News In Brief

NO, WAIT. LET'S TRY THIS AGAIN

It has been around since 1907. So by now you'd think the Finnish Football Association would be on top of its game, right? That wasn't quite the case, however, after the annual national soccer championship tournament. Its official release proclaimed that the Jokerit team from Helsinki had won, defeating city rival HJK, 2-1. That was news to HJK's players, who were under the impression that they'd fallen out of contention when they lost in the semi-finals, 1-0. Jokerit was the champion, all right. But the runnerup was the Jaro team from Pietarsaari.

IT JUST BURNED HIM UP

Imagine remodeling a building the size of Iowa's State House without using a welding torch or soldering iron. Yet, that's what construction workers must do until they show the fire marshal he can trust them again. He acted after crews accidentally set the place ablaze for the second time in a week. No injuries, but 350 employees had to be evacuated. Damage: about $10,000.

'Haunted Hill' stalks off with weekend box-office bonanza

"House on Haunted Hill" was the top film at North American theaters over the Halloween weekend, knocking "The Best Man" down a notch after its first-place debut a week earlier. The only other new movie in wide release was "Music of the Heart," starring Meryl Streep as Roberta Guaspari, who started a violin program for poor children in New York's East Harlem. "Music of the Heart" played in 1,349 theaters, about half as many as "House on Haunted Hill." Reported ticket sales at North American theaters Oct. 29-31 (in millions):

1. "House on Haunted Hill" $15.9

2. "The Best Man" 6.3

3. "Double Jeopardy" 5.4

4. "American Beauty" 3.8

5. "Music of the Heart" 3.7

6. "Bringing Out the Dead" 3.4

7. "Fight Club" 3.3

8. "The Sixth Sense" 3.2

9. "The Story of Us" 3.0

10. "Three Kings" 2.5

- Exhibitor Relations Inc./AP

(c) Copyright 1999. The Christian Science Publishing Society