It's hard to miss the enormous 20-foot (6-meter)-wide American flag on the side of Richard Ormbrek's home. Comprised of around 180 tiles painted with scenes of Americana against a background of red and white stripes, the flag pops from the orange cedar shingles with traffic-stopping audacity.

This is actually the second major art project that Ormbrek has put on the house he shares with brother-in-law Bruce Edenso. The first — a traditional Haida Indian totem house design that covered the entire side of the home — was painted in 1975 and made the house something of a local landmark.

World powers denounced on Thursday the "flagrant intervention" in Syria by Hizbullah and Iranian fighters, urging their immediate withdrawal from the war-torn country.

In a joint statement, the Friends of Syria group "called for the immediate withdrawal of Hizbullah, fighters from Iran, and other regime allied foreign fighters from Syrian territory."

In France, there's a brewing debate over whether to speak anglais in universite.

The National Assembly on Wednesday was taking up an education reform bill that would allow public universities to hold some courses — like science or economics classes — in English, a plan that has alarmed language purists and the political far-right alike.

Aretha Franklin is taking off the month of June.

A spokesman for the 71-year-old singer says Franklin will reschedule two shows and resume her touring schedule in July.

Piers Morgan is going behind the scenes.

The host of CNN's "Piers Morgan Live" has a deal with Gallery Books for "Shooting Straight: Guns, Gays, God, and George Clooney." Gallery, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, announced Wednesday that the book is scheduled for October.

A New York City woman has been sentenced to probation for stalking French actress Marion Cotillard on the Internet.

Teresa Yuan was sentenced Tuesday in Brooklyn federal court. She pleaded guilty last year.

Borussia Dortmund midfielder Mario Gotze will miss Saturday's Champions League final against Bayern Munich after failing to recover from a hamstring injury, leaving the team without one of its best players.

Dortmund confirmed Wednesday that Gotze will not be fit in time to face his future club at Wembley Stadium in London. It would have been the 20-year-old Gotze's last game for Dortmund before his 37-million euro switch to Bayern next season.

Seventh-ranked Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina has pulled out of the upcoming French Open because of a respiratory virus.

Del Potro said in a statement Wednesday that he has not fully recovered and is not fully fit to play.

Kellie Pickler came into the final "Dancing With the Stars" episode in second place but finished in first.

The 26-year-old country singer won the TV dancing competition show's mirror ball trophy Tuesday.

San Antonio bounced back after squandering a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter and beat the Memphis Grizzlies 93-89 in overtime on Tuesday, taking a 2-0 lead in the NBA Western Conference finals.

Tony Parker had 15 points and a career playoff-high 18 assists while Tim Duncan scored San Antonio's first six points of overtime.