Shakira named Latin Grammy Person of 20011

Her hips don't lie and neither do her massive album sales.

International pop star Shakira was honoured as the 2011 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year in Las Vegas Wednesday night during a star-studded tribute dinner that saw the Colombian singer share an intimate moment with her father and close the night in a burst of song dedicated to her hometown of Barranquilla.

A parade of Latin music's biggest stars paid homage to the 34-year-old "Hips Don't Lie" singer during the concert at the Mandalay Bay hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip. They performed hits such as "La Tortura" and "Estoy Aqui" in a two-hour salute to a career that has spanned decades and continents.

Shakira gleefully took in the performances, occasionally bouncing in her chair to show her appreciation, or standing up to dance amid a maze of banquet tables. After each song, Shakira climbed on stage and embraced the performers that included Venezuelan singer Franco De Vita, Mexican rocker Alejandra Guzmán and salsa legend Gilberto Santa Rosa.

But it was a performance from her father, William Mebarak, that marked the emotional crescendo of the night. Mebarak, who sat next to Shakira for most of the show, took to the stage mid-way through the celebration and sang "Mi Nina Bonita" to his daughter. The song, which translates to "My Pretty Girl," is a staple father-daughter tribute often heard at Hispanic weddings and birthday parties.

Puerto Rican crooner Marc Anthony presented Shakira with a crystal plaque to mark the honour. He called her a close friend and a humanitarian. Shakira's Pies Descalzos Foundation has raised millions of dollars to fight poverty and educate the poor.

"We are in the presence of one of the most special human beings, one of the most talented human beings you will ever meet," Anthony said.

Shakira, who has sold more than 60 million albums in Spanish and English, is the youngest person to receive the Latin Recording Academy's most prestigious award. Previous honourees include Carlos Santana, Gloria Estefan and Ricky Martin.

"I'll carry this night with me always," she said in Spanish after receiving the award. "It's an honour that I am not sure I deserve, but you've made me very happy."

Shakira, whose full name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, was only 14 when she released her first album, "Magia". She rose to fame in Latin America and Spain in 1995 with the release "Pies Descalzos" and the 1998 release of her Spanish rock album "Donde Estan los Ladrones?"

She made her name in the English-language world with the hit single "Whenever, Wherever" in 2001, selling more than 13 million copies worldwide of the album "Laundry Service."

Jackson's doctor says unaware of singer's addictions

The doctor convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Michael Jackson's death insists he was not the cause of the singer's death and denied that he was aware Jackson had an addiction problem when he began treating him.

In an interview with the "Today" shows Savannah Guthrie aired on Thursday but taped during the waning days of his trial, Dr. Conrad Murray characterized Jackson in his final hours as "a desperate man."

Asked whether he wished he had never met Jackson, Murray said he wished he had been more forthcoming about his medical history, instead of being deceptive.

"I love Michael too," Murray said. "Certainly he was deceptive by not sharing with me his whole medical history."

Murray denied having any knowledge or awareness that Jackson, who was seeing several doctors and on a variety of medications, might have had an addiction problem.

"Absolutely not, I did not have a clue," he said.

Murray said Jackson was already taking propofol, which Jackson was using to sleep and which led to his death, when he began treating him.

"This was not something I introduced to Michael," he said.

Murray contended he was actually trying to get Jackson off the drug, and "should have walked away," but added "if I walked away, I would have abandoned a friend."

When he was asked if he was the cause of Jackson's death he said, "No, I'm not."

Ash's security detail: Strict guidelines in place for hospital staff

Staff at the Seven Hills Hospital where Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will reportedly check in tomorrow, are working overtime to ensure her privacy and comfort.

Aishwarya is due to give birth any day after November 10. A suite on the fifth floor of the hospital, which also has a spa, has been completely refurbished for the Bachchan bahu.

Not just the medical staff, even security and housekeeping staff are burning the midnight oil to ensure that the medical facility is ready and safe for her delivery.

The hospital administration has reportedly doubled the shift for security personnel to 12-hours instead of the usual six-hour shift.

Once Aishwarya is admitted to the hospital, staff members will not be allowed to carry mobiles into her room.

"The authorities are afraid that a staffer will click a picture of the family that would hurt their reputation. Hence, they have imposed a ban on phones," said a source.

Aishwarya reportedly picked the Marol hospital because her sister-in-law Srima gave birth to her son at the same facility. "The hospital is not crowded allowing the star family to maintain a certain level of privacy," said a hospital doctor.

Yesterday MiD DAY saw Aishwarya and Abhishek entering the hospital's radiology department around 5 pm. While, Aishwarya looked comfortable in an anarkali with Abhishek by her side, the soon to-be dad wore a broad smile.

Tyra remembers her teen

Tyra Banks is more than a supermodel - she’s a full-fledged media mogul, whose brand includes TV's “America's Next Top Model,” fashion and beauty website TypeF.com, and now her first novel ‘Modelland’.

The refreshing thing about the 37-year-old former talk show host is that, unlike some celebrities, she’s quick to credit her education with all the success she has today. In fact, after putting college on hold right after high school to try runway modelling in Paris, this year Tyra stunned everyone by enrolling at Harvard Business School, where she’s scheduled to graduate in February.
The brainy beauty puts such an emphasis on education that she recently partnered with the non-profit organization Get Schooled, whose mission is to improve high school graduation rates, college readiness, and college completion rates.

She surprised more than 400 students at the High School for Teaching and Professions in the Bronx, New York, with a celebration for raising their attendance four percent in two weeks as part of the Get Schooled national attendance challenge.