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Arts and entertainment

Oscars Academy honors Pedro Almodovar in London
Iconoclastic director Pedro Almodovar was hailed by Hollywood on Thursday at an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences retrospective in London.
New-found tale could be Hans Christian Andersen's
For years, the somber fairy tale about a lonely candle that wanted to be lit dwelt in oblivion at the bottom of a box in Denmark's National Archives.
Man jailed for 2 years for defacing Rothko work
A Polish man who defaced a Mark Rothko painting in London's Tate Modern gallery with black ink to promote an obscure artistic creed was sentenced ...
Inquest: Nurse in British royal hoax found hanging
A nurse was found hanging in her room three days after she had been duped by a hoax call from Australian DJs about the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge, ...
Paris gets ice rink in palatial setting
Parisians and tourists can now glide and sway — or stumble— at an ice rink under the vaulted glass dome of the landmark Grand Palais. The seasonal ...
Discovery Channel close to deal on Eurosport
The parent company of the Discovery Channel is close to buying a stake in Europe's leading sports network, Eurosport. TF1, the Paris-based media group ...
Apple, e-book publishers, EU find competition deal
The European Union's competition watchdog has accepted proposals by four publishers and Apple to end agreements that set retail prices for e-books — ...
Pennies over patriotism? Stars move to tax havens
France's Socialist government is introducing a 75-percent income tax on those earning over €1 million ($1.3 million), leading some of the country's ...
Review: Meyerbeer's rare 'Robert' staged in London
Degas painted it. Chopin wrote variations on it. Balzac and Dumas mentioned it in their fiction. The Paris Opera performed it 100 times in just three ...
Ice hockey fans fed up with NHL labor strife
Sitting in an ice hockey changing room, Steve Chase became the latest die-hard fan fed up with the NHL lockout. Living in Los Angeles, Chase believed ...
Autopsy results on nurse in hoax due out Thursday
The result of an autopsy on the nurse involved in a prank call for information about the former Kate Middleton's hospital stay will be revealed ...
UK police: Jimmy Savile is suspect in 199 crimes
The late BBC entertainer Jimmy Savile is a suspect in 199 crimes recorded so far, including dozens of cases of rape, British police said Wednesday.
Prince William graces 'Hobbit' green carpet in UK
Prince William is joining stars such as Ian McKellen and Cate Blanchett on the green carpet in London for the U.K. premiere of "The Hobbit," the first ...
European broadcasters invest in top cycling races
The European Broadcasting Union showed its faith in cycling on Wednesday, announcing a third long-term race broadcasting deal since Lance Armstrong ...
Italy brings Michelangelo's 'David-Apollo' to US
Michelangelo's "David-Apollo" will be showcased publicly beginning Thursday at the National Gallery of Art to open a yearlong celebration of Italian ...
A look at prolific Twitter accounts
Pope Benedict XVI hit the 1 million Twitter follower mark on Wednesday as he sent his first tweet from his new account. In amassing an army of ...
Swiss opera diva Della Casa dies at 93
Famed for her beauty that matched her serene voice, Swiss-born diva Lisa Della Casa swept up crowds at opera houses of the past century with an ...
Mick Jagger love letters sell for $300,000
Jumpin' Jack Flash! A batch of love letters written by Mick Jagger to a 1960s muse have sold at auction for 187,250 pounds ($301,472). Sotheby's says ...
Review: Kaufmann triumphs as La Scala's Lohengrin
This Lohengrin is no knight in shining armor, confidently riding in on a swan to defend a beautiful maiden. No, the barefoot hero on view at La Scala ...
Top EU legal advisor backs free-to-air World Cup
The legal adviser to the European Union's top court on Wednesday backed the rights of football fans to see their World Cup and European Championship ...
Critics savage Spice Girls stage musical
The critics have spoken — "Viva Forever" did not spice up their lives. British reviewers were scathing Wednesday about the big-budget stage show built ...
Serial drama producer Paul Rauch dies in NY at 78
Paul Rauch, a longtime executive in the daytime drama world who produced "Another World," ''One Life to Live" and "Santa Barbara," has died at age 78.
Spice Girls musical 'Viva Forever' opens in London
"Viva Forever"? Time will tell. Girl Power lit up London's West End on Tuesday at the premiere of the new Spice Girls musical — but audiences and ...