Martha Stewart banned from entering Britain

Warsaw, Poland – Martha Stewart has been banned from Britain – but she got a warm welcome Friday in Poland, her grandparents’ homeland.

The lifestyle guru was planning to visit Britain in the coming days for business engagements, but the Daily Telegraph and other British newspapers reported Friday that she was denied permission to enter because of her 2004 conviction for obstructing justice.

Stewart’s assistants confirmed the visa denial, but they gave no other details beyond saying they hope the decision will be reversed.

“Martha loves England; the country and English culture are near and dear to her heart,” said Charles Koppelman, chairman of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. “She has engagements with English companies and business leaders and hopes this can be resolved so that she will be able to visit soon.”

On Friday evening in Warsaw, it would have been hard to tell that the headache was hanging over her head.

In an elegant home goods shop in the glistening Golden Terraces mall in downtown Warsaw, Stewart was feted by fans eager for a glimpse of the homemaking expert turned business tycoon.

She was in the Polish capital to promote her Martha Stewart Living magazine, which was recently launched in Polish, and to open an exhibition of her photographs, scenes of landscapes and gardens that she took herself.

Model gets 200 hours community service

London – Temperamental model Naomi Campbell was sentenced to 200 hours of community service Friday after pleading guilty to assaulting two police officers after an “air rage” incident at Heathrow Airport.

She was also ordered to pay 200 pounds ($400) to each of the police officers she attacked and 150 pounds ($300) to Miles Sutherland, the captain of the British Airways plane she disrupted, in addition to a 2,300 pound ($4,600) fine.

She could have received six months’ jail time and a heavy fine for the six offenses stemming from a violent spat in April with British Airways cabin crew and police who removed her from a flight in handcuffs while waiting on the tarmac at Heathrow.

Prosecutors said Campbell used foul language, kicked and spat at police, accused airline personnel of racism and threatened to sue them after she was told that one of her bags had not been placed on the flight to Los Angeles in April.

Pianist to compose tribute to Lincoln

Highland Park, Ill. – Add a musical composition to all the tributes at next year’s 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth.

Ramsey Lewis has been commissioned to compose a new work inspired by Lincoln’s life. It’s being commissioned by the Ravinia Festival, a musical festival north of Chicago. Ravinia has already asked choreographer Bill T. Jones to create a dance theater work as part of the seasonlong celebration of Lincoln.

In announcing the jazz pianist’s new untitled work, Ravinia said it will present programs focusing on Lincoln’s life and musicians of his day.

The 73-year-old Lewis, Ravinia’s artistic director for jazz, said he was pleased that the Lincoln celebration will feature the works of two black people – Jones and himself.

Lewis also said it is appropriate that Lincoln’s story should be told through the “purely American music” of jazz.

Carell hosts ‘Smart’ charity screening

Boston – Steve Carell stepped out of “The Office” to join the fight against cancer at a benefit that featured a screening of his new movie, “Get Smart.”

The screening was held Thursday night to benefit The Zachary Carson Brain Tumor Fund, named after a Newton teenager Carell met on the set of his NBC comedy in February 2007 through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Carell said he has been inspired by Carson and his family.

“It was a great group of people, is a great group of people, and I just felt very honored to be included in that circle,” he said.

The screening at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute was the second time Carell has used his celebrity to raise money to fight diffuse pontine glioma, the type of pediatric cancer that killed Carson.

In June 2007, he helped orchestrate a Boston premiere of his movie “Evan Almighty” to fund research into the cancer, which causes an inoperable malignant tumor in the brain stem. Carson died three months later at the age of 19, after a 27-month fight against the disease.

Carell said Carson’s mother, Roberta, has continued in her quest to combat cancer.

“His mom is a remarkable woman and so much of his legacy I think lives through her and the rest of his family,” he said.

Citibank sues McMahon for outstanding debts

Los Angeles – Citibank is suing Ed McMahon, seeking to recoup nearly $200,000 lent to the financially strapped Hollywood icon, court records show.

Citibank filed the lawsuit against McMahon in Los Angeles Superior Court on June 9, according to the documents. The bank’s suit seeks at least $179,687 in damages as well as attorney’s fees on debt incurred within the past four years.

The former “Tonight Show” sidekick and “Star Search” host has faced mounting money problems since it was revealed earlier this month that he was $644,000 behind on payments on his Beverly Hills home. The lender, Countrywide Financial Corp., filed a default notice on the home in late February.