Extravagant arts events are out of place in a recession

Adam Brody has come a long way since The OC – but his appeal with the ladies shows no sign of waning, says Kaleem Aftab

Your weekly guide to what's really going on in the world of books

It is important, in fashion as in all other areas of life, to know your own strengths. With this in mind, and if I have to say so myself, I have it nailed where classics are concerned. I know precisely where to find the perfect sweater, T-shirt, pair of jeans, tailored jacket/trousers, little black dress and coat. I know, too, that the only bag I'm ever likely to carry is a large and relatively simple one and that I'm wedded, perhaps improbably, given my chosen career, to flat shoes. Even poolside, I understand only too well that a pared-down black bikini and/or one-piece suits me best; no itsy-bitsy polka dot malarkey for me.

The Lib Dem conference proved that some politicians still represent more than themselves, while people power also informs a new actuality TV soap

Mischa Barton is "making improvements" and plans a return to work nearly a week after Los Angeles police say they escorted her for an undisclosed medical problem.

Actress Mischa Barton, former star of hit television series The OC, has been placed under involuntary psychiatric hold by the Los Angeles Police Department, according to reports.

What are you wearing right now?

An Elie Saab gown, as a result of the closing gala for Paris Couture Week.

Daniel Craig plays a Jewish fighter taking on the Nazis in a nearly classic war film

Today, Notting Hill is one of the nation's most exclusive enclaves, home to the rich, famous and fashionable. But it hasn't always been an oasis of affluence. Fifty years ago this week, it was gripped by the worst racial violence ever seen in Britain. Mark Olden hears the inside story of the riots and their aftermath

This teen sex comedy begins so badly it nearly challenges Bride Wars for the Worst of the Week, but it becomes a mildly amusing, even sweet, study of friendship turning to love as experienced by Ian (Josh Zuckerman) and Felicia (Amanda Crew) on a trip to Knoxville.

A chick flick of such unutterable vileness that by the end you may feel suicidal, or perhaps just homicidal.

The Sixth Sense Director: M Night Shyamalan Starring: Bruce Willis, Olivia Williams, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette (107 mins; 15)

MEMBERS OF the team behind Notting Hill, which this week became the most successful British movie ever, are hoping to emulate its success with an assortment of new projects.