NEWSMAKERS
NEWSMAKERS
‘Exodus: Gods and Kings’ tops box office
LOS ANGELES
After three weeks of box office dominance, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1” ceded its reign to “Exodus: Gods and Kings.” The biblical epic easily ruled the weekend with a $24.5 million debut, according to box office tracker Rentrak’s Sunday estimates.
“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1,” down 40 percent from last weekend, came in a distant second, earning $13.2 million.
Rounding out the top five were: “Penguins of Madagascar,” $7.3 million, third; “Top Five,” $7.2 million, fourth; and “Big Hero 6,” $6.1 million, fifth place).
Cosby breaks silence
LOS ANGELES
Bill Cosby broke his silence amid a flood of rape accusations in a very brief interview with The New York Post’s Page Six.
“Let me say this. I only expect the black media to uphold the standards of excellence in journalism, and when you do that, you have to go in with a neutral mind,” Cosby told the publication’s Stacy Brown, who noted that she frequently writes for African-American publications.
Cosby, 77, has stayed silent in light of the more than two dozen women who have come forward to accuse him of having drugged and raped them. The purported incidents go as far back as the 1960s. Cosby declined to address the rape and sexual assault allegations.
South African woman is Miss World 2014
LONDON
South Africa’s Rolene Strauss has been named the winner of the Miss World 2014 competition in a London finale televised in many parts of the world.
Edina Kulcsar of Hungary was the runner-up, and Elizabeth Safrit of the U.S. took third place.
The winners were announced Sunday after a lengthy competition involving contestants from more than 120 countries.
Associated Press