Lohan 'not taking sentence seriously'

A Los Angeles judge has revoked Lindsay Lohan's probation because she failed to perform
community service, admonishing the troubled actress for failing to treat her sentence
seriously.

At a progress hearing for Lohan on Wednesday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Stephanie
Sautner called her previous ruling of probation on a theft charge a "gift" and told Lohan
"there's something called looking a gift horse in the mouth."

Earlier this year, Judge Sautner sentenced the actress to 360 hours community service at a
women's detention centre, and another 120 hours at a morgue as part of a punishment for
stealing a gold necklace from a jewellery store.

The Mean Girls actress also served 35 days under house arrest and was ordered into a
shoplifter's counselling program and psychological therapy.

Lohan's attorney, Shawn Holley, tried in vain to argue that her client had complied
substantially with portions of Judge Sautner's sentence and should be allowed to continue
uninterrupted on probation.

But Judge Sautner said she was troubled that Lohan had "blown off" the court's order to work
at a downtown Los Angeles women's detention centre, and instead was reassigned by city
officials to work in a Red Cross program without court approval.

Judge Sautner noted that in the past six months, Lohan had completed only a tiny fraction of
her community service.

"Nobody has the power to change my sentence," Judge Sautner said, then later pronounced,
"I am revoking her probation."

Lohan, 25, dressed demurely in white, spent much of the court session shaking her head as
she was admonished by the judge. She was led from the courtroom in handcuffs, then posted
bail of $100,000 and was allowed to go home.

Judge Sautner ordered Lohan to appear at a November 2 hearing at which court officials and
attorneys will present evidence as to whether Lohan did, in fact, violate her probation. If so,
she could be returned to jail.
 Westlife to split up after 14 UK number ones

Irish pop act Westlife will split up following a farewell tour next year in order to pursue new
ventures, the band said overnight, calling a halt to a 14-year career that has featured 14
British number one singles.

The boy band, put together by pop impresario Louis Walsh when its five original members
were still in their teens, sold more than 44 million albums worldwide and saw seven of their
11 albums hit the top spot in Britain.

One of its members, Bryan McFadden, left in 2004 but the band continued on as a foursome,
releasing six more albums.

Westlife said their second greatest hits album, due out in November, would be their last.

"The decision is entirely amicable and after spending all of our adult life together so far, we
want to have a well-earned break and look at new ventures," Westlife said in a statement on
their website.

"We never imagined when we started out in 1998 that 14 years later we would still be
recording, touring and having hits together. It has been a dream come true for all of us."

Westlife, who failed to emulate their British success in the United States, will play a nine-
date farewell tour next year, due to end in Glasgow in May and which currently features no
shows in their hometown of Ireland.

Reuters