British actor Pete Postlethwaite, who earned an Oscar nomination for his role in "In the Name of the Father," has died aged 64 following a lengthy illness, a friend announced Monday. Journalist and friend Andrew Richardson said he died peacefully in hospital in Shropshire, west central England, on Sunday. Postlethwaite had been receiving treatment for …

"The Archers," the world’s longest-running soap opera, marked its 60th birthday over the New Year weekend with a plot twist that saw one of the BBC radio show’s best known characters fall to his death. Feted by some as the essence of Englishness, "The Archers" features everyday tales of rural life in the fictional village …

Senegalese-American rapper and songwriter Akon called for greater African unity as he arrived in his home country to perform last week at the world’s biggest celebration of black arts and culture. The six-time Grammy nominated singer, who recently released a single on which he collaborated with the late Michael Jackson, will perform at the final …

The British government stepped in Sunday to stop Beatles legend Ringo Starr’s birthplace from being bulldozed. Housing Minister Grant Shapps has written to Liverpool City Council urging a temporary reprieve for 9 Madryn Street, in the Dingle district, which is scheduled for demolition. The childhood homes of band-mates John Lennon and Paul McCartney are popular …

Two Afghan policemen stand paralyzed by fear in front of a plastic cup. But this is not some farcical scene from the battle against the Taliban — it is a sketch from a new clown show in Kabul. The performance, put on by nine members of the Azdar troupe, seems improbable in a country locked …

It was 150 years ago that the book "Unto This Last" was published, a groundbreaking work that turned economic thinking on its head and profoundly influenced the views of many including Mahatma Gandhi, the father of Indian independence. Gandhi first read the subversive masterwork of political economy by John Ruskin in 1904, during a train …

Emerging slowly from a troubled past, arts and culture are clearly a priority for the city’s present and future. Lebanon’s capital, a picturesque city of bombed-out shells and sparkling new structures, home to just 1.2 million people, is host to some of the region’s most exciting exhibitions and events, managing to rival the state-sponsored cultural …

In what was undoubtedly one of Cairo’s best concerts of 2010, Lebanese Armenian maestro Guy Manoukian took the Cairo Opera House by storm, wowing the audience with his cutting edge take on Arabic classics along with his own unique compositions. The sold out performance on December 20 was a landmark moment in composer-pianist Manoukian’s career: …

The recently concluded Seventh edition of the Dubai International Film Festival has had its fair share of highs and lows: A disappointing Arabic fiction competition and a stellar Asian/African sidebar; an exciting showcase of short Arabic films and an insubstantial Mexican tribute. The “Cinema of the World” selection in particular was rather uneven, offering a …

Novelist Abdellah Taia, who has won acclaim in France and readers abroad, has challenged a taboo in his native Morocco and won’t back down: he is the first writer to come out as gay in a country that bans homosexuality. For 37-year-old Taia, who has lived in Paris for the last decade, being homosexual and …

The operatic adaptation of Naguib Mahfouz’s “Miramar” was met with no less enthusiasm when it played this month at the Cairo Opera House Main Hall than during its debut run in 2005. The Dec.14-17 show had a decidedly short run that was largely overshadowed by the Opera House’s packed pre-Christmas and New Year’s schedule. “Miramar”, …

CAIRO: The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) condemned the complaint filed to the Prosecutor General calling for banning the movie “678” about sexual harassment, in a statement issued on Wednesday. The Social Justice Association for Human Rights (SAJHR) filed a complaint to the Prosecutor General earlier this week claiming that the film “678” …

Bernie Wilson, a baritone member of the rhythm and blues group that produced the 1972 hit "If You Don’t Know Me by Now," has died. Wilson, 64, died early Sunday at Kresson View Center in New Jersey, following a stroke and a heart attack, his cousin, Faith Peace-Mazzccua, said Monday. Philadelphia International Records, the former …

Darth Vader proclaiming he’s Luke Skywalker’s father, Tony Manero preening in his underwear and an early 20th-century deaf activist speaking in sign language are among the images that will be preserved by the Library of Congress as part of its National Film Registry. The 25 films selected this year include "The Empire Strikes Back," the …

Zajal, an old form of improvised Arabic poetry that enjoyed its heyday in Lebanon before the 1975-1990 civil war, is making a tentative comeback with thousands of fans on Facebook and YouTube. Traditionally an emotional oratory duel between two men, zajal once drew crowds of tens of thousands who revered its artists as poets of …

JUBA: "Let us go, we can make it," Mary Boyoi sings softly in a flute-like voice as she sways to the rhythm, sharing a dream that south Sudan will choose independence in next month’s referendum. Boyoi, a rising pop artist, is one of several singers who are literally using their voices to get out the …

There is an unstoppable force that drives Ousso (Mohamed Lotfy), Egypt’s foremost guitar player. It is not just his love for music, but his belief in people, in young musicians, in the possibility to change and improvement, in the importance of learning and developing one’s skills, and in the great outcome of devotion to what …

First of all let me thank Search for Common Ground for this award. I would also like to thank my own organization, MIFTAH for providing me with the platform from which to express my views. I am truly honored to have been chosen for what I feel is my humble contribution to the world of …

Chinese collectors with cash to burn dominated Paris auctions in December, displaying a ravenous appetite for pieces from the country’s imperial days with a focus as much on investment as nostalgia. Hotel Drouot, one of the French capital’s top auction halls, recorded its top sale of the year on Dec. 14 when an 18th-century Qing …

Thailand’s film board has banned a movie about a transgender father struggling to raise two children, a move the director says highlights the conservative side of Thai society despite its freewheeling reputation. The National Film Board ruled earlier this week that the film, "Insects in the Backyard," cannot be shown in Thailand because it contains …

By Caroline Curran Fatima Bhutto is the self-proclaimed black sheep of Pakistan’s foremost political family. Although little known compared to some of her more famous relatives, Bhutto is making a splash this month with the publication of her book: “Songs of Blood and Sword: A Daughter’s Memoir.” Niece of current President Asif Zardari and deceased former …

A year after releasing their first hit album, the Canadian Tenors are delivering "The Perfect Gift," a compilation of traditional and contemporary holiday music. "You have the classics like ‘O Holy Night’ and ‘Silent Night,’ but there are songs that are not necessarily Christmas-specific," explained tenor Victor Micallef. "Some great producers worked on that, as …

By Hillel Italie/ AP Dead men were big sellers in 2010, from Stieg Larsson and his Millennium trilogy to Mark Twain and the autobiography he wanted withheld until 100 years after his death. Among the living, George W. Bush’s “Decision Points” became a quick million seller and defied expectations for the former president, who left office …

By Mariam Hamdy This year has been a relatively intriguing one for the arts in Cairo. Despite the fact that most of the exhibitions didn’t resonate significantly with viewers or critics, there appears to be new trends in Cairo’s art scene that are worth some attention. New gallery spaces are being introduced and artists of all …

By Joseph Fahim The life of a critic is a solitary one, largely spent in front of a big screen with an audience that mostly shares the same tastes, opinions and lifestyle. The dissociation from real life is an accepted upshot of our daily routine. Perhaps that’s why I was somewhat flabbergasted to find myself engaging …

By Sherif Azer and Youssef Faltas/ Literary recession still glooms over book lovers in Egypt. There are no notable sensations to mark 2010, with bestseller lists largely unchanged from last year’s, which in turn wasn’t much different from the one before it. There are, however, few exceptions. The International Prize for Arabic Fiction, known as the …

By Joseph Fahim Last year, all strata of Egyptian culture witnessed a considerable decline brought about by economic crises, the impact of which was much more grave than originally forecasted. A lack of resources and general reluctance in investing in risky projects forced mainstream culture to slash production and adhere to safe formulas. Indie culture was …

By David Germain/ AP If there were a Hollywood Remakes 101 college class, “True Grit” directors Joel and Ethan Coen no doubt would be in violation of a basic lesson: Never remake a film people know and love. John Wayne’s 1969 Western “True Grit” was one of his choice late-career roles, earning him a best-actor Academy …

By Gillian Wong/ AP Christian Bale will star in Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou’s new project about 13 young prostitutes who help save compatriots from Japanese troops rampaging Nanjing, the latest film exploring a World War II-era atrocity that stirs nationalism in China. Bale, currently co-starring in the boxing drama “The Fighter,” will portray an American priest …