Whi le it's not surprising that Lebanese have sought refuge in cinema from the country's sectarian tensions, it does seem strange that many of them are going to see a movie about, at least in part, sectarian tension in the United States. When it opened on Thanksgiving, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan was the third most watched movie in Lebanon, trailing only such blockbuster fare as Casino Royale. The fact that a movie satirizing anti-Semitism opened around the ...

The most dangerous threat for U.S. troops in Afghanistan has come from roadside bombs -- often referred to as IEDs, short for improvised explosive devices. Metz said Tuesday that IEDs are "much more primitive in Afghanistan" because they use "less military munitions and more homemade explosives." But he said that although the military has been able to disarm many IEDs, the big challenge going forward is detecting devices using tiny wires. But he is confident that the military will soon ...

Garth Brooks, one of the biggest country stars of all time, said Thursday he was coming out of retirement after nine years away from the music business. Brooks made the announcement at a press conference at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. A larger press conference is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET Thursday from a different, undisclosed location, to which Brooks was transporting a number of members of the news media. However, the singer will not be announcing a ...

The 1994 elections were approaching, and House Republicans were on a mission to take control of their chamber for the first time in nearly 50 years. Buoyed by an electorate skeptical of then-President Clinton after his unsuccessful push for health care reform, Republicans charged forward with what experts say they are lacking now: a clear message and a leader. With Newt Gingrich at the helm of a legislative agenda called the "Contract with America," Republicans handed Democrats a blistering ...

On Monday, a chapter was closed in the social history of New York City: a great dame, the arbiter of New York society, died without leaving any successors. Brooke Astor, who passed away at age 105, was a combination of the Victorian age, with all its wit and elegance, and of the modern era, with its sharp-minded determination. She had taste, discernment, character, compassion, and was extraordinarily generous. She ran a great salon where the meek and the mighty ...

News that U.S. President Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize has been as polarizing as his embattled healthcare reform plans. Minutes after the news broke, social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook were flooded with comments. Half of the trending topics on microblogging site Twitter were about the prize and the U.S. President. Opinion was largely divided on Twitter between those who think Obama is a worthy recipient -- and those who question ...

If your plans to enjoy North America's famous powder snow and tree-skiing have been derailed by the current economic downturn, why not try a quicker, cheaper and altogether more unusual winter holiday in the tiny but spectacular country of Montenegro? While many European resorts suffer from overcrowding, limited fresh snow and unskiable pine forests, Montenegro's mountains offer deep, light powder, virtually no people and acres of perfectly spaced beech trees. If your timing is right, these can rival Colorado's ...

The "vast right-wing conspiracy" that attacked him during his presidency has been weakened, but continues to operate against President Obama, former President Clinton said Sunday. On NBC's "Meet the Press," Clinton was asked about the term his wife Hillary Clinton, now secretary of state, famously coined. "Is it still there" host David Gregory asked. "Oh, you bet. Sure it is. It's not as strong as it was, because America's changed demographically, but it's as virulent as it was," the former ...

An Italian mafia boss used his pet crocodile to threaten people and extort money, authorities said. Antonio Cristofaro kept the 40-kilogram (88-pound) reptile on a terrace of his home near Naples and fed it live rats and rabbits, according to LAV, an Italian animal rights group. Authorities discovered the animal during a search for weapons at Cristofaro's home, LAV said. The crocodile was found on September 18 but the news was only made public Wednesday, the group said. The crocodile ...

It has been 20 years since filmmaker Michael Moore took on General Motors in "Roger and Me." He's still sticking it to big business for what he sees as the deliberate shafting of the little guy. His new film, "Capitalism: A Love Story," opened Wednesday in New York and Los Angeles, California, and opens nationwide next week. Moore talked with CNN's Larry King about whether capitalism is key to the American dream or the cause of an American nightmare. The ...