Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Apr 12, 2011

Those @$#%* Foreigners:

France's ban on full face veils went into force on Monday. The ban --Europe's first-- slaps anyone who wears a Muslim burqa in public a fine of about $215-dollars.
Less than two-thousand women among the five-million Muslims who live in France currently wear burqas. Many Muslim leaders say they support neither the veil nor the law banning it. (Pacelli)

Crisis in Japan:

One month after a devastating earthquake and tsunami, Japan's nuclear safety agency has decided to increase the crisis level at the country's troubled Fukushima nuclear plant from 5 to 7, the highest disaster ranking recognized internationally.
That rating has only been used once in history --in 1986, during the Chernobyl disaster in the Soviet Union. (Three Mile Island was a five.)
At the same time, Japan extended the evacuation zone around the Fukushima plant, planning to resettle people from several towns that are between 20 and 30 kilometers from the site. The risk is not immediate, according to Japanese officials, but is meant to protect against dangers of long-term exposure to radiation. Some 62-thousand people will be affected. (Maiman)

The Hollywood Reporter says Tokyo Disneyland, which had shut down Mar 11 after the big Japanese earthquake, is set to reopen Friday, although the park will not be open after 6 pm, due to electricity shortages.

Trolling for publicity:

"Gossip Girl" star BLAKE LIVELY is getting something every girl dreams of --her own, real-life Barbie Doll! Blake told AbsoluteNow.com that coming to life in a toy is flat-out "wild" and she can't wait to play with the silicone-version of herself.
Meanwhile, Blake is reportedly talking to OLIVER STONE about the lead in his upcoming film, "Savages," about a couple of Southern California marijuana dealers who are forced to work for a Mexican drug cartel after Ophelia, the free-spirited girlfriend they share, is kidnapped.
Daily Variety magazine says BENICIO DEL TORO is in talks to play the Mexican heavy, with AARON JOHNSON and TAYLOR KITSCH as the two dealers from Laguna Beach.

What's hot in Hollywood from Star magazine:
--Prada private customized sunglasses --have the designer put your initials on your shades
--Lancome Natural Juicy Tubes --lipgloss
--SlimQuick Ultra Fat Burner caplets
--LISA OZ's book, "Us" (Myers)

TV news:

The girls from "Desperate Housewives" have apparently finalized their deals to return to the hit ABC series next fall with a one-year deal with an option for a second year which would pay them each around $18 million bucks EACH for the package.
That seems like a lot of money --apparently it works out to a base salary of around $350,000, plus other incentives for TERI HATCHER, FELICITY HUFFMAN, MARCIA CROSS and EVA LONGORIA.
VANESSA WILLIAMS will also be back on Wisteria Lane, but no word on her compensation.

Grace notes:

BRITNEY SPEARS is on a new remix of RIHANNA's latest single, "S&M." The track was released yesterday and has Britney adding some super sexy lyrics. This all started a few months ago when Rihanna asked her Twitter followers who they wanted her to collaborate with. The number one answer was Britney. (Marino)