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John Boehner to visit Israel House Speaker John Boehner plans to visit Israel during the House's Spring recess, his office said Friday. Boehner"looks forward to visiting the country, discussing our sharedpriorities for peace and security in the region, and furtherstrengthening the bond between the United States and Israel," thespeaker's office said.The House's Spring recess is March 30 - April 13.Theannouncement of Boehner's visit comes just after Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu's re-election. Earlier in the month, Netanyahu delivered a speech before a joint session of Congress. The speech causedsome controversy since Boehner invited Netanyahu to address Congresswithout consulting the White House about it. Boehner on Thursday told reporters that he was happy Netanyahu made the appearance. "Iinvited the Prime Minister of Israel to come because we have gravethreats facing our nation," he said. Netanyahu "was in a perfectposition to help describe that threat to the American people, and forthat matter, the rest of the world." Boehner'strip to Israel was planned before the Israeli election, and also longbefore Netanyahu's speech to Congress, according to the speaker'soffice. The speaker has planned to visit Israel because it is a criticalU.S. ally in the region.

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What is Ted Cruz watching on TV? With a presidential bid underway, Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz won't have a lot of time on his hands for leisure. But "CBS This Morning" co-host Gayle King wanted to find what he likes to watch and listen to when he does have the time. "I just finished watching the third season of House of Cards," Cruz said in an interview Tuesday on "CBS This Morning." "Fortunately there are fewer murders in politics in real life."As for music, Cruz said he grew up listening to classic rock, but the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 changed that. "On 9/11 I didn't like how rock music responded," Cruz said. "Country music collectively, the way they responded, it resonated with me...at a gut level I had an emotional reaction that said, 'these are my people.' And so ever since 2001 I listen to country music but I'm an odd country music fan because I didn't listen to it prior to 2001."

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U.S. lawmaker seeks congressional hearing on ‘superbug’ outbreak A U.S. lawmaker on Monday called on the Congress to investigate the medical scopes blamed for an outbreak of a bacterial "superbug" at a University of California, Los Angeles hospital that has infected seven patients.Representative Ted Lieu, a Democrat from California, said in a letter asking for a congressional oversight committee hearing that the outbreak of the drug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, or CRE, bacteria posed "both health and national security" risks."If unmitigated, the human and societal costs of CRE outbreaks will continue to rise," Lieu wrote in the letter. "A superbug infection can kill not only the patient who was exposed to a tainted duodenoscope but also family members, friends and hospital staff who interacted with the patient," he said.Officials say the duodenoscopes, which are inserted down a patient's throat during gastrointestinal procedures, spread the antibiotic-resistant bacteria to seven patients at the UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center, contributing to two deaths. The other five are under treatment.An additional 179 people who had endoscopies at the large teaching hospital may have been exposed to the potentially fatal pathogens, according to UCLA.On Friday, a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientist said the agency was close to unveiling a detailed procedure designed to prevent the scopes from spreading the superbug.Called a "surveillance culture," the procedure involves swabbing the device after it has been disinfected and then allowing any microbes to grow into detectable colonies, much as doctors take throat swabs to determine if a patient has a strep infection.The UCLA medical center has said it had been sterilizing the duodenoscopes implicated in the infection according to manufacturer standards. It has said it now uses a more rigorous process that exceeds national standards.Hospitals across the United States have reported exposures from the same type of medical equipment in recent years. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has said it was working with other government agencies and scope manufacturers to minimize risks to patients.

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'Empire' soundtrack eclipses Madonna for Billboard No. 1 album "Empire," the Fox television hip-hop drama that became a hit in its first season, made its mark with music fans as the show's soundtrack debuted at No. 1 and beat Madonna for the top slot in the weekly U.S. Billboard 200 album chart on Wednesday.The soundtrack scored 130,000 sales units, ahead of 121,000 units for Madonna's 13th studio album, the brand new "Rebel Heart," for the week ended March 15, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan. Madonna sold more albums, 116,000, to the "Empire" soundtrack's 110,000. The Billboard 200 chart tallies album sales, song sales (10 songs equal one album) and streaming activity (1,500 streams equal one album). "Empire," the story of a hip-hop recording dynasty, is the first TV soundtrack to debut at No. 1 since 2010, when three albums from another Fox show, "Glee," arrived, Billboard said. The third spot on the chart was also for a debut album, country star Luke Bryan's "Spring Break ... Checkin' Out," which racked up 106,000 sales units."1989" from Taylor Swift, the top-selling album of 2014, slipped from No. 3 to No. 5, and extended its run in the chart's top five since its release 20 weeks ago.Last week's chart-topper, pop singer Kelly Clarkson's 'Piece by Piece" dropped precipitously to No. 12On the Digital Songs chart, which measures online song sales, Mark Ronson's and Bruno Mars' upbeat "Uptown Funk!" remained at No. 1 with 189,000 downloads in the past week.

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Sam Smith achieves UK music charts double British singer-songwriter Sam Smith secured a UK music charts double on Sunday, topping both the singles and album chart simultaneously, the Official Charts Company said.Smith's collaboration with John Legend, "Lay Me Down", in aid of charity Comic Relief, debuted at number one in the singles chart, his fourth chart-topping track in less than two years.Meanwhile his debut album "In The Lonely Hour" returned to the top of the charts for an eighth week, making it the first album by a male solo artist in charts history to achieve six different spells at number one.It finished more than 12,000 sales ahead of this week's highest new entry, second-placed "Rebel Heart" by Madonna. Ed Sheeran's "X" was a non-mover in third.In the singles chart, British electronica trio Years and Years slipped one spot to second place with "King", while Flo Rida featuring Sage the Gemini was a new entry at three with "GDFR".

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Ryan Gosling dismisses 'Hey Girl,' discusses new film at SXSW With a drop of a microphone, Ryan Gosling dispelled his Internet infamy, saying he had never once uttered the phrase, "Hey Girl," which has made him a viral phenomenon. "I understand if you're in a movie and you say something like 'I'll be back,' you own that. But I never said it," Gosling said while giggling with Mexican filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro at a panel conversation to a full house on Friday. Gosling was the anticipated opening day guest at the annual South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival covering film, music and technology in Austin, Texas, being quizzed by Del Toro not on his Internet fame, rather his directorial debut, "Lost River."But Del Toro threw in cheeky references to the infatuation with Gosling that has made him an online celebrity, such as his love for Disneyland, where he has been photographed on dates, riding rollercoasters.On the Internet, photos of Gosling are captioned with quirky, romantic phrases beginning with "Hey Girl," one of the earliest memes to emerge in the social networking age.Gosling, 34, responded by blushing and hiding his face in embarrassment, and when Del Toro teased him for finally saying "Hey Girl" while telling a story about never having said the phrase, Gosling dropped the mic, joking he was done."Lost River," out in theaters in April, sees Gosling, known for films such as "The Notebook" and "Crazy Stupid Love," step behind the camera for a script he penned - a surreal, dark fairytale set in Detroit, inspired by his childhood imaginations of America while growing up in Canada. Much of the conversation was about the actor's process in writing and directing, and he candidly discussed working with a 4-year-old actor who did not like the camera."When he saw the camera, he went the other way, so we had to approach him like nature photographers," Gosling said. "You do more acting as a director than you do as an actor, because you act confident," he quipped. "When everything's going south, you're always acting like it's not a problem."Gosling is one of many filmmakers taking the stage to discuss movie-making over the course of SXSW's nine-day film segment, now in its 20th year. Other notable names include "Selma" director Ava DuVernay and filmmaker Mark Duplass, who began his career in Texas.

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Comedian Andy Samberg chosen to host 2015 Emmy Awards Andy Samberg, a star of the comedy TV show "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," will host the 2015 Primetime Emmy Awards, the highest honors in U.S. television, organizers of the show said on Thursday.The comedian, actor, writer and producer, whose breakthrough came on late-night sketch show "Saturday Night Live," will emcee the show from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles that will be broadcast live by Fox TV on Sept. 20."Andy has excelled in all aspects of the television universe, both from behind and in front of the camera," said Bruce Rosenblum, the chairman and CEO of the Television Academy.Samberg, 36, performed on "SNL" for seven seasons before joining Fox police sitcom "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" to play Det. Jake Peralta, a role that earned him a best comedy actor Golden Globe last year. Samberg shared an Emmy for outstanding original music and lyrics in 2007 for an SNL sketch song "Dick In A Box," alongside pop singer Justin Timberlake.The Television Academy announced new rules last month that will increase the number of contenders in comedy and drama categories to seven nominees from six in previous years. Comedy series will also be defined as shows that are 30 minutes or shorter per episode and drama will be shows over 30 minutes. The mini-series was renamed "limited series" and changes were also announced in the variety series category. Nominations for the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards will be announced on July 16.

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Kelly Clarkson's 'Piece By Piece' debuts atop Billboard 200 Pop singer Kelly Clarkson racked up the third No. 1 album of her career as "Piece By Piece" debuted in the top slot of the weekly U.S. Billboard 200 album chart on Wednesday.The first "American Idol" winner ties fellow champion Carrie Underwood in No. 1 albums among contestants of the long-running Fox TV reality show, Billboard said. "Piece By Piece" tallied 97,000 units, including 83,000 albums sold, in the week ended March 8, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan.Close behind at No. 2 was the soundtrack to Universal Pictures' hit film "Fifty Shades of Grey," with 96,000 units sold."1989" from Taylor Swift, the top-selling album of 2014, found its way back up to No. 3 with 77,000 units sold and has maintained a place in the top five since its release 19 weeks ago, Billboard said. The only other new entry in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart, which tallies album sales, song sales (10 songs equal one album) and streaming activity (1,500 streams equal one album), was singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile's "The Firewatcher's Daughter" at No. 9, selling 43,000 units.Last week's chart-topper, rapper Big Sean's "Dark Sky Paradise," dropped to No. 6.On the Digital Songs chart, which measures online song sales, Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars' upbeat "Uptown Funk!" remained at No. 1 with 210,000 downloads in the past week.

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Kevin Spacey revels in his anti-hero president in 'House of Cards' Forget about likeable, upstanding characters doing what is right.Kevin Spacey is convinced that like the ruthless, morally corrupt politician he portrays in Netflix's Emmy Award-winning political drama "House of Cards," the anti-hero is here to stay."The third season explores what happens to these people when they suddenly are in the hot, white spotlight of being president and first lady," Spacey told Reuters. "That's a very interesting dynamic to start to investigate."When the third season of Netflix Inc's online streaming series premiered on Feb. 27, all 13 episodes were immediately available to subscribers, enabling millions of fans to binge-watch the show that follows Spacey as President Francis Underwood and Robin Wright as his ambitious first lady, Claire.Like the first two seasons, which saw the couple destroy anyone who obstructed their path to the White House, the latest episodes find them conniving to consolidate their presidential power base.Underwood embodies the character to whom audiences are both repelled and attracted.Spacey, 55, who has won Oscars for "American Beauty" and "The Usual Suspects," credited the groundbreaking 1980s police drama "Hill Street Blues," as well as HBO's "The Sopranos," with its anxiety-ridden, overweight mob boss and other shows for changing television and introducing anti-hero characters."It seem to me the runway had been very well paved by the time we arrived," he said. "I think it is what audiences are demanding, not what we are. This is what people want.""House of Cards" made history in 2013 when it became the first online series to win three Emmys and established Netflix as a leader in original entertainment.It also provided audiences with a novel way to watch the series by streaming it online, and gave writers and actors alike a longer creative arch to develop characters.Wright, 48, who directed an episode of the current series, likened the format to building a 13-hour film."It's a novel that you, the public, can pick up when you want it, read as many chapters as you want in whatever format, put it down for six months and then return to it," she explained.And Spacey believes the format is here to stay."Creatively, it is the best it can get," he said. "I also think that whether people want to admit it or not, the days of appointed viewing (times) are more behind us than ahead of us."

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Two Broadway musical imports top London theater award nominees Broadway imports "Memphis The Musical" and "Beautiful - The Carole King Musical" collected the most nominations on Monday, with nine and eight nods, respectively, for London's Olivier Awards to be announced in April.Mark Strong and Richard Armitage both received best actor nominations for roles on the London stage in revivals of Arthur Miller plays -- Strong for "A View from the Bridge" and Armitage for "The Crucible".They are competing with James McAvoy for his performance in "The Ruling Class" and Tim Pigott-Smith in "King Charles III".Nominees for best actress in a play are Gillian Anderson for "A Streetcar Named Desire", Kristin Scott Thomas for "Electra", Imelda Staunton for "Good People" and Penelope Wilson in "Taken at Midnight".The best director nominees are Rupert Goold for "King Charles III", Jeremy Herrin for "Wolf Hall" and "Bring Up the Bodies", Josie Rourke for "City of Angels" and Ivo Van Hove for "A View from the Bridge".Caro Newling, president of the Society of London Theatre, which runs the awards, said it had been "an absolutely wonderful year" for British theater and she was not at all concerned that two American imports were leading the nominations list."There's nothing wrong with imports and I think actually given how many British plays are on the other side of the Atlantic it feels great that we're welcoming American musicals," she said."People talk all the time about the future of new musicals and I think what we have this year is representatives on both sides of the Atlantic alive and kicking.""Memphis" and "Beautiful" were both nominated in the categories of best sound design, best costume design, best theater choreographer, best achievement in music, best actress in a musical and best new musical. "Memphis" got a nod for best actor in a musical and "Beautiful" was nominated for best actress in a supporting role in a musical but "Memphis" edged out "Beautiful" with two nominations to one for "Beautiful" in best actor in a supporting role in a musical.

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Stella flowing and faux-furry at Paris fashion week Loose but tailored, flowing but structured - Stella McCartney presented a study in contrasts for her Winter 2015 ready-to-wear show on Monday in Paris in a collection both supremely luxurious and as relaxed as sportswear.McCartney's affinity for freely moving pieces that skirt the body without suffocating it found ample expression in the show at the opulent Opera Garnier, where father Paul McCartney was on hand, along with Kanye West and Woody Harrelson.Diagonals of thick ribbed knits draped the figure on long-sleeved dresses, lightened by gauzy sheer silk peeking out underneath. Trousers - which in McCartney's world usually hang low in the crotch - were high-waisted and cinched, but roomy in the thighs and leg for a fluid, sensual feel. Her standout faux furs featured along with wool coats in lodens and greys, and even black and white tweed, that were slim to the body but tied at the waist.A wool trouser suit recalled a classic grey sweatsuit in both color and comfort, but McCartney's version in light wool was pure luxury, with folds of fabric at the waist and cut-outs at the short sleeves giving movement and fluidity. But it was McCartney's faux fur coats in both black and ivory - reined in by geometric stitched patches at the sides and sleeves - that caught the eye."If the fashion industry just for one season gave up fur and did fake fur as its replacement, it would have a massive impact," said McCartney backstage. "Over 50 million animals are being killed a year for fashion, and I don't agree with it."The designer said even the most discerning would not be able to tell the difference when looking at real versus fake. "In fact, I think mine would look better," she said.

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Vintage plane Harrison Ford crashed was well-restored, official says Actor Harrison Ford was piloting a World War Two vintage plane that had been restored to a high standard when he crash landed at a Los Angeles golf course after reporting an engine failure, a federal investigator said on Friday.Moments after Ford took off in his 1942 single-engine plane on Thursday from Santa Monica Airport, he attempted a return landing, clipped a tree and crash landed at nearby Penmar Golf Course, short of the intended runway, officials said.National Transportation Safety Board investigator Patrick Jones indicated, without mentioning Ford by name, that federal investigators have not yet spoken to the actor, an experienced aviator who was hospitalized following the crash.Aviation records list the plane as a Ryan Aeronautical ST-3KR plane, which is also known as a PT-22 Recruit. "My understanding is that it was restored and actually was an award-winning restoral," Jones told reporters at the scene of the crash, adding investigators plan to soon disassemble the plane and transport it to another site for inspection.The 72-year-old star of some of the biggest films of the 1980s is expected to make a full recovery from injuries that his publicist said are not life threatening. Fire officials said Ford, known for the iconic characters of archaeological adventurer Indiana Jones in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and its sequels and of Han Solo in the "Star Wars" franchise, was taken to a local hospital, where he was listed in fair to moderate condition.Prior to the crash, Ford described a problem with his plane to air traffic controllers on Thursday in a brief recording later released to the media."Engine failure; immediate return," Ford said in a tense voice on the recording, before obtaining clearance to land on a runway.The crash, which saw the actor's plane come down a short distance from houses, follows years of complaints by residents in the heavily populated beachside community that the airport interferes with their quality of life.Spine surgeon Sanjay Khurana told ABC News in an interview that aired on Friday that he had been playing golf when the plane came down on the course, and that he came to Ford's aid."My task, if you will, was to get him out of the airplane in a somewhat urgent manner because the fuel was leaking," Khurana told ABC News.

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Tribeca Festival blends films, live performances in varied slate From a crime drama starring actress Glenn Close to an Arnold Schwarzenegger film about a deadly zombie epidemic to an expose of the financial crisis, the Tribeca Film Festival unveiled a varied slate of movies on Thursday.After announcing the documentary and narrative films in competition on Tuesday, the festival revealed its full schedule of nearly 100 feature-length films. As in previous years, the downtown New York event will pair films with live music, dance and comedy performances linked to them."Mary J. Blige - The London Sessions," about the recording of one of the rhythm and blues singer's albums, will be followed by a concert at the Beacon Theater. A special dance performance will accompany "A Ballerina's Tale," which offers a peek into the daily life of Misty Copeland of New York's American Ballet Theatre."Seeing a film together alongside a live performance heightens the experience, engages the imagination and brings audiences together is an unforgettable way," Genna Terranova, the festival's director, said in a statement.The festival line-up will include the world premiere of "Anesthesia," about a New York college professor mugged near his home and starring Sam Waterston, Glenn Close and Kristen Stewart.Schwarzenegger, California's former governor, will be back on the big screen in "Maggie" as a small-town farmer whose daughter is infected in an epidemic threatening humanity.And in "The Wannabe," based on the events surrounding the trial of American mobster John Gotti in 1992, best supporting Oscar winner Patricia Arquette ("Boyhood") embarks on a crime spree.Documentaries, always a major component at Tribeca, include "The Emperor's New Clothes," an expose of the impact of the financial crisis by English writer/director Michael Winterbottom and comedian Russell Brand.The festival, which runs from April 16-26, was founded in 2001 by actor Robert De Niro, producer Jane Rosenthal and investor Craig Hatkoff to revitalize the downtown New York neighborhood following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center.

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New Defense Secretary hosts U.S. gathering on Islamic State strategy New U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter is gathering top U.S. military commanders and diplomats for talks in Kuwait on Monday about the battle against Islamic State, as America's military effort approaches major hurdles in both Iraq and Syria.Carter says he hopes the roughly six hours of largely unscripted discussions will help assess the war that he is inheriting after swearing-in on Tuesday as President Barack Obama's fourth defense secretary."I'm trying to assess the situation in Iraq, Syria and the region more generally," Carter told reporters during his first trip abroad as defense secretary.  Carter's meeting at a U.S. Army camp in Kuwait comes against the backdrop of a fierce debate inside the United States about the U.S. strategy, which Obama's Republican critics say is far too limited militarily to succeed. It also comes at a moment of increasing concern about the group's spread, with Libya emerging as a battleground for militants loyal to Islamic State.Among the long list of participants are General Lloyd Austin, the head of U.S. forces in the Middle East, retired General John Allen, Obama's envoy to the anti-Islamic State coalition and U.S. ambassadors to countries including Saudi Arabia and Jordan.Still, a senior U.S. defense official traveling with Carter stressed the gathering was a learning tool -- not a sign of his concern about the strategy or a prelude to an overhaul."I am not expecting a major re-write of our strategy. I'm just not. He just wants to understand it and he's the kind of guy where he needs to ... dig into it," the official said, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity.The United States is now restricting the role of ground troops in Iraq to advising and training local forces, focusing American firepower on a U.S.-led coalition air campaign against Islamic State targets in Iraq and Syria. But Carter could soon be asked to make a recommendation about whether to send American forces closer to the fight, possibly as spotters for air strikes during an offensive to retake the city of Mosul that could begin in April or May."I'm always open to advice from our military commanders about what the best way to achieve success is," Carter said. "That is a question that will come down the road." The Pentagon is also preparing to start training Syrian rebels next month at sites outside of Syria.

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Helen Mirren reigns on Broadway as Britain's Queen Elizabeth Nearly a decade after winning an Academy Award for her role as Britain's Elizabeth II in "The Queen," Helen Mirren is ruling over Broadway in "The Audience," a new play about the monarch's weekly meetings with her prime ministers.Mirren said she has huge empathy for the 88 year-old royal she plays in the British import that premiered in London and opened on Sunday at New York's Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre."Both times, for the film and now the play, I had to do a lot of research and the more research I did really, the more respect I gained for her," Mirren, 69, said ahead of the opening.The queen's weekly meetings with her prime ministers are private, so "The Audience" is an imagining of the conversations and relationships Elizabeth has had with eight of the 12 British leaders who served during her more than 60-year reign.Mirren, a multiple-Tony nominee, admits it is difficult to imagine what Elizabeth's world is like. But the newspaper USA Today said her Elizabeth defends the monarchy and "deftly reconciles her sense of entitlement with a deep humility and empathy."In the play, which does not run chronologically, Mirren is shown as a older queen reassuring a doubtful John Major, played by actor Dylan Baker, that is he is up to the job. In the next scene she changes into the young Elizabeth, holding her first meeting as queen with the formidable Winston Churchill (Dakin Matthews).The play, written by Peter Morgan who also penned "The Queen," and directed by Stephen Daldry, lets audiences listen in to her conversation with a depressed Gordon Brown (Rod McLachlan.) They hear her playful, friendly banter with Labor Prime Minister Harold Wilson and watch as she soothes a testy Margaret Thatcher.With each scene the queen's age changes along with her costumes and hairstyle."Even if she's not the real royal deal, this is still about as close as most of us are going to get to a cozy tete-a-tete with the best loved of the regal Windsors," said The New York Times newspaper.Mirren also appears alongside younger versions of the monarch, showing her reluctant to move into Buckingham Palace and her early annoyances with royal life."It's obvious who the real ruler is when it comes to Broadway. Mirren's crown is safe," said The New York Post newspaper.

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Stiller, Wilson bring Zoolander's 'blue steel' to Paris fashion Paris Fashion Week welcomed two really, really, ridiculously good looking additions on Tuesday, as Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson reprised their "Zoolander" male model characters to strut the Maison Valentino runway ahead of the hit comedy's sequel.Stiller and Wilson, who play dim-witted male models Derek Zoolander and Hansel ("so hot right now") in the film, delivered the ultimate walk-off wearing custom Valentino accompanied by pouts and "blue steel" gazes, in homage to the 2001 comedy parodying the fashion world.This is the first promotional stunt for Paramount Pictures' "Zoolander 2," due out in February 2016, with Stiller reprising his directing duties and reuniting with Wilson and Will Ferrell, who plays egomaniac designer Mugatu.In "Zoolander," Stiller's character is brainwashed into an assassination plot against a world leader, but is saved by Hansel. The movie became a cult comedy hit, with Zoolander's absurd lines, such as "What is this? A center for ants?" much-quoted in pop culture.

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Newly released video shows Suge Knight running over two men A videotape posted on celebrity news website TMZ on Monday shows Marion "Suge" Knight running over two men with his pick-up truck at a Los Angeles area burger stand, killing one of them, in an incident that led to hit-and-run charges against the rap mogul.The graphic video appears to support prosecutors' contention that Knight deliberately struck Cle "Bone" Sloan and Terry Carter with his red Ford F-150 on Jan. 29 following an altercation in the driveway of Tam's Burgers in the Los Angeles suburb of Compton.Sloan, 51, survived his injuries but Carter, 55, was pronounced dead at a local hospital.Matthew Fletcher, who formally took over as Knight's attorney during a hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, told reporters that the video would help exonerate his client because it showed him fleeing an ambush at the fast-food restaurant."When you're attacked ... you have every right to defend yourself," he said. "There's no duty to retreat, there's no duty to hide or cower. You have the right to leave." Fletcher said the video also shows a third man removing a gun from Sloan as he lay on the ground injured, helping prove the defense argument that Knight, 49, had been lured to Tam's burgers for an attack.The videotape, which appears to have been shot by a security camera at the fast-food stand, begins with Knight pulling quickly into the driveway, where he is immediately confronted by Sloan. The two men trade blows through the driver's window of the truck for about 20 seconds before Knight reverses the vehicle, knocking Sloan to the ground.A few seconds later the truck reappears, accelerating through the driveway and running over both Sloan and Carter as two other men scamper out of the way. One of those men then removes a black object that Fletcher says is a handgun from the injured Sloan and slips it into his waistband.Knight has pleaded innocent to murder, attempted murder and hit-and-run charges stemming from the incident.The co-founder of influential Death Row Records has previous convictions for assault with a deadly weapon and could face 25 years to life in prison under California's so-called three-strikes law if he is convicted at trial.Knight, who was shot six times in a nightclub altercation last year, has been taken to a jail infirmary complaining of ill health following several hearings in the case.

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Box Office: 'Chappie' Stumbles, 'Unfinished Business' Bombs Neill Blomkamp's "Chappie" and "Unfinished Business" with Vince Vaughn added up to a weekend to forget at the U.S. box office.Overall ticket sales plunged as "Chappie," a science-fiction adventure about a sentient robot, topped charts with a weak $13.3 million from 3,201 locations. Going into the weekend, Sony Pictures was aiming for a debut of roughly $15 million and some analysts expected the film could hit $20 million. Reviews were tepid, and the picture is the latest in a long line of R-rated new releases such as "Fifty Shades of Grey" and "Focus," which may have hurt it with moviegoers looking for something that appeals to kids as well as adults."There's been a glut of R-rated movies starting from the first of the year," said Rory Bruer, Sony's worldwide distribution chief. "I think there's some R-rated fatigue."The odds may have been against "Chappie" from its inception. Original science-fiction films have had a rocky go of it at the box office of late, with "Seventh Son," "Jupiter Ascending" and "Project Almanac" all crashing on the shoals of audience indifference. Blomkamp may be on safer ground with his next project, a new installment in the "Alien" franchise."Chappie" was produced for $49 million, and Sony isn't ready to concede defeat on the picture just yet, predicting it could make a profit when foreign markets are taken into account. Bruer notes that Blomkamp's previous films, "District 9" and "Elysium," were able to stick around for a long time after their debuts."The movie plays well, and the uniqueness of the characters is going to drive a conversation that I do believe will help the film in the coming weeks," he said.It was a dispiriting weekend overall for the business, with ticket sales down roughly 35% from the year-ago period - a weekend that saw the debuts of "300: Rise of an Empire" and "Mr. Peabody and Sherman." That also took a chunk out of the substantial lead that the exhibition industry had maintained over 2014's first quarter numbers. Ticket sales are now up roughly 5% over the previous year's, but two weeks ago they topped them by roughly 10%."The market has been so strong lately, I'm not surprised to see such a big down weekend," said Phil Contrino, vice president and chief analyst at BoxOffice.com. "Things have to slow down at some point.""Chappie" fared better than "Unfinished Business," another R-rated whiff. The business trip comedy eked out a gloomy $4.8 million across 2,777 locations. It ranks as the lowest debut of Vaughn's career, raising serious questions about his appeal. The "Wedding Crashers" star has headlined an array of flops over the past four years, including "The Dilemma," "Delivery Man," "The Internship" and "The Watch." A lot is riding on the second season of "True Detective" to return Vaughn to audiences' good graces.Twentieth Century Fox distributed the $35 million film, which New Regency financed. The opening crowd for "Unfinished Business" was 55% male and 54% over the age of 25."Sometimes this happens where a film doesn't connect with an audience," said Spencer Klein, executive vice president of theatrical distribution at Fox. "Fortunately, this hasn't happened too often to us."There was one diamond in the crop of dinged-up new releases -- "The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel." The comic tale of retirees making new lives for themselves in India bowed to a sterling $8.6 million across 1,573 locations. Fox Searchlight is distributing the comedy which was co-produced by Participant Media and cost a mere $10 million to produce."This audience of moviegoers wants to see something different, and there hasn't been much out there for them," said Frank Rodriguez, senior vice president of distribution at Fox. "This market of specialty crowds and more mature audiences has been underserved.""The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" will add approximately 300 screens to its current crop of venues next weekend, Rodriguez predicted. The first picture stuck around for months, eventually making $46.4 million, but this film had a wider debut and should be more front-loaded. The film played older and female, with more than 65% of the crowd comprised of women and the same percentage over the age of 50."Our core audience came out this weekend, but it's comprised of moviegoers who don't always rush out immediately," said Rodriguez. "We think this is the kind of film that could stick around."Last week's champ, the Will Smith heist picture "Focus," had to settle for runner-up status, taking second place on the charts with $10 million. That brings the film's take to $34.6 million.Among holdovers, "Kingsman: The Secret Service" took in $8.3 million, pushing its take to $98 million, while "Fifty Shades of Grey" added $5.6 million to its $156.4 million haul. "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water" continued to benefit from being one of the only family-friendly releases in the market, picking up $7 million and driving the picture to $149 million at the Stateside box office.At the arthouse, Sony Pictures premiered the spin-doctor documentary "Merchants of Doubt" on four screens where it earned $20,327, while "The Hunting Ground," a look at sexual violence on college campuses, added $8,936 from two screens to its $45,822 gross.Roadside Attractions and Black Label Media's critically adored thriller "71" capitalized on good reviews, earning $70,590 after expanding from four to 16 screens in New York and Los Angeles.Next weekend brings Disney's live-action version of "Cinderella" and with it a chance at box office redemption.

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Actor Harrison Ford injured in small plane crash near Los Angeles: report Actor Harrison Ford was injured on Thursday in the crash of a small airplane outside Los Angeles, celebrity website TMZ reported.Reuters could not immediately confirm the report on TMZ, which said that Ford, 72, suffered multiple gashes to his head and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. "We can confirm that there was a plane crash and the male occupant was a 65-70 years old man. He was transported to a local hospital in stable condition," Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman Officer Nuria Vanegas said. "The incident was reported at 2:25 p.m., it was mechanical failure of plane, that's what caused the accident," Vanegas said. Ford, best known for his roles in such blockbuster films as Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark, is a longtime aviation enthusiast.

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Beauties in a brasserie for Chanel's Paris fashion show I'll take a café, a croissant and a black and ivory silk cocktail dress, s'il vous plait. Under the soaring glass ceiling of the Grand Palais, Chanel's Winter 2015 show was staged in an elaborate pop-up restaurant, complete with surly Parisian waiters in black waistcoats and white shirts and a bar serving champagne and coffee.Creative Director Karl Lagerfeld showcased dresses and coats worn by models flitting in and out of the "Brasserie Gabrielle", ordering coffee or perusing newspapers."It's the daily life of a certain category of people," Lagerfeld explained after the show. "This is down-to-earth daily life - in certain circumstances."The effect was reinforced by the hard-boiled eggs, croissants and plates of olives and radishes laid out on the bar of the brasserie named after the label's late founder Coco Chanel, whose real first name was Gabrielle.The saucy and sparkling collection celebrated both the couture house's archives and the German designer's penchant for novel, modern fabrics and textures.Besides showcasing an array of Chanel staples -- slimly tailored knit suit jackets paired with pleated or cigarette skirts -- Lagerfeld had some fun playing with puckering.Sleeves of jackets became armor-like as they were covered with hundreds of crinkly tucks, giving volume and modernity to the otherwise traditional shapes. Lagerfeld said he wanted to "give a new touch to the little black dress" with a series of sheer black silk cocktail dresses lined in nude. Sleeveless and feminine, they came with modified Peter Pan collars or bows at the shoulder. Guests lingered afterwards, hesitant to leave the festive atmosphere of the brasserie. One barman said models do indeed eat, as he had served a croissant to one of them in the show.As for his modeling debut? "We had a great time," he laughed, wiping down the copper bar one last time.

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Director of Gregg Allman biopic pleads guilty in train-crash death The director of a film about rock singer Gregg Allman pleaded guilty on Monday to involuntary manslaughter and trespassing charges stemming from a deadly train crash on the movie's set in Georgia, according to a Georgia county court clerk's office."Midnight Rider" director Randall Miller agreed to a plea deal in which he was sentenced to two years in county jail and eight years of probation, as well as a $20,000 fine. All charges against Jody Savin, Miller’s wife and business partner, were dropped.Executive producer Jay Sedrish also pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and trespassing, and was sentenced to 10 years' probation, said a spokeswoman for the Wayne County court clerk.Miller, Savin and Sedrish were indicted on involuntary manslaughter and trespassing charges in the February 2014 death of camera assistant Sarah Jones, 27, of Atlanta, during the filming of the biopic. The plea deal came as the three filmmakers were due to stand trial this week on the criminal charges. Each faced up to 11 years in prison if convicted.Jones was killed when a train hit props and movie equipment staged on a railroad bridge and trestle.Six other crew members were injured in the incident in rural Wayne County about 70 miles southwest of Savannah. "There were no winners in court this morning," Richard and Elizabeth Jones, the parents of Sarah Jones, said in a statement. "Our daughter is gone and there is tremendous loss for all involved. ... But, to be clear, we are not now, and never have been, seeking revenge for Sarah's death."Unclaimed Freight Productions Inc, the production company, did not have permission to film on the tracks, authorities have said. A fourth defendant in the case, first assistant director Hillary Schwartz, is scheduled to be tried separately.Allman was not named in the criminal case. He was dropped from a civil lawsuit in which Jones' family is seeking unspecified financial damages from the people and movie companies involved in the film project.

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Morocco's 'Fievres' is surprise winner at African film festival "Fievres", a film by Moroccan director Hicham Ayouch, won the top prize at this year's FESPACO film festival in Burkina Faso, beating competition that included the Oscar-nominated "Timbuktu".FESPACO, which takes place every two years in Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou, is Africa's biggest film festival. "Fievres", the tale of a tumultuous relationship between a father and his lonely, violent son in a rough French neighborhood, was a surprise winner because not many of those attending the festival had seen it.This year's edition of FESPACO was overshadowed by fears of an attack by Islamists, whose occupation of the northern Malian desert town of Timbuktu is the subject of the film with the same name."Timbuktu" missed out on an Oscar but had earlier won a string of other international awards, including two at this year's Cannes Film Festival and seven at the Cesar Awards, France's equivalent of the Oscars.Organizers temporarily withdrew "Timbuktu" from the festival due to concerns that its showing might lead to the event being targeted by Islamist groups operating in the region.That decision was later reversed."FESPACO is a platform for everyone to come and express themselves democratically and freely," said Burkina Faso's interim president, Michel Kafando."Consequently, there was no way we could not show a film that was apparently threatened by terrorism," he said.An overnight attack claimed by Islamists killed five people in a bar in the capital of neighboring Mali, a reminder of the threat militants still pose in the region two years after France dispatched troops to fight al Qaeda-linked fighters who occupied Mali's northern desert.

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Harrison Ford's plane lost power before LA crash: investigators Actor Harrison Ford's vintage airplane lost engine power shortly before he crash-landed at a Los Angeles golf course last week, a report released on Tuesday said.The preliminary findings from the National Transportation Safety Board confirm Ford's own radio transmissions reporting an engine failure to the control tower at the Santa Monica Airport last Thursday as he brought the plane down on the eighth fairway at the golf course.Ford, 72, known for playing the iconic characters Indiana Jones in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and its sequels and Han Solo in the "Star Wars" franchise, was seriously injured in the crash of the 1942 single-engine Ryan Aeronautical ST-3KR plane, which is also known as a PT-22 Recruit.The crash, which occurred a short distance from houses, follows years of complaints by residents in the heavily populated beachside community that the airport interferes with their quality of life.The National Transportation Safety Board's report released on Tuesday said Ford's plane "sustained substantial damage following a loss of engine power and subsequent forced landing after take-off from the Santa Monica Municipal Airport."Ford made a left turn back to the airport when he lost power and on his descent the aircraft struck the top of a tree and crashed onto the golf course, about 800 feet (244 meters) southwest of the approach end of a runway, the report said.The report does not name Ford as the pilot and sole occupant of the plane but his spokeswoman has confirmed it was him. The NTSB is continuing its investigation of the crash following its initial findings released on Tuesday.Ford was taken to a hospital, where he was listed in fair to moderate condition. He was still in the hospital on Monday, according to a report from ABC News. A spokeswoman for the actor declined to comment on Monday and she could not immediately be reached on Tuesday.

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Nirvana rocker Kurt Cobain's childhood home on sale for $400,000 Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain's childhood home in Washington state is on sale for $400,000, complete with drawings he made on the bedroom wall, a realtor said on Wednesday.Cobain rose to fame as the lead singer and songwriter of Nirvana, arguably the defining band of the grunge era that dominated rock music, and elements of popular culture, for several years in the 1990s.Nirvana broke through to mainstream success with "Smells Like Teen Spirit," the first single from the band's second album, "Nevermind," released in 1991.The 1,522-square-foot Craftsman-style bungalow in Aberdeen, about 100 miles southwest of Seattle, was re-listed this week at $100,000 less than its price in September 2013, according to Aberdeen Realty Inc, the company representing the sellers. Cobain lived in the home when he was a few months old until he was 9, when his parents separated, and then again from age 16 until about 20, according to a profile of the home by The Agency, a California real estate firm.Some of its furniture and decor has been preserved, including marks and drawings Cobain made on the walls, a rug in his room and a family dining table, and a hole he punched in a wall as a teen, almost breaking his hand, the California firm said.Cobain was 27 years old when he shot himself on April 5, 1994, at his home in Seattle. His body was discovered three days later.

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California governor blocks parole of ex-Mexican Mafia prison gang leader California Governor Jerry Brown blocked parole for a former leader of the Mexican Mafia prison gang who went on to become an informant for police, his office said on Friday.Rene "Boxer" Enriquez, 52, is serving three concurrent life sentences for two counts of second degree murder and a charge of assault with a deadly weapon.Brown acknowledged Enriquez's attempts to better himself while in prison - including his gang informant work for police, expert testimony at various criminal trials, and informational lectures to law enforcement organizations - but said they did not outweigh the risks."Because he is a high-profile drop-out targeted by the Mexican Mafia, Mr. Enriquez's parole poses a serious security risk to him, his family, his parole agents, and the community in which he is placed," Brown said in his decision, according to a copy published online by the Los Angeles Times. Enriquez, who joined the Mexican Mafia in 1985 while in prison for armed robbery and forcible rape, ordered a gang associate to kill a drug dealer in 1989 while he was on parole because he thought she was cheating customers, according to the governor's decision.Seven days after that killing, he carried out a hit against a Mexican Mafia member who had fallen out of favor by pumping him full of heroin before driving the man to a deserted area and shooting him in the head five times, the document said.While in Los Angeles County Jail in 1991, he and an accomplice stabbed another inmate 26 times while being held in an attorney room, the decision said. The victim survived.He was involved with the gang for nearly 20 years, during which time he stabbed other inmates, recruited and trained new members, and oversaw a violent drug-dealing crew in East Los Angeles, according to the document.The Los Angeles Times reported that he defected from the gang in 2002.

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U.S. documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles dies at 88 Albert Maysles, a pioneering American documentary filmmaker best known for works such as "Grey Gardens" and "Gimme Shelter," has died at age 88, his family said on Friday.Maysles passed away on Thursday at his home in New York following a brief battle with cancer."For more than five decades, Albert created groundbreaking films, inspired filmmakers and touched all those with his humanity, presence and his belief in the power of love," the family said in a statement.Together with his brother David, who died in 1987, Maysles made more than 50 films. They were considered among the most prominent figures in documentary films.The brothers, who founded Maysles Films in the 1960s, developed the art of making non-fiction, fly-on-the-wall films in which the drama of life unfolded without the use of scripts, sets or narration."Albert was a genius of the documentary film world," actor Robert Duvall said in a statement. "He left us with a great legacy and among the best documentaries that will ever be seen. He will be missed."Among their most famous films was the 1970 movie "Gimme Shelter" in which the brothers followed rock band The Rolling Stones during their 1969 tour, including their performance at the Altamont concert, where they captured the stabbing death of an audience member on film. The brothers' classic 1975 work "Grey Gardens" explored the shut-in lives of a mother and daughter, relatives of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who lived in a run-down mansion.Maysles' final films, "Iris," about style icon Iris Apfel, will be released this spring, and the documentary "In Transit," will premiere at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival. The brothers won numerous awards and were nominated for an Oscar in 1974 for best documentary short subject for their film "Christo's Valley Curtain."Three-time Emmy winner Maysles was born in Boston to Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. He taught psychology at Boston University before turning to filmmaking in 1955. His first film, "Psychiatry in Russia," was about patients in mental hospitals.In the 1960s the brothers made "Meet Marlon Brando" and "With Love from Truman," about the author Truman Capote. Those films were followed by the feature-length documentary "Salesman," about Bible salesmen in Boston, which is considered an American classic.In 2001 Maysles received the Sundance Film Festival 2001 Cinematography Award for Documentaries for his film "Lalee Kin: The Legacy of Cotton."

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Stella flowing and faux-furry at Paris fashion week Loose but tailored, flowing but structured - Stella McCartney presented a study in contrasts for her Winter 2015 ready-to-wear show on Monday in Paris in a collection both supremely luxurious and as relaxed as sportswear.McCartney's affinity for freely moving pieces that skirt the body without suffocating it found ample expression in the show at the opulent Opera Garnier, where father Paul McCartney was on hand, along with Kanye West and Woody Harrelson.Diagonals of thick ribbed knits draped the figure on long-sleeved dresses, lightened by gauzy sheer silk peeking out underneath. Trousers - which in McCartney's world usually hang low in the crotch - were high-waisted and cinched, but roomy in the thighs and leg for a fluid, sensual feel. Her standout faux furs featured along with wool coats in lodens and greys, and even black and white tweed, that were slim to the body but tied at the waist.A wool trouser suit recalled a classic grey sweatsuit in both color and comfort, but McCartney's version in light wool was pure luxury, with folds of fabric at the waist and cut-outs at the short sleeves giving movement and fluidity. But it was McCartney's faux fur coats in both black and ivory - reined in by geometric stitched patches at the sides and sleeves - that caught the eye."If the fashion industry just for one season gave up fur and did fake fur as its replacement, it would have a massive impact," said McCartney backstage. "Over 50 million animals are being killed a year for fashion, and I don't agree with it."The designer said even the most discerning would not be able to tell the difference when looking at real versus fake. "In fact, I think mine would look better," she said.

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Rapper Big Sean beats Kid Rock to top of Billboard 200 chart Rapper Big Sean topped the weekly U.S. Billboard 200 album chart on Wednesday for the first time, beating out rocker Kid Rock.Big Sean's "Dark Sky Paradise" sold 139,000 album copies, 218,000 songs and was streamed more than 17 million times, tallying 172,000 total units in its debut on the chart, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan.Kid Rock's "First Kiss" entered at No. 2 with 146,000 total album units, while the soundtrack to Universal Pictures' steamy hit film "Fifty Shades of Grey" remained steady at No. 3 with 108,000 copies sold. The only other new entry in the top ten of the Billboard 200 chart, which tallies album sales, song sales (10 songs equal one album) and streaming activity (1,500 streams equal one album), was "Fan of a Fan: The Album," by rappers Chris Brown and Tyga at No. 7, selling 67,000 units.Last week's chart-toppers, alt-rockers Imagine Dragons' "Smoke + Mirrors," dropped to No. 9 this week.On the Digital Songs chart, which measures online song sales, Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars' upbeat "Uptown Funk!" held steady at No. 1 with 240,000 downloads in the past week.

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Soprano Brightman to hit new high note with space station trip After a stellar career ranging from the disco hit "I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper" to global success in "Phantom of the Opera", British soprano Sarah Brightman is preparing for a unique performance: a live concert from space.Brightman, 54, will be the eighth space tourist, and first professional singer, traveling as one of a three-person team to the International Space Station in a Soyuz space rocket that will launch from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Sept. 1. She will spend 10 days orbiting the Earth."I cannot explain in full why this is something that has been very strong within me," Brightman said on Tuesday at a press launch event for her trip."I am incredibly excited and as I have said, sometimes overwhelmed, but I am finding all sorts of things about myself."She was inspired to travel into space when she watched the first moon landing on television in 1969 and says she has nurtured the ambition ever since.Brightman is reported by British media to have paid 35 million pounds ($53 million) for the trip. She said that for contractual reasons she could not reveal the amount.The singer was assessed for suitability for the trip at Star City outside Moscow in July 2012, and since then has undergone a grueling training regime. She plans to perform a song from the space station, accompanied by an orchestra back on Earth, but has not yet selected the tune. She has been working with ex-husband Andrew Lloyd Webber, the composer of multiple hit musicals including "Phantom of the Opera" which made Brightman a global star."I'm trying to find a piece which is beautiful and simple in its message, as well as not too complicated to sing," she said."Because of the complexities of this I don't want to promise too much," she added."SWEATING IN COSTUMES"Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield recorded songs during his time in space, including a rendition of David Bowie's "Space Oddity" that was viewed by millions on Earth, but Brightman will be the first professional musician to record in space."I found many parallels between the training I'm doing and what I've been doing as a performer," Brightman said. "When you're a performer you're traveling around for years, going to different venues, different countries ... You have to make fast decisions, you have to think on your feet, you're often sweating in costumes."An oddity in the musical landscape, Brightman first rose to fame in 1978 as a member of the dance troupe Hot Gossip with the hit "I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper".In the 1980s, Brightman appeared in "Cats", the popular musical by Lloyd Webber, whom she went on to marry. Her career reached starry heights when she premiered the lead female role in "Phantom", a record-breaking box office hit.Brightman and Lloyd Webber divorced years later and she embarked on a solo career. Often described as a crossover artist, she has performed with opera stars including Jose Carreras and Andrea Bocelli.Brightman has sold 30 million CDs and DVDs during her career, making her the top-selling soprano of all time, according to her publicists.($1 = 0.6629 pounds)

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Newly released video shows Suge Knight running over two men A videotape posted on celebrity news website TMZ on Monday shows Marion "Suge" Knight running over two men with his pick-up truck at a Los Angeles area burger stand, killing one of them, in an incident that led to hit-and-run charges against the rap mogul.The graphic video appears to support prosecutors' contention that Knight deliberately struck Cle "Bone" Sloan and Terry Carter with his red Ford F-150 on Jan. 29 following an altercation in the driveway of Tam's Burgers in the Los Angeles suburb of Compton.Sloan, 51, survived his injuries but Carter, 55, was pronounced dead at a local hospital.Matthew Fletcher, who formally took over as Knight's attorney during a hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, told reporters that the video would help exonerate his client because it showed him fleeing an ambush at the fast-food restaurant."When you're attacked ... you have every right to defend yourself," he said. "There's no duty to retreat, there's no duty to hide or cower. You have the right to leave." Fletcher said the video also shows a third man removing a gun from Sloan as he lay on the ground injured, helping prove the defense argument that Knight, 49, had been lured to Tam's burgers for an attack.The videotape, which appears to have been shot by a security camera at the fast-food stand, begins with Knight pulling quickly into the driveway, where he is immediately confronted by Sloan. The two men trade blows through the driver's window of the truck for about 20 seconds before Knight reverses the vehicle, knocking Sloan to the ground.A few seconds later the truck reappears, accelerating through the driveway and running over both Sloan and Carter as two other men scamper out of the way. One of those men then removes a black object that Fletcher says is a handgun from the injured Sloan and slips it into his waistband.Knight has pleaded innocent to murder, attempted murder and hit-and-run charges stemming from the incident.The co-founder of influential Death Row Records has previous convictions for assault with a deadly weapon and could face 25 years to life in prison under California's so-called three-strikes law if he is convicted at trial.Knight, who was shot six times in a nightclub altercation last year, has been taken to a jail infirmary complaining of ill health following several hearings in the case.

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Oprah Winfrey prevails in 'Own Your Power' lawsuit Oprah Winfrey has prevailed in a trademark lawsuit challenging her use of the phrase "Own Your Power" in her namesake magazine, on TV, on websites and in social media accounts.U.S. District Judge Paul Crotty in Manhattan ruled on Thursday that Winfrey, her company Harpo Productions Inc and her publisher Hearst Corp demonstrated that the phrase "lacks the requisite distinctiveness" to deserve trademark protection.Crotty also said Simone Kelly-Brown, a motivational speaker and business coach who said she trademarked the phrase in 2008, and her company Own Your Power Communications Inc did not show that Winfrey's use of the phrase would likely confuse consumers."Though they may aspire to do so, plaintiffs present no evidence indicating a likelihood of creating a global media presence capable of attracting an audience of millions," Crotty wrote.Patricia Lawrence-Kolaras, a lawyer for Kelly-Brown, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Jonathan Donnellan, Hearst's deputy general counsel, said the defendants are pleased with the decision.Crotty previously dismissed the lawsuit in March 2012, only to have a federal appeals court revive it 14 months later because the defendants did not show that their use of "Own Your Power" constituted fair use.In Thursday's decision, Crotty said the defendants made that showing by having used the phrase in good faith, in conjunction with other words and images associated with Winfrey, and to convey an "overall message of self-empowerment."Winfrey, 61, is one of the most popular talk-show hosts in history. She runs the cable network OWN, which she created in a joint venture with Discovery Communications Inc.Forbes magazine on Thursday estimated Winfrey's net worth at $3 billion.The case is Kelly-Brown et al v. Winfrey et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 11-07875.

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London 'Mahagonny' sticks to message - man is own worst enemy Marxist playwright Bertolt Brecht and composer Kurt Weill, who together created "The Threepenny Opera" and its hit song "Mack the Knife", intended their follow-up, "The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny" to be a rude critique of capitalism.A new production by the Royal Opera House that premiered on Tuesday has updated the 1930 work, famed for its "Alabama Song" covered by everyone from The Doors to David Bowie, to tackle globalization and climate change. But it hews close to the original message - man is his own worst enemy."Who needs help from hurricanes?" sings the cast of this dark, despairing but hugely diverting two-hour-long opera. "We're spoiling the world just fine."The opera, quickly banned by the Nazis and infrequently revived until the 1960s, is set in a fictional pleasure city established by three fugitives led by Leocadia Begbick, sung by Swedish mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter in a purple wig.Anything goes in Mahagonny, from drinking to whoring to gluttony, as long as you can pay. Having no cash is worse than murder and will cost hero Jimmy McIntyre, sung by tenor Kurt Streit, his life. Brecht and Weill situated their Mahagonny on the West Coast of the United States, where Begbick and her sidekicks hoped to milk the riches of gold prospectors and lumberjacks.Director John Fulljames, for the ROH's first production of the opera, makes Mahagonny a city of shipping containers that could be anywhere, a nod to how capitalism not only triumphed despite economic turmoil in Weimar Germany at the time the piece was written, but has pretty much conquered the world.The production makes extensive use of video projections, including one of a typhoon bearing down on Mahagonny, destroying all the surrounding cities, but miraculously, and ridiculously, hopping past the city of sin.Another projection updates Brecht's take on mankind's vexed relation to the environment, saying that at the time of writing no one could have foreseen the increased energy consumption and carbon emissions that have made storms, such as that which menaces Mahagonny, more intense.Making the opera more relevant gives the audience something to ponder, but the jewel in the crown is Weill's inventive score. It weaves 1930s German cabaret with polyphony, jazz and 20th century modernism, but never loses sight of "Alabama Song".The song is reprised near the end by prostitute Jenny, sung by soprano Christine Rice. Weill well knew it was a masterpiece.

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Director of Gregg Allman biopic pleads guilty in train-crash death The director of a film about rock singer Gregg Allman pleaded guilty on Monday to involuntary manslaughter and trespassing charges stemming from a deadly train crash on the movie's set in Georgia, according to a Georgia county court clerk's office."Midnight Rider" director Randall Miller agreed to a plea deal in which he was sentenced to two years in county jail and eight years of probation, as well as a $20,000 fine. All charges against Jody Savin, Miller’s wife and business partner, were dropped.Executive producer Jay Sedrish also pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and trespassing, and was sentenced to 10 years' probation, said a spokeswoman for the Wayne County court clerk.Miller, Savin and Sedrish were indicted on involuntary manslaughter and trespassing charges in the February 2014 death of camera assistant Sarah Jones, 27, of Atlanta, during the filming of the biopic. The plea deal came as the three filmmakers were due to stand trial this week on the criminal charges. Each faced up to 11 years in prison if convicted.Jones was killed when a train hit props and movie equipment staged on a railroad bridge and trestle.Six other crew members were injured in the incident in rural Wayne County about 70 miles southwest of Savannah. "There were no winners in court this morning," Richard and Elizabeth Jones, the parents of Sarah Jones, said in a statement. "Our daughter is gone and there is tremendous loss for all involved. ... But, to be clear, we are not now, and never have been, seeking revenge for Sarah's death."Unclaimed Freight Productions Inc, the production company, did not have permission to film on the tracks, authorities have said. A fourth defendant in the case, first assistant director Hillary Schwartz, is scheduled to be tried separately.Allman was not named in the criminal case. He was dropped from a civil lawsuit in which Jones' family is seeking unspecified financial damages from the people and movie companies involved in the film project.

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Madonna unveils renegade, romantic sides in new album 'Rebel Heart' Madonna proves her staying power as a creative force and an enduring pop icon with her new album, "Rebel Heart," her 13th studio release that also shows her renegade and softer sides.It is a revealing portrait of the Material Girl, showing the Grammy-winning singer as a trail-blazer and provocateur but also someone who is sensitive, reflective and outsider.Madonna, 56, told Reuters that the album's title "Rebel Heart" reflected her original intent to make a two-sided record featuring 10 songs on each."One side was going to be the more rebellious, provocative, envelope pushing part of me and the other side was going to be the more romantic, vulnerable side and they end up getting all mushed together," she said."Rebel Heart" is her first album since 2012's "MDNA," which shot to the top of the Billboard 200 chart. It is also somewhat autobiographical with tracks like "Veni Vidi Vici," which chronicles her career, and personal, revealing feelings of insecurity, heart ache and loss.The album's 19 tracks includes lush, lyrical ballads, such as "Devil Pray," "Ghosttown" and "Joan of Arc" that ponder the meaning of life, breakups and love."Each time they write a hateful word/Dragging my soul into the dirt/I wanna die/Never admit it but it hurts," she says in "Joan of Arc."But Madonna also lets loose with catchy dance numbers including "Living for Love" and "Unapologetic Bitch," a collaboration with Grammy-nominated American DJ Diplo."He likes to make people get up out of their seat and dance and so do it," she said about Diplo."Living for Love," the lead single has a thumping disco beat with lyrics about the heartache of a parting and picking herself up to find love again. Madonna returns to themes of sex and religion, which she said she finds infinitely interesting topics."They are as important to people as they are misunderstood," she explained. "They both bring a lot of light into the world and a lot of darkness. For those reasons, I like to explore them."For "Rebel Heart," Madonna collaborated with rapper Kanye West on four songs, Swedish DJ and producer Avicii, American producer and songwriter Toby Gad, among others. West, rappers Nas and Nicki Minaj and boxer Mike Tyson also lent their vocals on tracks.Madonna will support "Rebel Heart" with an international tour beginning in Miami on Aug. 29.

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Global fans demand BBC reinstate 'Top Gear' host Clarkson Nearly 450,000 fans from around the world have backed a petition calling for British presenter Jeremy Clarkson to be reinstated to his job hosting the "Top Gear" motoring show after the BBC suspended him following a "fracas" with a producer.Clarkson, renowned for his outspoken remarks and acerbic attitude towards "political correctness", was suspended by the BBC on Tuesday, with media reporting that he had thrown a punch at a producer following a row about food. "I'm off the to the job center," the 54-year-old presenter told reporters on Wednesday before getting into a car outside his home in west London.Clarkson, a friend of Prime Minister David Cameron, was already on a final warning over accusations last year that he had used racist language while filming the show, the latest in a long line of incidents which had courted criticism.BIT OF A DUST-UP"He's been involved in a bit of a dust-up but I don't think it's that serious," co-presenter James May told BBC TV."Top Gear", aired in more than 200 countries and estimated to have a global audience of some 350 million, has become one of the BBC's most successful and lucrative programs.In an official statement, the BBC said the show would not be aired this Sunday and the corporation's news website said it was unlikely the other two remaining episodes would be transmitted.The Guardian newspaper said that could leave the BBC's commercial arm, BBC Worldwide, facing a multi-million pound bill from foreign broadcasters for failing to deliver the episodes on time.Meanwhile an online petition demanding the BBC reinstate Clarkson had attracted 442,610 supporters from all around the globe by Wednesday afternoon."The BBC will become irrelevant very quickly in the USA without Top Gear; be careful," wrote one signatory Fred Bertsch from Denver, Colorado."Jeremy Clarkson ist Top Gear!!!!" said Austrian Karl-Johann Reitmaier.Clarkson became the popular face of Top Gear by mixing a passion for cars with blunt banter and swagger that has offended groups ranging from mental health charities and cyclists to Mexico's London ambassador.The presenter and his employers have been forced to apologize on a number of occasions. He wrote in his Sun newspaper column in May that he had been told by the BBC that if he made "one more offensive remark, anywhere at any time, I will be sacked".

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Obama rejects as 'ugly lie' notion that West at war with Islam U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday urged countries to tackle violent Islamist militancy around the world and rejected as "an ugly lie" suggestions that the West was at war with Islam and embroiled in a clash of civilizations.Obama said there was a complicated history between the Middle East and the West and no one should be immune from criticism over specific policies. "But the notion that the West is at war with Islam is an ugly lie," he said. "And all of us, regardless of our faith, have a responsibility to reject it," he told a conference convened by the White House on countering violent extremism.  "Muslim communities, including scholars and clerics, therefore have a responsibility to push back not just on twisted interpretations of Islam, but also on the lie that we are somehow engaged in a clash of civilizations," Obama said.With violent groups like Islamic State, Boko Haram and al-Shabaab gaining strength in Africa and the Middle East, more than 60 countries and international organizations have gathered in Washington to come up with a plan for tackling the problem.Obama announced that the United States would join the United Arab Emirates to create a new digital communications hub to work with religious and community leaders to counter "terrorist propaganda," and urged others to join the effort. Political critics have accused the White House of shying away from tying extremism to the religion of Islam after the recent attacks staged by Islamist militants in Paris and Copenhagen.Addressing the conference, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he would convene a meeting in coming months of faith leaders from around the world and warned that violent extremism posed a grave threat to international peace and security."Military operations are crucial to confront real threats. But bullets are not the 'silver bullet,'" Ban said. "Missiles may kill terrorists. But good governance kills terrorism."U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said countries needed to promote tolerance and peace, while addressing social and economic inequality that militants use to recruit."You have to do everything. You have to take the people off the battlefield, who are there today," Kerry said. "But you’re kind of stupid if all you do is do that, and you don’t prevent more people from going to the battlefield," he added.Nick Rasmussen, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, a U.S. spy agency, said the threat of Islamist militants was constantly changing and the United States and its allies faced "more frequent low level attacks against all of us." Islamic State has demonstrated an "agile and highly capable use of social media," Rasmussen said. The group's messaging has included both horrifying videos of executions and more enticing images of Islamic State fighters and their families, he said.

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Ringling Bros. circus to stop elephant acts by 2018 Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus will eliminate its elephant acts - long an integral part of the spectacle billed as "The Greatest Show on Earth" - by 2018 amid criticism by animal welfare activists, the circus' parent company said on Thursday.Feld Entertainment said the 13 Asian elephants used in its traveling shows will live at the company's 200-acre (81- hectare) Center for Elephant Conservation in central Florida after they are retired over the next three years. The animals represent a key symbol of the circus and have been part of its shows for more than a century. The company said the move was in response to changes in consumer preferences and the legislative landscape, and would allow it to focus on its conservation efforts for the endangered species."This decision was not easy, but it is in the best interest of our company, our elephants and our customers," Kenneth Feld, chairman and chief executive of Feld Entertainment, said in a statement.The company will still showcase tigers, lions, horses, dogs and camels in its acts.The circus has been targeted by animal welfare groups who accused it of mistreating the elephants. Activists often appear outside venues with fliers protesting the use of elephants and pictures of animals they say are abused.After Feld Entertainment sued, claiming malicious prosecution, more than a dozen animal welfare groups agreed in 2012 and 2014 to pay settlements totaling about $25 million to end 14 years of litigation.Ingrid Newkirk, president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), a longtime critic of Ringling Bros.' treatment of elephants, said on Thursday the circus should not wait to phase out elephants from its performances."If the decision is serious, then the circus needs to do it NOW," Newkirk said in a statement.To push for quicker action, PETA and Long Island Orchestrating for Nature will stage a demonstration Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, where Ringling appears this weekend.Feld Entertainment, based in Ellenton, Florida, has 41 Asian elephants, the largest herd in North America, and relocating the show elephants will take time due to construction and staffing considerations, company spokesman Stephen Payne said.The company would rather spend resources on its elephant breeding program than continue battling restrictions by cities, Payne said."We're not in the business of fighting city hall," he said.

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'The Simpsons' co-creator Sam Simon dies at age 59 Sam Simon, a co-creator of Fox's long-running hit animated series "The Simpsons" and an ardent philanthropist for animals, died after a battle with colon cancer, his agent said on Monday. He was 59.Simon won nine Emmy awards for his work as a writer and executive producer of "The Simpsons," the situation comedy that premiered in 1989 and won over a global audience with its portrait of a bumbling father and his wayward family."The Simpsons" co-creator Matt Groening, who worked with Simon to develop the show for Fox's broadcast channel, said in a statement, "We will miss Sam's phenomenal talents, sharp intelligence, and sly sense of humor."Executive producer and showrunner Al Jean added, "I personally owe him more than can be repaid, but I will do my best to help every animal I can in his memory."Doctors first gave Simon three to six months to live when he was diagnosed with incurable colon cancer in 2012. Simon, who had founded the Sam Simon Foundation in 2002, decided to give away his fortune, estimated by media at $100 million."I have a desire to help animals," Simon told Reuters last August. "The question of whether it makes financial sense, it's my money and I get to do what I want with it. It's an expensive hobby I picked up at the end of my life."Growing up in Beverly Hills, California, Simon embraced art and was selling cartoons to San Francisco newspapers while still a student at Stanford University. In 1988, Simon joined cartoonist Groening and producer James L. Brooks in creating "The Simpsons" prime-time series. He oversaw the writing staff and helped develop the characters populating the dysfunctional world around the oafish but endearing Homer Simpson: his dutiful wife, Marge, and their children, bratty Bart, overachieving Lisa and baby Maggie."Sam helped establish the tone and world of the Simpsons in the early years of this landmark series, and his contributions live on," Fox Television group said in a statement. The show was a smart social satire built around crass characters and it became the longest-running sitcom on American television. After four seasons of "The Simpsons," Simon negotiated a deal to leave the show while retaining a percentage of its future earnings, which would bring him between $20 million and $30 million a year. He is still listed as executive producer in the show's credits.

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Disabled Finnish punks prepare to rock Eurovision Pertti Kurikka, 58, wants to make it perfectly clear that while he and the other members of his Eurovision contestant Finnish band have disabilities, they know how to rock."It is nice that we are gaining popularity. But we are no softies. We are straight up punk rockers," he said, demonstrating with an "air guitar" how hard he intends to play at the popular Eurovision song contest in May.Kurikka, Kari Aalto, Sami Helle and Toni Valitalo play together in a band called Pertti Kurikan Nimipaivat - which means Pertti Kurikka's Name Day in Finnish.Many say the nomination has given a much-needed voice to disabled people."In some European countries, disabled people are kept hidden and attitudes are not as open as here," Finnish Disability Forum Secretary General, Pirkko Mahlamaki, said.Drummer Toni has Down's syndrome, singer Kari has Williams syndrome, bass player Sami has a minimal brain dysfunction syndrome, and Pertti, on guitar, has been diagnosed with slight intellectual disabilities. Last month they won a popular vote to represent Finland in the Vienna finals and have since been touted as one of the favorites to follow Austrian drag queen Conchita Wurst's triumph last year."The whole band is a little bit in shock. We are going to Vienna and that's going to be a really big step for us because it's going to be so many people over there," 41-year-old Sami said at the band's studio, which is in a workshop for disabled people."If we win then we win, if we lose then we lose, but it's going to be fun!"The band members have made several recordings and toured Britain, the United States and Germany since they got together at the workshop six years ago.Their songs often comment on life in an institution and call for human dignity. The Eurovision entry song "Aina mun pitaa" (Always I must) lists things one must do, like sleep and eat well and see a doctor, and things one might not be allowed to do, like eating sweets and watching TV."Our message is: Believe in yourselves. That's the only thing because if you don't believe, then you can't do anything. Follow your dreams."

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Critical enthusiasm lags for Larry David's play 'Fish in Dark' "Fish in the Dark," a new play by comedian Larry David, is the hottest ticket on Broadway, but critics said the lightweight, 60s-style comedy flounders with one liners and a weak plot.The play racked up a record of more than $13.5 million in advance sales ahead of its first preview and opening on Thursday at the Cort Theater, largely on the popularity of David. It is the first play by David, the co-creator and writer of the hit comedy series "Seinfeld" and the star of HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm." But critics failed to warm to the comedy, about two sons gathering around the deathbed of their father and squabbling over who will get a Rolex watch and care for his widow."Strangely, for a man who has done as much as anyone to redefine the tone of television sitcoms during the past few decades, Mr. David has written a play that, four-letter language aside, feels like a throwback to the mid-1960s, when Neil Simon was king of the punch line," said the New York Times.USA Today described it as "light and flaky 'Fish'" and the Wall Street Journal said it was "more in the nature of a well-renumerated personal appearance than an actual play."David, 67, said he was inspired to write "Fish in the Dark" after a close friend told him about the death of his father. The Brooklyn-born, bespectacled comedian plays Norman Drexel, who together with his brother and assorted family members deal with their father's impending death.The large cast also includes Rita Wilson ("Sleepless in Seattle") and Rosie Perez ("Pineapple Express"). "The best thing about the humor is that it's also unembellished and played without irony," said the New York Daily News. "These are just people, often very obnoxious people, lurching through life and oddball dilemmas."Despite the reviews, the success of "Fish in the Dark," which is directed by Tony winner Anna D. Shapiro ("August: Osage County") and produced by Scott Rudin, seems assured. It surpassed the previous record for advance ticket sales set by a revival of Howard Pinter's "Betrayal," a marital drama that starred James Bond actor Daniel Craig and his real-life wife, Rachel Weisz.Since it began previews, it has been playing to capacity crowds, with tickets averaging $133 and selling for as much as $423.

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An opera 'Alice' in London, worthy of the book's 150th A century and a half after Lewis Carroll published "Alice in Wonderland", one of the greatest children's stories has an opera worthy of the book - even it's not really aimed at children.The Berlin-based South Korean-born composer Unsuk Chin, American librettist David Henry Hwang and British director Netia Jones brought an evening of adult Alice to the stage of the Barbican for one sold-out night this past weekend.They made extensive use of the famous Alice drawings from the 1970s by British caricaturist Ralph Steadman projected on a video screenThe trimmed-down version of Chin's 2007 opera, which had its premiere in a full-blown staging that year in Munich, came to London after making a splash in Los Angeles the previous weekend.This first opera by Chin, a protege of the late Hungarian master of the macabre Gyorgy Ligeti, provides witty, inventive and indelible musical pictures of the characters and scenes. It begins with an almost inaudible bass rumble, but before long a massive battery of percussion infuses the music with at times foot-tapping oomph. Styles range from baroque to rap, with almost anything in between.A knockout is the Caterpillar who asks Alice "Who are you?" but does so wordlessly through an extended and magnificently evocative bass clarinet solo. The words are projected alongside an animated version of Steadman's caterpillar caricature on the video screen. A blonde, sharp-tongued Alice played by American coloratura soprano Rachele Gilmore in a blue pinafore with white smocking is onstage for the full two hours. It is a demanding role that not only requires drastic changes in height - in line with the plot - but also requires her to hit the highest notes in the soprano range.Alice's radical physical changes, which Carroll interpreters have said are meant to suggest her experiences as she enters womanhood, are evoked by having Alice stick her head out at the top of the video screen whenever she is a giantess.That allows her to peer down on the bloodthirsty Queen of Hearts, impeccably sung by American mezzo soprano Jane Henschel, and dismiss her and her entourage as "just a pack of cards".Other standouts included English countertenor Andrew Watts as the harried White Rabbit, with a rabbit's head on his pate and white fluff protruding from the back of his suit. Swedish soprano Marie Arnet, with cones of hair on either side of her head, did the honors as a femme-fatale Cheshire Cat.

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Leonardo DiCaprio partners with Netflix for documentary projects Actor Leonardo DiCaprio is the latest high-profile name to partner with Netflix Inc, as he and his production company Appian Way will produce a documentary and a series that will premiere exclusively on the digital streaming service, the company said on Wednesday.DiCaprio, who worked with Netflix on the Oscar-nominated documentary "Virunga" about the Democratic Republic of Congo's rare mountain gorillas, will act as a producer or executive producer for the projects that will focus on the environment and conservation."This partnership is a natural extension of our incredible relationship with Leo on 'Virunga,'" Ted Sarandos, Netflix's chief content officer, said in a statement.The deal with DiCaprio, 40, pushes Netflix, which produces the Emmy-winning political thriller "House of Cards" and the comedy-drama "Orange Is the New Black," further into original programing in an effort to gain a larger audience.DiCaprio, a best actor Oscar nominee for "The Wolf of Wall Street," joins several stars who have entered deals with Netflix.In October the company announced that comedian and actor Adam Sandler will star in and produce four films that will be shown exclusively on the service, which has more than 57 million members in 50 countries.The company also completed a two-season order for "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt," a comedy by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock that is due to premiere on Netflix this month.Brothers Mark and Jay Duplass, best known for "Jeff, Who Lives at Home," have also inked an agreement to make four films exclusively for the service. But they also have an option to show them in movie theaters first.

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Cate Blanchett on being evil in 'Cinderella' After playing both real and mythical queens, a golden age screen idol and Bob Dylan, Cate Blanchett is taking on another iconic, complex character - Cinderella's evil stepmother. In Disney's live-action "Cinderella," out in U.S. theaters on March 13, Oscar-winning Blanchett plays the impeccably groomed and conniving Lady Tremaine, the villain obstructing Cinderella (Lily James) on her journey to becoming a princess. Blanchett, 45, spoke with Reuters about how "Cinderella" brings a classic story into the modern age and weighed in on women in Hollywood.Q: How do you put your stamp on a character like the evil stepmother that has become embedded in pop culture?A: It's very easy to play someone who's just bad, but then hopefully understanding what makes someone tick. I think an exploration of jealousy amongst women is an interesting thing to explore on screen. Q: How does this re-telling contemporize the story?A: In the 1950s classic of the story, Cinderella was a bit of a doormat - she was incredibly beautiful, she moved gracefully. You also didn't really understand the prince apart from the fact that he was gorgeous and he rescued her. (Director Kenneth Branagh) kept talking about kindness as a super power, which I think has taken the story into a contemporary arena. In this cutthroat world where economics is everything, if you stop and pause, have empathy and kindness towards someone, then people can walk all over you. The fact that her goodness and kindness triumphs, that it really truly is a super power, is a wonderful message in the contemporary world. Q: Hollywood again came under fire recently for its lack of leading roles for women. How do you think traditional roles for women are changing in Hollywood?A: The fact that we're still talking about it means that we probably haven't moved as far. But people always talk about Hollywood. Let's start with equal pay for equal work, and when we can get to that space across all industries, then we might be able to say things have shifted. And then maybe you could look at Hollywood for the nuances of how things are being represented. I think women still have to talk about it ... there's still not gender equality in any industry.

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Apple's watch hasn't impressed the fashion world Apple Inc. (AAPL.O) has made every effort to convince the fashion world that the Apple Watch is the next chic accessory.Supermodel Christy Turlington Burns became the timepiece’s  highest-profile advocate from the fashion world when she joined CEO Tim Cook onstage in San Francisco on Monday. And the company has made a big publicity push in Paris, giving style heavyweights Karl Lagerfeld, Anna Wintour and model Karlie Kloss an advance preview ahead of a display last fall at the Paris boutique Colette.But has it convinced the fashionistas that the Apple Watch belongs on their wrists? Not so far.For all of the glitz surrounding the watch’s introduction, the multi-tasking timepiece was met in the fashion world Monday with a yawn.Members of the style establishment, in Paris for shows from the glittering likes of Chanel, Givenchy and Hermes mostly said they saw the watch as a gadget, not this season's must-have accessory.Up-and-coming model Julia Van Os dismissed the new device in an interview with Reuters after working the Stella McCartney show inside the ornate Opera house.“I haven’t heard anyone talking about it,” said the Dutch model. “It’s a different world, it’s more technology rather than fashion. People don’t wear that kind of watch in fashion.”    A salesman at the famed department store Printemps agreed, saying his store won't carry the watch, which will range in price from $350 to more than $10,000 for the high-end Apple Watch Edition in 18-karat gold.    “You have to understand. We are luxury brands, and [the Apple Watch is] more technology," said the salesman at Printemps, which carries such brands as Rolex, Montblanc and Longines. Apple’s new timepiece, which will go on sale in April, links to a wearer’s iPhone, and can display messages, alerts and appointments, among other things. An array of apps can track fitness, arrange a car with Uber, and even open a garage door remotely. The rectangular watch face display can be changed by the user to feature a range of styles, from Mickey Mouse pointing his hands at the time to a simple digital clock. French newspapers put coverage of Monday's Apple watch unveiling on their business pages, reserving their popular glossy fashion pages for the winter runway shows and ads for luxurious items such as watches by Bulgari and Boucheron.Luxury consultant Robert Burke, who is based in New York but is currently in Paris for the shows, said the Apple watch simply "hasn't resonated strongly" in the fashion world."Apple has notably been targeting the fashion world leading up to its launch, but the watch still has an inherently tech focused sensibility," Burke said."The tech world and the watch world are very different," he added. "While there’s certainly a novelty and attraction to the [Apple Watch], so far it has appealed more so to the early tech adopters."Nevertheless, he added, the company's push could pay off."Their message to the fashion world has definitely become more focused over the past few weeks," he said. "It's evident that they’ve been fine tuning their strategy.”Among other things, the company ran a 12-page advertisement in the March issue of Vogue, which Burke said people noticed. “The buzz is starting to build again," He said. Though Turlington noted that she was wearing her "chic" version of the watch at Apple's Monday event, she praised it primarily as a fitness tracker, noting that it had helped her in training for a half-marathon in Tanzania and would, she hoped, help her crack the four-hour mark in her next full marathon.    But her endorsement may not hold much sway with people who primarily want an attractive watch. Fashion trend-spotter Roseanne Morrison of the Tobe Report said the watch's need for a nightly charge and an accompanying iPhone were considerable drawbacks.    "It is not attractive from a woman's point of view. Right now, it is not sexy,” she said, and lacks “a femme spin."    Nicole Phelps, executive editor at Style.com, who attended the Apple unveiling at Colette, said Apple has one big advantage with the fashion crowd that could help as it launches its new watch.     "The fashion industry is 100 percent in love with iPhone," she said. "The Apple Watch looks like an Apple product, it looks good and sleek, and you have the market behind it."    But in the end, she said, it will come down to one crucial question: "Do people want those tools around their wrist?”

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British trio Years and Years top UK singles chart British electronica trio Years and Years claimed their first number one chart single on Sunday as their song "King" knocked fellow Briton Ellie Goulding off the top spot, the Official Charts Company said.Years and Years, winners of a British poll of music industry figures to find the most promising artists of 2015, racked up combined online, streaming and physical sales of 101,000 copies, beating Goulding's "Love Me Like You Do"."Fourfiveseconds" by Rihanna, Kanye West and Paul McCartney charted in third place, ahead of "Take Me To Church" by Hozier and "Earned It" by The Weeknd.Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds took the number one title in the album charts with "Chasing Yesterday", which became the fastest-selling album of the year with combined sales of 89,000.Gallagher, formerly a guitarist in Oasis, one of Britain's most successful rock bands, pushed Sam Smith's "In The Lonely Hour" into second place and "X" by Ed Sheeran into third.

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Disney's 'Cinderella' taps grown women and their purchasing power Fairy tales and frothy princess gowns might be the perfect draw for kids, but with Walt Disney Co.'s retelling of the "Cinderella" story, the grown-ups might find themselves doing the fantasizing.British director Kenneth Branagh has taken the fairy tale that Disney's 1950 animated film made famous and turned it into a live-action spectacle. Stars include Lily James as Cinderella, Richard Madden as her Prince Charming and Oscar winner Cate Blanchett as the glamorous, wicked stepmother. Opening Friday, the film could top the U.S. and Canadian box office in its opening weekend with $64 million, according to Boxoffice.com. But Disney will also spin revenue from adult-focused merchandise, including high heels inspired by the glass slipper.Branagh said he wanted to bring Cinderella into the 21st century with woman power."She's not a victim; she's not passive," he told Reuters. "She's a strong woman, but her generosity of spirit is an inspiring thing." At a recent screening, Cinderella's sojourn elicited sighs and tears from the predominantly female audience, something that Branagh said reflects demand for more movies that appeal to women. "The female audience across all ages for movies, they drive moviegoing," Branagh said. "Why shouldn't they see stuff that somehow reflects them?"The film closely follows the classic tale of the orphaned girl bullied by her stepmother and stepsisters. Her fairy godmother transforms her into a princess to attend the royal ball, where she dances with Prince Charming and runs away at the stroke of midnight, leaving the famous glass slipper behind that leads the Prince to her. "It's the story of the underdog, that you root for the girl who has nothing but deserves so much more because she's so good and kind," James said.Disney drew top names in retail, design and make-up for its movie merchandising afterglow. Saks Fifth Avenue spun high-end designer renditions of the glass slipper, with Jerome C. Rousseau's midnight-blue stiletto starting at $795 to Jimmy Choo's crystal-studded heel at $4,595. MAC Cosmetics developed a limited-edition "Cinderella" collection of fairy dust-inspired eyeshadows, blushes and lipsticks priced between $17 and $44. It sold out online within hours of release. "There's something about how Disney brings characters to life," said MAC Global Brand President Karen Buglisi-Weiler, "and how they resonate with so many people of all ages."

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Short-term U.S. security funding idea gains ground in Senate A short-term funding extension for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security gained ground on Monday among Senate Republicans as a possible option to deal with a stalled spending bill and a Friday deadline looming for a partial shutdown of the agency.The Senate failed for a fourth time to advance a $39.7 billion bill to fund the agency that includes Republican-authored provisions to block President Barack Obama's recent immigration orders.Senate Democrats blocked the measure and repeated their call for a "clean" bill free of immigration restrictions. Funding for the department, which spearheads domestic counterterrorism efforts and secures U.S. borders, will be cut off at midnight on Friday unless Congress renews it. After the failed vote, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell unveiled a stand-alone bill to block the president's November 2014 order lifting the threat of deportation against millions of undocumented immigrants.The stand-alone immigration measure would almost certainly face a similar fate in the Senate as the spending bill, and draw a similar veto threat from Obama. While the path forward for Homeland Security remains unclear, several Republican senators said a stop-gap funding extension of one or two months, called a continuing resolution (CR), was under discussion and they would likely support it.That would allow the department to continue full operations and pay its 230,000 employees while a federal court challenge to Obama's immigration actions plays out."I think it’s possible that we will be voting on a short-term CR, but again, that’s not my preferred alternative," said Senator James Risch, an Idaho Republican. "I’d like to get this resolved through the end of the fiscal year and then we can move on to other things."If Homeland Security spending is cut off, the department's essential protective staff would stay on the job, but there would be no money to pay them until new funding is approved. Obama warned state governors on Monday that would mean pay would be suspended for more than 100,000 border patrol, port inspection and airport security agents."It will have a direct impact on your economy, and it will have a direct impact on America's national security because their hard work helps to keep us safe," Obama said.The path forward for the stalled funding bill may ultimately rest with House Speaker John Boehner, who is scheduled to meet with fellow House of Representatives Republicans on Wednesday.

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Tribeca Film Festival marks 40th anniversary of Monty Python film A new documentary about Monty Python will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York and members of the British comedy troupe will attend a special screening of the film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" to mark its 40th anniversary.The feature-length documentary, "Monty Python - The Meaning of Live," will debut on April 25. Organizers of the festival said on Wednesday the film offers a behind-the-scenes look at the group's 2014 reunion show at London's 02 Arena and insights into their comedic genius. The five surviving Pythons, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin, will be on hand for the special screening of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" on April 24 at The Beacon Theatre in New York. Graham Chapman, an original member of the group, died of cancer in 1989 at the age of 48."The film is so brilliant and the Python's influence on contemporary comedy in cinema and television is so enduring that it feels as fresh today as it did decades ago," said Paula Weinstein, the executive president of Tribeca Enterprises. The comedy group, who poked fun at religion and the establishment, performed on the BBC TV sketch comedy program "Monty Python's Flying Circus" from 1969 to 1974 before branching out into movies with their subversive comedy. Two of their other films, "Monty Python's Life of Brian," and "Monty Python's The Meaning of Life," will also be shown at the festival that runs from April 15-26.The Tribeca Film Festival was founded in 2001 by actor Robert De Niro, film producer Jane Rosenthal and investor Craig Hatkoff to revitalize the downtown New York neighborhood following the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center.

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Marvin Gaye's heirs win $7.4 million for 'Blurred Lines' plagiarism Heirs of the late soul singer Marvin Gaye won a $7.4 million judgment on Tuesday against recording stars Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams, who a jury found plagiarized the Motown artist in the creation of their hit single "Blurred Lines."The U.S. District Court jury in Los Angeles sided with Gaye's estate in the closely watched litigation, finding that parts of his 1977 hit "Got to Give it Up" were lifted by Thicke and Williams for their summer 2013 R&B chart-topper.The jury awarded Gaye's heirs $4 million in actual damages plus $3.4 million in profits that Thicke and Williams were found to have derived from their copyright infringement of "Got to Give it Up."Several other parties sued by Gaye's estate, the rapper T.I. and various record and music companies, were cleared of copyright infringement on "Got to Give it Up."Gaye's daughter, Nona Gaye, hugged her attorney and wept as the court clerk read the verdict capping a weeklong trial that delved into the boundaries between artistic inspiration and copyright infringement.The suit by Gaye's children cited excerpts of magazine interviews given by Thicke to support their contention he had publicly admitted to drawing on "Got to Give it Up" when producing and recording "Blurred Lines."But Thicke said later in sworn statements he was high on painkillers and alcohol when "Blurred Lines" became a hit and that he exaggerated his contribution to writing the song.Thicke sang the raunchy, percussive R&B dance tune, a worldwide hit that ranked as the biggest U.S. pop song of the summer of 2013, at that year's MTV Video Music Awards in a provocative performance featuring pop singer Miley Cyrus.Williams, the producer behind the song, acknowledged in court that he had been a fan of Gaye's music since childhood, but said under oath that "Blurred Lines" and "Got to Give it Up" were similar in terms of genre only."The last thing you want to do as a creator is take something of someone else's when you love him," Williams testified.

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Marvin Gaye's heirs win $7.4 million for 'Blurred Lines' plagiarism Heirs of the late soul singer Marvin Gaye won a $7.4 million judgment on Tuesday against recording stars Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams, who a jury found plagiarized the Motown artist in the creation of their hit single "Blurred Lines."The U.S. District Court jury in Los Angeles sided with Gaye's estate, finding that parts of his 1977 hit "Got to Give it Up" were lifted by Thicke and Williams for their 2013 R&B chart-topper.The jury awarded Gaye's heirs $4 million in actual damages plus $3.4 million in profits that Thicke and Williams were found to have derived from their copyright infringement.Several other parties sued by Gaye's estate, the rapper T.I. and various music companies, were cleared of infringement.Gaye's daughter, Nona Gaye, hugged her attorney and wept as the court clerk read the verdict capping a weeklong trial that explored the boundaries between artistic inspiration and theft."Right now I feel free, free from, honestly, from Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke's chains and what they tried to keep on us, and the lies that they told," she said.Neither Thicke nor Williams was present for the verdict.Their lawyer, Howard King, said they were keeping their options open. "It's a lot of money. It's not going to bankrupt my clients. It's a disappointing number," he said.The attorney for Gaye's heirs, Richard Busch, said they would seek an injunction to halt further distribution of "Blurred Lines."The suit cited magazine interviews given by Thicke in which he admitted drawing on "Got to Give it Up" when producing and recording "Blurred Lines."Thicke said later in sworn statements he was high on painkillers and alcohol when "Blurred Lines" became a hit and that he exaggerated his contribution to writing the song.Thicke sang the raunchy, percussive dance tune, the biggest U.S. pop song of the summer of 2013, at that year's MTV Video Music Awards in a provocative performance featuring pop singer Miley Cyrus.Williams acknowledged in court he had been a fan of Gaye's music since childhood, but said "Blurred Lines" and "Got to Give it Up" were similar in genre only."The last thing you want to do as a creator is take something of someone else's when you love him," Williams testified. Gaye, whose hits included "I Heard it Through the Grapevine," was fatally shot by his father in 1984 at age 44.

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Slow-moving landslide near Seattle destroys home, more at risk A landslide that began in December has destroyed a home on an island north of Seattle and more residents have been told they could be at risk, scientists said on Monday.About 20 homes in the landslide zone on Whidbey Island, a short ferry ride from the mainland, have received letters encouraging residents to consult engineers to determine whether a bluff behind their properties was in danger of giving way, local officials said.The landslide began moving in late December, when one home was destroyed. Two more homes were damaged in February and are at risk of collapse. A fourth home was leveled on Friday, Island County officials said."It's a more active slide year than normal," said Connie Bowers, assistant engineer for Island County. "If they're full-time residents, (they) should look into having a geotechnical engineer review the property behind them for life safety."Many of the structures near the landslide zone are vacation homes built on the shore of Puget Sound, she said, and their owners are encouraged to stay away while the landslide remains active."This is an old slide area. It is unsettled, and they know that," Bowers said.Residents told local broadcaster KIRO that though the landslide was moving slowly, the destruction can be rapid."This happens really fast, ten seconds and bam this stuff is down," Stacie Burgua said.Whidbey Island, home to about 58,000 people, was formed out of glacial silt and is one of many areas in Washington state known to be prone to mudslides, the state Department of Natural Resources said.Much of the landslide risk is determined by groundwater saturation, said department spokesman Joe Smiley.In 2013, a landslide on Whidbey Island knocked one home off its foundation and forced the evacuation of 22 others. The slide also cut off power and roads to the area.Last year, a rain-soaked hillside collapsed near the rural community of Oso, northeast of Seattle in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, killing 43 people. New video that emerged from the catastrophe shows waves of mud tumbling into the valley below more than 10 minutes after the hill gave way.

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Actor Harrison Ford injured in small-plane crash in Los Angeles Film star Harrison Ford was injured on Thursday when the "Star Wars" actor crashed his vintage plane on a Los Angeles golf course shortly after taking off from a nearby airport, his publicist said.The single-engine plane clipped a tree as it attempted to return to Santa Monica Airport shortly after take-off, and the pilot was "alert and talking" as he was taken to a local hospital, Assistant Los Angeles Fire Chief Patrick Butler said.Butler declined to confirm that Ford was on board the silver and yellow aircraft, but Ina Treciokas, publicist for the 72-year-old actor, issued a statement confirming the details:"Harrison was flying a WW2 vintage plane today, which had engine trouble upon take off. He had no other choice but to make an emergency landing, which he did safely. He was banged up and is in the hospital receiving medical care. The injuries sustained are not life-threatening, and he is expected to make a full recovery."Ford's son, Ben, said on Twitter that he was at the hospital. "Dad is OK. Battered but ok! He is every bit the man you would think he is. He is an incredibly strong man."A National Transportation Safety Board spokesman said the pilot of the plane reported losing engine power immediately before the crash at 2:20 p.m. PST (5:30 PM EST) but that the agency would conduct a full investigation to determine the cause of the accident.Butler said the pilot was initially tended to by bystanders before paramedics responded and transported him to a local hospital, where he was listed in fair to moderate condition. Paramedics "initiated spinal immobilization, started an IV and began all the necessary medical protocols that we do," Butler said.Celebrity website TMZ reported that Ford suffered multiple gashes to his head and was bleeding profusely. Ford, best known as archaeological adventurer Indiana Jones in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and its sequels and as space hero Han Solo in the “Star Wars” series, is a longtime pilot.Carlos Lugo, 63, said he was playing golf at the Penmar Golf Course when he saw a plane that had just taken off from Santa Monica Airport lose power and turn around."When he flew over us we knew it was too late to make it back to the airport," Lugo said.The Ryan Aeronautical plane involved in the crash was built in 1942 and registered to the company MG Aviation Inc, according to FAA online records.In 1999, Ford and a flight instructor went down in a helicopter crash north of Los Angeles, and the helicopter also was registered to MG Aviation, according to a Los Angeles Times report at the time.Ford suffered a broken leg last year while filming on the set of Disney's "Star Wars: Episode VII" set in England, in which he is reprising his role as Han Solo. Production on the movie was halted for two weeks as he recovered.

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'Suge' Knight's lawyer says rap mogul blind in one eye A lawyer for Marion "Suge" Knight, who is accused of running down two men with his pick-up truck at a Los Angeles area burger stand, killing one of them, says the rap mogul is blind in his left eye and may not have seen clearly during the incident.Attorney Matthew Fletcher told celebrity news website TMZ that Knight, who suffers from glaucoma, did not have a clear view of his left side and so was forced to drive forward through the parking lot of Tam's Burgers in the Los Angeles suburb of Compton following fisticuffs with one of the men in January.Fletcher also told TMZ Knight may not have clearly seen Terry Carter, 55, who was struck and killed by the Ford F-150. Cle "Bone" Sloan, 51, who was also hit by Knight's vehicle, survived his injuries.The attorney said Carter had screamed something about shooting Knight, 49, and that the music executive could not see well enough to tell if Carter was brandishing a gun.The remarks come one day after TMZ posted a graphic video, apparently captured by a Tam's security camera, of Knight running over the Carter and Sloan.The tape appears to support a contention by prosecutors that Knight, who had traded blows with Sloan through the driver's side window of his truck, deliberately ran the men down as he sped from the scene.But Fletcher has said the videotape will help exonerate his client because it shows Knight fleeing an ambush at the burger shop.The videotape appears to show that Knight could have driven left down a side street rather than through the parking lot where Sloan and Carter were standing, but Fletcher told the New York Daily News in an interview published on Wednesday that his client's vision problems made that impossible."How can he go left if he can’t see?" Fletcher told the paper. "This was a literal presentation of being blindsided. He was attacked on his blind side. To me it seems obvious. He’s being punched in the face, he can’t see."Knight has pleaded innocent to murder, attempted murder and hit-and-run charges in the case. No trial date has been set.The co-founder of influential Death Row Records has previous convictions for assault with a deadly weapon and could face 25 years to life in prison under California's so-called three-strikes law if he is convicted at trial.

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Rebel-turned-filmmaker asks why Syria went so wrong With Syria's civil war spilling across its borders and Islamic State militants beheading captives in their self-declared caliphate, it is little wonder Syrian movies have had pride of a place at an independent film festival in Turkey.    One of them, "Silvered Water, Syria Self-Portrait", shown at the Cannes Film Festival last year, was pieced together by exiled Syrian filmmaker Ossama Mohammed from YouTube videos. It shows people being shot and bleeding to death, not surprising in a film about a civil war.By contrast, the documentary "Our Terrible Country", filmed in Syria and shown at this week's "!F" festival in Istanbul, has just one violent scene -- a shootout between rebels and snipers loyal to the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.    "No blood, no torture -- that was deliberate," Ziad Homsi, a rebel-turned filmmaker who made the movie with co-director Mohammad Ali Atassi, said as he walked near Istanbul's Taksim Square.     "As Syrian people, we have been humiliated enough. Just look at the destruction, and that will make you ask about those who once who lived here."    Instead, "Our Terrible Country" is an almost philosophical attempt to answer the question: "What has become of our native land?"    "Is it possible that lot came because of us?" Homsi, 25, says in the film. He was referring to the Islamist insurgents who have taken over large parts of Syria and neighboring Iraq during years of fighting between Assad's forces and rebels trying to overthrow him, in a civil war that has killed 200,000 people.    Shot in 2013, the film depicts the soul-searching that Homsi and his travel companion, Yassin al-Haj Saleh, a Syrian dissident and writer, during a 19-day journey to Raqqa, Saleh's hometown. They traveled in extreme heat -- and in constant fear of being targeted by various Islamist groups.    "The Syria we want won't emerge under these people. They’re destroying Syria, just like the regime," Homsi says in the film.As the film draws to a close, the two sit at a restaurant in Istanbul, and talk of their yearning for families trapped in Syria. They question the revolution and where they belong and are dismayed about their fading chances of returning.    "Even though it resembles a slaughterhouse today, this is our country and we have no other. And I know that no country will be kinder to us than this terrible country," Saleh says.

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'Top Gear' host Jeremy Clarkson suspended by BBC after 'fracas' with producer Jeremy Clarkson, the outspoken British presenter of the "Top Gear" motoring show, has been suspended by the BBC after he was involved in a "fracas" with a producer.Clarkson, who has generated both controversy and profits for Britain's publicly funded broadcaster, was already on a final warning over accusations last year that he had used racist language while filming the show."Following a fracas with a BBC producer, Jeremy Clarkson has been suspended pending an investigation," the broadcaster said in a statement on Tuesday. "No one else has been suspended." The BBC said Top Gear, which is aired in more than 200 countries, would not be broadcast on Sunday.A friend of Prime Minister David Cameron, Clarkson became the popular face of Top Gear by mixing a passion for cars with blunt banter and swagger that offended, among others, environmental groups, mental health charities and cyclists.Clarkson was called before BBC bosses last year after a British newspaper reported he had been heard using the word "nigger" as he recited an old version of the rhyme "Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe" to choose between cars in filming two years earlier.The 54-year old presenter later apologized for any offence caused by the reports about the use of the word.He wrote in his Sun newspaper column in May that he had been told by the BBC that if he made "one more offensive remark, anywhere at any time, I will be sacked".But he was back in hot water in October when the show sparked a diplomatic incident between Britain and Argentina, two countries which went to war in 1982.A Top Gear television crew was forced to flee Argentina after driving a Porsche 928 GT with the registration number H982 FKL - which some people suggested could refer to the Falklands conflict.Despite or even because of years of controversy, however, Top Gear has become one of the BBC's most successful and lucrative programs. It was even recognized by Guinness World Records as the most-watched factual television show of all time.The BBC said it would say nothing further on the matter and Clarkson could not be reached for comment. His manager and his assistant did not immediately return calls requesting comment.

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Lanvin is loved at Paris fashion week Paris fashion week was a Lanvin love-fest this season as designer Alber Elbaz showcased a tassel-laden collection inspired by Morocco and kicked off a retrospective of France's oldest surviving couture house. Lanvin's Winter 2015 ready-to-wear show, which drew a newly blond Kim Kardashian to the front row on Thursday night, was a study in refined chic despite the liberal use of decadent velvets and satins and its pervasive Bohemian spirit.A cropped navy jacket paired with shiny black boots and trousers sporting a thick red side-stripe cut a dashing line worthy of any Hussar, while the North African influence emerged with black tassels and fringe on blanket-like yet supremely feminine skirts, dresses and coats.So strong was the collection that even the frenzied side-show of Kardashian and rapper husband Kanye West arriving a half hour late did not detract. Also sporting platinum locks was actor Jared Leto, who added mirrored sunglasses and a pair of duck boots to the look for good measure.In an overdue homage to the house's founder who died in 1946, the Palais Galliera fashion museum presents through August a retrospective of the work of Jeanne Lanvin, from golden pearl-encrusted turbans to airy silk dresses in shades of absinthe or sea-foam thickly embroidered with glittering crystals.Elbaz was on hand on Friday to show off some of the 90 pieces on display, many featuring Art Deco geometric motifs and intricate embroidery and beading. Some fabrics are so delicate they cannot be steamed to remove wrinkles, he said."When you see the collection, there is such a modernity," Elbaz, a claret-hued velvet scarf draped over his shoulders, told journalists. "I opened up boxes from 100 years ago. I saw the care with which they were made, how long they took ... it's a mirror to the past."Raf Simons at Dior, meanwhile, took inspiration from the 1970s for a collection of abstracted animal patterns in odd pairings of sky blue and caramel, fuchsia and maroon or orange and turquoise that the designer said came from "a new species."That likely gave no comfort to the foxes sewn together into ungainly dresses that recalled Wilma's wardrobe in the Stone Age television cartoon series "The Flintstones".On safer ground were his structured wool suits with cropped pants worn with ankle boots or the long fitted wool coats in electric green and mustard yellow.

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Actress Emma Watson urges more men to fight for gender equality British actress Emma Watson urged more men and boys on Sunday to take a stand for women's rights and be proud to be feminists in a bid to add momentum to a global campaign to unite men and women for gender equality.Watson, 24, a goodwill ambassador for U.N. Women, used International Women's Day to add impetus to the HeForShe campaign that was launched in September last year and encourages men and boys to join the fight for equal rights.So far around 240,000 men have pledged their commitment online, according to the HeForShe website, including U.S. President Barack Obama and actor Matt Damon, but there is a target to mobilize one billion men and boys by July this year."There has been a ground swell of support but we need more men to take a stand for gender equality," Watson told a discussion on gender equality at Facebook's London headquarters."Men often think that feminism is a women's word ... but if you stand for gender equality, you are a feminist."Watson, who rose to fame as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films, said the campaign was not about men saving women and also called upon women to support the campaign."It's uncomfortable and awkward for women to acknowledge there is a problem, but we need to understand we are complicit," she said. The actress said she was pleased with the response to the IMPACT 10X10X10 initiative, a one-year pilot project launched in January seeking commitments from governments, companies and universities on women's empowerment and gender equality.Several countries, including Sweden, the Netherlands and Sierra Leone, have backed the campaign, Watson said. When asked about gender equality on a global scale, Watson praised the power of social media to allow girls and women to interact with others who can provide advice and support.Audience members chosen by U.N. Women to attend the event submitted their stories online of what they had done to advance gender equality.Jacob Anderson, 24, a Swedish designer, said he was an active supporter of women's rights on online forums and social media."Gender equality should be talked about far more than it currently is ... it doesn't make sense that women and men don't have equal rights," Anderson told the Thomson Reuters Foundation at the event in London.

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Yellen faces Senate grilling on Fed rate policy, transparency Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen is expected to face pointed questions this week from U.S. lawmakers aimed at revealing details about the Fed's timing on interest rate hikes, as well as fresh scrutiny about transparency at the central bank. Yellen will likely give away little in her prepared testimony for the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday, and the House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday. But her answers to lawmakers' questions will be parsed for insight into the her thinking about issues like persistently weak inflation, stagnant wage growth and whether she still feels the nation's falling unemployment rate disguises lingering ills in the labor market.Yellen's appearance before the Senate will be a key test of her ability to navigate the new Republican-controlled Congress while steering the Fed to a historic change in policy expected later this year. The Fed has not raised interest rates since 2006, and for the last seven years has expanded the boundaries of central bank activism with more than $3 trillion in asset purchases and near-zero interest rates.Conservatives within the central bank and many Republicans in Congress argue that the Fed under Yellen, an Obama appointee with strongly stated concerns about the damage the financial crisis did to working families, is out of step with improvements in the U.S. economy, and lawmakers will likely press for details on when policy will change.The last two Fed policy statements have said the central bank will remain patient when deciding to move short-term rates higher. Lawmakers are expected to nudge Yellen on when "patient" will be dropped."We suspect that she will characterize the risks around those choices in a way that suggests a greater likelihood that the Committee will reiterate the "patient" language in March and that "liftoff" in June is not the most likely outcome," Nomura economists said in a note. Yellen must also make sense of frustratingly ambiguous economic data. The U.S. economy continues to grow at a healthy rate, and the unemployment rate is dropping. But inflation has slipped further from the Fed's two percent goal, and a weak global economy has raised the risk that trouble overseas could throw the U.S. recovery off course. During Yellen's last appearance in front of the House, several lawmakers criticized the Fed for its lack of transparency. In a few testy exchanges, Yellen listened intently, her expression hardly changing, and replied with a strong defense of the Fed's independence, at one point calling a full audit a "grave mistake." Yellen will face a barrage of similar questions from both the House and the Senate this week. Senator Rand Paul last month re-introduced the so-called "Audit the Fed" bill that would force the Fed's internal policy discussions to undergo a government audit. The bill stands a greater chance of reaching the Senate floor after the Republican takeover.

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Oprah Winfrey prevails in 'Own Your Power' lawsuit Oprah Winfrey has prevailed in a trademark lawsuit challenging her use of the phrase "Own Your Power" in her namesake magazine, on TV, on websites and in social media accounts.U.S. District Judge Paul Crotty in Manhattan ruled on Thursday that Winfrey, her company Harpo Productions Inc and her publisher Hearst Corp demonstrated that the phrase "lacks the requisite distinctiveness" to deserve trademark protection.Crotty also said Simone Kelly-Brown, a motivational speaker and business coach who said she trademarked the phrase in 2008, and her company Own Your Power Communications Inc did not show that Winfrey's use of the phrase would likely confuse consumers."Though they may aspire to do so, plaintiffs present no evidence indicating a likelihood of creating a global media presence capable of attracting an audience of millions," Crotty wrote.Patricia Lawrence-Kolaras, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said her clients plan to appeal Judge Crotty's decision.Jonathan Donnellan, Hearst's deputy general counsel, said the defendants are pleased with the decision.Crotty previously dismissed the lawsuit in March 2012, only to have a federal appeals court revive it 14 months later because the defendants did not show that their use of "Own Your Power" constituted fair use.In Thursday's decision, Crotty said the defendants made that showing by having used the phrase in good faith, in conjunction with other words and images associated with Winfrey, and to convey an "overall message of self-empowerment."Winfrey, 61, is one of the most popular talk-show hosts in history. She runs the cable network OWN, which she created in a joint venture with Discovery Communications Inc.Forbes magazine on Thursday estimated Winfrey's net worth at $3 billion.The case is Kelly-Brown et al v. Winfrey et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 11-07875.

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Helen Mirren reigns on Broadway as Britain's Queen Elizabeth Nearly a decade after winning an Academy Award for her role as Britain's Elizabeth II in "The Queen," Helen Mirren is ruling over Broadway in "The Audience," a new play about the monarch's weekly meetings with her prime ministers.Mirren said she has huge empathy for the 88 year-old royal she plays in the British import that premiered in London and opened on Sunday at New York's Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre."Both times, for the film and now the play, I had to do a lot of research and the more research I did really, the more respect I gained for her," Mirren, 69, said ahead of the opening.The queen's weekly meetings with her prime ministers are private, so "The Audience" is an imagining of the conversations and relationships Elizabeth has had with eight of the 12 British leaders who served during her more than 60-year reign.Mirren, a multiple-Tony nominee, admits it is difficult to imagine what Elizabeth's world is like. But the newspaper USA Today said her Elizabeth defends the monarchy and "deftly reconciles her sense of entitlement with a deep humility and empathy."In the play, which does not run chronologically, Mirren is shown as a older queen reassuring a doubtful John Major, played by actor Dylan Baker, that is he is up to the job. In the next scene she changes into the young Elizabeth, holding her first meeting as queen with the formidable Winston Churchill (Dakin Matthews).The play, written by Peter Morgan who also penned "The Queen," and directed by Stephen Daldry, lets audiences listen in to her conversation with a depressed Gordon Brown (Rod McLachlan.) They hear her playful, friendly banter with Labor Prime Minister Harold Wilson and watch as she soothes a testy Margaret Thatcher.With each scene the queen's age changes along with her costumes and hairstyle."Even if she's not the real royal deal, this is still about as close as most of us are going to get to a cozy tete-a-tete with the best loved of the regal Windsors," said The New York Times newspaper.Mirren also appears alongside younger versions of the monarch, showing her reluctant to move into Buckingham Palace and her early annoyances with royal life."It's obvious who the real ruler is when it comes to Broadway. Mirren's crown is safe," said The New York Post newspaper.

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Tribeca Festival blends films, live performances in varied slate From a crime drama starring actress Glenn Close to an Arnold Schwarzenegger film about a deadly zombie epidemic to an expose of the financial crisis, the Tribeca Film Festival unveiled a varied slate of movies on Thursday.After announcing the documentary and narrative films in competition on Tuesday, the festival revealed its full schedule of nearly 100 feature-length films. As in previous years, the downtown New York event will pair films with live music, dance and comedy performances linked to them."Mary J. Blige - The London Sessions," about the recording of one of the rhythm and blues singer's albums, will be followed by a concert at the Beacon Theater. A special dance performance will accompany "A Ballerina's Tale," which offers a peek into the daily life of Misty Copeland of New York's American Ballet Theatre."Seeing a film together alongside a live performance heightens the experience, engages the imagination and brings audiences together is an unforgettable way," Genna Terranova, the festival's director, said in a statement.The festival line-up will include the world premiere of "Anesthesia," about a New York college professor mugged near his home and starring Sam Waterston, Glenn Close and Kristen Stewart.Schwarzenegger, California's former governor, will be back on the big screen in "Maggie" as a small-town farmer whose daughter is infected in an epidemic threatening humanity.And in "The Wannabe," based on the events surrounding the trial of American mobster John Gotti in 1992, best supporting Oscar winner Patricia Arquette ("Boyhood") embarks on a crime spree.Documentaries, always a major component at Tribeca, include "The Emperor's New Clothes," an expose of the impact of the financial crisis by English writer/director Michael Winterbottom and comedian Russell Brand.The festival, which runs from April 16-26, was founded in 2001 by actor Robert De Niro, producer Jane Rosenthal and investor Craig Hatkoff to revitalize the downtown New York neighborhood following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center.

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Two Broadway musical imports top London theater award nominees Broadway imports "Memphis The Musical" and "Beautiful - The Carole King Musical" collected the most nominations on Monday, with nine and eight nods, respectively, for London's Olivier Awards to be announced in April.Mark Strong and Richard Armitage both received best actor nominations for roles on the London stage in revivals of Arthur Miller plays -- Strong for "A View from the Bridge" and Armitage for "The Crucible".They are competing with James McAvoy for his performance in "The Ruling Class" and Tim Pigott-Smith in "King Charles III".Nominees for best actress in a play are Gillian Anderson for "A Streetcar Named Desire", Kristin Scott Thomas for "Electra", Imelda Staunton for "Good People" and Penelope Wilson in "Taken at Midnight".The best director nominees are Rupert Goold for "King Charles III", Jeremy Herrin for "Wolf Hall" and "Bring Up the Bodies", Josie Rourke for "City of Angels" and Ivo Van Hove for "A View from the Bridge".Caro Newling, president of the Society of London Theatre, which runs the awards, said it had been "an absolutely wonderful year" for British theater and she was not at all concerned that two American imports were leading the nominations list."There's nothing wrong with imports and I think actually given how many British plays are on the other side of the Atlantic it feels great that we're welcoming American musicals," she said."People talk all the time about the future of new musicals and I think what we have this year is representatives on both sides of the Atlantic alive and kicking.""Memphis" and "Beautiful" were both nominated in the categories of best sound design, best costume design, best theater choreographer, best achievement in music, best actress in a musical and best new musical. "Memphis" got a nod for best actor in a musical and "Beautiful" was nominated for best actress in a supporting role in a musical but "Memphis" edged out "Beautiful" with two nominations to one for "Beautiful" in best actor in a supporting role in a musical.

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The top films at the North American box office Following are the top 10 movies at North American box offices for the three days starting Feb. 27, led by "Focus", according to studio estimates compiled by Reuters.1 (*) Focus..................................$19.1 million2 (2) Kingsman: The Secret Service...........$11.8 million3 (3) The SpongeBob Movie....................$11.2 million4 (1) Fifty Shades of Grey...................$10.9 million5 (*) The Lazarus Effect.....................$10.6 million6 (4) McFarland, U.S.A.......................$ 7.8 million7 (6) American Sniper........................$ 7.7 million8 (5) The DUFF...............................$ 7.2 million9 (**) Still Alice............................$ 2.7 million10 (7) Hot Tub Time Machine 2.................$ 2.4 millionLast week's rank in parentheses. (*) = new release (**) = did not place in top 10CUMULATIVE TOTALSAmerican Sniper...............................$331.1 millionFifty Shades of Grey..........................$147.8 millionThe SpongeBob Movie...........................$140.3 millionKingsman: The Secret Service..................$ 85.7 millionMcFarland, U.S.A..............................$ 22.0 millionThe DUFF......................................$ 20.1 millionFocus.........................................$ 19.1 millionStill Alice...................................$ 12.0 millionThe Lazarus Effect............................$ 10.6 millionHot Tub Time Machine 2........................$ 10.3 millionComcast Corp's Universal Pictures released "Fifty Shades of Grey". "Kingsman: The Secret Service" was released by 20th Century Fox, a unit of 21st Century Fox."The SpongeBob Movie" and "Hot Tub Time Machine 2" were distributed by Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc."The Lazarus Effect" was released by independent studio RelativityWalt Disney Co. Disney released "McFarland, U.S.A." "American Sniper" and "Focus" were released by Warner Brothers, a unit of Time Warner Inc. Lionsgate released "The DUFF"

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Nickelodeon unveils paid streaming service for kids Viacom Inc's Nickelodeon unveiled on Wednesday a paid streaming service for children called Noggin that will launch on March 5 for $5.99 a month.The mobile subscription service will be available for Apple Inc's iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices. Aimed at pre-school aged children, the advertising-free app will feature shows such as Blue's Clues, Little Bear and Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends. It will also include music and educational videos. Noggin serves as a complement to the Nick Jr. app, which features live streaming video as well as on-demand episodes that are available with a paid-TV subscription.Nickelodeon said it is in discussions with pay-TV distributors about offering Noggin as a premium complement to its authenticated subscribers.

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Reaction to death of 'Star Trek' actor Leonard Nimoy Leonard Nimoy, best known for his portrayal of logic-bound Mr. Spock in the "Star Trek" science fiction television series and movies, died on Friday at age 83 after a battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.The following are reactions to Nimoy's death:"Long before being nerdy was cool, there was Leonard Nimoy. Leonard was a lifelong lover of the arts and humanities, a supporter of the sciences, generous with his talent and his time. And of course, Leonard was Spock. Cool, logical, big-eared and level-headed, the center of Star Trek’s optimistic, inclusive vision of humanity’s future. I loved Spock," President Barack Obama, whose unemotional approach to problems has been likened to the character Nimoy portrayed on "Star Trek." "I loved him like a brother. We will all miss his humor, his talent and his capacity to love," William Shatner, who co-starred on "Star Trek" as Captain Kirk, said in a statement."Today, the world lost a great man, and I lost a great friend. We return you now to the stars, Leonard. You taught us to 'Live Long and Prosper,' and you indeed did, friend. I shall miss you in so many, many ways," "Star Trek" fellow cast member George Takei, who played Hikaru Sulu, wrote on Facebook."My heart is broken. I love you profoundly my dear friend. And I will miss you everyday. May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest," actor Zachary Quinto, who portrays Spock in the current "Star Trek" film series, said on website Instagram."He was a true force of strength and his character was that of a champion," "Star Trek" cast member Nichelle Nichols, who played Lieutenant Uhura, said in a statement. "Leonard's integrity and passion as an actor and devotion to his craft helped transport 'Star Trek' into television history. His vision and heart are bigger than the universe.""I was lucky to spend many happy hours with Leonard socially and in front of the camera. The caliber and serious commitment of his work on 'Star Trek' was one of the things all of us on 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' sought to match and be inspired by. His work will not be forgotten," Patrick Stewart, who played Captain Jean-Luc Picard on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," said in a Facebook post."He was a talented actor, director, poet and photographer. But his most enduring quality was his kindness and his desire to make you the most you could be. Like everyone who knew or knew of him, I will miss him," actor Steve Guttenberg, who starred in the Nimoy-directed blockbuster comedy "Three Men and a Baby," said in a statement."God Bless You, Leonard Nimoy... May Angels guide thee to thy rest! #agoodman #talented #funny #awesome," actor LeVar Burton, who played Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," said on Twitter."RIP Leonard Nimoy. So many of us at NASA were inspired by Star Trek. Boldly go..." the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) wrote on Twitter. "He lived long, he prospered, and he touched us all. RIP Leonard Nimoy," Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said on Twitter."Leonard Nimoy created a positive role model who inspired untold numbers of viewers to learn more about the universe," Space Foundation Chief Executive Officer Elliot Pulham said in a statement. "Many of those people are ardent space supporters and industry leaders today."

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Catholics and Jews pan film defending wartime Pope Pius XII A new Italian film that attempts to defend wartime Pope Pius XII against accusations he turned a blind eye to the Holocaust has been panned by the Vatican as well as Catholic and Jewish media."Shades of Truth" is the account of a fictional present-day American journalist who starts off as a critic of Pius and changes his mind after research in Israel, Rome and elsewhere in Europe.Some Jews have accused Pius, who headed the Roman Catholic Church from 1939 to 1958, of failing to use his position to bring attention to the extermination of Jews.The Vatican says he worked actively behind the scenes to save thousands of Jews and did not speak out more forcefully for fear his words could have led to more deaths of both Jews and Christians at the hands of the Nazis.After a screening on Monday near the Vatican, the film, which calls Pius "the most misunderstood person of the 20th century", was universally panned.The Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano said the film, which its director Liana Marabini wants to show at the Cannes festival this year, was "naive", "lacking credibility" and a "frankly clumsy attempt" at defending the wartime pontiff.The Italian Catholic magazine Famiglia Cristiana said the film would hurt Pius's already fragile reputation because it was overly apologetic and not sufficiently based on historical documents that defend him.Pagine Ebraiche, the online paper of Rome's Jewish community, called it "a blundering soap opera of dubious quality, filled with stereotypes".It also faulted the film for a scene in which the journalist dreams he sees Pius wearing a yellow Star of David on his white cassock, like the patch the Nazis forced Jews to wear.The film stars American actor David Wall and includes appearances by Christopher Lambert and Giancarlo Giannini.Last year, Pope Francis defended his predecessor in an interview with a Spanish newspaper, saying Pius "has to be seen in the context of that era". The Vatican's wartime archives would shed much light on what Pius did to help Italian Jews, he said.Jewish groups have asked the Vatican to freeze the process that could lead to sainthood for Pius until all wartime archives are fully opened to historians, saying Catholic-Jewish relations could be harmed if the process moved ahead.

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Pop icon Madonna announces dates for 'Rebel Heart' tour Madonna will begin an international tour to promote her new album "Rebel Heart" with a concert at the American Airlines Arena in Miami in August, her promoters, Live Nation, said on Monday.The Aug. 29 show will kick-start the North American leg of the tour that will include appearances in New York, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Vancouver and San Juan, Puerto Rico.The 56-year-old pop star will begin the European and British segment of the tour with a concert in Cologne, Germany on Nov. 4 followed by dates in London, Paris, Barcelona and other cities. Concerts in Australia and Asia will be announced at a later date, according to Madonna's website. Last week the Grammy-winning singer took a tumble on stage while singing "Living for Love," a single from the album, during a performance at the British music industry's annual Brit Awards.She fell backward down a few stairs when a flowing cape that was part of her matador costume failed to loosen. The singer regained her composure and continued the performance.During a taping of "The Jonathan Ross" show that will air on March 14 on Britain's ITV network, Madonna said the fall was not a publicity stunt. She added that she had suffered a bit of whiplash and had hit her head.Last December early demo tracks from "Rebel Heart," Madonna's 13th studio album, were leaked ahead of its release next week. An Israeli man was arrested on suspicion of hacking into the computers of Madonna and other singers.Madonna responded to the hacking by releasing six tracks from the album for purchase on iTunes in December.

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Leonard Nimoy, Star Trek's 'Mr. Spock,' dies at 83 Leonard Nimoy, who won fame and fans with his portrayal of logic-bound, half-alien Mr. Spock in the "Star Trek" TV series and movies, died on Friday. He was 83.Nimoy, who had battled chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), died in the morning at his home in Los Angeles' Bel Air section, his agents, Bob and David Gersh, said in a statement."We return you now to the stars, Leonard," fellow "Star Trek" cast member George Takei wrote on Facebook."You taught us to 'Live long and prosper,' and you indeed did, friend," said Takei, recalling the trademark phrase uttered by Nimoy's character.Nimoy had long struggled with a love-hate relationship with the role of Spock - the half-human, half-Vulcan first officer on the starship Enterprise - but came to accept its part in his life.Last year, he disclosed on Twitter that he had been diagnosed with COPD, a progressive lung disease. "I quit smoking 30 years ago. Not soon enough," he tweeted to his 810,000 followers. "Grandpa says, quit now!!" Nimoy had other roles during a lengthy career in TV, film and theater. He directed successful movies, wrote books, composed poetry, published photographs and recorded music. But he will be forever linked to Spock in the original 1960s "Star Trek" TV series and subsequent movies.Known for suppressing his emotions and using logic to guide his actions, the pointy-eared Spock - whose father was from Vulcan and whose mother was from Earth - became one of science fiction's best-known, most beloved characters.U.S. President Barack Obama, who has been compared to Spock for his prominent ears and coolheaded demeanor, called Nimoy and his character "the center of 'Star Trek's' optimistic, inclusive vision of humanity's future.""I loved Spock," the president said in a statement.For years, Nimoy resented that Spock defined him, but ultimately came to accept that his life would be intertwined with the character, who inspired a fervent fan following.His feelings were summed up in the titles of his memoirs: "I Am Not Spock" in 1975 and "I Am Spock" two decades later."I was involved in something of a crusade to develop a reputation as an actor with some range," Nimoy wrote in "I Am Not Spock.""I went through a definite identity crisis. The question was whether to embrace Mr. Spock or to fight the onslaught of public interest. I realize now that I really had no choice in the matter. Spock and 'Star Trek' were very much alive and there wasn't anything that I could do to change that."Still, he wrote that if given the choice of being any other TV character, he would choose Spock.Nimoy had often confronted the original series' creators over their conception of Spock, and his input was responsible for many aspects of the character. He came up with the "Vulcan nerve grip" that rendered foes unconscious, and the split-fingered Vulcan "live long and prosper" salute. (He said the gesture was inspired by one he had seen worshippers make in his synagogue when he was a boy.)Nimoy signed off his tweets with "LLAP," an abbreviation of "live long and prosper."RELATIONSHIP WITH SHATNER"Star Trek" followed the Enterprise's crew as they explored other worlds and encountered aliens. Spock was first officer and science officer under Captain James T. Kirk, played by William Shatner. The two helped make "Star Trek" a cultural phenomenon.Shatner and Nimoy sometimes had a professional rivalry but maintained a long friendship."I loved him like a brother. We will all miss his humor, his talent, and his capacity to love," Shatner said in a statement.NBC canceled the original TV series in 1969 after three seasons. But it found success during syndicated reruns in the 1970s and inspired fan conventions with hordes of devotees. It jumped to the big screen by the end of the decade.Nimoy was not thrilled about taking part in the big-budget first film, "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" in 1979.But it was a financial success, leading to many sequels. Nimoy agreed to appear in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" in 1982 only after the producers promised him a great death scene and other sweeteners.Even though Spock "dies" at the movie's end, Nimoy reprised the role in the next four "Star Trek" films. He directed the third and fourth ones.After those efforts, Nimoy branched out and directed the comedy "3 Men and a Baby," the top money-making movie of 1987.In the successful 2009 "Star Trek" reboot of the film franchise, Zachary Quinto took over the role of Spock, but Nimoy appeared as an older version of the character.Nimoy, the son of Russian Jewish immigrants, was born in 1931 in Boston and began acting at age 8. In the 1950s and 1960s, he had roles on TV and in the movies, including "Zombies of the Stratosphere." Later, he hosted the TV series "In Search Of..." (1976-1982) and co-starred in 1978's "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" film remake.His renown as Spock led to quirky guest appearances on popular TV shows in recent decades, including the cartoons "The Simpsons" and "Futurama" (in which he provided the voice for his own disembodied head) and on the "The Big Bang Theory," in which he was the voice of an opinionated Spock doll.Nimoy was married twice and had two children. He is survived by his wife, Susan, children and grandchildren.

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New U.S. defense chief hints little change in Islamic State strategy New U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Monday America had the right "ingredients" of a strategy to combat Islamic State, emerging from talks with top U.S. military and diplomatic leaders without hinting at any fundamental shift in the campaign.After a day of meetings in Kuwait, Carter acknowledged some room for improvement, broadly suggesting some allies could contribute more to the fight and saying the United States needed to be more aggressive on social media combating Islamic State.But, in comments likely to frustrate Republican critics of President Barack Obama's strategy who are pressing for major shifts, Carter also signaled the United States was broadly on the right track in Iraq, Syria and beyond. "We have the ingredients of the strategy," Carter said, when asked whether he saw the need for a fundamental re-think."Our efforts to date have already been having some important impacts. Our global coalition is up to the task and so (is) American leadership."Carter kicked off the talks addressing the more than two dozen senior American officials he invited to Camp Arifjan in Kuwait as "Team America" in the region. They included General Lloyd Austin, head of U.S. forces in the Middle East and retired General John Allen, Obama's envoy to the anti-IS coalition.He also received an operational update from Lieutenant General James Terry, the senior U.S. commander of operations against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. Terry was upbeat in comments to reporters traveling with Carter and noted an Iraqi offensive to retake the town of al-Baghdadi."My assessment is (Islamic State) is halted, on the defensive," Terry said.Carter, in comments to reporters, noted the strength of the coalition but "also the need to leverage further the individual contributions of each" member. Carter did not single out any countries but U.S. officials have previously made no secret of their desire to extract additional support from allies, including NATO ally Turkey.Carter also stressed the group's successful exploitation of social media, which militants use to recruit."There are pieces of execution (of the strategy) where I think he believes we can do a better job ... But he fundamentally believes the strategy is sound and is working," a U.S. defense official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

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Musical 'Hamilton' to transfer to Broadway this summer "Hamilton," the rap musical about America's founding fathers that has been sold out since it began last month, will transfer to Broadway this summer, its producers said on Tuesday.The musical by Tony and Grammy Award winner Lin-Manuel Miranda, the composer and star of the hit Broadway musical "In the Heights," begins previews on July 13 and will open on Aug. 6 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre.Miranda plays Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant orphan who went on to become a chief adviser for George Washington, the first U.S. secretary of the Treasury and was fatally shot in a duel with Aaron Burr."Lin-Manuel Miranda's retelling of our nation's founding tells the story of a country that truly belongs to all of us," Oskar Eustis, the Public Theater's artistic director, said in a statement.Since it began previews on Jan. 20 at the Public Theater the musical, inspired by the book "Alexander Hamilton" by Ron Chernow, has earned glowing reviews. Trade magazine Variety called it a "brilliantly inventive bio-musical.""In telling the story of Hamilton, and confreres that include George Washington, Aaron Burr and Thomas Jefferson, via rap and R&B ballads this sung-through production sounds a lot like what you’d hear if you turned the radio to a mainstream pop station," said the New York Times.The show's success and positive reviews sparked debate and discussions about whether it would move to Broadway in the spring to meet the deadline to quality for the Tony Awards, New York theater's top accolades, in June.Tuesday's announcement that it will be pushed back to August could make it a major contender for the 2016 Tonys.

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'Guardians,' 'Fault' and 'Neighbors' lead MTV Movie Award nominees Marvel's space caper, "Guardians of the Galaxy", will take on weepy teen romance, "The Fault in Our Stars", and raunchy bromance comedy, "Neighbors", at the MTV Movie Awards this year, as each garnered seven nominations in the irreverent annual youth-oriented awards ceremony."Guardians," one of 2014's top-grossing films, scored multiple nominations for leading man Chris Pratt in the categories of best male performance, best shirtless performance, best musical performance and best comedic performance. "Fault," about two cancer-stricken teens falling in love, landed nominations for its leading duo Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort in the best female and male performance, best duo and best kiss categories. "Neighbors," a raucous frat comedy, also landed nods for Dave Franco and Zac Efron in best duo, Efron and Seth Rogen in the categories of best fight and best musical moment. This year's Oscar best picture contenders face off once again for MTV's top award of Movie of the Year, where "Boyhood," "Whiplash," "American Sniper" and "Selma" are up against "Guardians," "Fault," "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay -Part 1" and "Gone Girl."The best picture Oscar-winner, dark showbiz satire "Birdman," was notably missing from the race, and only scored two nominations; Emma Stone, for best female performance, and Edward Norton, versus Michael Keaton, for best fight.The MTV Movie Awards ushers in the summer blockbuster movie season, and is known for its more unconventional award categories, such as Best Kiss, which includes an on-screen lip-lock between James Franco and Seth Rogen in Sony's North Korea spoof comedy, "The Interview." Other irreverent categories include Best WTF Moment and Best Scared-As-S**T Performance.Fans vote for MTV Movie Award winners, who receive their popcorn-shaped trophies at a ceremony in downtown Los Angeles. This year, comedian Amy Schumer will host the event, which will be televised live on MTV, a unit of Viacom Inc., on Apr. 12.Unlike the Oscars, which are voted by the film industry's elite, the MTV Movie Awards draws on the network's young fan base to pick favorites that often include big blockbusters overlooked for industry awards."Guardians" only scored two Oscar nominations for visual effects and makeup, and went home empty-handed.Last year, "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" was named movie of the year at the MTV Movie Awards, and scooped the top acting honors over Oscar-winning "12 Years A Slave," highlighting the ceremony's appeal to young fans.

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Former pop star Gary Glitter sentenced to 16 years for child sex offenses Former British pop singer Gary Glitter, who shot to fame in the 1970s as a "glam-rock" star but was later convicted of child sex crimes, was sentenced to 16 years in prison after being found guilty of indecently assaulting three girls.Glitter, 70, whose real name is Paul Gadd, rose to prominence with the hit song "Rock and Roll", and became renowned for his figure-hugging shiny silver jump suits and platform shoes.But his reputation was destroyed after he served two months in jail in 1999 for possession of child pornography, the first of several convictions. Earlier this month, he was found guilty in a London court of attempted rape, four counts of indecent assault and one of having sex with a girl under the age of 13, all in the 1970s.Sentencing Glitter on Friday, Judge Alistair McCreath said the star had abused his fame and caused deep harm to his victims."It is difficult to overstate the depravity of this dreadful behavior," he said at Southwark Crown Court. Glitter was the first person to be arrested as part of a wider police investigation into accusations of historical sex offences by show business personalities triggered by revelations that the late BBC television presenter Jimmy Savile had been a prolific sex offender for decades.The broader investigation, codenamed Operation Yewtree, has led to the conviction of several former high-profile figures including veteran Australian entertainer Rolf Harris and the country's best-known showbiz publicist, Max Clifford. After his conviction in 1999, Gadd, who had denied the latest charges, had moved to Cambodia, but was deported in 2002 due to suspected sex offences. In 2006, a Vietnamese court convicted him of committing obscene acts with two girls aged 10 and 11 and sentenced him to four years in jail. On his release he returned to Britain.

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Polish court adjourns Polanski's extradition case Filmmaker Roman Polanski testified for nine hours at a closed-door hearing in his native Poland on Wednesday regarding a U.S. request for his extradition over a 1977 child sex crime conviction.The court subsequently adjourned until April."This was tiring and painful, because I've had to return to things that I would prefer to forget," Polanski, aged 81, told reporters as he left the courtroom.Beata Gorszczyk, spokeswoman for the district court in the southern city of Krakow, said the court would break for several weeks to study documents presented by Polanski's defense that had been used in Switzerland in a similar case in 2010. The Oscar-winning filmmaker pleaded guilty in 1977 to having sex with a 13-year-old girl during a photoshoot in Los Angeles fueled by champagne and drugs.Polanski served 42 days in jail as part of a 90-day plea bargain. He fled the United States the following year, believing the judge hearing his case could overrule the deal and put him in jail for years.In 2009, Polanski was arrested in Zurich on a U.S. warrant and placed under house arrest. He was freed in 2010 after Swiss authorities decided not to extradite him. Dariusz Mazur, the judge presiding over the Polish case said earlier on Wednesday the filmmaker's lawyers had handed in preliminary documents in English and in German from the extradition proceedings in Switzerland.One of Polanski's lawyers, Jan Olszewski, said after the hearing that they will aim to prove that the U.S. extradition request was unjustified given the U.S. plea bargain."I still have faith in the Polish administration of justice," said Polanski, looking extremely weary.Polanski's hearing started at 0900 GMT and was closed to the media. The court approved that food from the local canteen be brought to the courtroom during the day.Under Polish law, if the court rules in favor of the extradition, it will then be passed on to the justice minister who will make the final decision.

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Lawyers for Bill Cosby ask U.S. judge to dismiss defamation lawsuit Attorneys for Bill Cosby asked a federal court judge on Friday to dismiss a defamation suit filed against the comedian in Massachusetts by three women who said he called them liars when they accused him of sexual assault.About three dozen women have accused Cosby, 77, of sexual misconduct in incidents dating back to the 1960s. The comedian has denied all the claims, most of which have seen the statute of limitations run out.The three women who sued Cosby in U.S. District Court in Springfield, Massachusetts, took a new legal tack, contending that he defamed them when they made public allegations of sexual assault."This is not an action for sexual assault," Cosby's attorneys wrote in a motion asking that the suit be dismissed. "This lawsuit is, rather, a misuse of the law of defamation to attempt an end run around the relevant status of limitations for the alleged assaults."

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William Shatner cannot attend friend Leonard Nimoy's funeral William Shatner cannot attend the funeral of his friend and "Star Trek" co-star Leonard Nimoy because of a prior commitment for a charity ball, the actor said on Twitter on Saturday.Shatner and Nimoy portrayed the two best-known characters on the original "Star Trek" television series launched in 1966 and in a series of films, with Shatner playing the adventurous Captain Kirk and Nimoy as the logic-bound, half-alien Mr. Spock.Nimoy, who had battled chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), died on Friday at age 83 at his home in the Bel Air section of Los Angeles.Shatner said in a post on Twitter that he was in Florida, having previously agreed to appear at a Red Cross ball."Leonard's funeral is tomorrow. I can't make it back in time," Shatner wrote, adding "I feel really awful. Here I am doing charity work and one of my dearest friends is being buried."The Florida Weekly reported the ball in Palm Beach would feature Shatner, actress Shirley MacLaine and singer Wayne Newton.Nimoy's portrayal of Spock became one of science fiction's best-known, most beloved characters. He had many other acting roles, and also was known for his books, poetry and photography.Shatner, in other posts on Twitter, asked people to go online on Sunday to celebrate and remember Nimoy.

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'Doctor Zhivago' musical brings epic love story to Broadway Fifty years after Omar Sharif and Julie Christie captivated audiences in David Lean's Oscar-winning epic film "Doctor Zhivago," the musical adaptation of the love story set during the upheaval of the Russian Revolution will open on Broadway.The musical is based on Boris Pasternak's novel that became an international bestseller after it was smuggled out of the Soviet Union and published in Italy in 1957. Pasternak was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature a year later.The musical, which premiered at the La Jolla Playhouse in California in 2006 and was followed by an Australian production, begins previews on March 27 and opens on April 21 at the Broadway Theatre."We spent a long, long time figuring out how to structure the story so that we wouldn't shortchange the love story, which is at the center, nor the epic side of the piece," said Tony-winning director Des McAnuff.Although the book recounts some of the most tragic events in history, McAnuff said at its core it is a celebration of art, life and love."Ultimately it is a story of five people, three men in love with one woman and two women in love with one man," he said. "There are many other dimensions but that is the center of the piece."British actor Tam Mutu, making his Broadway debut, plays the married, idealist physician and poet Zhivago, who is torn by the tumultuous events surrounding him and his love for another woman, Lara, played by actress Kelli Barrett.Mutu admitted being intimidated by the role Sharif made famous in the 1965 film, but said the character of Zhivago is so rich and nuanced it is a like a feeding ground for an actor. It is also a musical adaptation of the book which will add a different dimension to the character. With music by two-time Grammy winner Lucy Simon, it has original songs with lyrics by Tony nominee Michael Korie and Emmy nominee Amy Powers."I'm a huge romantic, so playing what is arguably one of the most famous love stories of the 20th century is the stuff of dreams," he said. "You honor what has gone before you, and you put your own flavor to it as well.""It is truly a very important novel, perhaps one of the most important novels ever written," said McAnuff. "It punched a hole in the Iron Curtain."

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Carole King musical debuts in London with surprise visit - from King American singer-songwriter Carole King showed up unannounced to lead a London theater audience in her hit "You've Got a Friend" on Tuesday at the West End opening of "Beautiful - The Carole King Musical" based on her life and career.With the cast onstage for curtain calls, and her lifelong friends but onetime rival songwriters Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil at her side, King, 73, choking with emotion, paid tribute to her late husband and former songwriting partner Gerry Goffin. She and Goffin, whom she divorced in 1968, turned out a string of hits including "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?", "Up on the Roof" and "One Fine Day" that shaped the sound of pop music in the 1960s and '70s."Gerry Goffin passed away on June 19 of last year. He did get to see the opening night in New York and he was really happy, he really loved the show," King said, referring to the Broadway musical on which the London show is based. She added that when Goffin had been asked about his portrayal as a talented man who cheats on his wife, his response had been, "It's not really simple."She then led the audience in one of her best known songs, which was a big hit for James Taylor and others, and includes the lyrics: "You just call out my name, and you know wherever I am/ I'll come running to see you again..."The show essentially is the same as the version running on Broadway, which opened to mixed reviews last year, but with a different cast and some changes to the staging made to fit the Aldwych Theatre, a member of the production team said.The book tells the story of Carol Klein, played by Katie Brayben, who is a young Jewish girl from Brooklyn who changes her name to Carole King to help her make it as a songwriter, and manages at the age of 16 to sell a song to pop impresario and hitmaker Don Kirshner (Gary Trainor).King meets her future husband Goffin (Alan Morrissey) who is also trying to sell songs to Kirshner at his offices on lower Broadway where Weil (Lorna Want) and the hypochondriac Mann (Ian McIntosh) also become a team.The storyline has been criticized for plowing through the lives of four of the pop geniuses of the late 20th century in an uninventive chronological fashion. But the upside is that the energetic young cast gets to impersonate groups like the Drifters, the Shirelles and others recreating the sounds that ruled the airwaves of America for two decades - and many of which have become standards for the ages.

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Aging French rockers criticized for jobless jibe at young A music video by a group of mostly middle-aged French stars telling the young they can succeed only if they "do something" triggered a bitter generational row on Friday, with critics accusing the rich singers of hypocrisy.The row underlined the anger felt by France's young, facing unemployment rates upwards of 25 percent and increasingly shut out of a jobs market where permanent contracts are coveted and fiercely protected.Penned by Grammy-winning singer Jean-Jacques Goldman and sung by a star-studded charity music collective called "Les Enfoires" ("The Bastards"), the song "Your Whole Life" prompted a tirade of angry Twitter and blog comments.The video has two groups of singers face off against each other and trade accusations, with people under 30 on one side and mostly older and well-established entertainers on the other.The younger group tells the elder that they enjoyed "peace, liberty and full employment" while their own generation faces "joblessness, violence and AIDS". The elders respond that they didn't "steal anything" and that young people should "do something" as they have their whole lives in front of them."When 'The Bastards' say 'do something', are they talking to the 25 percent of young people who are unemployed, or just the 22 percent who under the poverty line?" tweeted Laura Slimani, head of the Socialist Party youth movement."A monument of vulgarity and hatred for young people," economist Jacques Attali, a former adviser to Socialist ex-president Francois Mitterrand, commented on Twitter.In 1975, France's youth unemployment rate was around 7 percent and overall joblessness was about 3 percent. The overall jobless rate is now three times that at 10 percent. Four out of five jobs are now offered only as temporary contracts.The song and its video are aimed at promoting an annual series of concerts whose proceeds go to the "Restos du Coeur" food charity for the needy.Goldman, 63, often shown in polls as France's most popular entertainer, defended the song as being well-intentioned."The 'Bastards' are playing the role of adults who answer (young people) the way they do too often: by skirting blame and with hypocrisy, but hoping they will do better."

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Lawyers for Bill Cosby to ask U.S. judge to dismiss lawsuit Attorneys for Bill Cosby plan to ask a federal court judge to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed against the comedian in Massachusetts by three women who said he called them liars when they accused him of sexual assault.Cosby, 77, and attorneys for the women who brought the suit said in a court filing late Tuesday that they met twice this month with an eye toward resolving the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Springfield, Massachusetts.They also said they would file a motion to dismiss by Friday.The lawsuit contends that Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted the three in the 1970s and later called them liars when confronted about the claims.Cosby, who hit the peak of his fame in the 1980s when he played Heathcliff Huxtable on NBC's "The Cosby Show," has recently been hit with a raft of allegations that he sexually assaulted women.More than a dozen women have accused Cosby of sexual misconduct. He has never been criminally charged and through his lawyers has denied all the sexual assault claims.Over the past month he has canceled scheduled standup performances in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and California.

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Obama rallies votes for Chicago Mayor Emanuel ahead of election President Barack Obama appeared side-by-side on Thursday with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, his former chief of staff, who has faced declining approval ratings among black voters as he seeks a second term in city elections next week.Obama's appearance at the event, which designated part of the South Side's Pullman neighborhood as a national monument, harkened back to his days as a community advocate on Chicago's predominantly African-American South Side. Patriotic ribbons were tied around street poles on Thursday in the historic neighborhood, which was built for factory workers and was home to the first African-American-led union. Emanuel introduced Obama at the event and said it was the migration of African-Americans to Chicago and their civil rights advances in Pullman that would "change the face of our city and the fate of our nation."Speaking at Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy, Obama said Emanuel has "fought for new opportunity and new jobs in Pullman and for every Chicagoan in every neighborhood making sure every single person gets the fair shot at success they deserve."Emanuel's main challenger in Tuesday's election, Democrat Cook County Commissioner Jesus "Chuy" Garcia, has tapped into perceptions that Emanuel has governed for the rich.White House spokesman Eric Schultz said the event was not timed to coincide with Emanuel's campaign, though he said Obama has recorded a radio ad for him.Obama used his pull with black voters in Chicago’s South Side to help elect Emanuel as mayor in 2011, a time when he was lesser known after spending years in Washington.Under Emanuel, there have been spikes in shooting deaths across the South Side as well as a strike by the Chicago Teachers Union. The White House hopes Pullman's designation as a national monument will bring tourism and boost the local economy while giving some children their first opportunity to visit a national monument. After speaking in Pullman, Obama stopped at a campaign office in the South Side's Kenwood neighborhood to thank volunteers who are helping Emanuel in his campaign for reelection. Obama also privately discussed the location of his presidential library, which Chicago has been vying to host over Obama's home state of Hawaii. Elections in Chicago for mayor, and for the city council, will be held on Tuesday. A run-off election for mayor, if necessary, will be held on April 7.

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Court orders more community service for Lindsay Lohan after dispute Actress Lindsay Lohan on Wednesday was ordered to perform 125 additional hours of community service as part of her probation, her lawyer said, following a dispute over whether she performed the work.Lohan, who was not present in Los Angeles Superior Court for the hearing, will have until May 28 to complete the additional community service hours of her sentence stemming from a 2012 auto accident near Los Angeles, said her lawyer, Shawn Holley.The 28-year-old former child star is set to complete her probation, which she has been on since 2007, if she complies with the court's order. Lohan was originally ordered to complete 240 hours of community service in addition to rehabilitation and psychotherapy as part of a 2013 plea deal.But Santa Monica city prosecutor Terry White had said Lohan reported credit for insufficient work, like a "meet and greet" with fans in London.The "Mean Girls" star crashed her Porsche sports car into a dump truck in the seaside town of Santa Monica while driving to the set of the Lifetime TV movie "Liz & Dick" and later lied to police.Lohan has been arrested in the past for drunk driving and theft before the 2012 crash.

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Will Smith's 'Focus' opens with $19.1 million to win U.S. box office Will Smith's new action drama "Focus" booted the kinky sex tale "Fifty Shades of Grey" for its perch atop U.S. and Canadian weekend box office charts, racking up $19.1 million in ticket sales.Smith, in his first leading role since 2013's "After Earth," plays a seasoned con artist who meets up with an aspiring con artist, played by Margot Robbie, in the romance-caper film hybrid."Kingsman: The Secret Service", an adaptation of a popular comic series which stars Samuel L. Jackson and Colin Firth about a spy agency's training program and a global threat by a tech genius, also outpaced "Grey" to claim second place with $11.8 million.Third place on a weekend that saw business hampered by rough winter weather in the south and midwest again went to the family-friendly "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water", based on the popular television show about a talking animated sponge. It sold $11.2 million in tickets."Grey," the smash hit adaptation of the best-selling novel which stars James Dornan and Dakota Johnson as the libidinous couple, took in $10.9 million, landing in fourth from Friday through Sunday, according to studio estimates. The film is closing in on $148 million at the domestic box office since opening just over two weeks ago.Rounding out the top five, "The Lazarus Effect," which stars Mark Duplass and Olivia Wilde as researchers trying to resurrect the dead, took the No. 5 spot on its opening weekend with $10.6 million in sales."This was a rather slow weekend at the box office," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at box office tracking firm Rentrak, noting that Oscar winners such as "Still Alice" and "Birdman" had received a good boost from Sunday's awards."The severely inclement weather in the south and midwest threw off our number," said Jeff Goldstein, executive vice president of domestic distribution for Warner Bros, the Time Warner unit that released "Focus.""When you look at the markets not hit by weather, we did really well," Goldstein said, adding that the film had played especially well with younger audiences, where "word of mouth will really help."International box office would further boost the film's fortunes, Goldstein said.Comcast Corp's Universal Pictures released "Fifty Shades of Grey". "Kingsman: The Secret Service" was released by 20th Century Fox, the unit of 21st Century Fox. "The SpongeBob Movie" was distributed by Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc.

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'Millionaire Next Door' author dies in car crash near Atlanta Thomas J. Stanley, author of the best-selling book, "The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy," has died in a car crash near his home in suburban Atlanta, police said on Monday. He was 71.Stanley, whose series of books on millionaires helped define a generation of wealthy people in America, was killed Saturday afternoon when a car slammed into his vehicle near his home in Marietta, Georgia, about 20 miles north of Atlanta, Cobb County police Sergeant Dana Pierce said.A retired marketing professor at Georgia State University, Stanley used his research to debunk notions that most self-made millionaires are flashy big spenders. His 1996 book, "The Millionaire Next Door," co-written with William D. Danko, described them as penny pinchers and is still recommended as a go-to book for personal financial advice.His other books included "The Millionaire Mind" and "Millionaire Women Next Door."Thomas took the study of millionaires as serious work. In 1980, he conducted the first national survey of America's millionaires, according to his website, and he was a sought-after speaker and author of more than 40 published articles on the affluent.At the time of his death, he was working with his daughter, Sarah Fallaw, on an updated book about millionaires and the new gilded age in America, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper.The funeral home handling Stanley's arrangements said services are planned for Thursday.

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'The Girl on the Train' tops U.S. bestsellers list for fifth week The debut thriller by author Paula Hawkins, "The Girl on the Train," held tight to the No. 1 spot on the U.S. bestsellers list on Thursday for the fifth consecutive week.Data from independent and chain bookstores, book wholesalers and independent distributors across the United States is used to compile the list.Hardcover Fiction Last Week1. "The Girl on the Train," by Paula Hawkins (Riverhead, $26.95) 12. "All the Light We Cannot See," by Anthony Doerr (Scribner, $27.00) 33. "Obsession in Death" by J.D. Robb(Putnam, $27.95) 24. "The Nightingale," by Kristin Hannah (St. Martin’s, $27.99) 65. "Private Vegas," by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro (Little, Brown, $28.00) 46. "A Spool of Blue Thread" by Anne Tyler(Knopf, $27.95) 57. "The Whites" by Richard Price(Henry Holt, $28.00) -8. "Motive" by Jonathan Kellerman(Ballantine, $28.00) 79. "The Accidental Empress" by Allison Pataki(Simon & Schuster/Howard, $26.00) -10. "Gray Mountain," by John Grisham (Doubleday, $28.95) 8Hardcover Nonfiction1. "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up," by Marie Kondo (Ten Speed, $16.99) 42. "Killing Patton," by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard (Henry Holt, $30) 33. "The 20/20 Diet" by Phil McGraw(Bird Street, $26.00) 24. "Being Mortal," by Atul Gawande (Metropolitan, $26.00) 5 5. "The Food Babe Way" by Vani Hari(Little, Brown, $27.00) 16. "Majora’s Mask 3D Collector’s Edition"by Prima Games (Prima Games, $34.99) 387. "Believer" by David Axelrod(Penguin Press, $35.00) 68. "Yes Please" by Amy Poehler(Morrow/Dey Street $28.99) 99. "Money: Master the Game," by Tony Robbins (Simon & Schuster, $28.00) 1010. "God, Guns, Grits, and Gravy," by Mike Huckabee (St. Martin's $26.99) 7(Week ended Feb. 22, 2015, powered by Nielsen BookScan© 2014 Nielsen Co)

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A Minute With: Margot Robbie on feisty females and 'Focus' After making her film breakout as the no-holds-barred wife of Leonardo DiCaprio's Jordan Belfort in 2013's "The Wolf of Wall Street," Margot Robbie is taking on Will Smith for a tango of twists and turns in the underground world of heists.In "Focus," out in U.S. theaters on Friday, Australian actress Robbie, 24, plays Jess, a street-smart, spirited pick-pocket who teams up with veteran con-artist Nicky (Smith) to learn his trade.Robbie talked to Reuters about the need for strong women in film and working with Smith.Q: You've played feisty, strong women in both "Wolf of Wall Street" and in "Focus," what draws you to those characters? A: Strong female characters for sure but they don't necessarily have to be like the conventionally strong.As long as they're strong in their own aspect and have strong opinions, then I find them interesting, people who can shift opinions and stuff, (otherwise) it's less fun to play and create a character with. So it doesn't have to be the same every time but something a little different. It's always good to have a story arch. For example, Jess in this film is a certain person at the beginning of the film and a totally different kind of person by the end of the film and that's exciting as an actor because there's a lot for you to do there.Q: How urgent is the need for strong female characters portrayed in Hollywood movies?A: I think people have really taken notice of that and are making an effort to change that. So, I think there's actually a lot of great female roles happening and coming out at the moment and I definitely want to be at the forefront of continuing that motion.Q: You worked opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in "Wolf Of Wall Street," and now you're holding your own opposite Will Smith. How was that experience? A: Will is the best. He's a really cool guy. He's very energetic and charismatic and he is really talented. It's just nice to work with someone that you can learn from.Q: You were a presenter at Sunday's Oscars, where Patricia Arquette made a passionate acceptance speech urging for equal pay for women. What was your reaction? A: I second that motion for sure. Equality not just in the acting industry, for every industry you want that. I'm glad she voiced that, that's cool.

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Factbox: Reaction to death of 'Star Trek' actor Leonard Nimoy Leonard Nimoy, best known for his portrayal of logic-bound Mr. Spock in the "Star Trek" science fiction television series and movies, died on Friday at age 83 after a battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.Here are reactions to Nimoy's death:"Long before being nerdy was cool, there was Leonard Nimoy. Leonard was a lifelong lover of the arts and humanities, a supporter of the sciences, generous with his talent and his time. And of course, Leonard was Spock. Cool, logical, big-eared and level-headed, the center of Star Trek’s optimistic, inclusive vision of humanity’s future. I loved Spock," President Barack Obama, whose unemotional approach to problems has been likened to the character Nimoy portrayed on "Star Trek." "I loved him like a brother. We will all miss his humor, his talent and his capacity to love," William Shatner, who co-starred on "Star Trek" as Captain Kirk, said in a statement."Today, the world lost a great man, and I lost a great friend. We return you now to the stars, Leonard. You taught us to 'Live Long And Prosper,' and you indeed did, friend. I shall miss you in so many, many ways," "Star Trek" fellow cast member George Takei, who played Ensign Sulu, wrote on Facebook."My heart is broken. I love you profoundly my dear friend. And I will miss you everyday. May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest," actor Zachary Quinto, who portrays Spock in the current "Star Trek" film series, said on website Instagram."He was a true force of strength and his character was that of a champion," "Star Trek" cast member Nichelle Nichols, who played Lieutenant Uhura, said in a statement. "Leonard's integrity and passion as an actor and devotion to his craft helped transport 'Star Trek' into television history. His vision and heart are bigger than the universe.""RIP Leonard Nimoy. So many of us at NASA were inspired by Star Trek. Boldly go..." the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) wrote on Twitter. "He lived long, he prospered, and he touched us all. RIP Leonard Nimoy," Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said on Twitter."Leonard Nimoy created a positive role model who inspired untold numbers of viewers to learn more about the universe," Space Foundation Chief Executive Officer Elliot Pulham said in a statement. "Many of those people are ardent space supporters and industry leaders today."

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New film on China's pollution sparks debate, seen as milestone Could "Under the Dome", Chinese journalist Chai Jing's new documentary about pollution, become China's "Silent Spring", the 1962 book that spurred the development of the U.S. environmental movement?Since it was released online on Saturday, the film has been viewed more than 150 million times and has sparked a national debate on environmental problems. "Under the Dome", which explains air pollution in personal, straight-forward terms, was well-timed: this week China's National People's Congress, the country's parliament, holds its annual meeting. China's environment minister, Chen Jining, drew parallels between Chai's film and "Silent Spring", the ground-breaking book by American journalist Rachel Carson."This is a remarkable milestone," Li Yan, Beijing-based climate and energy campaign manager for environmental group Greenpeace, said of the film.Chai was a well-known journalist on state-run television before making the documentary.Environmental awareness has been increasing in China, especially since air pollution levels in Beijing hit record highs in January 2013, a phenomenon dubbed the "airpocalypse".The documentary has touched a national nerve."The difference is in the delivery," said Peggy Liu, chairwoman of Shanghai-based environmental advocacy group JUCCCE, noting Chai's storytelling abilities. "It's not that people aren't expressing these messages already."The film begins with Chai Jing's experience as a pregnant woman and then a mother of a child born with a benign tumor, which had to be removed. It looks at China's pollution, how it affects health, and what can be done about it.Greenpeace's Li Yan said Chai's documentary and the public debate it has generated could help the environmental ministry garner the resources it needs to implement a new, tougher environmental protection law that raises penalties for polluters. But obstacles to clearing China's skies are daunting.The country is heavily reliant on coal and car ownership is growing fast.State-owned enterprises, which dominate heavy industry, can at times be more powerful than their regulators.The film might prove a boon to other industries. Sales of air purifiers at the Blue Air store on 3c.tmall.com, an online home electronics shop owned by Internet giant Alibaba, more than doubled the day after the documentary was released. Wang Zhen, a public relations executive in Shanghai, said the documentary finally convinced her to buy an air purifier."I really need to protect my family, that's the main bottom line," she said.

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