Disney's animated romp "Wreck-It Ralph" rang up a phenomenal weekend at North American box offices, taking in $49.1 million -- almost double the number-two film, figures showed Sunday.

The premiere of Disney's movie, which sees a video game villain try to become a hero, almost doubled the business of another hot premiere, Denzel Washington's "Flight," about a troubled pilot.

Prominent Syrian-born Palestinian actor Mohammed Rafeh, who was believed to be a supporter of President Bashar Assad's regime, was kidnapped and then killed by anti-government gunmen, activists and his family said Sunday. He was 30.

Ahmad Rafeh, Mohammed's father and also a well-known actor, said the family received Mohammed's body Sunday.

Britain's Prince Charles and wife Camilla arrived in Papua New Guinea on Saturday where they were welcomed with a 21-gun salute and traditional songs and dances as a threatened protest failed to materialize.

Several thousand well-wishers had earlier gathered at Port Moresby's Jackson's International Airport to catch a glimpse of the royal couple who are on a tour from November 3-16 which includes Australia and New Zealand.

Veteran British rockers Status Quo will reunite their original line-up for the first time in nearly three decades to play a string of shows, the band announced Saturday.

Known for their stripped-down, three-chord hits such as "Rockin' All Over the World" and "Caroline", the band will play five dates in Glasgow, Manchester, Wolverhampton and London in March 2012.

This time, Belgium's royal family came out swinging.

Crown Prince Philippe, 52, had been depicted in a book as less of a man than is needed to become the next king of Belgium. Again.

After a detour into animation, "Forrest Gump" director Robert Zemeckis returns to live-action film with "Flight," which starts with a plane crash but centers more on personal rather than airborne crises.

Denzel Washington stars as a pilot who becomes a national hero for managing to crash-land a malfunctioning jet but faces another harrowing descent when alcohol and cocaine are discovered in his system.

From "Livin' on a Prayer" to "The Living Proof," every song Friday at NBC's benefit concert for superstorm Sandy victims became a message song.

New Jersey's Jon Bon Jovi gave extra meaning to "Who Says You Can't Go Home." Billy Joel worked in a reference to Staten Island, the decimated New York City borough. The hourlong event, hosted by Matt Lauer, was heavy on stars and lyrics identified with New Jersey and the New York metropolitan area, which took the brunt of this week's deadly storm. The telethon was a mix of music, storm footage and calls for donations from Jon Stewart, Tina Fey, Whoopi Goldberg and others.

U.S. actress and director Jodie Foster won a coveted prize Thursday from the organizers of the Golden Globes, to be presented at the annual film awards show in January.

The 49-year-old, who won a Golden Globe and Oscar for her role in 1991's "Silence of the Lambs," was named recipient of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's Cecil B. DeMille Award.

Indian tourist officials in Goa warned Friday that they would shut down a Playboy club set to open next month if there was any evidence of "obscenity, vulgarity or nudity".

Playboy's local franchisee PB Lifestyle has announced plans for more than 100 outlets in India, starting with a beachside club in the holiday state, but their "bunny" waitresses will sport a new look to suit conservative Indian values.

Blake Shelton scored a hat trick late Thursday at the 46th annual Country Music Association awards in Nashville, Tennessee, where the victims of superstorm Sandy were not forgotten.

Shelton, 36, a three-time Grammy nominee, took the most-coveted entertainer of the year honor after collecting laurels for best male vocalist and, with wife Miranda Lambert, best song for "Over You."