Plus: Jackson’s oldest sister to take the stage in upcoming tribute

The casual observer would never guess that a little more than three weeks ago, Camila Alves was with child. On Jan. 3, Alves and Matthew McConaughey welcomed daughter Vida into the world, and by the time Mom stepped back into the spotlight, her pre-baby body was there, too.If it you think Alves, Kourtney Kardashian, Heidi Klum and others are putting their baby bumps in the past at record speeds, you’re right. Hollywood’s new moms are shaping up again

aster than usual.

But the motive to get back in shape isn’t entirely pure, according to Us Weekly senior editor Lindsay Powers. “Camila did get back into shape really fast … but she’s also got (to promote) her Bravo show ‘Sheer Genius,’ so she has motivation to debut her baby body,” Powers said. “We’re at a point where celebrities use their personal lives to promote their professional lives.”

Giselle Bundchen is another example. The supermodel recently bragged about never having to wear maternity clothes when she was pregnant with her son Benjamin (dad is New England Patriot Tom Brady), and she posed for Brazilian clothing line Colcci just six weeks after giving birth.

“These women feel the extra amount of pressure to look camera-ready,” said Powers. “They don’t want to be caught running to the deli in their maternity sweats.”

The idea that one can use their personal lives to promote their professional lives isn’t limited to pregnancy, however. Powers brings up the recent engagement between Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell.

“Us broke the news during the Grammys,” said Powers, “But in reality, they got engaged over the holidays. It’s no coincidence they waited until she had a movie (”When in Rome”) — that’s struggling — to promote to announce it.”

Jackson’s sister to take stage in tribute
Paris and Prince Jackson paid tribute to their father Michael during Sunday’s Grammy Awards, and plans are in place for one of Michael’s sisters to do the same during a concert this spring.

But it’s not the sister who might first come to mind: it’s Rebbie Jackson, the eldest of the clan, who will be performing at an April 24 concert at the Mellow Theater in Scranton, Penn. An organizer of the concert, put on by TJP Events, says Jackson will perform alongside Damon Harris of The Temptations. Harris has a history with Michael Jackson — he sang “Get Ready” with the Jackson 5 at a Chicago event for Jesse Jackson’s Operation PUSH in 1972.

For the April show, Rebbie Jackson and Harris are planning on singing a duet of “Never Can Say Goodbye,” and a “surprise special guest” (most likely, one of Michael’s brothers) will accompany Jackson to sing a Jackson 5 medley.

Why is Rebbie doing the concert? “She’s taking the lead (in the family),” said the organizer. “She’s the one who has not profited from Michael’s death. She is also the one (Jackson matriarch) Katherine has picked as the unofficial guardian for Michael’s kids. She’ll be great.”

The Oscar nominations were announced this morning with “The Hurt Locker,” “Avatar” and “Up in the Air” among the big leaders.

James Cameron’s “Avatar” comes out on top with nine nominations, including nods for best director and best film. If this goes the way of the Globes, it’ll be all about Pandora come March 7.

Joining Mr. Cameron in the best picture category were nine - yes, nine - other films, including last summer’s sci-fi hit, “District 9,” as well as Sandra Bullock’s “The Blind Side.”

For those of you who weren’t tuned in to the live feed, there were very audible shouts of joy (and a few gasps) when Anne Hathaway announced Bullock’s feel-good film is up for not one, but two Oscars.

Seriously, back in November, who would’ve thunk?

Mo’Nique, of course, is two for two with both a SAG award and a Golden Globe for her supporting role in “Precious,” and she’s now up for the Oscar as well. Do you think she’ll clinch it and have an awards show sweep?

Did any of the nominations surprise you? Do you think the Academy forgot a nom or two? Let us know! And get those Oscar pools ready - we’ll see you March 7.

Dozens of recording stars converged on a Hollywood studio on Monday evening to add their voices to a song they hope will raise millions of dollars for Haitian earthquake relief.

The lyrics and music are an updated version of “We Are the World,” a song that raised at least $30 millions for African humanitarian programs 25 years ago.

Music legends — including crooner Tony Bennett and Barbra Streisand — stood with newcomers — including 15-year-old Justin Bieber and country artist Zac Brown — in the crowded studio Monday night.

Lionel Richie and the original producer, Quincy Jones, gathered “a diverse group of contemporary superstar artists” at the same studio used for the 1985 recording session,” organizers said in a news release. Richie co-wrote the first song with Michael Jackson.

The production team includes producer-musician Wyclef Jean, producer RedOne and producer-musical director Ricky Minor, the statement said.

The world premiere of the new “We Are the World” will take place during the NBC network’s coverage of the Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Vancouver, Canada, on February 12, it said.

Paparazzi and security surrounded Henson Studios, just off Hollywood’s Sunset Boulevard, as limousines delivered the stars Monday for what was expected to be a marathon overnight recording session.

Smokey Robinson, who sang on the original, said the roster of 100 singers asked to take part does not include any of the 45 stars from the previous version.

Legendary crooner Tony Bennett and Beach Boy original Brian Wilson were among those seen entering the studio Monday evening.

Many of the stars were already in Los Angeles to attend Sunday’s Grammy Awards show.

The original 1985 roster of artists was packed with such superstars that Jones placed a sign above the studio door that read: “Check your egos at the door.”

Science fiction film Avatar and war movie The Hurt Locker lead the way at this year’s Academy Award with nine nominations each.

The battle will see Avatar’s James Cameron go head-to-head with his ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow, who made The Hurt Locker, in the best director category.

Other films featured in the best film category include Up in the Air, The Blind Side, Precious and District 9.

British nominees include Colin Firth, Dame Helen Mirren and Carey Mulligan.

Highest grossing

For the first time since 1944, the Oscars feature 10 best picture contenders instead of the usual five.

The list also includes animated movie Up, A Serious Man, Inglourious Basterds and An Education.

Firth is up for his first Oscar for his role as a gay academic mourning the death of his partner in fashion designer Tom Ford’s debut feature film A Single Man.

“I thought I was managing my expectations, but on hearing the news I discovered new and unfamiliar vocal tones. Perhaps I should do another musical,” he said.

The star will go up against George Clooney, Jeff Bridges, Morgan Freeman and Jeremy Renner.

In the best actress category, Sandra Bullock also picked up her first nomination for The Blind Side, along with Mulligan for An Education and Gabourey Sidibe for Precious.

They will battle it out with Academy Award winner Dame Helen Mirren and Meryl Streep, for her role in Julie & Julia.

There are also nods for Penelope Cruz, Vera Farmiga, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Anna Kendrick and Mo’Nique in the best supporting actress category.

And Matt Damon, Woody Harrelson, Christopher Plummer, Stanley Tucci and Christoph Waltz will battle it out to win the prize for best supporting actor.

Avatar, which was recently named the highest grossing film of all time, won two Golden Globes recently. The Hurt Locker, a tense movie about an elite bomb disposal team, has won widespread critical acclaim and triumphed at the Directors Guild of America awards.

Bigelow is only the fourth woman ever to be nominated for directing and the first since Sofia Coppola received a nod for Lost in Translation” in 2003.

No woman director has ever won the Oscars top prize.

However, The Hurt Locker has already emerged as the favourite to win the top best picture prize during the ceremony on 7 March.

Up’s inclusion for best film makes it only the second animated movie to feature in the main category, following Disney’s Beauty and the Beast in 1992.

It also features in the animated film shortlist, alongside Coraline, Fantastic Mr Fox, The Princess and the Frog and The Secret of Kells.

Iran’s opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi has said he will continue his struggle against the government.

In a statement posted on his website, Mr Mousavi said the 1979 Islamic revolution had failed to achieve most of its goals.

He said politically motivated arrests of protesters were illegal and more should be done to secure people’s rights.

His comments constitute one of his strongest challenges to the government.

They also come at a particularly sensitive time. Iran will mark the 31st anniversary of the founding of the Islamic Republic on 11 February.

As one of the key players in the founding of the Islamic Republic, his comments have extra resonance.

Jon Leyne, the BBC’s Tehran correspondent who is reporting from London, says Mr Mousavi’s comments will outrage hard-line supporters of the government. He is now pushing to the very limit of what he can say without being arrested.

Call for rallies

The anniversary is one of the most important dates in Iran’s political calendar. Mr Mousavi and his reformist ally Mehdi Karroubi have called on their supporters to attend rallies on the day of the anniversary.

But hardliners, including the country’s supreme leader, have warned that anti-government protests will not be tolerated.

Tensions in Iran are still high after bloody demonstrations during the Shia ritual of Ashura in December when eight protesters were killed and officials said over 1,000 were arrested.

Mr Mousavi’s nephew Seyed Ali Mousavi was among those killed.

The December clashes were the worst episode of violence since the aftermath of last June’s disputed presidential election and subsequent government crackdown.

On Tuesday the government threatened to execute nine people who were allegedly arrested during the post-election unrest that erupted after the vote that returned President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to power.

“The green movement will not abandon its peaceful fight… until people’s rights are preserved,” Mr Mousavi wrote on his Kalemeh website. “Peaceful protests are Iranians’ right.”

Mr Mousavi also said that the Islamic revolution in Iran had failed to eradicate the “roots of tyranny and dictatorship” that, he said, marked the shah’s era.

He said he no longer believed, as he once did, “that the revolution had removed all those structures which could lead to totalitarianism and dictatorship”.

“Today, one can identify both elements and foundations which produce dictatorship as well as resistance against returning to this dictatorship,” he said.

“Stifling the media, filling the prisons and brutally killing people who peacefully demand their rights in the streets indicate the roots of tyranny and dictatorship remain from the monarchist era. I don’t believe that the revolution achieved its goals,” Mr Mousavi added.

Last month Mr Mousavi said that he was not afraid to die for the cause of reform.