As Syria's crackdown on protesters gets bloodier, it is having repercussions for one of Damascus' most crucial allies, eroding the reputation of Hizbullah.

At recent protests, Syrians demonstrating against President Bashar Assad have also unleashed their anger at Hizbullah over its blunt support for the regime. Some protesters have set fire to the yellow flag of Hizbullah and pictures of the group's leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

Syrian troops launched a vast operation on Wednesday in Idlib province bordering Turkey and killed at least one person, activists said, amid growing outrage over the regime's crackdown on dissent.

A defiant President Bashar al-Assad pledged to pursue a relentless battle against "terrorist groups," seemingly oblivious to the mounting international pressure to stop the use of deadly force against pro-democracy protesters.

The Obama administration is preparing to explicitly demand the departure of Syrian President Bashar Assad and hit his regime with tough new sanctions, U.S. officials said Tuesday as the State Department signaled for the first time that American efforts to engage the government are finally over.

The White House is expected to lay out the tougher line by the end of this week, possibly on Thursday, according to officials who said the move will be a direct response to Assad's decision to step up the ruthlessness of the crackdown against pro-reform demonstrators by sending tanks into opposition hotbeds.

"Dirty Dancing" is coming back to the big screen.

Lionsgate says it is remaking the 1987 film that starred Jennifer Grey as a naïve dance student and Patrick Swayze as her teacher and lover.

Paintings, sculptures and other collectibles that once belonged to Tony Curtis are hitting the auction block.

Darren Julien, president of Julien's Auctions, says original artwork by Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Henry Miller and Curtis himself will be sold at an auction of property from the actor's estate on Sept. 17.

When Dani bin Misra was released from prison last week after serving just three months for smashing in the skull of a member of a Muslim sect, this conservative Indonesian town let out a triumphant cry.

"He's a hero!" Rasna bin Wildan said of the teenage killer.

A Bob Marley song and the social media power of celebrities like Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Eminem may help the crisis in East Africa.

On Tuesday, the "I'm Gonna Be Your Friend" campaign was launched to raise money and awareness. About 10 million are suffering through a famine in Somalia due to a blistering drought.

VH1 is exploring the connection between hip-hop and cocaine.

The network will air "Planet Rock: The Story of Hip Hop and the Crack Generation" next month. It explores the development of crack cocaine in the urban community and features rappers Snoop Dogg, Cyprus Hill's B-Real and Wu-Tang Clan members RZA and Raekwon.

France is the home of the baguette, that savory, crisp staple of a fabled gastronomy. But just try getting a fresh one in the evening, or on a holiday, or even in August, when many of the country's 33,000 bakeries are closed.

Jean-Louis Hecht thinks he has the answer.

Within sight of the Golden Gate Bridge lies another landmark cherished by a small but fervent group of travelers: a life-sized replica of Yoda, George Lucas' master of the Force.

Since the statue of the Jedi sage went up amid the Presidio's landscaped lawns in 2005, Star Wars fans have made a pilgrimage to take pictures with their beloved character and take in Lucasfilm Ltd.'s sleek headquarters.