Oscar-winning actor Charlton Heston has died. He was 84. Heston passed away on Saturday night at his home in Beverly Hills, California, after suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Born John Charles Carter in Evanston, Illinois, he was the son of mill operator Russell Whitford Carter and his wife Lilla Charlton. He would later change his Christian name to Charlton and take on his new stepdad Chester Heston's surname. Heston studied acting at school and went on to win a drama scholarship to the local Northwestern University, before enrolling in the U.S. Air Force in 1944. That same year, he married fellow Northwestern student Lydia Clarke. After three years in the force and rising to the rank of Staff Sergeant, Heston returned home, where he continued to pursue his passion for acting with a stint in theatre. Heston landed his big-screen break in 1952's The Greatest Show On Earth, and in 1956 appeared as Moses in The Ten Commandments. His role in the religious epic won him much critical acclaim, and he went on to star in movie classics El Cid, Planet Of The Apes, Earthquake, and Ben-Hur, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor. Ben-Hur was awarded a total of 11 Oscars, including Best Picture - a feat only equaled by 1997's Titanic and 2003's The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King. He made his directorial debut with 1972's Antony And Cleopatra, but the film received terrible reviews and, as a result, was not released in cinemas. In the latter years of his career, Heston moved on to playing a number of supporting roles and cameos, appearing in films like 1993's Wayne's World 2, 1994's True Lies, and Tim Burton's 2001 remake of Planet Of The Apes. Heston was also well-known for his work behind the scenes, serving as the president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1965-1971, and as chairman of the American Film Institute. Away from Hollywood, Heston became a prolific civil rights activist in the 1950s and 60s, and later went on to become the president of the National Rifle Association in the 1990s. In 2003, Heston was awarded the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the U.S. He is survived by his wife Lydia, their son Fraser Clarke Heston and their adopted daughter, Holly Ann Heston. Paying tribute to the screen legend, his family says in a statement: "To his loving friends, colleagues and fans, we appreciate your heartfelt prayers and support. Charlton Heston was seen by the world as larger than life. No one could ask for a fuller life than his. No man could have given more to his family, to his profession, and to his country. In his own words, 'I have lived such a wonderful life. I've lived enough for two people'." A private memorial service is to be held later this month.

Superstars Jay-Z and Beyonce Knowles are now husband and wife, a close friend of the couple has revealed. The couple is alleged to have married in a private ceremony at a chapel in Scarsdale Village in Westchester, New York, on Friday afternoon, surrounded by around 30 friends and family. The all-white ceremony was attended by Knowles' mother Tina and father Mathew, and her younger sister Solange. Also in attendance were Knowles' star's former Destiny's Child bandmates, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, Jay-Z's mom Gloria, and pals Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow. The wedding party then moved on to the rap mogul's luxury New York penthouse apartment in the TriBeCa area of the city, where a marquee had been erected on a terrace at the building. The marquee was also decorated with five-foot tall candelabras and 60,000 elegant white orchids, which had been flown in from Thailand at a cost of $500,000. The wedding reception was reportedly attended by more than 200 guests, including producer/music mogul Jermaine Dupri and his girlfriend Janet Jackson, R&B singer Usher, rappers Wyclef Jean and Kanye West, producer Pharrell Williams, and Knowles' Dreamgirls co-stars Jennifer Hudson and Jamie Foxx. And the low-key wedding celebration was exactly what the couple had in mind. On Friday, the source told People.com, "It happened earlier this evening. Jay wanted it to be a really private affair - close friends and family." But the newlyweds, who have been dating since 2002, will not have time for a honeymoon just yet - Carter is currently in the middle of a North American tour with hip-hop/soul queen Mary J. Blige. Instead, the couple is reportedly set to celebrate their nuptials at a luxury $8,000-a-night hotel on the Caribbean island of Anguilla later this year.

Nicolas Cage is "extremely pleased" to have won a libel lawsuit against Kathleen Turner after she accused the actor of drunk-driving and theft in her new autobiography. Cage began libel proceedings against his Peggy Sue Got Married co-star at London's High Court in February after claiming Turner's memoir Send Yourself Roses was full of false claims about him. In the book - which was serialized in British newspaper The Daily Mail - Turner alleged Cage deliberately disobeyed his director uncle Francis Ford Coppola on the set of their 1986 movie, adding he also found himself in trouble with police while filming. And the Romancing The Stone star was subsequently forced to apologize to Cage. The newspaper was ordered to make a substantial donation to charity, publish an apology and remove the offending article from its website. Turner has also agreed to insert a correction and apology into copies of her book. Cage's U.K. lawyer Simon Smith insists the star is delighted with the verdict. He says, "(Cage is) extremely pleased, since he has never been arrested for drunk-driving, dog theft or anything else. As an actor who stars in many family-friendly films and who has a young child and teenager of his own, Mr. Cage was understandably upset at having been wrongly depicted as condoning that sort of reckless, dangerous and criminal behavior."

Eva Longoria Parker's husband Tony Parker is celebrating after a Los Angeles-based photo agency apologized for claiming he had an affair with a French model last summer. Parker and his wife sued X17 bosses after they claimed the basketball star romanced Alexandra Paressant after meeting her on his wedding day last July. And now, almost four months after X17 ran with the allegations, which were supported by Paressant, the agency chiefs have released an apology. A statement reads, "X17online.com and X17, Inc. regret having been misled by Ms. Paressant and her representatives and apologize to Mr. Parker for any damage or inconvenience this may have caused him or his wife." Parker has always insisted he has never met Paressant.

Hollywood stars Renee Zellweger, Matt Damon, Jude Law and Helena Bonham Carter were among the mourners who paid tribute to director Anthony Minghella at a funeral service on Saturday. Minghella, 54, died from complications following surgery for cancer of the tonsils and neck at London's Charing Cross Hospital in March. The actors joined a diverse mix of guests - including former U.K. royal Sarah Ferguson, British prime minister Gordon Brown and his predecessor Tony Blair - to pay their respects to The English Patient filmmaker at the Thomas More Catholic Church, near Minghella's home in north London. But the service, which followed a private family funeral, was not without its drama - singer/actress Jill Scott, who teamed up with Minghella for the TV movie The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, fainted during the service and had to be carried out by fellow mourners. Paying tribute to his late friend, Law says, "He was a sweet, warm, bright and funny man who was interested in everything from football (soccer) to opera, and, most of all, his family."

Supermodel Naomi Campbell will not face any charges following her alleged assault of a British police officer last week, and will escape with a formal caution. Campbell is currently free on bail after she was arrested at London's Heathrow airport on Thursday, following a dispute over her luggage. She risked being charged with an aggravated felony by police, after reportedly spitting at an officer, and legal experts predicted the charge could have resulted in a U.S. visa ban, preventing her from modeling in the States. But police are reportedly not looking to take further action against the catwalk star, if she accepts a caution. A police source tells British newspaper News Of The World, "The Crown Prosecution Service will be consulted, but the expected outcome is a caution."

George Clooney has donated $5.6 million to the United Nations peacekeeping force in war-torn Sudan, to enable the team to buy a fleet of helicopters. The actor, who is a U.N. Messenger of Peace, has become a leading celebrity advocate for action against genocide in the Sudan after filming a documentary about the ongoing violence and refugee crisis there last year. He has also set up the Not On Our Watch organization with his Ocean's Thirteen cast mates Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Don Cheadle - to help provide humanitarian aid in the region. But when Clooney learned of the plight of the U.N. peacekeeping force Unamid in Darfur, he immediately dug deep in his pocket to do something about it. A source explains, "George was horrified by the Sudanese government's 'scorched earth' (bomb) attacks on western Darfur last month. And when he was told that Unamid officials felt they could have done something about the attacks if they'd had the right equipment - they need 18 helicopters and so far have none - he decided to put his money where his mouth is."

The eagerly awaited movie Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull is set to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival next month. The hit franchise's latest outing featuring Harrison Ford's return as the whip-cracking hero will be shown to industry insiders at the renowned French film event days before its international release on May 22. The news was announced by celebrated Brit actor John Hurt who stars in the movie - but he failed to release any details of the movie's plot, insisting he has been sworn to secrecy. And the veteran star heaped praise on 65-year-old Ford, describing him as "brilliant." He tells U.K. talk show host Jonathan Ross, "I have nothing but good things to say about him. He understands that whole franchise. He is that franchise." The fourth installment in the popular franchise, which has taken 18 years to come to fruition, also stars Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett and Shia LaBeouf.

James Bond star Daniel Craig has refused to confirm he is engaged to his long term girlfriend - because he doesn't believe in publicly announcing his marital plans. The 40-year-old British actor allegedly proposed to his partner Satsuki Mitchell during a romantic break in Italy last summer, but the pair have so far refused to comment on the reported union. However, reports state the couple have been inseparable during filming of the latest superspy venture Quantum Of Solace - with Mitchell allegedly visiting the hunk every day on the movie's set in Panama. But Craig insists official announcements of couples getting engaged should be reserved for the royal family, and not necessarily for everyone in the public eye. He says, "It's a very important moment in a person's life. I wouldn't make an official announcement because I'm not a member of the royal family."

British actress Anna Friel was forced to have her teeth fixed for her role in TV drama Pushing Daisies. The 31-year-old was encouraged to improve her appearance for the part after the show's producer noticed her teeth were discolored and crooked. Friel was upset by comments at first but went on to book a whitening treatment and have an orthodontic brace fitted in a bid to improve her smile. She says, "When I first started filming Pushing Daisies, my agent and the producer told me I needed to have my teeth whitened. I'm very good at brushing them. So I refused . Everyone just shrugged and told me they'd do a test film. When I saw it, I couldn't believe what I looked like on screen. I'm not kidding, compared to everyone else my teeth looked green. I was horribly embarrassed."