For many years designer Guo Pei drew inspiration for her luxury clothes collections from travelling abroad, but recently she decided to focus solely on China's culture.

The bubbly 44-year-old's move brought her company into a small but growing and increasingly influential club of luxury Chinese brands that are having success by focusing on their country's centuries-old heritage.

Colorful veteran Irish actor Peter O'Toole, famous for films including "Lawrence of Arabia," announced his retirement Tuesday, saying it was time to "chuck in the sponge" aged 79.

The acclaimed stage and screen star said he was taking his last bow "dry-eyed and profoundly grateful" for his half-century long career.

NBC says "The Voice" is teaming a crooner and a country singer for the show's new season.

The network said Monday that Michael Buble will serve as adviser to coach Blake Shelton's team of contestants when the singing contest returns in September.

Italian fashion house Valentino is in exclusive talks with a potential but unnamed buyer, the company said, with Qatar's royal family believed to be interested.

"Valentino has seen increasing interest from a number of potential buyers," said Stefano Sassi, chief executive of Valentino Fashion Group and the Valentino fashion house, in a statement obtained by Agence France Presse on Monday.

The American television star and writer Jerry Seinfeld is putting his passion for comedy and cars together and will throw in a caffeine jolt for an original web series to premiere July 19.

Little is known about "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee" beyond a couple of promo videos with Seinfeld behind the wheel of various well-polished vintage vehicles, accompanied by various fellow comics, all of them male.

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes have reached a "private" settlement less than two weeks after she announced their bombshell divorce -- and vowed Monday to honor each other's beliefs over their daughter.

The Hollywood pair issued a joint statement pledging to act in the "best interests" of six-year-old Suri, and to take account of their "respective beliefs" in her upbringing -- an apparent reference to Scientology.

Egypt's top court on Monday rejected a decree by President Mohammed Morsi to reinstate the parliament it ruled invalid, setting the president on a collision course with the judiciary and the military that enforced the ruling.

"All the rulings and decisions of the Supreme Constitutional Court are final and not subject to appeal... and are binding for all state institutions," the court said in a statement.

Kourtney Kardashian has given birth to a girl and she's naming her Penelope.

The reality TV star told E! News that her second child with boyfriend Scott Disick was born early Sunday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces. Her full name is Penelope Scotland Disick.

The coastal Lebanese city of Batroun entered the Guinness Book of World Records on Sunday for the largest cup of lemonade with a capacity of 5,543 liters.

More than 400 people participated in squeezing around 2,200 kilos of lemons mixing them with 1,000 kilos of sugar, 3000 liters of water and 1,000 kilos of ice cubes, prepared according to the traditional and famous way in Batroun.

"The Amazing Spider-Man" scaled to the top of the North American box office this weekend, beating cheeky teddy bear comedy "Ted," industry estimates showed Sunday.

The 3-D flick -- the latest take on the superhero-turned-cultural-icon -- netted $65 million during its first Friday through Sunday run on the big screen, according to movie tracker Exhibitor Relations.