Topic: Ben-Hur

Israel takes heat for de facto segregation on new West Bank buses

Israel's government inaugurated two new buses in the West Bank that are effectively Palestinian-only. Critics say it's an attempt to separate Israeli settlers from Palestinian neighbors who commute side-by-side.

Gore Vidal: a celebrity, a life writ large

Gore Vidal was known as much for his fierce public spats as he was for collected works that included 25 novels, 200 essays, six plays, several screenplays, and a National Book Award for essays on the United States.

Chapter & Verse Gore Vidal remembered: a larger-than-life literary presence (+video)

Gore Vidal, who died yesterday at the age of 86, was a legendary writer and contrarian commentator.

Gore Vidal: 10 quotes from the legendary author

Here are 10 memorable from the inimitable Gore Vidal.

Leap Year: this day in the history of Feb. 29

We don’t mean to state the obvious, but Feb. 29 happens once every four years (usually) – and leap year is here again. That means a whole day's worth of news will tomorrow be added to this date's comparatively small archive. 

Will and Kate visit L.A.: Locals' top 10 southern California must-sees

Royal newlyweds William and Kate have a busy, business-first itinerary for their three-day visit to southern California, which begins Friday. If they had asked us, we’d have given them these 10 tips for how to savor the SoCal experience. For every obvious tourist gambit, we’ve thrown in some insider info about where to pan for the best Angeleno cultural gold.

10 fantasy novels that would make great TV shows

With ‘Game of Thrones’ preparing to film its second season, and Neil Gaiman’s ‘American Gods’ in development, what will be the next epic fantasy novel series to become a TV series? We have 10 great suggestions.

Academy Award nominees include Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush for 'The King's Speech'

Academy Award nominees were announced Tuesday morning in Los Angeles. Natalie Portman, Jeff Bridges, Christian Bale, and Helena Bonham Carter are also Academy Award nominees for acting.

Opinion: Scott Brown: the Ben-Hur of Massachusetts politics

Scott Brown’s improbable victory is a credit to his character, but also to the strong forces that carried his chariot to victory.

Etc.

Africans say 'no deal' to $14 million movie studio

Local South Africans recently refused to sell ancestral land to filmmakers eager for a desert set.

USA

From Our Files: An Interview with Charlton Heston

In 1959, the Monitor interviewed Charlton Heston, who died on Saturday, April 5. Heston won the 1959 Best Actor Oscar for the role in 'Ben-Hur.'