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Los Angeles officials brace for Jackson memorial LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Los Angeles city officials are planning a massive security operation for Michael Jackson's public memorial service next week, and on Friday urged fans who do not win a ticket in a random drawing to stay away from the basketball arena where the singer will be memorialized.   Potter is back: box office big bucks assured LONDON (Reuters) - Boy wizard Harry Potter is back in cinemas later this month with the sixth instalment of the movie franchise, and another box office bonanza looks assured for the Warner Bros. studio. Boats, sweat and Pimms down by the river HENLEY-ON-THAMES, England (Reuters) - State-sponsored Olympians and other elite athletes are squaring off against gritty amateur challengers in front of thousands of champagne-fuelled spectators this week at the Henley Royal Regatta.   Prince booked to return to Montreux jazz festival GENEVA (Reuters) - Prince will return to the Montreux stage, closing out the famed jazz festival on July 18, with high-priced tickets expected to be snapped up quickly, organisers said on Friday. Concert promoter expects to erase Jackson's debts LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The concert promoter for Michael Jackson's cancelled London shows said on Thursday that audio and video tapes made before the King of Pop's death could generate hundreds of millions of dollars and erase debts on the singer's estate.   Jay Leno wins cybersquatting case at U.N. agency GENEVA (Reuters) - Comedian and talk show host Jay Leno has won a cybersquatting case against a Texas man found by a U.N. agency to have misused the domain name thejaylenoshow.com to direct Internet users to a real estate website. Just A Minute With: Actor Ray Romano on "Ice Age" LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor Ray Romano, who became a major U.S. television star in the 1990s with his sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond," has found another kind of fame -- as the voice of a woolly mammoth in the film "Ice Age."   Deal chatter heats up in Hollywood NEW YORK (Reuters) - Dealmaking in Hollywood could get hot and heavy in coming months as movie studios explore ways to fight tumbling DVD sales and distribute entertainment in new formats. Algerian star jailed in France over forced abortion BOBIGNY, France (Reuters) - Algerian singer Cheb Mami was sentenced on Friday to five years in a French prison after being found guilty of forcing an attempted abortion on his former lover.   Turkish TV gameshow looks to convert atheists ISTANBUL (Reuters) - What happens when you put a Muslim imam, a Christian priest, a rabbi and a Buddhist monk in a room with 10 atheists?

Johnny Cash's 'Big River' Classical violinist Mark O'Connor's boyhood hero was a country musician. O'Connor says that he'd spend hours on end learning the songs of Johnny Cash — and to this day, his great passion is the tune "Big River."   Poetic License Raises A Star-Spangled Debate Rene Marie grew up in the segregated South, and has become one of the few jazz singers today whose talent and devotion to social issues have both won her attention. Case in point: her personal take on the national anthem. Guitarist Julian Lage On Piano Jazz Guitarist Julian Lage is a true jazz prodigy. Discovered by Gary Burton when he was just 12 years old, Lage has since played with Herbie Hancock, Joe Lovano and Carlos Santana. Lage shows off his amazing technique and improvisatory abilities on "My Funny Valentine" before teaming with McPartland on "You and the Night and the Music."   Courtly Confusion: Rossini's 'Voyage To Rheims' The opera has a scatterbrained story, full of decidedly goofy characters. Yet Rossini's gift for musical profiling, plus a raft of bravura arias and ensembles, make this La Scala production a comic gem. Jackson Memorial Is Tuesday; L.A. Rushes To Plan In Los Angeles, city officials are scrambling over the holiday weekend to try to figure out how to accommodate a public memorial service for Michael Jackson at a venue that can hold no more than 20,000 people.   Mellencamp Muses About Mortality, 'Love' John Mellencamp joins Terry Gross to talk religion, politics and his album Life, Death, Love and Freedom. And he performs solo acoustic versions of four songs from the album from his Indiana home studio. Meg Hutchinson On Mountain Stage From the age of 8, Meg Hutchinson dreamed of performing. Now, the singer from small-town Massachusetts has released five albums and has received numerous awards. In this performance, her optimistic and poetic view on life shines.   Four For The Fourth: Songs For America The Fourth of July is a birthday party and the whole country is invited. And every party needs music. Whether meditating on America's landscape, its freedoms or the things about it that frustrate us, America is ripe for inspiration, as evidenced by the songs here. King Sunny Ade: The Chairman In Concert The Nigerian musician brings his mesmerizing beats and animated performers to Seattle for an exciting show of Nigerian juju music. The seventy-minute set features Yoruban praises and proverbs, backed by an incredible percussion section.   Summer Song Favorite: 'One Bad Apple' For the second in a series of summer songs — that may not actually be about summer, yet bring back a memory of the season — All Things Considered host Melissa Block spoke to author Ann Patchett, who shares what she calls "a deeply humiliating story" about the song she thinks of when summer rolls around. Maestro Maazel On Life After N.Y. Philharmonic After conducting the world's most famous orchestra for seven years, Lorin Maazel gave his last performance June 27. Now, at 79, Maazel has launched a two-week festival on a Virginia farm, and he also intends to teach aspiring conductors. Maazel tells NPR what it takes to be a successful conductor.   Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough Michael Jackson It's been a week since Michael Jackson's death at 50 stunned the world. But seven days after the King of Pop stepped off stage and left us behind, it's clear we just can't seem to get enough of him. July 7: Sonic Youth Live In Concert Sonic Youth's latest album, The Eternal, is among the band's finest, with a fuzzy, tightly orchestrated mix of psych-punk rock and noisy jams. The band will showcase the album in a full concert, webcast live on NPR Music, July 7. The performance from Washington, D.C.'s 9:30 Club will begin streaming online at approximately 10 p.m. ET.   John Patitucci Trio At The Kennedy Center Some of his best friend musicians call him Tooch. The extraordinary bassist John Patitucci comes to the stage at the KC Jazz Club in Washington, D.C., where an array of basses, guitars and drums await his tuned-in trio with Larry Koonse and Brian Blade. They're playing music from Patitucci's album, Line by Line. Live Friday: Chairlift In Concert Yet another group catapulting into the public eye via a catchy iPod jingle, Chairlift is new to the pop scene, but it's quickly building a substantial reputation. Hear Chairlift perform live in concert from WXPN and World Cafe Live in Philadelphia at 12 p.m ET.

Suicide ruled out in death of David Carradine David Carradine died of asphyxiation, according to the doctor oversaw a private autopsy on the Kung Fu star.   Actor Karl Malden dies at 97 Karl Malden, one of Hollywood's strongest supporting actors, died at his home on Wednesday at the age of 97. Canadians Seth Rogen, Michael Cera named Oscar judges Canadians Seth Rogen and Michael Cera have been named members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.   Ontario to match Quebec's enhanced film credits Two weeks after Quebec sweetened the pot for foreign film projects with a 25 per cent tax credit, Ontario has moved to match that incentive. Pirate Bay site sold to Swedish gaming company In a surprising development that calls to mind the taming of Napster nearly a decade ago, a Swedish gaming company said it will buy notorious peer-to-peer file-sharing site The Pirate Bay with plans to launch new business models that will pay content owners.   Chris Landreth's The Spine gets top award at Melbourne fest The Spine, the latest short from Oscar-winning animator Chris Landreth, has won the top prize at the Melbourne International Animation Festival. Filmgoers upset by Judi Dench swearing British actress Judi Dench garners complaints every time she talks tough in a film, the British Board of Film Classification said in its annual report.   Marmaduke movie mutts get boot from Burnaby warehouse Some Vancouver film producers are in the doghouse for keeping more than 50 noisy dogs in an unlicensed warehouse for the upcoming movie Marmaduke. Pirate Bay copyright convicts lose retrial bid Four men found guilty of promoting copyright infringement through the file-sharing site The Pirate Bay will not get a retrial, the Swedish court of appeals has ruled.   Huge British studio takes on management of Toronto's Filmport Venerable British studio Pinewood Shepperton PLC will take over management of Toronto's struggling Filmport, the company announced Thursday. Farrah Fawcett of Charlie's Angels fame dies at 62 U.S. actress Farrah Fawcett, who starred in the television crime-fighting series Charlie's Angels and received critical acclaim for the movie The Burning Bed about domestic abuse, has died at age 62, according to her spokesman.

Wajdi Mouawad, Jay Ingram named to Order of Canada Lebanese-Canadian playwright Wajdi Mouawad and science broadcaster Jay Ingram are among the 60 Canadians appointed Wednesday to the Order of Canada.   Jude Law to play Hamlet on Broadway Jude Law will stalk the boards of Broadway as the Danish prince when his U.K. production of Hamlet comes to New York in September. Ragtime revival to hit Broadway in November A revival of the musical Ragtime will open Nov. 15 at Broadway's Neil Simon Theatre, the show's producers announced Wednesday.   Broadway musical Avenue Q to close Broadway's Tony Award-winning people-and-puppets musical Avenue Q is set to close in September following a six-year run, producers have announced. Festival stage collapses in Quebec City Bad weather over the past few days was likely to blame for the collapse of a major outdoor stage in Quebec City Tuesday morning.   Sound of Music, Jersey Boys scoop musical Doras Blockbuster musicals The Sound of Music and Jersey Boys split a clutch of prizes Monday night as the Dora Mavor Moore Awards for the best in Toronto theatre were handed out. Cats producer Marlene Smith honoured at Doras Marlene Smith, who produced Cats, the first big musical to play in Toronto with an all-Canadian cast and production team, was awarded the Silver Ticket Award at Monday's Dora Mavor Moore gala.   Montreal comedy conference to honour Hangover director Todd Phillips Montreal's annual Just for Laughs Comedy Conference will honour Todd Phillips, creator of The Hangover, as comedy director of the year this July. Spider-Man musical cast to include Alan Cumming, Evan Rachel Wood Producers for Broadway's upcoming Spider-Man musical have their Green Goblin as well as their Mary Jane, but still have yet to announce the actor who will portray the comic book web-slinger.   Heritage minister pledges 5 years of stable arts funding Saying the cultural sector needs "stability," Heritage Minister James Moore announced a five-year funding package for the arts on Friday. Bigger laughs in the works if Just for Laughs, Second City join forces Two forces in the world of comedy - Montreal's Just for Laughs and Chicago's Second City - are in talks about a long-term collaboration.   National, Winnipeg ballets to share stage for Olympic shows The National Ballet of Canada and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet will share a stage in Vancouver next February as part of the cultural Olympiad accompanying the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.

Vancouver Art Gallery has tentative deal with union Vancouver art gallery workers have reached a tentative deal in a contract dispute with their employer.   Chicago's Sears Tower unveils glass balconies with jaw-dropping view The view from the floor of the four new balconies jutting out from the103rd floor of Chicago's Sears Tower is a breathtaking 412-metre drop straight down. Italy unveils 14 artifacts returned by Cleveland Museum Italy has unveiled 14 artifacts, including a bronze statue of an archer and a pair of Etruscan silver bracelets, returned by the Cleveland Museum of Art after it was discovered they had once been looted.   Wajdi Mouawad, Jay Ingram named to Order of Canada Lebanese-Canadian playwright Wajdi Mouawad and science broadcaster Jay Ingram are among the 60 Canadians appointed Wednesday to the Order of Canada. Prix de Rome winners to study housing for a northern climate A Toronto architecture firm that wants to do design research on sustainable housing for a northern climate has won the Professional Prix de Rome in Architecture.   First Nations art might see scant protection from copyright, patent law First Nations artists may not be able to get protection from copyright or patent law to stop the spread of cheap knockoffs of their artworks, a lawyer says. Heritage minister pledges 5 years of stable arts funding Saying the cultural sector needs "stability," Heritage Minister James Moore announced a five-year funding package for the arts on Friday.   Contemporary West Coast First Nations art takes the spotlight in new exhibit Artwork that mixes pop culture, spirituality and First Nations culture will be showcased this summer at a vibrant new exhibit at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. Dead Sea Scrolls ready for Canadian exhibit Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum will unveil the famed Dead Sea Scrolls, considered one of the most significant archeological finds of the 20th century, to the public this Saturday.   Picasso musketeer sells for $13.2M in London A "musketeer" painting by Pablo Picasso sold for £7 million ($13.2 million Cdn) at auction at Sotheby's in London Wednesday evening, the high point of a lacklustre sale of Impressionist art.

McCartney recalls 'fun-loving' Jackson With just a week to go before his Halifax concert, Paul McCartney is busy rehearsing.   Halifax Virgin Festival free after Tragically Hip cancel The Tragically Hip, who were set to headline the first Virgin Festival in Halifax on Saturday, have out pulled because of a family emergency. Michael Jackson memorial set for Tuesday A public memorial service for Michael Jackson will be held on Tuesday morning at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, where the late pop star was rehearsing for his London concerts.   Potent sedative found in Jackson home A law enforcement official speaking on condition of anonymity revealed Friday that the sedative Diprivan was found in the home the late pop star Michael Jackson was renting in Los Angeles. Notorious writer plans young adult series James Frey, the U.S. author notorious for his fictitious memoir A Million Little Pieces, has signed a deal to create a series of young adult sci-fi novels.   Vancouver Art Gallery has tentative deal with union Vancouver art gallery workers have reached a tentative deal in a contract dispute with their employer. Vikram Seth writing sequel to A Suitable Boy Indian poet and novelist Vikram Seth is writing the long-awaited sequel to A Suitable Boy, his second novel, which won the Commonwealth Writers Prize in 1994 and propelled him into the public spotlight.   Montreal symphony names new assistant conductor A young Torontonian currently working in Zurich has been been named assistant conductor of l'Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal. Toronto woman in DiCaprio assault case gets bail A Toronto woman accused of assaulting actor Leonardo DiCaprio at a Los Angeles party has been granted bail pending an extradition hearing.   Faiths compete on Turkish game show A new game show on Turkish television will pit a Greek Orthodox priest, a rabbi, an imam and a Buddhist monk against one another in attempt to convert atheists to their respective religions. Vancouver Symphony appoints Australian violinist as concertmaster Dale Barltrop, an Australian-born violinist who trained in the U.S., has named as concertmaster of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.   Montreal publisher's Michael Jackson biography out next week A Montreal publisher sent an unauthorized biography of Michael Jackson to the printing press Thursday and it could hit bookstores next week. Wajdi Mouawad, Jay Ingram named to Order of Canada Lebanese-Canadian playwright Wajdi Mouawad and science broadcaster Jay Ingram are among the 60 Canadians appointed Wednesday to the Order of Canada.   Chicago's Sears Tower unveils glass balconies with jaw-dropping view The view from the floor of the four new balconies jutting out from the103rd floor of Chicago's Sears Tower is a breathtaking 412-metre drop straight down. Humane society demands end to Stampede broadcasts The Humane Society of Canada is asking Canada's broadcasting regulator to phase out airing of Calgary Stampede events.

An Afghan View Of The Surge Rangina Hamidi, CEO of Kandahar Treasures, which sells handmade embroidery, talks about the surge in Helmand province. She says that to defeat the Taliban, American troops must help Afghanistan build infrastructure and maintain security.   Marines Fan Out In Afghanistan Push Some 4,000 Marines, along with several hundred British and Afghan troops, are fanning out in the valley of Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, establishing small outposts. So far, there's been little fighting with Taliban militants, although Marines did meet stiff resistance in one area. Alaska Gov. Palin To Resign Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who was Republican Sen. John McCain's running mate in the 2008 presidential campaign, says she will resign from office July 26.   New Generation Of Iraqi Military Pilots Looks To Sky Iraq's military pilots once enjoyed elite status in the country's armed forces. But the Iraqi airforce hasn't really flown for 18 years. At an American airbase outside the city of Kirkuk, a young generation of pilots is learning to fly again. Gov. Ted Strickland On Ohio's Budget Impasse Ohio is facing a $3.2 billion shortfall in its finances. Gov. Ted Strickland has proposed slots at racetracks and spending cuts, but has not been able to reach a deal with the Legislature. The state is operating on a temporary budget for the next few days.   Serious Gaps Remain Between U.S., Russia President Obama heads to Russia on Monday for meetings with President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. The Obama administration says it is anxious to "press the reset button" on U.S.-Russian relations. Families Of 'America's Battalion' Wait For News Marines with the 2nd Battalion, 8th Regiment, known as "America's Battalion," are part of the force that has launched a major assault in southern Afghanistan. On the night they went into battle, families at home heard the news — and began reaching out for information about loved ones.   Rare Copy Of Declaration Found In England An original copy of the Declaration of Independence was recently discovered in the British National Archives. Edward Hampshire, the diplomatic and colonial specialist at the archives, talks with Melissa Block about the discovery of the 26th copy of the document. Iranian Cleric: British Embassy Staff To Be Tried A top Iranian cleric said Friday that some of the detained Iranian staffers of the British Embassy in Tehran will be put on trial. Britain is seeking a clarification of the status of the employees.   70-Year-Old Reservist, Surgeon Returns To Iraq Col. Hector Henry is one of only three doctors over the age of 70 who have agreed to come out of retirement and serve active duty since Sept. 11, 2001, according to the U.S. Army Reserves Medical Command. The urologist, City Council member and grandfather of three says he promised his wife it would be his last tour. State Welfare Rolls Feel Impact Of Recession Welfare caseloads have been going up in most states over the past year, but not in all of them. In fact, cases are going down in some of the hardest-hit areas. That's raised questions about whether the program is an adequate safety net for families in need.   Jackson Memorial Is Tuesday; L.A. Rushes To Plan In Los Angeles, city officials are scrambling over the holiday weekend to try to figure out how to accommodate a public memorial service for Michael Jackson at a venue that can hold no more than 20,000 people. Global Downturn Hits Mexico Harder Than Most The global recession has hit Mexico harder than most other countries in the region. Mexico is suffering a drop in exports to the United States, a decline in remittances from Mexicans living and working in the United States, the continuing impact of swine flu on tourism, and the shrinking of the oil sector.   In Defense Of The Flag (Sewn For History Class) Bob Heft, who sewed the 50-state flag as a high schooler, received a B- for his project. Heft's history teacher accused him of not knowing how many states were in the union at the time. The teacher changed the grade when the design was accepted by Congress.

Johnny Cash's 'Big River' Classical violinist Mark O'Connor's boyhood hero was a country musician. O'Connor says that he'd spend hours on end learning the songs of Johnny Cash — and to this day, his great passion is the tune "Big River."   Poetic License Raises A Star-Spangled Debate Rene Marie grew up in the segregated South, and has become one of the few jazz singers today whose talent and devotion to social issues have both won her attention. Case in point: her personal take on the national anthem. Guitarist Julian Lage On Piano Jazz Guitarist Julian Lage is a true jazz prodigy. Discovered by Gary Burton when he was just 12 years old, Lage has since played with Herbie Hancock, Joe Lovano and Carlos Santana. Lage shows off his amazing technique and improvisatory abilities on "My Funny Valentine" before teaming with McPartland on "You and the Night and the Music."   Courtly Confusion: Rossini's 'Voyage To Rheims' The opera has a scatterbrained story, full of decidedly goofy characters. Yet Rossini's gift for musical profiling, plus a raft of bravura arias and ensembles, make this La Scala production a comic gem. Jackson Memorial Is Tuesday; L.A. Rushes To Plan In Los Angeles, city officials are scrambling over the holiday weekend to try to figure out how to accommodate a public memorial service for Michael Jackson at a venue that can hold no more than 20,000 people.   Mellencamp Muses About Mortality, 'Love' John Mellencamp joins Terry Gross to talk religion, politics and his album Life, Death, Love and Freedom. And he performs solo acoustic versions of four songs from the album from his Indiana home studio. Meg Hutchinson On Mountain Stage From the age of 8, Meg Hutchinson dreamed of performing. Now, the singer from small-town Massachusetts has released five albums and has received numerous awards. In this performance, her optimistic and poetic view on life shines.   Four For The Fourth: Songs For America The Fourth of July is a birthday party and the whole country is invited. And every party needs music. Whether meditating on America's landscape, its freedoms or the things about it that frustrate us, America is ripe for inspiration, as evidenced by the songs here. King Sunny Ade: The Chairman In Concert The Nigerian musician brings his mesmerizing beats and animated performers to Seattle for an exciting show of Nigerian juju music. The seventy-minute set features Yoruban praises and proverbs, backed by an incredible percussion section.   Summer Song Favorite: 'One Bad Apple' For the second in a series of summer songs — that may not actually be about summer, yet bring back a memory of the season — All Things Considered host Melissa Block spoke to author Ann Patchett, who shares what she calls "a deeply humiliating story" about the song she thinks of when summer rolls around. Maestro Maazel On Life After N.Y. Philharmonic After conducting the world's most famous orchestra for seven years, Lorin Maazel gave his last performance June 27. Now, at 79, Maazel has launched a two-week festival on a Virginia farm, and he also intends to teach aspiring conductors. Maazel tells NPR what it takes to be a successful conductor.   Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough Michael Jackson It's been a week since Michael Jackson's death at 50 stunned the world. But seven days after the King of Pop stepped off stage and left us behind, it's clear we just can't seem to get enough of him. July 7: Sonic Youth Live In Concert Sonic Youth's latest album, The Eternal, is among the band's finest, with a fuzzy, tightly orchestrated mix of psych-punk rock and noisy jams. The band will showcase the album in a full concert, webcast live on NPR Music, July 7. The performance from Washington, D.C.'s 9:30 Club will begin streaming online at approximately 10 p.m. ET.   John Patitucci Trio At The Kennedy Center Some of his best friend musicians call him Tooch. The extraordinary bassist John Patitucci comes to the stage at the KC Jazz Club in Washington, D.C., where an array of basses, guitars and drums await his tuned-in trio with Larry Koonse and Brian Blade. They're playing music from Patitucci's album, Line by Line. Live Friday: Chairlift In Concert Yet another group catapulting into the public eye via a catchy iPod jingle, Chairlift is new to the pop scene, but it's quickly building a substantial reputation. Hear Chairlift perform live in concert from WXPN and World Cafe Live in Philadelphia at 12 p.m ET.

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