Simon Cowell to release charity record for Haiti

LONDON: British music mogul Simon Cowell will release a charity single to raise money for the victims of the Haiti earthquake, he said on Thursday. The record label boss and "Mr. Nasty" judge on popular television talent shows like "The X Factor" is expected to recruit stars signed up to his own company, including Susan Boyle and Leona Lewis, as well as a raft of top US singers. Fellow X Factor judge Cheryl Cole is also likely to perform on the track, joining the swelling ranks of celebrities seeking to boost donations for disaster relief. "I don't know who is available but I will get a record out... many good people are possible," Cowell told Sky News. "(Prime Minister Gordon Brown) called me a couple of days ago and said if I put a record out he'd waive the VAT. It is not the best time. Logistically we're all over the place, but we'll make it happen."

Polanski victim wants director given time served

LOS ANGELES: The attorney for the victim in Roman Polanski's 32-year-old sex case is joining his lawyers' bid to have the director sentenced in absentia to time served. Attorney Lawrence Silver on Thursday faxed to other lawyers in the case a motion he planned to file in Los Angeles Superior Court, asking that the director be sentenced in absentia. On behalf of the victim, Samantha Geimer, Silver also is supporting a motion by Polanski's lawyers urging that Polanski be sentenced to time served. Silver accused prosecutors of violating the California Constitution when they failed to tell Geimer of their plans to seek Polanski's extradition to the US. Geimer was 13 when she met Polanski for a modeling shoot in Los Angeles in 1977. Polanski ultimately pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful sexual intercourse as part of a plea deal.

'Avatar' gets 8 noms for British film awards

LONDON: Sci-fi extravaganza 'Avatar,' Iraq drama "The Hurt Locker" and coming-of-age story "An Education" earned eight nominations apiece Thursday in the race for the British Academy Film Awards, Britain's equivalent of the Oscars. The three films are up for best picture alongside "Up in the Air" and "Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire." The British awards, known as BAFTAs, are considered an important indicator of likely Oscar success. South African alien thriller "District 9" received seven BAFTA nominations, while Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds" and Jason Reitman's "Up in the Air" got six each. The nominations boost the Oscar hopes of James Cameron's "Avatar," an astronomically expensive eco-adventure that has already taken more than $1.6 billion at the global box office. "Avatar" — Cameron's first narrative feature since the Oscar-sweeping "Titanic" in 1997 — has already won Golden Globes for best drama and director.

- Compiled from agencies