People in the news

The latest news on today's hottest celebrities ...

JULIAN BARNES: Four-time Man Booker prize nominee Julian Barnes finally won the British literary award Tuesday night for his novel "The Sense of an Ending."

The Guardian said Barnes' book beat out Carol Birch's "Jamrach's Menagerie," Patrick deWitt's "The Sisters Brothers," Esi Edugyan's "Half Blood Blues," Stephen Kelman's "Pigeon English" and A.D. Miller's "Snowdrops" for the honor.

The newspaper quoted the chair of the judges' panel, former MI5 Director General Stella Rimington, as saying Barnes' 150-page book had "the markings of a classic of English Literature."

"It is exquisitely written, subtly plotted and reveals new depths with each reading," Remington said.

The book is about the nature of memory and how people tend to amend the past to suit their well-being.

Asked what he will spend the $79,000 prize money on, The Guardian reported Barnes, 65, said he needed a new watch strap.

"I could buy a whole new watch," he quipped.

Barnes was nominated for the prize in 1984 for "Flaubert's Parrot," in 1998 for "England, England" and in 2005 for "Arthur & George."

CARSON KRESSLEY: TV personality Carson Kressley and his professional dance partner Anna Trebunskaya were voted off of "Dancing with the Stars" in Los Angeles Tuesday.

"I've got to say thank you to everyone involved with 'Dancing with the Stars.' First of all to Anna, who has been the most amazing, patient, kind, wonderful partner. To my castmates, to the judges, to the producers, to my friends to my family, to my fans, this has been pure joy for me. And I just hope I can make people smile and laugh and have a great time," Kressley said upon learning his fate. "It was great being here."

Still in the running for the show's coveted mirror ball trophy are gay-rights activist Chaz Bono and professional dancer Lacey Schwimmer; actor David Arquette and Kym Johnson; TV host Nancy Grace and Tristan MacManus; reality TV personality Robert Kardashian and Cheryl Burke; actress and talk-show host Ricki Lake and Derek Hough; Iraq war veteran and actor J.R. Martinez and Karina Smirnoff; and World Cup star Hope Solo and Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

SOULJA BOY: Rapper Soulja Boy and four companions were arrested on marijuana and gun charges Tuesday in Georgia, officials said.

Law enforcement sources told TMZ the 21-year-old hip-hop star, whose real name is DeAndre Cortez Way, and the four others were arrested at 3:15 a.m. EDT after Temple Police Department officers noticed a light on their Cadillac Escalade was out and then smelled marijuana after pulling the vehicle over.

The police search of the vehicle allegedly turned up a "substantial amount" of marijuana and a gun in a briefcase that belongs to Soulja Boy, TMZ reported.

All five were arrested on charges of possession of marijuana, possession with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, the entertainment news Web site said.

They were released from the Carroll County Jail after posting bail, TMZ said.

LINDA CARDELLINI: Linda Cardellini's publicist has confirmed the U.S. actress is pregnant with her first child.

Cardellini, 36, is due to deliver the baby early next year, her representative told Us Weekly Tuesday, without divulging the child's gender.

The baby will be the first for the actress and her boyfriend Steven Rodriguez.

Cardellini is best known for her work on TV's "Freaks and Geeks" and "ER." She also appeared in the recent live-action Scooby-Doo movies and the film "Return."