Reuters - Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi lost a defamation suit he brought against The Economist over a 2001 cover story that accused him of being "unfit to lead Italy," the British news magazine said on Friday.

Reuters - A record 38.9 million U.S. TV viewers tuned in to watch John McCain accept the Republican nomination for president on Thursday, beating the record set last week by Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, Nielsen Media Research reported.

Reuters - With his 83rd birthday fast approaching, blues legend B.B. King has just scored the highest-debuting solo album of his career.

Reuters - The New York Times Co plans to consolidate some sections in the metropolitan edition of its namesake newspaper to reduce costs, the publisher said on Friday.

Reuters - When Napster reported its fiscal first-quarter results in August, it tried to paint a positive picture to investors who were growing increasingly nervous about the company's future.

Reuters - Mickey Rourke and Anne Hathaway are among the favorites to win top actor and actress prizes at the Venice film festival awards ceremony on Saturday, while the race for the coveted Golden Lion for best picture is wide open.

Reuters - The rock group Heart, angry that its '70s hit "Barracuda" is being used as the unofficial theme song for Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin, is taking aim at the Alaska governor.

Reuters - Initially expected this fall as a fourth-quarter blockbuster, U2's next album has been pushed to early 2009 while the band continues to write and record material.

Reuters - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, unknown to most Americans a week ago, nearly matched Barack Obama's record TV audience with her feisty speech on Wednesday accepting the Republican nomination for vice president, topping 37 million U.S. viewers.

Reuters - A late flurry of independent U.S. pictures at the Venice film festival has blown the competition wide open ahead of the awards ceremony on Saturday.

Reuters - The Imax-format release of Warner Bros.' "The Dark Knight" has blown past "The Polar Express" as the giant-screen exhibitor's top first-run release.