Hollywood actor Gary Sinise is helping promote a summer concert in suburban Chicago that will benefit veterans.

The "Forrest Gump" star helped kickoff ticket sales for "Rockin' for the Troops" on Thursday at the Navistar headquarters in Lisle.

A blind Chinese activist at the center of a diplomatic standoff between the United States and China said Friday his situation is "dangerous," and that American officials have been blocked from seeing him for two days and friends who have tried to visit have been beaten up.

Chen Guangcheng sounded anxious as he spoke to The Associated Press by telephone from his hospital bed Friday, saying he was very worried about his safety. He is now seeking U.S. help to leave the country after he fled house arrest and sought refuge at the U.S. Embassy.

An online ad featuring Ashton Kutcher as an Indian man has been pulled offline after viewers called it racist.

The images and video for Popchips feature the 34-year-old "Two and a Half Men" star in brown makeup portraying a Bollywood producer named Raj who is "looking for love." They were removed from YouTube and Facebook after being criticized online.

One of the last studio recordings by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Levon Helm was also one of the closest to his heart.

Helm, his longtime friend and producer Larry Campbell and a crew of musicians and technicians recorded the rhythm track for the new Amnesty International 50th anniversary commemorative song "Toast to Freedom" last summer and helped recruit stars like Ewan McGregor, Kris Kristofferson, Warren Haynes, Keb Mo, Carly Simon, Taj Mahal, Marianne Faithfull, Rosanne Cash and many others to join the effort.

Booming sales in China and new versions of key models pushed automaker BMW AG's earnings higher by 18 percent in the first quarter to €1.35 billion ($1.77 billion).

Sales were flat in Europe where the economy is slack, but the Munich-based maker of luxury cars and SUVs saw a 36 percent jump in deliveries in China, where it now sells more vehicles than it does in the United States.

What if you knew, even before your child was born, that she wouldn't look like everyone else?

Clara Beatty's parents knew.

In a flashy presentation to advertisers, YouTube promoted its new channels of original programming, while pledging to spend $200 million to help market them.

That's roughly twice what the Google Inc.-owned video site has spent launching some 100 channels of niche-oriented programming. The channels are an ambitious initiative from YouTube, approximately halfway through its rollout.

Dubai is splashing into the business of underwater hotels again.

The Gulf emirate's state shipbuilding division Drydocks World said in a statement on Thursday that it has signed on with a Swiss company to become the sole Middle East construction contractor of the futuristic hotels.

Chelsea looks certain to finish outside the top four of the English Premier League for the first time in 10 years after a 2-0 home defeat against Newcastle on Wednesday.

Papiss Cisse scored twice at Stamford Bridge to take his tally to 13 goals in 12 appearances for Newcastle, which now looks to be going head-to-head with Tottenham for a top-four place.

Research in Motion Ltd. says future BlackBerry models will still offer physical keyboards.

Some reports suggested RIM would ditch the physical keys favored by its users, but CEO Thorsten Heins said Wednesday that RIM won't lose the focus on physical keypads.