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West Cleared Of Battery Charges, Mel Brown Lands Lollipop Treat, Original Limp Bizkit Stars To Release First Single In A Decade, Domingo Honored With Classical Grammy

West Cleared Of Battery Charges

Kanye West has had battery charges relating to a 2008 bust-up with photographers dropped after completing his court-ordered community service.

The Stronger hitmaker and his manager, Don Crowley, were charged with vandalism, battery and grand theft after smashing camera equipment belonging to two snappers at Los Angeles International Airport on 11 September, 2008.

In October (09), a Los Angeles judge agreed to have the case dismissed on the condition that West and Crowley each performed 50 hours of community service. The pair also agreed to take an anger management class.

West's lawyer, Blair Berk, and Crowley's attorney, Shawn Chapman Holley, returned to court on Friday (29Jan10) to show proof of their clients' community work for the Red Cross and the case was dismissed, reports TMZ.

Mel Brown Lands Lollipop Treat

Former Spice Girls Star Melanie Brown is set to become a real sweetheart this Valentine's Day (14Feb10) - she has created a new lollipop range for the most romantic day of the year.

The pop star-turned-TV personality has designed two new 'couture pops' for online candy store SugarFactory.com.

The Purple Passion and Lilac Swirl lollipops feature jewelled sticks and cost $25 each.

The Spice Girl isn't the first to land a signature SugarFactory pop - Britney Spears, Kim Kardashian and the Pussycat Dolls have their own candy on a stick too. (KL/WN/MT)

Original Limp Bizkit Stars To Release First Single In A Decade

The original members of Limp Bizkit will serve up a treat for fans next month (Feb10) when they release their first new music in almost 10 years.

The group's guitarist Wes Borland quit the band in 2001 and again in 2006 after well-publicised fights with frontman Fred Durst.

His departure marked the start of a long hiatus for the group, but Durst and Borland healed their rift and reunited the act with bassist Sam Rivers, drummer John Otto and DJ Lethal last February (09).

The band has been working on their new album, Gold Cobra, and the first track from the studio sessions is set to be unveiled within weeks.

Taking to his Twitter.com page to announce the news, Durst writes: "(It's) looking like our new single will be finding its way to you more like February-ish. Just making sure everything is ready to strike!"

And finally

Domingo Honored With Classical Grammy

Tenor Placido Domingo became an early Grammy winner in Santa Monica, California on Wednesday (27Jan10) when he was honored with a Presidents Merit Award.

The seven-time Grammy Award winner accepted his latest honor at a Recording Academy tribute to him as part of the Grammy Salute to Classical Music.

The opera star, 69, said, "This is a very thrilling and emotional evening."

Previous winners of the classical prize have included conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen, Zubin Mehta and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.