Selena Gomez Denied Russian Visa; 'Big Bang' Cast Asks for a Raise

Sept. 20, 2013 — -- quicklist:1title: Selena Gomez Denied Russian Visatext: Russian authorities apparently do not want to "Come & Get It."

Pop princess Selena Gomez has been denied a visa to perform in Russia next week, reportedly because of fears that she would use that stage to oppose Russia's anti-gay laws.

Nearly 10,000 people signed an online petition calling on Gomez to support gay rights during her scheduled performance in Moscow. That was apparently enough to spook the apparatchiks in the Kremlin's Buzzkill Ministry.

Madonna and Lady Gaga recently used performances in Russia to oppose a recently passed law outlawing the promotion of "nontraditional sexual relations."

Gomez's team has not issued a comment on the snub. media: 20315371

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title: 'Big Bang' Cast Asks for a Raisetext: You don't have to be a genius to ask for a raise when you're the stars of a hit show.

The cast of the "Big Bang Theory" is taking a page out of the "Friends" negotiating playbook, collectively trying to reach $500,000 per person per episode.

Stars Jim Parson, Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco make $325,000 an episode, according to Radar Online.media: 20316651

quicklist: 3title: 'Grand Theft Auto' Makes Bank on First Daytext: You'd have to steal a lot of cars in one day to make $800 million. Trust us, we've tried. (Management says we have to tell you that part was a joke.)

Take-Two Interactive Software, makers of the insanely popular "Grand Theft Auto" video franchise, made $800 million in just the first day of sales for the fifth and latest installment of the game.

By contrast, "Call Of Duty: Black Ops II," which set last year's record, raked in a paltry $500 million on its first day.media: 20315516

quicklist:4title: Niki Lauda, Race Car Royalty

text: "Rush," Ron Howard's new film about auto racing, opens this weekend, renewing interest in the 1970s rivalry between Formula 1 greats James Hunt and Niki Lauda.

Hunt, portrayed by the hunky Chris Hemsworth, was the better looking of the pair, but the intensely driven Lauda, played by Daniel Bruhl, is apparently the more Googled driver.

An accident during a race in which both men were driving nearly killed Lauda and inspired the movie.media: 20316183

quicklist:5title: World Peace Day… It's a Thingtext: Amid talk of a confrontation over chemical weapons use in Syria, North Korea restarting its nuclear reactors, and continued bloodshed in Iraq and Afgahnistan, the United Nations is taking a principled stand with a webcast of people dancing.

That's right Saturday is World Peace Day, a holiday almost as significant as Wednesday's Talk Like a Pirate Day.

To commemorate the occasion, the UN is launching a webcast that will include people dancing and reciting poetry.

media: 20316391