"Avatar: The Way of Water" took in an estimated $82.4 million this holiday weekend in North America, pushing it past a global total of $1 billion in near record time, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday.. The original "Avatar" took in a record $2.9 billion.
Pope Francis hailed the "beloved" Benedict XVI on Sunday in a New Year's Day service at the Vatican, the day after his predecessor died aged 95.. At a New Year's Eve service on Saturday evening, Francis paid tribute to his "dearest" predecessor, saying he was "so noble, so kind".
Grammy-winning singer Anita Pointer has died at the age of 74 following a battle with cancer, her publicist said.. "Sad to report my client Grammy Winner Anita Pointer of the Pointer Sisters has passed away after a heroic battle with cancer," Roger Neal said on Instagram.
The daughter of pop megastar Paul McCartney has given an intimate peek into the hallowed halls of Abbey Road, the studio where he -- and many other music stars -- recorded masterpieces. . But Abbey Road has a long history, established in 1931 by record company EMI. Initially dedicated to classical music, it had cutting edge technology for the time, and was used by composer and conductor Edward Elgar shortly before his death in 1934.
US footballer Bobby Smith does not hold back his tears when paying tribute to "King" Pele: the rise of the game in the United States owes almost everything to the Brazilian legend, says his former New York Cosmos teammate.. Smith, a professional player in Philadelphia in the 1970s, signed in 1976 with the New York Cosmos for $100,000.
Viktoria Lukovenko was making a salad for a New Year's Eve party on Saturday when explosions overhead sent her running for cover in a Kyiv metro station.. Waiting for the air raid warning to lift, Kyiv residents huddled in underground metro stations, some women already donning the brightly embroidered traditional skirts they would wear to parties later in the evening.
When Kurt and Anna-Maria Spennesberger heard the news about former pope Benedict XVI's death, they immediately got into their car and drove 200 kilometres to the former pontiff's southern German birth town Marktl.. They had to be at the small town bordering Austria for a special church service saying farewell to Benedict because "we knew Ratzinger personally," said Kurt, 71, using the ex-pope's birth name.
The peaceful death of Benedict XVI in a monastery in the Vatican contrasts with the painful, violent or sometimes mysterious deaths of many of his predecessors.. - The mysterious death of Alexander VI Borgia in 1503 - The death of Alexander VI, who was pope from 1492 to 1503, was also subject to intense speculation.
Catholics and tourists visiting St Peter's Square on Saturday expressed sadness and admiration for former pope Benedict XVI, following news of his death aged 95.. Michael Dauphinee, a tourist visiting from the United States, hailed Benedict as a "great example".
Here is a selection of Benedict XVI's standout quotes, some of them controversial, from his 2005-2013 papacy and in his retirement.. - February 2013, announcing his resignation aged 85.
