Live 8 declared success

Gleneagles, Scotland – Bob Geldof and Bono, two of the world’s best known Africa fundraisers, have declared victory in their campaign to push leaders at the G-8 summit to double aid to the continent.

“We’ve pulled this off,” U2 frontman Bono said Friday.

He and Geldof praised the Group of Eight summit for pledging to double aid to Africa to $50 billion, saying the move will save the lives of hundreds of thousands of people who would have died of poverty, malaria or AIDS.

“The world spoke and the politicians listened,” Bono said.

He said the Live 8 concerts and pro-Africa protest marches near the G-8 summit helped persuade the leaders of the wealthy countries to try to help end poverty in Africa.

Singer recovering from cancer visits children in hospital

Sydney, Australia – Australian pop star Kylie Minogue, who recently underwent breast cancer surgery, visited children in an hospital who also are battling cancer.

Minogue met and chatted with children Friday at the Royal Children’s Hospital in her hometown of Melbourne, Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported.

In May, a Melbourne surgeon operated on Minogue to remove a cancerous lump from her breast.

The surgery forced Minogue to postpone dates on her Showgirl tour. The concerts have not yet been rescheduled.

Organizers of Friday’s visit said Minogue was fulfilling a commitment to visit the hospital that she was forced to cancel because of her health battle.

Paula Jones hopes to cash in during visit to Clinton’s library

Little Rock, Ark. – Paula Jones plans to make her first visit to the Bill Clinton presidential library a profitable one – she plans to wear a T-shirt emblazoned with a sponsor’s name.

“I’m going to make a big show out of it,” said her publicist, David Hans Schmidt. “Paula is basically going to go to the Clinton Library and go on a tour like the faithful taxpayer that she is.”

The visit is expected to take place sometime later this month, and Schmidt said it would be followed by a news conference.

Jones accused Clinton of sexual harassment, saying he made an unwelcome sexual advance in 1991 in a Little Rock hotel room while he was Arkansas governor and she was a state employee. A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit against Clinton.

During an appeal of that decision, Clinton agreed to an $850,000 settlement with Jones that included no apology or admission of guilt.

The library, which opened in November, has a section devoted to Whitewater and Clinton’s impeachment. Jones is not mentioned in the museum section of the library, but another woman who figured into Clinton controversies, Monica Lewinsky, is cited.

Actor slowing ‘Rush Hour 3’

Hong Kong – Jackie Chan says the third installment of “Rush Hour” is stuck in neutral because co-star Chris Tucker is making too many demands.

“He wants too much power. The movie company hasn’t obliged. He wants final editing rights and the final look at the movie and so on,” Chan told The Associated Press Thursday.

Chan called Tucker a “good friend” but questioned whether he had the stature to be so demanding.

“He’s still a new actor,” Chan, 51, said. “How many movies has he made? Two movies have already made him very famous and made him a lot of money.”

“He needs to learn slowly,” he added.

A call by The Associated Press to Tucker’s publicist, Samantha Mast, wasn’t returned Friday.

Costars bug each other

Los Angeles – Breckin Meyer felt it was his responsibility to drive co-star Lindsay Lohan nuts on the set of “Herbie: Fully Loaded.”

“To me, it was getting into character,” Meyer told reporters recently, according to AP Radio. Meyer plays Lohan’s brother in the movie.

“I’d go into the makeup trailer at like 6 a.m. and there she is getting her makeup done. And for me, in my opinion, it’s my job to basically get a pillow and smack her in the head and treat her like a little sister.”

Meyer says he had help from co-star Justin Long.

“Honestly, it was like suddenly Justin and I were 14 again,” Meyer said. “So we’d sneak under her trailer and just bang on it. She was with her friends at like nine (o’clock) at night and it’s all dark and we’d cut the power to her trailer. It was really funny to hear Lindsay scream.”

Actress to roll the dice with ‘Las Vegas’ role

New York – Lara Flynn Boyle will return to series television when she joins the cast of the NBC drama “Las Vegas” this fall.

Flynn Boyle, who played Assistant Dist. Atty. Helen Gamble on “The Practice” (1997-2003), will portray the flamboyant new owner of the Montecito Resort & Casino.

“Obviously, we’re excited to have someone with the style and panache of Lara Flynn Boyle as we head into a season of transition for ‘Las Vegas,”‘ Gary Scott Thompson, the series’ creator and executive producer, said in a recent statement.

“She will add even more story potential and star power to what is already a supercharged cast playing against the backdrop of a dynamic city.”