News In Brief

WAS I A LOT OF HELP, MUMMY?

"He's so cute, I really can't be angry with him," Janet Hother-ball said. Maybe she was referring to the family puppy after finding a chewed leg of the dining room table? Nope, try five-year-old son Henry - after the insurance adjuster left their Lancashire, England, home. It seems, in an effort to help with the cleaning while his mother was on the phone, the child emptied a jug of bleach on the furniture, rugs, draperies, even the TV set. His five minutes of - um - work caused $30,000 in damage. No word on when mom will ask for additional assistance with the housework.

OK, I WASN'T REALLY THE CEO

Yes, the economy is booming, but is that any reason for job applicants to lie on their rsums? Apparently it is, if the results of an annual study in Canada by one of the world's largest employment agencies mean anything. Toronto-based Adeco found 33 percent of 1,000 rsums examined last year contained falsehoods - a nine-point jump over 1998.

'Eye of Beholder' beats weak competition at the box office

If you didn't make it to the movies last weekend, you were not alone. Film fans stayed away in droves, thanks to Super Bowl Sunday activities, treacherous winter weather, and a dearth of high-profile premires. The phenomenon is part of a recent slump at the box office, but analysts say that could turn around this weekend with the release of "Scream 3." Those who did venture out to North American theaters last weekend made the debut of the Ashley Judd thriller "Eye of the Beholder" their No. 1 choice. The top 10 and their estimated grosses (in millions) Jan. 28-30:

1. "Eye of the Beholder" $6.2

2. "The Hurricane" 6.0

(tie) "Next Friday" 6.0

4. "Stuart Little" 4.8

5. "The Green Mile" 4.1

6. "Down to You" 4.0

7. "Galaxy Quest" 3.5

8. "Girl, Interrupted" 3.3

9. "The Talented Mr. Ripley" 2.8

10. "Toy Story 2" 2.4

- Exhibitor Relations Inc./AP

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