LONDON, Oct 13, 2008 (AFP) - French artist Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster has transformed the vast turbine hall at London's Tate Modern museum into a refuge from futuristic climate chaos, with beds laid out under oversized works of art.

LONDON, Oct 14, 2008 (AFP) - Former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr has told his fans in a bizarre online video message to stop sending him fan mail as he is too busy to sign or read it, and it will only be 'tossed'.

'This is a serious message to everybody watching my update right now. Peace and love, peace and love,' the musician said.

FRANKFURT, Oct 14, 2008 (AFP) - The world's largest book fair opens to the public here Wednesday under the cloud of a world financial meltdown that its celebrity invitation list of writers and politicians cannot dispel.

ZAGREB, Oct 14, 2008 (AFP) - Stray dogs play a star role in a groundbreaking Croatian show that has won rave reviews for raising awareness about abandoned canines and homeless people.

MUMBAI, Oct 14, 2008 (AFP) - They may lack the brooding good looks, chiseled jaw and honed physique of the typical leading Bollywood male, but short, fat, balding men are proving that they can still be a screen success.

In an image-conscious industry, actors such as Himesh Reshammiya, Vinay Pathak and Paresh Rawal have found that how they look has not been a hindrance.

SYDNEY, Oct 14, 2008 (AFP) - The movie 'Australia', an outback epic which tourism chiefs hope will spur visitors Down Under, is unfinished weeks before release and completion will be 'very close to the wire', its director said Tuesday.

TOKYO, Oct 14, 2008 (AFP) - Indian conductor Zubin Mehta said Tuesday he hoped to lead a concert bringing together Hindus and Muslims in Kashmir as he received a top Japanese award.

Mehta, holding a joint news conference with other recipients of this year's Praemium Imperiale award, contrasted himself with the title character in Puccini's opera 'Tosca.'

LONDON, Oct 14, 2008 (AFP) - The winner of the 2008 Booker Prize, one of the world's most prestigious literary awards, was set to be named Tuesday, with authors from India, Britain, Australia and Ireland among those in contention.

PARIS, France, Oct 13, 2008 (AFP) - The son of French film star Gerard Depardieu died Monday in a Paris area hospital from a bout of acute pneumonia, his agent said.

Guillaume Depardieu, who is also an actor, was 37.

A spokesman for Artmedia, Depardieu senior's agency, said he had contracted a virus that developed into 'a devastating case of pneumonia.'

LOS ANGELES, Oct 13, 2008 (AFP) - The daughter of the 'King of Rock 'n' Roll' Elvis Presley has given birth to twins, her spokeswoman confirmed Monday.

Lisa Marie Presley, 40, welcomed twin girls on October 7, a statement released by spokeswoman Cindy Guagenti said.