Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, will be the North American site for the 24-hour Live Earth concerts that will take place July 7 on seven continents.

The Police, Smashing Pumpkins, Roger Waters and Kanye West are among the 16 acts that will be performing at the football stadium in the concluding event of the daylong series of concerts that will begin in Sydney.

Setting the North American location proved a bit harder for organizers, who had initially planned a Washington, DC, event. But the Park Service said the National Mall was already booked, and Republicans blocked an effort to stage the concert on the lawn in front of the Capitol.

Focus then switched to New York, where Prospect Park, Randall’s Island and Shea Stadium were considered. Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands has a greater capacity than the New York sites.

Live Earth co-chair Al Gore said the concerts are a massive public education effort, with the intention of getting “corporations and governments to take decisive action to solve the climate crisis.”

Other acts on the U.S. bill are AFI, Akon, Alicia Keys, Bon Jovi, Dave Matthews Band, Fall Out Boy, John Mayer, Kelly Clarkson, KT Tunstall, Ludacris, Melissa Etheridge and Rihanna. Bill represents a far greater R&B quotient than most cause-oriented concerts and, beyond the top names, a much younger than usual collection of acts.

Organizers have also set the 17-act lineup for the London show at Wembley Stadium: Bill will be toplined by Beastie Boys, Genesis, Madonna and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Concerts will be streamed live at LiveEarth.MSN.com

Superstar and cultural icon Beyonce is bringing her 2007 world concert tour to North America for a series of live concerts beginning Friday, July 6, at the Superdome in New Orleans. “The Beyonce Experience brought to you by Samsung and L’Oreal Paris,” kicks off April 10 in Tokyo and is currently set to run stateside through September (see itinerary following).

WeLoveBeyonce.com, the artist’s official fan site, will host a two-week presale for Beyonce’s concerts in Ft. Lauderdale, Philadelphia, and Raleigh, on Thursday, April 5 at 10am (ET)/ 9am (CT). (The public on-sale for those three cities will take place the weekend of April 20.) VIP Concert Tour Packages will be available exclusively at welovebeyonce.com.

Further details on presales and public on-sales for other cities on Beyonce’s 2007 world tour itinerary will be available on her official fan site.

The most eagerly-anticipated tour of the year, “The Beyonce Experience brought to you by Samsung and L’Oreal Paris” showcases the international music and film star, along with her sizzling all-female band, performing musical hits, classics, and surprises in a newly-created high-tech state-of-the-art concert environment.

Beyonce recently set the all-time record for the biggest chart jump in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 when “Beautiful Liar,” her superstar duet with Shakira, bulleted an unprecedented 91 slots (#94* to #3*) upward in a single week.

The first single from Beyonce’s B’DAY Deluxe Edition, “Beautiful Liar,” an irresistible Latin/pop anthem of feminine empowerment, has also entered Billboard’s Hot Digital Songs and Hot Digital Tracks charts at #1.

Music World/Columbia Records has just released Beyonce’s B’DAY Deluxe Edition, an expanded two-CD edition of the pop icon’s best-selling Grammy- winning solo album, in stores now.

According to reports, Michael Jackson is set to launch his next world concert tour with a huge show at Las Vegas’ Luxor resort.

The news comes after months of speculation that suggested that the King of Pop planned a major Las Vegas comeback show.

It was also reported that he may start a permanent show in Vegas, which would include him having a 50 foot robotic version of himself built in the Nevada Desert. Plans have already been drawn up for the giant statue, which will also feature shooting lasers and an interactive video game with fans.

Mike Luckman, a consultant working on the project, says, “Laser beams will shoot out of it so it would be the first thing people flying in would see.”

The June 10 Luxor show will have Jackson performing new songs as he will announce details of his new world tour. Jackson will then have a special meet and greet for specially selected fans and celebrities. They will receive a lucky ticket to attend a private dinner reception along with the concert.

The invitation, which features photos and images of Jackson performing, describes the event as a memorable and semi-formal evening.

Jackson has recently made Las Vegas his home since he vacated his Neverland Ranch in Santa Barbara, Calif. after his child molestation trial in 2005. Jackson also makes frequent trips to the Middle East and Europe.

It was also reported on Thursday that Jackson is recovering from a bad cold or flue after a trip to Europe. His spokewoman says, however, that he has not been hospitalized as recent news reports have suggested.

“He was a little under the weather when he returned from Europe. He probably had a bad cold or the flu. But he was never hospitalized,” Jackson’s spokeswoman, Raymone Bain, said.

Jackson, 48, was in Las Vegas recording music for a new album after he attended to personal business in Europe.

According to a Foxnews.com columnist, the pop superstar had been hospitalized in Las Vegas with pneumonia.

“All of us were (a little under the weather). I don’t know the diagnosis. But I talked to Michael a couple hours ago and he’s fine. He’s having meetings.”

Michael Jackson has been largely out of the public eye since he won an acquittal for his child molestation trial in 2005. He is now attempting a comeback with a new album and his new world concert tour.