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Official broadcaster CTV will air Paralympic opening ceremony in B.C.

VANCOUVER, B.C. - CTV has decided to broadcast tonight's Paralympic opening ceremonies live, but only in British Columbia.

Reports say late Toronto-born actor Corey Haim to be buried in his native city

LOS ANGELES - It appears the late Toronto-born actor Corey Haim will be buried in his native city.

BBM Canada: 'Academy Awards' top TV program in Canada for the week of March 1-7

TORONTO - Here are the top 10 television programs in Canada, with viewer numbers, for the week of March 1-7:

Federal court upholds FCC access rules for cable programming that Comcast, Cablevision opposed

WASHINGTON - A federal court has upheld regulations that require cable TV companies to make channels they own available to satellite TV providers and other rivals on equal terms.

February video game sales decline 15 per cent, software and console sales still slow

SEATTLE - U.S. retail sales of video games declined 15 per cent in February, hurt in part by an ongoing decline in sales of music games and lower sales of the Wii system.

Custom furniture Michael Jackson planned to use during London tour up for sale

LOS ANGELES - The 22 pieces of custom-made furniture Michael Jackson commissioned for his London home are going on the auction block.

'Uncharted 2: Among Thieves' nabs 5 trophies at Game Developer Choice Awards

SAN FRANCISCO - "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves" stole the show at the Game Developers Choice Awards.

Review: Nerd lands babe without explanation in 'She's Out of My League'

Remember the hoo-ha over whether Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl made a believable couple in Judd Apatow's "Knocked Up"?

Madonna offers relationship tips for laughs as a panelist on 'The Marriage Ref'

NEW YORK - Madonna doesn't think a wife should withhold sex from a sloppy husband.

Phil Spector's appeal lawyers allege judicial error and prosecutorial misconduct

LOS ANGELES - Lawyers for legendary music producer Phil Spector have asked an appellate court to throw out his second-degree murder conviction on grounds of judicial error and prosecutorial misconduct.

'Idol' pares down to 12 finalists, cutting Lambert, Hall, Scott and Epperly

LOS ANGELES - And then there were 12 on "American Idol."

NYC ex-model sues for $10M over use of bikini photo as bawdy prop in comedy 'Couple's Retreat'

NEW YORK - A former model says she's appalled that her nearly decade-old bikini photo became a randy prop in the film "Couple's Retreat."

NYC socialite Tinsley Mortimer hopes new reality TV show will reveal what she's really like

NEW YORK - Red carpet regular Tinsley Mortimer is jumping from the social circuit to the national spotlight with her own reality television show.

Girlicious band member Natalie Mejia charged with cocaine possession in California

GLENDALE, Calif. - A member of the pop group Girlicious has been charged in California with drug possession with the intent to sell after Glendale police allegedly found a dozen plastic bags of cocaine in her Gucci purse.

Hilary Mantel's 'Wolf Hall' wins fiction prize from National Book Critics Circle in NYC

NEW YORK - Hilary Mantel's "Wolf Hall," winner last year of the Man Booker Prize in London, was honoured Thursday night on this side of the Atlantic Ocean.

Former 'One Life to Live' star pleads guilty to resisting arrest in NY service-station scuffle

NEW YORK - A former "One Life to Live" star has admitted resisting arrest in a plea deal that resolves charges stemming from a fight at a New York City gas station.

'Unchain My Heart,' featuring the music of Ray Charles, is set for B'way in November

NEW YORK - A musical celebrating Ray Charles is headed for Broadway this fall.

After an Internet campaign, 88-year-old Betty White to host 'SNL'

NEW YORK - The Internet has gotten its way: Betty White will host sketch comedy show "Saturday Night Live."

HBO brings Second World War veterans to memorial to promote 'Pacific' miniseries

WASHINGTON - Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg and Elizabeth Dole welcomed 250 veterans to the Second World War memorial Thursday to honour their service and introduce a TV miniseries on the battles of the Pacific.

Venezuela's Chavez thanks actor Penn for defending him against US media critics

CARACAS, Venezuela - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is grateful that actor Sean Penn has defended him against his critics within the U.S. media.

Avril Lavigne, Drake, Nelly Furtado help cover K'naan single for Haiti relief

TORONTO - Canada's musical stars have aligned to help Haiti.

Group is $3M away from buying land near Hollywood sign as deadline approaches

LOS ANGELES - It's a Hollywood cliffhanger, in more ways than one.

Conan brings 'Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour' to Canada

NEW YORK - Without a TV show to do every night, Conan O'Brien is taking his act on the road. And he's coming to Canada.

Tyler Labine thankful for blunt parental advice that got him through tough times

When Tyler Labine was starting to get some success as a young actor in Canada his parents gave him some blunt advice: "There's nothing special about what you do."

Stage adaptation of John Grisham's 'A Time to Kill' planned for Washington

NEW YORK - A stage adaptation of John Grisham's first novel, "A Time to Kill," will have its world premiere next year in Washington in what is being billed as a "pre-Broadway" production.

Judge rules in favour of Pink Floyd in battle with EMI over online sales

LONDON - Album lovers may rejoice a little at last: a British court says Pink Floyd, purveyor of iTunes-unfriendly concept records, cannot be unbundled.

Author assumes guise of kid in letters punking the famous, infamous in new book

WASHINGTON - Over the years, "Little Billy" learned much from the country's top minds.

Museum explores why media saw Elvis as nothin' but a hound dog

WASHINGTON - A spark that helped ignite Elvis Presley's fame more than 50 years ago was lit by the newspaper editors and critics who hated him.

Michael 'Big Mike' Lynche draws tears from Kara, raves on 'American Idol'

LOS ANGELES - Michael "Big Mike" Lynche made Kara DioGuardi cry and turned the rest of the "American Idol" judges giddy with a moving performance of "This Woman's Work."

Disney shoots adventure film southern Indian Telugu dialect

HONG KONG - Encouraged by the reception of its Hindi animated movie, Disney is shooting a new adventure film in the southern Indian dialect of Telugu as it deepens its localization drive in the populous country.

'Valleys of Neptune' tops HMV Canada CD sales chart; 'Need You Now' top country CD

TORONTO - The following is HMV Canada's top 10 CDs based on national sales for the week ending March 13.

Famous Van Gogh work "The Bedroom" undergoing restoration before blog's cameras

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - One of Vincent van Gogh's most famous paintings, "The Bedroom," has been taken away for restoration, but art lovers don't have to miss it. They can follow the cleanup on a blog on the Van Gogh Museum's website.

'The Bishop's Man' tops Maclean's fiction list for the week ending March 9

TORONTO - Here are the top 10 hardcover fiction and non-fiction books in Canada for the week of March 9 compiled by Maclean's magazine.

Girlicious band member arrested in California on suspicion of cocaine possession

Girlicious was arrested after Glendale officers found more than a dozen plastic bags of cocaine in her Gucci purse during a traffic stop.

John English wins Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Pierre Trudeau biography

OTTAWA - John English of Kitchener, Ont., has won the $25,000 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing for his latest biography on Pierre Trudeau.

Israeli novel, collection of Russian poetry win prizes for best English-language translation

NEW YORK - An Israeli novel and a collection of Russian poetry have won prizes for best English-language translation.

Cable, satellite TV operators ask for government intervention in fee dispute with broadcasters

The most recent showdown left millions of Cablevision Systems Corp. customers around New York without an ABC station at the start of the Academy Awards.

Country superstar Carrie Underwood is flying high as "Play On Tour" starts

NASHVILLE - After selling more than a million tickets to her last concert tour, Carrie Underwood is aiming higher this time.

Web user's world turned upside down by Conan's decision to follow her on Twitter

CONWAY TOWNSHIP, Mich. - Last week, Sarah Killen had three Twitter followers.

Producers of Season 12 of 'The Ultimate Fighter' hold open casting call

LAS VEGAS - Season 11 of "The Ultimate Fighter" has yet to air but the UFC and Spike TV are already preparing for Season 12.

Samsung unveils new 3D TV technology, says Canadian launch coming March 26

TORONTO - Early adopters can buy a new 3D TV by the end of the month, Samsung said Wednesday, although it remains to be seen how many consumers will be willing to pay a premium for a technology in its infancy.

Rarely seen Italian Renaissance painting will be on view at Milwaukee Art Museum

MILWAUKEE - Rarely lent from the Pitti Palace in Florence, Italy, Raphael Sanzio's painting "The Woman with the Veil" is making its last United States' appearance likely for many years at the Milwaukee Art Museum.

A 12-hour adaptation of Dostoyevsky novel set for Lincoln Center

NEW YORK - A 12-hour adaptation of a Dostoyevsky novel will be among the highlights of Lincoln Center Festival 2010, running for 45 performances this summer.

Charlie Sheen due back at work on CBS' 'Two and a Half Men' after rehab

LOS ANGELES - A spokesman for Charlie Sheen says the actor will soon be back at "Two and a Half Men" after undergoing rehab that temporarily halted production of CBS' top-rated sitcom.

'Lost' star de Ravin says Pattinson smart to switch gears with 'Remember Me'

TORONTO - "Twilight" heartthrob Robert Pattinson ditches the vampire fangs in his newest love story, "Remember Me," a straight-ahead romantic drama that nevertheless preserves his reputation as this generation's quintessential brooding young man.

Author Margaret Atwood shoots cameo for the film 'Score: A Hockey Musical'

TORONTO - Canadian literary icon Margaret Atwood says she's joined the star-packed cast of the film, "Score: A Hockey Musical."

3-D movies help boost movie box office worldwide to record $30 billion

LOS ANGELES - The appeal of 3-D movies helped boost movie ticket sales by nearly 8 per cent to a record US$29.9 billion worldwide in 2009, according to the Motion Picture Association of America.

Actress Reese Witherspoon says first lady toppled Elle Woods as top fashionista

WASHINGTON - Actress Reese Witherspoon says her "Legally Blonde" character Elle Woods has been ousted as the most stylish woman to come to the nation's capital by first lady Michelle Obama.

'Green Zone' a failure of intelligence, pales compared with 'Hurt Locker'

All the war-zone authenticity in the Arab world cannot salvage the silly Hollywood plot at the heart of "Green Zone," Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass' first collaboration outside the Jason Bourne realm.

'Lost Boys' star Haim remembered as bright 'firecracker' who struggled with drugs

TORONTO - In the 1980s, Corey Haim became a teen pin-up favourite, a baby-faced idol with an infectious grin and a "firecracker" personality.

Art patron's collection heading to auction, includes Picasso, Matisse

NEW YORK - A late philanthropist's modern art collection featuring a rarely seen work by Pablo Picasso is being auctioned in New York City.

Jerry Seinfeld guest co-host Thursday on 'Live!' alongside Kelly Ripa

NEW YORK - You don't see much of Jerry Seinfeld on his own new NBC show, "The Marriage Ref," which he lets someone else host.

Percy Sledge, Atlanta Rhythm Section at Alabama Music Hall of Fame

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Performers appearing at the Alabama Music Hall of Fame ceremony March 25 in Montgomery include hall members Percy Sledge and the Blind Boys of Alabama.

Mark-Anthony Turnage's 'Anna Nicole' opera to premiere in London next year

LONDON - The world premiere of Mark-Anthony Turnage's "Anna Nicole" will be presented by the Royal Opera next Feb. 17, starring Dutch soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek as the late model and Playboy playmate.

'Are you filming the next "Cove"?' Defensive Japanese fishermen close ranks against the media

OTSUCHI, Japan - As soon as the fishermen saw my TV camera, one ran at me, yelling "No!" and pushing me out of the building. Another smeared his rubber fish gutting glove across my lens, while a third threw snow at me with a shovel.

Google to digitize thousands of old books in national libraries in Rome and Florence

ROME - Google says it will scan up to 1 million old books in national libraries in Rome and Florence, including works by astronomer Galileo Galilei, in what's being described as the first deal of its kind.

Thriller or pale ghost of 'Phantom'? 'Love Never Dies' gets mixed reviews

LONDON - It got an opening-night standing ovation but Andrew Lloyd Webber's latest musical extravaganza has received a mixed reception from London critics.

Hanks, Spielberg go to war with 'The Pacific,' follow-up to 'Band of Brothers'

LOS ANGELES - Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg swapped other people's war stories to groundbreaking, heartbreaking effect in "Saving Private Ryan" and "Band of Brothers."

Designer Theyskens' book uses a camera to catch fashion shows' unposed moments

NEW YORK - The scene backstage at a fashion show is far different than the one along the runway.

Osmonds return to Vegas show after break following death of Marie's son

LAS VEGAS - Entertainer Marie Osmond told a Las Vegas Strip audience as she returned to the stage less than two weeks after her son's apparent suicide that she has relied on her spirituality to cope with his death

Phoenix authorities: Rapper DMX arrested for allegedly violating his probation by using drugs

PHOENIX - Authorities in Arizona say rapper DMX has been arrested for allegedly violating his probation by using drugs.

TV producer pleads guilty in attempted Letterman extortion in exchange for 6 months in jail

NEW YORK - A former television producer pressured by debt and riven by jealousy admitted Tuesday he tried to extract vengeance and money by shaking down David Letterman in a case that bared the late-night talk show host's affairs with staffers.

Academy: Farrah Fawcett omitted from Oscar segment so she could be better honoured during Emmys

LOS ANGELES - The executive director of the film academy said Tuesday that Farrah Fawcett wasn't included in the Academy Awards' In Memoriam segment because the actress was better known as a TV star.

Anticipation high as 'Phantom of the Opera' sequel 'Love Never Dies' opens in London

LONDON - Will the magic of the Phantom strike twice for Andrew Lloyd Webber?

Bob Barker donates $2.5 million to turn existing building into PETA's Los Angeles headquarters

LOS ANGELES - Bob Barker has donated $2.5 million to help the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals open a new location in Los Angeles.

Penguins GM defends Crosby in wake of criticism over Leterman snub

BOCA RATON, Fla. - Pittsburgh Penguins GM Ray Shero doesn't think it was fair Sidney Crosby received criticism after declining an opportunity to appear on the "Late Show with David Letterman."

From Raging Bull to NFL coach: De Niro set to play Lombardi in upcoming movie

BRISTOL, Conn. - Robert De Niro is set to play Vince Lombardi in an upcoming movie.

Hudson to be new voice of 'One Shining Moment' after NCAA hoops championship

NEW YORK - Jennifer Hudson will be the new voice of "One Shining Moment."

Amazon's potential Canadian move could be precedent setting for foreign owners

TORONTO - A decision to allow Amazon.com Inc. to open a distribution centre in Canada would set a precedent for changes to Canadian foreign ownership rules, the Canadian Booksellers' Association says.

Gary Allan shows his tender side and reveals a little pain on new CD

"Get Off on the Pain"

'Spartacus' star Andy Whitfield diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma

NEW YORK - Andy Whitfield, who plays the title role in the Starz Original series "Spartacus: Blood and Sand," has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The British-born actor will begin treatment immediately.

McKellar and McDonald's Broken Social Scene film among Cdn slate bound for SXSW

TORONTO - Don McKellar says he and indie director Bruce McDonald are "crazily scrambling to finish" their rock'n'roll love story, "This Movie Is Broken," in time for its debut at the South By Southwest festival next week.

Carolle Brabant succeeds Clarkson as new executive director of Telefilm Canada

MONTREAL - A senior manager with Telefilm Canada has been named the funding agency's new executive director.

Gov. Gen. awards winners include B.C. totem carver, Toronto muralist

MONTREAL - Robert Davidson first learned to carve when he was 13, instructed in the painstaking art by his father and uncle.

Luminato's music program to include Cockburn, Bela Fleck, John Malkovich

TORONTO - Canadian singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn says he isn't one to dwell on the past, but he was hit with a wave of nostalgia when he recently realized he's now into his 40th year in the music business.

20th century works planned for New York City Opera's 2010-11 season

NEW YORK - The New York premieres of Bernstein's "A Quiet Place" and Stephen Schwartz's "Seance on a Wet Afternoon," the world stage premiere of John Zorn's "La Machine de l'etre" and the U.S. stage premiere of Morton Feldman's "Neither" highlight New York City Opera's 2010-11 season.

Broadcasters excited over how well specials are doing; regular shows less well

NEW YORK - While special events are doing very well for U.S. broadcasters - capped by an Oscars telecast that was the most-watched entertainment program in five years - their day-to-day schedules are hurting.

A list of the top 20 prime-time programs in the Nielsen ratings for March 1-7

Prime-time viewership numbers compiled by the Nielsen Co. for March 1-7. Listings include the week's ranking and viewership.

Lohan takes legal swipe at E-Trade babies that mention 'milkaholic Lindsay'

Lindsay Lohan is feuding with the E-Trade babies.

Pink Floyd takes EMI to court in dispute over royalties, online sales

LONDON - Pink Floyd has begun legal action against music label EMI Group Ltd. over the way royalty payments are calculated in the digital era.

Liza Minnelli, Harvey Fierstein to honour Kennedy Center's founder Roger Stevens

WASHINGTON - Liza Minnelli and Harvey Fierstein will host a tribute to the Kennedy Center's founding chairman, Roger L. Stevens.

Kiss for kids: Classic-rockers developing children's TV show with Cdn studio

TORONTO - Kiss is coming for your kids.

'Plastic Beach' by Gorillaz among new CD releases for the week of March 9

Here's a list of some new CD releases for the week of March 9:

Blockbuster: '2012' top DVD rental for week ending March 7

TORONTO - The most popular DVDs according to Blockbuster Video Canada for the period ending March 7. DVD RENTALS

Blockbuster Video Top 10 game rentals list

TORONTO - The most popular game rentals according to Blockbuster Video Canada for the period ending March 7.

Annie Leibovitz reaches deal to keep her portfolio and manage millions in debt

NEW YORK - Annie Leibovitz, the photographer who mismanaged her fortune so badly that she faced losing legal rights to some of pop culture's most enduring images, has reached a long-term agreement with a private investment firm to help manage her debt and market her vast portfolio, both sides said Tuesday.

Actress-singer Hilary Duff working on young adult book series

NEW YORK - Welcome the latest celebrity children's author, Hilary Duff.

Co-anchor Harry Smith's colonoscopy to air live on Wednesday's 'The Early Show'

NEW YORK - "The Early Show" co-anchor Harry Smith is scheduled to have a colonoscopy Wednesday, with live reports planned as he undergoes the procedure at a New York hospital.

German court sends man to prison for trying to blackmail Cindy Crawford

BERLIN - A German man who tried to blackmail supermodel Cindy Crawford with a photo of her bound and gagged seven-year-old daughter was sentenced to two years in jail Tuesday.

'Up in the Air' among new DVD releases for the week of March 7-13

TORONTO - A look at some DVDs scheduled to be released in the weeks ahead.