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

Moment of truth for Juventus against Sampdoria

ROME - The ambitions of Juventus to be Inter Milan’s most serious opponents face a serious test Wednesday as they welcome Sampdoria in a midweek round of the Italian Serie A.

Inter Milan beat Catania to retain Serie A lead

ROME - Title holders Inter Milan beat visiting Catania 2-1 to remain atop the Serie A with a two-point lead on Sampdoria.

‘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.

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.

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.

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.

Rome says Maestro Muti agrees to lead city’s opera house

ROME — Rome says maestro Riccardo Muti has agreed to lead the city’s opera house, pending final approval of details.

Venice Film Festival introduces award for 3D movies, 9 films to compete for prize

ROME —The storied Venice Film Festival is updating its awards lineup by offering a prize for the best 3D movie of the year.

No doubt about it: Michael Phelps beats Milorad Cavic again, sets world record in 100 fly

ROME — Michael Phelps beat Milorad Cavic again. No doubt about it. With a defiant performance in a supposedly inferior suit, Phelps stayed close over the outward lap and rallied on the return to become the first swimmer to break 50 seconds in the 100-meter butterfly, beating the Serbian with a time of 49.82.

World economic crisis doesn’t stop glitzy line-up for Venice Film Festival

ROME — The world economic crisis hasn’t dulled the glitz of the 66th edition of the Venice Film Festival, which hosts a line-up rich with Hollywood heavyweights.

Line-up of films competing at Venice Film Festival

ROME — A list of the films in competition for the Golden Lion at the 66th Venice Film Festival, which will run from Sept. 2-12:

Michael Moore, Tom Ford in the competition at Venice Film Festival

ROME — Michael Moore’s examination of the world’s economic crisis and the directorial debut of former Gucci designer Tom Ford are among 23 films vying for the Golden Lion at this year’s Venice Film Festival.

Bring it on: Phelps jumped right in when given chance to face Shaq in the pool

ROME — Michael Phelps already took down Mark Spitz. The record-breaking Olympian can’t wait to take on Shaq.

Russia’s Natalia Ishchenko defends gold medal in synchronized solo tech at swimming worlds

ROME — Natalia Ishchenko of Russia successfully defended her gold medal in the solo tech event in synchronized swimming at the world championships Monday.

Italy unveils 14 looted artifacts returned by Cleveland Museum of Art

ROME — Italian officials on Thursday unveiled 14 artifacts spanning from antiquity to the Middle Ages that were looted or stolen from Italy and recently returned by The Cleveland Museum of Art.

Not so Dolce Vita: Japanese tourists file police complaint after euro700 restaurant bill

ROME — They were looking for a bit of La Dolce Vita but what two Japanese tourists got in a restaurant in Rome left a bad taste in their mouths.

Venice Film Fest to open Sept. 2 with Tornatore’s movie on his native Sicilian town

ROME — Organizers say this year’s Venice Film Festival will open with “Baaria,” a movie by Oscar-winning director Giuseppe Tornatore on his native Sicilian town.

Rome’s Ara Pacis museum vandalized, colors of Italian flag painted on US-designed building

ROME — The back wall of a controversial museum designed by U.S. architect Richard Meier was painted overnight with the red and green colors of the Italian flag.

Berlusconi slams paparazzi, laments his personal saga is playing out on newspaper front pages

ROME — Premier Silvio Berlusconi slammed the paparazzi Sunday for taking photos of a New Year’s party at his Sardinian home that was attended by an 18-year-old at the heart of a political and personal storm.

Angels & Demons in Rome: Tour visits sites related to book and movie

ROME — On the stone steps of the 500-year-old Santa Maria del Popolo church, our tour group huddled around our guide in a tight circle.

Venice film fest to honor Disney creative exec Lasseter and Pixar directors for animation

ROME — The Venice Film Festival says it will give lifetime achievement awards this year to Disney’s chief creative officer and four Pixar directors for their work in animation.

Fake Swiss Guards stand at attention as ‘Angels & Demons’ premieres in Rome

ROME — Fake Swiss Guards stood at attention on the red carpet as “Angels & Demons,” the thriller based on the Dan Brown best-selling novel of the same name, had its world premiere.

Italian premier Berlusconi goes on counterattack, insists wife must apologize to him

ROME — A peeved Premier Silvio Berlusconi has demanded a public apology from his wife, who announced she was seeking a divorce from the billionaire media magnate because she was fed up with his roving eye for younger women.