Huang Yu-siang was born with a gift and a disability. He has a huge talent for music, but he is blind. His story has become a movie that has captivated audiences in his native Taiwan.

The film, "Touch of the Light", marks a double triumph for the 25-year-old. First he overcame awe-inspiring odds by becoming a successful pianist in real life. Then he beat the odds once more by playing himself on the big screen.

Paraguay's most successful movie of all time will miss out on a chance to win an Oscar because the country doesn't have a selection committee recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Tana Schembori, the director of "7 Boxes" -- seen by more people in this South American country than Hollywood blockbuster "Titanic" -- told Agence France Presse that culture officials had called for the creation of such a panel and asked the academy to make an exception in the meantime.

Larry Hagman, who shot to worldwide fame for his portrayal of the oilman villain J.R. Ewing in the U.S. television series "Dallas," has died at the age of 81 after losing a battle with cancer, his family said Saturday.

"When he passed, he was surrounded by loved ones," the family said in a statement. "It was a peaceful passing, just as he had wished for."

Singer Jennifer Lopez gave a concert at Dubai on Thursday as part of her Dance Again world tour.

Notable during the concert, which fell on Lebanon's Independence Day, was the singer's wrapping of a large Lebanese flag around shoulders at one point during her performance.

A watch which was one of Elvis Presley's last Christmas presents and a corset worn by Madonna on her 1990 "Blond Ambition" tour will be featured at a London auction.

The watch, estimated to sell for 6,000 pounds ($9,500) or more, is a diamond-set Rolex given to Presley by his longtime manager, Tom Parker. It is engraved, "Elvis merry Christmas your pal Col. Tom Parker." It was the last Christmas for Presley, who died the following year.

Organizers say American R&B star Chris Brown has canceled a stadium concert in Guyana after local protests over his 2009 beating of then-girlfriend Rihanna.

Brown was billed to headline a Dec. 26 show. But he drew the ire of women's rights groups and opposition lawmakers who said Brown would not be welcome in Guyana three years after his assault of Barbadian superstar Rihanna.

A Russian court on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit that sought millions of dollars in damages from Madonna for allegedly traumatizing minors by speaking up for gay rights during a concert in St. Petersburg.

The ruling came after a one-day hearing that bordered on the farcical. During it, plaintiffs claimed that Madonna's so-called "propaganda of perversion" would negatively affect Russia's birthrate and erode the nation's defense capability by depriving the country of future soldiers. At one point, the judge threatened to expel journalists from the courtroom if they laughed too much.

Halle Berry's ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry was arrested for investigation of battery Thursday after he and the Oscar-winning actress's current boyfriend got into a fight at her Hollywood Hills home, police said.

Aubry, 37, was booked for investigation of a battery, a misdemeanor, and released on $20,000 bail, according to online jail records. He's scheduled to appear in court Dec. 13.

The Beatles demo tape that record label Decca overlooked -- a decision branded the biggest mistake in music history -- has resurfaced and is up for auction, newspapers reported Friday.

Recorded on New Year's Day 1961, Decca artists and repertoire man Dick Rowe passed over the Liverpool group and signed The Tremeloes instead. The Beatles went on to sign for EMI and became world stars.

Former Spice Girl Melanie Brown Thursday won an extension to a restraining order against a well-known Australian paparazzo ensuring he keeps his distance for at least another five months.

The singer, who is a judge on the hugely popular talent show "X Factor Australia" and lives for much of the year in Sydney, alleged on November 1 that Jamie Fawcett endangered her life while she was in a kayak on Sydney Harbour.