<span class="s1"><strong>Jessica Alba honoured for philanthropy</strong></span> <span class="s2">Jessica Alba has been honoured for her philanthropic efforts towards children-related issues. Alba, 32, was handed the Champion for Children Award by Philip J Landrigan, the director of Mount Sinai Children's Environmental Health Center in Connecticut. The actress has helped advance the centre's mission through her work, which includes her eco-friendly baby-product line Honest and her book, <em>The Honest Life</em>. </span><span class="s3">– IANS</span> <span class="s1"><strong>Hosts of Miss USA pageant announced</strong></span> <span class="s2">Donald Trump’s Miss USA pageant will be hosted in Las Vegas by a “Jonas brother” and an <em>E! News </em>personality. Pageant officials said Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers pop act and Giuliana Rancic, co-anchor of <em>E! News</em>, will host the June 16 pageant. The winner of the 62nd annual pageant will go on to compete in the Miss Universe pageant. Jonas’ brother Joe was a judge last year, while Rancic hosted. This year, the Jonas Brothers will also perform at the event.</span> <span class="s1"><strong>Harry Potter book sold in auction</strong></span> <span class="s2">A first-edition copy of <em>Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone</em>, containing J?K Rowling's notes and about two dozen of her original illustrations, fetched £150,000 (Dh835,000) at auction in London. Sotheby's said the work, offered as part of a charity book sale jointly organised with the English PEN writers' association, was sold to an anonymous bidder by telephone. Rowling filled the book with many annotations, including editorial decisions, comments on the process of writing and a note on how she came to create the game of Quidditch. As part of the fund-raising event, Rowling and dozens of other best-selling authors were asked to "scribble second thoughts, marginalia or drawings" on a first-edition copy of one of their books. A copy of Roald Dahl's best-selling children's book <em>Matilda</em> containing new drawings by the illustrator Quentin Blake fetched £30,000. Other authors at the charity sale included Kazuo Ishiguro, Ian McEwan, Seamus Heaney, Lionel Shriver and Yann Martel. </span><span class="s3">– AP</span> <span class="s1"><strong>Bieber’s monkey belongs to Germany now</strong></span> <span class="s2">Justin Bieber's monkey has become German national property after the singer failed to provide authorities with the documents needed to reclaim his pet. Bieber had until Friday to hand in the necessary paperwork, including health and species protection certificates, after Mally, his Capuchin monkey, was confiscated at Munich airport in March while the singer was on tour. Judith Brettmeister, the spokeswoman for the shelter that has been caring for Mally since then, said the 19-year-old Canadian singer had not been in touch and would no longer be able to reclaim the animal. "The monkey belongs to Germany now," she said. </span><span class="s3">– Reuters</span> <span class="s1"><strong>Paulina Rubio to join The X Factor</strong></span> <span class="s2">The Mexican singer Paulina Rubio, who has sold more than 20 million albums worldwide, will be one of the judges on the next season of <em>The X Factor</em>. She will join the show's creator Simon Cowell, Kelly Rowland of Destiny's Child and the Disney star Demi Lovato for the musical contest show's third season. "I love <em>The X Factor!</em> I can't wait to find the next big music star here in America," said Rubio. "I'm so thrilled to be part of the show as a judge. Simon, be careful what you wish for. Let's see if you are ready to handle me." </span><span class="s3">– IANS</span> Follow us Follow us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thenationalArtsandLife">Facebook</a> for discussions, entertainment, reviews, wellness and news.
