It's a baby girl for Jolie and Pitt

LOS ANGELES - Thousands of miles from Hollywood but still within easy reach of celebrity hype, Angelina Jolie gave birth to Brad Pitt's daughter Saturday in Africa, Pitt's publicist announced.

"The night of May 27, 2006 in Namibia, Africa, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt welcomed their daughter Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt. No further information is being given," publicist Cindy Guagenti said in a statement.

No photographs were being released, she added.

The baby's arrival had been the subject of intense press speculation in recent months, prompting the superstar couple to decamp to Africa for privacy. It escalated Tuesday when an e-mail Pitt sent to the Cannes Film Festival said he was unable to attend because of the baby's "imminent arrival."

The birth came a little more than a month after another blockbuster delivery: a girl born to Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes.

Jolie and Pitt had powerful help protecting their privacy from the government of Namibia, which refused to grant entry to reporters seeking to cover the birth without the actors' written permission. The government arrested photographers, confiscated film, ringed the couple's hotel with heavy security and set up large green barriers on the beach to shield their family.

Jolie and Pitt were linked romantically shortly after appearing together in the 2005 movie "Mr. and Mrs. Smith."