An Australian choreographer alleged Thursday that Michael Jackson sexually abused him for seven years as a child, a claim the late singer's estate described as "outrageous and sad."

Wade Robson -- who testified at Jackson's infamous 2005 molestation trial that the star never touched him -- told a TV interviewer that the self-styled King of Pop was a "pedophile and a child sexual abuser."

Filmmakers in Gaza have finished making what is believed to be the first Palestinian animated feature in 3D in a bid to show a fresh perspective on life through a child's eyes.

Called "The Scarecrow", the 40-minute production tells the story of a nine-year-old orphan named Rima and the scarecrow she was given by her parents who died in a car crash.

A prominent Syrian actress and outspoken activist against the regime of President Bashar Assad was detained on Thursday, a human rights lawyer said.

"At noon (0900 GMT) today, the security forces detained the free actress May Skaf while she was on her way home in the Mashru Dummar neighborhood" of Damascus, Anwar al-Bunni reported on Facebook.

Jailed sports star O.J. Simpson insisted he did nothing illegal on the night of a September 2007 casino hotel robbery, and had no idea men with him had guns, as he sought a retrial.

The 65-year-old former American footballer and actor, who did not testify at his 2008 trial, appeared relaxed as he gave a blow-by-blow account of the events of September 13, 2007 in Las Vegas.

Sony has won the global distribution rights to an animated film based on the hit game "Angry Birds," to be released in 2016, the entertainment giant announced Wednesday.

The film is being produced and financed by Finnish mobile gaming company Rovio, which has said the movie could result in it establishing an animation studio rivaling global giant Walt Disney.

Hit U.S. music producers Dr Dre and Jimmy Iovine have donated $70 million to the University of Southern California (USC), to found an arts and business academy, its president announced Wednesday.

The USC Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation will enroll its first class of 25 students in fall next year, said the Los Angeles based university.

Nicole Kidman and "Amelie" star Audrey Tautou kicked off 12-days of red carpet fashion at the opening of the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday.

The prestigious Riviera movie meet provides both big fashion houses and up-and-coming designers with unparalleled opportunities to showcase their work before a global audience.

Egyptian telecoms tycoon Naguib Sawiris and French-Tunisian financier Tarak Ben Ammar unveiled a 100-million euro ($129-million) partnership to produce and distribute films and television programs in the Arab world and internationally.

Under the deal, Sawiris will buy a 30-percent stake in Ben Ammar's Italy's based Quinta Communications Italia, which made the announcement in a press release timed to coincide with the start of the Cannes film festival in France.

French actor Gerard Depardieu, who was granted Russian citizenship by President Vladimir Putin, is set to film a thriller in Moscow and Grozny with British actress Elizabeth Hurley.

Hurley revealed on Twitter on Wednesday that she was shopping for costumes in Moscow after arriving to make the film with the veteran French actor.

A pair of pearl earrings belonging to actress Gina Lollobrigida sold for an auction record of $2.39 million at Sotheby's Geneva as the veteran Italian star auctioned off some dazzling jewellery.

The lot, the highlight of Tuesday's auction, went under the hammer for more than twice the pre-sale estimate, and in doing so broke the previous record for pearl earrings set by a pair from the jewel box of fellow screen siren Elizabeth Taylor in 2011.