Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell is going to take a brief break from music in order to concentrate on making movies.

Geri spoke of her decision to turn from music to film for awhile at the NRJ Music Awards in Cannes, where her version of "It's Raining Men" picked up the award for Best International Song, MuchMusic reports.

Although Geri didn't go into details about specific projects, she did say that Britney's recent foray into film has inspired her.

"It's amazing what Britney has done going into films," she said. "It's what I want to do."

Geri's most high profile role so far was playing herself (or at least her alter ego, Ginger Spice) in the 1997 movie "Spice World".

-- AllPop

Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell is stirring up some controversy because of the price Britain's Ministry of Defense is said to have paid to get the singer to perform for British troops.

The argument is over whether or not Geri should have entertained the troops in Oman last month for free, Reuters reports.

Bernard Jenkin who is a defence spokesman for Britain's Conservative party, claimed a member of the army informed him that a significant amount of the army's welfare budget paid for the troops' live shows.

"Wealthy performers can and should perform for free,'' Jenkin said. "Taxpayers should not be splashing out large sums of money unnecessarily. The government should tell us how much money they spent on these events, and then we can assess whether it's value for money."

Meanwhile, Geri's spokesman, Jonathan Hackford, is saying Geri wasn't paid for her performance.

"Geri actually ended up out-of-pocket after having to personally pay stage crew and several dancers who flew in from Italy," he said.

Britain's Defense Minister wouldn't say how much Geri had been given, adding the issue was "commercially confidential".

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Geri Halliwell has cancelled appearances at an Australian event called Rumba Festival. She says its because of work commitments at home. Rumours say she feels insulted by her former Spice Girl friend Posh's (Victoria Beckham) interview with the radio station that is holding the concerts.

"She has to be in the U.K. for promotional work in the lead-up to the release of her next single on November 26," her spokesman, Jonathan Hackford, told Reuters.

A story in NME.com, though, said that during an interview with Hot.30.com, which is syndicated through Austereo, the company putting on the Rumba Festival, a DJ played an interview with Victoria Beckham for Geri.

"I don't think I would have anything to ask Geri," Posh said. "I haven't seen Geri for a long, long time. There's loads of rumours in the press about how we don't talk, and how we don't get on, you know that is pure rumours. Of course we don't speak to each other a lot any more because she is very busy and Geri decided to cut off and that was her decision and you know I have to respect her for that. But I don't have a problem with Geri at all. I'd probably say, 'Hi, how are you?'"

When Geri heard Posh's interview, she said "How rude!". Several days after the interview, Geri's spokespeople said she wouldn't be doing any more promo press for the concert. Then on Monday, (Oct. 29), she announced that she was cancelling her appearance at Rumba.

But Hackford told Reuters that Geri's commitment to promoting "Calling," her new single, means she will have to do television and live appearances in the U.K. . He went on to say that the radio interview had nothing to do with the concert appearance cancellation.

"The incident is unrelated to her decision," he said.

Spice fans at Rumba won't be totally disappointed, though. Baby Spice (Emma Bunton) will be performing at the festival along with Canadian popstar Nelly Furtado. It will take place in Melbourne on Nov. 17.

-- AllPop

Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell is teaching sex-ed online.

Geri plans to launch a sex-education website this week for people under 16, Reuters reports.

The site is affiliated with Geri's duties as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund, and organizers hope it will help reduce Britain's high teen pregnancy and STD rates.

The site, www.likeitis.org.uk, will be live on Thursday and will cover topics such as contraception, teen pregnancy, peer pressure, and STDs.

People can start posting questions on the site now for Geri and a family planning expert.

TORONTO -- Geri Halliwell might have been out of the country and unable to vote in yesterday's general election in England, but she showed her support for Labour's Tony Blair in other ways.

"Everyone knows my vote," said the former Ginger Spice, 28, yesterday as she ate lunch (salmon, tuna, broccoli, mashed potatoes and cucumbers, if those who've noticed her newly svelte figure must know) on the pool deck of her Toronto hotel.

Halliwell is in Toronto to promote her second solo record, Scream If You Wanna Go Faster, and sing her hit single, a cover of It's Raining Men, at Fashion Cares tomorrow night.

"Tony Blair asked me to be in his election campaign. That was my way of lending support. I don't know a lot about politics, never claimed to. My father was big into it, so therefore leaders interest me, more than anything.

"As days go by, political parties are blending into one in England, so I'm more interested in whether I trust that leader fundamentally ... I met (Blair) at a dinner -- it was a Pride Of Britain dinner -- and we spent time talking then. He's not the average megalomaniac."

It's Raining Men was the No. 1 single in Britain, and this week is 18th and rising on the Canadian SoundScan singles chart.

Of the Fashion Cares AIDS fundraiser, now in its 15th year, Halliwell admitted, "I don't know that much about it. But I know that it seems like it's a foundation full of consciousness, and I think the quality of the giving is good."

Halliwell said she was already "an AIDS monitoress" when she was 13 years old at her all-girls school.

"That would have been, like, 15 years ago, and we were only becoming aware of AIDS. It was a very conservative girls school and I decided, at the age of 13, 'I think I'd like to put forward that our next charity would go to fight AIDS.'

"And I went, ''Cause you know we're all going to be having sex one day.' And the whole place was like, 'Ooh...' "

That anecdote is about the most outrageous thing Halliwell had to say yesterday.

Much more subdued than in previous interviews, she arrived about an hour and 15 minutes late for her scheduled chat with The Sun.

The plan had been to have "afternoon tea" together, but since she's apparently off sugar and flour, that wasn't happening.

Instead, she offered up her diet drink while she tucked into a very healthy-looking lunch with one of her "best mates" Alice, also seated at the table. Nearby were two publicists, a makeup artist and a security guard.

"I'll have a nice cup of tea, though -- love a cup of tea, Earl Grey," said Halliwell, who admits she occasionally allows herself to indulge in sweets. "Sometimes. I try not to. I'm like most girls or human beings. But it doesn't really agree with me -- sugar and white flour. I try and have a cleaner diet."

Halliwell just shot a video for the second single from Scream If You Wanna Go Faster, the title track.

"It's kind of like Lara Croft meets Blondie," said Halliwell, who plays two characters in the video. "The Lara Croft character, she represents spirit and soul, a little more organic, more playful. Then the (Blondie) character on stage, she's a lot more aggressive and sexual and represents ego."

Film role?

Halliwell, who eventually lit up a Silk Cut and sipped some peppermint tea after her meal, said she also is looking at acting in a film, but couldn't talk about the part yet.

In the meantime, she claimed she would try to see Toronto while she was in town. She arrived Wednesday night and leaves on Sunday.

"I think there's very good energy here in Toronto," she said. "Fantastic energy. The minute we got here, we went, 'Oh, cool.' "

Halliwell, who is currently single, once jokingly clamoured for "a nice Canadian man to fertilize" her eggs at the MuchMusic Video Awards a few years back. She now says she would consider a relationship with someone from Canada.

"I've always got to try to keep an open mind. You can't close yourself off. And I think Canadians are a good breed of people. I think you've got the best of both worlds. I think you have culture, you're cosmopolitan, you're enterprising. It seems like you've taken all the best bits from other countries.

"From an outsider's perspective, people seem very open, non-judgmental, nice, relaxed, but then you're still out there doing it. Balanced. I think you're the most balanced country I ever met. So maybe Canada is an example to us all."

U.K. pop star Geri Halliwell will bounce into Toronto next week.

The singer (and former Spice Girl of course) recently released her second album, "Scream If You Wanna Go Faster". She'll make promotional stops at MuchMusic, HMV, and more during her Canadian visit.

Geri will appear live on Much, Friday, June 8 at 3:00 p.m. and will then participate in a live online chat at 3:30 on www.emimusic.ca or www.muchmusic.com.

Then, the tiny blond singer, whose single "It's Raining Men" appears in the movie "Bridget Jones's Diary", will then make her way to HMV on Yonge Street for an autograph session.

Geri will spend Saturday, June 9 at the AIDS fundraiser Fashion Cares, where she will officially open the show and perform "It's Raining Men".

And don't forget to check AllPop for our exclusive interview with the singer!