<span class="s2">Kim Kardashian gave birth to a baby girl on Saturday, her first child with Kanye West. Kardashian, 32, was admitted to a Beverly Hills hospital five weeks ahead of her due date, reported the entertainment news website TMZ. West was present at the birth and cancelled an event to promote his new album. "Kim got sick last night and had the baby early," a hospital source told <em>US Weekly</em>. </span><span class="s3">– AFP</span> <span class="s1"><strong>Russell Crowe opens Taormina Film Fest</strong></span> <span class="s2">Russell Crowe was presented with a Taormina Arte honour on Saturday at the opening of the 59th Taormina Film Festival in Sicily. The event also featured a screening of <em>Man of Steel</em> and was attended by his co-stars Henry Cavill, Amy Adams and Michael Shannon. Crowe enamoured himself to the 4,000-strong crowd by speaking in Italian, saying: "I have always had a deep love for Italy, even before I became a gladiator," referring to his 2000 film <em>Gladiator</em>. The festival closes on Saturday with the premiere of <em>The Lone Ranger</em>. </span><span class="s3">– The National staff</span> <span class="s1"><strong>Courteney Cox plans her directorial debut</strong></span> <span class="s2">Courteney Cox is set to go behind the camera for her feature directorial debut titled <em>Hello I Must Be Going</em>. Starring Seann William Scott and Kate Walsh, the film tells the story of "a depressed man who heads back to his hometown to right some wrongs", reported <em>Deadline</em>. The movie, co-produced by David Arquette, Cox's ex-husband, is set to start filming in Los Angeles next week. <br/> </span><span class="s3">– The National staff</span> <span class="s1"><strong>Melissa McCarthy responds to criticism</strong></span> <span class="s2">Melissa McCarthy has responded to <em>The New York Observer </em>film critic Rex Reed after he called her "tractor-sized", a "female hippo" and "a gimmick comedian who has devoted her short career to being obese" in his review of her latest film <em>Identity Thief</em>. Speaking to <em>The New York Times</em>, McCarthy said: "I felt really bad for someone who is swimming in so much hate. I just thought, that's someone who's in a really bad spot, and I am in such a happy spot. I laugh my head off every day with my husband and my kids who are mooning me and singing me songs." </span><span class="s3">– The National staff</span> <span class="s1"><strong>Adam Sandler in remake of Korean comedy</strong></span> <span class="s2">Adam Sandler will star in Chris Columbus' <em>Hello Ghost</em>, a remake of a Korean supernatural comedy. The film tells the story of a man who, after attempting to kill himself, is plagued by the arrival of four ghosts. The original movie was directed by Young-tak Kim. Sandler is currently shooting <em>Blended</em>, a romantic comedy that reunites him with Drew Barrymore. </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.