Stand-up comedy legend Jackie Mason is to top the bill of an Israel 60 event being organised by the Zionist Federation in London.

The Yom Ha’atzmaut Gala Show at Wembley Arena on May 8 will mark the 60th anniversatry of the formation of the Jewish state and will also feature Israeli singer Sarit Hadad.

Other acts and performers, as well as ticket prices will be announced in the coming months.

BBC political editor Nick Robinson has revealed that his mother’s family were Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany. “Though my father was CoE, my mother was the child of German-Jewish refugees. I didn’t know this until I was secondary-school age,” he told The Jewish Chronicle.

According to 44-year-old Robinson, the family headed to the Far East before settling in the UK. “(they) went first to Shanghai and then, when the Communists came, to Japan.”

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe will always have fond memories of his first screen kiss with December Boys co-star Teresa Palmer - because she made an awkward 12-hour scene enjoyable.

Radcliffe, who has since enjoyed his first kiss as boy wizard Potter, admits he was nervous when the day came for him to lock lips with pretty Palmer.

But she was the perfect kissing partner.

The promoter of superstar Barbra Streisand’s ”sell-out” European tour in July is suing three agencies over thousands of seats that went unsold.

The tour, Streisand’s first in more than a decade, was much hyped, with ticket prices ranging from £75 to £600. It was claimed the demand for tickets was so great, they were being sold online for more than twice their face value.

Designer Marc Jacobs is threatening to boycott future New York Fashion weeks, after a furious row with organisers of the event.

Jacobs was incensed when his late running show on Monday was rumoured to be the result of a drinking binge.

But the couturier insists he was held up by last minute design alterations.

Amy Winehouse’s mother Janis is so estranged from her troubled daughter she “no longer recognises” her.

The Rehab singer has been taking time out from her career after her recent high-profile spells in hospital and much tabloid coverage of her reported drug problems.

And despite repeated pleas from her friends and family to seek professional help, 52-year-old Janis fears the soul star will not kick her alleged drug habit until it’s too late.

Daniel Radcliffe regrets not going wild when he turned 18 - vowing to make sure his 21st birthday will be a “a more raucous affair”.

The Harry Potter actor’s 18th birthday in July was a low-key celebration - he spent the day watching the cricket.

But admits his next milestone birthday will be wild.

Natalie Portman has gone public with her new romance at the US Open tennis championships.  Last week she was openly kissing and cuddling British designer and model Nathan Bogle.

The 26-year-old Star Wars actress seemed to care less who saw her public display of affection as she watched Venus Williams defeat Jelena Jankovic with her new beau.

US talk show host Larry King has been honoured for his long serving career in entertainment- with a city block in Hollywood named after him.

Larry King Square means King joins the ranks of late comedian Lucille Ball and Lucy Casada - as part of the City Council’s initiative to acknowledge successful celebrities.

The decision was made during a vote by council members - who chose to honour King’s fifty years in broadcasting.

TV funnyman Jon Stewart is set to return to the Oscars stage to host the 80th Academy Awards in February.

The host of America’s The Daily Show took charge of the Oscars for the first time when he presented the 78th Academy Awards.

Telecast producer Gil Cates says: “Jon was a terrific host for the 78th Awards. He is smart, quick, funny, loves movies and is a great guy. What else could one ask for?”

Led Zeppelin’s concert promoter Harvey Goldsmith is confident the rockers’ forthcoming reunion gig will not be their last - but only if they enjoy their return to the limelight.

The legendary rockers are set to reform for the first time in 27 years for a special tribute concert for late music mogul Ahmet Ertegun in November.

And although the group have announced their reunion as a one-off, Goldsmith is hopeful of further performances.

Oscar-winning director Roman Polanski has pulled out of a upcoming movie Pompeii after the project was delayed.

Polanski was assigned to direct the screen adaptation of Robert Harris’s best-selling novel Pompeii, but was unable to commit to a postponed shooting date.

“I put a lot of work and energy into the development of Pompeii, so it is not without regret I have to decline my further involvement,” he says.

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe has no fear about appearing onstage nude to an American audience - because he has practiced 128 times.

The actor will be stripping for theatre audiences in New York after stage production Equus moves from the West End stage in London to Broadway.

And Radcliffe finds the scenes so uncomfortable, he has put in some extra naked practice.

Pop superstar Madonna is planning a mass Kabbalah pilgrimage to Israel to mark Rosh Hashanah.

The singer will be joined by fellow followers Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher and 2,000 pilgrims for a ten day study at a holy site in Jerusalem.

The 49-year-old will travel by private jet with husband Guy Ritchie and children Lourdes, 10, Rocco, seven, and 22-month-old David in time for the beginning of the festival on Wednesday evening. 

Barry Manilow has sold 40,000 advanced copies of his new covers album Greatest Songs Of The 70s after performing his own hits live on U.S. home shopping channel QVC on Sunday night.

Fans jammed the TV network’s call centre shortly after their hero sang tunes like Copacabana and Mandy to pre-order their copies of the new album, which is released next week.

American actor David Schwimmer considers himself blessed after he escaped near death on three separate occasions.

The Friends star was saved by a relative after nearly drowning as a child - and then narrowly avoided two airplane crashes.

“I almost drowned as a boy, but was rescued by a cousin,” he says. “I’ve had two very, very close calls on airplanes - both due to engine failure.”

Rising star Shia LaBeouf has accidentally revealed the new Indiana Jones title at an awards show.

The Transformers star was speaking to journalists at the MTV Video Music Awards in Las Vegas on Sunday - when he let slip that the next installment will be called Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull.

The title had been shrouded in secrecy since it was announced earlier this year that a fourth installment of the blockbusting adventure series was being made.

Veteran singer Barry Manilow is at the centre of a legal battle over his treatment of a former employee, according to reports.

Former tour manager Liberato Fabro - who worked for the star for seven years - has filed a case against Manilow, claiming he was given $15,000 in medical bills instead of being allowed to file a worker’s compensation form after a knee injury in 2005, according to TMZ.com.

Former Friends star David Schwimmer is hoping to cast Victoria Beckham in an upcoming movie role.

The actor-turned-director is currently working on a new film project and is keen for the former Spice Girl to accept the lead role.

“I’d definitely consider her for a role - I have something in mind actually,” he says. “Her people should call my people.”

Veteran actor Kirk Douglas became confused during a recent TV screening of what he thought was one of his movies - when he realised he wasn’t watching himself, but his son MICHAEL.

Like many others, the 90-year-old thinks father and son look alike.

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe has a strong dislike of chewing gum and hates it when the confectionary is consumed in his presence.

The 18-year-old actor admits he is partial to the habit himself, buy thinks the act of chewing gum looks disgusting.

“I don’t like seeing people chew gum,” he says. “I remember watching an interview with someone, I can’t remember who, and seeing them chewing gum the whole way through, and I was thinking-gaaaah!”