A tale of tragic romance from the Palestinian territories is among five nominees for best foreign-language film at the Academy Awards.

The contenders announced Thursday in Beverly Hills include Hany Abu-Assad's "Omar," the story of a love affair and its consequences against the backdrop of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Pirelli secured a new three-year contract with motor sport's governing body on Thursday to remain Formula One's sole tire supplier, a welcome relief for the Italian manufacturer following an extremely difficult season.

Last July, F1 teams held in-season testing sessions at Silverstone to assess new tires provided by Pirelli after several blowouts on the same circuit at the British Grand Prix in June prompted a furious response from drivers and even a boycott threat the following week.

The Soviets made space dog Laika a national hero and Americans have fallen for presidential pets from Checkers to Bo. In Venezuela, a rare breed of shaggy sheepdog has come to symbolize the patriotic legacy of the late Hugo Chavez.

Venezuela's former president rescued the mucuchies, named for this Andean town where the breed originated 400 years ago, from near-extinction in 2008 by providing funding to breed the remaining 23 purebreds, and he used to delight in recalling how one early tail-wagger called Nevado fought at the side of his idol, 19th century independence hero Simon Bolivar.

Beijing's skyscrapers receded into a dense gray smog Thursday as the capital saw the season's first wave of extremely dangerous pollution, with the concentration of toxic small particles registering more than two dozen times the level considered safe.

The air took on an acrid odor, and many of the city's commuters wore industrial strength face masks as they hurried to work.

Chinese tech giant Huawei on Wednesday rejected suggestions its telecoms equipment is vulnerable to hacking and forecast a rise in 2013 profit of nearly 50 percent.

Chief financial officer Cathy Meng rejected as "groundless" reports that Huawei equipment might be more vulnerable to security threats than telecoms infrastructure made by other companies.

The National Security Agency has implanted software in nearly 100,000 computers around the world — but not in the United States — that allows the U.S. to conduct surveillance on those machines, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

The Times cited NSA documents, computer experts and U.S. officials in its report about the use of secret technology using radio waves to gain access to computers that other countries have tried to protect from spying or cyberattacks. The software network could also create a digital highway for launching cyberattacks, the Times reported.

Kristen Stewart has signed on to play the lead in "Like Crazy" director Drake Doremus' futuristic love story "Equals," and it's making her a nervous wreck.

"I can't believe I agreed to do it," said the "Twilight" actress about her upcoming role in the sci-fi drama, which also stars Nicholas Hoult of the upcoming "X-Men: Days of Future Past."

It's a medieval treasure trove worth an estimated quarter of a billion dollars, filled with gold crosses studded with gems and intricate silverwork. For years, it's been at the center of a dispute between a Berlin museum foundation and the heirs of Holocaust-era Jewish art dealers.

Now a resolution may be in sight: On Wednesday, a German government-created commission convenes to make a recommendation on who rightfully owns the Welfenschatz — or Guelph Treasure.

The producers of "American Idol" say the show's new season will include changes to freshen it, including expanded song choices for contestants.

After tending toward a fair amount of golden oldies, the show's song list will add more current tunes that the young contestants can relate to, executive producer Per Blankens said Monday.

This Valentine's Day, why not offer your loved one a timeless Broadway romance — without ever leaving your neighborhood?

Content provider Screenvision and the new company BroadwayHD teamed up to record the recent Orlando Bloom-led production of "Romeo and Juliet" and broadcast it to movie theaters across the country.