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HAVANA (Reuters) - The head of the New York Philharmonic met with Cuban officials and toured facilities in Havana on Saturday ahead of a possible visit to the communist-led island by the orchestra later this year. Orchestra president Zarin Mehta told Reuters he was encouraged by what he saw and heard on the island and noted that Cubans appeared to appreciate classical music. But he said a final decision on the proposed concert trip still lay ahead. "It has to be done soon. We have to go and work very hard with our board (of directors). We have to raise money, we have to arrange transportation," Mehta said. The orchestra, a pillar of U.S. high culture, was attacked in 2008 when it made a concert trip to North Korea, and Mehta said he was certain it would be criticized by opponents of the Cuban government if it performed on the island. He added that Cuban and U.S. officials have said they favor the

Michael Jackson was murdered for his 1-billion-pound fortune, according to his heartbroken sister La Toya. In an exclusive interview, the former Playboy model, 53, said that she and the family are convinced her brother's apparent drugs overdose was "foul play" by a shadowy group out to get their hands on his 1-billion-pound fortune. "We don't think just one person was involved in the murder. It was a conspiracy to get Michael's money," News of the World quoted her as saying. La Toya, the closest person to Michael from the whole tight-knit Jackson clan, said that she has vowed revenge on the people she claims murdered her brother Michael. "I know who did it and I won't rest until I nail them," she added. La Toya added: "Michael was murdered. And we don't think just one person was involved. Rather, it was a conspiracy of people. Feel it was all about money. Michael was worth well over a billion in music publishing assets and somebody

MONTREUX (Reuters) - Baaba Maal and Angelique Kidjo were among the headliners in a tribute to Island Records founder Chris Blackwell that rocked into the early hours at the Montreux Festival on Saturday. "Without Mr Chris Blackwell you wouldn't have me before you tonight. That's all I have to say," Angelique Kidjo, the Grammy Award-winning Beninese singer-songwriter discovered by Blackwell in 1991, said. Kidjo, Maal and the other gathered musicians, who all recorded for Blackwell's boundary-crossing label during their careers, knocked dead the packed Stravinski Auditorium on the shores of Lake Geneva with a mould-breaking evening of musical acrobatics marking the label's 50th anniversary. Blackwell, who started Island Records in 1959 with 1,000 pounds ($1,600), worked with local ska and reggae singers in Jamaica, where he grew up, before moving to London. There he scored his first big trans-Atlantic hit with Millie Small's cover of "My Boy Lollipop&qu

Pop legend Michael Jackson has been temporarily laid to rest in a crypt owned by Motown record label founder Berry Gordy until the singer's family agrees on a final burial place, according to a report. The King of Pop's casket has been housed in a top secret location since his memorial in Los Angeles Tuesday, when it was displayed for all to see at the Staples Center, reported IANS-WENN. His final resting place remains a mystery, with Jackson's former Santa Barbara County home, Neverland Ranch, the star's hometown of Gary, Indiana and Forest Lawn Cemetery in the Hollywood Hills among the rumoured burial sites. Reports also suggest his family is awaiting the return of Jackson's brain, which was removed for tests during his autopsy, before planning ahead. Gordy, who discovered the Jackson 5, offered the family use of his own crypt at the Forest Lawn Cemetery until the star's loved ones sort out what to do with his remains. Jackson's body reportedly rests in th

Hollywood actor Mel Gibson is set to make his big screen acting comeback in a film directed by his 'Maverick' co-star Jodie Foster. The 53-year-old had shunned movie roles in the last few years, preferring instead to focus on his work as a director. But Gibson is reportedly eyeing a return to a leading role with Foster, who has signed up to helm 'The Beaver', about a depressed man who finds solace in a hand-puppet, reports IANS-WENN. Actor and stand-up comedian Jim Carrey was previously rumoured to be in the running to star in the film.

Fans of pop star Britney Spears are worried about her health again after she collapsed during a recent rehearsal on the European leg of her Circus world tour. The 'Toxic' hitmaker was practising a dance routine for a new song when she keeled over, suffering a bruise to her chest, reported IANS-WENN. 'She collapsed when the dancers went to put her back on her feet. She fell to the floor and landed on one of the dancers' legs,' said a source. 'The dancer's tennis shoe smacked Britney in the chest and on the face. It hit her chest with such a force that it caused a four-inch bruise,' added the source. It was reported that Britney's hectic tour schedule and a low blood-sugar level were responsible for the incident.

Hollywood actress Reese Witherspoon was seen sporting a black eye after she was injured while training for her new movie. The 'Legally Blonde' star was pictured nursing a large bruise underneath her left eye, IANS-WENN reported. The 33-year-old actress' spokesperson has revealed the star picked up the injury during a game of softball, in preparation for her upcoming untitled baseball film.

Singer-actress Lindsay Lohan has embarked on a career behind the camera as she has started her own production company. The 'Mean Girls' star has teamed up once again with business partner Kristi Kaylor, who runs Lohan's leggings brand, for their new venture Unforgettable Productions, reported IANS-WENN. The pair is planning to create TV and movie projects in which Lohan can star and have already set the wheels in motion for two projects. Lohan's first production ventures include a TV show she plans to make which will be similar to the hit US series 'Entourage' and a game show tentatively called 'That's What Friends Are For', which will partner with charitable organisations. The pair are also optioning two books for film and television.