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In the news
Compiled from Times wires Rings sequel's opening weekend tops originalThe Lord of the Rings sequel dominated in its debut weekend, taking in $61.5-million -- 30 percent better than its predecessor did last year, studios estimated Sunday. Altogether, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers has grossed $101.5-million since opening Wednesday, compared to $75.1-million by The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in the same period and $47.2-million in its first weekend. Debuting at No. 2 was the Sandra Bullock-Hugh Grant romance Two Weeks Notice, which took in $14.4-million. Maid in Manhattan slipped to third with $11-million. Playing in narrower release, Martin Scorsese's epic Gangs of New York debuted with $9.1-million; the film expands to more theaters on Christmas. Drumline was fifth in its second weekend, with $7.6-million. After 25 years, a firstSaying his doctors ordered him to rest after a leg injury, Fidel Castro excused himself for the first time in 25 years from a session of Cuba's parliament -- but not without complaint. "Owing to a small accidental injury in the left leg with inflammation and other theoretical risks, the medical tyranny has imposed upon me the terrible punishment of three or four days rest," the Cuban president wrote in a letter read at Saturday morning's session by National Assembly President Ricardo Alarcon. "I don't have any other alternative but to obey," wrote Castro, 76, who has led Cuba for almost 44 years. "I must take care of my left leg because with it I have made the best steps of my life," he added. Castro's stamina is legendary, with frequent all-night sessions for meetings or study, though he has slowed somewhat in recent years. His health is a constant source of speculation by Cuba watchers on both sides of the Florida Straits, and rumors persist of ailments including prostate cancer, heart troubles, Parkinson's disease and stroke. Mayhem at Mandela'sA scuffle broke out Sunday as thousands clamored for gifts at Nelson Mandela's annual Christmas party for children. No one was hurt, though two children were treated for anxiety, said the ex-president's spokeswoman, Zelda La Grange. She said the mayhem at Mandela's home in the South African town of Qunu began when adults in the crowd began pushing their way through a line of about 20,000 people. Fearing a stampede, security opened the fence surrounding the home to let in the crowds, she said. "It's not an adult party, it's a children's party," La Grange said. The mood did calm down, she added, and the children, most of whom live in stark poverty, left smiling with gifts and food.
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From the wire |
