50 Cent to perform at VIP Room for F1 after-party

Rapper 50 Cent is set to headline one of the biggest F1 after-parties. The In Da Club star will perform on Saturday, November 29, at a pop-up party hosted by Dubai nightclub VIP Room. It's a booking likely to ruffle feathers at competing promoters, with Fiddy named as one the headliners for February's RedFest DXB just two weeks ago. The American hip-hop name's last major appearance in the emirate was more than three years ago, at the Atelier/Festival event hosted at Dubai's ­Meydan. VIP Room's F1 party will be hosted on the third floor of the Yas Marina Building 1, overlooking Yas Marina Circuit, above the all-new Cipriani Yas Marina. Last year, the club welcomed appearances from Kim Kardashian, French Montana and Future to its F1 after-­party. For table bookings and VIP reservations call 052 881 8888 or email bookings@viproom-dubai.com. – The National staff

Chris Martin wants Downton Abbey cameo

Pop star Chris Martin says he would love to land a cameo as a piano tuner on the last episode of Downton Abbey.The 37-year-old Coldplay frontman, who is dating Peaky Blinders actress Annabelle Wallis, is a huge fan of the period drama and admits he'd love to make a cameo on the upcoming Christmas special next month, which will be the show's last ever episode, reports femalefirst.co.uk. A string of other celebrities have also previously expressed interest in guest-starring on the show, including Kim Kardashian West, Ted Danson, Taylor Swift and Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett, who revealed earlier this year that she'd reached out to producers. – The National staff

Cameron Diaz calls on fans to be on the cover of her new book

After her first venture in the world of publishing landed her a number one spot on The New York Times' best-seller list, Cameron Diaz is picking up where she left off to write The Longevity Book. Following The Body Book: The Law of Hunger, the Science of Strength, and Other Ways to Love Your Amazing Body, the 43-year-old actress' second ­hardcover expands on the theme of the first book – the integral relationship between the mind, body, fitness and nutrition, to incorporate the natural progression of ­ageing, reports E! Online. The actress took to social media asking fans to send in natural selfies for a chance to be one of the 50 women to feature on the cover. The winners also get a signed copy once published. – The National staff

One Direction releases History to thank fans

Just days before releasing their upcoming fifth album, Made In the A.M., One Direction have dropped a new song that serves as a bit of a farewell to their fans. History pays tribute to 1D's incredible success over the last five years. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, band member Liam Payne describes the new tune as a "modern version" of You've Got a Friend in Me. He explained that the song was about the way fans have ­supported them over the past few years. – The National staff

Returning awards not the way to dissent: Kamal Haasan

Actor and filmmaker Kamal Haasan believes there are other ways to register dissent against the Indian ­government's intolerant ­policies than returning awards. He says people should ­consider using podiums to make their voice heard instead of turing in hard-earned awards, which would be insulting. The actor has won four ­National Awards and 19 Filmfare Awards in his career. Hassan, who was criticised heavily for choosing to not return his National award last week, said he will only raise his voice against the government if it "invades freedom". Hassan also clarified that his decision to not return his award should not be interpreted as his party bias. A number of filmmakers, scientists and writers have returned their awards to protest against "the growing intolerance in the country". – IANS

Samuel L Jackson wanted to Be James Bond

Samuel L Jackson says he would've loved to have played James Bond. Jackson, who has been linked to the role numerous times, has now admitted he would definitely have taken it on if he were offered it when he was younger and insisted he doesn't know any actors who would turn it down, reports femalefirst.co.uk. He said he has loved Bond movies since childhood and that he wanted to be a 007 agent and said he would like to see Tom Hiddleston or Colin Firth in the role. – The National staff

Bollywood stars and businessmen launch legal battle for return of Kohinoor

The £100 million Koh-I-Noor, a diamond in the Britain’s Crown Jewels, could be stripped and returned to India.

Bollywood stars and businessmen have united to instruct lawyers to begin legal proceedings in London’s High Court. They are demanding that the British government return the 105-carat diamond, which they say was stolen from its true home, according to the Daily Mail Online. The move could result in some awkward moments at a lunch the Queen is hosting for Indian prime minister Narendra Modi at Buckingham Palace this week, although a Royal source said the row was strictly off the agenda. It also reopens a controversial case in British colonial history and adds to the legend of the Koh-I-Noor, which can be worn only “by God or a woman”. David de Souza, of the Indian leisure group Tito’s, who is helping to fund the fight, said the diamond is one of the many artefacts taken from India under dubious circumstance. Bollywood star Bhumicka Singh said the gem wasn’t just a 105-carat stone but part of Indian history and should be returned. The British government has rejected demands for the return of the oval-shaped stone, which was presented to Queen Victoria in 1851. – The National staff

John Lennon guitar sells for over $2.4 million

A guitar stolen from the late John Lennon in the 1960s sold for $2.41 million on Saturday at an auction in Beverly Hills, California. A Beatles drum head went for $2.1 million, fetching some of the highest prices ever for items of rock and roll memorabilia. The 1962 J-160E Gibson acoustic guitar had, for decades, been in the possession of John McCaw, a novice musician who bought it in the late 1960s without knowing it had been stolen from the legendary Beatle several years before, said auctioneer Darren Julien. Half of the proceeds from the sale of the guitar, which was stolen from Lennon at a December 1963 Christmas concert, will go toward the Spirit Foundation, a charitable organisation that he and his widow, Yoko Ono, created, Julien said. The instrument's authenticity was determined by its matching serial number and wood grain, among other things. The buyer, who paid $2.41 million at a Julien's Auctions event, has asked to remain anonymous. Lennon bought the guitar at a Liverpool music shop in 1962 and used it on recordings of a number of Beatles songs, including P.S. I Love You and Love Me Do, according to Julien's Auctions. He also is said to have strummed it while writing several Beatles hits with Paul McCartney, such as I Want To Hold Your Hand and All My Loving. The price far surpasses the $965,000 paid at a 2013 Christie's auction for the electric guitar Bob Dylan played at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. – Reuters