Monster Mash: Breaking news and headlines

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--Britain’s culture minister temporarily blocks export of JMW Turner’s painting, ‘Pope’s Villa at Twickenham,’ right, on the same day the J. Paul Getty Museum announces it has acquired a Flemish masterpiece from Britain.

--An actor slashes his throat on stage when the prop knife for his suicide scene turned out to be a real one.

--It’s back to the drawing board for Gap founder Donald Fisher and his plans for an art museum on the grounds of San Francisco’s Presidio national park.

--HBO plans live telecast of Will Ferrell’s upcoming Broadway show, ‘You’re Welcome America. A Final Night With George W. Bush.’

--’Rain Man’ star Josh Hartnett wins libel payment from London’s Daily Mirror over ‘sexual dalliance’ story.

--A Paris exhibition chronicles Napoleon’s encounters with the pharaohs.

--Critics’ ’best of’ favorite ‘Reasons to Be Pretty,’ by Neil LaBute, finds a Broadway theater (the Lyceum) and an opening date (April 2).

--Another ‘best of’ list: Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin names his picks for 2008.

--Juergen Flimm announces he’s stepping down as head of the Salzburg Festival.

--Daniel Barenboim will perform with members of the West Eastern Divan Orchestra at a Dec. 15 concert at the United Nations for Human Rights Day.

--Oops! A respected German research institute illustrates its journal with a Chinese ‘classical poem’ that turns out to be an ad for a brothel.

--Lisa Fung