Charity

The U.S. military faced more criticism Monday in Afghanistan as a charity accused American soldiers of storming through a provincial hospital, breaking down doors and tying up staff and visitors in a hunt for insurgents. Critics say such heavy-handed tactics, if true, violate international principles and undermine support for the war against the Taliban. The American military said it was investigating the allegation, which came on the heels of a furor over reports that dozens of civilians were killed in a NATO airstrike in the country's north last week.

A UCLA School of Medicine professor of cardiothoracic surgery is being sued by the state attorney general for allegedly using money from a research charity he founded to fund his personal business ventures and medical research activities. California Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown filed the lawsuit Wednesday against Dr. Gerald D. Buckberg and five officers of the nonprofit L.B. Research & Education Foundation, citing California law that bars a charity's director, officer or board member from benefiting from the organization's income or assets.

Charity luncheon sponsor: An article in the March 15 Image section about how fashion designers are coping with the recession referred to designer Kevan Hall as the host of a luncheon Thursday at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. The actual host was the Colleagues, a charity. The article also erroneously stated that the luncheon would occur during the evening.

The makers of "Slumdog Millionaire" have finalized plans to care for some of the poorest children in Mumbai's slums, pledging 500,000 British pounds (about $747,000 at current exchange rates) over five years to a local charity. The charity, Plan, has been working with children in need for more than 70 years and has been in India since 1979, according to a news release issued early Thursday in the United Kingdom by the filmmakers and the charity. Christian Colson, the producer of the best picture Oscar winner, said the money would be used for education and healthcare.

Two ninth-graders from Harvard-Westlake School have collected more than 1,500 cellphones for a charity that helps U.S. soldiers in Iraq call their loved ones at home for free. Students Andrew Green and Connor Donahue initially chose the charity Cell Phones for Soldiers to fulfill a community service requirement. That's before they knew soldiers have to pay to call home. "Once we realized that, we decided to continue collecting as many phones as we possibly could," Green said. Each phone is exchanged for a calling card that gives soldiers one hour of calling time.

The child stars of the Oscar-winning movie "Slumdog Millionaire" traded the shanties of Mumbai, India, for Hong Kong's skyscrapers Friday as they arrived for a charity fundraising performance. Photographers swarmed Ayush Mahesh Khedekar, Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail and Rubina Ali as they arrived at Hong Kong's international airport, with 10-year-old Azhar riding on their baggage cart. The children are due to sing and dance at a broadcast today to raise funds for a Hong Kong charity, the Community Chest.

Surfwear maker Billabong gathered a crowd from the art, fashion and music worlds (with a sprinkling of beauty queens) to raise money for charity: water last month. Performances by Street Drum Corps, the Airborne Toxic Event and DJs the Misshapes kept the vibe at Avalon Hollywood festive, and the runway show ensured the evening would be colorful. The usual L.A. mix of models, athletes and actors mingled, along with Tami Farrell, the newly ascended Miss California USA, who stepped in after the short and stormy tenure of Carrie Prejean.

Elton John won't be able to adopt a 14-month-old HIV-positive child from Ukraine because the pop star is too old and isn't married, the government said Monday. Adoption and gay rights advocates expressed regret about the determination by Family, Youth and Sports Minister Yuriy Pavlenko, while a children's charity had reservations about John's weekend announcement that he and his male partner, David Furnish, wanted to adopt the boy. John announced his desire after meeting the boy, named Lev, while touring an orphanage Saturday as part of an anti-AIDS charity project.

"Idol Gives Back" is back. Producers of "American Idol" say the show's charity effort will return next year, with "Idol Gives Back" set to air April 21. The fundraising program will benefit national and international charities, including Malaria No More, Save the Children and the United Nations Foundation, Fox said. "Idol Gives Back" has raised $140 million since its inception in 2007.

Three men who led a now- defunct Islamic charity were convicted on federal tax and fraud charges in Boston for using tax exemptions to hide support for religious militants and alleged terrorists overseas. The group, Care International Inc., described itself as a charity for Muslim refugees, widows and orphans. Prosecutors said the organization distributed a newsletter in favor of jihadist causes and lent support to Islamic militants since its formation in 1993.