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Breakthrough reported in writers' strike

A breakthrough in contract talks has been reached between Hollywood studios and striking writers and could lead to a tentative deal as early as this week, a person close to the ongoing negotiations said Saturday in Los Angeles.

The two sides breached the gap Friday on the thorniest issues, those concerning compensation for projects distributed via the Internet, said the person, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. A second person familiar with the talks, also speaking anonymously for the same reason, said that significant progress had been made and a deal might be announced within a week.

The people did not provide specific details on the possible agreement. Major points of contention include how much and when writers are paid for projects delivered online after they've been broadcast on TV. Although work remains to be done, prospects for a deal appeared solid, said those close to the situation. The agreement would have to be approved by a majority of guild members.

SARKOZY REMARRIES

They had a glitzy, jet-setting courtship, but when it came time for the wedding, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and former supermodel Carla Bruni opted for a simple, classic ceremony. Sarkozy, 53, and Bruni, 40, were married Saturday in a private ceremony at the presidential palace in Paris, less than three months after they reportedly first met, and less than four months after his divorce from the previous first lady, Cecilia.

The mayor who performed the ceremony filled in the details. "The bride wore white; she was ravishing, as usual," Franois Lebel, mayor of Paris' eighth arrondissement, or neighborhood, told Europe-1 radio. The groom wore a suit and tie, and he "wasn't bad either," Lebel said.