Melanie Jones

This year, the 2012 Oscars offer films from Iran, Belgium, Israel, Poland and Canada, all of them stunning portraits of what a movie can convey of human brutality, beauty, dignity, fragility and suffering. From a tale of backbiting and redemption between a father and son in Israel, to a gritty domestic drama of two families unraveling in Iranian film A Separation, here are brief introductions to the five nominations for Best Foreign Language Film at Oscars 2012, and five reasons (to star...

Who do you think won the Republican debate: Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Newt Gingrich or Rick Santorum? Vote here to let us know. Tonight's debate in Arizona will likely be the last GOP primary debate before Super Tuesday on March 6, and the candidates' last chance to sway American viewers as they make their way to the voting booth.

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney, Texas Rep. Ron Paul and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich face off tonight in Arizona for their last primary debate before Super Tuesday. Click here for live coverage of the debate, hosted by CNN, with minute-by-minute updates.

Find out who's moderating tonight's GOP debate, when it begins, where to watch it live and how to follow it on Twitter by clicking here. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, Texas Rep. Ron Paul and former Speaker Newt Gingrich face off in Arizona tonight in the last debate before the Arizona and Michigan primaries, the Washington primary, and Super Tuesday.

Nearly all of the contestants from Season 13 of The Biggest Loser have reportedly stormed off the set of the NBC weight loss show after a twist in the program revealed that eliminated contestants would be coming back to compete for the $250,000 grand prize, stalling production and prompting producers to scramble for a way to handle this situation, fast.

The 345-issue Billy Wright Collection features the first appearances of Superman and Batman, as well as the iconic Captain America cover featuring the hero facing off against Adolf Hitler and the first appearance of Doctor Doom, main villain of the Fantastic Four. But for Michael Rorrer, who discovered his great uncle's collection last year, the revelation that the comics were worth something came as a complete shock.

In several prominent leaks over the weekend, Apple insiders have confirmed rumors related to the iPad 3's specs in anticipation of its March 2012 release date. Here's a rundown of the rumors the recent leaks have confirmed so far, from the tablet's camera and battery life to the possibility of a dual-core A5X processor rather then a quad-core A6.

Kate Middleton's black cocker spaniel puppy has been keeping her company for several months now while Prince William has been stationed in the Falkland Islands, but it wasn't until today that the Duchess of Cambridge made the name, which palace officials have kept a secret, public. Find out what the puppy is called and what its name means here.

AeroShot Pure Energy, an inhalable caffeine product that went on sale last month, is now under investigation by the FDA after Sen. Charles Schumer (D.-N.Y.) pushed for the product to be banned, calling it the new Four Loko and claiming the canisters' design encourages kids to take hit after hit of the product and to mix it with alcohol.

Mardi Gras in New Orleans isn't just about picking up tourist trinkets or partying in the French Quarter. From catching a performance by the Mardi Gras Indians to eating a slice of king cake, here are six New Orleans traditions you don't want to miss, as well as a rundown of how these traditions got started in the first place.

Randolph, 15, from Wellesley, Colo., was killed in a skiing accident on Sunday when she slammed into a tree at the Copper Mountain Resort in Frisco. The Wellesley High School freshman is the twelfth skier to die in a ski mishap in 2012, prompting concerns that dangerous conditions on the slopes could create a deadly pattern for snow sport enthusiasts.

Santorum's claim that the Dutch advocate mass murder through euthanasia has prompted a furious backlash from the Netherlands. Santorum asserted that half the people whose lives are ended through euthanasia are involuntarily euthanized, and that residents wear bracelets begging not to be killed by Dutch hospitals.

For many, Mardi Gras 2012 in New Orleans means one thing: the throwing of the beads. But what about the other items tossed out of floats and thrown from balconies during Mardi Gras celebrations? From moon pies to painted coconuts, here are five crazy things revelers can get during Mardi Gras 2012.

Three expert skiers and one snowboarder are dead after a series of avalanches hit the Stevens Pass resort and the surrounding area in the Cascade Mountains of Washington on Sunday. The second avalanche, which wiped out a group of fifteen skiers, included professional skier Elyse Saugstad, who survived with minor injuries.

It's almost Mardi Gras 2012, and people around the world are preparing for the carnival season that comes before Lent. But how did Mardi Gras get started? What does its name mean? How did it take root in New Orleans, and how is it celebrated around the world? Here are five things to know about Mardi Gras history and in traditions, from how the holiday is celebrated worldwide to why some believe the carnival's roots lie in ancient Rome.

Khloe Kardashian made a big impression in the second season premiere of Khloe and Lamar, but not the one she'd hoped for. While constructing a sexual chamber of love for her husband, Khloe ends up installing a sex swing in their room... and sending it crashing down on the couple's first try. Watch the clip from the E! TV show here.

Downton Abbey may have just aired its second season finale in the U.K., but fans of the PBS Masterpiece show are already eager to get whatever season three spoilers they can. Here's everything we know so far, from the future of John Bates to Cora's American relatives and the WWII focus of the third season.

With Rick Santorum's surname long since redefined by Dan Savage on SpreadingSantorum.com, Google has two new web sites gaining traction: SpreadingRomney.com and SpreadingGingrich.com. How much effect could these anti-Santorum off-shoots have in the weeks to come? Online marketing experts warn: a lot.

It's almost time for the 84th Annual Academy Awards, and Oscar buzz for big categories like Best Picture, Best Actor and Actress, and Best Director are in full swing. But when are the 2012 Oscars? What time does the ceremony start, and what channel will the awards show be on? Find out everything you need to know, and vote for your Oscar 2012 picks here.

Advocacy groups and news sources alike are calling on the Heart Attack Grill to close its doors after one of its patrons suffered an actual heart attack while eating the restaurant's Triple Bypass Burger. Should the grill be shut down, or does the Las Vegas restaurant have the right to stay open? Vote here.

The Heart Attack Grill in Las Vegas, Nev., has become infamous after an unidentified customer suffered an actual heart attack while eating there. But what else does the restaurant offer? What's in the Quadruple Bypass Burger? And what are some of the calorie counts (gulp) of the Heart Attack Grill's most popular items?

PBS documentary Clinton has put America's focus back on the Monica Lewinsky scandal that almost ruined the Clinton presidency. But what new details does the documentary really offer us? From how many other women were in Clinton's life to where Lewinsky is now, here's everything you need to know about the PBS documentary.

The National Enquirer's most recent cover story, a piece called Whitney's Final Minutes, recreated the iconic singer's death in her Beverly Hills hotel room, using a fake model as Houston's corpse and placing the unknown woman both on the bathroom floor and floating in a bathtub. The notorious tabloid even dedicated a page of its most recent issue to claim that if Houston had read the magazine, she might have prevented her death.

Texas Rep Ron Paul has bested former Speaker Newt Gingrich by six percentage points in the most recent poll of voters for the Michigan Republican primary on Feb. 28, 2012. In the aftermath of his three-state victory, meanwhile, Santorum has surged 19 percentage points since Mitchell/Rosetta Stone's last poll on Feb. 7, besting Mitt Romney in voter support in the latter's home state.

The owner of the New Jersey city's Steel Pier says he's dropping a plan to bring back the Diving Horse, a controversial attraction featuring a horse and rider plunging into a 12-foot-deep water tank from a platform 40 feet up. Activists who have been protesting the move for weeks consider the elimination of the Diving Horse attraction a historic victory against animal cruelty, but the pier's president denies they were a factor in his decision.

Whitney Houston's ex-husband Bobby Brown has been invited to her funeral, sources tell ABC News, refuting rumors that he had been barred from attending by Houston's mother Cissy and other members of the singer's family. Instead, it's Houston's daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, that has friends and relatives worried she may not be able to come to terms with her mother's death.

The winner of Saturday's $336.4 million Powerball jackpot in Rhode Island has yet to claim his or her prize, leaving many to wonder if the lucky winner is even aware of the lottery win. Find out what the winning numbers were, why the jackpot was so big, and what will happen to the money if the winner doesn't step forward here.

This Valentine's Day 2012, help celebrate the romances that defy stereotypes and portray LGBTQ couples simply as they are: two people in love. From David and Keith in Six Feet Under to Megan and Graham in But I'm a Cheerleader, here are some of the most romantic and moving kisses in movies and television to date.

Matt Bomer, the star of USA show White Collar, came out as a gay man during the Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards over the weekend. But Matt Bomer isn't the only celebrity who has come out of the closet recently. From Evan Rachel Wood, who came out as bisexual in April 2011, to Zachary Quinto, who revealed that he was gay in October 2012, here are six more celebrities who came out in 2011-2012.