Anchorman Woodruff starts to speak, walk

Anchorman Woodruffstarts to speak, walk
NEW YORK -- Five weeks after ABC anchorman Bob Woodruff was seriously injured in an Iraqi explosion, he remains hospitalized but is able to say a few words and is starting to walk, his brother said Tuesday.
"In the last couple of days, he's taken a lot of great leaps forward," David Woodruff said. "He's definitely doing so much better."
Bob Woodruff and ABC cameraman Doug Vogt were standing in the hatch of an Iraqi mechanized vehicle, reporting on the war from the Iraqi troops' perspective, when the roadside bomb exploded Jan. 29. Both were wearing body armor, which doctors say likely saved their lives.
The men underwent surgery in Germany before being flown to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.
Woodruff, 44, is still on heavy pain medication as his body recovers from the serious head injuries and other wounds. But he recognizes people, he can tell his daughter he loves her, and the multilingual journalist has even said a few words in Chinese and German, his brother David Woodruff told ABC's "Good Morning America."
Official: Let's pay tributeto Wallace and Gromit
LONDON -- Fired by news that Wallace and Gromit have won a fourth Oscar for their creator, fans in the pair's hometown have called for a statue to be erected of the balding cheese lover and his long-suffering canine companion.
Matthew Symonds, a local councilor in Bristol where Nick Park and Aardman Animations created the now-famous pair, said it was time to recognize the contribution that Wallace and Gromit have made to the city in southwest England.
"Everyone loves Wallace and Gromit and everyone I've spoken to on this matter agrees that we should thank Aardman in some way for what they have done for the city," Symonds said Tuesday.
"They really have placed Bristol on the map worldwide," he said, adding that the Aardman motion picture company had made a big impact on the city.
Park and Aardman won their fourth Academy Award on Sunday in the category of best animated feature film for "Wallace & amp; Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit."
Travolta signs on for rolein new 'Hairspray' film
LOS ANGELES -- After a long break, John Travolta's got the music in him again.
He thrilled moviegoers in 1977 as a disco dancer in "Saturday Night Fever," and he was a bad-boy bopper in 1978's "Grease." Then Travolta put musical roles aside.
Until now.
The actor will take on the role of Edna Turnblad in "Hairspray," an upcoming film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical based on John Waters' 1988 movie. Travolta will star opposite singer-actress Queen Latifah, who has signed on to play Motormouth Maybelle, according to New Line Cinema.
The film's producers, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, said shepherding Travolta's return to musicals is "a dream come true." They're aiming for a summer 2007 release.
Zadan and Meron also produced the Oscar-winning musical "Chicago."
"Hairspray" opened on Broadway in 2002 and went on to earn eight Tony Awards, including best musical. Harvey Fierstein won a Tony for his role as Turnblad.
Notable death
Ali Farka Toure, a traditional African musician who won two Grammy Awards, died Tuesday in his native Mali after a long illness. He was in his late 60s.
Today's birthdays
Actress Sue Ane Langdon is 70. Baseball player-turned-author Jim Bouton is 67. Actress Lynn Redgrave is 63. Actor-director Micky Dolenz is 61. Lyricist Carole Bayer Sager is 60. Pop singer Peggy March is 58. Baseball player Jim Rice is 53. Singer Gary Numan is 48. Actor Aidan Quinn is 47. Country musician Jimmy Dormire (Confederate Railroad) is 46. Actress Camryn Manheim is 45. Actor Leon is 43. Rock singer Shawn Mullins (The Thorns) is 38. Actress Andrea Parker is 37. Actor Boris Kodjoe is 33. Actor Freddie Prinze Jr. is 30. Actor James Van Der Beek is 29. Rhythm-and-blues singer Kameelah Williams (702) is 28. Rock singer Tom Chaplin (Keane) is 27.