'Hobbit' extends No. 1 journey with $36.7 million

Tiny hobbit Bilbo Baggins is running circles around some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" took in $36.7 million to remain No. 1 at the box office for the second-straight weekend, easily beating a rush of top-name holiday newcomers. Part one of Jackson's prelude to his "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, the Warner Bros. release raised its domestic...

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Hillsborough charity single tops British chart

A charity single devoted to the victims of Britain's worst-ever sporting disaster has topped the U.K. singles chart to become a Christmas No. 1. The Official Charts Company said Sunday that The Justice Collective's version of "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother," sold nearly 270,000 copies, beating out a debut single by music talent show winner James Arthur. Members of the collective, who include ex-Beatle...

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Serpico: Pacino played me better than I did

New York City police whistle-blower Frank Serpico says Al Pacino played him better than he did himself. Pacino played the detective who exposed widespread police corruption in the 1973 movie "Serpico." The Daily News (http://nydn.us/RMNYcB ) interviewed the real-life Serpico in Ghent, in New York's Hudson Valley, for a story published Sunday. The 76-year-old retiree spoke weeks after the death of...

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Witch burns, audience on fire at Vienna opera show

VIENNA (AP) — At the end of the evening, the witch was toast Sunday — or more precisely a gingerbread cookie — and the audience at Vienna's Volksoper loved it. Of course, with many at the performance of "Haensel und Gretel" at Vienna's second opera house under the age of 6, one could argue that it was an easy sell. And yes, the fairy tale set to music by Engelbert Humperdinck is bound to please kids,...

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Bethenny Frankel and husband of 2 years separating

Bethenny Frankel and husband Jason Hoppy are separating. The 42-year-old TV personality, chef, author and entrepreneur told The Associated Press Sunday that the split brings her "great sadness." "This was an extremely difficult decision that as a woman and a mother, I have to accept as the best choice for our family," Frankel said. "We have love and respect for one another and will continue to amicably...

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Lupus forces singer Toni Braxton into LA hospital

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Singer Toni Braxton has been hospitalized in Los Angeles. The R&B performer says in a Tweet on Friday that she's been hospitalized because of "minor health issues" related to Lupus. A spokeswoman confirmed the hospitalization but had no other details. "But no worries!," Braxton wrote to fans. "I will be out any day now." The 45-year-old singer of "Un-break My Heart" revealed...

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Rolling Stones added to Sandy benefit concert

NEW YORK (AP) — The Rolling Stones will join the artists already booked for next week's televised Superstorm Sandy benefit show in New York City, which producers said Friday would be the most widely available live concert ever. The Stones join a trio of 1960s British rock royalty on the bill, including Paul McCartney and the Who. Among the other artists scheduled to appear are Bruce Springsteen &...

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Wagner wins over La Scala's ardent Verdi fans

MILAN (AP) — Richard Wagner won over La Scala's ardent Verdi followers during the gala season premiere on Friday with a production of "Lohengrin" that packed surprises -- including the last-minute arrival of German soprano Annette Dasch in the role of Elsa after two singers fell ill with the flu. Dasch, who has sung the role in the Bayreuth festival since 2010, got a call at her home in Berlin at...

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Long-sealed Notorious B.I.G. autopsy released

LOS ANGELES (AP) — An attorney for the family of Notorious B.I.G. said Friday it's ridiculous that Los Angeles police have not arrested anyone for the rapper's 1997 killing, which has returned to the spotlight after coroner's officials released a long-sealed autopsy report. The report revealed that injuries cause by a single bullet killed the rapper, whose real name was Christopher Wallace, during...

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Viral rapper PSY apologizes for anti-US protests

South Korean rapper and Internet sensation PSY is apologizing to Americans for participating in anti-U.S. protests several years ago. Park Jae-sang, who performs as PSY, issued a statement Friday after reports surfaced that he had participated in concerts protesting the U.S. military presence in South Korea during the early stages of the Iraq war. At a 2004 concert, the "Gangnam Style" rapper performs...

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