Iran news agency covers up Michelle Obama at the Oscars

The Iranian government had lots to say about last night's best picture winner at the Oscar's, "Argo." They dismissed Ben Affleck's film about the 1979 Iran hostage crisis as an "advertisement for the CIA," claimed it had an unflattering portrayal of the aftermath of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and said the win was endorsed by the U.S. government because it was introduced by First Lady Michelle...

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Americans Targeted for Allegedly Running Underage Prostitution in Philippines

Arthur Benjamin is sitting at the edge of a small stage, wearing a lavender Hawaiian shirt and nursing a bottle of San Miguel Light beer. The 6-foot-6 mustachioed Texan lazily watches the half dozen or so girls dancing rather unenergetically around the stage's pole."I forgot your gift again, it's in the car," Benjamin says to one of the girls on stage, shouting above the pop music...

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Italy faces stalemate after election shock

ROME (Reuters) - Italy faced political deadlock on Tuesday after a stunning election that saw the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement of comic Beppe Grillo become the strongest party in the country but left no group with a clear majority in parliament. The center-left coalition led by Pier Luigi Bersani won the lower house by around 125,000 votes and claimed the most seats in the Senate...

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Hong Kong court begins hearing on maid residency

HONG KONG: Hong Kong's top court on Tuesday began hearing a challenge to the right of abode law in a long-running case that could pave the way for thousands of foreign maids to claim residency in the city.The Court of Final Appeal hearing centres on Filipina maid Evangeline Banao Vallejos, who won a High Court ruling in 2011 granting her the right to request permanent residency status,...

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Social video startup Viddy lays off a third of its staff

Social video startup Viddy has laid off a dozen employees, or about a third of its work force, as it faces competition from a Twitter app.The cuts come less than a month after the firing of co-founder and CEO Brett O'Brien, who was rumored to have turned down a buyout offer from Twitter. In a statement, Viddy's board confirmed the staff reductions, which will reportedly focus on marketing and operations:As...

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Oscars 2013: Stars dazzle on the red carpet

Stars dazzled on the Oscars red carpet Sunday night in Los Angeles, wearing shades of red and blue, along with neutral tones -- and practically everything in between. 67 PhotosOscars 2013: Red carpet"Silver Linings Playbook" actress Jennifer Lawrence opted to wear her hair pulled back as she walked the red carpet in a strapless white Dior Haute Couture gown, reminiscent of a bride's dress. While...

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Oscars 2013 Live Blog: Argo Wins Best Picture

Feb 24, 2013 1:13pm 11:55 p.m. ET: Drum roll please! And the Oscar for Best Picture goes to “Argo.”11: 52 p.m. ET: Surprise! The Academy brings out first lady Michelle Obama to help Jack Nicholson introduce the nominees for Best Picture. 11:44 p.m. ET: Daniel Day-Lewis wins Best Actor, as expected for his portrayal of Abe Lincoln in “Lincoln.” Lewis cracks a joke in his acceptance...

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Cuban leader Raul Castro announces he will retire in 2018

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuban President Raul Castro announced on Sunday he will step down from power after his second term ends in 2018, and the new parliament named a 52-year-old rising star to become his first vice president and most visible successor. "This will be my last term," Castro, 81, said shortly after the National Assembly elected him to a second five-year tenure. ...

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High risks for Obama in new spending fight

WASHINGTON: Barack Obama may have the upper hand against Republicans in a high-risk new spending showdown, but a drawn-out clash would likely damage the economy and put his presidential legacy on the line.The United States is just five days from its latest self-inflicted flirt with economic disaster -- an $85 billion hit from automatic and indiscriminate spending cuts -- but no one is...

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Samsung, Tim Burton brighten Oscars with rainbow-colored unicorn blood

Movies take a lot of thinking.(Credit:Samsung Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)"This is getting too weird for me."These are words you never expected to hear coming from the mouth of Tim Burton.Yet Samsung, which these days leaves no competitive joke unturned and no Hollywood star untapped, delivered precisely that during the Oscars broadcast.The ad, released by Samsung a little while before the...

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