Reports of a possible tour to mark The Stones's 50th anniversary had been circulating for a number of years. Making the announcement in a video on YouTube, the band said, "You must have guessed this was coming."
"Surely you didn't think we weren't going to do this? Soon we will be back on stage playing for you in two cities that know how to rock and roll." Mick Jagger suggested there could be some special guests at the shows, saying there would be "maybe a few friends joining us".
The Rolling Stones' last world tour, A Bigger Bang, played to 4.5m people in 32 countries over two years before it finished in London in 2007.
Remembering Whitney - Celebrities have paid tribute to Whitney Houston as part of a special Grammy television show in Los Angeles. Britney Spears, Halle Berry and LL Cool J were among the presenters at the Nokia Theatre honouring the singer who died in February aged 48.There were also musical performances from Jennifer Hudson and Usher who sang some of Houston's hits. We Will Always Love You: A Grammy Salute to Whitney Houston will be broadcast in the US on 13 November.
Cinema Revival - A London cinema which hosted the UK's first proper public screening is being restored, with the help of a £1.5m Heritage Lottery Fund grant. The Regent Street Cinema, within the University of Westminster's flagship building, first screened the Lumiere brothers' moving picture show in 1896. Considered the birthplace of British cinema, it is currently used as a lecture theatre. Following the restoration it will open to the public, filmmakers and students.
Under Pressure - The government is under increased pressure to clamp down on unpaid work in the entertainment industry, after research revealed that a third of new entrants to the sector have worked for free on 10 or more jobs. The survey was carried out by BECTU, and the results have been included in the union's response to the Low Pay Commission's 2013 report, due to be published in February. The report advises the government on policy concerning the national minimum wage.
Both BECTU and Equity have issued responses to the LPC, calling on Whitehall to take a more robust stance on companies that break the law by hiring actors and backstage staff on rates lower than the minimum wage, or for no money at all. In particular, BECTU is calling for the advertising of unpaid work to be made illegal.
Martin Spence, BECTU assistant general secretary, said: "I think our survey reveals there is a lot of anger, disappointment and frustration about the prevalence of unpaid work, and a range of opinions, [from those who wonder] whether this is just the way the world is, to those who believe absolutely passionately it must and should be challenged."
Illegal Ticketing - A man who made nearly £4m from an illegal ticketing business has been jailed for 22 months, after pleading guilty to money laundering. David Spanton, from Holloway in London, appeared at Southwark Crown Court where he also admitted four counts of obtaining credit while bankrupt. He stole the money through websites offering fake gig and sports tickets. Spanton had already been disqualified for 15 years in 2009 from running similar kinds of companies. Despite the ban the 42-year-old continued to run an online business and used the sites to launder money.
(Jim Evans)
