By Ece Toksabay ISTANBUL | Tue Nov 27, 2012 3:04pm EST ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A hit TV show about the Ottoman Empire's longest-reigning Sultan has raised a political storm in Turkey, with Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan urging legal action over historical inaccuracies and the opposition accusing him of artistic tyranny. Erdogan tore into the weekly s...

NEW YORK | Tue Nov 27, 2012 2:09pm EST NEW YORK (Reuters) - The puppeteer formerly behind the "Sesame Street" character Elmo faces a new accusation of having sex with an underage boy, a week after a similar allegation prompted him to resign from the iconic public television children's program. In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Manhatta...

NEW YORK | Tue Nov 27, 2012 12:58pm EST NEW YORK (Reuters) - Kim Kardashian topped the 2012 list of the most-searched person on Bing, the Web search engine said on Tuesday, with Canadian teen pop star Justin Bieber coming in second. Kardashian, the reality television personality from "Keeping Up With The Kardashians," grabbed the No. 1 spot back from Bie...

LOS ANGELES | Mon Nov 26, 2012 4:49pm EST LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor Angus T. Jones, star of CBS's raunchy television comedy "Two and a Half Men", has urged viewers to change the channel, saying his new-found religious beliefs are at odds with his job playing a fun-loving teen on the popular show. Jones, 19, who has played Jake Harper - the son of Jon...

LOS ANGELES | Mon Nov 26, 2012 2:59pm EST LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Pop superstar Beyonce is stepping behind the camera to direct a behind-the-scenes documentary about her personal and professional life, U.S. cable channel HBO said on Monday. The currently untitled film will debut on February 16 and show the Grammy-winning singer's life in the recording st...

By Mike Collett-White LONDON | Mon Nov 26, 2012 6:51am EST LONDON (Reuters) - The Rolling Stones pranced, swaggered and laughed through the first of five concerts, celebrating their golden jubilee with a performance that critics said put paid to questions over ticket costs. Virtually every reviewer at the first of two shows in London's O2 Arena o...

By Chris Michaud and Ronald Grover Sun Nov 25, 2012 2:22pm EST (Reuters) - Teen vampire film "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2" continued to take a bite out of the domestic box office, drawing $64 million in ticket sales over the five-day Thanksgiving holiday weekend to finish ahead of James Bond film "Skyfall." After opening with a massive $141....

LONDON | Sun Nov 25, 2012 2:11pm EST LONDON (Reuters) - Bajan singer Rihanna equalled Madonna's chart record of three consecutive number one albums this week, while X Factor talent show star Olly Murs scored his fourth number one single, the Official Charts Company said on Sunday. Rihanna's "Unapologetic" went straight to the top of the singles chart, ex...

ZURICH | Sun Nov 25, 2012 9:30am EST ZURICH (Reuters) - U.S. jazz musician Marcus Miller was injured on Sunday along with members of his band when their bus crashed in Switzerland, killing the driver, police said. The two-time Grammy winner was travelling with 10 members of his band from Monte Carlo in Monaco to Hengelo in the Netherlands when the bus cr...

By Alex Dobuzinskis LOS ANGELES | Sat Nov 24, 2012 5:33pm EST LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - South Korean rap star Psy's music video "Gangnam Style" on Saturday became the most watched item ever posted to YouTube with more than 800 million views, edging past Canadian teen star Justin Bieber's 2-year-old video for his song "Baby." The milestone was the l...

By Bill Trott Sat Nov 24, 2012 1:16am EST (Reuters) - Larry Hagman, who created one of American television's most supreme villains in the conniving, amoral oilman J.R. Ewing of "Dallas," died on Friday, according to a co-star. He was 81. Hagman died at a Dallas hospital of complications from his battle with throat cancer, the Dallas Morning News reported,...

By Christine Kearney NEW YORK | Fri Nov 23, 2012 6:19pm EST NEW YORK (Reuters) - Gay cowboy drama "Brokeback Mountain" may have been considered a risky film to make, but director Ang Lee said his new movie, "Life of Pi," a 3D exploration of faith about a boy stranded on a boat with a Bengal tiger, is his riskiest yet. The film, which was released...

Once again, the local creativity will have an original venue to showcase art! Fresh ideas, creativity and emergent artistic proposals will showcase at the coming “Pecha Kucha Night, San José Costa Rica 2012” this coming Wednesday November 28th on the 6th floor and the rooftop of the new parking building of Avenida Escazú (one block to the right from Starbucks). 15 artistic voices will talk to u...

By Mike Collett-White LONDON | Fri Nov 23, 2012 8:33am EST LONDON (Reuters) - The Beatles audition tape rejected by a record label executive in arguably the biggest blunder in pop history has resurfaced and will go on sale at a London auction next week. Ted Owen of The Fame Bureau, an auction house specializing in pop memorabilia, said the 10-son...

By Nastassia Astrasheuskaya MOSCOW | Fri Nov 23, 2012 8:05am EST MOSCOW (Reuters) - Jailed Pussy Riot punk protester Maria Alyokhina has been moved to a single-person cell at her own request because of tensions with follow prisoners, Russia's federal penitentiary service said on Friday. Alyokhina, 24, is serving a two-year sentence for a raucous ...

By Ronald Grover LOS ANGELES | Thu Nov 22, 2012 4:57pm EST LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The teen vampire movie "Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2" continued to lure huge audiences, siphoning off $12.8 million in Wednesday night showings in what could fuel a record box office haul for the five-day Thanksgiving Day holiday. The final film in the "Tw...

ST.PETERSBURG, Russia | Thu Nov 22, 2012 12:45pm EST ST.PETERSBURG, Russia (Reuters) - A Russian court rejected a $10 million compensation claim against U.S. pop star Madonna on Thursday by a group of anti-gay activists who accused her hurting their feelings by promoting homosexuality at a St.Petersburg concert. Performing in black lingerie with the word...

By Mike Collett-White LONDON | Thu Nov 22, 2012 11:09am EST LONDON (Reuters) - The Rolling Stones return to the stage on Sunday for a mini-tour they hope will prove that advancing years and bad blood are no barriers to satisfaction for sellout crowds. In a burst of activity to celebrate 50 years in business, the veteran British rockers with an av...

By Piya Sinha-Roy LOS ANGELES | Wed Nov 21, 2012 3:35pm EST LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - British boyband One Direction made Billboard chart history on Wednesday after storming to the top of the 200 album chart with their second album "Take Me Home," holding off competition from Christina Aguilera, Soun...

LOS ANGELES | Wed Nov 21, 2012 3:29pm EST LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Music by Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Elton John and late singers Whitney Houston and James Brown will be inducted into the 2013 Grammy Hall of Fame, The Recording Academy said on Wednesday. Paul McCartney & Wings' 1973 album "Band on the Run,...

By Zorianna Kit LOS ANGELES | Wed Nov 21, 2012 12:00pm EST LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro is known for putting a dark twist on super heroes and children's fantasy, but in "Rise of the Guardians" the producer brings together holiday heroes for a festive adventure. "Rise of the Guardians," which will be in theaters on ...

By Mike Collett-White LONDON | Wed Nov 21, 2012 11:34am EST LONDON (Reuters) - Pop music loves him. The art establishment shuns him. At the age of 80, British artist Peter Blake is revered for his celebrated "Sgt. Pepper" Beatles album cover yet at the same time dismissed as too "cheerful" to be one of the greats. Regularly stroking his wispy sil...

By Robert Evans GENEVA | Wed Nov 21, 2012 8:27am EST GENEVA (Reuters) - Kris Kristofferson -- Oxford scholar, athlete, U.S. Army helicopter pilot, country music composer, one-time roustabout, film actor, singer, lover of women, three times a husband and father of eight -- seems ready to meet his maker. At least, that was the clear impression he l...

NEW YORK | Tue Nov 20, 2012 5:39pm EST NEW YORK (Reuters) - Kevin Clash, the puppeteer behind the "Sesame Street" character Elmo, resigned on Tuesday following new allegations that he had sex with an underage boy, adding to an ongoing controversy involving one of America's most popular children's brands. In a lawsuit filed on Tuesday, Cecil Singleton is ...

By Chris Michaud NEW YORK | Tue Nov 20, 2012 1:28pm EST NEW YORK (Reuters) - She won Oscar gold for her uncanny performance as Britain's Queen Elizabeth, but Helen Mirren's latest portrayal finds her as the power behind the throne -- or, more precisely, the director's chair. In "Hitchcock," Mirren stars opposite Anthony Hopkins as legendary direc...

By Jill Serjeant LOS ANGELES | Tue Nov 20, 2012 7:32am EST LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Making a movie about Elizabeth Taylor takes courage. Casting wayward starlet Lindsay Lohan as the Hollywood screen legend was both daring and asking for trouble. And indeed, trouble is what producers got during the shooting of Lifetime TV movie "Liz & Dick" - b...

BEIJING | Tue Nov 20, 2012 1:12am EST BEIJING (Reuters) - Kung Fu superstar Jackie Chan said that while the upcoming film "Chinese Zodiac 2012" will be his last major action movie, citing his increasing age, he will still be packing punches in the world of philanthropy. Chan wrote, directed and produced his latest film, set to premiere in cinemas in Chin...

By Chris Michaud NEW YORK | Tue Nov 20, 2012 12:12am EST NEW YORK (Reuters) - Television legend Norman Lear and veteran actor Alan Alda received special honors at the International Emmy Awards on Monday, while programming from South America dominated the competition, with Argentina and Brazil each winning two Emmys. Lear, best known as creator of...

LOS ANGELES | Mon Nov 19, 2012 2:32pm EST LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The American Music Awards pulled in its lowest ever TV audience on Sunday, despite the presence of teen heart-throb Justin Bieber and Korean "Gangnam Style" sensation Psy. According to ratings data issued on Monday, Sunday's ceremony and performance show broadcast live on Walt Disney Co's ...

NEW YORK | Mon Nov 19, 2012 12:09pm EST NEW YORK (Reuters) - AC/DC'S entire catalogue, including 20 studio and live albums and three compilations will be available on iTunes for the first time worldwide, Columbia Records and Apple said on Monday. Until now the Australian heavy metal group that was formed by two brothers, Angus and Malcolm Young, in 1973,...

By Vernell Hackett NASHVILLE, Tennessee | Mon Nov 19, 2012 9:27am EST NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) - Aaron Lewis stands as one of the more unusual crossovers into country music, but the singer of the metal band Staind believes it was a fit made in the cradle. "It's been quite the pleasant eclectic mix of tattoos and black eyeliner, and Stetsons...

By Piya Sinha-Roy LOS ANGELES | Sun Nov 18, 2012 11:55pm EST LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Canadian pop star Justin Bieber swept the American Music Awards on Sunday, topping strong competition from Rihanna and Nicki Minaj, and sending newcomers British boybands One Direction and The Wanted home empty-handed. Bieber, 18, won all three categories in whic...

SYDNEY | Sun Nov 18, 2012 5:34pm EST SYDNEY (Reuters) - Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe is planning to sell his stake in Australian rugby league club South Sydney Rabbitohs in an effort to "simplify" his life after breaking up with his wife. In an e-mail to a local television reporter, the 48-year-old said the split had caused him to put on the market ...

By Andrea Burzynski NEW YORK | Sun Nov 18, 2012 5:13pm EST NEW YORK (Reuters) - One of Charlie Chaplin's bowler hats and a cane, the staple of Hollywood silent-era comedy, were auctioned for $62,500 on Sunday, said auction house Bonhams. Chaplin's hat and cane, which fetched more than the initial estimate of $40,000-60,000, are synonymous with hi...

LONDON | Sun Nov 18, 2012 5:00pm EST LONDON (Reuters) - James Bond actor Daniel Craig surprised British troops in Afghanistan on Sunday by turning up at Camp Bastion in Helmand Province to introduce the latest 007 movie "Skyfall" as 800 soldiers sat down to watch it. According to the Ministry of Defence, after giving a brief speech ahead of the screening...

LONDON | Sun Nov 18, 2012 3:56pm EST LONDON (Reuters) - Boy band One Direction topped Britain's singles and album charts on Sunday, outselling new releases from rock veterans Rod Stewart and the Rolling Stones, the Official Charts Company said. The English-Irish quintet shot to number one in the album charts with "Take Me Home", with one of its tracks, "...

By Andrea Burzynski and Lisa Richwine Sun Nov 18, 2012 2:47pm EST (Reuters) - The "Twilight" vampire saga's final chapter debuted with a massive $341 million in global movie ticket sales as devoted fans bid farewell to blood-sucking spouses Bella and Edward and one of Hollywood's biggest franchises. "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2" earned an es...

Sun Nov 18, 2012 2:15pm EST (Reuters) - U.S. rapper Snoop Dogg says he would be ready to splash his cash and invest in Scottish soccer champions Celtic. The 41-year-old, who is as well known for his love of sport as he is his music and drugs busts, fell further in love with the Glasgow club after watching highlights of Celtic's heroic 2-1 victory over Barcelona i...

By Melanie Warner AUSTIN, Texas | Sun Nov 18, 2012 1:53pm EST AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Celebrities and well-heeled Formula One fans from around the world hit art shows, book signings, fashion shows and parties this weekend in the Texas capital that is hosting the first U.S. Grand Prix in five years. The glittering off-track events to celebrate S...

LOS ANGELES | Fri Nov 16, 2012 9:08pm EST LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "Life of Pi" is yet to hit movie theaters, but fans can already buy the film's trusty lifeboat that becomes home to a young Indian boy shipwrecked with a tiger. U.S. online retailer Gilt Groupe said on Friday that the lifeboat, replicated from real rafts used between the 1920s and 1950s, i...