Angelina issues plea

In an article for the Washington Post, Angelina Jolie has issued an urgent call for relief funds on behalf of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. After a tour of refugee camps close to the Sudanese border, Jolie warned that the UNHCR and NGO aid agencies are in "a race against time before the rainy season comes" later this month. "There has been a groundswell of public support for action," the actress writes. "People may disagree on how to intervene - airstrikes, sending troops, sanctions, divestment - but we all should agree that the slaughter must be stopped and the perpetrators brought to justice... It has become clear to me that there will be no enduring peace without justice. History shows that there will be another Darfur, another exodus, in a vicious cycle of bloodshed and retribution. But an international court finally exists. It will be as strong as the support we give it. This might be the moment we stop the cycle of violence and end our tolerance for crimes against humanity... What the worst people in the world fear is justice. That's what we should deliver." Read the full article here.

Angelina back in Africa

Angelina Jolie won't be on the red carpet tonight at the Academy Awards - the humanitarian is back in Africa on a United Nations mission. Jolie arrived in Chad today and is scheduled to visit refugee camps near the Sudanese border. The goal of her trip is to continue to raise awareness about the continuing crisis on Darfur.

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Jessica turns swag into sweet charity

Jessica Simpson proved her heart is good recently by turning a car she won during last year's MTV Video Music Awards festivities into a seven-passenger van for an orphanage she sponsors in Mexico. "Last week, someone asked Mama Lupito [who runs the orphanage] if she could use a van..." a source close to Simpson says. "Mama Lupita said, 'Of course we could use it.' So then she was told she was getting a brand-new seven-passenger van from Jessica Simpson for the orphanage." The Public Affair singer won a Chrysler Crossfire at a swag suite last fall. "Instead of the Chrysler Crossfire, she decided to get a minivan for the orphanage instead," confirmed a rep for Chrysler. Simpson has more plans to help out - she is auctioning off the red dress she wears in her new Pizza Hut commercial on eBay, and will donate the proceeds to the orphanage.

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Gwyneth ready to get back to work

Gwyneth Paltrow showed her support for people battling cancer by hosting a diamond jewelry auction in NYC last night to raise money for Hope Lodge, which provides free housing for adult cancer patients undergoing treatment. "My life has been affected by cancer in so many different ways," said the actress, who lost her father to the disease in 2002. "When my father had cancer, he found it so isolating. It's very difficult to empathize with if you haven't gone through it." The mom of two children, Apple and Moses, with Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, says she's ready to step back into the acting world. "I haven't done a real part in a long time," she said. "I'm going back to work now... When I had kids, I just wanted to be with them."

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Gore announces Live Earth concert event

Al Gore announced a massive series of concerts to draw attention to the threat of climate change. The 24-hour worldwide Live Earth event will take place on July 7, and is part of the Save Our Selves campaign. Gore drew on star power to help make the announcement, with Cameron Diaz and producer Pharrell Williams on hand at the press conference. "I've been driving a Prius since they came out," Diaz said. "I carbon neutralize when I travel... I recycle. If we can get people to change one aspect of their lives, even do one thing, that's a step closer." Performers expected to take part include Lenny Kravitz, the Foo Fighters, Melissa Etheridge, Sheryl Crow, John Mayer, Duran Duran, the Black Eyed Peas, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. Concerts will take place in Shanghai, Johannesburg, Sydney, London, and cities yet to be announced in Japan, Brazil and the U.S. Proceeds from the event will go to the creation of a foundation to fight against climate change led by The Alliance for Climate Protection, which is chaired by former vice president Gore. "In order to solve the climate crisis, we have to reach billions of people," Gore said in a statement about the event. "The climate crisis will only be stopped by an unprecedented and sustained global movement."

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Thandie's environmental pleas ignored by celebs

Crash actress Thandie Newton is hoping to change the world - one celebrity at a time. Newton wrote letters to a host of A-listers, including Madonna, Jack Nicholson, David Beckham, Tom Cruise and Chris Martin in the hopes of convincing them to trade in their SUVs for hybrids. "I didn't get one letter back," the actress says. "I wasn't judgmental. It was like, 'In case you didn't know here are some facts about the environment and reasons why it turns out 4x4s aren't that great to have in the city.'" The actress has also set her sights on persuading Oprah to go green. "I was staying with Oprah recently and I suggested that she switches her whole fleet of cars," Newton said. "I really hope she does. It would do so much good."

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Alicia gives back

Alicia Keys is proving her passion for humanitarian causes by offering $5,000 college scholarships to students from four cities as part of the Open Doors Scholars Program. "We're just looking for standout students who are definitely college-bound and need a little bit of help financially to really achieve their dreams," says Keys. The winners will be chosen from students in Jacksonville, New Orleans, Atlanta and Harlem, NYC, and in return for the funds, the winners will represent the program at their respective schools and give back with community service.

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Blood Diamond star considers African adoption

Jennifer Connelly spent some time at an orphanage in Sierra Leone while filming Blood Diamond and was desperate to adopt a child, but her relationship with her nine-year-old son Kai prevented her. "We absolutely considered adopting," Connelly says. "We have a son who went through a separation of his parents and then a new stepfather and a new sibling. He's had a lot of change so of course I really have to be sensitive to him... One of the kids I became close to was older than him. What would that mean to my family? Would my son feel displaced, all of a sudden having an older sibling who didn't speak the language and would need so much more time and attention?... These are all concerns of mine and reasons why I didn't come home with a child even though, believe me, I would call Paul [Bettany] at night when he was away. I'd say, 'There's this baby and I don't know what to do and I love him so much and if I leave him here he might die.' It's complicated, but we are still considering."

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A-list stars go green

Many Hollywood A-listers will go green on Monday night when they head to the "Greenest Party on Earth" after the Golden Globes ceremony and banquet. Jake Gyllenhaal, Eva Longoria and Sarah Jessica Parker are due at the bash thrown by E! in conjunction with the Environmental Media Association, which will feature recycled decorations, sustainable plants and flowers, and an entirely organic menu. The eco party will take place in a former Robinsons-May store, which is being transformed into an environmentally sustainable luxury residence. A tree will be planted for every party guest to help offset the carbon emissions generated by the event. Let's hope other party planners take their lead.

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Brit does a good deed

Britney Spears perpetrated a random act of kindness on Wednesday when she handed a wad of cash to a homeless man. After withdrawing money from an ATM, Spears was stopped at a traffic light in LA when her car was approached by a homeless man. "Britney rolled down the window and handed the guy $300," said a source. "She said, 'Good luck and happy new year!' The guy almost had a heart attack... Britney wants to do good - for herself and the world. That's what she's all about."

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