- Leaders of Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia meet amid regional tensions
- Klopp's Red Bull decision 'ruined life's work' say Dortmund fans
- Han Kang wins South Korea's first literature Nobel
- S. Korea's Nobel winner Han Kang a modest, thought-provoking writer
- Hurricane Milton tornadoes kill four in Florida amid rescue efforts
- The almost impossible job: Beating Rafael Nadal at the French Open
- New French government faces key test with budget plan
- Rescuers say Israeli strike on Gaza school kills 28
- Italy's ex-world champion gymnast Ferrari announces retirement
- Zelensky talks 'victory plan' in meeting with Starmer, Rutte
- South Korea's Han Kang wins literature Nobel
- Federer lauds retiring Nadal's 'incredible achievements'
- Ikea posts fall in annual sales after lowering prices
- Australia beat China 3-1 to resurrect World Cup campaign
- Stock markets diverge, oil gains after China rebounds
- Nadal defied injury woes in record-breaking career
- Nadal v Djokovic, French Open, 2006: Chapter One in epic rivalry
- World can't 'waste time' trading climate change blame: COP29 hosts
- Pakistan at 23-1 after Brook triple hundred takes England to 823-7
- Zelensky meets Starmer, Rutte on whirlwind tour of Europe
- South Korean same-sex couples make push for marriage equality
- Rafael Nadal calls time on epic tennis career
- Mumbai declares day of mourning for Indian industrialist Ratan Tata
- Philippines confronts China over South China Sea at ASEAN meet
- Kim Sei-young shoots 62 to take two-stroke lead at LPGA Shanghai
- The haircuts that help traumatised Ukrainian soldiers heal
- Sinner crushes Medvedev to set up potential Alcaraz Shanghai semi
- 7-Eleven owner restructures to fight takeover
- England's Harry Brook blasts triple century against Pakistan
- Chinese electric car companies cope with European tariffs
- Zelensky in London for whirlwind tour of Europe ahead of US vote
- Sri Lanka recovering faster than expected: World Bank
- Hong Kong, Shanghai rally as most markets track Wall St record
- Record-breaking Root, Brook both pass 200 as England pile up 658-3
- Football mourns Greek defender George Baldock's shock death at 31
- Uniqlo owner reports record annual earnings
- Hong Kong, Shanghai rally as markets track Wall St record
- Indonesia biomass drive threatens key forests: report
- Home is far away for Madagascar in AFCON qualifying
- Two months on, Donbas soldiers begin to question Kursk offensive
- Rugby Australia to counter-sue in dispute with Melbourne Rebels
- Mumbai mourns Indian industrialist Ratan Tata
- Philippines challenges China over South China Sea at ASEAN meet
- Mets advance on Lindor blast, Dodgers stay alive in MLB playoffs
- Injury-ravaged Krygios aiming to return at Australian Open
- Greek international Baldock, dead at 31: family
- EU talks deportation hubs to stem migration
- Deaths and repression sideline Suu Kyi's party ahead of Myanmar vote
- S. Africa offers a lesson on how not to shut down a coal plant
- China opens $71 bn 'swap facility' to boost markets
Kid-flick 'Paw' beats blood-soaked 'Saw' to top N.America box office
Paramount's new kids' movie "Paw Patrol 2: The Mighty Movie" bounded to the top of the North American box office this weekend, with a tail-wagging take estimated at $23 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday.
"This is an excellent opening," said analyst David A. Gross, adding that while the "Paw Patrol" series was "not in the league of the Disney, Pixar and Illumination juggernauts," it also carried a far smaller production budget -- around $30 million -- and looks to be headed for a profitable future.
The film has the hard-working Paw Patrol pups -- now endowed with superpowers -- fighting again to save Adventure City. Voice actors include Taraji P. Henson, Chris Rock, Serena Williams and McKenna Grace.
In second place for the Friday-through-Sunday period was another new release, Lionsgate horror film "Saw X." It sold an estimated $18 million in tickets, not a bad weekend for a film made for just $13 million.
"Saw X" is the first in the violence-filled "Saw" series to score overwhelmingly positive reviews, according to Variety. Tobin Bell, as the infamous Jigsaw, this time kidnaps doctors as he takes on greedy medical con artists.
New 20th Century sci-fi thriller "The Creator" came in third, at $14 million. Its of-the-moment setting: a world where humans are at war with artificial intelligence.
John David Washington plays a special agent sent to kill the titular Creator. Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe and Allison Janney also star.
In fourth was the box office leader of the past three weekends, "The Nun II" from Warner Bros., at $4.7 million. This "Conjuring" series spinoff stars Taissa Farmiga in a tale of Gothic horror.
And in fifth was another new release, Fathom Events' faith-based "The Blind," at $4.1 million. Set in the Louisiana swamps in the 1960s, it portrays the real-life struggles of "Duck Dynasty" star Phil Robertson with addiction and romance.
Overall, the year's box office is down 15.5 percent from last year, and this despite the huge successes of "Barbie" -- now at $800 million internationally and $1.43 billion worldwide -- and "Oppenheimer," Gross said. The rest of the year does not look a lot better, he added.
Rounding out the weekend's top 10 were:
"A Haunting in Venice" ($3.8 million)
"Dumb Money" ($3.5 million)
"The Equalizer 3" ($2.7 million)
"Expend4bles" ($2.5 million)
"Barbie" ($1.4 million)
F.Schneider--AMWN