Hollywood actress Sarah Michelle Gellar’s hit show Buffy The Vampire Slayer has been blamed for 50,000 women abandoning traditional Western religion to study paganism.

According to the recent British study published in Women and Religion in the West, young women have taken an increased interest in practising witchcraft after Gellar’s hit U.S. TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer hit the mainstream.

TV host Jerry Springer has branded America’s military action in Iraq “insane”.

The controversial star claims the invasion was based on flawed logic and has destroyed the United States’ reputation throughout the world.

He said: “That never made sense to me, even if (George W) Bush was telling the truth about Weapons of Mass Destruction - in fact, particularly if he was telling the truth about Weapons of Mass Destruction. Why the hell would you bomb a country that could fire back? That would be insane.

Sir Paul McCartney is to play a concert in Israel next month - 43 years after he was banned from performing in the nation.

The Israeli government barred McCartney and his Beatles bandmates in 1965, fearing they would corrupt young fans.

But they overturned the decision after Ron Prosor, Israel’s ambassador to the U.K., visited the Beatles’ hometown of Liverpool earlier this year and apologised for the “misunderstanding”.

Ben Stiller will be honoured for his contribution to Hollywood at a lavish film ceremony.

The Tropic Thunder star has been selected as this year’s honouree for the Museum of the Moving Image’s 24th annual black-tie salute.

Stiller’s colleagues are expected to pay tribute to the star and present clips from his film career.

The event, which benefits education programmes, will take place on 12 November (08) in New York.

Crooner Neil Diamond has been forced to cancel a string of shows after coming down with a severe throat infection.

The singer is currently touring the US promoting his latest hit LP Home Before Dark, but has had to postpone two shows after catching laryngitis.

Diamond has cancelled his shows in Green Bay, Wisconsin and St Louis, Missouri on 27 August and 29 August respectively until he has fully recovered.

Neil Diamond is in trouble with his fans after delivering a below-par performance in Columbus, Ohio on Monday night.

Devotees, who paid up to $120 to see the Sweet Caroline singer live at the city’s Value City Arena, have demanded refunds from the venue after many walked out after a croaky Diamond struggled through his hits.

The 67-year-old singer is now considering performing at the venue again to make up for a terrible gig.