Canadian pair withdraws after Meagan Duhamel’s hard fall; China’s Shen-Zhao win pairs

Canadian pair out after hard fall at Skate America

Canadian pair withdraws after Meagan Duhamel’s hard fall; Shen-Zhao win pairs

Canadians withdraw after hard fall

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — Canadian pair Meagan Duhamel and Craig Buntin withdrew from Skate America on Saturday when she fell hard to the ice and reinjured her right leg.

US ice dancers Tanith Belbin, Ben Agosto increase lead at Skate America

Belbin-Agosto win original dance at Skate America

Italy tries to shed image as merely a keeper of glorious artistic past with new arts museum

Italy opens new contemporary arts museum

ROME — Italy is opening its first national museum for contemporary arts and architecture in a bid to shed its image as merely a keeper of a glorious artistic past.

Pope Benedict XVI prays and sings to musical accompaniment in album set for release Nov. 30

Pope prays to musical accompaniment in new CD

Eat, shop and explore Chicago’s ethnic neighborhoods: Chinatown, Greektown, and more

Eat, shop, explore Chicago’s ethnic neighborhoods

Chinese pair Shen, Zhao make victorious return at Cup of China

Chinese pair Shen, Zhao make victorious return

‘Twilight’ saga’s Volturi vampires walk red carpet in Rome; scenes from 2nd film screened

ROME — The Volturi have invaded the red carpet.

Streep, in Rome to present Julia Child Movie, says she’s no more than OK cook

ROME — Meryl Streep may have starred as chef-legend Julia Child, but in real life she says she is nothing more than an OK cook.

Coen brothers promote “A Serious Man” at Rome Film Festival

ROME — The Coen brothers aren’t sure whether their latest movie is a comedy or a tragedy — that is for the viewers to figure out.

Twilight’s vampires walk the red carpet in Rome; new scenes from 2nd installment screened

ROME — The Volturi are invading the red carpet.

George Clooney promoting ‘Up in the Air’ at Rome Film Festival, movie in competition

ROME — George Clooney says there is a lot he can relate to in his new movie “Up in the Air,” a comic drama about a man who travels across the United States to lay off people amid the financial crisis.

Richard Gere says he “cried like a baby” when he read script of movie on Japanese tale

ROME — Richard Gere said Friday that he “cried like a baby” when he read the script of his new movie — a remake based on a cherished Japanese story about a faithful dog that died at a train station waiting for its owner.

Tanovic’s “Triage” starring Colin Farrell opens this year’s Rome Film Fest

ROME — Oscar-winning director Danis Tanovic’s “Triage,” a movie about the horrors of war and the scars it leaves on survivors, opened the Rome Film Festival on Thursday.

Caravaggio’s “Adoration of the Shepherds” get very public restoration in Italy parliament

ROME — Caravaggio’s “Adoration of the Shepherds,” a 1609 masterpiece, is getting a very public restoration in Italy’s lower chamber of parliament.

Crisis or mood? Whatever the reason, designers skimping on fabric for next summer

MILAN, — Whether it’s the economic crisis or just the fashion mood of the moment, designers are skimping on fabric for this round of preview showings for the spring/summer 2010.

Opera star Cecilia Bartoli sings music inspired by castrati, youths neutered for their voice

ROME — Long before botched plastic surgery ruined a movie star’s career, they were the original showbiz victims.

Meryl Streep, Richard Gere and George Clooney in lineup of Rome Film Fest

ROME — Meryl Streep, Richard Gere and George Clooney are among the film stars attending this year’s Rome Film Festival.

Short on the Milan runway is more demure than daring

MILAN — — It looks like it’s going to be a short summer in 2010 — at least where hemlines are concerned.

Armani bright and upbeat for spring and summer _ an apt response to succession rumors

MILAN — Giorgio Armani presented a bright and upbeat spring/summer 2010 collection at Milan Fashion Week on Thursday, an apt response to speculation over succession at his Milan fashion house after the designer’s recent illness.

Exhibit showcases painting in ancient Rome, features frescoes and portraits

ROME — Frescoes that once adorned Roman villas are going on display in a new exhibit that shows the tastes of ancient Rome’s wealthy through landscapes and the representation of gods and goddesses.

Thousands turn out in Milan square for state funeral of Italy’s beloved TV host Mike Bongiorno

MILAN — Premier Silvio Berlusconi, TV personalities and thousands of fans of Italy’s beloved television host Mike Bongiorno have turned out in Milan for his state funeral.

From runway to red carpet: Tom Ford makes directorial debut with “A Single Man” at Venice

VENICE, Italy — Tom Ford switched from the catwalk to the red carpet on Friday, presenting his directorial debut — an intimate movie about coping with loss and grief — at the Venice Film Festival.

From runway to red carpet: Tom Ford makes directorial debut at Venice Film Festival

VENICE, Italy — Tom Ford, the former star designer at Gucci, makes his directorial debut with an intimate story about coping with loss and grief in a movie presented at the Venice Film Festival.

Armani says he feels “marvelously” well after months-long battle with hepatitis

MILAN — Designer Giorgio Armani said Thursday he was feeling “marvelously well” after winning a months-long battle with hepatitis.

Award-winning German-Turkish director Akin presents comedy in ‘Soul Kitchen’ at Venice

VENICE, Italy — Prize-winning German-Turkish director Fatih Akin is turning to comedy in his latest film “Soul Kitchen,” which showed at the Venice Film Festival on Thursday.

Omar Sharif returns to big screen at Venice film festival in ‘The Traveler’

VENICE, Italy — Omar Sharif, whose devilishly handsome looks delighted female fans decades ago, has returned to the big screen at the Venice Film Festival Thursday in a film about an elderly man’s encounter with a woman he loved in his youth.

May I kiss you George? Fan pokes fun at Clooney at Venice Film Fest

VENICE, Italy — A fan of actor George Clooney stripped to his boxer shorts in front of the Hollywood star and asked if he could “kiss him, just once.”

Mike Bongiorno, king of Italy’s quiz shows since the 1950s, dies at 85

ROME — Mike Bongiorno, a TV host who popularized quiz shows for generations of Italians and became a symbol of national television, has died. He was 85.

Mike Bongiorno, the king of Italy’s quiz shows, is dead at 85

ROME — Mike Bongiorno, a veteran TV host who made quiz shows popular in Italy in the 1950s and 1960s, has died at age 85.

George Clooney in Venice for world premiere of “The Men Who Stare at Goats”

VENICE, Italy — George Clooney is appearing at the Venice Film Festival for the premiere of his new movie, a comic tale of “psychic warfare” by the U.S. military.

Venezuela’s Chavez walks Venice red carpet with Oliver Stone to promote new documentary

VENICE, Italy — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez received a movie star welcome Monday at the Venice Film Festival, where he walked the red carpet with director Oliver Stone for the premiere of the documentary “South of the Border.”

Venezuelan leader Chavez greeted like movie star at Venice premier ‘South of the Border’

VENICE, Italy — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is getting a movie star reception at the Venice Film Festival.

‘South of the Border’ to make Venice premiere, meant to illustrate positives under Hugo Chavez

VENICE, Italy — Director Oliver Stone says his new documentary “South of the Border” is meant to illustrate the sweeping changes in South America in recent years.