French opera seems to be hitting just the right note in the United States.

Concert halls across America are showcasing francophone conductors and productions with distinct ties to Paris.

Hundreds of nurses wearing Robin Hood hats and red t-shirts calling for "an economy for the 99 percent" rallied in Chicago Friday ahead of the NATO summit.

"NATO is here, the time is right for dancing in the streets," they sang as the cheerful crowd broke out into a dance routine.

Prince William and his wife Catherine will sail with Queen Elizabeth II on her royal barge as it leads a huge flotilla down London's River Thames for her diamond jubilee, officials said Thursday.

The young royals, credited with breathing new life into a monarchy previously seen as out of touch and beset by scandals, will add extra star power to one of the key events of a four-day jubilee holiday.

U.S. rap star 50 Cent tweeted Thursday that is recovering in hospital and posted a picture of himself with an array of cuddly toys -- although some questioned whether it was all a publicity stunt.

The rapper posted a string of messages on Twitter starting Wednesday with photos of himself in bed, after being hospitalized with what a friend, DJ Drama, told XXLMag.com was a stomach bug.

U.S. Navy sailors tend to be overlooked when it comes to Hollywood blockbusters, but the new action movie "Battleship" features American destroyers and their crews in the starring role, waging war against hostile aliens in the Pacific Ocean.

The Pentagon gave director Peter Berg access to a huge naval exercise and allowed him to film scenes on six ships, including four destroyers, an aircraft carrier and an amphibious assault ship, officials said.

Grammy-winning disco legend Donna Summer died Thursday after a battle with lung cancer, aged 63, her family and media reports said.

Known as the Queen of Disco, the singer, whose 1970s and 80s hits included "I Feel Love," "Love to Love you Baby" and "She Works Hard for the Money," died in Florida, the TMZ celebrity news website said.

Legendary Algerian singer Warda al-Jazairia passed away on Thursday at the age of 73 after suffering a heart attack at her residence in the Egyptian capital Cairo.

The French-born singer, commonly referred to as just Warda, was well known for her Egyptian songs and music.

Sony Pictures Entertainment on Wednesday said that the Academy Award winning screenwriter behind "The Social Network" will write the script for a film about Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

Aaron Sorkin will adapt the hot-selling biography by journalist Walter Isaacson for the motion picture screen, according to Sony.

Jennifer Lopez is the world's most powerful celebrity, according to Forbes magazine Wednesday in a rankings based on a combination of earnings, press coverage and Internet presence.

Lopez headed the 100-strong list, up from 50th last year, while her American Idol colleague Ryan Seacrest was 29th. Lady Gaga, the pop singer, came in at number five, toppled from her top perch last year.

Chuck Brown, the widely acknowledged "godfather" of the Go-Go funk music style that flourished in Washington in the 1980s, died Wednesday in hospital, his manager and family said. He was 75.

The gravel-voiced guitarist behind such floor-fillers as "We Need Some Money," "Go-Go Swing" and "Run Joe" was recently stricken with pneumonia after an operation to remove a blood clot, the Washington Post reported.