SYRACUSE, N.Y. Nearly 25 years after leaving Syracuse University, Vanessa Williams will get her bachelor of fine arts degree this weekend.

The 45-year-old actress-singer, who stars in ABC's "Ugly Betty," will also deliver the convocation address Saturday to graduates of Syracuse's College of Visual and Performing Arts.

Williams attended Syracuse's drama department as a musical-theater major from 1981 to 1983. She earned the remaining credits for her degree through industry experience and performances on stage and screen.

In 1983, Williams became the first black Miss America. She surrendered the title in July 1984 after Penthouse magazine published nude, sexually explicit photographs of her taken several years earlier.

During her career, Williams has sold more than 4 million albums, won critical praise for her performances on Broadway, made dozens of TV appearances and starred in several movies.

She has won a Tony, received two NAACP Image Awards and nine Grammy nominations.

In 1996, Williams received the George Arents Pioneer Medal, the university's most prestigious alumni award.

Redstone would not object to a fourth Cruise 'Mission'

SEOUL, South Korea -- Entertainment mogul Sumner Redstone said yesterday he has no objection to Tom Cruise starring in the next segment of the popular "Mission: Impossible" movie series, despite cutting his relationship with the actor in 2006.

Redstone -- executive chairman and controlling shareholder of Viacom Inc. and CBS Corp. -- ended a 14-year relationship with Cruise and his producing partner in August 2006, kicking them off the Paramount Pictures lot and ending their lucrative deal to develop projects for the studio.

Despite the severed relationship, Cruise, 45, is in talks with Paramount to star in a fourth "Mission: Impossible" film. Viacom is Paramount's parent company.

"I consider Tom Cruise a great actor and a good friend," Redstone said. "And if Paramount decides -- and they will make the decision -- to move ahead with him, I will not object."

$1 million worth of recording equipment taken, singer says

DETROIT -- Detroit City Council member and ex-Motown star Martha Reeves says thieves broke into her childhood home and stole about $1 million worth of uninsured recording equipment.

Reeves says speakers, microphones and karaoke machines were among the items taken Sunday night. She says the back door of the house on Detroit's east side was kicked in.

Reeves says "somebody should have called the police while this was happening."

The 66-year-old singer was part of the Motown group Martha Reeves and the Vandellas and had hits in the 1960s with "Heat Wave," "Dancing in the Street," "Nowhere to Run," "I'm Ready for Love," "Jimmy Mack" and "Honey Chile." -- The Associated Press