Crisis-hit France has found escape from its ever grimmer economic reality in a feel-good buddy movie about a quadriplegic aristocrat and his black home-help that has stormed the box office.

"An unreal world for a tired France," was Rue89 news website's description of the surprise hit "Intouchables" (Untouchables), which has drawn five million viewers in its first two weeks of release.

Russia's Bolshoi Theatre Thursday acknowledged that the sensational resignation of its best known dance couple had affected preparations for the premiere of the first full ballet in its restored theatre.

In a battle of competing forces worthy of any ballet, world renowned soloists Ivan Vasiliev and Natalya Osipova stunned the dance world this week by announcing they were to join a lesser known Saint Petersburg theatre.

Ricky Gervais is returning as host of the Golden Globes.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced through Twitter on Wednesday that Gervais will take his third turn as Globes host in January.

Amy Winehouse had written all the songs that were to appear on her third album. She even picked out song titles.

But music producer Salaam Remi said the soul singer, who died over the summer, was not rushing to release that new material, instead planning to drop a jazz album first with a "supergroup" including ?uestlove of the Roots.

Karl Slover, one of the last surviving actors who played Munchkins in the 1939 classic film, "The Wizard of Oz," has died. He was 93.

The 4-foot-5 Slover died of cardiopulmonary arrest Tuesday afternoon in a central Georgia hospital, said Laurens County Deputy Coroner Nathan Stanley. According to friends, as recently as last weekend, Slover appeared at events in the suburban Chicago area.

Like so many New Yorkers making the move from Manhattan to Queens, the Theatre Development Fund was after one thing: closet space.

That's a serious concern when your wardrobe includes 75,000 outfits and accessories. You can't just call up U-Haul.

A placard reading "Bed Peace", which was made by former Beatle John Lennon during his peace-in with wife Yoko Ono at a Canadian hotel, has fetched almost £100,000 at a London auction.

The sign, sold at Christie's auction house on Tuesday, was bought by an anonymous telephone bidder for £97,250 ($153,835, 113,670 euros).

Three popular African singers have released a CD in collaboration with Vatican Radio to spread the message of the African Synod and mark the pope's upcoming trip to Benin, the Vatican said Monday.

The most famous is Congolese rumba musician Papa Wemba -- who says he underwent a spiritual conversion while serving time in 2003 for smuggling Congolese nationals into France by pretending they were part of his road crew.

A sale of luxury watches, including a Rolex worn by Roger Moore as James Bond, exceeded expectations to net 26.1 million Swiss francs (21.2 million euros) in Geneva, Christie's said.

The highlight of the nine-hour auction was the sale of a pink gold wristwatch manufactured by Swiss watchmaker Patek Philippe in 1968, which fetched 2 million francs, more than double its pre-auction estimate worth.

Hollywood superstar Brad Pitt has revealed he plans to quit acting in three years, but the 47-year-old admitted he is not sure what he will do after ditching a career which made him a household name.

During an interview with an Australian current affairs show in Tokyo to promote his latest movie "Moneyball", the American actor was asked how much longer he would like to "do your business for".