Ronaldo to play himself in Iranian movie

Ronaldo is set to play himself in an Iranian movie about a Palestine girl who was killed before realizing her dream of meeting him.

Ronaldo has reached a deal to be part of the movie and will start filming as early as September in Lebanon, according to officials at the Brazil-Iran chamber of commerce, which is helping produce the movie.

Still without a title, the movie is based on the true story of Alneyrab, a 13-year-old girl who dreamed of meeting the football star when he visited the Middle East in a humanitarian mission in 2005. She was only able to watch her idol pass through along with his entourage, and later was killed in a conflict in the region.

Ronaldo's …

Carrey Nixes $7 Million Deal

NEW YORK Though Jim Carrey has quickly become one of the best-paidcomedians in the movie business, he's just left $7 million behind.

He left at the altar "The Best Man," a comedy about a groom'sattempt to get his institutionalized buddy to be his best man.

New Line Cinema had offered Carrey the role after he became anovernight star in "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective." The part of a crazedman who wreaks havoc at a …

John Singleton sues Paramount for $20 million

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Director and producer John Singleton is suing Paramount Pictures and MTV Films for at least $20 million, claiming fraud and breach of contract.

In a complaint filed Wednesday in Los Angeles, Singleton claims the studios failed to uphold an agreement connected with the distribution rights to 2005's "Hustle & Flow." The lawsuit claims the studios promised to finance and distribute two future Singleton productions within five years but added restrictions when he submitted the projects.

Paramount said in a statement Wednesday that it "was hoping that John Singleton would produce two more …

Summary Box: New home building rises

HOME CONSTRUCTION UP: Construction of homes surged 5.8 percent in April to the highest level in 18 months, fueled by buyers capitalizing on an expiring tax credit.

BUILDING PERMITS SINK: Permits for new construction sank 11.5 percent, signaling the rebound in …

A PACK OF POOCHES

Caption …

MABA task force lobbies for increase in labor rates

The Massachusetts Auto Body Association (MABA) formed a Labor Rate Review Committee less than a year ago to draw awareness to what the organization considers the unacceptably low labor rate that insurers have paid collision repairers in Massachusetts for almost 20 years.

After enduring what seems like an uphill battle to the committee, its efforts did not prove fruitless. In late January/early February, a few of the Massachusetts insurance companies raised their labor rates, says Robert Del Gallo of Factory Collision and Restoration in Weymouth, Mass., an MABA Labor Rates Committee board member.

He cited Amica as going from $32 to $36 and Premier/Travelers making the same …

Safin beaten in upset at St. Petersburg Open

Andrey Golubev of Kazakhstan advanced to his first career quarterfinal Thursday, beating eighth-seeded Marat Safin 6-4, 6-2 at the St. Petersburg Open.

Safin, the 31st-ranked Russian who has twice won the tournament, had trouble on his serve, winning only 15 of 51 returned points.

The 150th-ranked Golubev, who reached the second round of the U.S. Open in September, broke Safin in the fifth game of the first set but double-faulted three times in the next game to drop serve and stay level at 3-3.

In the ninth game, Safin saved three break points with aces but was broken on the third deuce and Golubev served for the set.

"The second …