The 67th Venice International Film Festival officially kicked off on Wednesday with a glamorous opening ceremony featuring Italy’s top authorities and several movie stars.

The festival’s inauguration took place at the prestigious Palazzo del Cinema, where the traditional Red Carpet was placed.

The global event, which will run on Venice’s Lido up to Sept. 11 and is directed by Marco Mueller, is set to attract global attention as one of the world’s most lite and socialite gatherings.

For the first time in history, Italy’s head of state Giorgio Napolitano was present accompanied by his wife. He was welcomed with a standing ovation by the guests.

Crowds of fans lined up to have a view of the night’s queen, actress Natalie Portman, the controversial protagonist of Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan, the first film screening in competition which was launched at the ceremony.

The most favored films for the Golden Lion are Darren Aronofsky ’s “Black Swan” and Sofia Coppola’s “Somewhere.” Italy is betting on Ascanio Celestino’s “The Black Sheep” and on Saverio Costanzo’s “The Solitude of Prime Numbers.”

The ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ actor lost around $500,000 worth of his possessions – including his prized watch collections – in a burglary last year, and admits the intricate nature of how his items were taken made him immediately suspect a close friend or employee was responsible.

Testifying before a Los Angeles County grand jury in late June, Orlando – whose home was described by detectives as a “bat cave” because it can’t be seen from the street or air – said: “It’s just awful because you are suddenly second-guessing everything.

“You are like, ‘Who has been in my house?’ You know, the value of things kind of fades away. It’s really about who is it, who am I starting to question?”

Rachel Bilson was another victim of the six-member group – dubbed the ‘Bling Ring’ gang – and says she was left so traumatised by the burglaries, she considered selling her house.

In her testimony – which has only just been made public – she told the court: “It took me a while to feel comfortable staying there. I wouldn’t sleep in my bedroom for about a month.

“And I was convinced that I needed to sell my house and get out of there, because I was very scared. But I’m still there.”

Lindsay Lohan also admitted she would never go back to her Los Angeles home after black fingerprints left on the wall by burglars left her feeling violated.

She said: “That night I went back to the house, I just felt, to be honest, so violated and uncomfortable that I literally packed as much stuff as I could because it wasn’t about the things that were taken, it was just the fact that someone came into the only private space that I have in my life at this point.

“I don’t ever plan on going back to that house. It was like, such an invasion of privacy, and it’s just eerie.”

Other stars to testify in the case included Brian Austin Green, Paris Hilton and Audrina Patridge.

Aspiring model Alexis Neires has served 30 days in jail for the burglaries, which took place between October 2008 and August 2009, after agreeing a plea deal.

Nicholas Frank Prugo, Rachel Lee, Roy Lopez Jr., Courtney Leigh Ames and Diana Tamayo will face trial after pleading not guilty to residential burglary.

Taylor’s new music video, ‘Mine’ is set to make it’s debut on tonight’s live CMT special, which she will also appear on – with Toby! Toby also appears alongside her in the video, so I guess that kind of makes sense, but rumors have been swirling that the two have been getting a little closer too. The video sees Toby romance Taylor, and Taylor’s rep did not deny or confirm that the two are a couple, stating simply: “We don’t comment on Taylor’s personal life.”

Although Toby might not be a huge star yet, he’s set to star in the upcoming film Black Swan, and he’s got a very chiseled face, so is likely to succeed in the biz.

The director of Taylor’s video has been bigging it up saying things like it’s “insanely great” and: “you never really know what a piece is going to look like in the end, but when we were shooting this video everything was just perfect and you just had a feeling that it was all going to fall in to place perfectly . . . as it did.”

As for the romance? tune into the CMT special tonight to see if sparks fly.

Michael Douglas says he faces an “eight-week struggle” against throat cancer but is optimistic about his chances for recovery.

During an appearance Tuesday on David Letterman’s “Late Show,” the actor said he had just finished his first week of radiation and chemotherapy. That drew a surprised reaction from Letterman.

“You’ve never looked better to me, and this proves that you’re a tough guy, for God’s sakes,” the talk-show host said, drawing cheers from the studio audience, according to a CBS news release.

“Let’s just say … I’m pretty lit up right now,” Douglas replied.

The disease was diagnosed three weeks ago, he said, although he had complained of a very sore throat earlier this year and had undergone testing that failed to find a cause.

Douglas, 65, who has two children with Catherine Zeta-Jones, said he enjoyed the summer traveling with his family before returning to the doctor. A biopsy found he had late, stage-four cancer, “which is intense, and so they’ve had to go at it,” he said.

However, Douglas said, the cancer remains above the neck and that means expectations are good, with an 80 percent or better chance of recovery.

Asked by Letterman about his personal habits, he said he had smoked and consumed alcohol.

According to a National Institutes of Health website, use of tobacco or alcohol are among the factors that put people at risk of developing throat cancer. Combining tobacco and drinking increases the risk.

Most throat cancer develops in people older than 50, with men more likely than women to get the disease, the NIH site says.

Letterman wished Douglas good luck, then said, “Wow, boy, I feel like I want to do something for you. Can I do something for you?”

“Ahh, give me a hug,” Douglas responded, according to a CBS transcript.

Douglas stars in the upcoming film “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps,” a sequel to “Wall Street” (1987), for which he won a best-actor Oscar.

George Clooney on Sunday added another trophy to his Oscar, two Golden Globes and slew of movie critics awards — but this one had nothing to do with acting.

Clooney was presented with the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award at the Primetime Emmy Awards for his work to raise awareness of the crisis in Darfur, and fund-raising efforts for causes ranging from Hurricane Katrina to the Haiti earthquake and the victims of the September 11 2001 attacks on New York and Washington DC.

“It’s important to remember how much good can get done because we live in such strange times where bad behavior sucks up all of the attention and the press,” Clooney said as he accepted the award.

The actor said he hoped there were others who could step in and “help find a way to keep the spotlight burning on these heart-breaking situations that continue to be heartbreaking long after the cameras go away.”

Television Academy chairman John Shaffner said Clooney, 49, was “an obvious choice” for the humanitarian award because he had “understood and harnessed the power of television…to reach into the hearts of people around the world.”

Clooney, one of the most popular figures in Hollywood, was one of the main organizers of charity telethons for victims of the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, and Hurricane Katrina which devastated New Orleans in August 2005.

He was appointed a United Nations Messenger of Peace in 2008 and in 2006 addressed the United Nations Security Council over the refugee crisis in Sudan’s conflict-torn western Darfur region, which has taken the lives of more than 300,000 people.

Backstage, Clooney talked about how the award differed from his previous accolades for acting and writing.

“It’s embarrassing because you don’t want to be awarded for doing what you’re supposed to do,” he said. “It’s a very kind thing, so you accept it. But it’s very hard to take.”

Clooney, who first found fame on television as the handsome Dr. Doug Ross in hospital drama “ER”, has never won a traditional Emmy Award, although he was nominated twice for his work in “ER” in 1995 and 1996.

He won a best supporting actor Oscar for his role in the 2005 movie “Syriana”.

The Bob Hope Humanitarian Award was created in 2002 in memory of the late entertainer. Previous recipients include Oprah Winfrey and Bill Cosby.

“Mad Men” and “Modern Family” won the Emmy awards for the best TV drama and comedy series respectively at the Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, while Jim Parsons and Edie Falco took home major acting trophies.

“We are so thrilled that families together are sitting down and watching a TV show,” said executive producer Steve Levitan after “Modern Family” beat “Glee” for the top comedy honors.

The win for period advertising drama “Mad Men” was the third in a row.

“We can’t believe we are here. We want to thank the (Television) Academy for recognizing us again,” said “Mad Men” creator Matthew Weiner.

Parsons was named best actor in a comedy for his role as geeky physicist in “The Big Bang Theory” and Bryan Cranston won his third straight Emmy for playing a teacher-turned-drug dealer in drama “Breaking Bad”.

Kyra Sedgwick won best drama actress for “The Closer,” while Edie Falco won a comedy Emmy for “Nurse Jackie.”

The Primetime Emmy Awards, the highest honors in the U.S. television industry, were handed out at a glittering ceremony in Los Angeles broadcast live on TV.

California’s Senate Friday approved a bill aimed at punishing paparazzi for harassing celebrities.

The measure, AB 1479, calls for penalties against paparazzi who drive recklessly or invade the privacy of celebrities in pursuit of a photograph.

Under the bill, any engagement in reckless driving in pursuit of a photograph is deemed a misdemeanor. Penalties would be enhanced when a child is put in harm’s way.

The legislation will increase penalty for reckless driving from an infraction to a misdemeanor if there’s an intent to capture video or photographs for sale. Violations will result in up to six months in jail and up to 2,500 U.S. dollars in fine.

It also makes it a crime for individuals to engage in surveillance to get a photo, image or recording of a celebrity.

“This bill provides the tools for law enforcement to eliminate the reckless pursuits that unfairly endangers the public as well as celebrities and their families,” said Assembly woman and bill author Karen Bass, a Democrat from Los Angeles.

She said the bill came at a time when celebrities described paparazzi getting more aggressive.

The bill will return to the Assembly for approval of amendments made by the Senate.

Yoko Ono is planning a series of events in Iceland to mark what would have been John Lennon’s 70th birthday.

The artist and peace campaigner will light the Imagine Peace Tower illuminated memorial, located on the island of Vioey near Icelandic capital Reykjavik (RAY’-kyuh-vik), on Oct. 9.

A special performance by the Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band will follow the ceremony.

Lennon’s widow is also expected to present awards from the Lennon Ono Grant for Peace, created to honor the former Beatle’s peace activism.

Lennon was fatally shot outside the couple’s Manhattan apartment building on Dec. 8, 1980.

The sixth research and study program for overseas Chinese-language media opened here Saturday.

Officials and representatives of 40 overseas Chinese-language media organizations from 23 countries, such as the London Global Times in Britain, the Nouvelles d’europe in France and United Daily News in Thailand, attended the program.

The program is jointly held by the State Council’s Overseas Chinese Affairs Office and the Renmin University of China.

The theme for this year’s program is the history and culture of Xinjiang and Tibet.

Members of the program will attend a two-day course in Beijing and go to northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region for research and news reporting.

Overseas Chinese-language media has played a unique role in communicating the information and news about China in an objective, accurate, timely and comprehensive way, Zhao Yang, deputy director of the State Council’s Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, said at the opening ceremony of the program.

Hawaii is courting tourists from China with elevated service and its World War II stories, as the number of Chinese travelers to the islands has soared in recent years.

The population of Chinese visitors to the war memorial complex, which is a combination of several sites at Pearl Harbor, has increased from 5 percent to 9 percent out of a total of 1.5 million tourists to the islands last year, said Eileen Martinez, chief of interpretation of WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument.

For Martinez, it is an important task to figure out how to better accommodate more and more incoming Chinese guests.

“We are currently studying our Chinese visitors and the reason why we are doing that is because we are having an increasing number of visitors from China,” she said during an interview with Xinhua.

“We want to understand what their expectations are, what does the person from China know about this history, and how we can best help that visitor to understand the history,” she said.

Martinez and her staff have contacted students from the University of Hawaii who worked at local tour companies, as well as other Chinese and their local travel services, to solicit ideas on how to better cater to the needs of Chinese visitors.

“We had a special study, by talking to tour companies and visitors, to find out what their experience is,” she said.

“When America got involved (in WWII), Japan was occupying China. People in China assisted in so many ways and places as our ally, and we were very strong parties. That is something very important to communicate about,” she said.

For that purpose, Martinez’s organization has published brochures in Chinese, as one of the 35 language versions of publications they have had printed.

A year and a half ago, a group of Chinese writers paid a visit to the memorial. Although Martinez did not speak with them in person, she could realize that more and more Chinese want to learn about World War II here.

“The story of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 is also important to China,” she said.

Chinese visitors, many of whom come on package tours, can be seen everywhere at the sites. Like visitors from the United States and elsewhere, they watch war videos, snap pictures of war relics and pay tribute to the deceased U.S. servicemen and civilians.

A Chinese visitor whose surname is Wang, was excited about his trip to Pearl Harbor. Wang is a history buff who has known very well the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec.7, 1941. Wang spent the best part of his day visiting the USS Missouri, the ship where Japan officially surrendered, and other sites.

“This opportunity is very important to me,” said the middle-aged visitor from Beijing. “Although I have a good grasp of the WWII history, I still cherish the experience as I am able to visit the place where the real and fierce war was really fought.”