'Harry Potter' makes box office magic again

(EW.com) -- Well done, Potter.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 1" posted the franchise's best opening ever by grossing $125.1 million this weekend, according to studio estimates. That figure smashes the wizarding series' prior opening-weekend record of $102.7 million, held by 2005's "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire".

The new Potter flick also registered the sixth-largest opening weekend of all time, landing just behind this year's "Iron Man 2," which debuted to $128.1 million in May.

"Deathly Hallows" launched its weekend spell late Thursday night when 3,700 theaters screened the PG-13 fantasy movie at midnight. Some theaters arranged showings as late as 3:15 a.m.

The movie gathered $24 million from those screenings en route to a Friday tally of $61.2 million, the fifth-best opening day, period. After Friday, "Deathly Hallows" essentially followed the box-office trajectory of "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," which was released on the same November weekend last year.

"New Moon" earned a record $72.7 million its opening day, and then fell 42 and 34 percent on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

"Deathly Hallows" held up a tad better, dropping 38 percent on Saturday (for $38.2 million) and an estimated 33 percent on Sunday (for $25.8 million). While Warner Bros. may have preferred a somewhat steadier ride from "Deathly Hallows," no one's complaining, least of all moviegoers. CinemaScore audiences gave the movie an "A" grade.

The weekend's other new wide release, the break-my-wife-out-of-prison thriller "The Next Three Days," could have used a charm or two.

The $30 million movie landed in fifth place and earned an estimated $6.8 million, star Russell Crowe's worst opening since 2006's "A Good Year".

However, 83 percent of the PG-13 film's audience was more than 25, and the older a movie's crowd gets, the less likely they are to immediately rush out and see it. With a "B+" rating from CinemaScore audiences, Lionsgate is hoping the picture will benefit from good word-of-mouth during the Thanksgiving holiday.

Despite having to play second fiddle to a teenage wizard, DreamWorks Animation's "Megamind" slid a respectable 45 percent for $16.2 million. After three weeks, the superhero comedy has collected $109.5 million.

In third place was the Denzel Washington runaway-train thriller "Unstoppable," which grossed $13.1 million its second week, a deceleration of 42 percent.

Landing in fourth place, the road-trip comedy "Due Date," starring Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis, held up better than expected its third week. The R-rated film dropped 41 percent for $9.2 million, bringing its cumulative total to $72.7 million.

In limited release, the Oscar-hopeful "Made in Dagenham," starring Sally Hawkins as an activist who leads the charge for female equal pay in 1960s England, debuted in three theaters and earned a decent $41,100.

"White Material," the French film by acclaimed director Claire Denis, also premiered in three theaters and grossed $36,300.

And Danny Boyle's "127 Hours" continued to perform well as it gradually expands. The true-story drama, starring James Franco as a mountain climber who gets trapped by a boulder, took in $915,000 from 108 locations.

Check back next week as four movies -- "Burlesque," "Faster," "Love and Other Drugs" and "Tangled" -- launch on Wednesday for the extended Thanksgiving weekend.

Which one will play the role of the turkey?

CNN

Gunmen kill young Iraqi journalist at his home

Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- Gunmen shot and killed a young Iraqi journalist in front of his family Sunday in the northern city of Mosul, an official at the Interior Ministry said.

Mazin al-Baghdadi worked as a reporter and anchor for al-Mousiliyya TV.

Gunmen in civilian clothing showed up at his home around 6 p.m. and identified themselves to his father as intelligence officers, the ministry official said.

When al-Baghdadi exited to his house to speak with the men, they shot him.

His family was looking on when the shooting occurred, according to the official, who described the journalist as young.

More than 230 journalists and media workers have been killed in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion began in 2003, the watchdog group Reporters Without Borders said in September -- making Iraq one of the deadliest countries in the world for journalists.

CNN

Trial for U.S. hikers detained in Iran set for February

(CNN) -- A trial for two American hikers held in Iran has been postponed until February 6, their attorney, Masoud Shafii, said Sunday.

The reason for the delay was the absence of Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer at the initial trial date of November 6, Shafii said he was told. The court told him the two were summoned to court but did not show up, he said.

Shafii said that makes no sense, because the two are in government custody, and it's the government's responsibility to bring them to court.

"I am upset, but my hands are tied," he said. "I can't do anything. I've read their case file, and I found no reason for them to be charged with a crime, so even one more day in prison is not justified".

Bauer and Fattal have been held in Evin Prison in the Iranian capital of Tehran for more than a year. They and a third hiker, Sarah Shourd, were arrested in 2009 after they allegedly strayed across an unmarked border into Iran while hiking in Iraq's Kurdistan region. Iran has accused them of espionage. Shourd was released on humanitarian grounds in September.

State-run media reported days before November 6 that the trial date had been postponed as officials decided whether or not to summon Shourd.

"The court schedule for the two Americans was set, but the judiciary itself faced a problem, which was whether or not to summon Sarah Shourd to appear in court," Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, spokesman for the judiciary and attorney general for Tehran, said at a news conference, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency.

"Apparently she had not been summoned to appear in court. Today I heard that the courts had decided that the third national who was freed and released earlier must also appear in court".

In early November, Iran's mission to the United Nations said Bauer and Fattah's parents would be allowed to speak to their sons via telephone. The decision on the phone calls was made based on "humanitarian consideration" after meetings with U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-New York, and Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Khazaee, according to Mahdi Nourian, a spokesman for Iran's U.N. mission.

It was not known Sunday whether the telephone contact has occurred.

CNN

Eto'o head-butt adds to Benitez's woes

London, England (CNN) -- The pressure on Inter boss Rafa Benitez intensified on Sunday as his team crashed to a 2-1 defeat to Chievo in Serie A.

To compound the issue, star striker Samuel Eto'o looks likely to receive a retrospective ban after television cameras showed him head-butting opponent Bostjan Cesar in the chest late in the first half.

The referee and officials missed the incident, which was reminiscent of Zinedine Zidane's head-butt on Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final in Germany, but if reported the Cameroon international is likely to be sidelined for several matches.

Chievo took the lead shortly before the Eto'o incident, when Sergio Pellissier headed home after 29 minutes.

And the home side made sure of victory eight minutes from time when substitute Davide Moscardelli tucked away a cross from Luca Rigoni.

Eto'o scored a brilliant individual goal in injury time but it was too little, too late.

"It's clear that after a defeat no-one is happy, the only thing I can say is that we worked very hard today and our reaction in the second half on a terrible pitch showed great character," Benitez said, AFP reported.

The result means his team is now in sixth place, nine points adrift of leaders and city rivals AC Milan.

CNN

Moscow-bound jet lands safely after engine trouble

New York (CNN) -- A Delta Air Lines flight to Russia made an emergency landing Sunday evening after encountering an engine problem shortly after takeoff from New York, the Federal Aviation Administration reported.

Delta Air Lines Flight 30 returned to John F. Kennedy International Airport at 5:49 p.m. ET, about 50 minutes after takeoff. The Moscow-bound Boeing 767 was forced to turn back after its crew reported a problem with its left engine, FAA spokeswoman Holly Baker said.

No details of the problem were immediately available. Delta said the 193 passengers will be put on another jet for their nearly 10-hour flight to Moscow.

CNN

Mullen: No major strategy shift expected from Afghanistan review

Washington (CNN) -- An upcoming military review of the war in Afghanistan is not expected to result in any major changes in U.S. strategy, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen said Sunday.

In an interview with CNN's "State of the Union" program, Mullen said the U.S.-led international force has "started to make progress" in its mission to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for international terrorist groups.

However, Mullen described the progress so far as "fragile." He cited the training of Afghanistan forces to take over security responsibilities as an area in which progress has occurred but challenges remain.

The military review is due in December, a year after President Barack Obama ordered additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan as part of a strategy that would see some forces coming home as soon as July 2011.

Mullen lauded a weekend meeting of NATO leaders in Portugal that set a goal of ending combat operations for international forces in Afghanistan by the end of 2014. He reaffirmed Obama's statement Saturday that the United States and its allies wanted to hand over security responsibility for all of Afghanistan to that country's security forces by then, and would play a training and support role after that.

CNN

Saudi king heading to U.S. for blood clot treatment

(CNN) -- Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah will fly to the United States on Monday for treatment of a herniated spinal disc and a blood clot that is causing him back pain, the country's health minister said Sunday.

"The medical team recommended that that he leaves to the U.S. to visit a spine-specialized medical center in order to complete medical examinations and for follow-up treatment," Health Minister Abdullah al-Rabeeah said during an interview with Saudi state television. "But I assure everyone that he is in a stable condition, and that he is enjoying health and well-being, and God willing, he will be back safe and sound to lead this proud nation".

Doctors performed tests on the 86-year-old monarch Friday after he complained of back pain and had more tests on Sunday, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported. His doctors have advised him to rest, but he took calls from Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in which the regional leaders wished him a speedy recovery, the news agency reported.

Crown Prince Sultan is expected to return to Riyadh while the king is overseas, the Saudi Press Agency said. But there are also questions looming about the crown prince's health: He has lived in Morocco for much of the past year and a half after surgery for an undisclosed ailment in February 2009.

The top three figures in the kingdom -- Abdullah, Sultan and Prince Nayef, the country's interior minister and second deputy prime minister -- are all sons of King Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud, who founded modern Saudi Arabia in 1932. But the health of senior members of the royal family is "one of those things that is rarely discussed in the media in Saudi Arabia," said Christopher Boucek, a Saudi Arabia analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington.

CNN

Espanyol maintain faultless home form

London, England (CNN) -- Espanyol continued their 100 percent home record on Sunday, beating Hercules 3-0 to move up to fourth in the table, one point ahead of Valencia.

Joan Verdu opened the scoring on 14 minutes and two late penalties, from Pablo Osvaldo and Luis Garcia, made sure of all three points.

Sevilla missed the chance to go ahead of Espanyol after they suffered their first home defeat of the league season, going down 2-1 to Real Mallorca.

Frenchman Michael Pereira opened the scoring for Mallorca in the 36th minute, but Brazilian international forward Luis Fabiano looked as though he stolen a point when he equalized with two minutes of normal time remaining.

But striker Pierre Webo struck the winner for the away side two minutes later.

The result means Sevilla are now seventh, two points off a top four Champion's League place, while Mallorca climb to eighth.

CNN

Chinese worker rescued after 3 days in sunken steel shaft

(CNN) -- A Chinese man was rescued Sunday after spending 80 hours in a steel shaft that sunk 18 meters (59 feet) underwater, China's official Xinhua news agency reported Monday.

The worker, a 43-year-old man identified as Fan Shengjia, became stuck Thursday while working in the shaft at Jiaxing Harbor on China's east coast, Xinhua said.

The shaft, which was about 1 meter in diameter and which the Xinhua report also described as a barrel, was part of an offshore operation platform and was connected to a cement column.

But the shaft buckled under tidal pressure, narrowing to only 3 cm (1 inch) at its narrowest point, Xinhua said. Fan was working at the bottom of the shaft at the time.

Rescuers spent more than 70 hours cleaning silt from the equipment and cutting the cement column off the seabed so the barrel could be lifted from the sea.

Food and water were sent to Fan through a pipe, and a psychiatrist was called in to assist him, the news agency said.

Fan was uninjured, but was taken to a Pinghu City hospital after his rescue.

CNN

Website: Media magnate Murdoch preps digital newspaper for iPad

(CNN) -- Media mogul Rupert Murdoch is developing a digital newspaper exclusively for the iPad and other electronic tablet devices, according to the Women's Wear Daily website.

Murdoch, who has made no secret of his ambitions to charge internet users for news content, has assembled a team of journalists for the project, called "The Daily," and hopes to roll out a beta version around Christmas,WWD reported.

Available to the public in early 2011, the Daily would cost 99 cents a week, about $4.25 a month, and true to its name, publish seven days a week, according to WWD.

Murdoch and Apple CEO Steve Jobs have long been bullish on projections that the iPad, and devices like it, will soon evolve into the premiere content-reading device for the web.

Charging for news content has long been a challenge and philosophical crux for news organizations with large online presences such as News Corporation, which Murdoch owns. The Daily would focus on national issues and combine the features of a tabloid and broadsheet publication, WWD reported.

CNN

Federer opens with Ferrer victory

Roger Federer began his quest for a fifth end-of-season championship with a straight-sets win over Spain's David Ferrer in London.

The 29-year-old Swiss took his career record against Ferrer to 11-0 with a 6-1 6-4 victory in his opening match at the ATP World Tour Finals.

Federer joins Andy Murray, who earlier beat Robin Soderling, at the top of Group B and the pair will meet on Tuesday in their second round-robin match.

It would have taken a brave person to predict Ferrer prevailing on Sunday evening against the four-time champion, making his ninth successive appearance at the year-end championships.

However, despite the incredible list of accomplishments, Federer has displayed signs of vulnerability since winning his 16th Grand Slam title in Australia back in January.

He failed to reach another major final in 2010 and, perhaps even more surprisingly, let match points slip away in four matches, the last of which came in Paris last week when the world number two missed five match points before losing to France's Gael Monfils.

If Federer needed a confidence boost in London then he merely had to look at his 10-0 head-to-head record against Ferrer, whose relentless energy and commitment had never seriously troubled him before.

The indoor setting was also to Federer's advantage, although the slow conditions had been compared to Valencia where Ferrer picked up the title earlier this month.

Federer certainly looked the more comfortable after receiving a raucous welcome from the 17,500 spectators inside the O2 Arena, storming into a 4-0 lead as Ferrer struggled desperately to keep pace, but the Swiss then handed back one of his breaks by dropping serve from 40-0 in game five.

The chances of the Spaniard winning the set remained remote at 4-1 down and they disappeared completely when he was broken for the third time in a lengthy sixth game, allowing Federer to serve out the set comfortably.

Lacking the power to hit through the world number two, Ferrer needed to keep his man on the back foot somehow, but serving at around the 50% mark meant cheap points were few and far between and Federer was too often able to dictate.

There were two chances for the Swiss to move ahead early in the second set before Ferrer blazed a forehand wide on the third, and leading by a set and a break there seemed to be nothing standing between Federer and an early night.

Ferrer is nothing if not fully committed, however, and, backed by a crowd wanting to see a lengthy contest, the 28-year-old played his best game of the match at 3-2 down but still came up short as Federer found his first serve to see off two break points.

It was not vintage Federer - 26 unforced errors were evidence of that - and there was another lapse of concentration before he saw off three break points in serving out the victory after one hour and 20 minutes.

BBC Sport

AIDS activists praise pope's condom comments

Rome, Italy (CNN) -- Pope Benedict XVI's possible shift on condom use is a "significant and positive step forward," the head of the United Nations anti-AIDS campaign said, welcoming the potentially historic remark.

"This move recognizes that responsible sexual behavior and the use of condoms have important roles in HIV prevention," UNAIDS executive director Michel Sidibe said in a statement.

"This will help accelerate the HIV prevention revolution," he said Saturday.

The Roman Catholic Church firmly opposes artificial contraception, including condoms.

The pope caused a firestorm of protest last year when he spoke out against condoms as a way of controlling AIDS during a trip to Africa, the continent hardest hit by the disease.

"You can't resolve it with the distribution of condoms," the pope told reporters in March 2009. "On the contrary, it increases the problem".

But he outlined a possible exception in remarks published Saturday.

"There could be single cases that can be justified, for instance when a prostitute uses a condom, and this can be a first step towards a moralization, a first assumption of responsibility, to develop again the awareness of the fact that not all is allowed and that one cannot do everything one wants," Benedict said.

"However, this is not the true and proper way to defeat the infection of HIV," he added, saying the "humanization of sexuality" was the best method.

"What makes this newsworthy is that he's talking about an exception, where there were no exceptions whatsoever before," said James Martin, a New York Jesuit priest and author.

"Just that the discussion is happening is significant," he added.

Benedict's remarks may foreshadow a shift in the Roman Catholic Church's stance on the issue.

The Vatican's official newspaper quoted the remarks, which come from a book due to be published this week.

The book, "Light of the World: The Pope, the Church, and the Signs of the Times," was written by German journalist Peter Seewald and published by Ignatius Press.

CNN Senior Vatican Analyst John Allen cautioned that Benedict's comments do not rise to the level of official Vatican policy, but show the pontiff has flexibility in the church's opposition to birth control.

Allen said that a portion of the book refers to condom use among male prostitutes.

"I think the point he was trying to make, when somebody is using a condom, not so much to prevent new life, which has always been the Catholic Church's big concern, but to prevent the transmission of disease then it would be OK," Allen told CNN.

Although Benedict did not mention it, his statements indicate he may also find condoms appropriate in the case of heterosexual couples where one of the partners has a sexually transmitted disease, Allen added.

Catholic theologians and a special Vatican commission have previously said that condoms may be acceptable in some cases to prevent AIDS, Allen wrote in a blog Saturday.

But Benedict had kept silent on the issue.

Allen said he does not think the pontiff's comments signal a sea change in the church's broader birth control policy, as condoning the use of a condom to prevent the spread of disease is not the same as saying it's okay to use one to prevent a pregnancy.

Still, Benedict's comments open a door and may mark a shift in his thinking about condoms and AIDS.

CNN