Roman Polanski, Abba, and Liam Neeson

A US judge has formally rejected Roman Polanski's request that a 1978 rape case against him is dismissed.

Judge Peter Espinoza agreed there was misconduct by the judge in the original case, but said Mr Polanski must return to the US to apply for dismissal.

Mr Polanski fled to France in 1978 before he could be sentenced for having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl.

Mr Polanski's lawyers said he would not return to the US because he would be immediately arrested as a fugitive.

He cannot be extradited from France.

The judge had asked to be forewarned if the director was planning to appear in court, in order to give time to arrange security. The case has drawn a high level of media attention.

The director put in his request to have the conviction dismissed after a documentary about him, Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, uncovered new facts about the case.

The film suggested that the judge who heard the original case, who has since died, agreed a plea bargain with the director but then went back on the deal after intervention by the prosecution.

Judge Espinoza watched the documentary and said he thought there had been "substantial misconduct", but that the Oscar-winning director was not entitled to challenge the ruling while on the run.

The girl in the original case, Samantha Geimer, is now 45. She has previously said that asking Mr Polanski to appear in person would be a "cruel joke".

A lawyer acting on her behalf said in court: "The time has come for this case to end."
so is she saying she wants it dismissed? CONFUSED
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Abba duo Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus have unveiled their first new pop songs for more than 15 years.
One track, Second Best To None, has been recorded by employees at the hotel Andersson owns in Stockholm.

It was written for the staff as a treat and has been released as a single in Sweden. "We all had some fun doing this. They can sing," Andersson said.

A second track, Story of A Heart, will appear on the first English-language album from Andersson's current band.

Andersson and Ulvaeus enjoyed huge global success as the songwriters in Abba in the 1970s and early '80s. The band's popularity has enjoyed a resurgence thanks to the hit Mamma Mia movie last year.

The pair have continued to work together over the years, including the Chess musical in the 1980s, and Andersson said their last pop collaboration was on songs for an album by singer Josefin Nilsson in the early 1990s.

"We haven't done any pop songs for a long time," the musician said.

Andersson had the idea to record Second Best To None last September at the Hotel Rival's fifth birthday party, where the workforce had gathered.

"I realised that at least 20 of them were singing in amateur choirs in Stockholm," he said. "I asked them, do you want me to write a song for you and we can put it on our homepage? They said yes so that's what I did.

"And I asked Bjorn if he would like to write the lyrics, and we recorded it with the staff. We released it as a single as well. It's just a lot of fun and it's taking care of the staff at the hotel more than anything else."

Story of A Heart, meanwhile, will feature on an album of the same name by The Benny Andersson Band.

The new track has been recorded by one of the group's vocalists, Helen Sjoholm, and will sit alongside folk tunes that have previously been released in Sweden.

Ulvaeus wrote Swedish lyrics for the originals, and has translated them into English for the UK release on 6 July.

"It's a nice prospect to be able to release music I've been doing for the last 10 years, which is folk oriented," Andersson said.

The group will also play their first English concert on Hampstead Heath on 4 July.

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Nearly four decades after enrolling in Queen's University, Belfast, actor Liam Neeson has received a doctorate from the university.

The Ballymena-born star was an undergraduate at Queen's in 1971 as a Physics and Computer Science student, before leaving to work in Guinness.

He was awarded an honorary doctorate in New York by Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Gregson.

The actor said he would "finally" be able to tell his mother he graduated.

The professor revealed details from the actor's original university application form from 1970.

He said his academic referee from Ballymena Technical College said Liam was confidently expected to obtain high grades in Maths, Physics and Geometrical Drawing.

As well as commenting on his pleasant personality and hard-working approach, his teacher hinted at what was to come for when he wrote: "Liam's chief interest would appear to be amateur dramatics, in which he has played the leading role in the last two productions of the College play."

Professor Gregson awarded the actor with a Doctorate of the University for his Outstanding Contribution and Service to the Arts.

"From an acting career which first began at the age of 11, Liam Neeson has gone on to become one of the leading, international motion-picture figures of our time," he said.

"Liam's outstanding drive and resolute belief that the arts can contribute much to society has seen his star remain in the ascendency. He is to be commended for his continuing contribution to the sector both on the big screen and at his home in Northern Ireland, where he continues to provide vital support for local theatre."

Dr Neeson said that Northern Ireland would "always be home".

"I have often found that no matter where I meet people in the world, there is a path that leads back to Queen's," he said.

"Queen's University flies the flag for the arts in Northern Ireland and beyond.

"It is to be commended on its commitment to the arts sector and in nurturing new talent through its broad range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses."

Liam Neeson has starred in more than 50 television and film productions and was nominated for an Oscar for his performance as Oskar Schindler in Schindler's List.

In March, his wife of 15 years, Natasha Richardson, died of head injuries after a fall at a ski resort in Quebec.

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