Iraq film festival aims to promote human rights

A human rights film festival held in Baghdad is aiming to educate and mobilise citizens at a time when Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government has been accused of sliding toward authoritarianism.

Review: Lovett coasts but still charms on new CD

Lyle Lovett, "Release Me" (Curb/Universal)

Censors ban screening of 'taboo' Egypt love story

Egyptian film-makers and critics denounced the authorities on Monday for blocking the screening of a "taboo" film about a love story between a Christian woman and a Muslim man.

Review: 'Black Radio' issues musical challenge

Robert Glasper Experiment, "Black Radio" (Blue Note)

Preliminary ratings up for Oscars telecast

Ratings for the Academy Awards are up 4 percent over last year in a preliminary Nielsen measurement.

Crystal's Sammy Davis impression draws criticism

Some are questioning Billy Crystal's impression of Sammy Davis Jr. in his opening number as Oscar host.

Kid Rock gets wild and free for Romney event

For his Michigan finale, Mitt Romney wanted Kid Rock.

Streep, Dujardin earn lead-acting Oscars

Meryl Streep has won her third Academy Award, earning the best-actress prize as British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady."

Strong personal tyranny in 'Rutherford & Son'

Stones are flying around the "glass house" as family members battle for freedom from a tight-fisted tyrant, in "Rutherford & Son," another rediscovered gem currently performing off-Broadway at The Mint Theater.

Transformative artist Ken Price dies in NM at 77

Ken Price, an internationally known artist whose glazed and painted clay blurred the lines between ceramics and sculpture, is being remembered for his humor, his love of natural shapes and for the long hours he spent in the studio perfecting what became a style all his own.

Michael Douglas: Corporate greed isn't good

Movie star Michael Douglas might be the FBI's newest and most famous turncoat.

Your Food Cooked in a Volcano at El Diablo Restaurant

The name of the restaurant is El Diablo, or  the devil, which kind of fits, considering what takes place  here.  Feast your eyes on this ultimate barbecue experience complete with panoramic and dramatic views.  Enjoyed against  the volcanic backdrop of Lanzarote’s Timanfaya National Park in the...

Jolie's leg spawns own instant Twitter account

Angelina Jolie's leg has spawned its own Twitter account, and it's an instant hit.

The top 10 tweets during the Academy Awards

The Oscars can be absurdly glamorous, abundantly self-aggrandizing and achingly stodgy. Thankfully, there's Twitter.

Everything old was new again at the Oscars

Justin Bieber wasn't mincing words. "I'm here to bring you the 18 to 24-year-old demographic," the teen pop star told Billy Crystal in the opening Oscar montage. "So, how long do you want me to stay here for?"

Neb. founder Boys Town orphanage up for sainthood

A Roman Catholic priest whose efforts to help troubled Omaha youth were made famous by Spencer Tracy's Academy Award-winning portrayal of him in the 1938 movie "Boys Town" has been nominated for sainthood.

For blacks, mix of 'Help' emotions on Oscar night

Despite torrents of debate among African-Americans over the merits of the segregation-era movie "The Help," most still hoped that Viola Davis, who plays a maid, would become just the second black winner of the best actress Oscar.

A melancholy early O'Neill in 'Beyond the Horizon'

Noted American playwright Eugene O'Neill had a melancholy view of life's possibilities, which didn't prevent him from winning several Pulitzer Prizes for his dramas, including one for his first full-length play, the 1920 tragedy, "Beyond the Horizon."

Crystal helps improve Oscar viewership

The return of Billy Crystal helped boost viewership for the Academy Awards but not enough to prevent a cultural oddity: The Oscars weren't even the most-watched awards show on television this month.

Octavia Spencer wins best supporting actress Oscar

Octavia Spencer inspired her formidable character in "The Help," but the actress turned into a softy Sunday as she accepted an Oscar for the role.

Ben & Jerry’s Apologizes for Jeremy Lin Inspired Ice Cream Flavor

Ben & Jerry’s tweeted an apology to anyone who was offended by its new limited-edition  Taste the Lin-Sanity  frozen yogurt flavor. The company tweeted, “On behalf of Ben & Jerry’s Boston Scoop Shops, we offer a heartfelt apology if anyone was offended by our handmade...

Iran's 'Separation:' Oscar glow and slap at Israel

Iran hailed the country's first Oscar-winning film as a triumph over arch-foe Israel on Monday after an Academy Award race with its own subplots: Iranian officials giving a grudging nod to cinema and Israeli audiences flocking to see a made-in-Tehran drama.

50 Cent reflects on trip to Africa

When 50 Cent announced that part of the proceeds from his new energy drink would be used to help fight hunger in Africa, some questioned whether his motives were genuine.

Review: Book examines how habits take root

"The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business" (Random House), by Charles Duhigg: Some of us begin the day with a workout in the gym or a 5-mile run, others with coffee and a doughnut, perhaps topped off with a cigarette. It's all a matter of habit.

Actress Sean Young arrested at post-Oscars party

Actress Sean Young was arrested after a scuffle with a security guard at the official post-Oscars party, police said Monday.

Armani puts Bermuda at heart of winter collection

All it takes to be Armani stylish next winter is a pair of Bermudas.

Berenstain Bears co-creator Jan Berenstain dies

Jan Berenstain, who with her husband, Stan, wrote and illustrated the Berenstain Bears books that have charmed preschoolers and their parents for 50 years, has died. She was 88.

Chinese architect Wang Shu wins Pritzker Prize

Chinese architect Wang Shu, whose buildings have been praised for their commanding presence and careful attention to the environment, has won the 2012 Pritzker Architecture Prize, the prize's jury announced Monday.

Charlotte Church looking past phone hacking case

Charlotte Church's nearly $1 million settlement Monday with Rupert Murdoch's company provides vindication for a former child singing sensation caught in a web of tabloid intrigue as she grew into her teens.

Harry Potter e-books coming to schools, libraries

Harry Potter e-books are coming to schools and libraries, at a date to be determined.

UK police: Culture of illegal payments at The Sun

A senior British police official said Monday that Britain's biggest selling tabloid, The Sun, had a culture of making illegal payments to public officials in return for stories.

'Hugo' claims first 2 Oscars with technical wins

Martin Scorsese's Paris adventure "Hugo" won the first two prizes of the night at Sunday's Academy Awards, claiming the Oscars for cinematography and art direction.

Spain rejects Peruvian claim to shipwreck treasure

Spain on Monday rejected Peru's claim to a huge multimillion-dollar undersea treasure recovered from the wreckage of a ship that had left from Lima's port more than 200 years ago.

Nick Jonas on 'How to Succeed' and 'Smash'

Attention, young people milling about outside the Al Hirschfeld Theatre: Nick Jonas will not be popping out to shake your hand after matinees of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying."

Pakistan lauds Oscar-winning filmmaker

Pakistan's government honored on Monday the country's first filmmaker to win an Oscar: the director of a documentary on the plight of female victims of acid attacks in this conservative society.

Kid Rock, Detroit symphony team up for benefit

Kid Rock is teaming up with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for a one-night benefit concert for the nationally recognized orchestra, organizers announced Monday.

Stars swamp loud, colorful Oscar parties

While a nearly silent, black-and-white throwback film to old Hollywood won best picture at Sunday's Academy Awards, after-parties around town celebrated present day Hollywood with explosions of color, conversation, pounding music and pure glee.

Baron Cohen spills 'ashes' on Seacrest at Oscars

Outfitted extravagantly in character, Sacha Baron Cohen ran amuck on the Oscars' red carpet Sunday night and all over E! host Ryan Seacrest's tuxedo.

Swedish royals release first pictures of princess

The Swedish Royal Court has released the first close-up pictures of the Nordic country's newborn princess and future monarch.

Billy Crystal returns to host a winning Oscarcast

Perhaps the biggest nail-biter of Oscar night stirred no suspense at all: "The Artist," however unlikely as an art-house upstart, still seemed destined to win as Best Picture.

What you didn't see on TV during the Oscars

Even the hundreds of photographers, TV cameras and webcams around the Hollywood & Highland Center can't capture every starry moment of Sunday's 84th annual Academy Awards.

Israelis flock to see film produced by arch-foe

Israeli newspapers warn daily of the Iranian nuclear threat, but for the past week and a half, Israelis filmgoers have packed movie theaters to watch a drama set in Tehran.

Weinsteins rule Oscars with 'Artist,' 'Iron Lady'

Bob and Harvey Weinstein resumed their perch as Hollywood's favorite taste-makers Sunday, with "The Artist" and "The Iron Lady" sweeping up key Academy Awards and much of this year's Oscar nominations bump.

Partial list of 84th Academy Award winners

Partial list of the 84th Annual Academy Award winners announced Sunday:

Few inspired moments during predictable Oscars

Nostalgia ruled at the Oscars, with the classic film homages "The Artist" and "Hugo" dominating with five awards each, Meryl Streep winning her first best-actress prize in nearly three decades and longtime favorite Billy Crystal returning as host.

Crystal raises curtain on Oscars in lively montage

Billy Crystal has gotten the Academy Awards off to a lively start with a star-laden montage in which he hangs out with Justin Bieber and gets a nice wet kiss from George Clooney.