"Mad Men" will return to U.S. television for a sixth season on April 7 with a special two-hour premiere written by its creator Matthew Weiner, the AMC cable channel said Wednesday.

In a statement, AMC said the multiple Emmy award-winning series centered on a New York advertising agency in the 1960s will again feature original cast members Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, John Slattery and Christina Hendricks.

Beyonce did not sing the U.S. national anthem live at this week's public swearing-in ceremony of President Barack Obama for his second term, CNN quoted an inaugural official as saying Wednesday.

The R&B singer has yet to comment on the furor over whether or not she lip-synced the words on Monday to "The Star-Spangled Banner" before an estimated crowd of one million people on the National Mall in Washington.

Chely Wright, the first major American country music star to come out publicly as gay, said Wednesday she and her same-sex spouse are expecting twins this summer.

"They're due in July, but with identical twins you typically have to deliver a month early," said Wright alongside wife Lauren Blitzer-Wright in a web chat with her publicist Howard Bragman.

French dancer and choreographer Benjamin Millepied, best known for a role alongside his future wife Natalie Portman in the film "Black Swan", was Thursday named dance director at the Paris Opera.

The 35-year-old, who began his career at the New York City Ballet where he quickly rose to become a principal dancer in 2002, will replace Brigitte Lefevre at the prestigious Paris establishment in October 2014, the opera said.

Grammy-winning British songstress Adele is to perform the Oscar-nominated theme song from 007 blockbuster "Skyfall" at next month's Academy Awards show, organizers said Wednesday.

The performance will be the first time she has sung the song live, and her first U.S. television appearance since last year's Grammys. The tune is nominated for Best Original Song at the February 24 event.

Colombian pop star Shakira and Barcelona defender Gerard Pique on Wednesday announced the birth of their son Milan.

"We are pleased to announce the birth of Milan Pique Mebarak, son of Shakira Mebarak and Gerard Pique, on January 22 at 9:36 pm (2036 GMT), in Barcelona, Spain," the pair said on Twitter.

Google said Tuesday that the YouTube page showcasing the "Gangnam Style" video by South Korean rapper Psy has reaped more than $8 million in ad revenue.

Google Chief Business Officer Nikesh Arora revealed the figure while discussing the money-making potential of YouTube during a quarterly earnings call with financial analysts.

Pussy Riot is more than just a punk band, and is seeking a "feminist revolution" in Russian society, according to the co-director of a film shown at the Sundance Film Festival this week.

Maxim Pozdorovkin says the group, whose members were jailed last year for taking part in a "punk prayer" at a Moscow cathedral, is against far more than just President Vladimir Putin.

Alan Parker, the much-lauded British director whose work includes "Midnight Express," ''Fame" and "Mississippi Burning," is receiving the British Academy Film Awards' highest honor.

The 68-year-old will collect the BAFTA Fellowship at the London ceremony next month. While known for being outspoken, Parker said Tuesday that he'll be "gracious and thankful" on the big night rather than political.

Pop diva Lady Gaga and veteran crooner Tony Bennett spanned the generations Tuesday as President Barack Obama offered a final thank you to his army of campaign volunteers at his last inaugural ball.

Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama appeared at a staff ball, which drew more than 10,000 guests, a day after official inaugural ceremonies marking the start of his second White House term.