McCartney gets coat of arms
London — Sir Paul McCartney has been granted his own coat of arms, which pays homage to the former Beatle’s musical career and his hometown of Liverpool, a newspaper reported Sunday.
According to The Sunday Times, the crest features a liver — a fanciful bird that appears on the Liverpool’s arms — holding a guitar in its claw. Four curved emblems resembling beetles’ backs reflect his career with John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.
The motto is “Ecce Cor Meum,” Latin for “Behold My Heart,” which is the title of an oratorio he composed.

Christmas party brings mayhem
Johannesburg, South Africa — A scuffle broke out Sunday as thousands clamored for presents at Nelson Mandela’s annual Christmas party for children.
No one was injured, though two children were treated for anxiety, said the former president’s spokeswoman, Zelda La Grange.
She said the mayhem at Mandela’s home in the Eastern Cape town of Qunu began when adults in the crowd began pushing their way through a line of some 20,000 people. Fearing a stampede, security opened the fence surrounding the home to let in the crowds, she said.
The mood at the annual event did calm down, La Grange said, and the children, most of whom live in stark poverty, left the house smiling with gifts and food packages. Also attending was talk show host Oprah Winfrey.

Castro favoring his left leg
Havana — Saying his doctors ordered him to rest after a leg injury, Fidel Castro excused himself for the first time in 25 years from a session of Cuba’s Parliament — but not without complaint.
“Owing to a small accidental injury in the left leg with inflammation and other theoretical risks, the medical tyranny has imposed upon me the terrible punishment of three or four days rest,” the Cuban president said.
“I don’t have any other alternative but to obey,” wrote Castro, 76, who has led Cuba for almost 44 years. “I must take care of my left leg because with it I have made the best steps of my life,” he added.

Lady Bird celebrates 90th
Austin, Tex. — A small group of friends and relatives gathered Sunday to celebrate the 90th birthday of Lady Bird Johnson, who suffered a stroke in May.
Since the stroke, the widow of former President Johnson communicates by using hand gestures and repeating herself. But she spends more time observing and listening.
“For so long everyone went to her for words because her words were so pretty and she was so well-spoken,” granddaughter Nicole Nugent Covert said in Sunday’s Austin American-Statesman. “Now, it’s more like she’s here to listen to you.”
Another granddaughter, attorney Catherine Robb, said the family was making extra efforts to spend time with Johnson. “We realize what a treasure she is to all of us, and we want to soak up every little bit we can,” she said.