Former Oasis star Noel Gallagher is putting his past behind him, releasing a new solo album, ruling out a reunion with his brother Liam and even being nice about one-time arch-rivals Blur.

Oasis split five years ago after nearly two decades of fractious sibling rivalry between guitarist Noel and his younger brother Liam, the band's frontman. 

Actor Leonard Nimoy, who won fans worldwide for his generations-spanning role as the pointy-eared half-human half-Vulcan Mr. Spock in the "Star Trek" television and film franchise, died Friday at age 83.

Nimoy, who suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, died at his home in Los Angeles. His granddaughter Dani announced the death on his Twitter account.

The authorities in Russian-annexed Crimea said Friday they have nationalized film studios in the Black Sea resort of Yalta, famous for Soviet productions including Andrei Tarkovsky's classic "Solaris".

Crimea's State Council, the ruling regional body, passed a resolution saying the studios have been incorporated "into the property of the republic." 

American socialite Paris Hilton is visiting Cuba, an island on which her family lost a hotel half a century ago after Fidel Castro came to power.

The hotel heiress posted a photograph of herself in Havana with the caption "Cuba baby!"

Glam rock star Gary Glitter was sentenced to 16 years in prison on Friday after being found guilty of abusing three young girls in the latest child sex scandal to bring down a former icon of Britain's entertainment world.

Glitter, 70, whose real name is Paul Gadd, was convicted of one count of attempted rape, four counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 13.

The pearl-encrusted $150,000 dress worn by Kenyan star Lupita Nyong'o at the Oscars last weekend was stolen from the actress's Los Angeles hotel room, police confirmed Thursday.

"It has been confirmed that it is the dress that was worn by Lupita Nyong'o," Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Nicole Nishida said.

Rebounding from her stage tumble at the Brit awards, pop star Madonna told French radio Thursday that "intolerance" was now so high in France and Europe that "it feels like Nazi Germany."

Speaking to Europe 1 radio in an interview to be aired Friday morning, Madonna said "anti-Semitism is at an all-time high" in France and elsewhere in Europe, and likened the current atmosphere to the period when German fascism was on the ascent.

Elvis Presley, the late "king" of rock-and-roll and former fixture in Las Vegas, will receive a symbolic return to Sin City with a reconstruction of his concerts and an exhibition, promoters said Thursday.

A slate of homages to the American singer, whose music career began in the 1950s, starts April 23 with a gala attended by ex-wife Priscilla Presley, Graceland holdings and Westgate Resorts said.

Hip-hop star Kanye West apologized Thursday to Beck after he loudly objected to the alternative rocker winning the Grammy for Album of the Year.

"I would like to publicly apologize to Beck. I'm sorry Beck," West wrote on Twitter.

Late British TV star Jimmy Savile abused 60 patients, staff and visitors at a hospital he raised money for, investigators said Thursday, highlighting the scale of abuse he committed under the cloak of celebrity.

A total of 177 people, mainly women or girls, say that Savile -- one of the BBC's top presenters in the 1970s and 1980s, known for his eccentric dress sense and love of cigars -- abused them from 1954 onwards.