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We pretty much knew the basic details of was going to be in Michael Jackson’s will based on the scant details that trickled out yesterday.

One bombshell excepted.

The five-page, seven-year-old document, signed on July 7, 2002, was filed in Los Angeles court this morning. In it, the King of Pop gives custody of his three children to mother Katherine, and stipulates that all his estate and assets—which, as previously reported, hovered around $567 million in 2007, with a net worth of $236.6 million—be placed in the private Michael Jackson Family Trust.

As for that surprise…

In the document, Jackson names Diana Ross as his choice for alternate guardian of his kids in the event his now 80-year-old mother was unable to raise them.

“If any of my children are minors at the time of my death, I nominate my mother, Katherine Jackson as guardian of the persons and estates of such minor children.

“If Katherine Jackson fails to survive me, or is unable or unwilling to act as guardian, I nominate Diana Ross as guardian of the persons and estates of such minor children.”

It’s unclear if the choice is as much news to Ross as the rest of the world or if Michael Jackson had ever approached her about the responsibility.

The former Supreme certainly never let on, as the statement she released in the wake of her former Motown stable mate and Wiz costar’s death simply said she was “in prayer for his kids and the family.”

Also name-checked in the will is the (recently disputed) mother of his eldest two children, Deborah Rowe, of whom Jackson writes: “I have intentionally omitted to provide for my former wife.”

According to the will, Jackson’s estate “consists of non-cash, non-liquid assets, including primarily an interest in a catalog of music royalty rights which is currently being administered by Sony-ATV, and interests in various entities.”

The document was written up by the late star’s longtime lawyer John Branca and veteran music exec and family friend John McClain, both of whom were named as the will’s executors.

“The most important element of Michael’s will is his unwavering desire that his mother, Katherine, become the legal guardian for his three children,” Branca and McClain said in a joint statement.

“As we work to carry out Michael’s instructions to safeguard both the future of his children as well as the remarkable legacy he left us as an artist we ask that all matters involving his estate be handled with the dignity and the respect that Michael and his family deserve.”

While the will was originally expected to be filed in court yesterday afternoon, it didn’t make it to the courthouse until this morning to give the Jackson family time to review the document.

A will for Michael Jackson has been found and is expected in court soon, a lawyer for the family said as reported by media reports Wednesday.

The word came just a day after the family said in court documents it believed the entertainer had died without a valid will. That could complicate a petition by Jackson’s mother Katherine to become the administrator of his lucrative, but debt-encumbered estate.

The will disclosed Tuesday was created in July 2002 and named as executors Jackson’s longtime lawyer John Branca and John McClain, a music executive and a family friend, said a person, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Jackson was recently in shaky financial health. In the most detailed account yet of the singer’s tangled financial empire, documents obtained by The Associated Press show Jackson claimed to have a net worth of 236.6 million dollars as of March 31, 2007. But less than 700,000 of that amount was in cash.

The singer’s assets are to be placed put in trust.

No further details were disclosed, and a copy of the document was not immediately available.

The 2009 Black Entertainment Television Awards ceremony at the Shrine Auditorium here Sunday night was turned into a memorial for Michael Jackson, with at least two of his family members attending the show.
The “King of Pop” died Thursday at UCLA Medical Center, soon after he was rushed to the hospital in a deep coma from his rented home, where he had been staying while preparing for a comeback series of 50 concerts in London.

The superstar’s father, Joe Jackson, walked the red carpet and spoke about his son’s death before the BET Awards show.

“I wish he could have been here to enjoy all of this,” he said.

The show opened with a medley of songs by the Jackson 5, performed by the reunited pop group New Edition, including the former member Bobby Brown.

Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx, who hosted the show, entered to Jackson’s hit song “Beat It” wearing the singer’s trademark red jacket and single white glove.

“When somebody dies, we celebrate,” Foxx said breathlessly after performing a dance sequence similar to the choreographed fight scene in Jackson’s “Beat It” music video.

Various artists including Beyonce, Ne-Yo and Ciara performed Jackson’s songs to pay tribute to Jackson, and thanked him for his influence on their music.

Beyonce, while accepting the award for Best Female R&B Artist, said, “This is for you, Michael Jackson. I have to thank Michael Jackson for being my teacher, my hero.”

Sister Janet Jackson made a surprise appearance at the end of the show and thanked the audience for their support.

“I’d like to say that to you, Michael is an icon. To us, Michael is family,” Janet Jackson said.

The BET Awards show actually became the first former memorial for the late “King of Pop” after his untimely death. Producers of the show quickly put together a long list of entertainers to prepare a tribute to him after they learned of his death Thursday afternoon.

Vietnam will host the first international gong festival from Nov. 8 to 11 in the country’s central highland province of Gia Lai, Vietnam News Agency reported Monday.

The festival will draw the participation of performers from countries such as Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia and Indonesia, said the report.

Gong is a musical instrument that takes the form of a flat metal disc which is hit with a mallet.

According to the report, the festival is to celebrate the gong culture of the central highland region of Vietnam. In 2005, the space of gong culture in the Central Highlands of the country was recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as a masterpiece of the intangible heritage of humanity.

The opening ceremony of the festival is expected to gather 3,000 performers in Gia Lai. The performance will tell a story about the history of the province and its ancient gong culture.

During the festival, many activities, including religious ceremonies accompanied by gong orchestras, contests, seminars and exhibitions will also be held.

Gong music is a part of culture in most East and Southeast Asian countries, said the report.

The case brought by the United States against Chinese barriers on imported films, books and recorded music is still subject to more negotiations even through the US claimed a victory in the preliminary ruling of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

“We’ve always felt like we’ve had a pretty strong case on the matter,” a US official told Reuters yesterday without elaborating. However, a public ruling is still expected.

The WTO’s website stated the case remained unresolved yesterday.

“No matter whether China wins or loses cases, these are valuable experiences for China,” He Maochun, a professor at the Center for Economic Diplomacy Studies of Tsinghua University, told the Global Times yesterday.

“But the panel report is not final because appeal procedures await if the parties don’t accept the ruling,” He said.

The case was first brought by the US to the WTO in 2007, asking for consultations with China and the panel establishment later concerning measures restricting trading rights of imported films, audiovisual home entertainment products, sound recordings and publications and measures restricting market access for, or discriminating against, foreign suppliers of distribution services.

Subsequently, the EU, Japan, Australia and South Korea joined the case as third parties.

He also noted some exceptions exist reasonably in the administration of cultural products in each country, including China, which is also permitted in WTO regulations, adding that the US must also be prepared with certain reasoning before lodging the case.

The discrimination practices are among the exceptions included by WTO regulations, according to Zang Li, an expert in International Law at China Foreign Affairs University.

Reuters also noted that WTO rulings are often complicated documents, giving both sides grounds to declare victory.

“Competitive American cultural products have much influence on markets of other countries, which may imply more potential disputes between the US and others,” He of Tsinghua University said.

“But China will stick as always to its commitments and responsibilities in the WTO.”

The case brought by the United States against Chinese barriers on imported films, books and recorded music is still subject to more negotiations even through the US claimed a victory in the preliminary ruling of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

“We’ve always felt like we’ve had a pretty strong case on the matter,” a US official told Reuters yesterday without elaborating. However, a public ruling is still expected.

The WTO’s website stated the case remained unresolved yesterday.

“No matter whether China wins or loses cases, these are valuable experiences for China,” He Maochun, a professor at the Center for Economic Diplomacy Studies of Tsinghua University, told the Global Times yesterday.

“But the panel report is not final because appeal procedures await if the parties don’t accept the ruling,” He said.

The case was first brought by the US to the WTO in 2007, asking for consultations with China and the panel establishment later concerning measures restricting trading rights of imported films, audiovisual home entertainment products, sound recordings and publications and measures restricting market access for, or discriminating against, foreign suppliers of distribution services.

Subsequently, the EU, Japan, Australia and South Korea joined the case as third parties.

He also noted some exceptions exist reasonably in the administration of cultural products in each country, including China, which is also permitted in WTO regulations, adding that the US must also be prepared with certain reasoning before lodging the case.

The discrimination practices are among the exceptions included by WTO regulations, according to Zang Li, an expert in International Law at China Foreign Affairs University.

Reuters also noted that WTO rulings are often complicated documents, giving both sides grounds to declare victory.

“Competitive American cultural products have much influence on markets of other countries, which may imply more potential disputes between the US and others,” He of Tsinghua University said.

“But China will stick as always to its commitments and responsibilities in the WTO.”

Chris Brown pleaded guilty Monday to assaulting Rihanna and the two were ordered to stay away from each other, in a deal that keeps the singer out of prison but requires him to clean up graffiti or roadside trash.

Brown’s plea to a felony charge will subject him to substantial scrutiny by probation officials, and the judge’s order puts the kibosh on any short-term prospects for reconciliation with his pop diva girlfriend as well.

The guilty plea came before a preliminary hearing was scheduled to start. The hearing had been billed for weeks as a public face-off between the pair, with Rihanna set to testify against her one-time boyfriend.

Instead, Brown averted the potentially damaging meeting by entering a plea that will subject him to probation for the next five years as well as force him to perform six months of community service.

Mark Geragos, Brown’s lawyer, said the plea represented the singer taking responsibility for his actions — which included beating, choking and biting Rihanna during a fight early Feb. 8, according to police.

After Brown left the courtroom, Rihanna entered and was addressed by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg, who explained to the Barbados-born singer that she had issued a stay-away order.

Rihanna had not been seeking such an order, but the judge imposed one anyway. The order requires that Brown and Rihanna stay at least 50 yards from each, except at industry events when the distance is reduced to 10 yards.

The judge also told Rihanna it’s not a one-way order — and that she, too, shouldn’t get any closer to Brown than the order allows.

“This is a kid who’s never been in trouble before,” Geragos said after the hearing. “He embraces this as chance to get the message out that domestic violence will not be tolerated. He wants to get his life back on track.”

Brown will be formally sentenced on Aug. 5.

Schnegg accepted Brown’s plea, but expressed some concerns because Brown is not a California resident. She said Brown likely will be allowed to do his service in his home state of Virginia, but she didn’t want him to spend his time at churches or community centers.

Instead, Schnegg ordered Brown to get his hands dirty by doing work equivalent to what he would do in California — clean up grafitti or roadside trash.

She also said he’ll have to return to California every three months and attend domestic violence counseling.

Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office, said the terms were in line with what others receive when they are charged with similar crimes and have no prior criminal history.

Brown spoke softly throughout the hearing as he waived his rights and told the judge he understood the gravity of his plea.

“I think it’s commendable you took responsibility for your conduct,” Schnegg told Brown.

She said she hoped “the terms and conditions of your probation will have some meaning.”

Rihanna spoke briefly, too, telling Schnegg she understood the terms of the stay-away order and that after Brown’s sentencing she might ask for its terms to be loosened.

Rihanna, 21, recorded one of 2007’s most popular songs with “Umbrella” and has numerous other hits. Her looks have made her a cover girl for magazines, as well as a pitchwoman for Cover Girl cosmetics.

The deal provides an end to a case that sparked intense media interest and severe backlash against Brown. Sponsors and radio stations dropped him, and the singer had to cancel several high-profile appearances, including a performance at the Grammys.

The singer once known for his squeaky-clean image now has a substantial blemish on his record. Brown, 20, rose to fame after the 2005 hit “Run It!” He was nominated for a Grammy for “No Air” with Jordin Sparks and named Billboard’s top artist in 2008.

Intense media coverage led to Rihanna being identified as Brown’s victim mere hours after the attack. Within weeks, a photo of the singer and model’s bruised and battered face was posted on celebrity gossip site TMZ.

The posting sparked an investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department into whether one of its own officers leaked the photo to the Web site. Brown’s attorney unsuccessfully argued the leak hurt Brown and that he should be granted access to LAPD’s investigative files.

Brown recently proclaimed in a video posted to YouTube that he was “not a monster.”

Even after Monday’s hearing, lawyers for Brown and Rihanna refused to discuss the status of the pair’s relationship.

Brown was arrested hours after police say he hit and threatened Rihanna after leaving a pre-Grammy party in Los Angeles. He was later charged with felony assault likely to produce great bodily harm and making criminal threats.

If convicted, the singer faced sentences ranging up to nearly five years in prison.

After an inital retreat from the public eye, both musicians have gradually appeared in public more frequently. Lately they have been photographed separately, including at a National Basketball Association finals game between the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers.

But neither has been able to shake the stigma of the court case and return to their usual jobs — making music.

The logistics of Brown’s sentence may make it difficult to get back to his job.

“It amounts to a very sweaty house arrest,” said Loyola University Law School Professor Stan Goldman, who was in the courtroom. “You have to have the discipline to show up several times a week. How many times will this interfere with a record date or an appearance?”

Mando-pop diva A-Mei Zhang Huimei’s upcoming album will be an outbreak of the hidden side of her personality.

Titled with her original ethnic name “A-Mit”, A-Mei’s new studio-album will come out on June 26, more than two years after her last release “Star” in 2007.

Turning away from her ballad routine, the singer finished her music evolution in the new materials with a rock mark.

To express her deep-lying emotion, A-Mei reflects such sensitive topics as homosexual relationships, suiside and feminism through progressive beats and hysterical shouts in the music.

The self-esteemed singer also chose the avant-garde styles in her music videos to match the concept of the new album.

Chinese author Guo Jingming, hailed as “the most successful mainland writer” by the New York Times, is to be among the judging panel of a new talent show, “Happy Girls’ Voice,” formerly known as “Super Girl.”

A leading figure among the influential post-1980s generation of mainland writers, Guo has always been in the limelight, courting a mix of adoration, controversy and criticism.

He attracts a great number of new fans and critics with every book he pens, most of which become best sellers.

A colourful character, he failed to graduate from university and was labeled a “plagiarist.” Yet his flowery prose and vivid imagination came to define “Youth Fiction.”

As well as stirring society with his literature, he has also embraced the new media and seeks to use it for its shock value – he posted his infamous “bath photos” on his blog. He seeks publicity as a matter of routine –behaviour aimed as much at upsetting or pleasing the chattering classes as raising his profile.

His latest venture is likely to propel him to mainstream stardom, much in the way “Super Girl” brought fame and success to the Asian Times covergirl Chris Lee, pop singer Jane Zhang and many other fringe celebrities.

Born on June 6, 1983, Guo was first spotted as an emerging talent when he competed in a well-known writing contest, “New Concept” as a high school student. He won first prize twice in 2001 and 2002.

His river-based novel Fantasy City was published in January 2003 and immediately became a best seller. The novel sold more than 500,000 copies within several months of its publication and Guo was subsequently hailed as the star of mainland literature.

Controversy soon followed, however, after the instant success of his second novel, Never Flowers in Never Dream when it was published 10 months later. Guo was sued for “plagiarism” and after a lengthy court battle, finally lost the case – though he refused to offer an apology.

“I accept the fine but I offer no apology. This is my personal choice and decision. This case is just a blip in my life. What people remember you for is your work,” Guo said at the time.

Some of his peers, however, including fellow post-1980s writer Han Han, began to criticize Guo’s attitude and morality. The division between the two spilt over into their fan base.

Mo Huaiqi, a professor at Chongqing Normal University, believes Guo merely plays word games to attract attention to himself.

“Young writers are usually blundering their way along and are far too commercial. They don’t undertake soul-searching works,” he said.

Guo’s following books, Cry Me a Sad River published in 2007 and Tiny Times released in 2008, continue to occupy top positions in the bestseller billboard and bring him sizable wealth at the same time.

He was on the Forbes List of richest celebrities for the sixth time this year - and also on the 2009 list of the wealthiest writers, boasting an income of 13 million yuan (about $1.9 million).

Guo said he cared little for such lists. “It’s no surprise that writers become wealthy like businessmen. It’s social progress and mirrors a respect for writers which reflects the cultural needs and awareness of our readers,” he said.

Guo never denied his main ambition is to become a celebrity. “If I was not famous, I’d feel lost, so I hope that I can be even more famous,” the outspoken Guo said on the 10th anniversary of the “New Concept” writing contest.

Though Guo Jingming admitted that his move into light entertainment world is purely out of curiosity, he said he was not doing it just for fun.

Guo’s repertoire now includes films and music. He converted the movie The Promise directed by Chen Kaige into a novel in 2006, and wrote the lyrics of the theme song for “Happy Boys’ Voice” in April of 2007.

Late last year, he signed a contract with a pioneering media company, EE-Media, who were quick to dub him an “entertainment icon.”

As a celebrity and the youngest member of Chinese Writers’ Association, the talented, confident Guo believes luck has played a huge part in his success.

But he says he is far from fulfilling his ambition.

“I have a great deal of wild ideas in my mind, and I want to show them to the world. People say I am a miracle of the book world. But I am just starting out.”

Virgin Media, the cable TV operator owned by entrepreneur Richard Branson, launched a new kind of music download subscription service Monday with Universal, the world’s largest music company.

The service, described by the companies as a world first, will allow Virgin Media’s broadband customers in Britain to stream and download as many songs and albums as they like from Universal’s catalog for a fee.

But entertainment lawyers said the service was unlikely to solve the global music industry’s problem of billions of dollars lost to music piracy, and would need to offer content from big-name entertainers to be attractive to consumers.

Universal, by far the biggest industry player, has a roster of talent that includes U2, Elton John, the Rolling Stones, Amy Winehouse, Duffy and James Morrison.

Virgin said it was continuing talks with other British major and independent music labels and publishers about including their artists in the new service.

The music will be available to download in an MP3 format, giving buyers the ability to listen on a range of devices, including iPods, mobile phones and PCs as well as other MP3 players.

The subscription service, due to be available later this year, builds on mobile phone unlimited download services such as Nokia’s “Comes With Music,” — allowing for a massive range of music to be downloaded — as the industry fights a losing battle against illegal downloading.

Revenue from digital music sales rose 25 percent last year to $3.7 billion, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. But those legitimate music sales did not come close to offsetting the billions of dollars being lost to music piracy — an estimated 95 percent of music downloads are still unauthorized.

IFPI Chairman John Kennedy said the new Virgin-Universal deal was “the kind of partnership” between a music company and an internet service provider (ISP) that he expects to shape the future of the music business internationally.

The IFPI has been harshly critical of ISPs in the past for exploiting loopholes in copyright laws to allow them to avoid clamping down on people who illegally download music using their services.

“It epitomizes the way in which the music business is adapting to the digital world, embracing new business models and responding to the changing needs of consumers,” Kennedy said of the new service.

“It also marks new ground in ISPs’ willingness to take steps to protect copyrighted content on their networks, and that sets a very encouraging example to the whole industry,” he added.

Virgin and Universal said they expected the new service to “drive a material reduction in the unauthorized distribution of its repertoire across Virgin Media’s network.”

They said they will also attempt educate file sharers about online piracy, temporarily suspending Internet access for persistent offenders.

Virgin did not release details of the anticipated monthly subscription costs Monday, but said an “entry level” offer would also be available for customers who download music regularly, but may not want an unlimited service.

“Britain has a world-class reputation for artists and music,” said Lucian Grainge, Chairman and Chief Executive of Universal Music Group International. “Now British consumers will have access to a world-class digital music service. I believe this puts all of us at the forefront of a new era.”

But Jerry Reisman, a partner at U.S. law firm Reisman, Peirez and Reisman said that the Virgin-Universal deal will not make a big dent in the piracy market.

“The Virgin Media platform may add options for the over 30 crowd but the under 20 segment will still pirate the music for free,” said Reisman.

Cliff Fluet, a partner at London law firm Lewis Silkin, said that the price of Virgin’s service could not be determined until it was clear if artists other than in Universal’s stable were on board.

Potential customers would also want to know if the service would offer tracks free of “digital rights management,” or DRM, technology that limits people’s ability to copy songs or move them to multiple computers, he added.