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Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Because of this mentalitywhich is influenced not only by consumers but also by advertisers, politicians and religious organizationsHollywood has mostly censored itself. And while violence is often allowed to go to extremes, sex and language has been mostly toned down in mainstream fare. Sex, both as an activity and a topic for discussion, is rare in todays mainstream and even indie cinema. Just think about how many films show sex or nudity or discuss sex frankly. Closer is probably one of the few recent films to shock viewers with mere words (but The Aristocrats has taken up the baton and is doing its best to see how far it can push the envelope with its extended dirty joke).

French President Nicolas Sarkozy visits Libya in an effort to aid the country's reintegration with the West and further French interests. The meeting follows Libya's release of six medical professionals convicted of infecting Libyan children with HIV.

We talk with the playwright and director of “Restoration Comedy,” a bawdy, romantic farce written in the style of the Restoration era.

Theres a certain irony to the fact that the Asian action film thats currently being so readily embraced by critics is not from Hong Kong and has not been made by any of the Hong Kong New Wave directors who achieved cult status in the late 80s and early 90s. Instead, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (opening 12/22 at the Hillcrest Cinemas) is the work of Taiwanese director Ang Lee, best known for his wry social comedies The Wedding Banquet and Eat Drink Man Woman.

Thailand is back to work as usual, just three days after a military coup. The change in power was condemned abroad, but legitimized by the royal palace and greeted by many Thais with relief.

A magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck early Thursday near the South Pacific nation of Tonga, prompting tsunami warnings for as far away as Fiji and New Zealand. The warning was lifted after a tsunami of less than 2 feet was recorded.

Nepal's opposition alliance formally calls off weeks of pro-democracy protests after King Gyenandra reinstates Parliament. But the country's communist insurgents reject the king's offer, a sign that the turmoil in this Himalayan country may be far from over.

Police fire on protesters in Katmandu, capital of Nepal. The demonstrators violated a curfew and marched on the palace of King Gyanendra. For many protesters, the king's vow to move to a multiparty government is not enough.

Sergio Luzzatto, author of The Body of Il Duce: Mussolini's Corpse and the Fortunes of Italy, describes how Benito Mussolini's body has been beaten, buried, exhumed, stolen, hidden and turned into a shrine by his followers. He says the struggle over the remains reflects Italy's struggle to become a republic and leave fascism behind.