Brooke Burke waltzed away with the mirror ball trophy on the "Dancing with the Stars" finale. Voters, judges put former footballer Warren Sapp in second place

The 37-year-old TV personality and mother of four dominated the seventh season of the popular ABC dancing competition and bested former NFL player Warren Sapp and former 'NSync member Lance Bass during the Tuesday night finale, in which she reprised an emotional Viennese waltz routine that earned her a perfect score from the show's panel of judges.

"Unbelievable," was all Burke could muster after winning amid a flurry a confetti.

From the outset, the slinky former host of E!'s "Wild On" and CBS' "Rock Star" commanded the ballroom this season, coming in first place eight out of 10 times and receiving a 10 — the judges' top score — 16 times. Burke was crowned the latest "Dancing with the Stars" champion after the judges' scores — 88 out of 90 — were combined with viewers' votes.

"I actually can't believe it," said Derek Hough, Burke's professional partner, who's never won the competition. "I really can't. I honestly can't. The journey's been so long. It's been tough. It's been wonderful. It's been everything I could ever hope for. Wow. I can't believe we actually did it, girl."

Burke maintained an eight point lead over Sapp, the charismatic 35-year-old fan favorite whose technique was consistently criticized by the judges. Sapp still managed to hustle his way into second place with professional partner Kym Johnson, despite receiving one point less from the judges than the third place finisher, 29-year-old singer Bass.

"From the moment you start, you make me smile," head judge Len Goodman told Sapp.

Bass and his professional partner, Lacey Schwimmer, were upbeat about their loss. The pair danced away after their dismissal. And he's not hanging up his dancing shoes just yet. The former boybander will join professional dancers and other former contestants for the 38-city "Dancing with the Stars" tour, which is set to kick off Dec. 17 in San Diego.

"You never took the safe road once," judge Carrie Ann Inaba told Bass during the finale.

Previously dismissed celebrities — actor Cody Linley; sprinter Maurice Greene; actresses Susan Lucci and Cloris Leachman; chef Rocco DiSpirito; reality TV star Kim Kardashian; actor Ted McGinley; and comedian Jeffrey Ross — also returned for a last dance. Injured volleyball player Misty May-Treanor and singer Toni Braxton remained off their feet.

The Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt and the Russian pole-vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva won the World Athlete of the Year awards given by the I.A.A.F., track and field’s world governing body. Usain Bolt and Yelena Isinbayeva have been named male and female athletes of the year by the International Association of Athletics Federations.

The Jamaican sprinter and Russian pole-vaulter took the awards as well as 67,000 US Dollars each at a ceremony held in Monaco for their superb display at the Beijing Olympics.

22-year-old Bolt became the first man in history to break world records in all three-sprint events at single Games.

Bolt set world records in the 100 and 200 meters at the Beijing Olympics, and his third gold medal came as part of Jamaica’s 4x100-meter relay team, which also set a world record. He became the first man to win those three Olympic events in a Games since Carl Lewis in 1984.

"I have a motto that anything is possible, but this really is such an honour," said Bolt, who became Jamaica's first Olympic 100m champion.

"Just to be included with every great name in the sport is wonderful. I'll try to do it year after year."

Isinbayeva successfully defended her Olympic title and remained undefeated in outdoor competitions. She cleared 16 feet 6 ¾ inches in Beijing, setting her 24th world record.

The annual Victoria’s Secret fashion show has become a night to remember. And this year’s show, at the fountainbleu Miami Beach Hotel, refurbished to its former Hollywood glory at a cost of a billion US dollars, was no exception.

The show featured Victoria’s Secret’s eight ‘Angels’ – Heidi Klum, Adriana Lima, Karolina Kurkova, Alessandra Ambrosio, Selita Ebanks, Doutzen Kroes, Marisa Miller and Miranda Kerr – together with a supporting cast of 23 models.

The British stylist, Charlotte Stockdale, transformed the brand’s lingerie into a fairytale fantasy wonderland of glamour, accessorising with jewellery, stiletto heels, Swarovski crystals and, of course, the wings – which have become a feature of these shows – made, as ever, by Martin Izquierdo, in everything from neon lights to feathers to lace to vinyl.

The key fashion themes were Glamour Goddess, Dangerous, The Moderns, Pink Planet, Ballet des Fleurs and Black tie Holiday.

Sean (P. Diddy) Combs, Paris Hilton, Debbie Harry, Lenny Kravitz, Molly Simms, Robert Duvall and Kyle MacLachlan were just some of the celebrities who crowded into the front rows, along with the president of the $5.5 billion brand, Ed Razek.

When they could tear their eyes away from the angels and the models, there was also a performance by Usher.

Boston Legal actress Julie Bowen and her husband are expecting their second child this spring, her rep confirms exclusively to PEOPLE.

"She's thrilled," says the rep.

This will be the second child for the actress and her husband, real estate investor Scott Phillips. The couple welcomed son Oliver in April 2007.

Bowen, 38, and Phillips were married in 2004. He proposed the previous Thanksgiving, when Bowen was starring as schoolteacher Carol Vessey on TV's Ed.

Bowen, who plays attorney Denise Bauer on Boston Legal, has also appeared on Weeds and Lost.

Actress Susan Lucci, a star of the US soap 'All My Children', has become the latest contestant to be voted off 'Dancing with the Stars', the US version of 'Strictly Come Dancing'.

Lucci and her professional dance partner Tony Dovolani had received the lowest score from the judges for their Paso Doble.

When combined with viewers' votes, Lucci and Dovolani were still at the bottom of the board.

Commenting, Lucci said: "It was definitely worth it. I just have to say, I have had the most incredible experience here. I leave with a life experience, something I will never forget. I feel so, so much gratitude for the opportunity to have had this particular experience in my lifetime."

Republican presidential candidate John McCain and his wife have cast their votes in Phoenix, Arizona.

After campaigning coast to coast on Monday, Sarah Palin caught a few winks on a red-eye flight to her home state, where fresh snow glistened in the early-morning moonlight as the temperature hovered around 14 degrees.

Palin voted early this morning inside the tiny City Hall building where just six years ago she presided as mayor of this once unknown frontier town outside Anchorage. Proudly donning her “I Voted Today” sticker, the Alaska governor delivered a short statement to reporters and took a few questions before she heads to Phoenix to find out whether she’ll become the first female vice president of the United States.

It’s been a whirlwind couple of months for Palin, who has fallen under perhaps more scrutiny than any vice presidential candidate in the nation’s history. But as usual, she portrayed an almost mystifying sense of calm, considering all that she has been through in such a relatively short time.

“So we have a very optimistic, very confident view of what’s going to happen today, and again, so glad to get to be home in Wasilla to cast this vote,” she said. “Because forever I'm gonna be Sarah from Alaska. And it’s an honor to get to be here with my friends and family.”

Palin refused to divulge whom she voted for in the Alaska U.S. Senate race between Republican incumbent Ted Stevens — who was recently convicted on seven felony corruption charges — and Democrat Mark Begich.

After the early morning vote, Palin stopped by “Mocha Moose,” one of her favorite drive-through espresso shops, which dot the strip malls around Wasilla.

A reporter asked Palin about what her future role in national politics will be, whether she wins or loses this election. The Alaska governor — who has delivered some of the most partisan barbs of this election cycle — gave an answer that was fitting to the setting, where many residents here know her as a non-ideological problem solver, rather than a socially conservative firebrand.

"You know, if there is a role in national politics it won’t be so much partisan,” Palin said. “My efforts have always been here in the state of Alaska to get everybody to unite and work together to progress this state … it certainly would be a uniter type of role.”

Democratic White House hopeful Barack Obama has cast his ballot in his home city of Chicago with his young daughter Malia by his side.

In a historic vote that could make him the first black US president, the Hawaii-born Illinois Senator, joined by his wife Michelle Obama and his young daughters Sasha and Malia, was greeted at a Chicago polling station in a school gymnasium by dozens of reporters and photographers.

Obama, who is leading Republican John McCain in national polls, showed his daughter his ballot and smiled as he cast his vote.

U.S. Presidential Election 2008

Long lines and waiting hours outside polling stations across the United States early Tuesday, the official Election Day, and the number of people who have already cast their votes further indicate that voter turnout this year is expected to be fairly high.

"We opened the doors at 6 a.m (EST), but many people were already lining up outside," said Piere Lee at a fire station-turned-polling station in Arlington, Virginia, "It seems that Americans are fairly enthusiastic about voting this year."

Statistics show that voter registration numbers are up 7.3 percent from the last presidential election.

Democrats, in particular, saw their registration numbers increase by 12.2 percent, while Republicans saw their ranks grow by only 1.7 percent, according to a recent analysis by The Associated Press.

Extra ballots and additional touch-screen machines have reportedly been dispatched by voting officials across the country. Still, observers worry that those efforts are not enough.

Many experts had earlier predicted that voter turnout this year will be the highest in decades.

Some political observers predict early and absentee voters will make up about 30 percent of the total voters on Election Day -- which could approach a record 130 million to 140 million.

"We have a system that is traditionally set up for low turnout," Tova Wang of the government watchdog group Common Cause was cited by local media as saying.

Record numbers have already cast ballots in early voting. As of Monday, more than 24 million had cast their votes. Election experts predicted more than a third of the electorate would have voted before the polls opened on Election Day.

Everyone wants exit polls results in the 2008 Presidential election, and the earlier the better. Well, Dixville Notch, NH, is traditionally the first (or one of) the first place to report results in every election and every primary. And the votes are in ...

Exit polls 2008 from Dixville Notch, NH: Obama wins 15 - 6. Yes, Dixville Notch is not exactly a megalopolis, but it continues the tradition, first started in 1960, til this day.

It should be noted that voting results from 2004 were decidedly different: Bush beat Kerry 19 - 7, and Dixville Notch has not voted for a Democrat since 1968!

At the same time, voting results are also in from neighboring Hart's Location, which reported 17 votes for Obama, 10 for McCain and two for write-in Ron Paul.

Yep, in 2008, who cares about exit polls when you have the actual results, right? Don't expect voting to go as smoothly, or without long lines, in the rest of the country.

Dixville Notch has a well organized voting process: all the eligible voters gather at midnight in the ballroom of The Balsams. Voters cast their ballots and the polls officially close one minute later.

Vote fast, or voting results won't include you, it seems.

Hart's Location halted its "competition" for the first vote in the 1964, but again started up early voting in 1996. It actually has an earlier tradition than Dixville Notch, beginning in 1948, but with the 1964 halt, Dixville Notch gets the majority of news nowadays, regarding early voting results.

So, exit polls of 2008 (or rather voting results 2008) from the two earliest "townships" show Obama in the lead. More to come, obviously, as the battleground states weigh in.

Cloris Leachman's antics are over on "Dancing with the Stars."

The actress and her professional partner, Corky Ballas, were eliminated Tuesday from ABC's popular dancing competition. The pair received the judges' lowest score — 15 out of 30 — for their cha-cha routine Monday. Viewer votes and the judges' scores were combined, sending the outspoken performer out of the ballroom.

Celebrities remaining in the competition include TV personality Brooke Burke, singer Lance Bass, former NFL star Warren Sapp, Olympic gold medalist Maurice Greene, actor Cody Linley and actress Susan Lucci. Singer Toni Braxton, chef Rocco DiSpirito, reality TV star Kim Kardashian, actor Ted McGinley and comedian Jeffrey Ross were dismissed earlier.

Viswanathan Anand kept the World title after a 24-move draw in the 11th and penultimate game of the 12-game World Chess Championship final in Bonn, on Wednesday.

The Indian, playing with white pieces against Russia's Kramnik, took an unbeatable 6.5-4.5 lead to retain his crown.

The game opened in a Sicilian Najdorf, as Anand was expected to go for a draw and Kramnik attempting to thwart all such attempts to try and force a victory to keep himself in the match and take it to the 12th game to force a tie-breaker.

The game ended in a draw as Kramnik failed to find a way for victory despite trying to complicate the game.

Even as Anand was celebrating his triumph and meeting the media, he received a message from Rajendra S Pawar, chairman NIIT [Get Quote], which has had a long-standing relationship with the Grandmaster for the last 10 years.

Pawar, in a message from Delhi, said, "We congratulate NIIT MindChampion, Vishy Anand on becoming the undisputed World Chess champion.

"Anand has displayed a grand strategy in 2008 by choosing the games that he wanted to win, foregoing an important tournament like Bilbao to focus on and win the ultimate match with Kramnik."

Anand earlier won three games, the third, fifth and sixth and lost the 10th in a match that looked one-sided till Kramnik brought back some life with a win in 10th game.

In the 11th game, Anand needing only a draw, managed that in a game that had a 1. e4 start and led to a Sicilian-Najdorf, which Kramnik rarely plays.

Kramnik went all out for a win and tried to create wild and unstable positions to throw Anand off-guard, but the Indian Grandmaster was up to the task.

In fact, as Kramnik overstretched in a do-or-die battle, he actually allowed Anand greater play and may well have lost.

According to the pre-match rules, the two players share the purse of 1.5 million Euros equally.

The BBC said on Wednesday it has suspended Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross as the row grows over crude messages they left on the answerphone of actor Andrew Sachs during a radio show.

The Radio 2 presenters had joked on air that Brand had slept with the granddaughter of 78-year-old Sachs, who played Spanish waiter Manuel in the classic comedy series "Fawlty Towers", and said he might kill himself after hearing their messages.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has joined the voices condemning the presenters' actions while Georgina Baillie, Sachs' 23-year-old granddaughter, said they should be sacked. In the light of the furore, with more than 18,000 complaints received from the public, BBC Director-General Mark Thompson said he had decided to take action.

"This gross lapse of taste by the performers and the production team has angered licence payers. I am determined that we satisfy them that any lessons will be learnt and appropriate action taken," he said in a statement.

"I have decided that it is not appropriate for either Russell Brand or Jonathan Ross to continue broadcasting on the BBC until I have seen the full report of the actions of all concerned."

Thompson said he wanted to add his own "personal and unreserved apology" to Sachs, his family and to licence fee payers for the "completely unacceptable broadcast". "It is clear from the views expressed by the public that this broadcast has caused severe offence and I share that view," he said.

Baillie told the Sun she had been a past lover of Brand but said she felt the presenters were "beyond contempt". "What's funny about humiliating a lovely old man who has never harmed anyone in his life," she said. "They should at least pay for what they've done with their jobs."

Politicians have voiced their disapproval and media watchdog Ofcom is to investigate the broadcast. "This is clearly inappropriate and unacceptable behaviour, as is now widely recognised," Brown said. "Ofcom have said they will investigate the matter and it is for the BBC, the BBC Trust and Ofcom to take any appropriate action."

Sachs himself said the presenters had sent him apologies but they had not expressed their remorse to Baillie. "I am very glad that people are taking a stand and putting it far more eloquently than I can," he told the Daily Mail. "It seems that things go too far on TV and radio, so I would certainly say that something needs to be done before the world goes to the dogs."

Ross, who also presents a television chat show, and Brand are among the best known names on BBC radio. Ross' current BBC contract is widely reported to be worth 18 million pounds over three years.

Two white supremacists allegedly plotted to go on a national killing spree, shooting and decapitating black people and ultimately targeting Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, federal authorities said Monday.

In all, the two men whom officials describe as neo-Nazi skinheads planned to kill 88 people — 14 by beheading, according to documents unsealed in U.S. District Court in Jackson, Tenn. The numbers 88 and 14 are symbolic in the white supremacist community.

The spree, which initially targeted an unidentified predominantly African-American school, was to end with the two men driving toward Obama, "shooting at him from the windows," the court documents show.

"Both individuals stated they would dress in all white tuxedos and wear top hats during the assassination attempt," the court complaint states. "Both individuals further stated they knew they would and were willing to die during this attempt."

An Obama spokeswoman traveling with the senator in Pennsylvania had no immediate comment.

Sheriffs' deputies in Crockett County, Tenn., arrested the two suspects — Daniel Cowart, 20, of Bells, Tenn., and Paul Schlesselman 18, of Helena-West Helena, Ark. — Oct. 22 on unspecified charges. "Once we arrested the defendants and suspected they had violated federal law, we immediately contacted federal authorities," said Crockett County Sheriff Troy Klyce.

The two were charged by federal authorities Monday with possessing an unregistered firearm, conspiring to steal firearms from a federally licensed gun dealer, and threatening a candidate for president.

Cowart and Schlesselman are being held without bond. Agents seized a rifle, a sawed-off shotgun and three pistols from the men when they were arrested. Authorities alleged the two men were preparing to break into a gun shop to steal more.

You can watch the Video by clicking here

The ICL Executive Board on Monday decided to suspend Chandigarh Lions's skipper Chris Cairns and batsman Dinesh Mongia for the remaining season of the league.

While, no apparent reason was given for the move, former India wicketkeeper and league's executive board member Kiran More merely termed it as a breach of contract.

"They have been suspended as there has been a breach of contract on their part," said More without elaborating on the details.

However, there were reports that Chandigarh Lions captain Chris Cairns and middle order batsman Dinesh Mongia have been suspended by the Executive Board of the Indian Cricket League over match-fixing.

But the reports could not be confirmed and attempts by HT to reach the ICL offcials in this regard were unssuccessul.

Meanwhile, Andrew Hall has been named as the new skipper for Chandigarh Lion's team.

Incidentally, this is not an isolated event this season as earlier Dhaka Warriors' wicketkeeper batsman Dhiman Ghosh too was suspended for a match on disciplinary grounds.

After Shabana Azmi, Preity Zinta is the second Indian actress to ever win an award at the Chicago International Film Festival. After winning accolades at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this year, Preity's risk in taking on a role like Chand in Heaven on Earth has definitely payed off.

"I am so happy and excited. I'm going to have a blissfully debauched celebration this evening. It was my director Deepa Mehta who informed me on Saturday afternoon that I had won. Neither Deepa nor I could go to Chicago, I'm thrilled that I've done it without any lobbying," she excitedly told Subhash K. Jha.

Director Deepa Mehta is equally thrilled and describes Preity as 'luminous' in the film. Mehta is currently promoting her film in Canada as the film released this past Friday to great reviews.

Preity, on the other hand, is finally seeing her hard work pay off. After playing similar candyfloss roles in several films, Preity opted for a change with films like The Last Lear, Heaven on Earth and Heroes. For Heroes, Preity has been praised immensely as well.

"I'm walking on sunshine. Do you know everyone discouraged me from doing Heaven On Earth and Heroes? But I wanted a change," she adds.

Without a doubt, this is an honour well-deserved!

American vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin says the US$150,000 in clothes and accessories bought for her by the Republican Party don't belong to her.

She equated the high-priced wardrobe with the stage equipment at campaign rallies.

Dogged for days by the brouhaha over outfits from upscale stores such as Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue, the Alaska Governor yesterday hit back, saying she and her family lived frugally.

To emphasise her point, she wore jeans at an event in Asheville, North Carolina.

"This whole thing with the wardrobe, I try to ignore it because it's so ridiculous," Governor Palin told a Florida crowd earlier in the day.

"Those clothes, they are not my property, just like the lighting and the staging and everything else the Republican National Committee purchased," she said.

"I'm not taking them with me. I'm back to wearing my old clothes from my favourite [secondhand] shop in Anchorage, Alaska."

Governor Palin talked about her accessories - given to her by her husband's Yup'ik Eskimo mother, and "a US$35 wedding ring from Hawaii that I bought myself".

The expensive clothes are a contrast to the image being promoted of Governor Palin as an average "hockey mom."

In North Carolina, the candidate was joined by country artist Gretchen Wilson, who performed her song Redneck Woman.

Republican presidential candidate John McCain yesterday rejected suggestions that Governor Palin is hurting his campaign.

"I don't defend her. I praise her," he said. "She is exactly what Washington needs."

Senator McCain also dismissed criticism of the shopping spree.

"She lives a frugal life. She and her family are not wealthy. She and her family were thrust into this ... "

Tracey Schmitt, Governor Palin's campaign spokeswoman, said a third of the high-priced clothing had been returned after the Republican national convention in September, and "many of the remaining clothes have never been worn".

1. Use clothes that you already have at home. If you must buy, then purchase something that you can wear again by mixing with other wearable items. For instance, if you want to go as Catwoman, look for a black miniskirt or pair of shorts and wear it with a tank top and high-heeled boots. Don’t have boots? Borrow from a fashion-savvy friend instead of buying. You can also unearth your prom gown and go as a Disney princess.

2. Play around with makeup and wigs. Nothing changes your look more than a drastic change of hair and makeup. Go all out by painting your face green ala Maleficent from “Sleeping Beauty,” or try on a blond wig and go as Marilyn Monroe. Host a makeup party at home before you go out with your friends—you can help each other transform into a fearsome villain or bashful princess.

3. Go as a recognizable character. It isn’t a costume if you go as say, Gossip Girl’s Blair Waldorf-five years from now, you’ll wish that you did something more outrageous instead of planting a satin bow on your head. Not only will you catch everyone’s attention, you’ll also have a blast acting out your character the entire night.

4. Bring props. It’s easier to identify your chosen character if you bring props when you go to parties. Try to make them as close to the original as possible—especially if the character has an iconic prop, like Snow White’s apple.

5. If you’re going in a group, try to follow a theme. It makes for more hilarious planning sessions with your friends, and you’ll have great photos to boot. If you’re into couple costumes (it takes guts and the ability to withstand copious amounts of teasing), try going as a devil and angel.

The reality TV star recently went under the knife for extensive liposuction and to reduce her mammoth GG boobs.

She's mightily pleased with the result.

Kerry told Zoo magazine: "I cried at first because I was so shocked. I love it.

"My waist has got smaller, my boobs have been healing.

"Now I can wear size 10 tops. I couldn't get my t*ts in them before!

"I feel sexier, my confidence has come back and everyone keeps telling me how amazing I look, which is really cool."

Kerry felt anything but sexy before her surgery, especially in regards to her boobs.

"When I split with Brian [McFadden] I lost so much weight that my boobs disappeared, so I had implants put in," added Kerry in OK! magazine.

"But, after Max and Heidi [her last two babies] they dropped and the implants stayed where they were, so it looked like I had two boobs on each side.

"I've had the implants taken out and they've been lifted. I can't stop feeling them and showing them off!"

Kerry also commented on her recent feud with a fellow glamour girl who has trouble fitting boobs into tops - JORDAN.

The pair have been trading blows ever since Jordan, real name Katie Price, criticised Kerry's fella MARK CROFT.

However Kerry has hinted she may be about to call a truce by refusing to add more bait to the battle.

"There was a story that I was going to write a book about her," explained Kerry.

"That’s hilarious – and bulls**t. I’ve only met her six times. What the hell could I write about her?"

Though Kerry couldn't resist adding a final home truth about her busty rival regarding her role as a bridesmaid at Jordan's wedding to PETER ANDRE.

Kerry added: "I think that was just because OK! offered her more money if she had celebrities there. I actually wish her all the best. But I just wish she’d stop playing up to the press."

Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie are to divorce, their PR representatives have confirmed. After nearly eight years of marriage, and countless denials of domestic trouble, the singer and director are calling it a day. Madonna's spokesman, Liz Rosenberg, confirmed the separation in a joint statment issued on behalf of the couple.

Relations between the couple are said to be still cordial, and it's likely they will agree a divorce settlement without airing their dirty laundry in a court room, Madonna's spokesperson Liz Rosenberg said.

The former couple announced their split with a short joint statement that read: "Madonna and Guy Ritchie have agreed to divorce after seven-and-a-half years of marriage.They have both requested that the media maintain respect for their family at this difficult time. The main concern for Madonna and Guy are their children - the security of their children in all senses of the word and the wellbeing of their children."

The Splitsville news comes after British tabloid The Sun reported yesterday that a divorce announcement was imminent. The tabloid quoted a "highly placed" source as saying the pair "can't bear to live with the pretence any longer," so decided to end the charade.

Predictably, tongues have already started wagging around the proverbial water cooler as to why the couple split. So far, fingers are pointing directly at both their careers as catalysts, and Madge's alleged fling with A-Rod.