John Lennons killer refused parole for sixth time

NEW YORK | Wed Sep 8, 2010 1:07am EDT

NEW YORK Reuters - John Lennons killer was denied parole for the sixth time on Tuesday, three months before the 30th anniversary of the former Beatles death.

The New York State Division of Parole turned down Mark David Chapmans request, citing concerns "about the disregard you displayed for the norms of our society and the sanctity of human life," according to a report by CNN.

The three-member parole board panel concluded in written comments that Chapmans "discretionary release remains inappropriate at this time and incompatible with the welfare of the community."

The New York Daily News said the parole division received 75 letters arguing against Chapmans release, including one from Lennons 77-year-old widow, Yoko Ono, who said last month she believed Chapman posed a risk to her, Lennons two sons, the public and even to himself.

Her lawyer Peter Shukat told the newspaper that Ono was "very pleased" to hear of the decision to keep Chapman incarcerated.

Chapman, 55, is serving a jail sentence of 20 years to life for shooting Lennon four times in the back outside the musicians New York apartment building on December 8, 1980. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.

He has served 29 years of his sentence at a maximum-security facility in Attica, New York. For the past 20 years he has been allowed conjugal visits with his wife Gloria whom he married in 1979. He has come up for parole every two years since 2000.

Writing by Belinda Goldsmith, Editing by Dean Goodman

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Angelina Jolie meets flood victims in Pakistan AP

JALOZAI, Pakistan American movie star Angelina Jolie met flood victims in northwestern Pakistan and appealed to the international community to provide aid needed to help the country recover from its worst natural disaster.

The flow of aid money has stalled in recent days, and officials expressed hope the two-day visit by Jolie � who serves as a "goodwill ambassador" for the U.N.s refugee agency � will convince foreign countries and individuals to open their wallets.

The 35-year-old actress said Tuesday she met with many people whose lives have been devastated by the floods, including mothers who lost their children and an elderly Pakistani couple who feared they would never be able to rebuild the home they lost.

"I am very moved by them and I hope that I am able to, today and tomorrow, be able to do something to help bring attention to the situation for all of the people in need in Pakistan," Jolie told reporters after visiting a refugee camp in the Jalozai area.

She toured the area wearing a long black robe and a black headscarf adorned with a thin red stripe � the kind of conservative clothing worn by many Muslim women in Pakistan.

The floods began in the northwest at the end of July after extremely heavy monsoon rains and slowly surged south along the Indus River, swallowing up hundreds of villages and towns and killing more than 1,700 people. Another 17 million have been affected by the floods, and many will need emergency assistance to survive.

The United Nations issued an appeal for $460 million in emergency funds on Aug. 11, but only $294 million, or 64 percent, has been received so far, and donations have more or less dried up in recent days.

Ajay Chhibber, a U.N. assistant secretary general, said he hopes Jolies visit will have "a very big impact" on the inflow of aid money and will keep people focused on the crisis.

"We need more ... well-known figures who can keep the spotlight and focus because people tend to forget internationally," said Chhibber, who is also the U.N. development agencys regional director for Asia. He spoke to reporters during a visit to Islamabad.

___

Associated Press writer Sebastian Abbot contributed to this report from Islamabad.

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In Choo and Payless, models launch fashion events AP

NEW YORK A fashion show built around the landmark fountain of Lincoln Center brought celebrities, fashion designers and some ordinary New Yorkers to their feet Tuesday night.

The event, with a total of 1,500 guests, served as the kickoff to both New York Fashion Week, the preview of spring styles that starts Thursday, and Fridays Fashions Night Out, a national retail-stimulus program spearheaded by Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour.

Blake Lively, Julianne Moore and Serena Williams were among the VIPs, along with designers Michael Kors, Tommy Hilfiger, Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough of Proenza Schoulder, Calvin Kleins Francisco Costa, and Carolina Herrera.

Pharrell serenaded some of the models, and the recorded music mash-up of Frank Sinatras "New York, New York" and Alicia Keys "Empire State of Mind Part II" was a crowd-pleaser.

It was the biggest public fashion show in New York, organizers said.

Top catwalkers Gisele Bundchen, the first on the complicated in-the-round runway, and Naomi Campbell, who closed the show, were among the big draws. But some of the audience, many of whom paid to attend, never saw the supermodels up close. They took off on a bus as part of the finale with Angela Lindvall, Karolina Kurkova, Coco Rocha, Adriana Lima and others without making the full loop.

Even Diane von Furstenberg had to stand from her front-row seat to get a close-up view of them.

Still, there were plenty of models to go around. The show was divided into trends deemed by Vogue editors to be the must-haves for the fall. Missy Raider wore a 50s-inspired look � complete with beehive hair � while Alek Wek endured a fur hat on the warm, humid evening to show off "Go Global" style.

"You get to see the best pieces from each current collection on one big stage, and having Lincoln Center as a backdrop was something everyone will remember," said Hilary Rhoda, who represented the weekend look in a See by Chloe jacket, Rag & Bone shirt, Tucker skirt, Vince leggings and Gap boots.

Other groups of models wore gowns reminiscent of the Jazz Age, and still others had on Sgt. Pepper-style jackets to capture rock chic.

Few outfits were by a single designer, however, so shoppers would be encouraged to adopt the looks regardless of their budget. Payless, for example, took their place sandwiched between Jimmy Choo and Gucci shoes.

The runway show will be included in the CBS Fashions Night Out special on Sept. 14.

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Nanny says she kept lists of Anna Nicoles drugs AP

LOS ANGELES A second nanny testifying at the drug conspiracy trial of Anna Nicole Smiths two doctors and lawyer-boyfriend said Tuesday that she kept a list of drugs given to the model and that it numbered 18 at one point.

Nadine Alexie told the jury that she was vigilant about the medications Smith was taking because she was then studying to be a pharmacy technician. She made lists of drugs Smith was taking, she said, and one such list displayed in court Tuesday showed 18 different medications that included multiple sedatives and opiates.

She said Smiths boyfriend, Howard K. Stern, and Dr. Khristine Eroshevich told her Smith was sick, but she remembered times when Smith was not medicated and seemed fine.

"She would be talking to you and smiling. She would dance," Alexie recalled. "... We would talk and watch TV and read the Bible together."

She also remembered a time when Smith was so involved in making a baby book for her newborn daughter that she refused Sterns orders to take her medication.

Alexie said Stern regularly prompted Smith to take an array of pills left by Eroshevich. After taking the drugs, Smith "would be groggy and drowsy, her speech would be slurred," Alexie said.

Sometimes, she said, Smith became too weak to hold her baby.

Alexie was one of two former nannies who cared for the model and her then-infant daughter in the last months of Smiths life before her drug overdose death. Quethlie Alexie, Nadines sister-in-law, also worked for Smith for more than three months in the Bahamas.

The two nannies testified in the drug conspiracy trial of Stern, Eroshevich and Dr. Sandeep Kapoor, all of whom have pleaded not guilty. They are not charged with causing Smiths death in 2007.

Both nannies gave similar accounts of finding bloody syringes and cotton balls, and sometimes a burned spoon with liquid, inside a bathroom at the Bahamas home where Smith was staying. Quethlie Alexie testified that she saw Stern and Eroshevich take the model into the bathroom and that when they came out, she saw the syringes and other items.

She also said that after Smith emerged from the bathroom, "she was like, drunk." Alexie, who testified through a Creole interpreter, said Smith "was unable to walk, falling, and was unable to handle her talking. She would laugh."

Alexie, who acknowledged she speaks and understands English but is more comfortable in the Creole dialect, said she did not see what happened in the bathroom because "they had the door closed. I didnt know what went on in there." Nadine Alexie said she also was kept out of the bathroom, but that she saw the same items.

Prosecutors allege that Smith was being injected with excessive amounts of opiates and sedatives. Quethlie Alexie testified that before the three went into the bathroom, "Stern would say, Baby, come and well take our medicine."

She described finding "ashes from fire" on the bathroom counter and matches or a lighter. Sometimes, she said she found a spoon with liquid and "cotton you would use for a shot."

She said it had blood on it, as did syringes she found.

Smith was weak and suffering from bouts of diarrhea and vomiting during that period, Alexie testified, and the model was consumed by grief over the death of her son, Daniel, just after she gave birth to a daughter in September 2006.

Before Eroshevich arrived, Alexie said Smith could not sleep. She said that after the doctor arrived, Smith "would sleep all day. In the middle of her speaking, she would sleep."

Outside the jurys presence, defense attorneys complained about arrangements by prosecutors to bring not only the nannies, but other family members to Los Angeles to stay in a hotel with them. The group included one husband and six children ranging in age from two to 17.

Deputy District Attorney Renee Rose said she also agreed to relocate at least one of the nannies to a new apartment in the Bahamas and to pay the moving costs, as well as the first and last months rent. She said it was done for security reasons but did not specify what those were.

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2nd nanny says she kept lists of Anna Nicole drugs AP

LOS ANGELES A second nanny testifying at the drug conspiracy trial of Anna Nicole Smiths two doctors and lawyer-boyfriend said Tuesday that she kept a list of drugs given to the model and that it numbered 18 at one point.

Nadine Alexie told the jury that she was vigilant about the medications Smith was taking because she was then studying to be a pharmacy technician. She made lists of drugs Smith was taking, she said, and one such list displayed in court Tuesday showed 18 different medications that included multiple sedatives and opiates.

She said Smiths boyfriend, Howard K. Stern, and Dr. Khristine Eroshevich told her Smith was sick, but she remembered times when Smith was not medicated and seemed fine.

"She would be talking to you and smiling. She would dance," Alexie recalled. "... We would talk and watch TV and read the Bible together."

She also remembered a time when Smith was so involved in making a baby book for her newborn daughter that she refused Sterns orders to take her medication.

Alexie said Stern regularly prompted Smith to take an array of pills left by Eroshevich. After taking the drugs, Smith "would be groggy and drowsy, her speech would be slurred," Alexie said.

Sometimes, she said, Smith became too weak to hold her baby.

Alexie was one of two former nannies who cared for the model and her then-infant daughter in the last months of Smiths life before her drug overdose death. Quethlie Alexie, Nadines sister-in-law, also worked for Smith for more than three months in the Bahamas.

The two nannies testified in the drug conspiracy trial of Stern, Eroshevich and Dr. Sandeep Kapoor, all of whom have pleaded not guilty. They are not charged with causing Smiths death in 2007.

Both nannies gave similar accounts of finding bloody syringes and cotton balls, and sometimes a burned spoon with liquid, inside a bathroom at the Bahamas home where Smith was staying. Quethlie Alexie testified that she saw Stern and Eroshevich take the model into the bathroom and that when they came out, she saw the syringes and other items.

She also said that after Smith emerged from the bathroom, "she was like, drunk." Alexie, who testified through a Creole interpreter, said Smith "was unable to walk, falling, and was unable to handle her talking. She would laugh."

Alexie, who acknowledged she speaks and understands English but is more comfortable in the Creole dialect, said she did not see what happened in the bathroom because "they had the door closed. I didnt know what went on in there." Nadine Alexie said she also was kept out of the bathroom, but that she saw the same items.

Prosecutors allege that Smith was being injected with excessive amounts of opiates and sedatives. Quethlie Alexie testified that before the three went into the bathroom, "Stern would say, Baby, come and well take our medicine."

She described finding "ashes from fire" on the bathroom counter and matches or a lighter. Sometimes, she said she found a spoon with liquid and "cotton you would use for a shot."

She said it had blood on it, as did syringes she found.

Smith was weak and suffering from bouts of diarrhea and vomiting during that period, Alexie testified, and the model was consumed by grief over the death of her son, Daniel, just after she gave birth to a daughter in September 2006.

Before Eroshevich arrived, Alexie said Smith could not sleep. She said that after the doctor arrived, Smith "would sleep all day. In the middle of her speaking, she would sleep."

Outside the jurys presence, defense attorneys complained about arrangements by prosecutors to bring not only the nannies, but other family members to Los Angeles to stay in a hotel with them. The group included one husband and six children ranging in age from two to 17.

Deputy District Attorney Renee Rose said she also agreed to relocate at least one of the nannies to a new apartment in the Bahamas and to pay the moving costs, as well as the first and last months rent. She said it was done for security reasons but did not specify what those were.

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Natalie Portman offered lead in 3D survival story

By Jay A. Fernandez

Tue Sep 7, 2010 7:31pm EDT

TELLURIDE, Colo. Hollywood Reporter - Natalie Portmans highly praised, tortured turn in "Black Swan" could send her career into a new galaxy. Literally.

As Darren Aronofskys psychological thriller rallied audiences at the Venice and Telluride film festivals last week, Portman has fielded an offer from Warner Bros. to play the coveted lead in the drama "Gravity," a role recently vacated by Angelina Jolie.

The $80 million 3D survival story centers on a woman stranded on a space station after satellite debris slams into it and wipes out the rest of the crew. Robert Downey Jr. already has committed to a supporting role, but much of the picture is devoted to the female character, who must survive a solitary ordeal much in the way Tom Hanks did in "Cast Away" or James Franco does in "127 Hours," another Telluride sneak screening.

Alfonso Cuaron, who will direct from a script he wrote with his son Jonas, got the green light from the studio to relay the offer to Portman without requiring a screen test. She is expected to read the latest version of the script this week and decide shortly.

Although Cuaron, Downey and the studio have juggled multiple potential stars, including Scarlett Johansson and Blake Lively, none has come up all cherries. But the role now is Portmans if she feels up for it. As an added benefit to the studio, even with a nice raise, her salary would only come in at about half of Jolies.

"Gravity" is slated to shoot at the end of January, before Downey goes off to other engagements.

Portman already has three projects on their way to theaters: the Paramount romantic comedy "No Strings" in January, the Universal comedy "Your Highness" in April and the Marvel/Paramount comic book actioner "Thor" in May.

But it is her turn as the ambitious but psychologically fragile ballet dancer in "Swan," a role she developed with Aronofsky for years, that has wowed studios and filmmakers scrambling to cast her.

Scuttlebutt at Telluride after its first screenings is that, based solely on "Swan" reviews during the previous few days, Terrence Malick wants Portman for a Jerry Lee Lewis-related project hes developing with Brad Pitt, and Tom Stoppard "Shakespeare in Love" also apparently is writing something for her. This is in addition to widespread opinion that Portman will be fielding major awards attention at years end. Fox Searchlight will release "Swan" on December 1.

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New ABC News president will face complex job AP

NEW YORK ABCs search for someone to preside over its news division comes as the Internet and cable television have made the job much different and more complex than what outgoing chief David Westin took over nearly 14 years ago.

ABC News employees returned from a holiday weekend to learn that Westin would step down at the end of the year. ABCs parent company, The Walt Disney Co., needs to find an executive who treasures traditional news values yet can transform a division at a time people have many different ways to find news beyond broadcast television.

Making money wouldnt hurt, either.

Westin inherited the job from TV legend Roone Arledge, who built a stable of stars at ABC News. Lately, the network has been forced by the business climate into retrenchment. ABC News has cut a quarter of its staff over the past few years.

There was a time when being an ABC, CBS or NBC news president was almost like being a Supreme Court justice: Their job was to uphold news standards and perform a public service, said Andrew Heyward, CBS News president for 10 years ending in 2005. Profitability wasnt a big issue.

"They enjoyed a comfortable oligopoly," Heyward said. "They competed against one another, but they certainly didnt compete against the hundreds and hundreds of companies that have news operations now. You had a simpler competitive environment and a simpler mandate."

The Web hadnt matured as a news source when Westin started his job. Fox News Channel and MSNBC had just arrived, but werent closed to figuring out a way to compete effectively with CNN, as they have now with programs that appeal to partisan audiences.

In the past decade though, online news has exploded and cable TV has grown to take a dominant position in the living room.

Disneys cable TV properties are growing and are providing healthy profit margins while ABC has stalled. The network had revenue of about $3.3 billion last year, with only $7 million left after costs, according to data from SNL Kagan. By contrast, Disneys ESPN channel brought in $6.3 billion in revenue, or about $1.5 billion after costs.

Between cable and digital competition, and a collapse of the advertising market, Westin faced "a cascading series of difficulties coming down on everyone in the news business," said Richard Wald, a Columbia University president and former ABC executive.

Although ABC has stayed a solid second behind NBC in the ratings for most newscasts, NBC has a huge financial advantage in being able to spread costs around to sister cable channel MSNBC. Neither ABC nor CBS has a comparable news channel on cable.

At 58, and with continued financial pressures and retrenchment in the future, Westin saw a good time to leave. He was not available to comment on Wednesday, a spokesman said. Hes planning to stay on until the end of the year to help with the transition.

His immediate bosses at ABC and at Disney, Anne Sweeney and Bob Iger, would be responsible for selecting a successor.

There would be no shortage of candidates from a traditional pipeline for news division presidents: Jon Banner has been the longtime executive producer of "World News"; Jim Murphy, "Good Morning America" executive producer, also led CBS evening newscast; and Paul Slavin has run ABC News digital operation.

Disney has sometimes tapped executives from other divisions within the same company. ABC Family President Paul Lee replaced Steve McPherson as entertainment chief for the ABC broadcast network, for example.

Given the challenges of having to transform the division and the multiple skills needed, Heyward predicted that Disney would not select someone currently at ABC News.

"These news organizations were built to fight a different war � arguably yesterdays war � where gathering news, taping it, editing it and transmitting it were difficult," Heyward said. "Now these things are easy. So the infrastructure has to change. The product has to change."

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AP Business Writer Andrew Vanacore contributed to this report.

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Michael Caine going on "Journey to Center of Earth"

By Borys Kit

Tue Sep 7, 2010 8:20pm EDT

LOS ANGELES Hollywood Reporter - Michael Caine is finalizing a deal to join the cast of "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island," New Lines sequel to its 3-D remake of the sci-fi classic "Journey to the Center of the Earth."

Brad Peyton is directing the movie, which is moving toward an October production start.

The script, loosely based on Jules Vernes "The Mysterious Island," sees Josh Hutcherson reprising his role from the 2008 "Center of the Earth" remake that starred Brendan Fraser.

For the sequel, Hutcherson is partnering with Dwyane Johnson, playing his moms boyfriend, on a trip to a mythical island to find his missing grandfather.

Caine will play the grandfather, but the part is no cameo. The role will see the veteran British performer and two-time Oscar winner in action mode, engaging in several chase sequences, including one involving giant bees.

The movie will shoot in Hawaii and then move to North Carolina.

The original 1959 version of "Journey to the Center of the Earth" starred James Mason and Pat Boone and earned Oscar nominations for best art direction, best effects and best sound.

Editing by Zorianna Kit and Steve Gorman

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Deputy who arrested Mel Gibson sues own department AP

LOS ANGELES The Los Angeles sheriffs deputy who arrested Mel Gibson for drunken driving in 2006 has sued his department, claiming he has been ostracized by the department since the incident.

Deputy James Mee sued the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department on Monday.

The lawsuit claims the department discriminated against Mee, who is Jewish, on numerous occasions since Gibsons arrest. His filing states he was required to remove references anti-Semitic slurs uttered by the actor-director and has been repeatedly passed over for promotions in the agency.

Sheriffs spokesman Steve Whitmore denied the lawsuits allegations and says it does not tell the whole story.

The lawsuits filing was first reported by celebrity website TMZ.com.

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The American tops weekend box office AP

LOS ANGELES George Clooneys hitman tale "The American" took down Robert Rodriguezs revenge romp "Machete" at the box office over the long U.S. Labor Day holiday weekend.

"The American" debuted with $16.6 million to grab a victory over "Machete," which opened in second place with $14.1 million, according to final studio numbers Tuesday.

The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Monday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Tuesday by Hollywood.com are:

1. "The American," Focus Features, $16,662,333, 2,823 locations, $5,902 average, $19,806,118, one week.

2. "Machete," Fox, $14,102,888, 2,670 locations, $5,282 average, $14,102,888, one week.

3. "Takers," Sony, $13,535,992, 2,206 locations, $6,136 average, $39,986,817, two weeks.

4. "The Last Exorcism," Lionsgate, $8,750,191, 2,874 locations, $3,045 average, $33,522,575, two weeks.

5. "Going the Distance," Warner Bros., $8,508,290, 3,030 locations, $2,808 average, $8,508,290, one week.

6. "The Expendables," Lionsgate, $8,317,824, 3,398 locations, $2,448 average, $93,885,594, four weeks.

7. "The Other Guys," Sony, $6,664,628, 2,607 locations, $2,556 average, $108,130,839, five weeks.

8. "Eat Pray Love," Sony, $6,175,610, 2,663 locations, $2,319 average, $70,279,644, four weeks.

9. "Inception," Warner Bros., $5,884,355, 1,704 locations, $3,453 average, $278,457,609, eight weeks.

10. "Nanny McPhee Returns," Universal, $4,806,685, 2,708 locations, $1,775 average, $23,672,660, three weeks.

11. "Despicable Me," Universal, $4,047,680, 1,600 locations, $2,530 average, $241,498,630, nine weeks.

12. "Vampires Suck," Fox, $3,941,945, 2,434 locations, $1,620 average, $33,240,602, three weeks.

13. "The Switch," Miramax, $3,917,061, 1,885 locations, $2,078 average, $22,292,061, three weeks.

14. "Piranha 3D," Weinstein Co., $3,010,152, 1,789 locations, $1,683 average, $23,105,959, three weeks.

15. "Avatar: Special Edition," Fox, $2,961,801, 812 locations, $3,648 average, $758,247,840, two weeks.

16. "Toy Story 3," Disney, $2,735,035, 1,520 locations, $1,799 average, $408,890,408, 12 weeks.

17. "Lottery Ticket," Warner Bros., $2,717,275, 1,310 locations, $2,074 average, $21,074,972, three weeks.

18. "Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World," Universal, $1,985,220, 807 locations, $2,460 average, $29,267,130, four weeks.

19. "Salt," Sony, $1,600,665, 705 locations, $2,270 average, $115,561,662, seven weeks.

20. "Get Low," Sony, $1,561,454, 560 locations, $2,788 average, $5,760,386, six weeks.

___

Online:

http://www.hollywood.com/boxoffice

___

Universal Pictures and Focus Features are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of General Electric Co.; Sony Pictures, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount and Paramount Vantage are divisions of Viacom Inc.; Disneys parent is The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is a division of The Walt Disney Co.; 20th Century Fox, Fox Searchlight Pictures and Fox Atomic are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a consortium of Providence Equity Partners, Texas Pacific Group, Sony Corp., Comcast Corp., DLJ Merchant Banking Partners and Quadrangle Group; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC Films is owned by Rainbow Media Holdings, a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corp.; Rogue Pictures is owned by Relativity Media LLC; Overture Films is a subsidiary of Liberty Media Corp.

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Amy Poehler to host "Saturday Night Live" premiere

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NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.

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Iraq displays hundreds of recovered artifacts AP

BAGHDAD Iraq displayed hundreds of recovered artifacts Tuesday that were among the countrys looted heritage and span the ages from a 4,400-year-old statue of a Sumerian king to a chrome-plated AK-47 bearing Saddam Husseins image.

The 542 pieces are among the most recent artifacts recovered from a heartbreaking frenzy of looting at museums and archaeological sites after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and in earlier years of war and upheaval. The thefts swept a stunning array of priceless antiquities into the hands of collectors abroad.

So far, 5,000 items stolen since 2003 have been recovered. And culture officials said they hoped the display would encourage more nations to cooperate in the search for 15,000 pieces still missing from the Iraqi National Museum, one of the sites worst-hit by looters after the fall of Baghdad seven years ago.

The director of the National Museum, Amira Alawan, praised the international community for helping Iraq find and recover its cultural heritage. But he said not all countries are cooperating, naming Spain and Lebanon as among the nations that have refused to hand over missing Iraqi artifacts.

The items displayed at the Foreign Ministry included relics of the worlds most ancient civilizations.

The most prominent was the headless statue of a king from the ancient Sumerian civilization, which is more than 4,000 years old. It was discovered in the 1920s at the ancient city of Ur in southern Iraq and was stolen from the National Museum.

The FBI listed its theft among the worlds top 10 art crimes. Experts say the statue, carved from black diorite with cuneiform inscriptions along the back and the shoulders, is the oldest known representation of an Iraqi monarch.

Officials with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security located the statue in the United States in May 2006 and handed it over to Iraqi diplomats in Washington two months later.

Among the newest pieces of Iraqs recovered past was a chrome-plated AK-47 with a pearl hand grip and a small image of Saddam next to the gun sight. It was taken from Iraq to the U.S. as a war trophy by an American solider who found the rifle during a 2007 raid in Baghdad.

"Today is a celebration in Iraq. This is bringing back the civilization and the cultural heritage of Iraq," said Mohammed Muhsen Ali, deputy director of the National Museum.

Iraqi and world culture officials have for years struggled to retrieve looted treasures but with little success.

The U.S. military was heavily criticized for not protecting the National Museums trove of relics and art after Baghdads fall in 2003. Thieves ransacked the collection, stealing or destroying priceless artifacts that chronicled some 7,000 years of civilization in Mesopotamia, including the ancient Babylonians, Sumerians and Assyrians.

The display also included more than 5,000-year-old cylindrical seals used by the Sumerians to seal written documents and a centuries-old pair of golden earrings from the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud, just south of the present day northern city of Mosul.

The earrings were discovered in 1988 under the floor of a palace belonging to an Assyrian king. They were stolen from the National Museum two years later and found at an auction house in New York in 2009.

The latest recoveries, made over the past five years, were hailed as a great achievement by government officials who vowed to continue the battle to reclaim looted artifacts.

"We will not stop," said Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari. "We will continue our efforts in order to return the last precious pieces to their legitimate owners."

Iraqs ambassador to the U.S. Samir Shakir Sumaidaie told reporters at the event that more than 600 pieces have also been unaccounted for since last year when they were transported by the American military from the U.S. to Baghdad and delivered to the office of the Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

"We have confirmation from the U.S. military that the pieces that include mostly cylindrical seals reached the prime ministers office last year, but until now we have no information on their current location," Sumaidaie said.

The prime ministers office could not immediately be reached for comment.

___

Associated Press writers Sameer N. Yacoub and Sinan Salaheddin contributed to this report.

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Italian film documents trauma of Iraq war veterans AP

VENICE, Italy A new documentary being shown out of competition at the Venice Film Festival explores the trauma of three U.S. war veterans who served in Iraq and how the military handled their cases.

"Ward 54," so named for the psychiatric wing of the U.S. militarys Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, also deals with the rise in military suicides following Iraq duty.

The film opens with the case of Army Sgt. Kristofer Goldsmith, whose job was to photograph Iraqi war victims to identify them. Goldsmith recounts how serving his country had always been his lifes dream, but it turned into a nightmare when told he would be deployed again to Iraq.

"For over a year I knew something inside me wasnt right. I was drinking close to a gallon of vodka every weekend and starting fights," Goldsmith recalled Tuesday in Venice, where "Ward 54" had been screened the previous night.

When told he had to go back to Iraq for duty, Goldsmith recalled: "I said I cant go back to Iraq. I wasnt afraid of Iraq, but knew I couldnt return."

He said his colonel gave him three choices: "One, you can suck it up and go back. Two, you can go AWOL and live your life as a felon and three, you can kill yourself."

He attempted suicide on Memorial Day 2007.

"I was absolutely disgusted with the treatment from the military when I was trying to get help," he said from Venices Excelsior Hotel, where he was doing media interviews alongside Italian director Monica Maggioni.

Last month, a Congressionally-ordered report found historically high rates of suicides in the U.S. military, saying more than 1,100 members of the armed forces had killed themselves from 2005 to 2009 and that suicides are rising again this year.

The sharpest increases were in the Army and Marine Corps, the services most stretched by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Goldsmith credits therapy but also his work as an activist for helping him deal with the post-traumatic stress disorder he has suffered following his Iraq service. He speaks at U.S. colleges to raise awareness of PTSD and says he often hears from vets struggling with the same issues.

"The experience I went through and my story, it is me and it defines me," he said. "It used to be a horrific negative thing, and I managed to turn it into a positive thing."

Director Maggioni, a foreign correspondent for Italys state-run RAI television, said her own combat coverage during the Iraq invasion informed her sympathies for soldiers suffering from PTSD.

"I understand perfectly what they go through," she said, noting that she was the only Italian reporter embedded with the U.S. military during the 2003 invasion. "From that moment on I had a particular interest in all issues related to the war."

While filming the documentary has helped Goldsmith recover, he still has some unfinished business with the U.S. military: He has been denied an honorable discharge because of his suicide attempt.

"I appealed for an honorable discharge, and on the anniversary of my suicide attempt that got turned down. I need to start an entirely new case," he said.

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Betty White gets comic book treatment

By Lindsay Powers

Tue Sep 7, 2010 4:21pm EDT

LOS ANGELES Hollywood Reporter - Veteran actress Betty White is the latest Hollywood star to get the comic book treatment.

The 88-year-old performer will be drawn as a cartoon for "Female Force: Betty White," to be produced by Bluewater Productions.

The 32-page book is due to hit stores in November and will retail for $3.99 per copy.

"Betty White has had such an amazing entertainment career ... Its one that has now spanned more than 70 years," Bluewater president and founder Darren G. Davis said in a statement.

The actress has experienced a career comeback on the heels of her role in the 2009 comedy feature "The Proposal," a Super Bowl commercial for Snickers and a much-lauded "Saturday Night Live" hosting gig that landed her an Emmy Award.

White, who gained fame on the "Mary Tyler Moore" show and the sitcom "Golden Girls," is currently starring on TV Lands "Hot in Cleveland." She next stars in the comedy feature "You Again."

"The biggest challenge that the creative team behind this book faced was figuring out how to include as much of this career as possible in one comic," Davis said.

Added the books writer, Patrick McCray, "Working on the Betty book was an honor and a blast. While covering a new entertainer is always fun, there is something special about profiling an icon."

Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama and Sarah Palin are among the other famous figures who have been included in Bluewaters "Female Force" comic book series.

Editing by Steve Gorman

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Nanny: Bloody syringes in Anna Nicoles bathroom AP

LOS ANGELES A nanny who worked for Anna Nicole Smith in the last months of her life said Tuesday that she found bloody syringes and cotton balls, and sometimes a spoon with liquid, inside a bathroom that the celebrity model, her lawyer-boyfriend and her psychiatrist emerged from.

Quethlie Alexie, who tended to Smith and her baby for more than three months in the Bahamas, testified that after Howard K. Stern and Dr. Khristine Eroshevich took her in the bathroom, Smith came out in an altered state.

"When she came out of the bathroom, she was like, drunk," said Alexie, who testified through a Creole interpreter. "She was unable to walk, falling, and was unable to handle her talking. She would laugh."

Alexie, who acknowledged she speaks and understands English, said she did not see what happened in the bathroom because "they had the door closed. I didnt know what went on in there."

Alexie testified in the drug conspiracy trial of Stern, Eroshevich and Dr. Sandeep Kapoor, all of whom have pleaded not guilty. They are not charged with causing her drug overdose death in 2007.

The nanny described finding "ashes from fire" on the bathroom counter and matches or a lighter. Sometimes, she said she found a spoon with liquid and "cotton you would use for a shot."

She said it had blood on it, as did syringes she found.

Prosecutors claim Smith was being injected with excessive amounts of opiates and sedatives. Alexie testified that before the three went into the bathroom, "Stern would say, Baby, come and well take our medicine."

She described Smith as weak and suffering from bouts of diarrhea and vomiting during that period and said she was consumed by grief over the death of her son, Daniel, just after Smith gave birth to her daughter in September 2006.

Alexie testified that before Eroshevich arrived, Smith could not sleep. After the doctor came, she said, "She would sleep all day. In the middle of her speaking she would sleep."

Outside the jurys presence, defense attorneys complained about arrangements by prosecutors to bring not only the nannies, but seven other members of their families to Los Angeles to stay in a hotel with them. The group included one husband and six children ranging in age from two to 17.

Deputy District Attorney Renee Rose acknowledged she also agreed to relocate at least one of the nannies to a new apartment in the Bahamas and pay the moving costs, as well as first and last months rent. She said it was done for security reasons but did not specify what those were.

Alexies sister-in-law, Nadine, who was also a nanny hired by Smith, was scheduled to testify later Tuesday.

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Toronto filmfest hopes to buck up weak Oscar season

By Cameron French

TORONTO | Tue Sep 7, 2010 3:50pm EDT

TORONTO Reuters - Its normally a proving ground for movies hoping to make a splash during Oscar season, but in a 2010 film season that has been thin on critical successes, this years edition of the Toronto Film Festival could grab an even bigger share of the spotlight.

Following a Cannes festival in May that lacked Oscar buzz and a summer loaded with sequels and remakes, industry players will sift through the 339 titles set to unspool in Toronto this week and next looking for another "Slumdog Millionaire" or "The Hurt Locker".

Both films parlayed Toronto success into Oscar wins.

"People are waiting for these fall pictures to drop to really fill out the dance card for the Oscars and Golden Globes and other awards," said Pete Hammond, a film critic and columnist at Deadline Hollywood.

The 11-day sprint of flashbulbs and red carpets kicks off on Thursday with the world premiere of Michael McGowans "Score: A Hockey Musical".

The comedy fulfills the festivals traditional mandate of opening with a Canadian film, but it has already received some criticism for its low-brow subject matter.

While audiences will clamor for a look at stars such as Clint Eastwood, Robert De Niro and Natalie Portman, filmmakers will hope to nail down distribution deals in an industry that has run short of funding in recent years.

Last years festival was notable for a lack of distribution deals, and industry players are still cautious as revenue streams such as DVD sales have flagged.

"It is a difficult time in which to buy films," said Michael Barker, co-president of Sony Pictures Classics.

"What you find is that companies tend to take less risks and tend to only make offers on pictures they feel very confident about. Its not an easy moment for the business."

Experts are banking on better times in 2011, and Barker noted that box office receipts have been strong this year.

EASTWOOD, REDFORD, PORTMAN

But while the deal-making climate is uncertain, the star power promises to be a steady draw for a festival that prides itself on the large public audiences that see the films.

Legends Clint Eastwood and Robert Redford will each unveil new films.

Eastwood returns to the festival after a 20-year absence with his supernatural thriller "Hereafter", which stars Matt Damon and Bryce Dallas Howard.

Redford unveils "The Conspirator", about the lone woman charged in the Lincoln assassination.

Also anticipated is Danny Boyles "127 hours", the directors follow-up to his 2008 hit "Slumdog Millionaire".

The film stars James Franco in the true story of Aron Ralston, who had to take extreme measures to save himself after a boulder fell on his arm while hiking in 2003.

Portman will star as a ballerina in Darren Aronofskys "Black Swan", which won rave reviews at the Venice Film Festival last week. [nLDE6811EE]

Reporting by Cameron French; editing by Peter Galloway

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CNN christens its new talk show Parker Spitzer AP

NEW YORK CNN is unveiling the title and premiere date of its new prime-time talk show pairing former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer and conservative columnist Kathleen Parker.

The name is, simply, "Parker Spitzer." CNN said Tuesday the show will premiere Oct. 4, airing weeknights at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

The second-billed Spitzer will begin the show perhaps best known for having resigned as governor in disgrace two years ago following a prostitution scandal. Parker has been a Southern-based newspaper columnist for much of her life and won a Pulitzer Prize for commentary.

"Parker Spitzer" will face tough competition on rival cable news networks: Bill OReilly on Fox News Channel and Keith Olbermann at MSNBC.

The program was originally announced in June.

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CNN is a unit of Time Warner Inc.

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Online:

http://www.cnn.com

"Parker Spitzer" video: http://bit.ly/bSapDD

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Rihanna reveals "Loud" album title, debuts single

By Monica Herrera

Tue Sep 7, 2010 3:36pm EDT

NEW YORK Billboard - Rihanna unveiled her new single "Only Girl In the World" on Tuesday shortly after announcing the title of her fifth studio album, "Loud," on her official fansite.

"Yes it is called Loud," the pop star told fans while appearing on Ryan Seacrests morning radio show on Tuesday. "Get loud everybody. Get crazy. Get excited. Cause Im pumped. Im just gonna be me."

"Only Girl In the World" aims squarely for dancefloor domination, as the 22-year-old pop star whose hit songs have included "Umbrella" and "Disturbia" pours her heart out to one man over a full-throttle production by Norwegian hitmaking duo, Stargate.

"Want you to make me feel/Like Im the only girl in the world," Rihanna belts on the chorus. "Like Im the only one that youll ever love/Like Im the only one who knows your heart."

The R&B singer hit the headlines last year when her ex-boyfriend Chris Brown attacked her and was sentenced to five years probation before she released a new album, "Rated R."

Producer Stargate is also responsible for previous Rihanna hit singles "Please Dont Stop the Music," "Hate That I Love You" and her most recent No. 1 hit, "Rude Boy."

If "Only Girl" is any indication, Rihannas "Loud" will be a departure from the edgier fare of "Rated R," which has sold 975,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

In a recent interview with Billboard.com, Alex Da Kid -- the producer/songwriter behind Eminems current No. 1 "Love the Way You Lie," which features Rihanna -- said the pop stars new material is "like a mixture of her two sides. Its commercial, but at the same time its got an edge to it -- it has substance."

Rihanna echoed that sentiment during her chat with fans. "Im gonna miss the Rated R era too, but nothing compares to the album I just made," the singer said, adding, "I wanted the next step in the evolution of Rihanna, and its perfect for us."

Editing by Christine Kearney

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Michelle Obama hosts first White House dance event AP

WASHINGTON The stately White House East Room, home to many a bill signing and ceremonial gathering, becomes a stage Tuesday for pirouettes, jetes, gravity-defying leaps and maybe even some bumps and grinds as Michelle Obama inaugurates a new dance series.

Dancers of all types � ballet, modern, hip hop and Broadway � take over the room, first for an afternoon workshop, during which students from around the country will have the chance to work with some of the biggest names in dance.

Then, after a short break, the students return to see their mentors perform in an hour-long, star-studded show. Even Broadways young "Billy Elliot" will be there � four Billys actually, from the shows rotating cast.

But the main attraction is the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and thats because its celebrated artistic director, Judith Jamison, soon to retire after two decades in the job, is the honoree of the event.

"What a rare opportunity, to be invited by your countrys first lady to be honored like this," Jamison said in a weekend interview. "Ive been to the White House a couple of times before, but this event is totally unique. Its so terribly important to recognize this art form and to understand how important it is to the fabric of this country."

"This will be another clarion call to people: Pay attention to your arts" Jamison said. "My dancers are so excited."

The 67-year-old Jamison is an icon of the dance world. She joined the Ailey company in 1965 and became the choreographers muse, her dramatic power as a dancer epitomized in the unforgettable 1971 solo piece "Cry." In 1989, after Aileys death, she took over as artistic director. She is scheduled to step down in 2011.

Tuesdays program is directed by Damian Woetzel, the recently retired star of the New York City Ballet who is on the Presidents Committee on the Arts and Humanities. He had a dizzying array of choices from which to cull an hour of the countrys best dance. And he said it wasnt exactly hard to find dancers, no matter that the event comes just after a summer vacation weekend.

"Everyone was so excited to be a part of this," Woetzel said in an interview. "Its really an exciting opportunity to present the variety of dance in this country. And the student component makes it especially unique. Its a great way to start the school year."

Though the Obamas have spotlighted many varieties of music since they came to the White House � there have been events celebrating Latin music, rock, jazz, country, classical and Broadway show tunes � the dance world might have felt ignored, until now.

But Michelle Obama seems to be a dance fan. Jamison noted proudly that the Obamas and their daughters spent one of their first nights out as first family taking in an Ailey performance at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

"They came backstage, took pictures � the dancers were thrilled," she said.

Also on the program Tuesday: the Paul Taylor Dance Company, Broadways "Billy Elliot the Musical," The Washington Ballet, Super Cr3w and the New York City Ballet.

The students are from dance schools around the country: The Alvin Ailey School, Ballet Hispanico, Cab Calloway School of the Arts, Dance Theatre of Harlem, the Chicago Multicultural Dance Center and others.

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Carey heads up Booker shortlist

7 September 2010 Last updated at 07:32 ET

Australian author Peter Carey, who has won the Man Booker prize twice, has been shortlisted again for this years award.

He is joined by Andrea Levy, Emma Donoghue, Damon Galgut, Howard Jacobson and Tom McCarthy.

Carey is nominated for Parrot and Olivier in America.

He previously picked up the prestigious literary prize in 1998 for Oscar and Lucinda and again in 2001 for True History of the Kelly Gang.

Parrot and Olivier in America is set during the 19th century - Olivier is a French aristocrat sent to the New World, ostensibly to study its prisons, but in reality to save his neck in a future revolution.

Parrot is the son of an itinerant English printer, who must spy on and protect him.

The winner of the 2010 Booker will be handed a �50,000 prize during a ceremony at Londons Guildhall on 12 October.

But the main reward is the huge sales boost the Man Booker generates.

Long Song

Other titles to make the shortlist are Galguts In a Strange Room, Jacobsons The Finkler Question and McCarthys C.

Levys The Long Song is her first novel in six years, following the critically acclaimed and award-winning Small Island.

Room, by Irish writer Donoghue, tells the story of a five-year-old who has been held captive and struggles to adjust to the outside world when he escapes.

"Its been a great privilege and an exciting challenge for us to reduce our longlist of 13 to this shortlist of six outstandingly good novels," said chair of judges, poet Sir Andrew Motion.

The panel also includes former dancer Deborah Bull and the biographer Frances Wilson.

More than 150 works were put forward for consideration but speaking to BBC arts correspondent Rebecca Jones, Sir Andrew criticised the quality of a handful of them.

He said some of the books were "pretty shocking" and "quite shockingly in want of a decent edit".

Last month, sales figures showed that the 13 books on the longlist were selling better than any other longlist titles since 2001.

Christos Tsiolkas The Slap was the most popular longlisted book, selling more than 5,000 copies in the first week of August but it failed to make the shortlist.

"The omission of both David Mitchell and Christos Tsiolkas from the shortlist is a real shock," said Foyles Bookshop web editor, Jonathan Ruppin.

"While both writers might rightly feel aggrieved at being overlooked, I imagine it took some wrangling amongst the judges to reduce one of the best longlists in years to six," he added.

"The prize is wide open this year and predicting a winner is difficult as all six shortlisted books have received fairly mixed reviews, but if pushed, Id suggest Emma Donoghue."

Mitchells novel, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, is a historical tale set on an artificial island, manned by the Dutch East India Company, which has been the only point of contact between Japan and Europe.

But it failed to make the grade, despite Mitchell having been shortlisted for the Man Booker twice before.

Hilary Mantel won last years prize for her historical novel Wolf Hall.

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Stars turn out for Mercury Prize

7 September 2010 Last updated at 12:27 ET

Nominated artists, including Paul Weller, Dizzee Rascal and The XX, are arriving in London for this years prestigious Mercury Music Prize.

Fellow nominees Laura Marling, Wild Beasts, and folk-rock quartet Mumford and Sons are also due at the ceremony.

They are joined by Corinne Bailey Rae, Biffy Clyro, Foals, Villagers, I Am Kloot and the Kit Downes Trio.

The winner of the �20,000 prize for album of the year will be announced live on BBC Two.

Bookmakers William Hill slashed its odds on Weller winning the prize after an "unprecedented" rush of bets over the weekend.

The former Jam star - who has been nominated for the award once before - is now 4/6 to take the title with his album Wake Up The Nation.

It is 16 years since his second solo release, Wild Wood, was shortlisted. On the night, he lost out to M Peoples Elegant Slumming.

The 52-year-old, who was the first star to turn up, told the press he did not resent missing out in 1994.

"No not at all, Im not one to hold grudges," he said.

London trio The XX had previously been the favourites.

Laura Marling is another second-time nominee for her latest album, I Speak Because I Can.

Her boyfriend - Marcus Mumford - is frontman of Mumford And Sons who are nominated for their debut release, Sigh No More.

Dizzee Rascal is the only nominee to have won the prize before, with his debut release Boy In Da Corner in 2003.

This latest nomination, for Tongue N Cheek, marks his third shot at the title after only four albums, as he was also listed in 2007 for Maths + English.

The Mercury prize is open to UK and Irish acts who have released albums over the past year.

Twelve months ago, the award went to hip-hop star Speech Debelle for her debut release, Speech Therapy.

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Walters, Letterman compare notes on heart surgery AP

NEW YORK Barbara Walters says that shes feeling fine after heart surgery in May and that she has practically no scar.

Walters got a rousing welcome Tuesday as she returned to active duty at ABCs "The View" after taking the summer off for recovery.

Adding to the festivities was David Letterman in his first visit. The "Late Show" host had open-heart surgery a decade ago, and he and Walters compared notes. Walters says they "are heart to heart."

When the conversation turned to Lettermans flop as host of the Oscars in 1995, he pretended to have chest pains.

He says he will never host the Oscarcast again if asked. He says: "I had my shot; I screwed it up."

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ABC is owned by the Walt Disney Co.

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Online:

http://theview.abc.go.com

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Toy Story 3 overtakes Titanic

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Animated film Toy Story 3 has become the second highest grossing film in the UK.

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Vanessa Paradis brings "Heartbreaker" act to U.S.

By Zorianna Kit

LOS ANGELES | Tue Sep 7, 2010 11:25am EDT

LOS ANGELES Reuters - She is known as the significant other to one of Hollywoods biggest stars, but Vanessa Paradis is a triple threat in France, where she has been singing, modeling and acting since her teenage years.

These days, her partner Johnny Depp is shooting yet another installment in the smash hit "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies while the 37 year-old Paradis is busy promoting her French film, "Heartbreaker."

The romantic comedy has already raked in more than 30 million euros at theaters in France and will open in the United States on Friday. It stars French actor Romain Duris as Alex Lippi, who runs a business that breaks-up relationships.

Alex is hired by a rich man to seduce his daughter, Juliette Paradis, and stop her wedding plans. With only one week before Juliette is set to walk down the aisle, Alex has to break up the seemingly happy couple.

However, for the first time on the job, Alex starts falling for his prey, which begins to impact his work.

The film boasts some English-language pop culture references that are sure to resonate with U.S. audiences. Most notably, Juliette is a big fan of the movie "Dirty Dancing", and Alex must spend time secretly learning actor Patrick Swayzes moves to seduce Juliette.

"The Dirty Dancing was such a plus," said Paradis, "Learning that dance was something I was looking forward to when I read the script. Although I wasnt as big a fan of Dirty Dancing as Juliette is, the film was so much part of my generation and my childhood."

Paradis was 15 years-old when "Dirty Dancing" was released in 1987 starring Swayze and Jennifer Grey as a young woman on summer holiday who is seduced by Swayzes character.

FRENCH STAR

If Paradis wasnt as obsessed with the "Dirty Dancing" as were Juliette and teenagers worldwide, it is probably because in real life Paradis was already busy being a star. By the time she was 14, Paradis had found international fame as a singer with the hit song, "Joe le taxi."

She made her acting debut in the 1989 French film "Noce Blanche" which promptly earned her a most promising actress award at the Ceasars, Frances equivalent of the Oscars.

In 1991, she began modeling for Chanel, forming a tight bond with the fashion company that continues to this day.

While other French actresses like Marion Cotillard, Audrey Tatou and Juliette Binoche have actively pursued careers in the U.S., Paradis never felt a burning desire to do so.

"I totally understand people who are going to give it their all to get where they want to get," Paradis said, but added that her own goals never included having to rise to the top of any particular creative endeavor.

"I was less looking for recognition and was just more cool about my success," said Paradis. "I do a lot of different things and want to be there fully for each one of them.

Today, that also includes raising her two children, Lily-Rose, 11, and Jack, 8, with Depp, who has been her companion since 1998.

"Being a mom is what matters the most," she said.

Still, Paradis finds time to indulge in her artistic pursuits and says music still takes up a great deal of time. A recent acoustic tour with a stop at LOpera of the Palace of Versailles was recorded for an album due out in November.

"I love to tour and usually thats in France," she said.

She also has signed on for another film, "Cafe de flore," where she plays a mother to a child with Down syndrome.

"I dont think in terms of a career, I just like to do what I do," said Paradis. "The work I get to do fulfills me so much that Im really, really happy."

Editing by Bob Tourtellotte

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Winfrey, McCartney among Kennedy Center honorees AP

WASHINGTON TV host and actress Oprah Winfrey has been chosen as a Kennedy Center honoree right before the start of the 25th and final season of "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

Winfrey was one of five honorees revealed Tuesday.

The 56-year-old TV host and actress will be honored at the 33rd annual event in Washington on Dec. 5, along with former Beatles member Paul McCartney; dancer, choreographer and director Bill T. Jones; country singer-songwriter Merle Haggard; and Broadway composer and lyricist Jerry Herman.

"I love surprising people, I dont like being surprised," Winfrey said. "Releasing any kind of control over a show and allowing myself to sit there and be surprised is not going to be easy but Im willing to do that."

The Kennedy Center Honors recognize performing artists for their contributions to American culture. Winners are selected by the Kennedy Centers Board of Trustees.

In addition to her award-winning TV show, Winfrey earned Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for her work in the film adaptation of Alice Walkers novel "The Color Purple."

Winfrey is used to celebrating others, both on her popular television show and at previous Kennedy Center Honors programs, but she said shes looking forward to being celebrated this time around.

"When Ive done them in the past for people, it has always felt a little bit like being bombarded with a love festival that is about you, and you know thats gotta feel good," Winfrey said during a phone interview in between filming for her show.

The man who is responsible for the event, creator and producer George Stevens Jr., said being a spectator is part of the fun for attendees.

"We dont put much of a burden on them," Stevens said. "You dont sing for your supper. They are not asked to speak or perform. They simply receive the tribute of their colleagues and peers, which really makes it very different for them, and is part of what makes it so special."

Country star Haggard, perhaps best known for his song "Mama Tried," acknowledged being an audience member will be a new role for him too.

"I dont know exactly what to do, I guess just sit there and look like youre having fun," Haggard said in his trademark plainspeak, while acknowledging how honored he will feel to hear others sing part of his music.

Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein said in a written statement about the honorees that the honesty of Haggards music and poetic lyrics "has helped to shape the world of country music for nearly five decades."

McCartney had been named to receive the Kennedy Center Honors in 2002 but backed out because of a personal obligation.

President Barack Obama and the first lady will host the 2010 honorees at the White House before attending the gala with them at the Kennedy Center.

Jones, who co-founded the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company as part of an openly gay, interracial couple, says the award and White House reception will shape his worldview.

"Ive always had this kind of position of feeling just outside, maybe the other, I dont know why but maybe a stepchild," Jones said. "As one gets older and you realize that your brand of art-making with its implied protest is actually something that people in positions of power respect, its a very important change, very important change, it makes you feel more of a sense of responsibility but its a responsibility you can accept joyfully."

The gala will be recorded for broadcast as a two-hour prime-time special on CBS. This years will air Dec. 28.

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Woodward book to be called Obamas Wars AP

NEW YORK Less than three weeks before publication, Bob Woodwards new book finally has a cover design and a title: "Obamas Wars."

And the focus will not be on the economy � the top issue of the fall elections � but on foreign policy.

Woodwards latest investigative work will run 441 pages Amazon.com had been listing the count at 464 pages and show Obama "making the critical decisions on the Afghanistan War, the secret war in Pakistan and the worldwide fight against terrorism," Simon & Schuster announced Tuesday.

Woodward finished three weeks ago, according to an official with knowledge of the book. The official, who said the book includes little on the Iraq conflict, was not authorized to discuss "Obamas Wars" and asked not to be identified.

Now an associate editor at The Washington Post, Woodward teamed in the 1970s with fellow Post reporter Carl Bernstein on the papers Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the Watergate scandal. He has written 16 books and remains known for his incredible access to White House information, making him irresistible reading in Washington and beyond.

Woodwards four best sellers on the George W. Bush administration also concentrated on foreign policy and the war on terrorism. As with his previous works, Woodward will draw upon internal memos, documents and interviews with key decision makers, including Obama.

But the promotion for "Obamas Wars" differs; instead of starting with an appearance on CBS TVs "60 Minutes," as he has done often, Woodward will speak first with ABC anchor Diane Sawyer, the network said Tuesday. Their conversation will air first on "World News" on Sept. 27, the books date of sale, and portions will show on "Nightline" and "Good Morning America." Woodward will appear live on "Good Morning America" on Sept. 28 and, on Sunday, Oct. 3, will be a guest on another ABC program, "This Week With Christiane Amanpour."

The books cover features a large profile shot of Obama, eyes narrowed in concentration. Toward the bottom, smaller images appear of such top foreign policy players as Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

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John Lennons killer up for parole again in NY AP

BUFFALO, N.Y. John Lennons killer is again up for parole in New York.

Mark David Chapman is scheduled to be interviewed at the Attica Correctional Facility this week. The interview could be as early as Tuesday.

It will be the sixth try at freedom for the former maintenance man who has spent nearly 30 years in the upstate New York prison. He has been denied parole every two years since becoming eligible in 2000.

Exactly when Chapman will be interviewed this week will depend on how quickly the parole panel works its way through a lengthy list of inmates.

Chapman was originally scheduled to appear last month, but the hearing was postponed.

Hes serving a sentence of 20 years to life for shooting Lennon four times outside the ex-Beatles Manhattan apartment building in December 1980.

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Venice film recounts trauma of war-scarred U.S. troops

By Silvia Aloisi

VENICE | Tue Sep 7, 2010 9:34am EDT

VENICE Reuters - A documentary premiering at the Venice film festival explores the trauma of U.S. soldiers returning from war in Iraq and struggling to readjust to normal life, with little if any help from the military.

"Ward 54," by Italian journalist Monica Maggioni, is named after the psychiatric wing of Walter Reed Hospital that treats army veterans in Washington DC.

Through the vivid recount of soldier Kristofer Goldsmiths experience, and that of the family of a marine who killed himself upon his return from Iraq, it sheds light on an increasingly alarming phenomenon that is still a taboo subject.

Since 2001, the number of suicides among the U.S. military has risen exponentially, and in 2009 it surpassed the number of war casualties, according to specialist weekly Army Times. An average of 18 veterans commit suicide every day.

"Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is something that, at least while I was in, no one ever wanted to admit that they had," Goldsmith, who burst into tears as the documentary was warmly applauded in Venice, told Reuters in an interview.

"The military is a culture of toughness ... To be viewed as broken in any way, whether it be physically or mentally, is something that seems dishonorable."

Sent to Iraq in 2005 when he as 20, Goldsmiths task was to photograph and classify Iraqi corpses.

After being ordered to take close-up pictures of bodies in a Baghdad mass grave, something snapped inside him and he began having nightmares and flashbacks.

Back in his home country, he reached out for help but no one seemed to understand his growing desperation.

Diagnosed with severe depression, he asked to be discharged from the military, but was instead ordered to return to Iraq.

Stigmatized for attempting to take his own life, he is now fighting a legal battle to have an honorable discharge from the army -- without which he will not be able to receive the grant that would allow him to go to university.

"If you are wounded in combat physically, you lose a leg, if you lose a hand, you take shrapnel, America seems to view you as a hero, whereas if you come back with invisible wounds, with emotional or mental scars, its something that American culture doesnt seem to have the same reaction to," he said.

Maggioni said that after spending years telling the stories of U.S. soldiers on the frontline, she wanted to look at what happens when they return home.

"The problem is trying to be more and more attentive to the guys coming back, even if they pretend to have no problem at all because they are scared of the consequences," she said.

"There are so many soldiers coming back from the frontline with psychological problems that dealing with all of these soldiers, dealing with those huge numbers is a problem, its difficult."

Additional reporting by Bob Mezan, editing by Paul Casciato

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Peter Carey, Emma Donoghue up for Booker Prize AP

LONDON Two-time Booker Prize winner Peter Carey is a finalist again for one of literatures most prestigious and contentious awards.

The Australian writers "Parrot and Olivier in America" is one of six contenders announced Tuesday for the 50,000-pound $77,000 fiction award.

Hes joined by Irish writer Emma Donoghue for "Room," the story of a boy and his mother held captive in a garden shed.

The other finalists are Damon Galgut, Howard Jacobson, Andrea Levy and Tom McCarthy.

The Booker is open to writers from Britain, Ireland or the Commonwealth of former British colonies.

The winner will be announced Oct. 12.

The Booker was founded in 1969 and is officially called the Man Booker Prize after its sponsor, financial services conglomerate Man Group PLC.

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On the Net:http://www.themanbookerprize.com

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Mike & Molly moves beyond weighty issues AP

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. Heres the skinny.

While the new sitcom "Mike & Molly" spins around two single people who hook up at an Overeaters Anonymous meeting, the stars and creative team insist the show isnt about being fat. Instead, they say, its about people who happen to be fat.

And yet, with two overweight principals heading up a series produced in thin-obsessed Hollywood, can they avoid the discussion of weight?

Fat chance.

Throughout summer, a blast of major media outlets did stories about what one Los Angeles Times columnist dubbed the current crop of "pound-power" shows, narrative series with plus-sized leads, including "Drop Dead Diva," "Huge" and, now, "Mike & Molly," which the actors were discussing with reporters at the Television Critics Association press tour in late July.

"The questions feel a little bit like Hollywood is going, Are there fat people out there where you come from?" joked actor Billy Gardell, who plays Mike.

"Mike & Molly" is the brainchild of Mark Roberts, working again with Chuck Lorre "Two and Half Men", who serves as an executive producer.

"When Mark and I started out on this process, Mark mentioned Marty, the Ernest Borgnine film," Lorre recalled about the story of a heavyset, lonely man seeking love. "That touched both of us, and the poignancy of people that might have given up hope that theyll ever find someone."

The casting call for the character of Molly asked for "a sweet-faced, overweight woman in her 30s," according to Roberts. "I ended up seeing just about every other woman whos been in any kind of production of Hairspray, but Melissa McCarthy was the first piece of tape we saw.

"With women of size," Roberts said, "a lot of times theres often an overly apologetic nature to their being, or theres a too-rambunctious, sort of Chris Farley thing. ... But she was just a person. She was just a sweet, lovable, funny woman who wasnt uncomfortable with herself."

"Sure, Id like to lose some weight," noted McCarthy, who was eight-and-a-half months pregnant when she auditioned. "And I plan on taking some of the baby weight off. But it doesnt make everything in the world crumble. I think Im OK."

Previously, McCarthy, 40, and Gardell, 41, were seen in the periphery, as supporting players on such series as "Samantha Who?" and "My Name Is Earl."

"Im used to being the guy that comes in, you say something funny, you move the scene along, youre out of the way," Gardell said. "So, with this, I get to act. You get to really have moments. Youre not only funny. Youre not always the butt of the joke. Youre driving the story.

"I would hope that if this show does anything, its not going to start a trend of 90 shows about fat people, because thats not what were about," he said.

"But if it starts a trend of putting people with different kinds of flaws that are real on TV, I think everybody will breathe a sigh of relief."

"Mike & Molly" debuts Sept. 20 on CBS, 9:30 p.m. EDT.

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CBS is a division of CBS Corp.

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Online:

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/mike_and_molly/

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Venice film fest fights its corner as crisis bites

By Silvia Aloisi

VENICE | Tue Sep 7, 2010 6:50am EDT

VENICE Reuters - A dearth of big Hollywood stars, Venices notoriously high costs, fierce competition from Toronto -- this years film festival on the Lido is fighting to keep its place on the map as one of cinemas most prestigious events.

The venue itself is a building site, with completion of the long-delayed new Palazzo del Cinema -- its main screening theater -- now not expected until 2012.

On the waterfront, the legendary Hotel Des Bains where Thomas Mann set his "Death in Venice" classic -- and Luchino Visconti shot its famous film adaptation -- is shut, and work is under way to convert it into luxury apartments.

With the recent financial crisis still biting, and both the industry and media in cost-cutting mode, the Mostra del Cinema is feeling the heat from the Toronto festival, which overlaps with Venice and is showing many of the same films.

Its location in North America, lower costs and the presence of so many deal-making industry executives all make Toronto a tempting and cheaper alternative for studios keen to showcase their films as the unofficial cinema awards race gets underway.

"For American stars its just a lot easier to go to Toronto, and for producers its a matter of money -- it costs a third of what Venice does or less," said Natalia Aspesi, a veteran critic for Italian daily La Repubblica.

As the festival, the worlds oldest, hits the half-way mark ahead of the awards ceremony on Saturday, most film watchers agree this years line-up on the Lido is strong but may lack the defining masterpiece that makes for a vintage year.

Films tipped to bag the top Golden Lion prize include Chinas "The Ditch," a hard-hitting look at the fate of political prisoners condemned to forced labor camps in 1960.

Another critics favorite is "Essential Killing," with Vincent Gallo starring as a suspected Taliban fighter on the run from U.S. forces -- and not uttering a single word throughout the film.

Outside the competition, Casey Afflecks documentary on Joaquin Phoenix and his transition from acclaimed actor to shambolic hip-hop wannabe -- whether a hoax or not -- captivated viewers and kept media attention high.

Still, directors like Clint Eastwood, Robert Redford and Danny Boyle have all opted to premiere their latest films in Toronto, whose own movie showcase kicks off on September 9.

Marco Mueller, the respected chief of the 12-million euro Venice festival, has put on a brave face, insisting he believes the two events could continue to exist side-by-side.

"Im convinced that Venice is still strong," he told Reuters, adding that "the visibility, the impact of a film is created here and the market potential of the film is then completely assessed only in Toronto."

He is also keen to point out that he deemed some films screening in Toronto just not good enough for Venice, especially when they come with strings attached by the studios. For example, he turned down "The American," with George Clooney, which producers wanted to open his festival.

Instead Mueller opted for youth -- the average age of directors in the main competition is an unusually low 47 -- and Hollywood misfits rather than A-listers this year.

Stars on the Lido red carpet, vital to feed the media buzz around a festival, have so far included Natalie Portman, Catherine Deneuve and Quentin Tarantino -- but that is a far cry from celebrity-studded editions seen in the past.

"Toronto is becoming more aggressive and it is a great launching pad for North America. Now theyve also started getting a higher profile internationally, and that has to be a concern for Venice," said a publicist who asked not to be named.

"Still, the Biennale has been around a long time and if they can get their politics right then I think Venice still has a future. But they need to react to a changing landscape and increasing competition," he said.

Additional reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato

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Time capsule for Beatles fans AP

NEW YORK A new DVD about the Beatles initial appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show" is like cracking open a time capsule.

Almost as interesting as the band making its musical introduction to America in 1964 is the context in which it is placed. The DVD presents the programs exactly as they appeared that night � complete with hapless magicians or comedians, commercials that would shame "Mad Men" and illustrations of how the pace of television has changed.

The first night, Feb. 9, 1964, is a landmark in television. An estimated 73 million Americans tuned in, the largest ever for a TV show at the time, or three times the amount of people who watched the latest "American Idol" finale, according to the Nielsen Co.

A generation of musicians can trace their career choices to that night. One was Dennis DeYoung, former Styx lead singer, who told the Montreal Gazette that he watched it while at a high school dance.

"I looked at that and I went, `Oh, my God What is that? And how do I apply for that job?" he recalled. "That was it. There was never any doubt in my mind what I wanted in my life."

Film clips of the Beatles on Sullivan have been available, but never the whole event until Tuesdays release of "The 4 Complete Ed Sullivan Shows Starring the Beatles." SOFA Entertainment, which owns the archive of Sullivan shows a staple on CBS Sunday night schedule from 1948 to 1971, is putting it out after getting the OK from the Beatles Apple Corps Ltd.

Sullivan, the competitive old newspaper columnist, clearly knew the high stakes involved that night and gave the Beatles two showcases on the first show.

While the Beatles appearance stands in memory like a thunderclap, their power seemed muted the first time they hit the stage. Their first two songs, "All My Loving" and `Til There Was You," were both Paul McCartney showcases and the band didnt really hit its stride until the powerful "She Loves You." Even then, the cameras seemed to shortchange John Lennon in favor of McCartney.

For all the attention paid to that first night in New York, their performances on the following weeks show from Miami are much better. They had repeats: "She Loves You" was played both weeks.

Cutaways to the audience show young girls who can barely stay in their seats from the excitement of it all. Older people look bored, annoyed and clueless to the generational change staring back at them.

The Beatles cheekiness, enthusiasm and talent was bracing.

"Its like they were in color and everybody else was in black and white," said Andrew Solt, CEO of SOFA Entertainment.

Watching the magician with the hard luck of following the Beatles to the stage that first night is painful. Fred Kaps show biz career never really recovered from that moment, Solt said. It seemed his routine would never end.

The sense that television moves much more quickly today is one of the most interesting finds in the DVD time capsule. Mitzi Gaynor, who was once the princess of musical comedy, gave a sweaty performance from Miami, has enough time for costume changes. Comic Frank Gorshins routine with movie star impersonations was interminable.

The comic team of McCall & Brill, with a punch line about an "ugly girl," would not have made it past todays taste police.

One other performance in that first week came from the cast of the Broadway show "Oliver," including a young Davy Jones, whose life was changed in the wake of the Beatles performance in a way he couldnt have imagined. A few years later, he was cast as one of the Monkees, a prefab rock band that was a Beatles knockoff.

Sullivan "didnt spend too much money on talent that week because he knew he had the audience," Solt said.

Producers plainly believed people had an attention span then, certainly much more so than now. Perhaps the knowledge that viewers had to get out of their seats to turn the channel � and then had a couple of choices, not north of 100 other networks � was on their mind.

The same is true of the ads. Can you imagine a commercial break with only one commercial?

Maybe it was what they were hawking, but the ads are stunningly unimaginative. What were the Madison Avenue pitch men of the day thinking? Then again, even an image of waves lapping up on a tropical shore couldnt save an instant pineapple upside down cake that was stocked in a supermarket freezer. Cold water detergent All was called "revolutionary."

The DVD also contains Sullivan shows from Feb. 23, 1964 and Sept. 12, 1965 when the Beatles also performed. Twenty songs in all are performed, including three versions of "I Want to Hold Your Hand." The DVD also has a short interview Sullivan did with the Beatles in London in May 1964 that hasnt been seen since the day it aired.

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