"avengers" Smashes Record With $200.3m Box Office

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Humor may not always translate well, but Jon Stewart is picking up millions of fans in China, where his gloves-off political satire is refreshing for many in a country where such criticism is a rarity - especially when directed at their own leaders.

New meaning to 'art of war' in PBS' 'Ghost Army' Houston Chronicle Copyright 2013 Houston Chronicle. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Published 4:41 pm, Friday, May 17, 2013 The testimony of the surviving members is every bit as vivid as the astonishing archival film footage, much of it in color, and the exquisite charcoal drawings and watercolors created by the soldiers when they weren't painting fake insignia for their uniforms, or using bulldozers to mess up a fake encampment dotted with those inflatable M-4 tanks. At times, the Ghost Army would go drinking in local bars and talk audibly about completely invented troop movements, knowing the information would be picked up and forwarded to the Germans. Several members of the Ghost Army went on to careers in art, illustration and design after the war, including the minimalist artist Ellsworth Kelly and designer Bill Blass, who busied himself making fashion sketches even during the war.

(Reuters) - Pop stars Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift won the big prizes on Sunday at the Billboard Music Awards, which also honored legendary performers Madonna and Prince.

With the new Call of Duty: Black Ops II Uprising DLC now available on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360, fans of the multiplayer side of the game are truly spoiled for choice. So what are the most memorable Black Ops II maps? The ones that keep CoDers coming back for more month in, month out, eternally mashing that ‘replay map’ option? Here are our picks for the top five, in no particular order… Long-range, sniper-rifle-loving players best gloss over this option, as it’s a dish best served with a side of buckshot from a point-running shotgun surgeon. Set in a rundown part of Panama City that certainly wasn’t the inspiration for the Van Halen song, you’ll want to switch to a close-quarters kit if you hope to make your enemies scream louder than David Lee Roth’s oft-quoted falsetto-chorus Pan-a-ma. At least that particular reference is in line with the ‘80s setting of the map; to date, the only Black Ops II map to borrow from the greatest time period for rock, action movies and the warming up of cold wars. Continue reading…

Wins Artist of the Year; Justin Bieber, One Direction, Gotye, Rihanna among other honorees -- see full list