Elton John to extend record at Madison Square Garden

New York – Pop legend Elton John will celebrate his 60th birthday with a record-extending 60th performance at Madison Square Garden today.

The concert will be recorded and broadcast April 5 as a two-hour special on MyNetworkTV, a mini-network on Fox stations.

John has owned the record for most performances at the Garden since October 2001. Previously, the Grateful Dead held the record, playing there 52 times.

The singer recently announced he would make his back catalog of more than 30 albums released over 40 years available for digital download, a move that also coincided with his birthday, as well as the release of a new compilation album, “Rocket Man.”

The newly digitized albums include John’s 1969 debut, “Empty Sky,” and perennial favorites such as “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” and “Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy.” The tracks, more than 400 in all, will be available for download starting Monday.

Snoop Dogg’s London visit in doubt after visa denied

London – British authorities denied rapper Snoop Dogg a visa for a series of planned concerts, publicists for his tour said in a statement Saturday.

Snoop Dogg, co-headlining a European tour with fellow star P Diddy, had been expected to play five dates in Britain.

“Snoop and his team are mystified at the decision and are hoping that the British government will reconsider this decision,” spokeswoman Celena Aponte said in a statement.

Whatever the outcome, a planned concert at London’s Wembley Arena on Tuesday will go ahead with P Diddy and the rest of the show, she said.

A spokeswoman for the Home Office said she couldn’t comment on an individual case, but did point out that foreign citizens could be barred from entering the country if there were concerns about their presence.

She spoke on condition of anonymity in line with department policy.

In April 2006, the rapper, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, and five other men were arrested on charges of violent disorder and starting a brawl, and spent the night in jail after trouble flared when some in his party were denied entry to British Airways’ first class lounge at Heathrow Airport.

Seven officers received minor injuries – mainly cuts and bruises – and one suffered a fracture to the hand.

Snoop Dogg previously was barred from entering Britain in May 2006.

Original cast to return for final ‘Harry Potter’ films

Los Angeles – Actors Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson will return as teen wizards Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger in the final “Harry Potter” films, Warner Bros. Pictures announced Friday.

The young stars will reprise their roles in “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” – the last two films in the franchise based on J.K. Rowling’s best-selling novels, said Jeff Robinov, the studio’s president of production.

“It would be inconceivable to imagine anyone else in the roles with which they have become so identified,” Robinov said.

Radcliffe, who recently made news for his role in the London production of “Equus,” said playing Potter has been “an immense privilege.”

“I feel a huge sense of loyalty to the character of Harry and the fans who have supported these films over the years,” the 17-year-old said in a statement.

Watson, 16, said she could never let Hermione go.

“I love her too much and love what playing her has meant to me,” she said.

Grint, 18, added: “I’ve been so proud to play (Ron) and loved every second of being part of this world.”

The fifth film in the series, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” is slated for release in the U.S. on July 13.

Richards, Anderson sued concerning scuffle in Canada

Los Angeles – Two freelance photographers are suing Denise Richards and Pamela Anderson, charging that Richards assaulted them when they tried to take her picture and that the women lied about the scuffle.

According to the lawsuit filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Richards and Anderson were at the River Rock Casino Resort in British Columbia, Canada, on Nov. 9, 2006, to work on the upcoming film “Blonde and Blonder.”

When Richards saw Scott Cosman and Rik Fedyck taking her picture, according to the lawsuit, she became enraged, called them “paparazzi scum” and other names, assaulted them, seized their laptop computers and threw the laptops over a hotel balcony.

The confrontation, which lasted more than 20 minutes, was recorded by hotel security cameras, according to the photographers.

Attorneys and representatives for Richards and Anderson did not immediately respond Saturday to e-mails and phone calls seeking comment.

Vivica Fox charged in Los Angeles with drunken driving

Los Angeles – Vivica A. Fox was charged Friday with misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence of alcohol and driving with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit, officials said.

If convicted, the 42-year-old actress faces a maximum six months in jail and/or a $1,000 fine, city attorney spokesman Frank Mateljan said.

Fox was arrested late Tuesday after passing a patrol car on the Hollywood Freeway at 80 mph and subsequently failing a field sobriety test, authorities said.

Breathalyzer tests indicated that her blood-alcohol level was greater than .08 percent, the legal limit for a driver.

Fox was released from jail early Wednesday.