Bikini banter

Philadelphia, May 3 (AP): A TV newswoman emailed vacation pictures of herself in a bikini to the anchor of the National Football League’s network, resulting in a flap that spilled over into the gossip columns.

The pictures were meant to be good fun between old friends, not an attempt to break up sports anchor Rich Eisen’s four-year-old marriage, KYW-TV newswoman Alycia Lane told The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The New York Post, which reported on the flap in a gossip column on Tuesday, said Eisen’s wife, ABC sports reporter Suzy Shuster got the emails in an account she shares with Eisen, and responded with a snarky letter to Lane.

“Boy, do you look amazing in a bikini ... congrats! Whatever you’re doing, (Yoga?) keep doing it — it’s working for you,” Shuster wrote, according to The Post. Lane said she was “mortified” by the whole story, saying the photos were part of “harmless” banter between “two old friends”.

Jovi rock

Newark, New Jersey (AP): New Jersey rockers Bon Jovi will be the first act at “The Rock”, the state’s newest arena, officials announced. The band will play several shows at the 19,500-seat Prudential Center starting on October 26, said Pat Smith, a spokesman for AEG New York/New Jersey, which is booking concerts and special events for the arena. The number of shows has not been determined, he said. Bon Jovi’s hits include You Give Love a Bad Name.

World web

Los Angeles (Reuters): By the time Spider-Man 3 opens in North America and Britain on Friday, the superhero will have already ensnared moviegoers around the world. Columbia Pictures started rolling out the third instalment of its lucrative comic-book adaptation on Tuesday in 16 countries -- eight each in Asia and Europe. First-day sales in those markets, which include Japan, South Korea, Germany and France, totalled $29.2 million, the Sony Corp.-owned studio said on Wednesday.