old pioneer -- known for his spectacular concerts and whose hit albums include "Oxygene" (1976) and "Equinoxe" (1978) -- has a company Jarre Technologies, which makes products lke the AeroPad One, a dock speaker for iPods, iPads and iPhones.

Tech City is a project to transform the Old Street roundabout in east London and its environs into a European centre of media and technology innovation for blue-chip firms, investors and start-up companies.

Cameron announced a £50 million ($80 million, 60 million euro) injection into the project last month.

"The UK is in a global race and I am determined that we as a government continue doing everything we can to equip the UK to compete and thrive in that race," he said.

Cameron's coalition government has set up policies it says are aimed at making Britain the "first choice" for entrepreneurs and investors.

Published: 03 January 2013

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Almost five billion people around the world witnessed the amazing events in Britain this summer. But as the sun finally sets over the London 2012 Games, there’s no need to be sad – there’s plenty more great British moments still to enjoy. 

GREAT Sport. Next year sees the launch of a new world-class cycling festival in the capital,RideLondon, which will take place in Olympic venues and around the city, taking in London’s most iconic sights. There’s also the Rugby League World Cup in England and Wales, and while looking ahead, 2014 is a big year for Scotland, who will host the Ryder Cup andGlasgow Commonwealth Games. 

GREAT Culture. January 2013 marks 200 years since the publication of Pride and Prejudice, one of the world’s best-loved books; the perfect time to visit Jane Austen country and the locations featured in the TV and film adaptions of the book. 2013 is also packed with amazing blockbuster exhibitions all over Britain, from Vermeer at the National Gallery to Chagall at Tate Liverpool, as well as being a whole year of culture in Derry-Londonderry, the UK’s first City of Culturehttp://www.cityofculture2013.com/Our-2013-Bid/Home.aspx. Manchester, one of Britain’s cultural hubs, welcomes back its biennial International Festival: 18 extraordinary days of world premieres. 

Published: 05 November 2012

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Rio de Janeiro has new royalty. Evelyn Bastos, a 19-year-old student and member of the famed Mangueira Samba school, was crowned queen of the 2013 Rio Carnival here overnight while Milton Junior was re-elected as iconic King Momo.

An emotional Bastos, who joined Mangueira -- Rio's oldest Samba school -- at the age of four, beat her more muscular rivals and thanked her many supporters upon receiving the sought-after title.

"I am not alone in wearing this crown as many people helped me," she said as she choked back tears.

"I am 100 percent natural," she added in an apparent dig at her rivals, many of whom appear to have silicon-injected breasts and buttocks. 

"I entered the contest as representative of Mangueira Samba school and now I am representing all the Cariocas (Rio residents) who will take part in the carnival. It is very rewarding," Bastos said at the ceremony held in Rio's northern Samba City.

Bastos, whose mother served as Mangueira percussion queen three years in a row and was her major inspiration, said she underwent five months of grueling training for the job. She walked away with a prize of $10,000.

Junior, who weighs in at 160 kilograms (352 pounds) and stands 1.84 meters (six feet three inches) tall, was again picked to serve as King Momo, the Rio Carnival's symbol of overweight excess.

King Momo is traditionally given the key to the city and leads the crowds in wild partying and frantic samba dancing.

Rio's world famous carnival takes place February 9-12.

Junior will play carnival king for the fifth year in a row and his selection was greeted with some boos.

Published: 04 November 2012

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Indie quartet Alt-J have won the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for their debut album An Awesome Wave and promised to celebrate in very un-rock 'n' roll style - by taking their parents out for dinner.

The group, who met at Leeds University in 2007, looked stunned as they collected the award - despite being the bookies' favourites as the ceremony got under way.

They picked up the £20,000 prize at the event at the Roundhouse, in Camden, north London, which was hosted by Lauren Laverne and screened in a brief five-minute slot on Channel 4.

Accepting the award on stage, the band - Thom Green (drums), Joe Newman (guitar/vocals), Gwil Sainsbury (guitarist/bassist) and Gus Unger-Hamilton (keyboards) - said there were too many people to thank. They said: "We might just thank everyone on team Alt-J who has ever made a difference." They also thanked their parents for "not making us get jobs".

Speaking backstage, Unger-Hamilton said the £20,000 prize money would not change their lives too much. He said: "It won't nearly pay off our student loans." But he admitted to being a fan of his own work, saying: "I like listening to it and I think that is a testament to it, it's the same four guys."

Newman said the band would take their parents out for dinner but would also celebrate in more traditional rock star style by going out for a drink.

Newman also revealed his father had tried to cash in on the band's success but failed. He said: "My dad went to the bookies when the album was being made in January to try and put a bet on the Mercury Prize, but they didn't know what he was talking about".

Published: 02 November 2012

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