People magazine on Wednesday named Beyonce the World's Most Beautiful Woman for 2012, describing her as a force of nature, style icon and proud mother.

The 30-year-old singer, a 16-time Grammy Award winner, told the big-selling magazine that her recently born daughter had given new meaning to her life.

Britain's Prince William and wife Catherine walked the red carpet Wednesday at the premiere of a film on African wildlife in their first official engagement since his return from the Falklands.

They were guests of honor at the London screening of Disney's African Cats, which tells the story of a pride of lions and a family of cheetahs. The premiere is raising money for British-based conservation charity Tusk Trust.

Actor and activist Sean Penn on Wednesday urged more aid for Haiti as it struggles with the "enormous task" of recovering from the devastating 2010 quake.

"It would take a poet laureate to describe for you the courage and the dignity of (Haiti's) people," Penn said after accepting an award at the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates for his humanitarian work in Haiti.

Johnny Depp is portraying the undead in his latest movie.

With some fake blood on his lips, Depp bites into the role of a wronged vampire who awakens 200 years in the future to discover disco, television and microwaves in "Dark Shadows."

The restored Cutty Sark will be re-opened by Queen Elizabeth II on Wednesday, five years after the 19th century British tea clipper was ravaged by fire.

The three-masted ship, one of Britain's maritime treasures, has been restored to its former glory at a cost of £50 million (61 million euros, $81 million).

After months of rumors, Russell Crowe’s involvement in the film version of the Biblical story of Noah's Ark is now confirmed, with him set to take the title role.

The director Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan), who co-wrote the screenplay, said in a statement, “I rejoice that Russell Crowe will be by my side on this adventure. It's his immense talent that helps me to sleep at night. I look forward to being wowed by him every day."

Accused of contaminating youngsters with "satanic" dance moves and "intolerable" outfits, the cult of Lady Gaga is on a collision course with Asia's moral guardians ahead of her mammoth world tour.

In other words, the performer -- who goes by the name of Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta when not clad in outfits made of raw meat or tottering on vertigo-inducing footwear -- is doing her job as a provocative pop star.

A Cairo court on Tuesday upheld the sentencing of Adel Imam, the Arab world's most famous actor, to three months in jail for "defaming Islam" in several roles on stage and screen, a judicial source said.

The Egyptian actor, who is also a U.N. goodwill ambassador was originally convicted in absentia in February, after being sued by Asran Mansour, a lawyer with Islamist ties.

Two stand-up comedians have been detained for breaching public morality, reported al-Akhbar newspaper on Tuesday.

Edmond Haddad, known for his role on al-Jadeed television’s Chi.N.N. comedy show, and Rawiya al-Shab, who is a theater and film actress, were detained for a stand-up show they presented in 2009 at a pub in Gemmayzeh.

Legendary French singer Charles Aznavour, who cancelled three New York shows for this week, said he was in a dispute with his producer -- and not ill -- in an interview Monday.

"We dealt with a producer... who didn't respect the clauses of the contract," the 87-year-old said on radio station RTL, dispelling rumors that he had cancelled because of health complaints.